Copper10-8

Two fellow Belgians! 🤪

The only thing the Oosterdam staff, via Guest Services, could have/prob. should have done in this apparent traumatic experience for the kids, since this particular obstructed view cabin is in close proximity to one of the housed lifeboats, was provide advanced notice of the scheduled maintenance to the occupants the day before. As already has been said, they - Guest Services - do this routinely when the hardworking sailors conduct maintenance and/or a washdown on the balcony cabins. Chalk it up to a learning experience for both Guest Services (based on the reaction they got), and the 8 and 12-year olds. Oh yeah, as far as the occupants/kids already having experienced the boats being lowered for tendering early in the morning upon arrival at a tender port, looking at Oostie's itinerary, the only tendering was done two days ago in Santorini and that is usually provided by mandatory shore based tenders as opposed to the ship's own tenders. Plus, as we know, only the ship's tenders are lowered for that process, not the lifeboats, so if it's a lifeboat outside this cabin, it would have happily remained in place. 🧐

Mr. Blockschip; what kind of camera do you use? Awesome pics! Btw, it's good to meet a fellow totally domesticated, well trained, 100% house broken husband! I can relate 🤙

Part of Zaandam's nice fitness center with some of the free weights on their racks visible in the back behind the machines

What it looks like inside a HAL life raft btw, is to which the vast majority of the crew are assigned to (pics taken during crew drills, of which there are many, usually at the rear part of a fire/general emergency drill). The rafts are stored inside cannisters/containers. The life rafts are released or launched into the water by three different methods: 1. Launching via ship's Davits (the raft is inflated while attached to/ hanging from a davit along the boat deck so the assigned crew can board) 2. Manually launching (the container holding the raft is launched overboard - the painter line is pulled which will fire a gas bottle to inflate the raft - takes 20-30 seconds to inflate fully 3. Auto release with hydrostatic release unit (HRU) - during emergencies, the life raft inflates itself automatically as soon as it comes in contact with seawater Crew/officers will attend a basic safety course prior to their 1st contract (also includes first aid/CPR, general water safety and firefighting onboard a ship) Mine took place in Seattle, WA. The course has to be satisfactory retaken every four-five years while employed

Perhaps a return to slow boarding similar to the beginning of the Alaska season this year. Two other ships in port with her today; Majestic Princess with a capacity of 3,560 and exhibition ship Ocean Victory. Should not present any issues but you never know!

Again, love your writing style! Informative and very funny! 😂 We had Lamont Ferguson in May on Nieuw A. Very funny dude! If he's doing his "late night/adult" show later in your cruise in the B King's Blues Club, go see him. He's even funnier especially his ending with the various songs! Get there semi-early 'cause the place fills up fast!

The new library, which I agree is very nice and a good move by Seattle, is located in the space of the former "Screening Room" (see pics). As Screening Room, it was a 36-seat (six rows of six theater-style reclining seats with small tables in between) home theater for movie showing that the four Vista ships plus Eurodam and Nieuw A all had installed. If you want to go back even further, on the Vistas, that space first came out as their original Internet Center / Java (coffee) corner before it changed to Screening Room. A few years ago, HAL decided to can the Screening Room idea and turn them into ad hoc meeting/all-purpose/surplus rooms and changed the names to Tasman Room. They now made, or are making nice libraries out of those "Tasman rooms"

Hilarious story about the glacier calving and so true! 😂 Something you might (or might not) want to give a try is to take your laptop into the NL and attempt your entertaining blog from inside there. I've done it in the past (as recent as Apr/May on Nieuw A) and, at times at least, I had a much improved internet connection inside the Neptune Lounge over our cabin. It helps a lot if you bring an Ed Norton-class space helmet with you in there!

Plus my first one ever on vacation in Callantsoog, the Netherlands 😉

Enjoying your review and writing style a bunch! Very humorous also! Keep it up please! We're doing this trip - substituting Fairbanks for Anchorage - early next month so appreciate your "hot tips" When you have a chance, can you i.d. the NL concierge for us? Thanks!

One of the toughest decisions in life one has to make! You WILL be seeing Bailey again! Take care!

Hi Ann! Thinking about you and Pat! Please give him our warmest regards and best wishes for his complete recovery! Take care!

Nothing beats a good ol' fashioned 4th of July parade! Thanks for posting!

Then that most definitely makes you part of the Greatest Generation! Thank You!! Enjoy that voyage and your long awaited visit!

If I'm reading your question correctly, you would have to fly trans-Atlantic to one of the London airports (Heathrow or Gatwick). Then arrange for transportation to Portsmouth which is located on Portsea Island. London to Portsmouth is 1 hr and 20 min by rail and just short of 2 hours by road. Not sure which embarkation port you want to leave from for your return trip by sea; HAL generally uses Southampton (top far left on the map below) Portsmouth is one of three remaining Royal Navy stations in Great Britain and home to its two strike carriers, Queen Elizabeth and Prince of Wales.

#2 I'm afraid! Some of that stuff these Einstein's are throwing up in the air sounds like military-grade explosives

This map shows her old location at Berth 49. She is now at #52 higher up the map

The 4 former HAL "S"-class ships: 1. Vasco da Gama (ex-Statendam) 2. Renaissance (Ex-Maasdam) 3. Celestyal Journey (ex-Ryndam) 4. Aegean Majesty (ex-Veendam) Plus 2 former "R"-class ships 1. Borealis (ex-Rotterdam) 2. Bolette (ex-Amsterdam)

Just an FYI, that former Soviet Foxtrot-class sub in front of her, B-427 Skorpion, is not doing too hot either! Been closed since 2015, has raccoons living inside , and is up for disposal