Still Full From Veendam to Bermuda 6/26/11 Sailing!

[coka]

Still Full From The Veendam to Bermuda 6/26/11 Sailing!

　

This review is organized by topics based upon what I usually see on cruise critic. Feel free to pick a section that interests you and please know the first part is about pre-cruise and the Veendam ship itself. I am working on What I Did in Bermuda and hope to post that by Sunday night. If you are not interested in reading about the stories along the way, then you can just read the first few sentences of each section. If you have any questions, I will check back and try to answer them throughout the weekend.

Why I Selected the Veendam To Bermuda 6/26/2011

My first visit to Bermuda I spent the most time in St. Georges area. My second and third visit I spent the most time at King’s Wharf area. For my fourth visit to the Isles of Rest, I wanted to spend most of the time in Hamilton’s area. With an extra day in Bermuda on a small ship according to today’s standards (57,092 tons, 719 feet, 1439 or so passengers), the Veendam was perfect for my husband’s first visit. He has returned to cruising after many years on hiatus with two brand new knees, a brand new wardrobe, and a brand new attitude towards going on vacation with his bride. Fortunately, we were able to call it an anniversary cruise as we were married on June 29th many moons ago.

Anticipation Madness For Our Cabin Guarantee!

Booking a guarantee cabin saved money because location was no matter and I sometimes enjoy the element of surprise to see the end result. An important note about guarantees is that you will not know your cabin assignment until a few weeks prior to sailing or even up to arrival at the port. Ours was assigned six days before embarkation. I admit to hearing the “Anticipation” lyrics as the days neared until diverted by an up sell email. For just 249 dollars pp more I could have a CH which meant a window with an obstructed view. For me, a window is just a big tease and a fully obstructed one did not entice me. HAL tried again about a week after with another offer for obstructed window at 149 dollars pp. We declined and stayed with original booking and ended up with an upgrade to a large inside, cabin number 668. I never really thought about it but there is a cabin #666 and I very well could have ended up in that one which would have been scary. I’ve yet to forgive my mother for allowing me to see the Exorcist and the Omen in my pre teen years.

Drive or Fly to the Port?

Parking at the cruise pier in Manhattan is 30 dollars per day or 210 for the week. Mr. coka’s plan was to leave home Sunday at 4am and drive our tank to the big apple with the assistance of a GPS neither of knew how to program: 711th Street 12th Avenue, New York City, New York. We ended up with the coka plan after the Obama plan announced a release of fuel reserves. This meant flying JetBlue one day prior to embarkation, enjoying the day and overnight in Manhattan, and arriving well rested and stress free at the pier on embarkation morning. All for the same price as the Mr. coka plan.

The Holiday Inn on West 57th Street in Manhattan

Two of HAL’s select hotels pre and post cruise are the Sheraton Towers and the Waldorf Astoria. I think they have one or two more but do not know which ones. If I can get a good rate, which I did last minute booking, then my preferred hotel is the 3 star Holiday Inn on West 57th street. My reasons are the very short walking distance to central park, to Times Square, the Broadway shows, to shopping, to food, to the embarkation port, and to the outdoor pool on the rooftop. The rooms are also large and look just like the pictures on their website. Mr. coka and I met the owner of the Holiday Inn on the rooftop and he is a very cool guy. He even saved us from getting hit by a car while attempting to cross 9th Avenue earlier in the day which enabled us to have our fortunes told by Times Square Tina later that evening and to see ourselves on NBC’s Today Show early Sunday morning.

Embarkation/Debarkation

Very easy to do. Our cab ride from the Holiday Inn to the port terminal was $5.10 plus tip. I could have put our four pieces of luggage on the cart myself as they were all right there at the entrance with the Veendam stickers. Even so, I waited for a union guy to arrive and paid him accordingly as I wanted the luggage to make it onboard. We arrived at the pier at 11:20 and by noon we had seen our large inside cabin and were having lunch in the Rembrandt dining room.

Debarkation morning July 3 we were the last called to leave the ship because our flight home was later in the afternoon and we used our own transportation. Our luggage was right next to the custom/immigration officials. We easily found it and had no need to hire a porter like I usually recommend as the officials were 10 steps away and there were only a few people in front of us. Our color code and number was Black 2 and was called to leave at 9:20am.

We took a cab to JFK (45 dollars plus 6.50 toll plus tip) from the entrance to the pier where we ended up exiting the terminal. Since it was raining very hard, we were protected the entire time. We were glad we did not drive because the Veendam left from pier 88 and returned to pier 90. Prior to leaving the ship we watched some passengers try to find their vehicles in the rain until they realized their car was probably two or one piers away. I do not know if the ships change their piers or the first one in docks in the first slip. Even so, make a note of the pier you leave from and make a note of the pier you come back to if someone is picking you up. All three piers are right there and not far from each other but it might be a problem if you have mobility issues or if it is raining very hard or if you tell you ride the wrong number.

Our Cabin Was Just Fine and Our Stewards Were Fantastic!

Located on the main deck port side aft, we were in a quiet hallway nearest the stern which was also close enough to the stern elevator. The only noise we heard was when some youngsters ran down the hall which was not a problem because we were always awake at the time. Another reason I did not select the ocean view up sell is that I read on CC that the bathrooms have a tub. Although bigger, I preferred hubby to not have to climb over the tub. I felt safer him using a step in shower. We slept very well as the seas were mostly smooth with exception to Friday night leaving Bermuda. Overall, we felt very little movement and the darkness in the cabin was great. Mr. coka brought a little flashlight to assist our late night journeys to the bathroom and we kept a watch on the nightstand. We had no issue with air conditioning/heat or plumbing. We kept the control button in the middle and we were never too hot nor too cold. The one exception was the surprise hot flashes that had nothing to do with the ship‘s system and everything to do with mine.

