Prinsendam Baltic cruise

[Pete Jackson]

Localady, I was so sorry to hear about your problem with the card:(. I hope it gets cleared up without too much fuss!

 

The verdict is in - I gained 4 pounds (this after waiting a day for the extra salt and water to clear out). Not too bad for 28 days of cruising (I had at least one dessert every day), but not great either. Well, it's back to the dietary salt mines...

[carolcp]

Howdy Peter and Marge. Glad to hear that the second part of your back to back cruise went well.

 

Carol

[localady]

Welcome home, folks. We are so anxious to board the Prinsendam. Less than 2 weeks now! We leave a week from Saturday, the 20th. Northwest mechanics could strike at 12:01 a.m. on the 20th. Hopefully they won't ... but NWA says they have things covered in case they do. I can't help but recall a few years ago how strikes kept the airline idle for more than two weeks. I'm just glad I have insurance!

 

Localady, so sorry to hear about your ATM card. Had you left it at home and someone broke in?

 

Jim-

Yes apparently, someone broke in, taking jewelry, a video cam and the ATM/Visa card.:mad: I think part of why I am mad is cause they put a damper on our homecoming from this lovely trip. You will love this ship!! Will say prayers that a NWA strike doesn't affect you.

Pete- Great to know you did so well!! I haven't the heart to get on the scale yet!!! Manana, manana......;)

[Pete Jackson]

Hey Carol! Good to hear from you again. We really enjoyed meeting you and Cruisingator and the girls on the July 12 cruise. The cruises were so different with the Baltic cruise having many major cities while the July 12 had many small ports and natural beauty (and some 24-hour daylight!). But they had the same great Prinsendam in common. On the Baltic cruise, they added one new production show (which was fantastic!) while retaining two of the four from the July 12 cruise saw together. We continued to go to Team Trivia and they were very careful not to reuse questions from the July 12 cruise when we showed up! On the Baltic cruise, they announced a ship-building competition but never had sea trials so I suppose nobody signed up. They also didn't have a talent show (these must be hard for CD's to take!). And they had a great Russian pianist on the last day of the Baltic cruise!

 

It was fun to see mostly the same dining room menus again, giving the chance to order things we had passed up on the first cruise (can't eat it all!).

[jhannah]

Localady, I'll enjoy the ship no doubt. Sailed her through the Mediterranean last year!

 

I hope you can get things worked out soon. I know this is an extreme aggrivation.

[Darrell6t]

Erik & I made it back yesterday afternoon about 5PM. We are feeling some jet-lag and Erik is fighting some slight respiratory infection that started during the flight. The heat of DC is a shock after our two and a half weeks of cool Baltic temperatures. We are sorry to hear about Localady's theft problems. I hope it doesn't mar your memories of such a great cruise.

 

We really loved the Prinsendam and its crew. Going to the grocery store and having to think about what to fix for ourselves isn't as much fun as reading the menu. It was wonderful meeting the other CC folks and the many nice people on board. But except for the heat, it is nice to be home too.

[Pete Jackson]

Darrell, it was great talking with you and Erik, kindred souls who have also fallen for the allure of the Crow's Nest before dinner. Let us know what you select for your free cruise!

[Bill S]

Glad everyone made it home safe and sound!

 

I am at work, moving slowly and fighting off sleep, somewhat. DW is smarter: she took off yesterday, today and tomorrow!

We did a lot of team trivia, as did Pete & Marge and they were very worthy opponents--our team could never quite manage a victory, untill music trivia.

Jim and Lisa: I took about 800 pics, so you all are in store for a real slide show the next time we get together! I will try to pare it down to have an album that is manageable. :)

[jhannah]

I will look forward to seeing them. It will have to be after our return in early September, so we'll have a bunch of pictures, too. We may just have to stage our own travel show! I'm sure the local access cable channel is available. :)

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Jim and Bill, we are definitely looking forward to seeing your picture. We will have to plan a Get Together for September and get everyone together.

 

Bill, you a Virginia miss a great Get-together at the Bootlegger. We had a wonderful time and we will have to get all of us together again.

 

Sher, hope you getting everything straightened out that really is too bad that you had to come home to a break in. Hopefully the bank rectified everything and your home owners insurance can take care of the rest.

[localady]

Hello again!

 

Great to hear that everyone is home safe and not in the Heathrow mess!!:eek:

I have posted some pictures from the trip to webshots.

Here's the addy if anyone is interested:

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8IaOGLdw2cPtg

 

P.S. I also posted a couple of pictures of Prinsendam Cabin 196.

[jhannah]

Excellent pix, Sher. Thanks for the link. With the exception of Germany, those were all places we visited a couple of years ago. Brought back great memories.

[JaniceB]

Localady,

 

I just view your pictures. They are wonderful. I think you could make some money in the postcard business.

I hope you have straightened out the mess with your credit card and the theft of your other property.

Sounds like you had a wonderful time on your cruise.

 

Janice

[localady]

Janice-

 

Thanks for your kind words.

