New Years aboard the Ryndam

[luvtwotrvl]

WOW! Spending the New Year's Day on a DAM ship. I hope you have a wonderful cruise and Happy New Year.

 

 

David

[fuzzywuzzy]

The lanai cabins are a compromise between having no outdoor access directly from your cabin and those cabins that have a private verandah. The lanai cabins are small but many like the fast access through sliding glass door to outside deck.

 

I wouldn't like that privacy issues about the window though it is very manageable.

 

If someone wants outside access but doesn't want to pay for a verandah, the lanai may be right for them.

 

Oh, thank you Sail7Seas. That explains the difference. I wouldn't want that at all. So now there are no verandahs on Maasdam or Ryndam? I haven't actually checked the deck plans recently because the pricing for sailing on the Maasdam and the Ryndam has not been what it used to be. Much higher for a lanai. We just returned from a TA on the Noordam btw in November. Loved the verandah.

[RuthC]

So now there are no verandahs on Maasdam or Ryndam?

There are; the ships came with them. The balcony cabins used to be referred to as mini-suites. I believe they are now known as balcony cabins.

 

Of course, the full suites and penthouse (by their new names of Neptune and Pinnacle Suites) still exist, too.

[kazu]

10f4 - I hope the four of you had a fabulous New Year's Eve celebration.

 

Looking forward to hearing about it and your vow renewal when you have time to report (or after the cruise).

 

Hoping this cruise has turned into everything you wanted it to be :D

[1of4]

Weeee're baaaaack! Somehow we squeezed inbetween storms on all our flights and feel very lucky indeed. We were delayed 3 hours on our way to Florida but we made it the same day and many, mamy can not say the same. Our plane needed a new tire so we were delayed 2 hours on our return but, again, we made it back. Our neighbours were fantastic keeping our drive and walk clear of over 8 feet of snow that fell. Ironically, Friday, the day we flew home from the Disney Magic, the temps went above zero so it was very foggy and about 2 feet of the snow melted.

 

I am having a few issues getting my photos (my issues...only because I took so many pictures!) so I will get to my review and the comparison with Disney this week.

 

But quickly, we very much enjoyed our time on the Ryndam. We loved it in fact. New Year's Eve was fantastic as was our vow renewal. Yes, I have photos!!

 

As for the air conditioning. We had no issues but many found it too cold and were asking for heat. Mama Lou was one of them. She was freezing in two different cabins.

 

We had toilet issues on our last day. This was our only issue for the cruise but I will cover it in my review (no pictures of that I promise!).

[innlady1]

Welcome back! Looking forward to your review. And am glad your neighbors took good care while you were away.

[1of4]

I have a few photos ready....

 

This was taken at the rained-out sail away. Some were upset at the rain but we were greatful it wasn't snow!

 

 

Here we are in our finery on our 15th anniversary on December 31. Our vow renewal was set for Friday evening.

 

 

and again on New Year's Eve in the dining room:

 

 

Another taken on New Year's Eve:

 

 

 

I know, I know you want to see the vow renewal.....

 

okay, here you go:

 

 

HAL went all out. We didn't expect a wedding cake! We ate in the PG that night with a member of the roll call and her husband. We each had a piece but we didn't know what to do with the remaining cake. So I asked the PG manager to give it to the staff that never get treats. He was so greatful. He wanted to send it to our cabin for DD and DS and Dh and I said absolutely not. We wanted the staff who work so hard to get a treat. He thought that was a wonderful idea. I hope they enjoyed it!

 

[startwin]

Oh goody!! I've been looking forward to this.

 

Oh my gosh, you all look fabulous in your finery. And the vow renewal pics - wonderful!:D:D

Edited January 13, 2014 by startwin

[cruz chic]

Great pics. Thx for posting them.

[innlady1]

What lovely photos. What is the significance of the various Scottish plaids? You have ancestors with various names? I've done a fair amount of genealogy so am always curious.

[1of4]

Here are a few more photos taken on the Disney Magic. For interest of comparison, the first photo will be the price list for photos on the Disney ships 4 day sailings:

 

 

 

 

 

[sail7seas]

Wonderful photos. Thanks so much for sharing.

 

Great to hear how happy you were with the ship and with the Vow Renewal. I know you put a lot of thought and effort into having the family look beautiful...... and you all do!!!

 

Congratulations on your Anniversary and wishes for many more together in good health and happiness.

[1of4]

What lovely photos. What is the significance of the various Scottish plaids? You have ancestors with various names? I've done a fair amount of genealogy so am always curious.

 

Thanks everybody. I don't usually share photos but I thought you have all been so supportive that I would forget my modesty and share away.

 

Innlady: the tartans all have significance. In the new year's eve photos DD and I are wearing my father's tartan which is Buchanan. My maiden name is part of the Buchanan Clan.

 

Dh and Ds are wearing rental kilts to see if they would be comfortable wearing them. So the tartan they chose is the one from the shop. There are only 6 or 7 tartans that can be worn by anyone and this was one.

