First installment/Oosterdam cruise

[ZSandy25]

We just returned from a 21 day cruise on the Oosterdam, this is more of a running commentary than a review but will comment more on the ship on my second installment.

 

I know Retired Mustang is writing everyday from the Oosterdam and I enjoyed reading his daily post while sitting in the Michigan winter and getting ready for this cruise.We did have a chance to meet at the M & G. He will be getting off after this segment and I will continue to give you my views and findings on the cruise. I just write what pops in my head and you will have to forgive any grammatical and spelling errors.

 

Flight down was great and although the room at our hotel was not ready when we arrived they held our bags and we went for a walk and completed our shopping. Had a nice lunch at a sports bar and declared that this was the start of our vacation cruise over a glass of wine. We will be celebrating a birthday and our wedding anniversary.

 

We did receive notice that the ship was in code red as noro virus had plagued the first segment..We were told not to arrive at the dock before 3:00. The hotel gave us an extension on our room but not that long!!. We went over to the port as we were told they would shuttle us over to a nice mall for shopping etc. All free of charge, well not the shopping! We took the bus tour and it was very nice as we travelled along the shoreline in Ft. Lauderdale and had a great view of the rolling waves and beach scene. We timed our shopping and lunch to get back to port around 3.

 

Bus was waiting promptly for us at the mall and off we were to the ship. It was a bit of a crowd as everyone was arriving at the same time for boarding. It was probably the longest check-in but we understood the reasons why. Staff was very friendly and apologetic for our inconvenience and the wait time. Checked in with no problems and after skipping the photo op we boarded our ship.

 

We are in a suite on this cruise, our very first one. We usually book veranda and have to say I do love the suite life. Room is very adequate and spacious. Plenty of drawers and spots to store our goodies. Love the bath as it has two sinks, two cabinets, shower stall and a bath/shower/combo with hydro jets in the pool. Don't think I will be using the tub for that purpose but it is a nice feature. They even have bath salts and a nice loofa (I might have to rethink my bath:):)

 

The ship is in code red which means we don't touch most things, this is hard for the staff as I think staff is pulled in for other areas to assist. Went for coffee at the Explorers Lounge and asked for a sugar packet, no you are not allowed to even grab a sugar packet. The library is closed so no check out for books, I'm sure those who don't bring their own reading and depend on the library are very disappointed. Personally I have a couple of books going at the same time so if not for my Kindle I would be in a bit of withdrawal.

 

We have two days at sea which are nice to get one into relaxing and winding down. I find myself reading over the daily program and running from one thing to the other. I had to stop and say to myself, slow down your on for 21 days you don't have to do it all the first day. Ah, it's just my nature to gather as much pleasure in a day that I can absorb.

 

I am enjoying walking around the ship and seeing the beautiful artwork and artifacts. Sometimes I round a corner and there is something new to see. It is so easy to walk quickly to ones destination and never enjoy ones surroundings. I am going to go to the library and get an I-pod device and take the walking tour. Another thing I love...the flowers, fresh flowers. The designers are very creative, as it is Valentine's Day on this cruise they are offering beautiful bouquets all done in a Valentine theme. It will be our wedding anniversary on the red heart day and I do love flowers....lets hope DH is aware of this service.

 

I love food and cooking so I have taken advantage of the cooking shows that are offered. They are very well attended and the hostess, Hannah is full of life and energy which makes things very entertaining. We are on for 21 days so I have signed up for two of the cooking classes, one on the front end of the cruise and the other on the last leg. I have taken these on previous cruises and always enjoyed them. Friends and family reap the rewards of my toils in the kitchen when we return home.

 

I am not a big gambler but do enjoy a little light play on the slots. I have made an investment of $20.00. I played and won a little and cashed out when I got down to my $20 investment. I will let you know how far that $20 goes as the days proceed.

 

Our first stop is in St. Maarten and we have joined a private tour of the island. The tour gave us a great overview of both sides of the island with a beach stop at Orient Beach on the French side. We had arrived early and obtained two beach chairs and an umbrella right on the ocean. It is a lovely beach with lots of shoreline to walk and enjoy the "scenery ". Activity started to pick up in the early afternoon and we loved watching the kite boarders sail those ocean breezes.

 

Interesting fact on St. Maarten, if you live on either side of the island and want to call the other side it is an international call!! They have no export on this island, everything is imported in from the states and other countries. They only share one holiday, the Dutch side has all the casinos and most of the major shopping. The island is duty free so no taxes on anything coming in so that includes most things, cars etc. You pay your taxes where you work, so if you live on the Dutch side and work on the French side they get the tax. I like this....if you receive some aide from the government you are required to work in some capacity for a limited time and then you must reapply. No free ride here.

 

Just after all aboard was called the ships services called for two men in two different cabins to please call in. Another 15 min. Passed and the call went out again. Our cabin looked at the gang way and we could see who was boarding (or not boarding in this case). After one hour delay the ship finally set sail, we never saw anyone making a mad dash for the ship. I would have to say they were left behind. Hopefully they had their passports and a CC with them.

