Robertson International Travel

Saturday, February 27 ~ Cochin, India

INDIA AT LAST!  OUR RETURN TO COCHIN AND JUDY'S BIRTHDAY!

We were in Cochin in 2007 and again in 2008 and absolutely loved this port of call in India! We arrived at dawn and awoke to the Islam call to prayer from the local minerets. 

The entrance to Cochin is lined with the Chinese Fishing Nets which are very unique to Cochin. Each structure is at least 30 feet high and comprises a cantilever and an outstretched net suspended over the sea usually operated by six fisherman with catches on the modest size. Cochin (Kochi) was a major spice trade port and these Chinese Fishing Nets are considered of Chinese origin. Some suppose that the nets were introduced by the Chinese World Explorer, Zheng He, who was the Admiral of the Chinese Treasure Fleet which we are constantly researching.

Late morning, we took a taxi to The Anchor House, a delightful little hotel on the waterfront with a charming restaurant on the second floor. Judy was greeted with balloons and decorations for her birthday lunch and, for a while, we were the only guests in the restaurant with a very festive table for two up front!  Sorry....table for three - "Coco", our traveling teddy bear, insisted she be invited to the birthday party.  
 
   
  
 For almost three hours we were mezmerized by the water life of Cochin right in front of us.  These fishing boats have just returned from their early morning work including taking their fish to market.  All of their day's work is completed by noon.

   
We thank the management of The Anchor House for all of their efforts and wonderful service, especially our waiter, Binu, here with a showing of our red snapper he is going to cook.   The final presentation was in beautiful Kerala style, the local area cuisine. 

 
In celebration of Judy's birthday, she was presented with a colorful birthday cake compliments of Binu and The Anchor House management.  "Happy Birthday, Judy"!

OUR THOUGHT FOR THE DAY....

"In the end, it's not the years in your life that count, it's the life in your years".  -  Abraham Lincoln  

Friday, February 26 ~ At Sea in the Indian Ocean En Route to Cochin, India

Post Pending

Thursday, February 25 ~ At Sea in the Indian Ocean En Route to Cochin, India

Post Pending

Wednesday, February 24 ~ At Sea in the Indian Ocean En Route to Cochin, India

OLYMPIC GAMES CLOSING CEREMONIES

We have been enjoying the Crystal World Cruise Olympic Games over the past 11 days and this afternoon, we held the Closing Ceremonies with the presentation of the final medals followed by entertainment and dances by the Crystal Ensemble Singers and Dancers. Many of our Voyager Club members won Bronze, Silver and Gold Medals.  

With Olympic Champions, Janet Evans (front row left) and Dr. Sammy Lee front row right) plus Cruise Director Rick Spath (in white uniform), we had several Voyager Club members on the platform including Helene Salzman, Louise O'Shea and Jim Hatton for Trivia. 

Voyager Club members, Bob and Glo Novello, wearing their Crystal Olympic Games shirts, are proud medal winners!

Proud Olympians, Louise O'Shea (left) and Arlene Robertson (right) with Olympic Games Dive Champion, Dr. Sammy Lee. 

 
And the Adventures of "Coco" ..........Coco returns to the tennis court for a fierce battle to win the Gold and celebrates with a stiff non-alcoholic drink!  

CAPTAIN'S THOUGHT FOR THE DAY......

"Youth is not a time in life, but a state of mind".

Tuesday, February 23 ~ At Sea in the Indian Ocean En Route to Cochin, India

OUR CRYSTAL ENRICHMENT PROGRAM ~ SENATOR PHIL GRAMM SPEAKS

    
 
 We had our second lecture today by Senator Phil Gramm who served in Congress for 24 years and 18 years as a U.S.Senator from Texas. Senator Gramm's accomplishments in Congress are unprecedented and he warmed our hearts today with his wit, humor, and obvious understanding of government finances with his background, among many other positions in the Senate, as Chairman of the Senate Banking Committee. Senator Gramm gave us all great hope for a sound future and that we will pull out of our current economic crisis. One of his lines was, "When you're in a hole, stop digging". The other which resonated throughout the Galaxy Lounge was, "Folks, don't bet against America"!

