ottahand7

I have a question for all aboard BHBs right now. Our happy hours are now only from 9-11pm each evening in 2 different bars. This is already spreading round the ship and causing complaints. Please let me know if this fleet wide. That is the excuse we got in the Mix bar last night. What is happening on your ship? Bon Voyage @GTVCRUISER 🍾🍷⛴️

Good Friday morning! Covid test day today around noon. Great news! Our chief wine steward stopped by at dinner last night and my Laprhoaig Scotch has been restocked. It is a gray day but still early so it hopes it burns off. Busy middle day, Covid test, 3 and 4 Star Mariner reception then our complimentary wine tasting at 2. Thanks for the Daily, Fleet, Cares and Celebration reports @rafinmd! Prayers for all on our Care list and the people of Ukraine. Food porn from last couple of nights. Nancy

Another HA change which is kind of unfair considering the average age on this cruise. While doing my usual 20 minutes in the Guest services line an elderly gentleman was complaining about Happy Hour time changes which are now 20% off in sea view 9-10 and 10-11 in Mix. He said I go to bed at 8:30. 😥 She said there is a 50% off beer for an hour in the Lido. 🙄 Just trying to squeeze another nickel out of a loyal passenger. We did the math and we are buying 8 bottle wine package #1 and will consume them in the bars but for Mix we have to transport ourselves. At least they have gotten Coke zero back in stock but the whiskey/whisky selections are poor. All we got were excuses from the beverage manager. Probably too lazy to order and log them in.

Yes we can have all delivered to our cabin and I understand Ocean Bar will keep them too.

On the Volendam and have had issues with packages. We did figure buying the cheapest 8 bottle package with my 4 Star discount would be better than buying our wine by the glass. I had pre purchased 2 package #2 with 8 bottles. First night in the MDR we pointed out our sticker on the back of the card but I had to dispute a $66 charge for our bottle of Meiomi. We tried to buy an 8 bottle package 1 in Mix bar and were told it was not possible. I had to order a bottle from one of my 8 bottle package 2. We were told to buy our package 1 in MDR and carry a bottle to Mix. We did that but I was charged the full amount and had to wait in line for 20 minutes to dispute my charges. While waiting in line a.gentleman was quite upset there were no afternoon happy hours. He was told from 12-1 there is a half price beer in the Lido or at night in the Crow's Nest to which he replied I go to bed at 8:30. Haven't been able to validate it. Check your statements. Nancy

We are now in Jamaica. A couple of new things for our cruise. Happy hour is now 20% off not buy one second 25%off. Last night at our table of 8 in the MDR was a couple who are in a Neptune Suite. They were told they are not serving breakfast in the PG for this trip because of staffing issues though it was open during the NY cruise. They have a "special section" in the MDR where they can enjoy cold coffee and a 45 minute wait like the rest of us. We had gotten a NS quote when we booked last February. I would be really ticked after paying $100k to have a terrific perk taken away. We eat in the Lido after one try in MDR for breakfast. Coffee is hot and self serve means hot food. Tomorrow is Covid testing and after that I hope the masks can come off. I wore one all through the NYE cruise and am ready to get a break from them. I don't know if @lindalerwas on the Daily yesterday but she was signing us in at our Meet and Greet and she said her badly scuffed bags with all her clothes intact made it to her cabin late Tuesday night. So happy for her. Nancy

Good Thursday morning. I hope my wifi works better than yesterday. I had a long post wiped out last evening. We are having a great time, our Meet and Greet was nice with about 200 in attendance in the Crow's Nest. It seems almost all showed up, very few unclaimed name tags. Jamaica today at 10am we are staying aboard. It was great hearing the answering horn toots with the Zuiderdam and the Volendam when we left port. We will be in port with her in Puerto Limon and Fuerto Amador. Then we part ways with us going south. Big hiccup when we had our in transit day. I kept getting phone calls to see if I was aboard. Finally I was able to get to the front desk and they had switched my picture with John's so he was onboard twice according to facial recognition. She laughed when I told her I needed a new photo and saw what they had. All straight, hopefully my accounts and my internet will be back to normal. Prayers for all on our Care list and the people of Ukraine. Nancy

