Live from the Oosterdam Mch 5-12 sailing

[toodycat]

Thanks for all the up-to-the-minute info. I'm enjoying this thread. We are on the Oosterdam in mid-April. Should I pack very differently than I would for a Caribbean cruise? Is the Pacific windier or chillier? I wasn't planning on touring Mazatlan particularly. Does HAL have another port they would substitute in?

 

Thanks.

[edit4ever]

The Pacific is definitely colder than the Caribbean! The water here is in the 60's instead of the 80's. But two things help... on the first sea day - the wind is often at your back matching the speed of the ship... which makes it feel like there is no wind at all. Second... when the sun is out - it tends to be quite warm feeling since we are pretty far south. Of course... the last sea day on the way back up is often cool, cloudy and windy... but any day at sea beats a day on land!

 

The weather can vary out of San Diego in April... it can be sunny and 80 or cloudy with a heavy marine layer and barely get over 60. Tend to get lucky with more of the warm and sunny days... so we'll send thoughts of good weather your way! I would say it's best to bring a light sweater or wind breaker if you want to stay outside for the cool days. Once you hit cabo and south it is nice and warm... and in my opinion... not too hot or humid... the only risk wen you are in the caribbean.

 

I always check the 10 day forecast for all the ports I'm visiting and build my plan accordingly. Just realize it tends to be about 10-15 degrees cooler at sea in the morning or evenings.

 

As for Mazatlan... they could easily switch to Manzanillo or a second day in Cabo or overnight stay in Puerto Vallarta... but until they decide to change it... it's anybody's guess.

[DotComMom]

DotComMom - oh that is great news!! I had read some reviews that the shows were being held at 9pm or 9:30pm, so I was worried. How did you find JT as a cruise director - I haven't read too too much about him but what I have read has been mixed?

 

Spinner - Did you ever manage to find out how long John Mann is on the ship?

 

Thanks:)

 

Canuck

 

I really liked JT and felt that he did a great job as cruise director.

[Spinner2]

Sorry; don't know how long John Mann is here for; I know that he's floating at the moment, filling in for vacationing cruise directors. I do know that the current show times (9:30 pm single show for first and last day; 2 shows at 8 and 10 for other days and I think the 8 is right; we don't go to the first show) are a Seattle decision and wouldn't change even if he left this ship.

 

More changes since we were here in October:

1. We didn't get a preliminary bill and none was mentioned at the disembark talk.

2. No parade of the baked alaska at the Master Chef Dinner tonight; the wait staff and kitchen staff paraded but the dessert was served as people were ready for it.

 

At the Q&A session I was invited to this afternoon it's clear that people are still of two minds about formal dress and HAL seems to be trying to please them all. Nothing else I can report; I heard some rumors but I'm not free to disclose. Sorry.

 

If Joel Mason is still aboard when you come his final show is hilarious (he did a straight musical one earlier in the week; this one is called "Joel and Friends" and I would urge you to stop packing and go. If CD John Mann is still here, for I can't imagine many CDs who are such good sports--it'll be even better; John lying on the piano doing this number with Joel is a scream. As is the rest of it! Enjoy.

 

DH George went on the behind the scenes tour today; 3 hours; took lots of photos; nothing was said about any restrictions so when he gets those organized I'll get them posted somewhere on one of our websites and will share the link. Fascinating stuff; even some of crew quarters and such.

 

Packing done; I guess we have to leave in the morning! And I still have 17 minutes of internet left!

[kazu]

Sorry; don't know how long John Mann is here for; I know that he's floating at the moment, filling in for vacationing cruise directors. I do know that the current show times (9:30 pm single show for first and last day; 2 shows at 8 and 10 for other days and I think the 8 is right; we don't go to the first show) are a Seattle decision and wouldn't change even if he left this ship.

 

More changes since we were here in October:

1. We didn't get a preliminary bill and none was mentioned at the disembark talk.

2. No parade of the baked alaska at the Master Chef Dinner tonight; the wait staff and kitchen staff paraded but the dessert was served as people were ready for it.

 

At the Q&A session I was invited to this afternoon it's clear that people are still of two minds about formal dress and HAL seems to be trying to please them all. Nothing else I can report; I heard some rumors but I'm not free to disclose. Sorry.

 

If Joel Mason is still aboard when you come his final show is hilarious (he did a straight musical one earlier in the week; this one is called "Joel and Friends" and I would urge you to stop packing and go. If CD John Mann is still here, for I can't imagine many CDs who are such good sports--it'll be even better; John lying on the piano doing this number with Joel is a scream. As is the rest of it! Enjoy.