Senator Gramm and his wife, Wendy, greeted us in the hallway and invited us to lunch at the popular Gala American Buffet on Lido Deck and, considering the venue very appropriate, gladly accepted! We had a great time and continue our conversations about where we are in our economic situation. This was a real highlight and honor to have lunch with two such distinguished Americans.

CAPTAIN'S THOUGHT FOR THE DAY....

"We all see the sky, but have different horizons"

Monday, February 22 ~ At Sea in the Indian Ocean

OUR CRYSTAL CRUISE OLYMPICS

One of the most exciting events aboard our Crystal World Cruise is the 11 day "Olympic Games" and this year is the 15th Anniversary of the Games aboard a Crystal ship. All passengers are eligible to enter the Games in Backgammon...... Basketball Freethrow....... Chess.....Cribbage..... ..Darts......Duplicate Bridge...... Free Cell......Gin Rummy.....Golf Putting......Lap Swimming...... Paddle Tennis......Photo Competition....... Scabble......Shuffleboard...... Social Bridge......Solitaire.......Sudoku...... Table Tennis...... and Walking Relay.

 

 

This year, our U.S.A. Olympic Champions presiding over the Crystal Games are Dr. Sammy Lee and Ms. Janet Evans.

Dr. Sammy Lee is the first American of Asian descendent to win an Olympic gold medal for the United States. The diminutive diver, just 5 feet tall, won his gold medal in the International Olyumpic Men's platform and ba bronze medal in the 3 meter springboard in the 1952 Games.

Janet Evans, could swim all four competitive strokes by the age of three, and competed in her first swim meet when she was just five years old!  At the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, Korea, Janet won gold in the 400m and 800m freestyle and the 400m individual medley. She also won gold in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics in the 800m freestyle and a silver in the 400 freestyle. Her world records in the 400m, 800m, and 1500 freestyles stood for 20 years. Janet is considered to be the greatest female distance swimmer in the history of the sport!

The most popular event is Golf Putting in the Crystal Plaza with a very creative course. Among 80 entrees, there was a Robertson who entered the event, but failed to medal (Seen here with no form, no proper shoes and our Cruise Director, Rick Spath, who couldn't stand to watch, in the background!).  We believe it's time to get together with our Golf Pro on this world cruise, John Clark, and get serious!

In addition to the passengers, we also had our Crew Olympics today poolside which is the most popular event. This year, our favorite Deck Stewards competed in the tug-a-war and won all of them with the exception of the final round for the gold medal. There's always next year guys!

CAPTAIN'S THOUGHT FOR THE DAY.....

"Home is not where you live. Home is where your heart is".

Sunday, February 21 ~ At Sea in the Indian Ocean

SUNDAY ON THE CRYSTAL SERENITY AND THE GALA BUFFET

Sundays are probably the busiest days on the ship when we are at sea! Of course we always start off with an 11am lecture! Together with his laptop visual presentation, this was one of the more fascinating lectures by Ken Rees, "We All Watch The News, But Can We Believe It?" An award winning international correspondent, Ken received the Royal Television Society's highest honor in 1986 as the Televisiopn Reporter of the Year". In Ken's talk, he could not speak more highly of Walter Cronkite who was very dear to our hearts when we honored him in 2007 while we were hosting the Virtuoso Voyager Club on the world cruise. He could not have been more gracious or more enthusiastic about our cocktail party for him. Thank you, Ken, for spending some time in your talk about Walter Cronkite and then joining us afterwards to chat about the man once considered, "The Most Trusted Man in America".   We miss him. 

Our Sunday Gala Buffet is always a lavish affair and sets the tone on Sunday for the entire day! Everyone is out and about in the Crystal Plaza and there is always something different about the displays each Sunday!  Our fabulous dining room waiter from our Crystal World Cruise 2 years ago, Pedja, is still here!  So many staff and crew members only want to be on Crystal Cruises - a real tribute to this number one cruise line!

OUR THOUGHT FOR THE DAY.....

"And that's the way it is". - Walter Cronkite

Saturday, February 20 ~ At Sea in the Indian Ocean

OUR FOCUS ON MODERN DAY PIRATES - A REALITY

As we grew up, we were fascinated by pirates, their tales and lore, and most recently, the movies of "Pirates of the Caribbean" starring Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom. Those were yesterday's pirates.....today we have a new breed and they are just as ruthless! 