 

We had dinner at Canaletto and enjoyed it very much. We each had a small plate and shared the main dish. Very nicely presented and tasty.

 

2/12 St. Lucia/Castries. Five days on code red and today it ended. Bet the staff is relieved as well as passengers. We took the ships Historic Island Tour which started in Castries and ended in Soufriere where were met by the ship. We had a great guide Rita and Tony the driver gave us great confidence in his driving skills as this island is very hilly with sharp turns and narrow roads, and they drive on the "wrong side of the road". It is a full day of touring and we did see the whole island but I think we were all glad to arrive in Soufriere and see the ship sailing in to retrieve us. It was a very poplar tour and Rita told us that is was the largest group they had ever had on this tour. We travelled in four small buses and the stops were timed so as we weren't all arriving at a stop at the same time. Very well done and I give the tour high marks.

 

We arrived back onboard as the sun was just starting to set, we sat on our veranda with a glass of wine and decided the Lido would be our dinner stop for the night as we were pooped. We do like this alternative, there is enough selection of foods to satisfy both of us.

 

2/13 Barbados. We had set up an excursion on our own to do a snorkel tour. Don't know if I can name it here but if you think you might be interested in the contact you can e-mail me and I will provide you with the site info. We were met at the appointed time with our small group of twelve and driven a short distance to the boat where our crew met us with fresh coffee, banana bread, fruit and juice. As we set out of the harbor they served us small flaky rolls with scrambled eggs with bacon. The crew was very attentive to all of us and we just sat back and enjoyed the ride.

 

As we left the harbor they hoisted the sails and we were off to our first site to snorkel and see the turtles. One of our crew was always in the water with us. He had a bit of food and sure enough the two big turtles found us. They swam close enough for me to come eye to eye, I was able to rub my hand across his hard shell as he passed by.

 

We then set out for another location which took us to a small reef where we observed lots of colorful fish. One of our crew swam down and picked up a sea urchin. He asked if I wanted to hold it, at first I said no and then he explained it would not hurt me and placed it in my hand and told me about the urchin. I could feel it's slight movement in my hand. This was never on my bucket list but I can add it to the list of things I had never done.

 

After this lunch was served...WOW. Fresh fish, slaw, chicken, roasted pumpkin, rice, corn salsa, green salad. I know I am missing a few things but you get the idea. Drinks were always available and the crew was in constant check to our wants. Beer, wine, punch, soda etc. Oh, I can't forget dessert...YUMMY.

 

Snorkeled out, tummies full, nicely relaxed from the lovely Australian Chardonnay at lunch, sails unfurled and we had a lovely sail back to the harbor. What a great day. DH does not get in the water but enjoyed the day as well.

 

2/14 Fort-de-France. Valentine's Day....yes, I did get my flowers. I go up to Explorations Cafe when they open at 7:00 for my Latte. D H timed my departure for the arrival of the flowers. We ordered room service this morning and it arrived promptly on time and correct. We received a call about 45 min. Later to inquire if all was to our liking, very nice touch.

 

We do not have any big plans today but will get off and do a walk about. It is Sunday here and things are quiet.

 

We are the only ship docked here today and it is probably a good thing because I don't know what one would do here on a Sunday as there are only two things open, the church and library. The dock to get to town is very nice, I like that we are not tied up and looking at a lot of shipping containers. They did have a small open air market open for the usual offerings.

 

We walked over to the church and a Sunday service was in progress. I was surprised they let us walk in. It is a lovely church and the voices singing were beautiful. I lit a candle in my mother's memory and stayed a few minutes to enjoy the service.

 

We then walked about and saw a horse and mule driven carriage, $12 each for a 45 minute ride around the town. Nice until the skies opened up and the rain came down. It was that kind of day here all day long. Back on the ship, little lunch, and I do have to make mention about people who hold chairs....I don't know what you might want to call them and I have read a few terms here on CC. Rude is what I will call them! Enough said, I will not let them ruin my cruise.

 

We do enjoy Trivia and try to make it when the game is played. We have met some couples who also like to play so we are now a team. We are on a continuing segment, it was interesting to see the reaction of the old salts when they came to the Crow’s Nest and the newbies (that would be us) were sitting in their section. All in good fun and made more relaxed because of Happy Hour. How can one come to an event called Happy Hour and not have fun???

 

Tonight we will be dining in the PG to celebrate our wedding anniversary. More on that dinner after we dine.

 

Dinner was grand and delicious as always. They had a special menu in addition to the regular menu for Valentine’s Day. They presented us with an anniversary chocolate mousse cake that was so light and decadent. We shared a few bites of that because we were also getting a dessert off the menu. Had we known about the special cake we would both have been satisfied with the anniversary dessert. We did enjoy a little of both, it was a special night!!

I still have my $20.00 and the bank is growing.

