Live aboard the beautiful and elegant Nieuw Amsterdam with ASIWISH!

[ASIWISH]

I begin writing this onboard the beautiful and elegant Nieuw Amsterdam, heading for a seven day Eastern Caribbean cruise. It is Monday morning, but I am writing for a “day behind” to make it easier to follow.

 

We just completed this exact cruise in late November, but decided at the last minute to book another – as we really enjoyed this ship and this itinerary. We are looking forward to trying things we didn’t try before, and repeating the things we did.

 

As for the day, it is 79-degrees and mostly sunny. In fact, it is almost as beautiful as I have seen South Florida. Having stayed in Ft. Lauderdale for the past two days, we have become quite accustomed to these temperatures… as they are two degrees cooler than our home in Chicago!!! Who would have thought we would have to stay home in March to find the warm weather….

Alright, down to business:

 

Nancy and I left the Marriott Harbor Beach at 12:10pm by taxi. Even though there are eight ships in port, this hotel had taxis readily available. We pay $14 for the trip, and the only traffic we experience is from the traffic light at the port through the first Security Checkpoint… about 5 minutes. After that, it is smooth sailing. We arrive at the terminal to find about one bus and five vehicles dropping off passengers, and a line of about 40 people extending outside the door.

 

After leaving our luggage with the Porter, we jump into the back of the line – It’s 12:30, on the nose. Moments later, we are approached by a man in red sport coat. He hands me a red piece of paper, and explains that they are using me to judge how long it would take to actually board the ship. Keep this sheet and when you reach another person in a red sport coat, they will record the time… and as payment for doing this, I would receive a Priority Boarding pass…. Not bad!

 

We arrive at the doors to the terminal at 12:33, and leave the security checkpoint at 12:37. This is MUCH better than our November cruise, where it took about 60-minutes to get to this point! At 12:38, I hand the card to a woman in a red sport coat, who takes the sheet, records the time, and puts us in the front of a very small line and thanks us for the trouble… The trouble of holding a little piece of red paper… it’s going to be a great week, I can just tell!

 

At 12:41 we have our picture taken, after being promised by the photographer that she would Photoshop 15-pounds off me before she prints them… and at 12:42 our feet set upon the beautiful teak deck of the Promenade…. 12 minutes…. Wow!

 

The highlight of the day was waving like crazy to my CC Friends on the PortEverglades WebCam as we left port!!! Did you see me!!!!???!!!!

 

Our Cabin: Nancy and I typically reserve between a VA and VC Verandah Cabin, but because we booked a week before departure, we decided to gamble (not our style) and book an Inside Guarantee. We stressed about, but the price of $499/person made it seem worthwhile. The fact that there didn’t appear to be any Verndah cabins available didn’t give us a lot of option.

Unfortunately, out Travel Agent booked us on the Eurodam by mistake and we didn’t realize the mistake until later in the day. As a result, it took until Wednesday afternoon to correct it…. And by then we were surely on the bottom of the Upgrade List… more stress. When we got our cabin assigned, we were upgraded from a HH Inside to a D Inside (1102)…. Right below the MDR Kitchen… YIKES! Of course, mainly because they delayed our booking, our Travel Agent congratulated us and said we’d love it…. Who knew they’d be right.

 

While it’s not a Verandah, the room is fine. There is noise from above in the morning, but not enough to bother us. WE DID HEAR IT, but we are early risers so we were fine with it. It only happens when they move carts around, about once every 10-minutes starting at 6:00am. I don’t think it would wake us, but I’m not sure. For all we know it started before 6:00 am, and we slept through it.

 

For a 50% savings, we have no issue with it. More money for Nancy’s wrinkle cream! (I hope she doesn’t read this!)

 

After checking out our room, we went to the Explorer’s Lounge to inquire about our favorite table – Table 122, the Honeymoon Table. Because our cabin was only booked four days earlier, we didn’t expect much. To our surprise, the Dining Room Manager - ADE - recognized our name and booked Table 122 for the entire week for us. What a surprise!!! We made it a point at dinner to thank him personally. What a great feeling it was for us to know he did that!

