19 hours ago, kazu said:

Well, now I can say all the bags are packed and we’re mostly ready to go.

Just the carry on stuff, clean up the house and check my notes and make sure I am missing nothing.  That goes in carry on too.  I need those vouchers, train tickets and email confirmations. 😉 

Now, it’s time to get excited 🙂 

 

We’ve been planning this so long, it just kept seeming long away and now the day is here tomorrow.  

 

We miss the dogs - the house is so quiet.  But I could pack and there was no puppy to steal something out (as he does with laundry) so a day without them was good to get down to business - but I did wake up this morning listening to hear if they were moving - and then I remembered they weren’t here.  LOL.

A big  Thank You , Jacqui for all the help in planning and discussing possibilities for tours what has been going on for us since September . Hopefully now we can benefit for the next few weeks on the Prinsendam and have a wonderful time . Martha and I look forward to meet you in Lisbon . Your spread sheet has been really helpful .  Have a great flight ! 

Tony 

56 minutes ago, bleacher04 said:

Well, we made it to Madrid!  Our flight arrived 45 minutes early this morning (naturally) so even less sleep on the plane than usual!  But after exploring for a few hours to soak up some sun, and then a little siesta this afternoon, we are ready to go tapas-bar-hopping this evening!

 

The fleece jacket and puffy jacket layers have already been put to good use here...

 

And one more echo for Helen’s comments about Jacqui’s amazing work.  As an engineer, I can say that her roll call spreadsheet is truly impressive!

 

Safe travel wishes to everyone who is flying tonight and tomorrow (and the next day)

Enjoy Madrid Paul and Diane see you on Thursday ! We are flying tomorrow nicht , a liitle more digging in the garden to do first .

Lots of great pictures again John !

We are flying out late Monday night and look forward to meet you at the Fado evening Thursday evening that you have organized for us before we get on board ship . 

We will be quite busy while 38 days on board the Elegant Explorer stopping in 31 Ports and many of those Ports we have never visited previously . Hope Hal someday will add another new small ship to its fleet .

Making final decisions of what goes in the suitcase . See you in Lisbon everybody ! 

Martha and Tony 

The bacon clothesline came from the Sel de Mer menu we had last year on the Nieuw Statendam , kind of a funky plate that Rudy  put together thats what we heard . Rudy was also on board of that Premier cruise of the Nieuw Statendam and was very proud of "His "  Sel de Mer . 

4 hours ago, Krazy Kruizers said:

Couldn't find it on any of our channels.

Last evening it was shown for the first time in Canada only on the "Discovery Channel "  it will be shown on a later date in the US on the "Smithsonian Network " and in the United Kingdom on "Quest " .

I thought it was a very good documentary / show . A great commercial for Norway cruises with HAL . Always wanted to go to the North Cape or even higher to Spitsbergen so it was good for DW to see some of that footage , she might now want to join me , haha . 

 Some very interesting camera shots and also some good technical information well explained. The maintenance of the azipods and the technician crawling into the azipods to check on a possible oil leak was some very good footage imo. 

Tony 

3 hours ago, Copper10-8 said:

How long was the documentary?  60 minutes? I'm thinking someone will put it on YouTube

60 Minutes less commercials so probably about 47 minutes . 

You are right on with that one, Tony! Club Orange and/or the space it currently occupies on K-dam and, I believe Nieuw S, is a dilemma for HAL. They are currently hosting PS and NS pax in there for breakfast and dinner (taking the place of the Pinnacle Grill, at least for breakfast). 

Sounds great John ,  I would like to try it but not at $50 pp per day . Why only restrict it to the people from the suites and who pay this exhorbitant daily fee  and set up a " Club Orange " .  With 2 people in a cabin on a 24 day cruise that adds up !  For sure they will have to review this otherwise it will become a third failure ! 

We really enjoyed the initial set up and went there three times on the Premier Koningsdam cruise but they just could not attract enough people even on a Trans Atlantic . They had great menues and we loved the wine that kept flowing .

Don't forget Canada tonight on the Discovery Channel at 7 pm on the program "Mighty Cruise Ships " they will high light the Koningsdam !

My personal observations of the Koningsdam .

Even though we have been twice on the Koningsdam . The Premier Cruise from Rome in 2016 and the Florida to the ABC Islands last year , I still have some very conflicting feelings about the Koningsdam . We love the multiple choices in specialty dining specially the Tamarind , the Rudy's Sel de Mer and in a lesser way a downgraded Pinnacle Grill and Canaletto because of lay out and furnishing . We absolutely loved the Grand Dutch Cafe as an option with the Best Coffee on the ship and the many "Dutch " treats . What will be finally done in the once called Culinary Arts Center after twice being a failure in some peoples eyes , is still a work in progress .

We enjoyed the World Stage very much and also some of the musical venues around the ship specially since  they moved the Lincoln Center Stage  ( at least on the Nieuw Statendam ) to the Queens Lounge . BBKing and the bands are usually very good but way , way too loud almost painful to sit there and enjoy a beverage . We enjoyed our cabins even if they are a little bit tighter than on some of the other ships . 

The ships crew was fantastic , very professional and enthoust.