 
 
  We have been reading about modern day pirate activity around the world, especially off the coast of Somalia in the Indian Ocean. The Sea of Aden has been especially active and these waters have seen the most attacks. Now that there is a heavy defense system in place in the Sea of Aden, the pirates have moved south near and around the Seychelle Islands, one of our planned ports of call. To avoid any problems, both the ports of Seychelles and Maldives have been cancelled to allow Captain Glenn Edvardsen the opportunity to completely avoid the area by cruising south to the northern tip of Madagascar, cruise East and then north to Cochin, India. Once we arrive in Cochin, we will be resuming our normal schedule.   This new schedule has been updated in our detailed itinerary at the beginning of our blog and you can follow our map to the above as we cruise around the problem areas to assure our safety. 

Jay Wolff gave a riveting lecture today on, "Pirates Today - Alive and Well", and brought us all up to date on our current situation on our voyage from Mombasa, Kenya to Cochin, India.

OUR QUOTE OF THE DAY....

"The existance of the sea means the existence of pirates". - Malayan proverb

Friday, February 19 ~ Mombasa, Kenya

MOMBASA - GATEWAY TO KENYA

Driving under the huge Tusks of Mombasa in the seaport gateway of Mombasa, we were only interested in seeing game. Micato Safaris, the award winning safari outfitter in Africa, had a few choices of game reserves and directed our efforts to Shimba Hills National Reserve. Once we arrived and started getting reports from other Micato Safari vehicles, the chances of seeing big game were slim to none! The animals we did see were well camoflaged, but welcomed sights! We gathered with our guide and two security personnel to discuss the processing of elephant dung into paper products including note books and photo albums.
Upon our return to port and the Crystal Serenity, we were greeted by Liz Wheeler, Chief Operating Officer for Micato Safaris. We so much appreciate the work Micato Safaris does for our Virtuoso Network including their tremendous contributions to the betterment of Africa. We applaud you, Micato!

OUR THOUGHT FOR THE DAY....

"There is something about safari life that makes you forget all your sorrows and feel as if you had drunk half a bottle of champagne - bubbling over with heartfelt gratitude for being alive. One only feels really free when one can go in whatever direction one pleases over the plains, to get to the river at sundown and pitch one's camp, with the knowledge that one can fall asleep beneath other trees, with another view before one, the next night."  - Karen Blixen

Thursday, February 18 ~ Zanzibar, Tanzania

SPICES OF ZANZIBAR AND OUR VIRTUOSO VOYAGER CLUB SHORE EVENT

Morning's first clue of our Zanzibar arrival was a lone "dhow", a traditional Arab sailing vessel, on our starboard bow. This was our first visit to this island of ancient spice traders and without delay, our Voyager Club group was greeted by four minivans and taken for a walkthrough of the fragrant marketplace.
  

The narrow alleyways had busy shops on both sides with wonderful contrasts. As we rounded corners, we thought we were on a movie set. Upon arrival at our destination for lunch, the unique Hotel Serena Inn, we were greeted by hotel staff (Pictured left to right: Judy Robertson, Voyager Club Host and Melody Neff from Virtuoso Executive Headquarters in Ft. Worth).

 
During lunch, we were entertained by four Zanzibar musicians who set the tone for fabulous luncheon by the sea with the Crystal Serenity in the background.
What a setting! With Virtuoso gifts in hand, we couldn't depart without evidence of our presence at this little oasis in Zanzibar.    

We continued to the "House of Wonders" for our last stop - a fitting last look at Zanzibar with the first building to have modern conveniences in the old world and given the appropriate name. Even with modern conveniences such as electricity, the House of Wonders had tradional doors with brass spikes to deter elephants from raming them.  Our guide, Rashid, was most gracious and invited us to return to Zanzibar some day soon. We will! This was one of the most exotic and exciting ports of call to date and only wish we had more time here to explore and get lost in this land of spice and mystery. We loved Zanzibar!

OUR THOUGHT FOR THE DAY....

"If you are not getting as much from life as you want to, then examine the state of your enthusiasm". - Norman Vincent Peale