Live aboard the beautiful and elegant Nieuw Amsterdam with ASIWISH!

[Himself]

Irish meme: "Ah, that Faither O'Flaherty: what a wonderful priest. He always says Mass. Drunk or sober, he always says Mass. . . ."

 

We've just booked a 12-day cruise on NA for June. Venice to Barcelona with a few Greek isles thrown in. Can't wait.

 

Ah but Father Mc Geean always says Mass sober. I hope you enjoy the NA half as much as I do. I know Kevin and Nancy do!

[Himself]

I am glad you enjoyed San Juan. I hope you enjoyed St. Maarten. Who is the CD on this cruise? Is it still CJ?

[ASIWISH]

I am glad you enjoyed San Juan. I hope you enjoyed St. Maarten. Who is the CD on this cruise? Is it still CJ?

 

It's still CJ... He's great...

[erewhon]

Enjoying reading your great reports.

Thank you.

[PathfinderEss]

Another great report ASIWISH, like kazu, I removed all liquid from around my computer. Don't want to do what Joanie did.:D:D

[Himself]

Kevin:

I am anxiously awaiting your report on St. Maarten.

[mawson]

Absolutely hilarious, would love to do a cruise with you, you have a great way of writing, try and make a cruise Down Under and we could catch up?? We are going on the same ship for my birthday in October for a Med Cruise, can't wait.

Enjoy the rest of your cruise, say hi to Nancy!! :-)

 

Brenda

[hal lover]

You have said that Burberry has closed their doors in San Juan, did you happen to notice if the Coach store and Dooney & Burke store are still open? I love to shop at those stores when I am in San Juan!

Am still loving your live report and yes, your style of writing is funny and great!

[sansterre]

We are also patiently awaiting Kevin's next update.

[ASIWISH]

You have said that Burberry has closed their doors in San Juan, did you happen to notice if the Coach store and Dooney & Burke store are still open? I love to shop at those stores when I am in San Juan!

Am still loving your live report and yes, your style of writing is funny and great!

 

They are still both open... right across the street from each other.

 

Those are pour favorites, too! Coach had some great deal this week!

[ASIWISH]

Day Five – Thursday – Phillipsburg, St. Maarten

 

My apologies, Friends… I am late in getting this out to you, as this cruise has become a little overwhelming! It is becoming clear that just could be the best cruise yet for us. Somehow the weather above us always remarkably perfect with the horizon framed by clouds… it’s as if a hole to the blue sky has been opened above us, and it is meandering through the Caribbean with us. A welcome companion!

 

We awoke early, and started with a morning stretch. The little chocolate coins that we placed on my pillow had fallen off my nightstand during the night, and I had to reach down to grab them… a little exercise to start the day… perfect!

 

We enjoyed breakfast in the MDR, at we have learned that there isn’t much point in getting to shore before 9:00 as most stores do not open until then. We enjoyed the Japanese Breakfast, and left as hungry as we arrived… go figure.

 

As we left the beautiful Neiuw Amsterdam, we stopped pierside at Last Minute Questions with Travel Guide Ian. My questions was, “Does this shirt make me look fat?” and Nancy’s was, “Are you sure it doesn’t make him look fat?”. Ian was very helpful, and I like that last opportunity for tips before we left the pier.

 

There were several MegaYachts in port today, and we swear we saw Stephen Speilberg’s, which was also with us in Ft. Lauderale. It cost $250,000 just to fill it with fuel. Always fun to watch from the Water Taxi.

 

We grabbed some free internet in town to check in with the kids, and then hit most every jewelry shop in town. More free trinkets for our nieces. The town was crowded and vibrant… so much so that we decided to cancel our plans to grab a drink at the airport beach. We love watching the big planes arrive a mere 50 ft over the beach to the screaming tourists, while we grab a cold beer and burger at the beach bar… Always a great day, but with Phillipsburg so crowded it made for a great day of people watching!

 

Unlike San Juan, St. Maarten appears to be thriving. Unsure if it is because the addition of the the Oasis and the Allure, but more stores seem to be opening, and more national brand stores seem to be coming as well. I think it’s great for that port… clearly our favorite! Even with those new mega ships, the port handles it well, and lines don’t seem to be a problem.

 

We grabbed lunch at the end of the pier, at the Barefoot Beach Café, and again, it was unremarkable. Terrific spot but average food. Be careful as they “sneak” gratuity on the bill… it’s very hard to see. It’s the second time we almost fell for it. Be careful!