 

DH George went on the behind the scenes tour today; 3 hours; took lots of photos; nothing was said about any restrictions so when he gets those organized I'll get them posted somewhere on one of our websites and will share the link. Fascinating stuff; even some of crew quarters and such.

 

Packing done; I guess we have to leave in the morning! And I still have 17 minutes of internet left!

 

Great info Marney - your cruise sounds similar to ours - no Master Chef Dinner and no interim bill on ours either. (no big deal as you can get it anytime)

 

Ah....you're mean - rumours you can't share???

 

hopefully you can share later?

 

Thanks again for your great review and information. :)

 

Time goes by so quickly on a cruise, doesn't it? Wishing you a smooth disembarkation and a safe trip home:D

[toodycat]

Thanks Marney for your narrative of the cruise and all the helpful information. I can't wait to see your DH's photos. Have a comfortable trip home.

[macmarsue]

Just watched the Oosterdam sail into the harbor here in San Diego. DH and I are staying at the Grand Hyatt and are going to be boarding the ship in a few hours. Thanks for all your great tips on the cruise. Welcome back!

[Spinner2]

We are indeed in San Diego; luggage is coming off and they've issued yet one more plea for the non-US citizens to come to the required immigration check-out.

 

Minor updates; I have 6 minutes of internet time I can use up!

 

We had the Master Chef dinner but not the Baked Alaska parade.

 

It also occurred to us last night that they didn't have a raffle for a luggage prize, drawn from those who turned in their surveys on time.

 

Several crew members that we've known over the past few cruises are leaving the ship today; their contracts are over and they're going home via Los Angeles; they will be taken there via 2 busses. One we know is going home to get married!

 

Sorry about the "rumor secrecy" but if I tell all I hear (and overhear!) I'm not likely to learn any more and in the past less than half of what I've heard has come true anyway. We'll just wait for official confirmation of this stuff.

[Krazy Kruizers]

boy that week went fast

 

for the last couple of years there weren't any luggage give-aways on any of our cruises if you turned in your survey early

[Spinner2]

Heard this just now from non confidential source--passenger staying aboard-- no Mazatlan for this cruise. Overnight in Puerte Vallarte. I only know fir cruise starting today

 

Posting from iPhone. Errors in spelling likely

[CanuckCruizer]

Thanks so much Spinner for all your informative posts from the ship.

 

You are SO good even posting on your IPHONE for us to tell us about Mazatlan!:)

 

Dotcomom - thanks for the review on JT.

 

Thanks very much again for the live review!!!!

 

Canuck

[kazu]

We knew about Mazatlan - thanks! - can't wait to see when these rumours surface ;) Welcome back and thanks again for your very interesting posts.

 

by the way, if it makes you feel any better, there were no prizes for completing the survey on our last 3 cruises either

 

safe trip home :)

[fishinjules]

Thanks for the excellent updates....I am looking forward to boarding in two weeks......Can't wait to see your photo's Marney! Thanks again!

Julie

[CanuckCruizer]

We knew about Mazatlan - thanks! - can't wait to see when these rumours surface ;) Welcome back and thanks again for your very interesting posts.

 

by the way, if it makes you feel any better, there were no prizes for completing the survey on our last 3 cruises either

 

safe trip home :)

 

We didn't know about Mazatlan "for sure" - all we knew is that the charter on March 26th was not going to Mazatlan. People that are on this cruise today did not receive notification from HAL that they are not going to Maz - in fact, they were told by HAL that they were still going. So, we appreciate Spinner updating us. This now brings more clarity to the situation and it "looks like" Mazatlan is off their itineraries for the rest of the season (but you never know as they cancelled and went back again already...).

 

Canuck

[Spinner2]

For those coming aboard today. Don't rush over just yet. They are still trying to finish immigration. Two or three cabins are still not checked out they are making announcements now in German and Spanish. Also you'll board differently. Apparently the shoreside elevators aren't working

[DotComMom]

Last week they said there would be a drawing for luggage/bag for those who turned in their evaluation forms by 5 PM. They did not have the drawing on our cruise either.

 

We also had MANY announcements for non-US citizens to clear immigration. They started to announce cabin numbers with names and large angry crowds gathered outside the cabin numbers called. One guy asked my 11 yo son if he would like to "knock loudly on a cabin door". ;) They finally cleared all non-US citizens by about 9:30 AM and allowed the rest to start to get off.