 

As a matter of fact, because it’s only been a few months we recognize many crew members, and many have recognized us. Most remembered small details like names, home cities, table numbers, etc… I always find this to be an amazing point of difference for HAL. How, after several months and several thousands of guests, can they remember details like that? We feel like Four Star Mariners… even though we are far from it!

 

We walked up to the LIDO and at 1:00 found it nearly empty… not that case at 2:30. EAT EARLY!!!

 

We bought our internet package, made some Tamarind Reservations, and purchased the Unlimited Laundry package… and then, simply relaxed.

 

Luggage arrived without incident, and we welcomed aboard our six friends from Total Wine… and quickly put one of them on ice. I’m not sure, but I think our cabin attendants, Devid and Hillman, overcompensate for our poor cabin assignment by providing over the top excellent service. We’ll see if it continues but they have been flawless thus far.

 

At the Honeymoon Table, we learned that HAL has implemented the change in the Wine program I reported in November, and it is a bit trying for the crew. They have switched to a much expanded wine-by-the-glass program, managed by the servers, and only have the Wine Stewards executing full bottle service. As a result, they only have ten Wine Stewards on each ship. Service seemed a bit slower, with us having to fill our own glasses some of the time – oh, the horror – but, if you wanted drinks by the glass, it seems as if service would be much, much faster… as your Server is always present. They all seemed hopeful the change would be positive, and didn’t complain.

 

The dinner was spectacular, as even though we promised we wouldn’t we order the exact same meal we did last time! Tonight’s dinner was from Featured Chef David Burke. Prime Rib for me and Sea Bass for Nancy. The Shrimp Cocktail was nice warm up…

 

For dessert, Nancy got the Fruit Plate and I got the Cheese Plate. The cheese plate was AWESOME!!! They handed me a list of FIFTEEN gourmet cheeses, and allowed me to choose four. From Stilton to Maytag, and thirteen in between… what an impressive menu choice… a Foodie’s delight!

 

As we had a long day, after dinner we strolled a bit… saying hello to crew we had seen before and many that we thought we did… as they greet you as if you are an old friend whether your are or not, there is no way of telling… what a great week this is to be!

 

The details:

Captain: Captain Vincent Smit from Amersfoort, the Netherlands.

Tonight’s dress: Smart Casual. (I wore one of the few sport coats in the dining room, but every person I saw wore a collar.)

Tonight’s Show: Listen to the Music (one show at 9:30)

Piano Bar: Eric

DJ: Marty

Guitar/Vocalist in the Crow’s Nest: Darlyne Cain

Queen’s Lounge: Jenny and the HALCats.

Today’s Movie: The Muppets

Priest on Board: While I enjoyed his service, I forgot to ask his name. (I’ll find out for you tomorrow, Himself!)

That’s all for now…

 

Sweet Dreams from the Beautiful and Elegant Nieuw Amsterdam.

[sail7seas]

Great report. Enjoyed reading it, Kevin.

 

Thanks for taking us along with you. :)

 

Have fun!!!!

 

[Himself]

Kevin: I am jealous of you.(Not really.) Have a great cruise. I am tentetively going back on that ship for a week in November. I just love that ship. Find out the Padre's name and how he can get away in Lent. I am having Confirmation at my parish on Saturday with Bishop Imesch scheduled to do the honors.

 

Sorry I missed your sail away on Sunday but I was in Oswego Illinois hearing confessions.

The Last time I was in San Juan I tried the Bicardi Rum Factory tour and the Fort and I enjoyed it quite a bit. (The Tour as opposed to the rum!) The Fort was quite interesting.

Bon Voyage and I will go to the Grand Turk Camera to see if I can see your ship.

[illinoisfive]

Kevin,

You changed your name but I found you! Have a good time. Hi to Nancy for us.

Kelly

[IRL_Joanie]

Gots to subscribe to your thread you know that!!!

 

AND... IF you are nice to me I many not tell Nancy what you said about Facial Cream:D

 

I had to leave before you guys were visible (hed to pick our baby girl up from the kennels before they closed) so I was not able to get close ups of you both:(

 

Waiting for today's review tomorrow:)

 

Joanie

[kazu]

Thanks for the report Kevin:) Sounds like you are off to a wonderful start:)

[Himself]

Kevin,

You changed your name but I found you! Have a good time. Hi to Nancy for us.

