Our Anniversary cruise on the Nieuw Statendam : Is the honeymoon over ?

[scubacruiserx2]

13 hours ago, Bimmer09 said:

Joe, thanks for the swift response.

If next year heralds the final non-expedition ships sailings to Antarctica then we have literally missed the boat. I know from our 3 cruises to Alaska that the glaciers are on the retreat after thousands of years inching their way to the sea. I think I showed some in my Star Princess review. Global Warming at work but of course if you stick your head in the sand it doesn't exist (LOL!) Thanks for taking us there. The video clips showed how quiet it is there and I daren't let Carol see them or she would want to move there.

 

I can't see everything in person alas.

 

Is Club Orange  a Suites-only restaurant on HAL, or open to all?

 

Cheers!

Norris

 

Norris , 

 

Antarctica was the icing on the cake for our visit to South America . But we also enjoyed the week that we spent in Patagonia at El Chalten ,

 

 

Torres del Paine ,

 

 

Perito Moreno glacier up close on foot 

 

 

and with a 4 glacier gourmet boat cruise as much or more than Antarctica .

 

 

 

 

Perito Moreno is advancing but most are not . But that was not always the case . There have been a number of Little Ice Ages ( 1650 , 1770 and 1850 ) that result in many glaciers advancing . When we were in Glacier Bay , Alaska we were given a brochure from the National Parks Service that said GB was created in a relatively short time by a rapidly advancing and and retreating  glacier .

 

 

Who knows when the next Little or Big Ice age may return ?

 

This is what the Holland American web page says about Club Orange :

 

Club Orange will be included for guests in Neptune and Pinnacle Suite categories, and the program will be available to purchase for a small number of non-suite staterooms on each sailing.  The program is slated to launch on Koningsdam and Nieuw Statendam in December 2018, with a rollout to the rest of the fleet in 2019.

 

[OlsSalt]

3 hours ago, Despegue said:

This Is climatological incorrect.

there is indeed a VERY SMALL percentage of glaciers that is growing (Hubbard being one of them actually). But over 90mpercent of the glaciers is in retreat, and in accelerated retreat.

Global warning is a fact. Just like the Earth is a Globe, Vaccination SAVES lifes and Evolution is reality. You can have your opinion, but base them on facts rather than on uneducated crap found on obscure websites or incompetent “politicians”

 

FACT: It has been 10,000 years since the last major ice age. All glaciers are naturally in retreat until the next scheduled Ice Age reappears. We can't even predict El Ninos (complex climate change, not weather) the year before they occur, yet we can know as scientific fact the world as we know it will end in 12 years?  Trust, but verify remains prudent advice.

Edited March 9, 2019 by OlsSalt

[scubacruiserx2]

On 3/9/2019 at 5:51 AM, Caribbean Chris said:

 

Since the fairly recent Cruise Critic website overhaul, I noticed I can add photos directly into a post from my computer/tablet/phone (without needing to paste a link to a host service like Photobucket). Look for “click to choose files” link at lower left and just select your desired photo. If you change your mind, easy to delete it.

 

Meanwhile, thanks for your review. I’m especially interested in Club Orange since we’ll be in a NS on the Nieuw Statendam soon for our own anniversary cruise - 39 years. (Next year’s 40th will be 18 days to Hawaii on Eurodam.)

 

Thanks for the photo information Chris . And congratulations on your anniversary and your upcoming cruises .  

[scubacruiserx2]

On 3/9/2019 at 1:41 AM, perfect match said:

Hi Joe & Pat! Glad I found you! 

 

From the sounds of what you're saying,  NS didn't make a good first impression on you. I hope it gets better.

 

We loved Koningsdam so much I've seriously been thinking of booking our next cruise on her younger sister, NS. We loved the shower on Kdam, I think our deck 6 vs balcony looked bigger than yours, I loved the shower, no glare issues, and no creaking or shims visible anywhere.

 

After this start to your review, I'm now leaning more towards going back on Kdam, or maybe trying a different HAL ship. Three of our last 4 cruises have been/will be next month on the big girls over on RCI. While we really enjoyed Oasis and are looking forward to Symphony, I'm ready for a slightly different experience on our next cruise. 

 

Can't wait to hear about the rest of your cruise! Guess I should go back and finish Antarctica, though.

 

And we're glad that you found us Nancy ! It's always great to hear about future cruise plans . I ready do need to try to try to finish up with Antarctica .