Our steward Imbuh and his assistant Uzer were sweeties! They were fantastic! They were friendly, fast, efficient, genuine, and worked their tails off. I myself would have been frustrated with Mr. coka’s requests yet these two were so very kind to him and to me. Who knew Mr. coka loves fresh fruit in the mornings, afternoons, and evenings? I did not. He did ask for extra ice and much as I tried to let them know that I could get it myself, they insisted we call them. We never needed to call them as they always checked and filled. More importantly, they are good guys and we enjoyed our brief conversations with them. We hope they were pleased with us as well.

Let’s Get Right to My Complaint!

I lodged a complaint about the food onboard to anyone who would hear me. I told the front desk, I told the 2nd in charge Chef, and I found a way to speak to the tall good looking Executive Chef Karl Eller from Germany. My complaint was that I could not stop eating because everything I looked at appeared so yummy and everything I tasted was absolutely delicious! Seriously! Out of all my cruises ever taken, (I know I am over 40 plus some), I certainly ate the most on this one…and not because I was hungry…but because there was so much available, the menus were intriguing, and I could not believe for such a small ship there was so much offered. I am not a foodie but I concluded the ingredients used are better than the other mainstream lines. More so, I conclude further it has something to do with the chefs onboard. I even thought the food on the Veendam tasted better than the food on the Eurodam in February. I found out the HAL menus change often like the seasons do. So a well deserved Kudos to the chefs onboard…they got the biggest applause at the goodbye show. I was actually thankful the buffet ended at 8pm which is sort of early in comparison to the other mainstream lines.

Since being home, I am still afraid to step on a weight scale. Below are all the reasons why:

An Example Of What I Ate in 12 Hours:

Sticky Bun (the best ever in my life…kept going back for those throughout the week)

Chocolate Roll

Lemon pastry

Egg Benedict (they had more choices at buffet…Florentine, salmon, and other concoctions…all made right in front of you…loved this!)

English muffin (the toaster on port side toasts them darker than toaster on starboard side)

½ grapefruit (the fruits were the freshest ever)

Sushi (with the hottest wasabi I ever mixed…loved it)

Deviled egg

Prosciutto/asparagus spears

Noodle salad

Fruit salad

Rice noodles/chicken/veggies in a bowl (prepared in front of you, lots of other choices)

Spicy Bloody Mary

Macaroni and Cheese

***Meat Pie*** (I am ½ French Canadian and this was served at the afternoon British buffet…it was delicious)

Seafood salad

Coconut pie

Apple crisp with vanilla sauce (I went back for the crisps every day)

Vanilla Ice Cream (they had a variety of flavors every day…hubby loved banana icecream

Scallop salad

Crab cakes

Beef tenderloin and veggies

Blueberry/mango crisp

Vanilla ice cream

Cappuccino (FREE in the dining rooms…loved this)

Every meal was Memorable but These Were Our Favorites:

2nd Formal Night in Rembrandt Dining Room: Four jumbo shrimp, escargot with garlic/butter, lobster tail and filet mignon, Idaho baked potato (instead of the rice), crème brulee and of course the crisp of the day with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and cappuccino. Everything was perfect including no spillage on Mr. coka’s linen suit.

Embarkation Night in Rembrandt Dining Room: The prime rib and Alaskan King Crab legs

The Alaskan Venison! Very cool that we did not have to hunt it, shoot it, gut it, hang it, and bring to the local butcher to carve up, package, and freeze…we LOVE venison and always appreciate when we can get some!

Me: The pot roast and pork ribs at the buffet…no knife needed…pulled apart with fork.

Mr. coka: the hamburg/hotdogs/fries AND the Mexican food at the Lido pool

Me: The lamb

Mr coka: The quail, for the same reason as the venison…

We did not try the Pinnacle Grill or Canaletto or the Fancy Waffles

I thought the looks of both were very nice as we walked by to observe. The Pinnacle Grill was in a quiet location and all seats appeared to have a wide open view of the ocean. The table décor and the room itself appeared crisp and clean with a modern flair. Canaletto is set up in part of the lido buffet area but they do a good job of making it look different during the evening. They pull up dividers from the tables and decorate a bit to make it different from the buffet experience. After seeing some of the dishes that were prepared behind the see through shades, Mr. coka and I both concluded that we would definitely do the Caneletto experience had we known better.

Mr. coka is still telling everyone here back home how he never spotted the fancy shaped made in front of you waffles with the fresh fruits and whipped cream on top served all week. Spotted after eating debarkation breakfast, he keeps talking about how awesome they looked. Even so, we both were 2,000 percent satisfied with our dining experiences while onboard the Veendam. We are both still full and neither of us has cooked a meal since arriving home! I did make some whipped cream tonight and plan on making him some waffles with fresh fruit tomorrow just so he quits talking about the Veendam’s.

Assigned or Open Seating Dining?

