QuattroRomeo

Thanks for the review! It is always disappointing to miss ports- Argostoli and Mykonos in your case- especially when you go all the way to the Mediterranean! I hope you get a chance to go back. We've done a few Med cruises in the Fall- the weather is just right and fewer crowds. Hope you have good memories and photos for the places you did see! (Croatia is great isn't it!?)

- Langoustine soup, Osso Bucco, and Sicilian Marzipan Cassata Torte in Canaletto - Apple pie in Grand Dutch cafe

We received 2 tiles ( and 1 shopping bag) on our Inside Passage cruise on Koningsdam (May 28). On the last sea day, we were walking from the aft elevator on deck 2 toward mid-ship, and happened to notice a Mariner reception in a lounge area opposite Club Orange dining room. It was mid to late afternoon. I believe the sign said Mariner 4,5 reception. There is nothing about in the daily programs so I assume invitations were sent to eligible guests.

Yes indeed! Looks like a runway!

The itineraries are pretty great on all of the ships so that has to be a consideration for you. But having done Med cruises on large and smaller ships, we would do small again. Especially when there are few, if any, sea days. We just found that after each very long day walking on cobblestone streets in the sunshine, then standing in line to get back on the ship, and then returning to the larger ship looking way down the oh-so-long hallway to our cabin, it was exhausting! If you have several sea days, then it isn't so bad.

What a delicious-looking meal! Is the spread in the second photo hummus and seaweed? Or something else?

Love your photos of Friscardo village, what a great spot. After eating all of those tasty Greek salads and seafood during the tours, does the ship fare kind of pale in comparison?? 😁

We are considering the Nieuw Amsterdam B2B Dec 4-18. Haven't done a B2B before, but now with retirement we can consider them! We recently sailed on Koningsdam; first cruise since covid. I see that Amsterdam doesn't have as many things as Koningsdam- no Dutch cafe or NY Deli for instance, both of which we enjoyed. Would Club Orange help a bit in the food choices? Is it available on Amsterdam ( I see there is no separate dining room). Is there a good sandwich station in the Lido that might offer comparable NYDeli items? What happens on turnaround day for B2B passengers mid-cruise? If you leave the ship in Lauderdale, do you get back on board through the same line as passengers just newly embarking? We have been to all of the ports before, so know what to expect that way. Although good snorkelling opportunities always welcomed! Our curiosity is more about the ship itself and the B2B considerations or recommendations. Things that we like on board: specialty dining and offerings like Chef's Table specialty coffees small lounges with music wine tasting good promenade deck interesting daytime activities that aren't just promos evening shows and music Things we don't care about: pools, loungers, hot tubs or spa casino drink packages The fare on HAL website for OV is just guaranteed rate when I checked yesterday. How could Club Orange factor into this? If you have opinions or experiences to share about Nieuw Amsterdam or B2B, we would appreciate them! 🙂

You know you're in an authentic family home bakery when you can walk past the shower!!.. guess it would be easy to wash away those crumbs..😁 Was the baklava great?? The assortment of goodies looks pretty tasty!

We have often ordered flowers on cruises; never had a bad bouquet! Recently we ordered them on Koningsdam out of Vancouver. See photo in link below: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2857586-koningsdam-review-may-28-june-4/?do=findComment&comment=63342547

We have enjoyed Chef's Table on NCL and RCCL in past years; haven't heard of it on HAL. My understanding is that NCL has discontinued them; not sure about Royal.

ok thanks!

We were recently aboard Koningsdam, and noticed that the wraparound deck, I think deck 5, had all of the lifeboats obstructing the view, at least mid-ship, when you walked around it outside. Is it the same on the Nieuw Statendam?

The Market certainly is a destination in itself!! Gotta get me some of that "wrinkle disappearing" soap!.. The city and the market areas are so clean, very nice. Other than the soaps, did you happen to notice if there were many locally made items or is it the ubiquitous made in China stuff? e.g.the ceramics. And yes the prices are pretty great!

Great photos as usual! And construction, graffiti..universal!!

Could I be invited to bid if I booked a GTY and not a specific cabin? In the past we always had a specific stateroom booked, so I don't know what would happen without that.

You're doing great with all that walking in the hot sun!! Love the photo with the pile of grapes, hanging bananas and huge mound of olives!!

Yes, I do know that many cruise ships, and many ships period, are built in Europe. Heck, I watch "Mighty Ships" religiously!! Anyway, what I am trying to learn about is how US lines procure some things in between drydocks. In the grand scheme of things a sofabed isn't that important, (except in this case it is for the OP), but it is interesting that it wasn't replaced item for item.

NCL is our preferred line, and it seems to us also that their prices aren't as competitive as they used to be. We would rather cruise more often, but bargains are scarce. Plus, we have the added cost of exchange rates. We did an Alaska cruise in late March/early June on HAL, because the rate was significantly better. We might have to rely on last-minute deals for a while with NCL.But that poses a problem too with escalated airfare and hotel rates last minute. What to do, what to do??

Absolutely beautiful photos. Hotel looks great, bakery looks great. Meat market, well, that is how they do it! Better than the one I saw in Casablanca though.. It is so hot in Greece and the photos don't show a lot of people outside..everyone in the AC I guess?!

Sheesh. I am aware that Europe has beautiful furniture stores. And linens, crystal, draperies, fine china, cabinetry, flooring stores..Not to mention wine, cheese, meat, pastries... My point was, NCL is a US company so I presumed they have storerooms somewhere in the US to house replacement items when the ships' own storerooms run out, to keep a uniformity of design. I didn't think that ship personnel just pop out to the store in whatever city they are in Europe, to buy a replacement item... Obviously food warehouses must be in place there. But large hard goods? That is what I was just wondering about, and, perhaps generously, giving NCL the benefit of the doubt about. If I am wrong, how does it work?

Thanks for the review and great photos! We haven't been on the Sky yet or to GSC so it was nice to see them. The ship looks like the kind we like: not too big, and the Great Outdoors area looks wonderful. Was there a shelf under the sink in the bathroom? Was your lunch in the Cabana specific to the Cabana service or could you get it at a kiosk? ( looked pretty yummy). Strange to see such empty beaches and restaurants! But all of the food and drinks looked good; must have been fun to be spoiled in this odd time of cruising with everything half empty!

! Chengkp75, you have provided so many informative posts that I think you should write a book entitled "The Bikini Incident and other Adventures of a Cruise Ship Engineer"! I know I would buy it!! Is there any way to know what stateroom caused the problem (short of having the item visible in a particular toilet)? And given how common a problem this is, are there any promising engineering inventions on the horizon?

Seems a little weird that there isn't a sofa bed available anywhere..could it be because the Epic is in Europe and maybe that limits their suppliers? Hope you can enjoy your cruise- terrific itinerary! And with the hot weather there right now, maybe the extra space will be a blessing.

Wow, quite a busy itinerary! Hope you enjoy everything, and be careful in the heat!