 

During breakfast on Saturday, March 5th. There was actually a guy with an foreign accent at the Lido restaurant (which was more crowded than the first day lunch) who was bragging to a guy serving food that he didn't gain any weight on the cruise and in fact he lost weight. He keep going on and on about how he really knows how to do it, the server could not have been less interested. The guy even made a comment to me about it and my response was, "Are you that guy they are looking for?" (meaning the guy they keep naming to come and clear immigration.) The server laughed so hard he could not contain himself. :p

 

I didn't see a mention of the Tsunami waves impacting the cruise, did it?

 

I have really enjoyed this thread. It makes me feel like I am still there.:D I hope that we get more like this one.

[kazu]

We didn't know about Mazatlan "for sure" - all we knew is that the charter on March 26th was not going to Mazatlan. People that are on this cruise today did not receive notification from HAL that they are not going to Maz - in fact, they were told by HAL that they were still going. So, we appreciate Spinner updating us. This now brings more clarity to the situation and it "looks like" Mazatlan is off their itineraries for the rest of the season (but you never know as they cancelled and went back again already...).

 

Canuck

 

True CanuckCruizer but I suspect HAL had to give notice to the charter group. One thing I have found as I watch certain ports(and therefore certain boards or rolls calls) - other cruise lines, not just HAL are telling people they are still going and then bam! the captain announces they are not the night before.

 

I tended to put some faith in the announcement from the charter group. there's more money on the table and HAL has to be forthcoming with them.

 

Spinner, do appreciate you confirming though - didn't mean to imply anything else - your posts and reviews have been great!:)

[CanuckCruizer]

True CanuckCruizer but I suspect HAL had to give notice to the charter group. One thing I have found as I watch certain ports(and therefore certain boards or rolls calls) - other cruise lines, not just HAL are telling people they are still going and then bam! the captain announces they are not the night before.

 

I tended to put some faith in the announcement from the charter group. there's more money on the table and HAL has to be forthcoming with them.

 

Spinner, do appreciate you confirming though - didn't mean to imply anything else - your posts and reviews have been great!:)

 

 

Hi Kazu - Yes I agree with you about having to give notice to the Olivia Charter but we deserve notification too (of course...tell this to HAL!:D) HAL did cancel Mazatlan and then went to Manzanillo instead and THEN went back to Mazatlan again when no one else was....so I am highly suspicious....lol. But you are right - a lot of people are not getting notification until the night before (which I think is ridiculous - we need to make plans!!).

 

Canuck

[kazu]

Hi Kazu - Yes I agree with you about having to give notice to the Olivia Charter but we deserve notification too (of course...tell this to HAL!:D) HAL did cancel Mazatlan and then went to Manzanillo instead and THEN went back to Mazatlan again when no one else was....so I am highly suspicious....lol. But you are right - a lot of people are not getting notification until the night before (which I think is ridiculous - we need to make plans!!).

 

Canuck

 

Totally agree Canuck - that's why I am trying to follow if ships really dock or not -:eek: we are scheduled for Morocco later this year and, if the itinerary is going to change - sure would be nice to know - before the day before!

 

Don't get me wrong - I totally understand that the cruise ship is concerned with safety - but I think that can be determined BEFORE the night you are supposed to dock :p at the very least, they could update their travel advisory section better or give fair warning to their passengers :rolleyes:

 

I guess we can't have everything

[CanuckCruizer]

Totally agree Canuck - that's why I am trying to follow if ships really dock or not -:eek: we are scheduled for Morocco later this year and, if the itinerary is going to change - sure would be nice to know - before the day before!

 

Don't get me wrong - I totally understand that the cruise ship is concerned with safety - but I think that can be determined BEFORE the night you are supposed to dock :p at the very least, they could update their travel advisory section better or give fair warning to their passengers :rolleyes:

 

I guess we can't have everything

 

 

I sure hope you find out if you are going to Morocco or not - you need to plan!!

 

I would really like to know "where" we will go instead - if it is La Paz, Manzanillo, overnite in PV, extra day in Cabo......I need to make plans/do more research etc. I really don't want to waste time, say, researching La Paz, and they we don't end up going there! If we are o/n in PV - I want to book a hotel room and make dinner reservations. Cabo or Manzanillo wouldn't really require any extra research but would still like to know! Why they can't post the new correct itineraries online is beyond me!