Assigned dining located in the upstairs Rembrandt dining room begins at 5:45pm and at 8:00pm. Open Seating takes place downstairs anytime from 5:15-9:00pm. It appeared to me that about half of the open seating diners made reservations for the evening meals and the other half did not. We were the other half that did not. The first night they put us upstairs because they were busy downstairs and nobody showed to a table for two up there. The second night (formal night) we waited 65 minutes to get seated. I really think we all decided on open seating at the same time and these are very hard to estimate for the employees onboard. I should have know to never attempt 7pm open seating on any cruise ship but the fortune teller in Times Square did tell me that I am confused and I have not been sleeping well lately. For ten dollars, I had hoped she could tell me something I already did not know.

At one point while waiting to be seated I asked Mr. coka if he was irritated about having to wait so long. Much to my surprise he answered, “Hey, we are in open seating, did not make a reservation, and are wanting to eat at the most popular dining time, we should expect a wait. Nothing different than back home in restaurants.“ He then continued conversing will all the people he found interesting at the entrance area. I sat in amazement with one eye watching him converse with so many people in the entrance while another eye watched the computer screen to figure out just what the host was looking at. I found it ironic that Mr. coka would have been just as happy to stay there all evening and tell his stories…as he waited for a preferred table just for two…

While the ship was in Bermuda, there were no waits, and the last two nights at sea we ate between 6-7pm with no waits at all either.

The Formal Dress Code

I saw the dress code being enforced while on the Veendam. Some teenagers were told they needed to change their shorts and return to the dining room. On formal nights I saw men’s jackets available behind the downstairs dining room entrance counter in case someone showed without one. I did not see one tuxedo but I did see lots and lots of dark suits and ties for the men. I only noticed about three gowns the entire week. Overall, the women got away with a lot more than what the men could get away with. I am happy to report that this freestyling NCL cruiser adhered to the code for the entire week. I dress up on NCL but I understood the issues caused regarding the subject on these boards.

Mr. coka looked dashing in his black Jack Victor suit and in his cream linen suit for the formal nights. The other evenings he wore dress slacks and short sleeved silk button down shirts. When I was not paying attention, he put on kakis and cotton polo shirts. He enjoyed dressing up each night as most of his lifetime he wore a uniform and in his retirement he wears casual. He said it was all worth it to him because he looked marvelous, he felt fantastic, and wants everyone to know that packing for such a trip is really rather very easy to do. He said he would do it all again in a heartbeat. Of course he would. I did all the packing!

　

The Promenade and The Lanai Cabins

Four times around the teak promenade deck on the Veendam equals one mile. I know this because I opted to power walk 4 miles in 60 minutes after realizing all the food I ate in one day. I snuck a peak inside an open lanai stateroom and it looked just like the picture on HAL’s website. I interviewed a few awake passengers and they loved their lanai. Each one had padded wooden loungers reserved outside their rooms on deck. My understanding is that the lanai cabins have a special key outside that you also have in addition to your stateroom key that gets you in from the promenade deck. I thought there were plenty of free loungers available to passengers not in the lanai staterooms. I counted them when I was not looking at the beautiful sea while walking around and admit to losing count a few times because the sea was so beautiful. In the end, I reached fifty non reserved loungers in total. I never had a problem finding one when I too wanted to sleep outside in the shade in the most quiet area onboard.

The Retreat Movie and The Lido Deck Pool

While eating our pizza and waiting for a movie to start on the outside deck aft with the big screen and many hot tubs, a passenger asked Mr. coka what we were going to see. He answered, “something called The Retreat.” When a Disney movie came on about Rapunzel, we realized The Retreat was the name of where we were sitting. Not the most quiet area onboard as the name might suggest, we enjoyed the pizza, the nearby bathrooms, the loungers, the hot tubs, sometimes the band, sometimes the loud music, and even the giant mounds of tiles that got hot in the sun. Who needs to pay 159 per couple per week to enjoy the heated tile loungers in the spa when you can do it for free at the retreat? If you do not want to watch a movie in the outdoor elements, the Veendam has an indoor movie theater with popcorn served at both venues! You can also watch movies in your stateroom.

As the week progressed we found we enjoyed the lido pool more than the retreat. Mr. coka could use the hot tubs there as well and we both could use the pool to swim. Mr. coka could sit in the shade at a table and chair and I could sit in a lounger in the sun nearby. It rarely rained during the trip but if it did, the lido pool area has a retractable roof. If one got up before 9am water aerobics, you actually could have the pool to yourself for a few hours. If one stayed onboard in St. George’s and first day in Hamilton, one would have the pool area to themselves until around 12:30 and beyond.

Mr. coka and I enjoyed the passengers we met there as we all realized we did not have the urge to rush out to see and do everything that Bermuda had to offer. Good thing I had been there three times prior because I totally would have ditched Mr. coka if this was my first time. This trip was more for him than it was for me so I went with the flow as he was not in any hurry to walk around all day long with his new knees. I often found passengers resting, reading, and relaxing by the lido pool more than I found at the retreat area. Exceptions were when the band played (not often), when they had cruise staff pool games (not often) and if an outdoor barbecue was taking place.

　

Who Was Onboard (because some of you like to know these things)

Captain Marco Carsjens

Hotel Manager David Wood

Cruise Director Eric Dowis

Executive Chef Karl Eller

Beverage Manager Douglas Znidar

Magician Jeff Peterson (His magic was excellent and he was very humorous. Indy was cute! Did you know Indy has a sister onboard?)

