Funny Things Before our Cruises......

[Boytjie]

For me, it's a Wang Wang or two. I had one on embarkation day...and another, relaxing in the Mix, on our last Sea Day this recent cruise.

 

Before the last cruise I hadn't ever had a Wang Wang, so that's what I wanted. It was my first cocktail and during sailaway. But it wasn't for me :( I was introduced to another yummy cocktail but I can't for the life of me remember the name of it. It was something aviation-ish I think.

[TiogaCruiser]

1. Seeing the ship for the first time at the dock...

2. The "Mind Your Head" sign over the gangway- the first time I saw it it made me laugh.

3. Another vote for the chaises on promenade deck- and the breeze and a little spray.

4. (feeling) The horn blasts at sailaway.....

5. Taking hot coffee and snitching a raisin bun and going to the sixth deck ( below the bridge) and watching the sunrise.

6. Feeling the motion of the ship.

7. That special smell on the promenade deck.

8. Walking the promenade deck at night- the water sounds so nice and you can see the white foam just a little.

9. The view from the treadmill- wow!

[jbeb]

Aside from food and drink, is there some 'thing' that you look forward to on the ship that you only see on HAL or that HAL does 'better than all the rest'?

Prepaid any time laundry. On our last 14 day Oosterdam cruise there was no self laundry. We discovered how liberating giving over the chore and recapturing the time and freedom could be. We will always splurge on this on furture cruises. Well worth the cost.

[bobalink]

That's exactly what I was thinking after my last cruise and you just reminded me

As for my obsession, it is bread pudding. Will they have it; will they have enough if I'm late; will it taste as good as on the previous cruise. :D I have never been disappointed.

 

I had heard about the great Bread Pudding that is served on Holland America. So on our first HAL cruise on the Noordam, I was really looking forward to trying it. First taste: Not impressed at all. Went back the second day, still not impressed.

 

Two weeks ago I was on the Zuiderdam and tried it once again. OMG, it was sooooo good.

 

Glad I gave it a second chance, it was yummy!

[jaguarstyper]

My next cruise is 7 months away and I'm already anticipating the Muesli!

[magandab]

When the room stewards introduce themselves and ask "What should I call you?" SUCH a wonderful way to ask that question.

 

Then the HUGE grin they get when my mom says "Call me Mom". And for the next 7, 10, 12, 14 days, everywhere we go, we hear "Hi Mom!"

 

The cold fruit soups. mmmmmmmmmmm

[DizzyDallasDi]

When the room stewards introduce themselves and ask "What should I call you?" SUCH a wonderful way to ask that question.

 

Then the HUGE grin they get when my mom says "Call me Mom". And for the next 7, 10, 12, 14 days, everywhere we go, we hear "Hi Mom!"

 

The cold fruit soups. mmmmmmmmmmm

 

I love this! I've always told them to just call me Diane. All of my kids' friends have always called me mom (I'm the cool mom :cool:) and it would be so much fun to have the stewards call me that, too. :D

 

And, I completely agree about the cold fruit soups...soooooo yummy!

[sail7seas]

When the room stewards introduce themselves and ask "What should I call you?" SUCH a wonderful way to ask that question.

 

Then the HUGE grin they get when my mom says "Call me Mom". And for the next 7, 10, 12, 14 days, everywhere we go, we hear "Hi Mom!"

 

The cold fruit soups. mmmmmmmmmmm

 

 

That's so sweet. :)

 

[magandab]

On our last cruise, when she said "call me Mom" one of our stewards on the Westerdam looked at her and said, " I can call you mama?". It was clear he was quite homesick and it meant a lot to him to be able to call someone Mama.

[1of4]

• I love the knowledge that it is QUIET! No constant announcements;
  
• I love the $20 all-you-can-stuff laundry that comes back so nicely presented;
  
• love the fresh fruit order in the cabin;
  
• love knowing that we are pretty much unreachable (unless there is an emergency) so the outside world goes away and we can relax; and
  
• I love how the HAL crew goes above and beyond to make me feel that we are very welcome and nothing is too much to ask and in the fixed seating they get to know you so quickly.
  

Sounds perfect...when can I go...oh yeah, need to save more than pennies!;)

[Viesczy]

You know what "gets" me? Those first night, well 2 sometimes, out where the ship has a little more current to move against and you feel the Blue the most, that's what always gets me.

 

Also in the morning, when Sun is just up and you see her reflecting on the Blue. Everywhere you look it is the Blue and the reflection of the Sun. It feels like home.

 

Honestly, I could be manning the orrs on a trireme and as long as I wasn't getting lashed too savagely I would find joy being on the Blue.