Kelly

 

I have heard of the Illinois Four but not the Illinois 5. The Illinois four were:

 

Otto (and there they go) Kerner

(Walken) Dan Walker

George (Ly'in Ryan) Ryan

Rod (Dead Meat) Blagoiovich

 

They were the govenors who served time in office and then served time in prison.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Didn't get to see you leave.

Have a great cruise.

[innlady1]

Kevin,

I don't know where I've been...I totally missed the posts announcing that you and Nancy are sailing again on the NA...until now!

Have a wonderful cruise!!! And, I really look forward to another of your "live from" reviews! ;)

Sheila

[Seago2]

Have a great cruise, Kevin! And don't read below or you will have thoughts of Rod Blogojovich forthe next half hour, like me:eek::eek:.

 

Can't wait for the next installment.

[Typhoon1]

Have a great trip, looking forward to the next installment.

[luvtwotrvl]

Have a wonderful cruise and thank you for taking the time to post. I am very interested in the Nieuw Amsterdam ship. I might be on that ship later on this year.

 

Thanks,

David

[sail7seas]

Kevin,

 

I don't know where I've been...I totally missed the posts announcing that you and Nancy are sailing again on the NA...until now!

 

Have a wonderful cruise!!! And, I really look forward to another of your "live from" reviews! ;)

 

Sheila

 

 

I don't think Kevin posted about it. It was all rather last minute. :)

Think he wanted to surprise us with his 'from aboard' thread.

 

 

[cruz chic]

Asiwish, you have me confused. You said you booked an HH inside and got a D inside. Those are actually outside rooms. I assume you mean outside....correct?

 

Also any more rumors on the "new" Statendam? I was going to ask while I was on the ship in Feb but I forgot.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

[Himself]

Have a wonderful cruise and thank you for taking the time to post. I am very interested in the Nieuw Amsterdam ship. I might be on that ship later on this year.

 

Thanks,

David

 

David: The Nieuw Amsterdam is fast becoming a favorite of mine. If you choose this ship you would be choosing well.

[PathfinderEss]

Great report, keep them comimg, thanks for taking your time to do the review.

[innlady1]

I don't think Kevin posted about it. It was all rather last minute. :)

Think he wanted to surprise us with his 'from aboard' thread.

 

 

 

Glad to know that, Judy. I don't usually miss anything, so was surprised I was out of the loop on Kevin and Nancy's cruise...lol!

[sail7seas]

We heard the same 'super statendam' stories on Nieuw Amsterdam but I don't know if it is a self-perpetuating rumor or if there is something to it. We heard all sort of scenarios about the Asian boatyard where it was being built, the size, number of guests it could carry....... I won't depend upon any of it until HAL makes an official announcement. :)

 

 

(........ though it was all quite intriuging. :) )

[cruz chic]

We heard the same 'super statendam' stories on Nieuw Amsterdam but I don't know if it is a self-perpetuating rumor or if there is something to it. We heard all sort of scenarios about the Asian boatyard where it was being built, the size, number of guests it could carry....... I won't depend upon any of it until HAL makes an official announcement. :)

 

 

(........ though it was all quite intriuging. :) )

 

I think you're right. I'm sure someone just started the rumor to see how far it would get.

[bellarosa]

I begin writing this onboard the beautiful and elegant Nieuw Amsterdam, heading for a seven day Eastern Caribbean cruise. It is Monday morning, but I am writing for a “day behind” to make it easier to follow.

 

We just completed this exact cruise in late November, but decided at the last minute to book another – as we really enjoyed this ship and this itinerary. We are looking forward to trying things we didn’t try before, and repeating the things we did.

 

As for the day, it is 79-degrees and mostly sunny. In fact, it is almost as beautiful as I have seen South Florida. Having stayed in Ft. Lauderdale for the past two days, we have become quite accustomed to these temperatures… as they are two degrees cooler than our home in Chicago!!! Who would have thought we would have to stay home in March to find the warm weather….

