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LAFFNVEGAS Live From the Gelukkig Nieuwjaar Cruise on the MS Veendam

LAFFNVEGAS

By LAFFNVEGAS,
in Holland America Line

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LAFFNVEGAS "Live from...." Rare

LAFFNVEGAS

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Greetings from the MS Veendam....well not quite ;) Actually we are about ready to head off to the airport for our short flight down to San Diego.

Most of you know the back ground that led up to Tom and I taking this cruise on the Veendam. But to bring those up to date that don't know. Tom and I were to take a Canada New England Cruise in October on the Crystal Symphony. Four days prior to leaving Tom had a Heart Attack and 2 days later had Open Heart Surgery. Of course one of Tom's favorite things to do is to cruise so we immediately started talking about planning a Make Up Cruise. This was his goal in recovering quickly after surgery. The day he came home from the hospital I booked the 7 day New Years Cruises on the Veendam. While pricing would have been better and we could have gotten a Suite on either the Nieuw Amsterdam or Eurodam, the flight pricing was not great plus I was not even sure that Tom would do well traveling 5+ hours cross country. Plus it has been over three years since we had been to the Mexican Riviera and actually really missed it.

 

This is our second cruise on the Veendam but the first was September of 2006 before the remodel adding The Mix and Showroom at Sea and of course the aft poolette :D It has also been almost 5 years since we have even sailed on a S Class ship. So this will be quite different, the other BIG difference is this will be our first EVER Ocean View cabin on any HAL ship. To be honest as many of you know the pricing for Holiday cruises are considerably higher especially New Years Cruises and the smaller S and R Class ships. At the time I booked the cruise in all honestly I had no idea what type of Hospital bills were looming over us and we decided to choose an Interior Guarantee. Tom said he was more than happy to just know he was going to be cruising and that the room accommodations would not really matter. With a guarantee it was truly a waiting game but we had two offers to up Sell to an Ocean View so I knew that they may have over sold the Insides. It was Tuesday this week our cabin appeared and we were assigned one of those aft facing Ocean View cabins on Lower Promenade Deck. We were actually quite pleased since we like the aft location.

 

This is also our First New Years Cruise, 5 years ago we did a B2B on the Eurodam that the 2nd week was Christmas Week. So cruising on New Years was sort of on our Bucket List. But I must confess while I want so bad to enjoy the festivities for New Years I am a bit concerned that I won't stay awake till Mid Night :eek: We are not exactly Night Owls so I am going to have to figure out a way to stay awake and NOT want to go back to the cabin and get out of my formal wear ;)

 

We have been very excited to go on this cruise but truly a bit leery hoping nothing could go wrong . I think it is once you have had a BIG scare it tends to keep you on edge for a while.

 

Well that is about as much information I can give you for right now. With my phone I will try to post as many pictures as I can later today of the ship and the Holiday decorations.

 

Signing off from the LAFFNVEGAS Homestead

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shrimp56

shrimp56

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Can't wait for more! I wonder if they have decorated that pitiful truncated plastic palm tree on the aft seaview deck. Inquiring minds wish to know. We wish you a WONDERFUL "make-up" cruise. We loved Veendam last June. May she please you too!

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sail7seas

sail7seas

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Lisa and Tom,

Travel safely and have a wonderful time.

Our first cruise after my heart attack and first Open Heart Surgery made me a wee bit on edge but as soon as we arrived on the ship, I knew all would be well. I did absolutely fine and it was so beneficial to my mental and physical healing that when I needed heart valve surgery four years later, we booked to cruise again. The second time, it was just as good an idea.

 

Hopefully, Tom will find it as healing as I did.

Wishes to you for aa very Happy and Healthy New Year. :)

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LAFFNVEGAS "Live from...." Rare

LAFFNVEGAS

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Can't wait for more! I wonder if they have decorated that pitiful truncated plastic palm tree on the aft seaview deck. Inquiring minds wish to know. We wish you a WONDERFUL "make-up" cruise. We loved Veendam last June. May she please you too!

 

I will let you know, if it is decorated I will take a picture :)

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

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sail7seas

sail7seas

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Can't wait for more! I wonder if they have decorated that pitiful truncated plastic palm tree on the aft seaview deck. Inquiring minds wish to know. We wish you a WONDERFUL "make-up" cruise. We loved Veendam last June. May she please you too!

 

 

Ahhh, yes...... :D

 

I forgot about the plastic palm.

It was particularly silly on our Canada/NE cruise in August. :)

 

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RuthC

RuthC

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Ahhh, yes...... :D

 

I forgot about the plastic palm.

It was particularly silly on our Canada/NE cruise in August. :)

 

 

It looked even sillier in Antarctica. :rolleyes:

Visions of that scene in Mr. Roberts---the one where the Captain's pitiful palm was tossed overboard---danced through my head.

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LAFFNVEGAS "Live from...." Rare

LAFFNVEGAS

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Well we are sitting at Gate C2 with my usual Starbucks Pumpkin Spiced Latte in hand waiting for boarding. The airport is packed especially all the Southwest gates. Southwest has more flights out of Vegas than any other airline.

The ride to the airport was not uneventful but not bad either they had the lanes closed off getting to the main airport terminal so had to go the long detour through terminal 3 but we did have plenty of time.

 

Sail yes u know you totally understand ;) after we got through TSA security Tom squeezed my hand and said "I think we are going to make this cruise"

 

I hope to post a lot of pictures with my phone this week. I added the International data plan so will try to share a lot with you.

 

Signing off from McCarran International Airport.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

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sail7seas

sail7seas

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Well we are sitting at Gate C2 with my usual Starbucks Pumpkin Spiced Latte in hand waiting for boarding. The airport is packed especially all the Southwest gates. Southwest has more flights out of Vegas than any other airline.

The ride to the airport was not uneventful but not bad either they had the lanes closed off getting to the main airport terminal so had to go the long detour through terminal 3 but we did have plenty of time.

 

Sail yes u know you totally understand ;) after we got through TSA security Tom squeezed my hand and said "I think we are going to make this cruise"

 

I hope to post a lot of pictures with my phone this week. I added the International data plan so will try to share a lot with you.

 

Signing off from McCarran International Airport.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

 

Tom will do fine. Just remind him, if he needs a nap....... great. He's on vacation and can go take a brief nap. I'm sure he knows by now to listen to his body. :)

 

Have the Best New Years Ever!!! You both deserve it.

 

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BobE

BobE

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Best Wishes for a much better 2014.....

 

Happy Cruising to You and Tom....and just remember...Any Cruise is better than none at all....besides, the oceanview people get to go to the same places the Suite People are going too:-)....

 

We leave next Sunday on the NCL Pearl....Happy sailing to us all...

 

 

Bob

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solocanadian

solocanadian

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Lisa & Tom, so glad to read you are almost on Veendam. Makes my morning coffee go down much more smoothly. Hope all goes well with embarkation. It was so bad for me this past spring I swore never to sail out of San Diego again.

Really looking forward to your photos of the ship. I haven't been on the Veendam since the big refit. Health & Happiness for 2014.:):D:)

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Two@Sea

Two@Sea

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Since our own "issues" have left us without a cruise in the future, we are sailing vicariously through you. We're hoping you have a wonderful time! Enjoy every moment... :).

 

Thanks for doing the "live from" for all of us. I hope you know how much your time (and expense!) is appreciated! :D

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BobE

BobE

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I was hoping to see the San Diego Port Webcam, but it seems to be gone....

 

they do have a San Diego Webcam, but it doesn't show the Cruise Port...was hoping to see you SAIL AWAY....I hope you were waving at us....

 

Bob

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