Come Sail a Way with us LIVE as the Westerdam meets the Sail a Way Gang

[Susie51]

Sorry about the lingering water problems. Enjoy your port day!

[65 Gator]

I want to offer a special THANK YOU to the Sail Away Gang for the running commentary and great photos. Thanks so much for "taking me with you" on this trip. Even thought I have made the same journey I still found it fascinating. Wish I could meet up with y'all on one of my cruises...

[kazu]

We had a great meet and greet this morning. The captain came and all the officers as well as our person in charge, Jody from guest relations, head chef, our hotel manager, too many to mention.

 

The captain was a riot. The sail a way gang was treated to mimosas & strawberry champagne, cupcakes that were so beautiful and pastries with custard and fruit. delicious. Captain offeree the cupcakes to 1of4''s DS and DD and when they hesitated he snatched them away. Too funny. He then presented them again and they each took one. He reminded them they had two hands and suggested they take another one or get their parents to hold them.

 

He has recognized we are the "rouwdy" bunch when he sails and we gave thumbs up to the toots. LOL

 

He will toot under the Lion's gate bridge - it is tradition he says.

 

 

 

Tom (shanni shanni) created a good bye song for us all tos ing :)

 

And Ingo arrived with our invites for our special wine tasting for the roll call :)

 

 

 

 

hope you can see some of the munchies in the pics. DH was taking some but so far, I haven't gotten his memory card to download. grrr.

 

Fabulous meet and greet - we were all treated royally and the good news is that our Captain thinks he will be on for our April 2nd sailing next year.

 

So hop on and book next year's cruise. Some of the sail a way gang are already going and some other great roll call members as well.

 

After that it was the suite luncheon (yup, busy busy day). I will post some food porn next but remember, I didn't take the pics until the meal was over. It was buffet style so hard to do pics until the meal was done.

 

 

Thank you to Mark and the Captain for the lovely drinks, the food and the company. A marvelous day!

Edited April 26, 2015 by kazu

[kazu]

I forgot to say that Mark Pells announced that Westerdam was #1 in the satisfaction survey among the HAL ships for the month of March. (no competition among the dam ships - LOL)

 

and now the suite luncheon, for those that like food porn, enjoy

 

 

 

 

 

[summer slope]

I can only hope if he is on your April 2 sailing he will do ours through the Panama Canal right before that one. I do want him to do our renewal of vows.

Edited April 26, 2015 by dixiefinn

[PathfinderEss]

We had a great meet and greet this morning. The captain came and all the officers as well as our person in charge, Jody from guest relations, head chef, our hotel manager, too many to mention.

 

The captain was a riot. The sail a way gang was treated to mimosas & strawberry champagne, cupcakes that were so beautiful and pastries with custard and fruit. delicious. Captain offeree the cupcakes to 1of4''s DS and DD and when they hesitated he snatched them away. Too funny. He then presented them again and they each took one. He reminded them they had two hands and suggested they take another one or get their parents to hold them.

 

He has recognized we are the "rouwdy" bunch when he sails and we gave thumbs up to the toots. LOL

 

He will toot under the Lion's gate bridge - it is tradition he says.

 

 

 

Tom (shanni shanni) created a good bye song for us all tos ing :)

 

And Ingo arrived with our invites for our special wine tasting for the roll call :)

 

 

 

 

hope you can see some of the munchies in the pics. DH was taking some but so far, I haven't gotten his memory card to download. grrr.

 

Fabulous meet and greet - we were all treated royally and the good news is that our Captain thinks he will be on for our April 2nd sailing next year.

 

So hop on and book next year's cruise. Some of the sail a way gang are already going and some other great roll call members as well.

 

After that it was the suite luncheon (yup, busy busy day). I will post some food porn next but remember, I didn't take the pics until the meal was over. It was buffet style so hard to do pics until the meal was done.

 

 

Thank you to Mark and the Captain for the lovely drinks, the food and the company. A marvelous day!