[scubacruiserx2]

The gangway was detached and it was time go 

 

 

We were the 5th ship to depart that day leaving The Adventure of the Sea in our wake

 

 

We also saw the Nieuw Amsterdam

 

 

And the Harmony was on the horizon

 

 

As we passed the condo row there was a HAL  cadre

 

 

This guy was entering the port at a high rate of speed

 

 

 

The sail out video clip :

 

 

 

The beach near The Adventure of the Sea

 

 

On the way to Half Moon Cay

 

 

The orange setting sun over Ft. Lauderdale prepared us for our first meal in Club Orange

 

 

 

 

 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

As we arrived at Club Orange a couple arrived just in front of us. We anxiously waited to be seated and to see what Club Orange offered. We were not acknowledged  until after a few minutes and told someone would be with us in a moment. Well, it was more than a moment. Finally  the Head Waiter greeted us and showed us 3 tables - 1 along the entrance way, 2 the high tables and chairs and 3 in the back. We chose the back "thinking " it would be  less traffic. Wrong. The wine steward was back and forth every few minutes and there was a work station area close by.  The Head Waiter read the menu with her finger under each word while reaching across Pat. The restaurant is a "bit " loud. The tables have plenty of space between them, it is just loud.

We ordered dinner. Water was poured and bread was brought to the table. After we had our appetizers, we were asked if we would like  some champagne ( It is complimentary the first night as a welcome) ? We said yes as the server turned to walk away with champagne glasses in his hands. He gave us  2 glasses that were not quite 1/3 full and looked like they had been taken from someone's table. We were rationing our water, because we had a little water left and none in sight. Finally we had a refill - the 1st refill of only 2 for the dinner. We hardly saw our server but when we were leaving 5 or 6 six people seemed to come out of the woodwork and thanked us for coming and wished us a good evening.

While the food was good we have to say, this is the worst service on any cruise we have ever had in 36 cruises . 

Not crazy about returning. Not a fan.

[Caribbean Chris]

Very discouraging to read these service issues about Club Orange! Thank you for sharing the details.

[Walfam]

On 3/7/2019 at 3:45 PM, Krazy Kruizers said:

I really don't like the looks of the new Club Orange that is available for the Neptune Suites and Pinnacle Suite.  Chairs look terrible.  JMO

 

We prefer the Pinnacle where you can look out and watch the world go by.

 

HMM -- even the art work doesn't appeal to us.  I guess we are just a bunch of old people.

LOL, yep, hubby and I are old, too.

 

I showed him the pics of the Club Orange chairs that scubacruiserx2 posted above, and he agrees with you and me about those chairs.  (They look uncomfortable to my arthritic low back. No padding, either.) We will only sail on a HAL ship with the Pinnacle Grill thankyouverymuch.

Edited March 11, 2019 by Walfam

[Walfam]

On 3/9/2019 at 11:21 AM, scubacruiserx2 said:

This is what the Holland American web page says about Club Orange :

 

Club Orange will be included for guests in Neptune and Pinnacle Suite categories, and the program will be available to purchase for a small number of non-suite staterooms on each sailing.  The program is slated to launch on Koningsdam and Nieuw Statendam in December 2018, with a rollout to the rest of the fleet in 2019.

 

Yikes.  

[Walfam]

On 3/8/2019 at 10:07 AM, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

I don't like the look of those chairs. CO on K had better chairs. 

 

CO on K:

 

Those chairs look more comfortable, but the restaurant, itself, looks like a cafeteria.  No carpet on the floor means noisy.  I will miss the Pinnacle Grill if it is eliminated completely.  We love the Pinnacle Grill!  Oh well, there are always other cruise lines to explore.

[Caribbean Chris]

8 hours ago, Walfam said:

Those chairs look more comfortable, but the restaurant, itself, looks like a cafeteria.  No carpet on the floor means noisy.  I will miss the Pinnacle Grill if it is eliminated completely.  We love the Pinnacle Grill!  Oh well, there are always other cruise lines to explore.

 

I have not read any posts in the HAL forum that suggested the complete elimination of the Pinnacle Grill as a specialty restaurant with a surcharge for dinner and lunch on any of the ships.

 

People are understandably unhappy about the elimination of breakfast in the Pinnacle Grill, a perk limited to only Neptune & Pinnacle suite passengers, since the end of 2018 on the Nieuw Statendam and Konigsdam.

 

This change came with the debut of Club Orange (converted from the Culinary Arts Center) as a Neptune Suite/Pinnacle Suite dining room for breakfast and dinner.

Edited March 11, 2019 by Caribbean Chris

[Krazy Kruizers]

Love the pictures and video.

[Krazy Kruizers]

13 hours ago, scubacruiserx2 said:

As we arrived at Club Orange a couple arrived just in front of us. We anxiously waited to be seated and to see what Club Orange offered. We were not acknowledged  until after a few minutes and told someone would be with us in a moment. Well, it was more than a moment. Finally  the Head Waiter greeted us and showed us 3 tables - 1 along the entrance way, 2 the high tables and chairs and 3 in the back. We chose the back "thinking " it would be  less traffic. Wrong. The wine steward was back and forth every few minutes and there was a work station area close by.  The Head Waiter read the menu with her finger under each word while reaching across Pat. The restaurant is a "bit " loud. The tables have plenty of space between them, it is just loud.