Guitarist Gary T’to

Piano Man Don Alexander

Lifestylist Claire (offered wellbeing workshops such as tai chi, fitness classes, water aerobics)

DJ Reggie (offered good variety of dance music in the Crow’s Nest each evening as well as assisting with the fun and dancing at the Lido Deck Party, with pub trivia and other onboard social activities)

Travel Guide CJ Rogers (offered a series of discussions about Bermuda)

Technology Techsperts Tricia and Trevor (to help passengers “get comfortable with the online world such as photo editing, social networking, PC safety and maintenance, )

The Neptunes Band (played mostly in the Ocean Bar from 6:30-11pm)

Adagio Strings

Linda and the HAL Cats

Party Planner Cat (how to make smoothies, partnered with Chef Ganish for various cooking demonstrations such as how to make easy hors d‘oueuvres)

Florist Ardya (to show the art of flower arranging, you could the see beautiful arrangements all over the ship)

Librarian Jacqueline

Joey The Wine Steward (Everyone loved him! He also is in charge of the Filipino Crew show. A wonderful sense of humor and loves his work)

Madu: from the housekeeping department who cleans the public bathrooms aft…she was so very nice and so helpful to me all throughout the week as our paths crossed. The best smile onboard!

The Lido Buffet Helpers: ALL of them were great! I saw them interact with passengers, assist with carrying plates, and bringing lots of smiles to all the people they talked to.

　

The Kids Onboard

Overall, the Veendam surprised me because there were just as many activities offered each day as offered on the big ship Eurodam during President’s Week. There was even a section of the ship designated for the teenagers. I took a peek at their indoor/outdoor space located above the Retreat area and thought special attention was indeed given to ensure they too had a great experience onboard. I never saw a bored or unhappy kid.

The Spa/Salon/Fitness Center

We took a tour of the spa and salon on embarkation day and I found the treatment rooms to be very inviting. In my opinion the older ships have a better décor in their spa treatment rooms. The close by fitness center was bigger than I thought it would be and all treadmills had an excellent forward or side views of the ocean. Not many people realized there was an exit door from the aerobics floor on starboard side that led to a small deck in front of the ship and a bit on the sides. From the heated tile relaxation room on the port side, another door led to the same secret location…which was perfect for viewing the ship entering and leaving ports as everyone else was in the obvious locations (inside Crows Nest or outside in the pool areas, back in the retreat, highest outside deck 14 forward, or the promenade deck). I am putting this secret here thinking most readers might skip over this section.

I had my hair highlighted and low lighted by the tall beautiful blonde South African whose name I know I am not going to get correctly, Ismerella, and I was a very satisfied customer. The cost onboard was 109 dollars. I went back another day to have my hair cut (79 dollars) and was able to walk right in. A belle mademoiselle from France named Audrey gave me a very good cut while keeping most of length. She also trimmed much of the split ends everywhere and thinned out the heavy weighted sections. For some reason, the tip is not included in the price. Therefore, if you are familiar with cruise lines that charge an automatic 15 or 18%, then know you must add yours in.

We could have used the spa facilities (heated tile loungers, mineral pool, steam shower, relaxation room) for I think 159 per couple for the week. My reasons for not opting in were that there were plenty of hot tubs available for Mr. coka on the decks, the sauna in the fitness center restrooms were complimentary (although I never used it), and the ambiance of the Veendam and of Bermuda are very relaxing in their own ways. Lastly, when I compared what was offered with what I know what is offered on different lines and ships, then it made it even easier to justify. Even so, I suggest checking it all out for yourself and making your own decision…because I did see very relaxed people in plush white bathrobes out on the little secret deck who told me they were loving it.

The best tip I can give you is to go through the spa/salon tour on embarkation day, fill out the raffle, and then show up later in the early evening for a chance to win some prizes such as an acupuncture treatment, a facial, an ionithermie (sp?) treatment, and I forget the fourth prize.

Mr. Coka’s Bar Bill and My Cigarette Bill

He did not have one and hence I shall stay married to him for another year. I read on CC the soda package is not really worth it as you get the fountain soda and not the canned soda. I thought this was perfect because soda is not really good for a person either. I was thankful he likes ice tea and the Veendam offered plenty of it. Even so, we brought the little packages of Crystal Lite to mix with water. We used the water right out of the sink because I believe ship’s water is probably the cleanest and we brought some of the big bottles that hold liquid.

I found the drink prices onboard to be very reasonable as they were the least costly from what I am most familiar with. A cosmopolitan is $7.76 with gratuity included. A top shelf gin and tonic with gratuity included is $7.76. A glass of cheap wine with gratuity included is $5.75. A large pina colada with gratuity is around 7 or 8 dollars. A can of soda with gratuity for those special moments is $2.24.

We did not sit or hang out in any of the bar areas onboard but I loved the décor and ambiance of each one. They all had their own uniqueness about them. Again, for such a small ship, it felt like there were many all around.

HAL could make more money if they did not allow wine to be brought onboard. I remembered this and noted if facing Front Street, there is a store way at the far left near the ferry terminal, four or five stores beyond the Irish Linen Shop, and there is a store way at the far right just when you think you should not be walking anymore. In case you forget to bring yours or do not want to chance it in your luggage, the Bermuda prices are only a few dollars more than in the states.

I did not have a cigarette bill and hence Mr. coka shall stay married to me for another year. The only smoking I saw onboard was in the covered retreat area starboard side, in the casino, and when I scoped out the Crow’s Nest one late night to see what people were doing up there…I saw a lone smoker way in the back on the port side. I also checked out the cost of cigarettes onboard and a carton was going for 32 to 38 dollars depending on the brand. None of the cartons spoke to me which is a very good thing.