 

Canuck

[kazu]

I sure hope you find out if you are going to Morocco or not - you need to plan!!

 

I would really like to know "where" we will go instead - if it is La Paz, Manzanillo, overnite in PV, extra day in Cabo......I need to make plans/do more research etc. I really don't want to waste time, say, researching La Paz, and they we don't end up going there! If we are o/n in PV - I want to book a hotel room and make dinner reservations. Cabo or Manzanillo wouldn't really require any extra research but would still like to know! Why they can't post the new correct itineraries online is beyond me!

 

Canuck

 

good luck Canuck - I hope you do find out in time :) totally agree with the planning thing - I am a huge planner ;)

 

To the op - forgive us if we have high jacked your thread temporarily, back to cudos for your great review and threads :):)

[CanuckCruizer]

good luck Canuck - I hope you do find out in time :) totally agree with the planning thing - I am a huge planner ;)

 

To the op - forgive us if we have high jacked your thread temporarily, back to cudos for your great review and threads :):)

 

Me too - a HUGE planner! We are doing a B2B (for 24 days) in the Med. in September and you wouldn't believe the planning for that one!:eek: Gotta lot of work ahead of me....

 

Yes - Spinner did a great job of reporting live. I LOVE live threads! Don't really know where the people find the time to report live while on the ship - I know I never could - but I do appreciate hearing about everything!!

 

Canuck

[erewhon]

Thank you for the reports of your cruise while on board the Oosterdam.

Wishing you a safe journey home.

[Spinner2]

We are home now ( we live less than 2 hours away from the port) and I see over on the "other" Mazatlan thread that a letter from the Captain has been delivered to those now aboard and the contents were spelled out. So, I'll confirm the information I was told that I kept to myself because it came from a staff member and I don't believe it's my place to "tell the whole internet" what I'm told in confidence, until the source has a chance to announce it. After all, it might never have come to pass and just been another rumor after all.

 

I was told that HAL's corporate has indeed decided to pull Mazatlan for the rest of the season; they are substituting overnighting in Puerto Vallarta instead. The final decision wasn't made until sometime late Friday afternoon. There was one new shore excursion offered from P.V. this time called "something" (sorry; don't remember!) of the night and it left the ship mid-afternoon, offered a meal on the beach, stayed out on the beach as late as it could with a 7:30 pm departure. I would think with an overnight they could run this later and it might be even nicer; people said good things about it.

 

One crew member who also mentioned this while we were still aboard this morning (not my information source) was pleased about the change; he thought the passengers would find many more things to interest them in P.V.

 

Friday afternoon I was invited to one of those "Q&A" focus groups aboard the ship and one woman asked about the "show of force" that many saw out on the pier in Mazatlan on the morning we were there. I didn't see it; either it was while we were at breakfast or after we'd gone out walking (see a posting further up about the safety volunteers who laid out a walking route; we did that) but according to her there were numerous military-types with guns and dogs out along the pier (we saw one only, no dog but she reported quite a few) and the helicopters circling overhead. Her question was, why had't someone on the ship explained this since she believed it to be the source of many frightening rumors on board of serious trouble. The captain's explanation was that when it happened most people had gone ashore and he wanted to explain it when everyone could listen and then things that evening intervened (the earthquake in Japan?) and it slipped his mind. But it seems the town's police/military (I'm not sure what or who) came to the ship to demonstrate how ready the government was to protect the ship and its passengers. The individual wanted the captain to come down to see all this armament but as he had work to do he sent the security force to look instead and then suggested to the "show of force" that they go protect the town; the ship was in good hands already. So their intention of good will probably scared more people than it reassured but apparently they meant well. The town has really tried, but for now, I think the perception, at least, of danger has caused this port to be eliminated for now.

 

Finally, a note of caution to whoever "inherits" our cabin (7068): don't go out on the verandah in your bare feet until it's hosed down. Because this morning, after a thorough hosing and scrubbing by the ship's staff, two very large birds came to drink of the nice clean water still on the verandah. After a couple of drinks both (sorry if you're eating!) regurgitated up nice quantities of half-digested fish which they then sorted out across the verandah with their beaks, divided up what they had between the two of them and swallowed it all down again.

 

Wear your shoes out there!:)

[cruz chic]

I was surprised at how dirty my veranda was on the Oosterdam in Feb.2011. I was on the same deck as you. I never went out there in bare feet. When I was on the Princess Sapphire in Dec.2010 I went out many times without footwear. It was spotless.