Haljo1935

There were so many "Stars" onboard K'dam Christmas New Years cruise that there were 3 Mariners luncheons. Senior officers attended, greeted and ate w/passengers. Captain gave a very nice welcome toast thanking passengers for their loyalty. The menu was very nice - the one I went to was well attended.

I'm happy to read about this now being fleetwide and seeing all the pictures. The bakery chefs are quite a talented group and it's nice seeing their work showcased.

K'dam the portions were not small. When I asked to have a thinner slice (they were not self serve as @nooligans experiences on Eurodam, they were served by crew as @Nickelpenny had on Zaandam) I was told it was too soft. So you have to select a different kind if you want a smaller portion- my leftover half eaten piece found its way to my cabin fridge. 😊There are also some in little jars, they looked small but hold a lot.

Thanks for this peek behind the curtain or under the hood, whichever you prefer. I lurked for years on CC before joining and your thread before commenting. It was this fabulous place that pulled me over the edge. Thanks to all of you for the warm, embracing environment. Happy Anniversary!!

I have great faith in the research of the Institute and look forward to your report and pictures. No doubt they'll go all out, being an Easter cruise. True confession- I stumbled onto it in Jan wondering why the long line as I passed through the Lido. 🥺🙄

K'dam Jan lines were all the way to the door with people waiting for the cakes. Cruise Director (in blue sweater) took pictures on her phone and showed them to people waiting in line.

@RMLincoln your DH pictures are beautiful! Thanks for sharing. And thanks for the support.

+1000! What a cutie - adorable picture!! Her head wrap reminds me of Rosie Riveted - another strong, determined woman just like Murphy surely is. Thanks @cruising sister for sharing.

I am going to rant and vent about really a couple stupid, trivial, inconsequential things, which is not my norm, but I'm having one of those days, so rant I shall. No hard feelings if you skip over it. 🙄 First, know the skies have opened up and I've got a call out for the Ark to stop by. You saw my backyard picture - do I need more rain? Next, Wal-Mart order delivered on time (yay) with an unexpected substitution. I ordered a travel size tube of Sensodyne Sensitive Cool Mint toothpaste to restock my suitcase; a bargain at $.97. I selected Sensodyne Sensitive unscented (being edible, shouldn't that be "unflavored"?) also $.97 as the approved substitution if needed. I received a large tube of Crest Mint for which I was charged $4.94. What?! I DO NOT EVER buy Crest (long story), didn't need or want a large tube of anything, and how is a $5 price tag remotely close to a $1 charge? Geez - so I had to do a couple clicks (yep I'm griping about a mere couple clicks) to request a refund, which they quickly approved, but since there's no exchange for online purchases, if I want the travel size anything, I have to do a new order or drive to the store (in the rain - see I'm on a rant roll). And then what to do with the Crest? We'll donate it (shelters of any kind always need supplies - there's my PSA) so it doesn't go to waste, but it wasn't on my list, so now I have to make that stop. All for a substitution on a less than $1 tube of toothpaste. I usually don't buy travel size products cuz I think it's a waste of $$ when I can just pack my normal things then unpack them once home and keep using them. But I have committed to reducing luggage with a goal of going COO, so travel sizes are now things I purchase. So the size substitution also messed up my Luggage Reduction Plan (it has an official, fancy name). Good grief. 🥴 Next up, I ordered a few charms and a starter bracelet from a seller I've interacted with a lot on eBay. The discount code I had wouldn't work, so she said she would just refund that amount to me after I paid, coo!; I paid and in a jiffy I saw a pending refund for $17, which equaled 10% of the total purchase - yay! I received 10 items today (endured the rain to empty the mailbox, good thing it wasn't dumping yet), but I ordered 11. The packing slip had "returned" (returned, not canceled) written in red across the first item. How could I return something I hadn't even received? You guessed it - it was the bracelet!! So, now I have 10 charms and no bracelet. It gets better - I had 3 more charms in my shopping cart (she does an ongoing "buy 3 get free shipping" special); when I clicked checkout they all showed "closed" and I got a pop up that said Seller had canceled them for non payment AND registered 3 strikes against me which prevents me from buying from many other sellers. Seriously?!?! It gets even better - she hasn't replied to my message asking about the missing bracelet or the 3 closed items. I opened a case with eBay, but since tracking shows the order was delivered, I have to work it out with Seller. Good grief. And then, Petsmart switched my dog food order from delivery to pick up without asking if that was ok. I don't know - maybe the T&C allow for that, I didn't read them. So now I have to get out in this down pour and drive to the store. Once there, I have to hope someone will put it in the car for me - it's a heavy 49# bag that I cannot pick up because of my shoulder. Then once home, the dog will be late eating (you all understand the looks furry creatures give when dinner is 1 second late) because the bag will stay in the car until DH gets home from work to take it out. At the end of the day, does it matter I have to buy another tube of toothpaste? Nope, not a bit. And does it matter if I have to find a bracelet to put charms on? Nope, not a bit. Does it matter if I have 3 strikes on eBay and can no longer buy from certain sellers? A little bit cuz I use it a lot, but it's not the end of the world, although it is the end of my almost 20 year perfect history w/them. Does it matter if the dog eats a couple hours late? Nope, not really. Does it matter if I have to drive in rain? A little bit. The fur babies are tired of hearing "what the f?" and "why would they do that?" So, thanks for letting me rant and rave. 🥴😅🙄

Small world @Quartzsite Cruiser meeting up w/that same officer so many years later. And your pictures are stunning - the water is so clear.

Hi - @chucknmarilyn you've got mail.

Hi - I will gladly send them to you. I will email you.

Fills the belly but empties the wallet - KFC near us is charging $28 for the standard 8 piece bucket!! Yikes! I'd need @Nickelpenny jackpot to go there with any regularity.🥴

I hope that's not where this all lands. For several reasons, I'm happily in the middle and would no longer be an active cruiser if it played out that way.

Exactly my experience.

Bon Voyage @Hdtravlr1

Bon Voyage @GTVCRUISER!

@K8T welcome to HAL! If your booking is noted that you'd accept an upgrade, then you could be offered. If not, you can call and ask. Typically, Upgrade = free, Upsell = paid. You can ask about either/both.

Based on the FAQs @melissy123 posted At 48 hours you can cancel only if you haven't been notified you made it.

Good days today and important days in history. Aligned with the quote, pass on the drink but it does look pretty, big yes to the chicken which also looks pretty, would like the wine, have not been to the port but quite enjoy all the pictures - the scenery is beautiful and the food looks good! I detect a theme here... 🙄🥴 Today's agenda is a trip to liquor store for a bottle of Bailey's and a slow day at home mopping up mud.😅 well how strange - I didn't add that emoji and I'm not able to delete it, so I guess the CC powers that be think mud mopping is funny. No idea what the temperature and forecast are - phone died during the night, so I'm on my tablet. All I know is it's not raining - yay! Prayers and positive thoughts for all.🙏 Happy Anniversary, Daily!! 🥂 Congrats again @Nickelpenny and extra hugs 🤗as you return to a home without your beloved Martina. 💙

@RedneckBob Bon Voyage!

Bon Voyage @Crazy For Cats

Bon Voyage! @Suslor

For sure @Nickelpenny your dear Martina is ensuring the universe is taking care of you ❤️🎉 Congrats!!

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