　

The Cane and Casino

Mr. coka refused to bring a cane with him onboard. “But what if the ship is rocking and rolling and you can not walk very well?” I asked him. I did not want him to fall and not be able to get up. He replied he would be just fine without one as he always could just find a chair and stay seated. I found out I was his cane. For most of the week I helped him, I assisted him, I pampered him, and held his hand all along the way. Friday afternoon heading back to NYC (the casino and onboard shops are closed while in Bermuda), the rockiest part of the trip, he ditched me, let go of my hand, and RAN ahead no problem to the Phat Cats machine as he saw the seat was vacant. Now you know why I did not hire a porter at debarkation. Mr. coka can walk while wheeling two large pieces of luggage too.

Do not let the penny slot machines fool you. They can be costly and addicting. We played Phat Cats penny slots which was fun but we play the maximum lines and amount so each spin was $1.25 as opposed to just a penny. I found out Mr. coka found a penny on the streets in Manhattan and picked it up for good luck and always placed it on the machine. He told me he became superstitious after Times Square Tina the Fortune Teller was so accurate about him too. If I got bored watching him play I went to a few shows or played my favorite dollar machine called Monte Carlo progressive slot which was similar to Wheel of Fortune. Maximum play was 3 dollars per spin so I was in and out there no problem once I won 250 dollars. I counted it towards my haircut and color until I got greedy and ended up giving 200 back.

Casino Hostess Giorgianna, a gorgeous Romanian, are any of them not, ended up being our good luck charm. Any time she came over to us we started winning. We began to think the guy behind the booth had a secret control to all the machines and had the ability to make them win . Not true, but it was uncanny that the machines paid when Giorgianna was talking and cheering for us. She was a sweetheart and she made our time in the casino very enjoyable.

* * *We were very thankful Giorgianna reminded us to cash in our account at the casino booth on the last night to get whatever was left. We thought the remaining money would be automatically credited to our card or onboard account. I do not know why they thought that as she had been making announcements throughout the week in the casino about it. We used Mr. coka’s card all week and I think we made the 1,000 points for the 10 free dollars by Saturday night. We had to gamble X dollars to get it, but by golly that is what we were aiming for and we succeeded. Overall, we thought the slot machines onboard did enough to keep us interested although we never saw a big win or payout during our time there. Even so, we played for fun and fun we had.

The Photographers

All were very nice, sociable, and made having your picture taken fun. Unfortunately for them, the last thing I need is another cruise photo sitting in my drawer. I started putting them in there after my mother told me years ago how vain I was when seeing all the framed ones of me and whoever I cruised with on display in my downstairs living room area. I suppose I should update one sometime should I leave this world unexpectedly or too soon but I would rather have my friends and relatives see the youthful ones. Mr. coka and I thought we looked really old so we did not purchase one. We decided to spend the 39.99 per overly large photo in the casino. They did have a photo package…all photos taken for I think (do not quote me on this) about 300 dollars which was the better deal if this is a once in long time experience for you.

The Chocolate Buffet

I am sure it was beautiful at the start. Held in the Lido pool area, I loved the ambiance of it all just like I loved it on the Eurodam in February. We got there too late on the Veendam as even the white chocolate and the dark chocolate fountains were just spurting drips. Mr. coka, who has a sweet tooth, found plenty of other treats still available. He enjoyed every selection of yummy sugared convections as I enjoyed asking the servers for things I knew I could not have…such as the wing tip of the chocolate covered paper mache’ eagle or a piece of the wax pineapple. Held later in the evening, Mr. coka understood why I did not want anything as I fell fast asleep upon returning to the cabin as he laid awake with a sugar buzz until 2am.

The Showroom At Sea

Nothin’s Gonna Stop Us Now!, Bob Mackie’s Broadway, Street Singin, and Encore! were the Veendam production shows throughout the week. I only went to Encore, an evening of musical classics. Two singers, two dancers, and at least a 10 piece band on stage performed the music that included Phantom of the Opera, the Sound of Silence, Pachabel in Canon D, Danny Boy, and the Prayer, to just name a few. It was so good I went again for the second show and Mr. coka joined me. I did not mind at all that he did not remember I marched down the aisle to marry him as Pachabel in Canon D played, but he DID score big time that he remembered Danny Boy was sung at my dad’s funeral.

Mariner Luncheon/Master Chef Dinner

The Mariner Luncheon is held on Saturday at 1pm and now I know what you all mean when you talk about the tiles. We each got one as Mr. coka sailed Carnival in the 1990’s and he really liked them. I liked the champagne because I got Mr. coka’s too. We sat on the port side and if you want to see the Captain and others as they give their speech, then sit on the starboard side or directly in the back section of downstairs Rembrandt dining room. I did not see any rewarding of pins or announcements of who entered a new mariner level. Is this where that happens? All throughout Mr. coka was sort of wishing we went to lunch at the buffet but that all changed once some people we knew sat next to us and once we got the tiles. He liked the tile gifts a lot. I wondered if I would have to pay for the extra weight in the luggage going home.

The Master Chef Dinner was nothing like it was on the Eurodam in February. There was no assigned time to eat, there was no band singing, no special things going on during each course of the meal. The only things they did were announcements, applause for the chefs (I hooted for the Executive one), the Baked Alaska Parade and the spinning of napkins in the air. I think a bit of my breadcrumbs went flying so I stopped. I asked afterwards why they do it and was told they do it more for the people upstairs. I chuckled thinking the people upstairs are probably the last ones on the ship who want to see this. Even so, I go with the flow and enjoyed it no matter.