@ger_77bon voyage. 🍾 A day in the ether dark for me. HA is having a hard time nailing me down exactly who I am. After in transit yesterday checking out and back in I had two different calls to make sure I was onboard all the while

Some photos from our 2022 visit to Amber Cove. Thanks for the Daily Reports and the Care and Celebration lists again @rafinmd. Prayers for the Buffalo player, all on our list and the people of Ukraine. Have a wonderful day. Nancy

Good morning. We are in port in Port Everglades. We will go through in transit activities around 9:30 and will then be allowed to reboard. Our bags will be moved. Watch for us at sail away around 5 pm. We are port side Vista 6206. We will be on our balcony and I will wave my purple Ravens flag. Really excited about our upcoming adventure. Have a wonderful day! Nancy

Watch for Nancy and John Vista suite Port 6206 at sail away on the Volendam. We are on for the entire 74 days. I will be waving my purple Ravens flag. We are arriving now. Pilot boat woke us at 5:20 off our Dolphin deck cabin.

Good Monday morning. Thanks to the Fleet Report I see HMC will be rather quiet with just and the Zuiderdam. We will go ashore if it is the large tender. We passed our Covid tests yesterday and are preparing to move to our Vista tomorrow. They gave us our in transit packet but no cards. Called and asked for them but haven't been delivered yet. Probably another trip to the front desk. Thank you for sending the Daily and the Care and Celebration reports each day @rafinmd. Prayers for all on our Care list and the people of Ukraine. We have a gorgeous sunrise here today but not from our cabin. Have a great day! Nancy

@Cat in my lapHappy Anniversary! 🍾🎂

@XBGuygreat wine line up last night. Yes there was a bit of that Y'quem left. Probably there was some enjoyed by some officers last night.

Happy New Year! I have learned not to mess with fonts and colors. Hopefully back to normal next post. We are having a sea day and probably a good thing. Lots of fun on the Volendam last night. Many people dressed up and a raucous casino. We will probably get our Covid test today for our next cruise. I hope my mask wearing will have paid off. An International wine tasting today and working on rebuilding my fitness routine. Roy thanks for doing the Daily and our Cares and Celebration lists. Prayers for good health for all in our group for 2023 and for the people of Ukraine.

We look forward to your updates from your world cruise. We will try to wave when we leave port with the Volendam or the Zuiderdam going first. So nice you have a SS for the trip. Even more opportunities for great photos. Agree on the mail forwarding being a mess. My sister was getting my forwarded mail for weeks after we returned. My neighbor will be picking mine up daily. Safe travels across the US. Happy New Year!

Good New Years morning from sunny St. Thomas. We are celebrating with champagne tonight in the Pinnacle Grill. We are staying onboard today as we have been to St. Thomas in February. A day of peace and quiet and hopefully faster internet. I am using my phone service right now. Prayers for all needing them and on our Care List. We will be toasting tonight with some Veuve Clicquot! 🍾 Happy New Year everyone. Nancy

Hi Sandy @StLouisCruisersit is too bad you had to cancel. We really enjoyed the Hummer though the Polaris side by sides looked fun too but probably a bumpy ride. We got off in San Juan for a abbreviated visit. We thought there would be a casino at the Sheraton near the port but it had been turned to a Walgreens. That was fine I picked up a few things including a $6 orange ersatz pashmina for future Orange parties. DF inquired about nearby casinos which were at the Marriott a short cab ride away BUT traffic is so bad that can drivers want a $100 to take hotel guests to their cruise ships. We walked back and hung out by the pool for a while and then I visited the gym for the first time this cruise. Have a nice day! Nancy

@lindalerit was so nice to meet you last night. It was great to hear your bags are going to be delivered when we start the GSA. I hope you enjoyed your PG dinner. We are heading to San Juan. I missed yesterday because we did an electric hummer tour of Turks and Caicos which ran a little long then the premium wine tasting in the PG. We had a full day topped off with a port tasting in the Crow's Nest that was included in our wine tasting. It was a great way to get to know some great people four of whom are staying on GSA with us. Casino is packed with table game players and we are having fun playing slots, unlike the tragic thumping we took on the NS last winter. @rafinmdthanks for doing all of our reports. I will try to get caught up if the wifi cooperates. Prayers for all on our Care list and for the people of Ukraine. We have begun to get the port maps that went missing for several years. The food and service has been attentive and excellent on the Volendam. Have a wonderful day! Nancy

