onthelake

Does anyone know how far it is to Molde and when they could possibly arrive?

Tampa is a lovely city and we really enjoyed our time there prior to our December sailing on the Rotterdam.  It was one of the lowest stress sailing we have ever taken.  Too bad Holland and Tampa does not seem to be a good partnership.

If you do not already have - there are bottle brushes with a ‘Pom pom’ On the end which allows you to give a good cleaning to the bottom of the bottle.  That would certainly help you make sure the bottle is properly cleaned.

On 1/12/2019 at 11:20 AM, Krazy Kruizers said:

Many ships have the sticky buns as well.

 

There will be lots of choices for you.

I love the sticky buns!  My only complaint is that they are too large and I could usually only eat 1/2.  

We were on the Rotterdam from Dec. 16-23.  The area is fairly useless overall but  there are two hot tubs, a bar and the pizzeria.  This also has the only outdoor smoking area I am aware of as we are not smokers.   I guess for me, there is too much assigned to this area for the small space.

On the Rotterdam last week, the cruise director announced that those in anytime dining should expect a wait if arriving between 6 and 7pm so plan accordingly.  Since we had second seating, I am not aware of how that actually worked out but there were A Lot of early diners waiting for the doors to open.

We got off the Rotterdam last Sunday.  My son flew to Tampa directly from university and forget his dress shoes.  I was worried he would not be welcome in the dining room on formal nights.  Well, as you all realize, not a problem.

2 hours ago, Crew News said:

 

HAL uses the same menus in the Caribbean for the entire season.  It is just a matter of aligning the days.  Here is a link to my 11-day menus to help idientify what days matched yours:

 

http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/specialty-2/specifc-cruise-lido-and-mdr-menus/hal-konigsdam-11-day-caribbean-2018

 

If you can remember something else you really liked, I may have the recipe in my HAL recipe files.

It is definitely the white chocolate and lime pop from Day 5 of your menus!

2 hours ago, Crew News said:

 

 

 

Served on the Konigsdam Day 5 in Martinique.  Unfortunately, I don't have that recipe.

 

Here are the menus that should have been served the same day in all Lido Market and MDR venues:

 

http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/here/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/KD-Day-05-Martinique.pdf

 

Found this recipe but you would need to add the white chocolate:

 

https://www.loveandlemons.com/mango-lime-pops/

Wow!  Thank you!

9 minutes ago, DeeniEncinitas said:

Hope someone chimes in for you! I’d like to know since will be on The Rotterdam!

Denise😊

It was on the Thursday night menu - the Mahogany Bay port day.

6 hours ago, Despegue said:

Well, the Mango Cream Horn looks a bit like an icecream cone and has a wonderful filling of mango cream and has some lime accents I believe?

this dessert replaces the Mango Spire, which was one of my favourite desserts on HAL.

 

Not the Mango Horn.  It had a vanilla ganache type outer shell and cream inside. Popsicle shaped with a stick protruding.  I would seriously try to duplicate this at home.  My son said it was the best dessert he has ever eaten - cruise or not!  And I agree.

Last week on the Rotterdam, we had a wonderful dessert  but I cannot remember the name!  It was shaped like a popsicle with a stick.  It had a tasty cream filling and lime accents.  Anyone know what the name is?  Better yet, anyone have the recipe?  Thank you.

I read that a taxi from the airport to downtown Tampa is a flat fee of $25.  Can anyone confirm that, please?  We booked the Barrymore based on their shuttle but our arrival is outside of their schedule.

So if my husband and son wear suits, they will be in the minority?

I realize Tampa is an international airport with customs and immigration but I am wondering if we will go thru the process in Toronto and simply deplane in Tampa.  When I travel to Chicago via Calgary, I go thru customs and immigration in Calgary and simply deplane in Chicago.  We are flying with WestJet if that makes a difference.  

Which dock does Holland America use in Tampa?  Thank you.

7 hours ago, happy 2 b cruising said:

Thank- you all for your responses.  Has anyone used Icelandic Air to return to the US from England?

We also used Iceland Air and just want to add that the 48 hour layover allows you to get in a good bit of sightseeing.  We enjoyed our time there immensely.

There are the kid’s clubs but there is also shuffle board, ping pong, the pool, pizza, sleeping in, firiends, the sports court, buffet, . . . They will find plenty to do and friends to do it with. Really, it is only sea days that they will need to be occupied so it will not be a problem.

Another vote for a Baltic cruise. A lot to see and do for all ages.

Thanks for your reply Sunfun19.

I'm travelling from Australia so guessing I will need an American adaptor?

To confirm which adaptor is needed, check on the forum for Australian cruises here on cruise critic. Also, any luggage store should be able to help you. From the adaptor sets I have seen/purchased, they all have a full set of adaptors so you can travel the world and have what you need.

Check on the Military board here on cruise critic within this special interest cruising section. Military discounts can be substantial and could make a big difference in your cost/choices.

With ages of your children, it should not be a big problem. We always insisted on meals together and where to meet. During the meal, we would discuss what each person was doing during the next portion of the day. I always have a general area where I can be found and my husband is equally predictable.

Lots of folks use things like sticky notes or white boards in the cabin, or you can leave messages on the cabin phone.

It isn’t just about the child and maturity level, it is also about the cruise and time of year. If you are on a Carnival spring break cruise, the decision is different than for a Holland America Alaska Cruise.

We chose Princess for our Alaska vacation - they have a reputation for being a leader in Alaska cruising. It is not snobby but is more a classic cruise experience. The Carib deck balconies are wonderful for holding a family as they are huge, without paying extra. The naturalist on board kept everyone informed throughout the day. And it was nice to have the options of daytime movies and educational talks that are certainly missing on Carnival. Our kids had a fantastic time in their program and our then approx. 9 yo son said that he liked it better than Carnival as it was a more active program.

We did Princess as well (a couple of times) and were very pleased. Now we have moved to Celebrity for most cruises and find they fit our expectations better in a cruise market that is constantly cutting corners.

Your son will have a great time on any ship/line so look at what the adults will enjoy. Your parent’s 50th is really an event to celebrate. Congratulations to them!

I would discuss this with your pediatrician first. I would also consider (I know you probably do not have the time ) stopping in Hawaii for a night or two instead of flying straight through.

We did this some years ago but our son was about 10. Somehow, after about 8 hours it all just became monotonously the same and we dozed a lot of the time.