Some of my personal dislikes are the incredible noisy main dining room , on a table for eight it is near impossible to hear a friend on the other side  ( and I have pretty good hearing ) nor do I like the furnishings , my apologies , but I call it the Ikea Room . 

We miss very much the nice wrap around  Promenade deck where people could easily walk or lay around , reading a book in a chair or looking at the horizon . This because of the life boats being in a different position than before for one reason to create more Verandah Staterooms .

What I really miss is that nowhere on the ship there is any sign of a proud 145 year old Company , that has just been thrown away , is that the right way to compete with other lines or to look for a different crowd ?

No Captain Card paintings ( except for 1 in the Crow's nest ) no pictures of years gone bye , no historic statues or furniture to be found only Modern Art made out of synthetic materials. Even the logo was changed a couple of years ago and the "Halve Maen " is gone .

These are only my personal observations , you can call me old fashioned , we do things because it feels right . Please make your own observations and see if this " New and Improved " ?

We will be going twice more on the Koningsdam this year , but only after saying first a long goodbye to the Prinsendam the  "Elegant Explorer " ...........

Tony 

Heads up specially for the Canadians amongst you , It will be on later in the US .

Enjoying all the wonderful pictures  John , great camera work ,and all the special  information you are sharing with us , you have done your home work ! 

Curacao is one of our favorite Islands in the Caribbean , we spend 10 days there in January and went home with a bag full of "Dutch Goodies " and half a wheel of cheese . Everyday about 28 degrees and we only had 5 drops of rain plus there are many nice places to enjoy and some great restaurants to visit ! 

I saw many familliar places in your pics , Thanks ! 

Tony 

Roy , Thank you very much for al your stories and beautiful pictures . I have been following your blog because a couple of very good cruise friends , Ann and Pat were on board and also because we will be cruising on the Prinsendam in April from Lisbon to Amsterdam . 

Tony 

Love all your great pictures and the many details you tell us about Copper10-8  would this be your first time on the Koningsdam after always serving on many of the other ships .? 

For us the specialty restaurants like the Tamarind , the Sel de Mer and Pinnacle . (Try the Sushi Bar)  and of coarse the Grand Dutch Cafe that's where you can always find us with all the special treats . One thing I miss though is the nautical history of the HAL , no paintings or pictures of the proud 145 year history  ( Only 1 Captain Card ) 

Have a fantastic cruise , I will keep on following your adventures .

On 9/5/2018 at 3:40 PM, Copper10-8 said:

 

Interestingly enough, the ship's name most used in HAL's long history has been Rotterdam (makes sense since it is the name of the city where HAL was born back on 08 Feb 1871, albeit under a different name). The current co-flagship Rotterdam is the sixth HAL passenger vessels with that name.

Close behind are Maasdam (named after the village located 14 km from the city of Rotterdam in the province of Zuid-Holland) and Statendam (named after the original seven Dutch provincial states or"provinciale staten") with the most recent Statendam transferred to P&O Australia in 2015, and now known as Pacific Eden. Both are the fifth HAL ships so named. The second Pinnacle class ship joining in December of this year would have been the sixth Statendam but alas, will have "Nieuw" (Dutch for "new") placed in front of her name

Next in line, of ship's names historically used, of the current fleet are:

Veendam (named after the Dutch city in the northern province of Groningen); the current ship is No. 4

Nieuw Amsterdam (reflecting the current name of the city of New York, the original name chosen by her Dutch settlers in the 17th Century); the current ship is No. 4

Ryndam (also spelled Rijndam and named after a dam in the European river Ryn (Rhine); the most recent HAL ship Ryndam, transferred to P&O Australia in 2015, and now known as Pacific Aria, was No. 3

Volendam (named after the Dutch city in the province of Noord Holland); the current ship is No. 3

Noordam (named for the compass heading north in Dutch); the current ship is No. 4

Zaandam (named after the Dutch city in the province of Noord Holland); the current ship is No. 3

Amsterdam (named after the Dutch capital city); the current co-flagship is No. 3

Westerdam (named for the compass heading west in Dutch); the current vessel is No. 3

Prinsendam (named after the Princes of the House of Orange-Nassau, the royal house of the Netherlands); the current vessel is No. 2

Zuiderdam (named for the compass heading south in Dutch); the current ship is No. 2

Oosterdam (named for the compass heading east in Dutch); first time that name was used on the current vessel (although there was an Oosterdyk freighter)

Eurodam (reflecting the European history and heritage of HAL); the current vessel is the first time that name was used

Koningsdam (reflecting HAL's Dutch heritage and honoring the Dutch King); the current vessel is the first time that name was used

Question for Copper10-8  : I have always wondered why the inconsistency in the names of the "compass " ships .  There is Zuiderdam , Oosterdam and Westerdam why only Noordam  ?  Maybe I should have dug into the HAL history books was the Noordam the first one of this class and than they thought better of it afterwards for the next three ? 

I am sure you will have a perfect answer for me Copper . BTW what will be your next ship ? Hope to be able to connect with you one of these days.  Zou erg leuk zijn ! 

