riverrat

Peanut sauce and prawns in Mozambique,

a tailwind on the corners walking the teak,

the picture in my mind of cake tipping and deco flew,

Everyday with your words I so enjoy sailing the world with you. 🙂

3 hours ago, dockman said:

That is..

 

Heaven forbid we keep the wide decks with chairs as some people obviously think a cruise should offer a place to sit near the water (without having to look through often dirty plexiglass) or go for nice walk (on a deck wide enough for two people to pass without bumping into another passenger) or take a nap or read a book

 

Who in their right mind would think a cruise person might like to feel like they are on a ship in the ocean?

I plan to start giving this reply everytime I am asked. I so agree with you. Lets ask for wide decks.

On 3/22/2024 at 9:12 PM, julia said:

@BermudaBound2014....

Love your gratitude, love your attitude, and I so appreciate your postings from the past five weeks.  It took us several months to reflect and analyze the totality of our 2023 South Pacific cruise. The memories (and friendships) are now embedded in our hearts.  Perhaps we'll sail together in the future.... I certainly hope so!

They have a nickname for the cruisers that do the south pacific cruise repeaters..... Someone on here will know. 

6 hours ago, GTVCRUISER said:

5 more days and I will be coming onboard , waiting in San Diego 🙂 

Do you have a Favorite cabin... other than suites

13 hours ago, canadianbear said:

It was rough seas this morning so we didn’t even know if we’d get into this port.  I’m not sure even if we were on time if that would help the tender process.  I know my husband only waited about 15 minutes and after I left him I was walking through different areas of the ship and couldn’t believe the number of people waiting.  
 

I heard them calling tender tickets well past 2pm. Crazy.  
I would advise if you are not 4* and above or Club Orange to sign up for a HAL excursion as they get on first. 

I took alot of videos of the tenders trying to safely complete that mission. Frustrating work battling the sea, wind, current etc safely. 

On Tales of South Pacific 10/23 Fakarava was rain out. Several tenders went over and some brave soles walked down the road in the rain but our excursion was cancelled. The tour guide did come tell us under the eave where we sheltered from the warm pounding rain. LOL 

Nuka Hiva was dry and our last connect to social media and we sat drinking in portside in open restaurant/shop area listening to the island band in the shade. This trip was soul touching for us and we were sad to be headed back. The islands, the customs just wonderful to breathe in from a cabin on the side of a big blue ship. 

2 hours ago, Boatdrill said:

You can reserve one of the meeting rooms for a few hours. On the Eurodam, and Nieuw Amsterdam they're near the shops. There's no charge for the room. 

on the Zuiderdam the meeting room had a wall of windows. What a view but hard to pay attention to my bridge playing. LOL

22 minutes ago, canadianbear said:

What a great performance today by the ones that learned the ukulele & hula!  Well done to all! 

 

Oh we're going to a hukilau

Huki-huki-huki-huki-hukilau

Everybody loves the hukilau

Where the laulau is kaukau at the lu'au 

LOVE this part of the cruise! So much fun. Yall LOOK GREAT. 

On 11/25/2023 at 2:54 PM, BruhnSisters said:

Hello Roy - No hole was in the key card.  On my cruise last year I asked them to punch a hole, and they declined.  

On 11/18/2023 at 4:16 PM, rafinmd said:

When you get back I have a question.  Does your key card have a hole to attach to a lanyard?

 

Roy

Guest services punched a hole in mine on 11/26/23

We will be following along with you!! Have a great cruise. We board next week.

Supposed to be a tropical storm and go right into the Bay of Fundy...... ya'll will be riding the wave  HURRICANE LEE (noaa.gov)

We would like to take the Noordam b2b from Vancouver but hesitate at the extra cost to fly direct. Flights into Seattle and Bellingham are much more reasonable from Phoenix. Really only thing holding us back is what would be the best way to get to the port? 

Procurement is very tricky. Imagine a Large Box Store ships 8 containers Tacoma to Anchorage, Alaska on two ships a week. One ship goes out of service for two weeks and everything is competing to go onboard the once weekly ship. Everyone wanting to ship to Alaska, get in line... then the Military pops up with cargo that bumps half your containers. Your stores won't get Easter candy or lilies so you send 4 containers on trucks down the Alaskan Highway at 3 times the cost. Often its delay delay delay and this is all in North America. So where are HAL's containers.... IMO, in line with everyone else....

16 hours ago, Haljo1935 said:

Koningsdam Nov - Dec 14 days there was a quarantine ward - a large amount of cabins.

Nieuw Amsterdam last month 14 days no quarantine ward - it was done in place in original cabin.

With the ships now at/near capacity, I believe rooms are no longer being blocked off "just in case."

 

Zuiderdam  Oct - Nov 14 - there were no quarantine cabins. 

