NonnaGa

Kazu thank you for all you do!

I will be on the 7 day Eastern Caribbean, March 4, 2023 Nieuw Statendam

Agnes D Horn
 

Told you about September Norway one forgot to mention going on Niewu Statendam March 4, 2023.  Celebrating daughter turning 50 and grandson graduating Marine boot camp.  Sadly due to timing of graduation neither will be with me but my sister will help me celebrate.

September 9, 2023 14 day Best of Norway, Rotterdam.  Celebrating our 25th anniversary!

They do but like I was told they get bored too with the same stuff for months on end.😉

LOL there’s another suggestion I guess when coming back from a port if they have them.

The crew I’ve spoken to over the years have said they are responsible for their own toiletries and they also appreciate sweets. 😉

I’ve often bought mini bottles of toiletries to give to our cabin stewards when we get onboard.  They are very much appreciated.  Like the idea of purchasing the Wi-Fi for them too.  Any crew wish to share items they’d like feel free to share.  You all deserve it!

Yes, thank you Sansterre your information was much appreciated!  Totally enjoyed all the posts from the inaugural crossing. 😊

Caribbean Chris, Thanks for the info!  Glad to hear.

Can anyone please tell me if they still offer Mass on the Rotterdam?  I truly hope that’s not gone.

That florist on board is amazing.  He was on the Koningsdam and did a wonderful class on flower arrangements.  His work resume is pretty impressive too as I remember.

I know I’ve said it before but THANK YOU ALL for sharing the beautiful Rotterdam with us and all your information was well appreciated.  I won’t be sailing on her until next September but you definitely have me excited again.  Having sailed on the Koningsdam and Niewu Statendam’s inaugural transatlantic I now know the comparison or changes on all 3!

Enjoy your ongoing voyages!

I always had fun on Halloween onboard a HAL ship.  Love the way the different departments decorate too!  Such fun!

58 minutes ago, MisterBill99 said:

 

Is it any different from it would have been on Kdam or NS?

I don’t believe so but I have this cabin booked but can’t find pictures of it…

I have totally enjoyed reading all of your posts and reliving cruising somewhat through them.  I cannot wait to be back on the water!

Again all, thank you for sharing, keep those tidbits coming, enjoying getting to know HAL’s newest ship.

P.S.  Is anyone in a V category cabin.  The one with the odd shaped cabin. Appreciate a picture if possible.

I’ve had the afternoon tea in the BBKing club area on my last cruise on the Statendam.  I believe I may have had it also there on the Koningsdam.

24 minutes ago, InTheWASide said:

On the Pinnacle Class I have seen tea held in the MDR but also a couple times in the Queen's Lounge. It may vary OR it may have changed at some point

1 minute ago, NonnaGa said:

So happy to see and read about your voyage.  I will be on this ship next September in Norway.  Cannot wait!

Azores, what a beautiful port to be at loved it!

If anyone staying in a V category cabin please post a picture ❤️
Wishing you all a smooth crossing!

Oops I should have finished reading all the posts.  I’m so sorry you all missed this port.  I’m sure the Captain tried.

So happy to see and read about your voyage.  I will be on this ship next September in Norway.  Cannot wait!

Azores, what a beautiful port to be at loved it!

If anyone staying in a V category cabin please post a picture ❤️
Wishing you all a smooth crossing!

Does the magic now have the big screen at the pool for movies?

23 hours ago, Cinnamon2 said:

We just returned from 6 days on Carnival Magic.  I will list all the positives and then a couple of not so positives at the end.  Background:  We were a group of 8 mostly retired ladies, some single and the rest of us left our husband’s home because they were not interested in cruising.  We each had our own cabin and were mostly near the front on decks 1 and 2 with one lady on deck 11.

 

Feel free to ask any questions.

 

Positives (we all had a great time)

 

Flight on Southwest Airlines from Albany, NY to Ft. Lauderdale was onetime and stress free.  We arrived at 10:30 the morning of the cruise (January 12).

 

A Carnival representative was right at the baggage claim and he immediately walked us over to a check-in area.  One of the ladies didn’t purchase Carnival ground transportation in advance, and she was able to purchase it for both ways right there.

 

We were loaded on the bus and quickly taken to the Port.  Luggage was unloaded, we turned our luggage over the the waiting porters.  It’s a good idea to make contact with a porter, show him you luggage, tip him a couple of dollars so you can watch him put your luggage on the cart.

 

We arrived at the terminal at approximately 11:15 a.m.  We had check-in times of 12:00-12:30 and 12:30-1:00 but were all able to enter the terminal and go through the lines smoothly.  Didn’t take long at all to go through check-in process and security.  We were probably onboard by 11:45.