 

Wow, very nice meet and greet. Those cupcakes look awesome along with the oh so bubbly beverages.

[kazu]

a bit more food porn from the suite

lunchen

 

we had caviar with all the fixings, shrimp, tempura shrimp chateuabriand to name a few things.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am not a fan of buffets, but this one was really, well done.

 

great meet and greet and great lunch - what more can anyone ask for.

 

so many nice roll call members. I think Lizzie said it right when she said I would be happy to sail with any of you anytime.

[kazu]

Wow, very nice meet and greet. Those cupcakes look awesome along with the oh so bubbly beverages.

 

 

 

It was really great :)

 

forgot to say, that the seas seem quite stable to me from Los Cabos to San Diego. Captain has warned it may get rough but the stabilizers are in full working form and so far, it seems fine to me. :)

[sapper1]

Our friends who will be meeting us in Victoria have friends on this sailing. It was suggested that we might get together and we did so today for lunch in the MDR.

 

We had a very enjoyable time and discovered that the husband and I had attended the same high school at the same time in Kingston, Ontario and that we had known a few people in common back then. We enjoyed our lunch so much that we have decided to do it again between San Diego and Vancouver.

[PathfinderEss]

a bit more food porn from the suite

lunchen

 

we had caviar with all the fixings, shrimp, tempura shrimp chateuabriand to name a few things.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am not a fan of buffets, but this one was really, well done.

 

great meet and greet and great lunch - what more can anyone ask for.

 

so many nice roll call members. I think Lizzie said it right when she said I would be happy to sail with any of you anytime.

 

I love it when they do the Suite Lunchon in the Pinnacle. It to me is the perfect setting. The food looked awesome, wow, could it get any better with caviar, oooooooooooh so good.

[sail7seas]

Our friends who will be meeting us in Victoria have friends on this sailing. It was suggested that we might get together and we did so today for lunch in the MDR.

 

We had a very enjoyable time and discovered that the husband and I had attended the same high school at the same time in Kingston, Ontario and that we had known a few people in common back then. We enjoyed our lunch so much that we have decided to do it again between San Diego and Vancouver.

 

How nice. Pleasant surprise. :)

 

Great photos, Kazu.

 

[PathfinderEss]

oops, meant to tell you all that your Sail Away thread has over 1,060 post. Woohoo!:)

[nana51]

Here is a copy of the email I have sent to my travel agent:

 

-------------------------

Hi Beth

 

We are having a great cruise but I was wondering if you could phone Canada Customs and check something for us please.

 

HAL is trying something new this year and gave us our Canada Customs forms for Victoria clearance today. They want them filled in and turned in tomorrow, April 23rd and have dated them April 30th for us.

 

My friend and I went to the front desk and pointed out that we still have three more ports to visit and would be doing more shopping so that our declaration would not be accurate by the time we reached Victoria. I was told I could estimate what I would spend and put that amount down. I have enough experience with Canada Customs to know that is hogwash and they want an accurate figure, not an estimate.

 

My friend and I said we would turn in our customs form when we leave San Diego and have an accurate total of what we spent. That is not going over well as they insist Canada Customs wants everything in advance.

 

I told them they could not force me to sign a false Canada Customs declaration and that if I arrive in Victoria having spent more than I have declared, I could be fined and have goods seized. Could you find out if I am within my rights to refuse to sign an inaccurate declaration on April 23, that the cruiseline has already dated April 30th for me.

 

Thanks---I hope I have not been too confusing to you.

 

Bobbie.

 

Bulls**t. I'm getting on in San diego so I won't be turning my customs form (I'm a Canadian citizen) until the 27th at the earliest. Makes no sense.

[rkacruiser]

I am enjoying the postings of all on this cruise! Obviously, a great group of cruisers!

 

Loved the food porn! Thanks! And, as to caviar: it was the good kind!

[kazu]

Bulls**t. I'm getting on in San diego so I won't be turning my customs form (I'm a Canadian citizen) until the 27th at the earliest. Makes no sense.

