Sporadically "Live"from Veendam Circle Hawaii 12/2/14

[shrimp56]

Day 0

On Day -3 we flew uneventfully from Chicago to San Diego where we were scooped up by a member of our Veendam "family" from a previous Veendam cruise. We then went to Casa Guadalajara where we ate enough food to last us for a week. Thus sated, we waddled around Bazaar El Mundo eyeing the brightly colored wares. All plans for dinner died aborning and we split a chicken sandwich from 7-11.

 

Day -2 we regrouped and headed with our friend to The Mingei Museum in Balboa Park where we enjoyed several exhibits, one of woodworking and weaving and one on Surfing. Both were fascinating. We lucked into the Sunday concert of The Spreckels Organ. Lunch was at The Fig Tree in Hillcrest. Our wonderful dinner was on the rooftop terrace of Azuki Sushi.

 

Day -1 was devoted to the San Diego Museum of Art. Lunch was at their outdoor cafe, Panama66, which makes reference to the Panama Exposition of 1916. Or was it 1915? Dinner was at Jimmy Carters Mexican Cafe close to our hotel. Super margaritas and corn tortilla quesadillas.

 

Now for Day 0 Saw Veendam on the port webcam. Were checked in by 11am and in our cabin by 11:45. More about our cabin and the rest of Day 0 later.

Edited December 4, 2014 by shrimp56

[RuthC]

Aloha Oe!

Looking forward to sailing along with you to the islands. Have a good time, and thanks for taking us along.

[PathfinderEss]

Enjoying your sporadically "Live" report. Looking forward to more.......:)

[Krazy Kruizers]

Wonderful start.

Looking forward to your "Live".

[Scrapnana]

Love the title! "Sporadically" is often the best you can hope for internet-wise on a cruise.

 

Have a wonderful time!

[SilvertoGold]

SUPER!!!!!

Thanks for taking us along! This is going to make the run-up to Christmas bearable for me!!!!

[puppycanducruise]

Looking forward to reading more.

Thanks for taking us along.

Have a great cruise.

[shrimp56]

Day 0 continued.

 

We took an upsell to a Neptune suite. That is sure a lot of real estate. The verandah is bigger than many cabins I've sailed in. On the whole cabin-wise I prefer the Vista Signature suites. The bathroom has a separate shower and two sinks. The sink in the Neptune dressing area is rather vestigial. There are fewer closets and a less useful desk arrangement than the Vista Sig. suites. Also the law that states that by the third day the cabin surfaces are buried in paper and clothes holds true with a vengeance in a Neptune.

 

And the lounge is a lovely perk. All the lox I can eat for breakfast and a concierge that makes miracles happen.

 

It was cool and rainy for sail away. We went to The Retreat as I said we would, but only one hardy (and very nice) couple showed up. Sail away was delayed because of bunkering and taking on supplies.

 

We are "any dam time dining" and got a nice table at the back, a two top just a couple off the windows. Although it's dark then and doesn't really matter. Love Putu and Hari and our angel of a concierge got us that table for the rest of the journey. Food is good. DH has a pork chop that was perfect. I asked them to double the scallop appetizer for my main and it was delish. I think we went to the crowbar as our Polish friend calls it and ran into Ulysses who had been our server in Ocean Bar last August. Veendam still looks great.

 

The actual Day 1 and 2 will follow later. The big deal today is that we may see Amsterdam on her way back from Grand Asia.

Edited December 5, 2014 by shrimp56

[kazu]

Great reports. Love the title :D

 

Looking forward to whenever you can sporadically report. Sounds like you are having fun :D

[Jim Avery]

Shrimp, keep an eye out for Ruth & Jud from out here in the desert. Hope you have a ball as we are boarding as you get kicked off.:D:eek::D

[erewhon]

Thank you for reporting "sporadically" from your Veendam cruise.

[shrimp56]

Love the title! "Sporadically" is often the best you can hope for internet-wise on a cruise.

 

Have a wonderful time!

 

Shrimp, keep an eye out for Ruth & Jud from out here in the desert. Hope you have a ball as we are boarding as you get kicked off.:D:eek::D

 

We met them someplace LOL

 

I should get Days 1&2 out of the way. So briefly....

 

Day 1 A SWELL Day

Literally. We have been rocking rather noticeably since we sailed. It took us all last night before we realized that the loud bangs were not our suitcases tripping the not so light fantastic, but our unsecured closet doors dancing with the ship. We have since learned how to secure them.

 

The day began with twice around the Lower Promenade deck. Then the CC M&G. About 30 showed up plus Capt. Van der Wal, the event manager, future cruise consultant and the energetic CD Jeremy. It was a great time. Then Lunch in the Lido. Good acupuncture with Ana, whom I first met last August on Veendam. She is a fine practitioner and it was nice to catch up. After dinner in which I doubled the soup Provençal for my main. Mmmmmmmm mussels. We then attended the suite cocktail party with the crew, and met many more staff.

 

Day 2 Love me some sea days

Yesterday I missed the one On Location lecture I most wanted to hear--the one on Geology and Geography. So I was sure not to miss today's titled from Kingdom to State. Our lecturer is Kainoa and he is very good. As a native Hawaiian he has a lot to offer from his family's experiences. We were still rocking, as opposed to rolling. Not much memory of dins or later. Sea days do that to you.

 

Day 3 Hello ms Amsterdam!

The highlight of the day was meeting ms Amsterdam on her way back from 78 days of The Grand Asia. I posted some pics of AMDM on Facebook. Copper8-10 is currently SO on AMDM and posted a reciprocal photo of us. I will post the pictures later...

Edited December 6, 2014 by shrimp56

[shrimp56]

For Jim Avery: Turns out Ruth and Jud are 3 doors down from us and we HAVE met them.

 

Booked the Konigsdam 2nd cruise. (RT Rome, going to Istanbul.)

 

I am really losing sense of what day it what. I know tomorrow is Lahaina and we're supposed to get off the ship LOL -- 5 seadays is very relaxing as well as a bit disorienting. I know I mised up dinners and lectures, but let's just say it is all good. We have had 2 suite cocktail parties with the Captain and upper staff. Made some nice connections. It's a great crew.

 

I'm having trouble posting my pics of AMDM and VEDM from our mid-Pacific rendezvous, but I will persevere.

[shrimp56]

Amsterdam

 

 

Veendam taken by COPPER8-10

 

Edited December 7, 2014 by shrimp56

[oaktreerb]

Great pictures. It must have been fun to pass mid-Pacific! Did the captains sound the horns in greeting?

[shrimp56]

Yes we got 3 long and three short.

[erewhon]

Thanks for continuing your review, and posting the photos of both ships.