 

Alright, down to business:

 

Nancy and I left the Marriott Harbor Beach at 12:10pm by taxi. Even though there are eight ships in port, this hotel had taxis readily available. We pay $14 for the trip, and the only traffic we experience is from the traffic light at the port through the first Security Checkpoint… about 5 minutes. After that, it is smooth sailing. We arrive at the terminal to find about one bus and five vehicles dropping off passengers, and a line of about 40 people extending outside the door.

 

After leaving our luggage with the Porter, we jump into the back of the line – It’s 12:30, on the nose. Moments later, we are approached by a man in red sport coat. He hands me a red piece of paper, and explains that they are using me to judge how long it would take to actually board the ship. Keep this sheet and when you reach another person in a red sport coat, they will record the time… and as payment for doing this, I would receive a Priority Boarding pass…. Not bad!

 

We arrive at the doors to the terminal at 12:33, and leave the security checkpoint at 12:37. This is MUCH better than our November cruise, where it took about 60-minutes to get to this point! At 12:38, I hand the card to a woman in a red sport coat, who takes the sheet, records the time, and puts us in the front of a very small line and thanks us for the trouble… The trouble of holding a little piece of red paper… it’s going to be a great week, I can just tell!

 

At 12:41 we have our picture taken, after being promised by the photographer that she would Photoshop 15-pounds off me before she prints them… and at 12:42 our feet set upon the beautiful teak deck of the Promenade…. 12 minutes…. Wow!

 

The highlight of the day was waving like crazy to my CC Friends on the PortEverglades WebCam as we left port!!! Did you see me!!!!???!!!!

 

Our Cabin: Nancy and I typically reserve between a VA and VC Verandah Cabin, but because we booked a week before departure, we decided to gamble (not our style) and book an Inside Guarantee. We stressed about, but the price of $499/person made it seem worthwhile. The fact that there didn’t appear to be any Verndah cabins available didn’t give us a lot of option.

Unfortunately, out Travel Agent booked us on the Eurodam by mistake and we didn’t realize the mistake until later in the day. As a result, it took until Wednesday afternoon to correct it…. And by then we were surely on the bottom of the Upgrade List… more stress. When we got our cabin assigned, we were upgraded from a HH Inside to a D Inside (1102)…. Right below the MDR Kitchen… YIKES! Of course, mainly because they delayed our booking, our Travel Agent congratulated us and said we’d love it…. Who knew they’d be right.

 

While it’s not a Verandah, the room is fine. There is noise from above in the morning, but not enough to bother us. WE DID HEAR IT, but we are early risers so we were fine with it. It only happens when they move carts around, about once every 10-minutes starting at 6:00am. I don’t think it would wake us, but I’m not sure. For all we know it started before 6:00 am, and we slept through it.

 

For a 50% savings, we have no issue with it. More money for Nancy’s wrinkle cream! (I hope she doesn’t read this!)

 

After checking out our room, we went to the Explorer’s Lounge to inquire about our favorite table – Table 122, the Honeymoon Table. Because our cabin was only booked four days earlier, we didn’t expect much. To our surprise, the Dining Room Manager - ADE - recognized our name and booked Table 122 for the entire week for us. What a surprise!!! We made it a point at dinner to thank him personally. What a great feeling it was for us to know he did that!

 

As a matter of fact, because it’s only been a few months we recognize many crew members, and many have recognized us. Most remembered small details like names, home cities, table numbers, etc… I always find this to be an amazing point of difference for HAL. How, after several months and several thousands of guests, can they remember details like that? We feel like Four Star Mariners… even though we are far from it!

 

We walked up to the LIDO and at 1:00 found it nearly empty… not that case at 2:30. EAT EARLY!!!

 

We bought our internet package, made some Tamarind Reservations, and purchased the Unlimited Laundry package… and then, simply relaxed.

 

Luggage arrived without incident, and we welcomed aboard our six friends from Total Wine… and quickly put one of them on ice. I’m not sure, but I think our cabin attendants, Devid and Hillman, overcompensate for our poor cabin assignment by providing over the top excellent service. We’ll see if it continues but they have been flawless thus far.

