Planning; As much Fun and Challenge as the Actual Cruise

We are two months out of our seventh world cruise and getting down to the really detailed planning.  One thing we need to do is verify that this blog is working and you are receiving the posts.  If you are reading this it works.

The 2020 Grand World Voyage has a couple of unique aspects.  First, it is 128 days which will be the longest time we have ever cruised on one voyage.  The past longest was 115 days.  The reason for the length is the second unique aspect.   We are not going to use the Panama or Suez Canals.  That means we’ll be cruising around South America and Africa.  That is old school; the way ships would travel the world before the canals were built.  We’re looking forward to visiting several ports we haven’t been to in a while, including Antarctica.  The cruise has one sad aspect.  It is the retirement cruise for Captain Jonathan Mercer.  We have sailed all over the world with CPT Mercer on world voyages and other itineraries for the past 10 years.  After 51 years at sea he has decided to hang up his cap.  His wife, Karen, sails with him and is one of my on-board gym partners.  They live about five miles from us on Merritt Island.  We will miss him as our captain but may see him and Karen as fellow passengers.

Here is our Itinerary.   We sail from January 4th to May 12th.

Ken has two off-ship excursions planned this year so far.  Ken plans on visiting Zululand when we get to South Africa.  On January 22, 1879 a British Expeditionary  invasion force was defeated at the Battle of Isandlwana by the Zulu’s (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Isandlwana ).  The battle was portrayed in the movie Zulu Dawn (1979).  The following day, January 23, 1879, the Zulu’s attacked the mission station at Rorke’s Drift where just over 150 British and colonial troops defended the station against attacks by 3,000 to 4,000 Zulu  warriors (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Rorke%27s_Drift ).  The battle was portrayed in the movie Zulu (1964).  Ken and our tablemate Tim will rent a four-wheel SUV in Richard’s Bay and set out to visit both battle grounds and learn more about the Zulu nation.  Hopefully (If they don’t get lost) they will rejoin the ship in Durban.

The second off-ship excursion is a little more ambitious.  Kew will leave the ship in Bali and head for Sumatra for a jungle trek in search of orangutans.  It looks like five days off the ship with one overnight in the jungle looking for his furry friends.  He’ll rejoin the ship and Noreen in Singapore.

Noreen is looking forward to a number of sunset sails in various ports, especially Sydney.  She is also cross referencing each country with the indigenous precious stones and metals that deserve her attention. 

One of our planned stops is the British Overseas Territory of St. Helena located in the South Pacific.  It is the site of the last exile of Napoleon and his death.  There is a gravesite there but the body was exhumed and moved to France in 1840.   It is also the home of Jacob’s Ladder (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob%27s_Ladder_(Saint_Helena);  a very steep 699 step climb that serves as a challenge to tourists.  Ken did it several years ago in about 22 minutes.  We’ll see what his time is on this voyage.

Jacob’s Ladder, St. Helena

We’re looking over our other ports-of-call for more adventures and new experiences.  You’ll just have to follow along and see what we find.

We’re glad you are joining us in 2020 for our next adventure.  We look forward to your comments and questions.  You can reach us directly at kstein29@cfl.rr.com.  For anyone that hasn’t heard that is our new e-mail address.