 

We arrived back on the ship in plenty of time for the Cupcake Tea at 3:00. Whew! Whoever thought of that idea WAS A GENIUS, by the way!

 

We decided to wait for the tea to start on the Promenade Deck as we watched the passengers arrive at the pier. Unfortunately, two passengers missed the ship after the Captain waited a full 30-minutes. This was particularly sad because as the passengers would have to meet the ship in Ft. Lauderdale on SUNDAY MORNING. There isn’t a port they can travel to between today and Sunday. We lost site of the pier at 3:20, and they still hadn’t shown up… they really must have been delayed.

 

After Tea, we lounged on the Promenade until we drifted off… mesmerized by the thousands of Flying Fish bouncing about, and the dozens of passengers walking off their cupcakes.

 

Dinner again at the Manhattan Dining Room, happily being welcomed by the crew who has come to recognize us more readily each night as the cruise progresses. Every dinner has been extended due to the visits from crew to our table asking how our day was. One the first night, two the second, and so on… they seem truly interested, and we welcome the conversation.

 

Nothing on the menu thrilled us, but we rallied and found a couple courses to satisfy us. Halfway through dinner, Nancy commented that she “could actually hear me getting fatter…”. I think she meant it as a compliment, but it still stung a little! The only two things I dread on a cruise are the Thursday Carpets in the elevator, and the “It’s Thursday. Time to unpack my ‘heavy clothes’”.

 

After dinner, we strolled a bit… and then caught the comedian Jeff Nease in the Showroom at Sea. Hilarious… absolutely, hilarious! Afterwards, we walked through the Northern Lights to check out The Party Continues… but, it appeared it was “continuing” elsewhere… and rather checked out ‘50’s and 60’s night with the HALCats in the Queen’s Lounge… aptly titled, because everyone appeared to be in their 50’s and 60’s… oh well, off to bed…

 

Hope you had a great day, too…

 

Weather: Partly Cloudy – 75-degrees.

Tonight’s dress: Smart Casual (this is the best dressed group of passengers I have seen on a cruise ship!)

Today’s Movie: Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn part 1

Drink of the Day: Tropical Cable Car – my favorite!

 

Off to my sweet dreams on the beautiful and elegant Nieuw Amsterdam. Good night.

[hal lover]

They are still both open... right across the street from each other.

 

Those are pour favorites, too! Coach had some great deal this week!

 

Thanks for answering about the stores. Hope that you got some great deals there! Hope that you had a great time in St Maarten~another one of my favorite ports! I really like how they have upgraded their pier area. Some decent shops if you do not want to water taxi to town. Always a beautiful view there!:)

[SeminoleFan]

Thank you for sharing your journey. You're writing is wonderful! :D

[Boytjie]

We raced the few blocks to Café Raices, and ordered a Tan Tan Pork Chop, some Shrimp Mofungo for Nancy, and a half pitcher of Sangria for Nancy and I to wash it all down with… (it sounds like a lot to drink but it isn’t.) I am always amazed at the quality of food in the restaurant. With it’s proximity to the pier, I highly recommend it. I finished about 18-ounces of the pork shop, and then stared loving into Nancy eyes as she stared back in complete disgust and disapproval. I guess it’s a guy thing, but I was pretty proud of myself. (sleeping late and eating a 22-ounce pork chop made me feel like on of the Baldwin Brothers!!!)

 

That brought back memories of our dinner in Old San Juan in February. The person at the Hertz desk at the Sheraton recommended Vaca Brava. We had no idea what to expect.

 

We someone being sreved what looked like two pork tenderloins and laughed. Until my ribs arrived:

 

 

My partner ordered the chuleta:

 

 

We did not get close to finishing it. A couple of homeless people got to enjoy the rest.

 

We had no idea what the portions sizes would be!

[ASIWISH]

Day Six – At Sea

 

As it was a Sea Day, we decided to sleep in… good thing, as visions of cupcakes were dancing in my head. Out the window, it is a calm day with barely a cloud in the sky.

 

I have decided that I will walk the ship today, and say “hello” to all the crew members you have asked me to say hello to in your comments. Devid and Hillman have already asked me to return the “hello’s” you have sent.

 

Tonight is Formal Night, so I have already dropped off our Champaign to be chilled. Ready for a great day!