 

of course - since you board he 27th, but do turn it in quickly. the guest relations manager explained that they have a lot of Canadian and since this is their first time to Victoria this year, they are trying to set a good example to make all the clearings easy for the other cruises. I get where she is coming from but I also have to submit a legal document.

 

My tally is done and once I see what we do in San Diego, it will be promptly turned in as a revised form.

 

 

hope we meet you on board.

 

sadly, I confess that the last pic was moi, so I shouldn't be hard to find.

[sail7seas]

You look good, Kazu. :) I haven't seen you in 2 1/2 years and you haven't aged a bit!!! ;)

 

[summer slope]

If anyone is in a Signature suite would you measure the verandah table for me. I want to bring a tablecloth and would like the size. Thank you in advance.

[kazu]

oops, meant to tell you all that your Sail Away thread has over 1,060 post. Woohoo!:)

 

really? I am incredulous! using tapatalk most of the time. It has it's draw backs but it lets me post pics.

 

Lots of great music from the Lido floating to my verandah.

 

Just taking a break before our wine tasting. Have the formal duds packed and another envelope done :)

 

I have promised myself I am NOT spending my last sea day packing )

 

Plus, I need to figure where all these knick knacks are going to go, including an ice bucket fom Ingo for my friends that i am going to ship for him.

 

I think he owes me another bottle of wine. LOL.

[kazu]

You look good, Kazu. :) I haven't seen you in 2 1/2 years and you haven't aged a bit!!! ;)

 

 

obiously the shot is far enough away to hide the many wrinkles (most smile crinkles)

[sail7seas]

:) Take the compliment and enjoy it. :)

 

[nana51]

of course - since you board he 27th, but do turn it in quickly. the guest relations manager explained that they have a lot of Canadian and since this is their first time to Victoria this year, they are trying to set a good example to make all the clearings easy for the other cruises. I get where she is coming from but I also have to submit a legal document.

 

My tally is done and once I see what we do in San Diego, it will be promptly turned in as a revised form.

 

 

hope we meet you on board.

 

sadly, I confess that the last pic was moi, so I shouldn't be hard to find.

Well since I live in San diego I may not have to fill one out until I leave Canada. We will see. I will have nothing to declare obviously.

You look wonderful. So nice to have a face to go with the name.

Edited April 26, 2015 by nana51

[OVgirl]

I would also like to throw out a huge thank you for taking us along on such a memorable cruise. I think many of us wish we would have booked and been there in person.

 

Thanks for spending your big $$$ on internet, writing the daily reviews, posting pictures and giving us a very good sense of the friendships that have developed on this cruise.

 

Enjoy the last days and look forward to reading all about them.

[kazu]

thanks so much for the kind words all. :)

 

you are all too generous and I owe it all to my roll call friends who have joined in and made this thread so good.

 

so we just finished our wine tasting with Ingo - the one for US in the Pinnacle Bar. What a hoot. a couple of people had 4 strikes and were nearly down to washing floors with toothburshes but we all escaped alive without any penalties. LOL

 

He is SO funny and entertaining.

 

even the most prim and proper roll call member sapper1 as reprimanded. LOL

 

a lot of fun and many thanks to Ingo for doing this for us.

 

too much fun today. and now to get prim and proper for the Pinnacle Grill.

 

we are spending our lives today at the PG and again on our last sal day.:)

 

wonderful, wonderful, sea day.

 

I can still hear the music on the Lido which is nice, but glad I am not there as I suspect it would be too loud for me.

 

having a blast and live is good. seas are still smooth. Cross your fingers they stay that way for us please as we go from San Diego to Vancouver.

 

And now, Roy, I haven't forgotten what today is :)

[Love the beach]

Another huge THANK YOU for this most enjoyable thread! Really loving the pictures , postings and food porn!

Marge

[PathfinderEss]

The ride up to Vancouver will be fine Kazu.