Greetings , Tony , sailingdutchy 

Bon Voyage Ann and Pat , have a fantastic cruise , please make sure the Prinsendam is in tip top shape when we board her in Lisbon in a couple of months ! 

Hey Copper where is the stache , you are looking so young now !  Or is this you in your Amsterdam days a long time ago ? Nice pic !

We had the pleasure of sailing 4 times with Captain Turner on 4 different ships , a wonderful personable gentleman and a great Captain . We wish the Captain a very long and well deserved and Happy Retirement . Thank you for some great memories ! 

We were on the Premier cruise of the Nieuw Statendam . I enjoy the music on the music walk very much but the BB King Blues Club and also the Rolling Stone Rock Room were way , way too loud  !  It was painful to sit there too long and enjoy a beverage .  They must think that all people over 50 have problems with their hearing . I think they should turn it down a nodge it would be much more enjoyable . Staying there too long would give you a hearing problem ! 

Best move they made on the NS was moving the Lincoln Centre performances to the Queens Lounge and the quinted they had on board was fantastic ! 

Just my opinion but heard from a lot more people on board the same . 

I am just sitting behind my computer after returning home and reading this wonderful "Live from the Nieuw Statendam Premier Voyage from A to Z " and enjoying our wonderful cruise all over again and I will try to construct " The Credits " and pay homage to the deserving cast .

This of coarse has to start by thanking the very well experienced crew of The Nieuw Statendam. We were told they come from about 45 different nations all over the world , just to name a few that we encountered were of coarse starting for a large part with people from Indonesia , The Philippines and The Netherlands but also from Thailand, Brazil , Belgium , Serbia , Croatia ,the USA, Spain ,Hungary ,Tunisia  and many , many more , I wished I knew all of their countries , they all deserve credit . As always I met many great "Old Friends " from the crew from other cruises.

In comparison to the Premier voyage of the Koningsdam this "New Built " was totally ready for us , there were very few hick ups that I can think of thanks to the very hard working crew under the direction of the "New Built Captain " whose name escapes me , of Captain Sybe de Boer ( who almost nobody had tagged as the "Take out Captain " ) and a lot of other experienced people who were involved in Venice right from the start.

There were many high lights during these first couple of weeks for me and I will just mention a few . The coffee talks with the CD Ross and the Captain , the Chief Engineer and the Hotel Director were a lot of fun . The two talks from Captain Albert on the Main Stage , one on the history of cruising and the different ships and another on the 145 year HAL history were fantastic . For me the performances of the "Quintet " on the Lincoln Center Stage were wonderful and so were the performances of the dancers on the Main Stage .

Almost every evening we enjoyed one of the Specialty Restaurants and many had made changes in their menu's which is very nice specially if you cruise on the HAL ships 3 or 4 times a year and have a chance to try out different dishes , there were improvements and also a few losses of my favourites.

Critique I also have a little bit . On this New Class of ships there is very little or none of the rich history of Holland America to be seen , I find the dropping of  "The Halve Maen " out of the logo is totally wrong and there are no Captain Card's paintings to be seen only "Modern Art " . Is that celebrating 145 years of HAL ????

My other big criticism is the incredible loud voiume of music on the "Music Row " it sometimes just blows you away and at some venues it is hard to just sit , listen to the music and enjoy a beverage without getting a head or an earache . They almost chase you away ......

I know this is all my personal taste and feeling and I realize it is very incomplete so please take that as it is .

Last but not least  I would like to thank my friends Ann , Sherita and Tim who have taken the time and trouble to give a lot of information to CC'ers who will cruise on this ship in the future an inside . Thank you for all the beautiful pictures and all of the comments . 

Up to the next adventure in 2019 . 

Tony , Sailingdutchy 

2 hours ago, Vict0riann said:

We are on our way!  Sitting at the airport much too early waiting for our flight to Toronto.  I didn’t sleep much, and leapt out of bed at 3:30.  I made myself a cup of instant coffee in the microwave, but in the airport coffee shop we  shared a muffin and had more coffee.  So I’m ready for a long day.  

 

Bon voyage to to all my fellow travellers.  

We will be leaving London , Ont in a little while for our drive to Toronto . Somebody knew we had to leave today , temperatures spiked from a high of freezing to now a warm 11 degrees !  See you soon at the airport Ann and Pat ! 

The Nieuw Statendam just past by the Piazza  San Marco in Venetia a few minutes ago to start her "Shakedown Cruise " with all the " bigwigs" on board . Hope they save some wine for us ! 

Tony 

24 minutes ago, Vict0riann said:

 

We don't leave Civitavecchia until December 5, but we wanted to start the thread a bit early, so that others on the roll call can join in.  We have an amazing roll call, over 200 people, and I'm sure we will have an amazing cruise!

 

 

That looks like a great start of our cruise ladies , hope I can contribute a bit while on board with you . 

Maybe testing all the delicious treats at the Grand Dutch Cafe ..............looking forward to it ! 

The Nieuw Statendam just went this morning from the construction site through the small channels into the Adriatic and to the port of Venice . Watched it on the "Live Ships map " . Great parking job from the captain with all the Big Shots on board ! 

Bon Voyage everybody see you in Civitavecchia .