Okay, So What About Bermuda?

We did not do a lot in Bermuda but I do have some things to tell regarding what I did on my fourth trip there regarding Horseshoe Bay, Elbow Beach, Hamilton Nights, the friendliness of Bermudians, and the Norwegian Gem. This is all I have written thus far so I will be working on this section during the next few days. I will come back to answer any questions throughout the weekend so ask away if you have any!

coka :D

[luvcruisn']

Coka, I loved your review. You have a wonderful sense of humour. Looking forward to more posts about your trip.

[aloisia]

What a fabulous review!!! Loved reading every word. :D

Thanks for posting.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Great review -- thanks for taking the time to write it.

[kazu]

Coka, your reviews are always excellent. :) Since you asked,

 

fyi, the medallions are normally given out at a separate spot normally about an hour before the mariner luncheon.

 

Thanks so much for the in depth, entertaining review:D

[catl331]

Wow! Loved your writing and descriptions (and sense of humor). We will be crusing on Oct 9. I have been to the isle 3 times before but my DH has never been. We will be staying overnight in NYC before the cruise. We originally are from CT and have been to the city many times.

 

You certainly planned to have a good time and you did! Did you husband always have this good attitude or did it appear after his knee surgery? Did you really have King Crab? We always seem to get the Snow crab, even in Alaska. I hope our cruise and Sheila's goes as well as yours. Carol

[portofrome]

Thanks for your great review.

[mamaofami]

Loved your review. Thanks for sharing and I'm glad you had such a good cruise.:)

[DFD1]

Outstanding! Great review. Fun to read. You and Mr. Coka sound like fun, smart travelers! Thanks for sharing your trip.

[lenquixote66]

We are sailing in 8 days .I hope our cruise is as great as yours .

[audrey]

A very good revue I loved Bermude and can't wait to go back again some day. I did get to do everything that I wanted to.

[jimswims]

Happy Anniversary to you and to Mr. coka!!!!!

 

I have been waiting patiently for your review. I am glad that he returned to cruising and it seems that you both enjoyed yourselves! I am glad you both get to stay married for another year, excellent work to both of you!!!!

 

Looking forward to the rest.

[IRL_Joanie]

Abso-freak-in-lute-ly LOVED it!!!!!!!!!

 

Joanie

[sevenseasnomad]

Welcome back! Loved your details. We sail in 8 days, and I hope we have half as good a time as you seem to have had! Will be eagerly awaiting your next posts about Bermuda itself.

[coka]

Thank you everyone for the response. I like writing them so when I am home bound and can no longer travel, I will have something to read and reminisce about.

 

Did you husband always have this good attitude or did it appear after his knee surgery? Did you really have King Crab? We always seem to get the Snow crab, even in Alaska. I hope our cruise and Sheila's goes as well as yours. Carol

 

Hi Carol, I think no matter a person's positive attitude to begin with, it still can improve very much when it comes to a health change. He was very happy to just be there. We both think they were the Alaskan king crab. We both have had snow crab and they are smaller. He did not have any of the big claws but he had the long legs.

 

I am glad you both get to stay married for another year, excellent work to both of you!!!!

 

Thanks Jimswims! When you divide not very much by two, it is even worse, hahaha. My parents said they never got divorced because neither of them wanted to get stuck with the eleven children... :D

 

 

A very good revue I loved Bermude and can't wait to go back again some day. I did get to do everything that I wanted to.

 

Hi Audrey, there is still a lot in Bermuda I would like to see. I think that is part of the draw to always return in addition to all the offerings of being on a cruise ship while there.

 

coka

[jimswims]

coka,

 

I forgot that there are 11 of you! You know that there may be some last minute deals on our sailing if you and Mr. coka forgot to see anything in Bermuda this could be a good opportunity to go back, lol! Looking forward to reading the rest.

[OceanDreams]

Finally my reading has began on your cruise .... I was beginning to think the CC world was not going to get one. I'm so glad that your "lover" is cruising with you again. Hopefully next year we will all be cruising together. Woo Hoo

 

OceanDreams

[kent4489]

What a fantastic review! Love your writing style and your wonderful sense of humor!

 

I'm pretty sure we're going to book this cruise for Sep., so your review pretty much guarantees it! My DH isn't overly interested in traveling but he loves cruising on HAL and he loves NYC, so we'll have a few days pre-cruise. (He also has 2 "knees", not so new as it's been almost 3 years.)

 

The lifestylist, Claire.... is she from South Africa? If so, she was on the Ryndam in Nov. and we loved her! I hope it's her and that she is still on if we go in Sep.

 

Thanks again for the excellent review!

[coka]

Jimswims, I keep looking and I still have the ability to still take that week off. Ocean, are you interested? I would do it again in a heartbeat.

 

Kent, I think yes, that Clare is from South Africa...she had the accent. I hope she is on your sailing!

 

coka

[coka]

St. George, Bermuda

The Veendam was able to anchor in St. George and a large tender took passengers to this quaint town on the east end of island. They could leave the ship at 9:30, 11:30, or 1:30. They could return to the ship at 10:30, 12:30, 2:30, or 4:30. One could stay longer and find their own way back to Hamilton later in the afternoon/early evening as that was the ship’s next stop where it would remain for the next three days. The little card with this information is delivered to your stateroom and information is given in the daily paper. I always suggest reading everything delivered to your cabin and this information is very useful.