 

Derek

[diann744]

The things I most look forward to:

 

• Running into crew members we remember, and who remember us;
  
• Cheesy goldfish in the lounges (the snack that smiles back!) – they never taste the same at home;
• Putting the life jacket away after the muster drill;
  
• Sailaway from the Crow’s Nest;
  
• The little boxes of Dutch chocolate sprinkles on the Lido;
  
• And a week, or two, of not cleaning up hairballs, scooping litter or having new cat hair on my clothes!
  

[kazu]

The things I most look forward to:

 

• Running into crew members we remember, and who remember us;
  
• Cheesy goldfish in the lounges (the snack that smiles back!) – they never taste the same at home;
  
• Putting the life jacket away after the muster drill;
  
• Sailaway from the Crow’s Nest;
  
• The little boxes of Dutch chocolate sprinkles on the Lido;
  
• And a week, or two, of not cleaning up hairballs, scooping litter or having new cat hair on my clothes!
  

 

LOL - or cleaning up the dust bunnies from my dogs too:D

[lovetocruise2020]

I look forward to eating, we really plan all of our meals before the trip. if I do not make plans, I would allow myself to sleep the week away. Sleep in the cabana, sleep on the balcony, sleep in the suite. We have to overplan, because although we are very young, we never get good sleep at home due to schedules and I would sleep the week away if I could...

[TheCalicoCat]

It is starting to strike me as very funny the things I have been thinking about as we look forward to our Alaska adventure.

 

Last week, I started a post about Dutch Pea Soup. :)

 

Of all the things about a cross country trip, a much anticipated stay in Seattle where we have never been and then a cruise on a beautiful ship, to what all say is an amazing piece of the world, seeing friends we miss and look forward to visiting with .....

 

And I'm focusing on Dutch pea soup. :D

 

Surely I'm not the only one who has a quirky thing that they really look forward to before their cruise.

 

Anyone else have some little thing out of a 'huge whole' that might be considered a bit funny that makes your HAL cruise special, that little bit better?

 

 

 

 

I'm excited just to see my 3.5 year old excited about the very basic idea of being the big boat. (He has been on 2 other cruises.) Everything elses is "extra." (He is equally excited about the 5 hour airplane ride & the Amtrak from Seattle to Vancouver.)

[outoftowner]

When not on a ship, I dream of strolling along the promenade deck hand in hand with my DH and watching the sky and ocean compare and exchange their sultry colors. - Delicous! :)

[ardeur]

I suppose mine is rather typical, but it's very important to me:

 

Getting to wake up whenever I want to in the mornings (er... late mornings, or maybe afternoon).

 

I'm certainly exicted about all the other wonderful stuff that will be part of our Alaskan cruise, but sleeping in is what I'm looking forward to.

[magandab]

I have another one. That thrilled feeling you get when you are "released" from the Muster Drill and you know your cruise has officially started. That's the last obligation until reentry into real life.

[cavecreekguy]

I look forward to the towel monkey!

 

But seriously, I didn't know they did little towel animals. It was cute and I took pictures of all of them when we got back to our cabin.

 

This will only be my 2nd cruise on HAL so I don't have a lot of experiences with them. But I do remember how friendly the crew was. And the bar waiter who greated me the 2nd time I saw him "What can I get you Mr. Clifton?" Since Clifton is my first name, it made me smile.

 

Oh, and the bloody mary bar set up by the Lido pool.

[silverfoxcruiser]

Then the HUGE grin they get when my mom says "Call me Mom". And for the next 7, 10, 12, 14 days, everywhere we go, we hear "Hi Mom!"

I think I love your Mom!! What a wonderful response!:) Silver

[Sunshine91]

I love:

• The excitement of seeing the ship for the first time at the embarkation port, whether we're arriving by bus or taxicab from the airport
  
• After check-in on the pier, the feeling you get when stepping over the threshold from the gangway onto the ship herself - sends a shiver up & down that's just delicious
  
• We usually cruise with friends, so meeting up with our mates once onboard is a long-awaited reunion. Sometimes we manage to find each other prior to sailaway, sometimes not until drinks in the Ocean Bar
  
• Meeting our stewards. We've ALWAYS had the bestest cabin stewards.
  
  
• The rock & roll of the ship. The feeling that you know you are on the big blue sea. I LOVE that motion of the ocean.
  
  
• I could keep going.................
  

Sail - Great thread topic!

[smitty34877]

This is so much fun to read! My first "I am really on a ship" moment is oddly the next morning when I find myself in the Lido as it first opens(early riser to say the least) and I watch the ocean as I have breakfast alone. The excitement of the first day and the travel to get there often keep me from really appreciaitng the start of a journey. DH enjoys sleeping in and I join him for coffee later...aahhh.