Dunmore2

1 hour ago, VMax1700 said:

Really?  As we board next Sunday, I have been watching the menus and have them all listed (sad I know!).

According to the menus that are on my Navigator, last week on Sunday (day 1) was Spaghetti Aglio, Top Sirloin with button mushrooms, Cod with endive, Rudi's Chicken Cordon Bleu, etc

Yesterday (day 1 again) was Bucatini, Haddock, Pork Medallions, Short Rib with olives, Rudi's Spiced Chicken etc.

Last week on Monday (day 2) was Blue Gala - Filet Mignon with green peppercorn sauce, Lamb Chops and Today (day 2) is Silver Gala - Filet Mignon Oscar, Rack of Lamb.

So my question really is if these are the menus you actually have onboard or is it just sample menus posted to the Navigator if not onboard?

Back when you sailed on the Oosterdam in May(?) and you so kindly posted your menus, ( and the bread pudding pics) that was exactly what my Navigator app was showing at home. 

2 hours ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

Do you mean an Indian menu as a daily alternative or only on "dressy nights"

 

We were surprised to see "fish and chips" on the Dressy Night menu .....sigh

 

I did get one to sample - it was good - but still....

Sorry, yes, I meant every night. There had been a series of 7 nightly menus, posted on the RogerJett site,  but that was before Covid. I read that you need to specifically ask for these menus however.

Thanks for so generously sharing your holiday with us. We enjoy reading all your live posts. It always makes us feel that we’re on your cruise.

I enjoy seeing the menus, imagining what I would order. The last “Dressy” gala meal didn’t do it for me, I didn’t see a salmon offering. Will you ask a waiter if there’s an Indian menu? It’s been offered in the past, but I’ve not heard anything about it recently. Thank you.

Hooray, that’s one of the perks that we enjoyed while being in a suite on Celebrity.

We were even allowed to take a glass of wine from the Suite Lounge into the dining room. It is great to see HAL trying it out, hopefully expanding it to all day long as well.

@Despegue, your comments are appreciated. Cartagena is a beautiful port. This time we will be moored there on a Sunday. Some of our favorite places, like The Artisanal  Shop are closed. Your suggestion of the harbour tour sounds fun. I’m afraid that our favorite, Techos Bajos will be busy, but your other suggestions look promising.

Don’t worry about tipping in US currency. Just  as someone posted earlier, it’s nice to have some cash on hand for quick trips across the border( as we did today) or paying someone who has brought something back from US for us( eg. Albertson’s Jalapeño mustard) or even going to Mexico, Cuba, and other destinations that accept it. There’s always someone around who will exchange it without going to the bank.

Thanks for the information about the smaller portions.

There’s not many dishes that my husband and I would share. Will they prepare smaller portions if requested? Does anyone have photos of their meals? Someone recently shared a picture of their antipasto plate, and it looked good.

16 hours ago, rubytue said:

A few weeks ago I asked about if the streaming block on WiFi was blocking entire apps or something else. I can report that the Peloton app is not (yet) blocked. I was able to do a yoga workout from my phone. So I was able to keep my streak going. Woo! I’ve been going pretty hard this trip, plus from an aft cabin, you get plenty of walking in, so I hadn’t been focused on exercise. But with sea day laziness and getting nagged that if I didn’t do something today, the streak would be gone. I gave it a shot! 20 min grunge yoga done ! (Did I mentioned I’m gen X, yoga to Pearl Jam and nirvana? Yes please). 

Thanks for mentioning this. I do my yoga via zoom , and was hoping I’d be able to continue my practice onboard. I also yoga to Nirvana, but sometimes it’s Jethro Tull, Neil Young, or Santana.

Have a great trip home.

I am appreciative of your posts. Thank you.

It’s reassuring to know that they take hand hygiene so seriously. There are many things that go on behind the scenes and I appreciate that you bring them to our attention.

That’s too bad, breadsticks would be far superior! Thanks for answering.

Your pictures and descriptions are appreciated. Thank you. You said there was only one breadstick offered with your salmon and crab dip. Is there a basket of buns/bread/breadsticks on the table or offered by passing waitstaff?

1 hour ago, chengkp75 said:

This is an urban myth.  With "normal use", any toilet paper is fine to use on ship's toilets.  Now, if you are of the "use half a roll for each use" persuasion, then any toilet paper can also cause problems, but more so with the thicker types.  People think that ship's systems are the same as boat systems, which is far from true.  The cruise lines use the thin, papery type because they go through pallet loads of it each week, and it is the cheapest they can get.  Facial tissues are also okay to flush, as these share a common manufacturing technique with toilet tissue, i.e. they both use pressed paper fibers (the factory presses wet short paper fibers between rollers to form the paper when it dries).  When wet, these fibers break apart fairly quickly.  Wipes (facial, baby, sanitary) as well as things like paper towels,  use woven paper fibers, where the naturally long paper fibers are forced together so they intertwine with each other, producing the strength that is desired in these products.  These products will cause problems in vacuum toilet systems, and are one of the primary culprits when we clear a clog. 

Thank you for your response. You are the authority when it comes to plumbing. Some items aren’t meant to be flushed, but toilet and facial tissues are fine.  Hopefully those who belittled the blogger are reading this and feeling remorse.  There’s some who take the term “cruise critic” to heart.

Many people find ironing relaxing and therapeutic, not me though! 
 

The laundry and/or pressing charges are quite reasonably priced.

1 hour ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

I enjoy lunch in the dining room.  Just for information that menu doesn’t change.  I know it says lunch 2021 but this is the current lunch menu.

 

https://rogerjett-photography.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/MDR-Lunch-2021.pdf

Even the catch of the day, nice!

Is the MDR open for lunch on sea days?

Thanks again for your updates.

21 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

I have dined in the stand alone on Nieuw Statendam as well as at three pop-ups.  The Dover Sole have been perfect each time.  The experience does not vary from ship to ship.  How Chef Rudi's has been able to achieve this, I don't know.  But, the consistency of the cruise experience has been a hallmark of Holland America Line in years past.  With the growth of the fleet and the micro-management by the executives, that distinction for the Line has been lost.  Does Chef Rudi have some "management skills" that the Seattle executives lack?  

I’m happy you shared that information, sole it is! Thank you.

16 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

The lobster tail is amazing in sel de mer stand alone.  I used to order the fish of the day but no more.

What about in the Pop Up version of Sel de Mer? Sole or lobster? From other posts, it looks like it varies from ship to ship.

We’re appreciating your write ups and photos. So many details that I haven’t read before. Thanks for sharing your cruise with us.

I use Libby to listen to audio books. They are downloaded, not streamed. Test it out by turning off your Wi-Fi to see that you can still listen. Check with the staff at your library for clarification. 

Thanks for your report, we look forward to reading the updates. Have a great holiday.

Works fine on my iPad today.

Thanks for sharing your experiences with us. Great writing style.

You are so thoughtful. Can’t wait to meet you in November. I’ll treat you to a bread pudding on board!
Mike