 

St. Kitts...We decided to do a ships tour over to Nevis. What a great day we had and I would give the excursion high marks. We took a 45 min. Water taxi over to Nevis where we were met by our drivers. Our drivers name was Valentine but he explained on Nevis everyone has a nickname and his was Cookie. Highlights were the hot springs where we were able to experience the waters, stop at an old plantation which is now a $$$ hotel, the beach lunch which I will give high marks, I had fresh grouper, so good. Down to the beach where we all had umbrellas and beach chairs and of course the beautiful Caribbean waters to swim. Delightful day.

 

St. Thomas....we took the open taxi to town for a walkabout and free Wi-Fi. back to the ship and enjoyed some quiet time on deck until 4:00 for Trivia and happy hour!! My $20.00 has now doubled.

 

Sea Day...I thought I might sleep in but woke just in time to see I could make it to the 7:00 a.m. Stretch class. Quite a few show up and all the floor space is taken rather quickly. I did notice on my way over while looking down at the mid pool the chair hogs are all set up with their books, towels, chair clips etc. and it's only 6:45!!! I see the same set up everyday for about 10 chairs.

 

After all the port calls I am looking forward to a day of everything or nothing. Checked my daily schedule and highlighted a few things. Today is the Mariners Lunch, DH will be going to the lunch and pick up our tiles. I am booked in the hands on cooking class today and want to take one of the Microsoft classes at 10:30. DH arrived back before I left for cooking class with the tiles. They are a new design, they show the ship with a sail boat in front. We had a discussion at cooking class what others do with their tiles and some were very creative. Mine are stacked in a drawer except for the very first one that I had mounted and framed and it hangs on my "vacation wall".

 

Cooking class was not a hands on as I have done on previous cruises. The chef had everything prepped and he did all the cooking. At first I was disappointed then he explained a participant almost had an accident with a knife which is why he now does it this way. More likely it is just the way he likes to do things. Footnote: he will be leaving the ship in Ft. Lauderdale and I have another class set up for the next segment so will see how it is handled.

 

I did enjoy his format, we could follow him from set-up to set-up and I was able to take good notes, ask questions about the dish he was working on etc, In previous classes where groups are split you don't always know what's going on in the other "kitchen".

 

Class was followed up in the PG where we enjoyed the lunch prepared by the staff, you are given one complimentary glass of wine and as most of the participants love food the conversation flows and it is a very enjoyable.

 

Tonight is a Gala Night, IMO it is a night to dress up a bit, get out the "jewels and bling" and enjoy a special evening...the lobster is on the menu tonight.

I have found that there is a nice mix of dress, I still see some tux's and most men are wearing a jacket with tie or a suit. I think most were dressed to fit the occasion.

 

We have enjoyed going to see the B.B. King revue. We have gotten up to dance a few times (better than just dancing in my seat!!!). They put on several shows a night so it is easy to catch a show with them. It’s hard to just walk by the Queen’s Room if they are playing, they draw a nice crowd.

 

HMC....We booked one of the little blue cabanas on the beach. We caught the ferry over about 9:00, I don't think I have been to a more beautiful beach anywhere. I am in awe every time we come here. Last time it rained and we were not able to go to the beach. Today was a perfect weather day. The temp had dropped, there was a nice breeze, the beautiful waters were calm with just a gently break in the water. Nice beach lunch, Life is good.

 

We are back onboard and noticed a helicopter landing on HMC. The captain just announced that there was a medical emergency and the Coast Guard was called in to assist. They transported the passenger from the ship to HMC for transport. Sad to see things like this happen, I always say a little prayer for them.

 

Tomorrow Ft. Lauderdale where some will be finishing their cruise. We have been given instructions as we are In Transit passengers. We have the choice of leaving the ship and going thru customs after the general disembarkation and waiting once the ship has been cleared. You are only allowed to take a small bag or purse ashore.

 

If you decide to stay onboard you must go to the Vista Lounge at 10:00 a.m. As soon as the in transit passengers are accounted for USCBP officials will come onboard to conduct the inspection. So that is how it is done....

 

We will be getting off and taking a little tour. Look for Wi-Fi and hopefully post this on the site.

 

Just ran in to Dave, (Retired Mustang) and said a goodbye as he and his wife Kathy leave the ship tomorrow.

[Crew News]

Thanks for your review. We did the same cruise last November and I too enjoyed Nevis.

[Buffett123]

Have read Dave's review looking forward to yours will be getting on in 4 days

[Krazy Kruizers]

Enjoyed your running commentary.

[Lizzie68]

Thank you for posting a review. Will look forward to the next installment.:)

[kftw]

Thank you for doing a review. I'm looking forward to your next installment.

[Keith1010]

Enjoying your report.

Keith

[puppycanducruise]

Thank you for posting your comments.

Very enjoyable read.

Looking forward to reading more.

[LUPY48]

Loving your 'review'. Looking forward to more.

[tassietravellers]

Thank you for both of the reviews, we will be on the Oosterdam in June, so your observations are very helpful.