Mr. coka wanted to stay onboard and exercise in the pool all day until it became too crowded with returning passengers. The passengers I spoke to stated they walked the hill over to Tobacco Bay and they said is was crowded. Someone else walked further and went to St. Catherine’s Beach where there were very little people around. I found this odd because I remembered St. Catherine’s Beach being the most popular in the area. As we sailed away I figured out why. The restaurant/bar/bathroom area was no longer there. I could see two port-o-lets on the far left facing the beach. I could still see the bar/changing area on Tobacco Bay so that might be the reason why not too many went to St. Catherine’s.

I overheard some talking about the fun they had at the witch dunking at high noon in the town square. My goal some day is to be that witch. I think I would contact the wizard of Bermuda and ask him how that happens. Perhaps some of you know that it is at random? They select a tourist? I have plenty of Wicked witch hats so next trip I will put one in my luggage and hope to be noticed.

If you want a HAL ship sponsored tour excursion in St. George, your choices include:

Bermuda Island Tour

Scenic Tour of St. George

Palm Grove Gardens and Tuckers Town Drive

Horse and Carriage Tour

Clear Water Beach Getaway

Sail and Swim Escape (on a 41 foot sloop along the north shore that includes snorkeling)

Eco Glass Bottom kayak Safari

Golf at Tucker’s Point

Golf at Ocean View

Had we gone to shore, I would have liked to have visited the perfumery. I do not wear perfume often but when I do, I like the scents of the ones made there (as I smelled them at King Wharf perfume shop during previous visit). It also makes a great gift. Mr. coka would have gone snorkeling at Tobacco Bay with all the fins and equipment he pulled out of storage for me to pack last minute. Instead, we played keep the ball away from the three kids in the pool. Actually, they were good fun kids and the dad made sure they stopped splashing around when adults when in.

Do Not Miss Sailaway From St. George’s Into Hamilton Port 5pm-about 7:30pm

This was a cruising highlight for me. Mr. coka was content in the Crow’s Nest to see this magnificent event and I stayed with him as long I could until letting him know I was not going to miss it from the outside. I went up the stairs to deck 14 and could not believe that so many were NOT up there. Everyone must have been getting ready for dinner or already eating. Plenty of room to see at the rail, to take pictures, and to hear CJ talk about what we were seeing as we went by. Going into Hamilton was much more magnificent than I had imagined. The Veendam had to go between some tight areas and it was very exciting. It lasted a long time. The only more exciting thing at the time would to be a fly on the wall inside the bridge room. How many did it take to do, were there any “look out for starboard” or “watch out for that” exclamations, or to know if the Captain and ship were not sweating anything at all.

Leaving Hamilton was similar. Very few passengers on deck 14 forward and just a couple in my secret location mentioned earlier in this review. The secret location was THE BEST and Mr. coka came with me and stayed until he could not stand any longer. I stayed until Bermuda was behind the Veendam.

　

Hamilton, Bermuda

There are forty six HAL sponsored tours to choose from throughout the first evening, following two full days, and the morning of Friday as I noticed on the shore excursion pamphlet in my stateroom. Prior to your cruise peruse HAL’s website and your booking to read through and see if you want to sign up for any of them ahead of time. Mr. coka wanted to rent scooters on our own and explore! I suggested he have a nice time without me, I hoped his new knees did not get smashed, and could he wait until I went on the internet and upped the insurance policy on him. We discussed him going on a fishing tour and me going on a bike riding tour. Since it was our anniversary day and “Together, Wherever We Go” was the tune we exited the church to after getting married, we decided on Horseshoe Bay.

Horseshoe Bay (HB)

I suppose I will be the first CC member to say that I am glad it took four trips to Bermuda to get there and I will be just fine with not returning during the next four! We totally went at the wrong time when everyone else planned on going. Although Times Square Tina told me I was “slowing down” yet still had energy within me, I found the crowd way too exhausting for me at the moment of arrival. I have yet to take a Bermuda bus and the cab fare to HB was very reasonable at $17.10 one way not including tip. The ride from Hamilton was pretty and we were dropped off right at the beach entrance.

I lost Mr. coka in the crowd of umbrellas and chairs and towels from the Norwegian Gem passengers as they were the first to get there. That is because I had to stop and talk with them all about how their trip was going and if they were enjoying the Gem. They thought it strange I was so interested and I never told them why. Mr. coka was just a speck from afar as I also admired the really nice beach towels of the Celebrity passengers. They had arrived second and took up the middle section of the horseshoe. Once I reached Mr. c, I exclaimed I was ready to leave anytime he was. Is this what everyone was talking about for so many years? It appeared just a beach with some rocks at the ends. Where were all the cool pictured rocks that CC Cubechick and CC Radio had provided us over the years? We went swimming in the beautiful water and we noticed people disappearing from the rocks at the far end. We followed them along the shoreline and found THE beauty of horseshoe bay…and that was what was beyond the bay…all the cool rocks, swimming areas, and very few people. I felt a lot better after seeing these areas. I think if I was to do it again, I would go either very early in the morning or very late in the afternoon and not mid day when most everyone else wants to be at a beach.

I did notice one could rent the umbrellas and the chairs but we did not. If you do want to go during high noon on the first day, then my suggestion would be to try and find a way to bring your own protective shaded device. We saw one group with a collapsible canopy that was very light and very easy to carry. There is also a restaurant at the entrance area that appeared to sell hamburgers and such but I did not venture to that location.