 

At the Honeymoon Table, we learned that HAL has implemented the change in the Wine program I reported in November, and it is a bit trying for the crew. They have switched to a much expanded wine-by-the-glass program, managed by the servers, and only have the Wine Stewards executing full bottle service. As a result, they only have ten Wine Stewards on each ship. Service seemed a bit slower, with us having to fill our own glasses some of the time – oh, the horror – but, if you wanted drinks by the glass, it seems as if service would be much, much faster… as your Server is always present. They all seemed hopeful the change would be positive, and didn’t complain.

 

The dinner was spectacular, as even though we promised we wouldn’t we order the exact same meal we did last time! Tonight’s dinner was from Featured Chef David Burke. Prime Rib for me and Sea Bass for Nancy. The Shrimp Cocktail was nice warm up…

 

For dessert, Nancy got the Fruit Plate and I got the Cheese Plate. The cheese plate was AWESOME!!! They handed me a list of FIFTEEN gourmet cheeses, and allowed me to choose four. From Stilton to Maytag, and thirteen in between… what an impressive menu choice… a Foodie’s delight!

 

As we had a long day, after dinner we strolled a bit… saying hello to crew we had seen before and many that we thought we did… as they greet you as if you are an old friend whether your are or not, there is no way of telling… what a great week this is to be!

 

The details:

Captain: Captain Vincent Smit from Amersfoort, the Netherlands.

Tonight’s dress: Smart Casual. (I wore one of the few sport coats in the dining room, but every person I saw wore a collar.)

Tonight’s Show: Listen to the Music (one show at 9:30)

Piano Bar: Eric

DJ: Marty

Guitar/Vocalist in the Crow’s Nest: Darlyne Cain

Queen’s Lounge: Jenny and the HALCats.

Today’s Movie: The Muppets

Priest on Board: While I enjoyed his service, I forgot to ask his name. (I’ll find out for you tomorrow, Himself!)

 

That’s all for now…

 

Sweet Dreams from the Beautiful and Elegant Nieuw Amsterdam.

 

 

 

So.. you've been on Celebrity, in your opinion which do you like more and why?

[ASIWISH]

Monday – Day Two - at sea.

It is with great sadness that I come to the realization that our cruise is almost over… only six more days…. sigh.

 

We had a leisurely breakfast at the Manhattan Dining Room, enjoying a table at the window over looking the wake. It was a beautiful morning. 75-degrees and perfectly sunny. Everyone, including the crew, seems to be moving a bit slowly today. For the guests I understand, but it would take me until dinner to understand why the crew is dragging a little.

 

Apparently in addition to the new wine program, which I discussed yesterday, HAL have new strategy for the Table Stewards as well. The old process was that each table had a steward and an assistant steward, with the assistant steward running back and forth to the kitchen to get the meals for the steward. Now, HAL has implemented “runners’, and new batch have arrived from Indonesia. All of which are being trained – perhaps before the ships head to Europe. At first glance this would seem to improve service, and it might well over time. Although as a result the servers now have more tables to look after, and have to take and deliver drink by the glass orders. There are a lot of kinks, as you would imagine, and things are going slowly… thus the tired crew.. but it appears as if they are trying their best, and the Restaurant Managers are stopping by the tables several times through the meal to make certain the guests are pleased. Well see how this turns out… I am hopeful like the crew.

 

We enjoyed mass at 8:00… and I asked God to forgive the ship’s Photographer, who clearly lied about photoshopping 15-pounds off my Embarkation Photograph.

 

After that, it we did our best to make the dance class at 10:00 to learn the waltz… missed it in lieu of 9 laps around the Promenade Deck. (reference the photo comments above…). We did, however, sit through the entire Caribbean Shopping Ashore Presentation for the first time. (Who do I see about getting this 60-minutes of my life back?). While it was a bit tedious, it was fun to learn all the “secret codes” to get freebies from the local merchants... and we have now planned to use those codes to get free gifts (necklaces and charms) for our little nieces back home..! We missed getting our name drawn from the Grand Raffle by what looked like 300 others cards, but we tried, right?

 

I am noticing that all of the Techspert Digital Workshop Classes appear to be full… what a great idea to add that to the ship. Recommendation: Make your reservations early.

 

I should note that this is a Spring Break cruise, yet we see very few children… and the ones we do see are remarkably well behaved. We really expected this ship to be crowded with families, and it just isn’t… nice and quiet.

