silvercruiser

I remember being on the aol cruise critic forum, but can't remember how long ago that was.   I'm probably all through with cruising, but still check in to see what's going on.

My very first cruise was on SON in November 1976 to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary.  Such a beautiful ship and wonderful service.   About 75 or  80 cruises later with a total of over 900 days at sea I still have such fond memories of that first time.    It's been two years now since my last cruise in northern Europe, where it rained most of the time for three weeks.   Since I recently turned 90 I think fond memories will have to sustain me.   I've been on all 7 continents and over 100 countries.   So glad I realized I might not always have the energy to travel and got plenty of it in while I was able to.  And before COVID-19.   But gee, I must admit that I do really miss cruising.

Definitely it's first stepping aboard.   Even after about 85 cruises and over 900 days at sea it was still thrilling to just walk onto a ship.   Just as exciting as the first time. 

I've been there 3 times and always enjoy the small boat ride that takes you up close to the wildlife living there.  Beautiful.

We loved our table for 2 on the balcony of the dining room on our first Veendam cruise in 2004.  In 2013 I had the most wonderful cruise, Voyage of the Vikings, in one of those 'new' cabins on the rear of the ship.  The balcony was nice and big, also shaded, so I could enjoy the scenery that was almost always visible, since the sun was out so many hours of the day at that time of year.  What a treat to be in the middle of the Norwegian fjords and sit out there and just feel like part of it.  I will miss the Veendam as well as Maasdam.  Just the right size ships.

I've loved the Veendam since our first cruise on it, out of Tampa about 15 years ago.  It's just the right size and I'm thrilled to see it returning to Tampa this year, as it's only a one hour drive to embark.   My favorite cruise on the Veendam was in 2013, Voyage of the Vikings.  I splurged on one of those newer cabins facing the rear of the ship.  Since we were sailing in areas with so many hours of daylight, the view from the large balcony was spectacular.  But most of all, the trip was made so very special because the captain, Peter Bos, now retired, did such a wonderful job of keeping us informed every step of the way. 

We are under a statewide lockdown that prohibits Floridians from leaving home except to “obtain or provide essential services or conduct essential activities.”  Schools are closed, as are restaurants.

The order - which goes into effect on Friday, April 3 at 12:01 a.m. and expires on April 30 -

Most of us here in Sarasota are staying home and keeping our distance from one another.  This town has changed a whole lot since your parents left on January 4.   They'll have to follow the new rules.

Converting onboard credit to cash via the casino has been eliminated on some cruise lines, such as HAL, so read the fine print about OBC, in case it says "cannot be used in the casino."

Even The Netherlands are concerned about so many tourists. 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/may/06/we-must-act-now-netherlands-tries-to-control-tourism-boom

Hope there are no engine problems when we're out in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean on the April 21 TA!

I remember being so impressed at a local dinner theatre when the waiter, instead of just grabbing the plate, inquired, "Are you still enjoying your salad?"

We went past in January 1997 around 2 in the morning and it was spectacular.

Do the 4* Mariners get a 50% discount at the Dutch Cafe like they do at the Explorations Cafe?

I was just going to comment about those two ladies.  The last I heard there was no way for them to be able to re-enter the U.S. without a passport.  Don't know what finally happened.  And I can't remember what cruise line they were on to check and see what's new with that story.

I agree about the extra beds on the side hitting you in the head.  Make sure you get a cabin for only two people.

I loved the sideways room, but wished that I'd booked one that didn't have the extra beds in the wall for more people.  I had the bed made up as just one large bed,as I was alone, and had to watch that I didn't hit my head on the beds attached to the walls, as there was very little space on each side of the bed.

We loved long cruises for the same reasons everyone has mentioned.   The ship truly feels like 'home' and luckily, we loved the sea days.   It's just a way of life if you cruise often.   I've spent over 900 days at sea and loved every minute of it.

I got credit fromRCL for 1977 cruise on Song of Norway. Funny, with so much cruising, I didn't get backto RCL until a couple of years ago, but they were able to find my original cruise.

I was a newbie when I first started wearing my keycard on a lanyard. Now, after more than 900 days at sea, I still wear one and even have my own puncher to use as soon as I get the card, so it's on a lanyard when I first board. When going ashore I have a small plastic sleeve contining a copy of my passport and my drivers license that I hook onto the lanyard. Yes, I keep it inside my blousewhen ashore. It sure saves time when reboarding. If others want to think I'm a jerk, let them. :):)

Thanks. Just what I was looking for!

Is there still a place where I can find what groups are booked on HAL ships? I like to avoid cruises where large groups seem to sort of take over.

Correction: My check was also for $7.62 and so were my friends. They didn't trust they were really from HAL and threw them away.

I got one a couple of weeks ago for $7.64 from a cruise on Nieuw Amsterdam in 2016. My friends did too. Assume it was a change in port fees.