 

The sash I am wearing during the vow renewal is my husband's clan. He quite liked wearing it (and even got a cat call whistle getting out of the elevator!) and so I will be calling my cousin in Scotland and putting in an order for the outfit. Now each Clan has a number of tartans. The one I am wearing is the Lamont Modern colours. There is a hunting version, a dress, version and a number of others. I can wear my father's tartan or my husbands. I could probably get away with wearing my grandmother's too but there comes a time when you get too removed. Our last name has a tartan too but officially we are part of the Lamont Clan so we will probably stick with tradition.

 

DS liked wearing the kilt but was teased on Dec. 31 by one boy in Club Hal so he wanted to change after the vow renewal before going up to Club Hal again. The girls in Club Hal said it was only one boy and all others thought DS was really, really cool. Too bad one had to ruin it for him.

[RuthC]

Really lovely pictures; thanks for posting them. You and your men look smashing.

I love that gown your daughter is wearing. She must have felt like a princess, which is what she looks like in it.

 

There's something about the ancient tartans that I like better than the modern ones. I think it's because the colors are muted somewhat. I have something in my modern hunting tartan, and I gave my brother a necktie in the ancient hunting tartan. It's easy to see that they are related tartans, but the ancient one has softer edges to the colors, and I like it better.

The dress tartan is ugly, and I won't wear that.

[erewhon]

Thank you for posting these special photos from your cruises. You all look fabulous.

 

Congratulations on your anniversary and vow renewal.

[1of4]

There's something about the ancient tartans that I like better than the modern ones. I think it's because the colors are muted somewhat. I have something in my modern hunting tartan, and I gave my brother a necktie in the ancient hunting tartan. It's easy to see that they are related tartans, but the ancient one has softer edges to the colors, and I like it better.

The dress tartan is ugly, and I won't wear that.

 

I agree with you Ruth. My dad loved his bright and bold dress Buchanan and I bought both my silk sash and rosette for DD in memory of him, but I much prefer the hunting tartan or even the heather version of it. The muted, more traditional, colours are more my thing. I guess the Buchanan Clan were never ones to shy away from attention with all that bright yellow and red. I used to tell my dad I had to grab my sun glasses just to look at it!

[innlady1]

Loved all your photos...your children are precious and look spectacular in the kilt and in the gown. I

 

Thank you for the tartan explanation. Very interesting.

[kazu]

I have a few photos ready....

 

This was taken at the rained-out sail away. Some were upset at the rain but we were greatful it wasn't snow!

 

 

Here we are in our finery on our 15th anniversary on December 31. Our vow renewal was set for Friday evening.

 

 

and again on New Year's Eve in the dining room:

 

 

Another taken on New Year's Eve:

 

 

 

I know, I know you want to see the vow renewal.....

 

okay, here you go:

 

 

HAL went all out. We didn't expect a wedding cake! We ate in the PG that night with a member of the roll call and her husband. We each had a piece but we didn't know what to do with the remaining cake. So I asked the PG manager to give it to the staff that never get treats. He was so greatful. He wanted to send it to our cabin for DD and DS and Dh and I said absolutely not. We wanted the staff who work so hard to get a treat. He thought that was a wonderful idea. I hope they enjoyed it!

 

 

Oh you all look fabulous! All that planning was so worth it!!!

 

How very kind of you to have shared the cake with the staff. What a sweet and thoughtful thing to do.

 

This is fabulous. Thank you so much

[gong-gong]

We will be sailing on the Ryndam in early March, and have adjoining Neptune suites with our daughter. Does anyone know if the adjoining balconies can be opened to make it one larger balcony. This is our first HAL cruise. We enjoyed diamond status with RCI and had open balconies on some ships. Does anyone know if HAL offers "perks" for prior Princess cruises?

 

This is my first post on CC. Hope I followed correct procedure!

[ookpik]

Great pictures.

Love your new avatar pic, makes me SOOOO homesick.

Cheers! PS

[1of4]

It may take me a bit longer to get all the photos for the review resized so here is a start.

 

We left Toronto on December 25 in the late afternoon. Well we were supposed to leave at 4:55 but since 28 people could not get to the airport in time to get through US immigration we had to wait for them...then there was a jack kniffed plane behind us...then an hour wait for de-icing and then a further 30 minute wait for take off so we were still in Toronto when we were supposed to be in Tampa. But we are not complaining as we did take off and we did make it safely to Tampa...just much later than we hoped.

 

Here we are in the departure lounge waiting for the adventure to begin:

 

 

And this was the weather outside:

 

[1of4]

Forgive me, but I can't remember who suggested that we bring some Christmas on board. I didn't have much time before the ice storm struck and so didn't get out to the shops so I brought a wall hanging I had made years ago. I put it up with magnets and it was a really nice Christmas touch in our inside stateroom. We all loved having it there.

 

[1of4]

Great pictures.

Love your new avatar pic, makes me SOOOO homesick.

Cheers! PS

 

Thanks. I think the leaves changing would be the one thing I would really miss if we moved to another climate too.