@dfishenjoy your trip to Bronner's. It has been on our to do list. My DH and I would drive through on our trips to and from Maryland but with a 2 day drive with 2 cats in the back it never worked out. Walked through Lido this morning it was packed and 50% self serve. We will be eating breakfast in there going forward. Cold coffee in MDR and patty sausage that looked and tasted like Beyond Meat. They have my favorite Swabian Rye bread in the Lido. Nancy

Good morning from the Volendam, rough seas and cloudy on our way to Turks and Caicos. We are enjoying our time aboard already. Right now wifi is working. While we were in the upstairs boarding lounge a young man came in with a huge amount of equipment bins and requested to board because he was a technician. We said hope he was an internet technician. All great other than a hiccup with my RA medicine needing refrigeration. Medical center opened at 4 so I had to request an wine ice bucket from our stewards to stash it since it was out of refrigerator since 10. No fridge in our ocean view. @lindalerLinda I sure hope they can find your missing Luggage forwarding bags. We ate in Canaletto last night. Since I am 4 Star this cruise I pre booked most dinners in specialty restaurants to avoid the crowding in MDR. Much self serve in Lido and I have spotted about 5 people wearing masks on this very full ship. Prayers for all on our Care list and for the people of Ukraine. Have a wonderful day!

Sandi @StLouisCruisers safe traffic free travels for your return home. Nancy

@ger_77probably not today because we have a window cabin but a week from today we have a Vista port side towards the stern. I will be waving my Ravens flag. I will send a message to the shop arrival page next week to watch for us. I hope it clears up so there is a nice sail away.

Good Tuesday morning. It is a balmy 57 degrees in Fort Lauderdale. Both Miami and Fort Lauderdale had the coldest Christmas on record with FL having a high of 46. I was worried about lugging my winter jacket but I think I can get by wearing it. Luggage pick up at 10:30. I read on our 74 day Facebook that someone on board says an officer said 1500 on board this week so sounds like a lot of kiddos and 250 less than full capacity next week. Watching for the port cam photos of the Volendam coming in. We depart early today at 3pm. Have a great day and thanks for the Daily and Fleet Reports. Nancy

Good morning from chilly Fort Lauderdale as it is 50 degrees. It is warmer than when we walked over for Thai and Sushi yesterday when it was 46. I wore my winter jacket and scarf. We sat in the hotel lounge most of yesterday and I needed that jacket for the first couple of hours until it filled up with people and then it warmed up. Our hotel is a base for Southwest crews and there were many. The hotel served a Christmas dinner for the Southwest crews, our offers were sandwiches. They deserved a nice hot dinner and some beautiful cheesecake. Our room was very musty when we first got here so lots of coughing on my part. Once we got the heat cranked up the mustiness seemed to abate. Our port in Grand Cayman was cancelled and rescheduled to Jamaica which the country has declared a national emergency due to crime including sexual assault at all inclusive resorts. I wish they would cancel and have a sea day. At least the restaurants and casino would be open. I am sure it will be a full ship in spite of being in port. Thanks for the Daily and Fleet Reports @rafinmd. A great quote. Nothing to box up here. We exchanged gifts at home before hitting the road. I will pass on today's dish, will the cocktail looks great @summer slopeand today's wine looks like a winner, thanks @cat shepard. I have been to Bordeaux once when we took a land trip south from Paris. We didn't spend much time in Bordeaux proper but stayed near Paulliac. Bordeaux was the site of one of our rental car misadventures. We couldn't figure out how to put the car in reverse so we headed back to the train station to get instructions. We turned one corner too early on a dead end street. Even through the language barrier a nice young family out for a stroll were able to help us out of the pinch. Prayers for all on the care list and for the people of Ukraine. So happy DB spent Christmas at home and is continuing to improve. The blizzard I am sure has delayed his home PT. Have a wonderful day! Nancy