 

I took part in the An Evening at LeCirque in the Culinary Arts Center, and learned how to make their crème brulee and their lobster salad (I thought of you, Sail!). That was fun, but wished it was rehearsed a bit more. I would do it again.

 

We tried to watch Midnight in Paris, but the theatre was full. That didn’t stop Nancy from stealing two bags of popcorn for us share on our walk through the ship. Instead, we napped on deck, and set our phone alarm to wake us for Afternoon Tea. S-C-O-N-E-S!!!! Love the HAL scones!

 

After tea we tried to play the $25,000 Casino Jackpot Bingo, which looked like a ton of fun!!! But, when I saw a couple ladies holding a stack of card thicker than the Cleveland, Ohio phonebook, I realized we were outmatched and decided to grab a slice of pizza (one, really!) and get dressed for dinner. It’s always a crapshoot seeing if my shirt collar will button, so I allow a little extra time…

 

If you remember from my “Live From” thread in November, I was surprised that very few guests wore tuxedos, or even coat and ties. I so love Formal Nights. I am pleased to report that the ship was LOADED with tuxedos, and most everyone else had a coat and tie. I only saw two couples that dresses nicely, but casually. It was a beautiful night.

 

We bought a bottle of Duckhorn Decoy at the Ocean Bar (from the Pinnacle Bar Menu, as they have a nicer selection) and they will hold it for us each night until it is empty. Much nicer than drinking a wine I am not in love with… plus, the provide Riedel stemware. Much more comfortable to drink from… larger and wider than the house stemware. I know I’m being picky, but sometimes I do want it ASIWISH!

 

The Ocean Bar’s dance floor was loaded with 5-6 very talented dancers, and made for a great cocktail hour. The Neptunes sound better than they did in November… and they sounded great in November.

 

Dinner was great, but unremarkable… typical Surf and Turf… we opted to skip the turf and double up on the Surf. I tried four more cheeses for dessert, leaving me seven more to go… each one is better than the last. Enjoying this menu item. Nancy, having given up sweets for Lent, left the MDR grumpy again… I told her that being grumpy because you’re giving something up for Lent isn’t the point of Lent, and she replied, “mind your own #%@^* business… I hope you enjoyed your @!#*% dessert!” (She’s really very, very sweet the rest of the year!)

 

We passed on the show, NYC, as we saw it in November, and instead watched a guest lose about $20,000 at the Roulette table… if you get a chance to do that, I HIGHLY recommend it! The dealer seemed to enjoy it, too…

 

Tonight was Karaoke and SuperStar sign ups, so I am anxious to watch that later in the week.. that’s always fun! It was 80’s Flashback in the Northern Lights, but as usual we were too tired to partake… one of these cruises I really hope to stay awake past 11:00pm….!

 

Tomorrow is Grand Turk, our first stop and promises to be terrific weather. The Costa Atlantica will be joining us in port.

 

… and in case you were wondering, my shirt collar buttoned.

 

Good night and sweet dreams from the beautiful and elegant Nieuw Amsterdam.

[ASIWISH]

Kevin,

You changed your name but I found you! Have a good time. Hi to Nancy for us.

Kelly

 

Hi, Kelly!

[ASIWISH]

Asiwish, you have me confused. You said you booked an HH inside and got a D inside. Those are actually outside rooms. I assume you mean outside....correct?

 

Also any more rumors on the "new" Statendam? I was going to ask while I was on the ship in Feb but I forgot.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

 

You are correct. I meant "Oceanview", not "Inside". Sorry!

[ASIWISH]

Kevin,

I don't know where I've been...I totally missed the posts announcing that you and Nancy are sailing again on the NA...until now!

Have a wonderful cruise!!! And, I really look forward to another of your "live from" reviews! ;)

Sheila

 

We booked last minute, and wasn't sure I would do a "live from" thread... but, it was so much fun last time, I decided to!

[ASIWISH]

So.. you've been on Celebrity, in your opinion which do you like more and why?

 

While I loved the Solstice, I think the food and crew is superior on HAL.

 

I would do Celebrity again, but prefer HAL.