On 2/25/2023 at 7:43 AM, TiogaCruiser said:

Have you tried topical magnesium (such as Theraworx)? I’ve had foot cramps disappear a few seconds after contact. Or warm epsom salts soaks? The magnesium might help prevent cramps with a warm evening soak.
 

On one cruise when I was walking funny from hip having muscle spasms, another pax told me he had gotten an ultrasound machine that he travels with. I got one and had my chiropractor (RIP) look at it. It’s not quite as powerful as his, but he had given me instructions on how to use it for various situations as they came up. 

thank you.... I have now. I tried it this past week in Vegas and it worked great. Thanks!

I used clay mounting putty.

IMPE, If it is for a medical use. Bring it.

If in luggage write a note declaring it is medical. I bring mine as I am diabetic and get leg cramps.

Declare it if it's in your carry on

50% of the nights we order room service and stay in. We feel like we stay in constant motion all day so evenings we like going to happy hour in Billboard, then sitting on the balcony listening to our music, watching the ocean, doing spa stuff, wearing pjs, catching up on the internet at home or with the news. We mainly relax and prepare for the next port. 

1. Is there a future with HAL visiting more coastal towns close to debarkation port? 

 - Noordam - has (1) one preAlaska itinerary that stays all day in Victoria :), Astoria and Seattle. This allows enough time to see Buchart Gardens.  Koningsdam did California coastal cruising. The view sailing under the bridge and an overnight in San Francisco was legendary. 

2. Could someone aim to make Sundays a seaday whenever possible? 

 - In many ports everything is closed

11 hours ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

If you follow the link HERE and in my signature - you will find 12 other world cruise blogs - as you note - it's fun to see what everyone else is up to!

We like following along with the blogs even when on the cruise. There is so much to do and see and no one does it the same way. We are enjoying so much thru your eyes.. ty

So enjoy being along for the cruise thru your blog  🙂 One of my treasured memories from Tales of the Pacific last year was the beautiful tour guide putting her arms up in the air, smiling ear to ear and singing out to our bus "Welcome to The Kingdom of Tonga - Where Everything is Free".

When we asked, she stated, we are all the same poor, we share everything. 

On 1/22/2023 at 5:09 PM, CruisingGrandmaW said:

Hi Pete:

 

Well I'm excited for your group.

If weather was good today, I know you enjoyed Moorea today.

 

When I die - surely the French Polynesia is Heaven? !!! 🤞🤞

 

 

 

Thanks for sharing this... loved reading your insight. We visited this past fall. Never in my life have I seen coral that equaled the color I saw in Moorea. It was mind blowing. I hovered in 5 ft of water watching families of 500 baby fish in different heads of coral, then swam up to a staghorn that was a 4 ft work of perfect art.

5 hours ago, Tampa Girl said:

 

As for the suggestion of those people who enjoy traveling only with a carry-on for a two-week-plus trip, the more power to them.  On a cruise, I want variety.

Agree. I took a planned capsule wardrobe on a 6-week cruise. You know 3 pants, 4 LS, 4 SS, 4 shorts etc. I got super tired of wearing the same four long sleeve shirts over and over on sea days! The other thing to note is some stretchy fabrics do not fare as well through on board laundry. We had a joke among some of us ladies that we must be losing weight as our shirts were growing. Just guessing but thinking the elastic fails from the hot laundry press?

I think they hear us, just slow to react. Haven't been able to search for "Heritage Cruises" yet but it does say rolled out over the next year. I'm excited to see the list.

2022 News | Holland America Line Introduces 150th Anniversary ‘Heritage Cruises’

On 12/5/2022 at 8:52 AM, dchip said:

We had this type of medical evacuation on the Zuiderdam 45 day SouthPacific voyage this November. We were 5 hours flight time from San Diego. There were two helicopters and two airplanes for refueling. Praying whoever was evacuated is now okay. 
 

I know you were right under that helicopter as were we. It was so loud and INTENSE being aft. That was some day! I watched from the Crow's Nest with naval friends then came back to the room right before the helicopter lifted them all off the lido deck. Hope all is well. Miss seeing you guys in the hall. 🙂 

2 hours ago, FLcruiser2011 said:

Speaking of running out of things, the first night I ordered a Hendrick's gin martini, and was informed that the ship was out of Hendricks.  I subsequently asked for a Belvedere vodka martini, and was informed the ship was out of Belvedere.  Since I rather doubt that San Diego was out of these two beverages, you have to wonder why they did not restock two brands that a lot of cruisers enjoy.

 

I realize that these are first world problems, but you have to wonder why Holland America is not stocking beverages people like -- since they charge more than enough for them.

I only wish. It is my understanding they opened the container in San Diego Oct 3rd to find none of the liquor on the manifest. They hoped it would catch us in Pape’ete. Are you all drinking on the Zuiderdam this week? I would think we would have heard as 1000+ have the drink package this trip thru the canal.