It's not the photographer I assure you, it's the 6.1 meg Camera!:D

It looks like we have a suspect, now it's just unraveling the mess the individual did to our checking account! He managed to locate my ATM/Visa card that I'd left home as I didn't plan to use it on the trip. We were very lucky to actually find some of our valuables, and although they are in police custody, we know where they are!

[jasl]

Good to hear things are looking up Loca Friend, now just don't let anything happen on your NEXT cruise...... a little over three months to go.

[trubey]

If anyone is interested in the Captain's Book, here is a reference:

 

Captain’s Log

 

Monday, 20 December 2004 The Captain's Log, Around the World with Cruise Captain Hans Mateboer is the title of a new book with a collection of Mateboer's stories of funny happenings onboard. His articles have also been published regularly in the Cruise Industry News Quarterly since 1999. "A cruise ship can be compared to a small floating city, and everything that happens there, happens on a ship as well . . . and more," according to Mateboer, who claims that he did not make up the stories.

 

The book is a picture of his life, he said, and undoubtedly of many others who have spent considerable time at sea. The difference is that he can see humor in what most of us may view as ordinary, everyday events.

 

Mateboer who hails from the Netherlands, wanted to become a captain since he was a boy and first went to sea at the age of 19. During his career he has sailed under Dutch, Danish, British and Bahamian flag on many different types of ships. He is presently serving with Holland America Line. He met his wife Lisa onboard and they live in Charlotte, North Carolina.

 

The 231-page paperback is $16.95 plus $2.50 for shipping and handling.

 

Books can be ordered directly from Hans Mateboer at 6410 Wakehurst Road, Charlotte, NC 28226. Payment can be made by check payable to Hans Mateboer and with the envelope marked "book order." Payment can also be made by Paypal to cruisebooks@hotmail.com. Customers outside the U.S. should inquire about shipment costs.

[localady]

Thanks for mentioning the book Susana! :)

 

It's also available from Amazon, I just ordered my copy! The officers and crew on the Prinsendam seemed to have a very warm rapport among themselves. I think that may be, at least in part, because Capt. Mataboer has a wonderful sense of humor. :D

[serendipity1499]

Sher..Very impressed! Those pictures are incredibly beautiful.. :) What kind of a camera are you using..John is hinting about getting another new camera, on our next cruise..This will be his third digital! We also have a couple of old & expensive cameras stored away...Don't know what to do with the old stuff. Also enjoyed your commentary about the trip & downloaded your posts... (Hope you don't mind)... They were great & now have put the Baltic on my future wish list...

 

Also, plan to order the book & read it while on our next cruise. Can’t wait to get on the ship & on the the "Prinsendam" next April. Only 11 weeks to go for the "Crown" & 36 weeks till the "Prinsendam"... Also excited about going on the smaller ships, which I really enjoy...

 

Hope you have your bank & credit card info straightened out. Understand you feel so violated when someone breaks in:mad: but hope your next homecoming will be better...

 

You & Jasl will be on your cruise the same time we are on ours. Have a great time & welcome home. Take care & regards to Bob.

 

Happy cruising everyone. :) Betty

[JaniceB]

Localady,

 

I am glad the police were able to find some of your valuables and the suspect. You are very lucky.

 

Janice

[Cruiseoften]

localady:

 

Thank you for posting about your Prinsendam trip - I've read with great interest the account of your wonderful cruise and feel very badly that you are now having ATM/CC problems.

 

Because we are looking forward to a cruise I'm curious as to what you might suggest doing so that we may avoid similar problems.

 

Are you referring to what, in Canada, we think of as a 'debit card' aka 'client card' or an actual credit (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, etc.) card? I'm really not clued in on all those terms. ATM I understand to mean Automatic Teller Machine - it takes and gives money and dispenses currency of the country you are in.

 

Here we use our 'client/debit card' to deposit checks; transfer funds between accounts; withdraw cash; pay a merchant (my checking account is immediately debited) who does not subscribe to Visa. It is a card I would carry on a cruise to obtain cash for incidental expenses. The visa (actual credit card) would be used for larger expenditures, e.g. restaurant meals, diamonds, rolleyes :D) purchases etc. Withdrawing money with the actual credit card incurs carrying charges from the date of withdrawal - that's just not 'on' for me when you're faced with 19% +- carrying charges.

 

When you have time, can you clarify, please?

 

 

I would have started a new 'thread' but quite honestly don't know how to do that - or, to be honest, can't find the instructions!

[localady]

The card that was stolen was my ATM card. I had left it at home as that is just a household account. The problem was that it was tied to my DH's Visa credit card for overdraft protection...they were able to steal appx. 7500$ in merchandise, fast food and gas by the time we realized it.

 

The best thing I can recommend it is to buy a big safe (we purchased a Remington just a few days ago) and use it! All my valuables and credit info will be stored in there when we travel. The safe is easily 500 lbs...if they can grab that.....then I am stumped.:cool:

[Cruiseoften]

Thank you 'localady:

 

Short of buying a safe, guess the best solution is to lug everything to the Safety Deposit box at the bank and make sure your Home Security system is working.