 

Again, we had breakfast in the MDR, realizing that we might not see the Lido Buffet again as the cruise is coming to a close. Nancy is gearing up the Side Walk Sale at 10:00am to catch 50% off gifts from friends and family at the Lido Pool. I am happy with this, as now the items are only slightly absurdly over-priced… but I digress.

 

We decide to see a movie… FINALLY! The movie is Moneyball, with Brad Pitt. We’ve been wanting to see this movie, so it seems like this sea day is nicely placed on our itinerary! The Screening Room is terrific, with ultra comfortable recliners with a table between for drinks. The ship provides popcorn – and if you get the 90-minutes early, it’s still hot!!!! We didn’t… but hey, it’s free, right?

 

Once the Screening Room guests get settled, it’s very quiet and comfortable. We enjoyed the venue and the movie. Afterwards, walking out of the theatre onto the Promenade Deck seemed very strange to us… and I’m sure will provide a great memory. A movie at sea…. Go figure.

 

At is now lunchtime in the MDR – and as we sit, we realize we forgot about the Mariner’s Lunch – with is now over. We’ve never attend one, but have wanted to. We witness several Mariners exiting with big medals and red ribbons… silently thanking them for the all the cruises they have taken, and for the investment they have made in the great cruise line – so that we can now enjoy it!

 

Halfway through our lunch of Salmon Salad and Shrimp with Cheesy Grits, we comment that a Salmon Burger and Cheeseburger later at the Terrace Grill will make up for this borderline meal… and it did!

 

We also promised that we will attend the show tonight… NO MATTER WHAT! It is Cantare, and is HAL’s version of Circue Du Soleil. We enjoyed it in November, and were pretty excited to see it again… and of course, we didn’t. Something about strolling the ship in formal wear, and stopping for a glass of wine at the Pinnacle Bar distracted us. Oh, well….

 

At 1:30, we participated in HAL’s On Deck for the Cure. Always a great time, and great cause. It’s a 5k walk on the Promenade Deck and raises money for the Susan B. Komen for the Cure organization. It was pretty easy for me to finish the 5k because in 2011 I participated in the Chicago Marathon. I haven’t finished it yet, though… I do a little bit at a time…. You can’t run that whole thing on one day. It’ll kill you! Currently, I’m at the 18.3 mile-marker, and I’m hoping to finish in May… wish me luck!

We sunbathe and nap the afternoon away… conspiring how to steal the Friday carpets from the elevators, so I can return them Sunday morning – fooling the crew into heading back out to sea for a few days on Sunday morning.

 

After dressing for dinner, we delight at the card tricks shown to us by the bartender at the Explorer’s Lounge – while Nancy enjoys the passing dresses coming to and from the Manhattan Dining Room. Formal Night has been happily adheared to on the cruise, and has added a real sense of tradition to this itinerary. We are appreciative.

 

Again, we opt for Surf and Surf – as we come from Chicago, and good Turf is easily come upon. Our Dining Steward delivers to lobster tails to us, and 5-minutes later our Dining Steward from our November Cruise delivers two more saying that he ”remembers how we enjoyed them on our last cruise”, smiles and darts off… remarkably sweet – both he and the tails!

 

After dinner we walked up to the Dessert Extravaganza, but thanks to our dueling Dining Stewards had no room for anything - but enjoyed the view immensely!

 

We had no interest in the Northern Lights ‘70’s Disco Hour, because we lived the Disco craze and have been trying to forget it ever since…. You understand, right?

 

Off to bed, looking forward to waking to the sight of Sail’s Maasdam off the white sand beach of Half Moon Cay in the morning… our last sunrise before Ft. Lauderdale.

 

Sweet dreams from aboard the beautiful and elegant Nieuw Amsterdam.

[ASIWISH]

I was hoping you'd have a picture, peter!!!

 

 

Thanks!!!!!

[sail7seas]

They are still both open... right across the street from each other.

 

Those are pour favorites, too! Coach had some great deal this week!

 

 

I'm excited to hear Burberry is open again.

I promise you, I know for sure, it was closed when we were there in December. We were sad to see the doors locked.

 

Yippeee, happy to think we may get to shop there again on our Maasdam cruise. :)

 

[midgecruiser]

Really enjoying your posts. It's almost like I didn't get off on Sunday....ok, maybe not, LOL!!

 

Here is a picture of my step-daughter and I with our favorite bartender in the Sports bar. HI DOM!