OH…if there is a long line to the woman’s bathroom and

you are a female who only needs to change into or out of a bathing suit, then just ask down the line if those near the entrance can see if any are free. I did and fortunately the changing rooms were vacant as most were waiting to use the other rooms and they let me by. We had stayed a few hours and took a cab right from the entrance back to the ship again for 17.10 plus tip.

Elbow Beach

So I have heard this beach is actually the place to go. The closest beach to the Veendam ship, we knew a guy onboard around 40 who walked to it in about 50 minutes. He reported he enjoyed the on the beach resort restaurant/bar as there was one on each side of the public beach. So we took a cab there for 10 dollars plus tip and the driver let us off at the top of a long stairway to the beach. He said we were to walk back up to the street area and hope to hail an available cab from there or wait for a bus to get back to the ship in Hamilton. What? And here we thought we were being so smart. Arriving at 10am there were only two people present on the very long and very beautiful beach. One sleeping while sunbathing and the other on a beach cleaner/sand sweeper hollering at us. Shouting above the noise of his machine, he was waving his hands telling us we could not use the resort section. We smiled and waved hello back and kept walking to the resort area. I figured if we really could not use it, he would get off the machine and tell us so we could hear him properly. He kept mowing the sand and headed towards the resort at the other end.

We concluded if we ever flew to Bermuda for a holiday, then we would stay at whatever resort we were looking at from below . It was gorgeous, ritzy, serene, and posh. It was high on the hill and the restaurant/bar was low on the beach. Arriving to the empty restaurant/bar carrying our HAL tote bag with our HAL towels, we asked if we were allowed to sit there even though we were not guests at the resort. Yes, but at noon when they opened for service. We could use the bathrooms then too. Ah, the irony of it as well as the adventure of trying! On this beach...get there at noon!

Neither of us wanted to go back to the public bathroom less, people less, pink sand less, solitude of Elbow’s public beach so we started climbing the stairs up which felt more like a cliff to Mr. coka in order “to see our friends at the resort” should anyone try to stop us. That would be our story as we really hoped to just catch a cab or give some sob story to reception desk.

And we thought we were so smart. Once inside the area, we could not find our way out. We could SEE the main hotel from afar, but we could not figure out how to get there. We tramped our way through the private cabanas, through the bocce field, up around some more structures, and took pathways that led to everywhere BUT the main hotel. Scorched, sweating, by ourselves, humiliated, and totally lost amidst this Stepford Wife of Resort, I was just about to cry because I felt so bad for putting Mr. coka in such a situation. That is until we met Uncle Ralph who I first thought was going to kill us.

Uncle Ralph

When faced in such situations as we currently were, I tend to wonder whether the lone stranger who suddenly appears out of nowhere and offers assistance is either a really nice guy or he plans to rob and kill you. At first I thought he was a cab driver when his car drove up the paved pathway when he stopped and asked “Are you headed into town?” Yes, Mr. coka answered and immediately started to head to his car. “Do not get in” I whispered and added “He is not driving a yellow cab!” Perhaps he was an employee at the resort and he was providing really good service to the customers. “Oh, no thank you, we are not resort guests” I announced to the man foolishly as I was thinking the hot sun clearly burned the common sense from me and from my

retired police officer husband.

“That does not matter, I am heading to Hamilton. Hop in!” the man cheerily beckoned. Surely this meant he wanted to rob and kill us. Mr. coka desperately looked at me and whispered he was going to take the chance and he climbed in. I walked around to the other side to sit directly behind the man thinking it would be easier for him to shoot Mr. coka first before me. That would at least give me a few seconds to jump out and run. Turns out the man, who calls himself Uncle Ralph, is also a retired police officer and a really nice guy. His wife is in the same profession as me and still working as well. Mr. coka talked with him forever even after arriving in Hamilton, invited him and his family to visit our home, and it all ended up well. This time!

* * * * * * * * *

I have just a little bit more tell you about what else we did in Hamilton. I hope to finish as planned by tomorrow night.

coka:D

[erewhon]

coka,

Thank you for taking the time to write such great reports of your cruise.

Very entertaining reading.

[DFD1]

There's a book in this somewhere!

[aloisia]

Loved part 2 as much as the first!!:D

You are a wonderful & entertaining writer.

 

The "secret location" on Deck 14 .... is this the Oasis area? Just peeked at Veendam deck plans & thought I may head up there too.

Thanks!

[jimswims]

Jimswims, I keep looking and I still have the ability to still take that week off. Ocean, are you interested? I would do it again in a heartbeat.

 

Kent, I think yes, that Clare is from South Africa...she had the accent. I hope she is on your sailing!

 

coka

 

That would be great! We could successfully complete the pool plunge :D!

 

I have always liked St. Catherine's Beach over Tobacco Bay. Tobacco Bay is way to small and always crowded.

 

You now know my secret to Horseshoe Bay. We love the beach and enjoy going over to the left as far as we can to enjoy the quite areas of this paradise!

[Charles4515]

That would be great! We could successfully complete the pool plunge :D!

 

I have always liked St. Catherine's Beach over Tobacco Bay. Tobacco Bay is way to small and always crowded.

 

You now know my secret to Horseshoe Bay. We love the beach and enjoy going over to the left as far as we can to enjoy the quite areas of this paradise!

 

Also while there is no longer a beach bar at St. Catharine's, Blackbeard's Hideout is not far away. Right next to the Fort.