 

First stop was the Shore Tour/Excursion Desk to select our Beach Villa for Half Moon Cay.  Then 4 of us headed to my room to drop off our carry-ons - I am Platinum so my cabin was ready.  The others were off finding lunch.

 

We headed to the Cucina del Capitano Italian Restaurant on Deck 11 because it is usually a quiet place to have lunch on embarkation day.  Good food and service.  This is an extra charge place for dinner, but no charge for lunch.

 

My room was on Deck 2 inside category but with portholes.  The room was really nice with a standard bathroom and closet, sofa, desk, and a single bed.  The sofa could be made into another single bed if necessary.  The room was clean and comfortable and my room steward took excellent care of it.  I did feel the motion of the sea but it did not bother me.  There was some noise from waves hitting the hull and perhaps engine noise, but that’s ok, this was the lowest priced cabin and worth the minor inconvenience.

 

Dinner in the Southern Lights Dining Room was awesome every night.  On Elegant Night the lobster tails were the best tasting that I’ve had in a very long time.  Desserts were decadent.  We ate most breakfasts in the dining room, either open seating on port days or Sea Day Brunch on sea days.  Always a good experience.  Guys burgers were good as were Deli sandwiches.  Didn’t get a chance to try the pizza or the Guys BBQ; will have to do that on another cruise.

 

Carnival HubApp - worked fairly well.  We had to keep signing out and back in to get messages sometimes.  The App was helpful but it would be great if they could improve it to be more reliable.  One of our group forgot to download the HubApp from home but was able to do that on the ship with help from Guest Services and/or a Carnival Hub area.

 

First stop was Half Moon Cay.  This is my all time favorite port.  We rented the Beach Villa which was awesome!  The Villas are 2 story buildings with a porch on both levels.  The lower level has a full bathroom for our private use and a 5 person hot tub.  Also available were float mats and snorkel equipment for our use.  The upper level had a dining table with seating for 8, a refrigerator, sink, counter area.  They provided a cooler of soft drinks and water, trays of veggies and dips, salsa and chips and plates and utensils.  Even though the Villa is open in the front and has open windows, there is an air conditioner blowing a cool breeze.  We got our lunch from the dining pavilion (Carnival food and included) and brought it back to eat in the comfort of our Villa.  We sat on beach chairs and floated the ocean.  The sand is soft and white and the ocean absolutely beautiful.  Divided 8 ways, the Villa cost $75 each and was well worth it.

 

Grand Turk is another nice and easy stop.  The ship docks and you walk in to the port.  We walked to some chairs in Margaritaville and it was much too sunny and hot for me, so 2 of us went to a Starbucks and sat in the shade, enjoying a nice breeze, and using their free WiFi while enjoying our drinks.  We found some beach chairs with umbrellas and went into the ocean and swam around for a while.   A rain storm blew in and it rained hard.  We figured we couldn’t get any wetter and stayed in the water for a while.  It cleared quickly and we dried off and went back to the ship.

 

Amber Cove is a fairly new port that I’ve never been to before.  Most of our group took a Carnival tour into town to shop and see some things.  I and one companion went into the pool area and found a nice spot in the shade.  There are plenty of small palm trees that will eventually grow and provide more shade.  People whiz by on the zip line over the pool and sitting area.  There are plenty of cabanas visible and a swim up bar in the pool.  Also music going on.  My friend and I found a shady spot under a bridge and spent some time there enjoying the water and atmosphere.  Everything is beautifully set up on Amber Cove.

 

Casino was fun and I was able to play Roulette with my predetermined gambling money and was still able to buy some tanzanite earrings and pendant spending only my allotted amount.  So I was happy.

 

Debarkation was easy.  We all had zone 1 tags because we had an early flight.  Flight was on-time and got us home to Albany, NY in 3 hours.

 

Negatives:

 

We had to get off the ship and go home to a very snowy day west of Albany, New York.

Didn’t get much sleep the last night possibly due to engine noise.  Not really an issue because I did have the cheapest cabin they sell so I am not complaining.  When you have a single occupied cabin, you pay double cruise fare so I did not want to pay for a premium cabin for just me.

 

We are looking forward to sailing again in a couple of years.

 

Thank you for your review it was helpful.  Did the Miracle have the bigs screen on the pool deck?

 

 

 

 

 

There are USB ports beside the bed on both sides on the Koningsdam which is her sister ship.   There also is a 115v receptacle on either side of the bed, plus a 230v receptacle and 2 115v receptacles in the vanity / desk mirror, and a couple more USB ports. My husband and I never had a problem looking to charge anything.   You should be fine.