 

Wendy

[midgecruiser]

Oops....I'll try again with the picture

[ASIWISH]

I'm excited to hear Burberry is open again.

I promise you, I know for sure, it was closed when we were there in December. We were sad to see the doors locked.

 

Yippeee, happy to think we may get to shop there again on our Maasdam cruise. :)

 

 

Sorry, Sail... Burberry is still closed. I was referring to Dooney & Burke. I miss Burberry, too!

[ASIWISH]

Day Seven – Saturday – HALF MOON CAY

 

Well, we woke to our first complaint. Cabin 1102 is directly above the loading area for the supply vessels. Meaning we were woken very early to the very loud and continuous sounds of the crew. It was very unpleasant, but did get us on our way very quickly… (as I sit to write this portion of my journal now, the same crew is loading supplies BACK ONTO THE SHIP, so it’s a double whammy. It will take more than this to ruin our day… but, it is unfortunate.)

 

We enjoyed breakfast at Table 122, overlooking to island – just past the MS Maasdam - what a site. I wonder if Half Moon Cay was placed on the first day of our itinerary, would we enjoy it so much? It is the last thing we will see before returning to the US, and I can’t recall anything more beautiful in my life – Nancy aside.

 

It’s hard to imagine that this island was once owned by a private family… and even harder to imagine that they ever sold it. Paradise at sea…

 

We took our time, stopping by the Front Desk to get a copy of bill to review – beating the sure crowd at the end of the day! Sitting on a crowded Tender to be first ashore has proven to be a worthless effort. There is plenty of space, plenty of chairs, and while at a premium – plenty of shade if you walk a little further down the beach.

 

The common theme for the day was disappointment for those who waited to reserve Clam Shells – as we did. What were we thinking? We knew better. The new Clamshells are bigger than the old ones, so hold out for one of those. Plopping down by the Pirate Ship offers you some great shade – although the shade moves rapidly – clean, newer bathrooms, and fun Caribbean-style music. It was a good idea for us!

 

We witnessed a 20x20 school of fish, moving slowly through the water about 20 feet from show. In the middle was a large dark spot in the middle, creating what looked like a donut-hole! The “dark spot” was a six-foot barracuda…!!! He just swam along with the school, grabbing a bite whenever he got hungry. Somehow, the passengers couldn’t help themselves from swimming up close to get a look of it. Hope nobody got hurt!

 

We stopped eating lunch after our second bites, as lunch at the Food Pavilion was very disappointing. Instead, we decided to wait until we got back to the ship. It was a good choice.

 

We walked for what seemed like forever, marveling at the beauty, warm waters, and the handful of Speedos that have suddenly re-appeared. Nancy commented that at least the men wearing them were in shape. I stared at her in disbelief as she added, “… well, round IS a shape.”

 

As I type, watching the last tenders return from the island, Nancy is packing for home. There was a knock on the door for our Steward, returning the last of our Laundry. Aside from today’s beach attire, and tonight’s dinner clothes, we will return home with four suitcases of clean clothes… remaining huge fans if the Unlimited Laundry Package. The best $49 we have ever spent…

 

Interestingly, the best $49 we DIDN’T spend was on the matching Speedos we saw in a store back in St. Maarten.

 

I’ll report one more time tomorrow morning before we disembark, but for now as we sail away from HMC, I’d like to catch a few more sweet dreams from the beautiful and eleg…. well, you know….

[kazu]

Kevin - I'm still laughing - my the trials and tribulations of having too much lobster:D You have my sympathies;) Still laughing - you are a very talented writer and I'm enjoying your posts so much I can't find the words to describe it:)

[sail7seas]

OMG, Peter....... I've never seen a portion of ribs like that. :eek:

Did they taste as good as they look? :D

 

 

Kevin........ What a wonderful thread. It's been so enjoyable. Terrific reading.

Thank you.

 

 

[ASIWISH]

Kevin - I'm still laughing - my the trials and tribulations of having too much lobster:D You have my sympathies;) Still laughing - you are a very talented writer and I'm enjoying your posts so much I can't find the words to describe it:)

 

Thanks, Jacqui!

[ASIWISH]

 

 

Kevin........ What a wonderful thread. It's been so enjoyable. Terrific reading.

Thank you.

 

 

 

I've thought of you often this week, Sail! More jealous then ever of your Cruise Night number!