We ordered dinner. Water was poured and bread was brought to the table. After we had our appetizers, we were asked if we would like  some champagne ( It is complimentary the first night as a welcome) ? We said yes as the server turned to walk away with champagne glasses in his hands. He gave us  2 glasses that were not quite 1/3 full and looked like they had been taken from someone's table. We were rationing our water, because we had a little water left and none in sight. Finally we had a refill - the 1st refill of only 2 for the dinner. We hardly saw our server but when we were leaving 5 or 6 six people seemed to come out of the woodwork and thanked us for coming and wished us a good evening.

While the food was good we have to say, this is the worst service on any cruise we have ever had in 36 cruises . 

Not crazy about returning. Not a fan.

 

HAL is going backwards in offering this "cafeteria" to the PS and NS passengers.

 

Thank you for telling us about your experience in Club Orange.

[scubacruiserx2]

4 hours ago, Krazy Kruizers said:

 

HAL is going backwards in offering this "cafeteria" to the PS and NS passengers.

 

Thank you for telling us about your experience in Club Orange.

 

We agree .

[scubacruiserx2]

We have only been to Half Moon Cay once in 2012 . It was different then with only the Westerdam in port .

 

 

 

The beach wasn't too crowed with only 1800 passengers max

 

 

 

 

Beautiful water and soft sand

 

 

 

It was like paradise found

 

 

The Koningsdam was there ahead of us and so there could be over 5000 passengers not including crew

 

 

 

It seems like they packed several hundred people on theses ferries

 

 

After the previous evenings experience we decided to order in breakfast and let some of the crowds go and go ashore for our Lobster Shack lunch . We dove many years for Caribbean lobster and have made conch chowder for years and so we really looked forward to this lunch . We went ashore at about 2 hours

later and waited for a long time to pack the ferry . We don't normally go the beach at home during the busy tourist season preferring the less crowed off season . 

 

 

We had to look hard to find a seat for 2 but after we did find seating , the food came quickly . The lobster plate was very good  

 

 

but the conch chowder was really a conch and seafood chowder that seemed to have little , if any conch in it . It tasted like floured water with some kind of fish mixed in and a couple of bites were enough .

 

 

We had ordered a Mojito and a Margarita but they didn't arrive until the meal was almost completed . They did make them sweet and with lemon instead of lime . We didn't want to get too burned in the midday sun since we were hoping to dive in Grand Cayman and Cozumel and so we headed back to the ship early .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ottahand7]

Thank you for sharing your trip and all of your lovely photos.   

[Krazy Kruizers]

Wonderful pictures of HMC.

 

Doesn't sound like the Lobster Shack is worth the money.

[scubacruiserx2]

1 hour ago, ottahand7 said:

Thank you for sharing your trip and all of your lovely photos.   

 

Thank you and you are welcome .

[scubacruiserx2]

2 minutes ago, Krazy Kruizers said:

Wonderful pictures of HMC.

 

Doesn't sound like the Lobster Shack is worth the money.

 

Thank you and probably not . We were splurging for our anniversary and we like to eat when we go ashore so we thought that we would try them out on HMC . We did see one of our favorite sunsets near there . It started good and got better like a fire in the sky.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Caribbean Chris]

Gorgeous sunset photos!!

 

[perfect match]

Joe, I think I've read most, if not all of your reviews, and I think those sunset photos are among your best! Fire in the sky is an accurate description. They certainly brought a smile to my face!

[scubacruiserx2]

10 hours ago, Caribbean Chris said:

Gorgeous sunset photos!!

 

 

5 hours ago, perfect match said:

Joe, I think I've read most, if not all of your reviews, and I think those sunset photos are among your best! Fire in the sky is an accurate description. They certainly brought a smile to my face!

 

Thank you Chris and Nancy 

[scubacruiserx2]

A morning walk around

 

 

I wish that HAL would use this for Club Orange instead the luncheonette that they currently use .

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 12, 2019 by scubacruiserx2

[Krazy Kruizers]

11 hours ago, scubacruiserx2 said:

 

Thank you and probably not . We were splurging for our anniversary and we like to eat when we go ashore so we thought that we would try them out on HMC . We did see one of our favorite sunsets near there . It started good and got better like a fire in the sky.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gorgeous sunset pictures.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Great pictures from around the ship.

 

Sel de Mer does look like a nice place to relax while dining.

 

Pinnacle Grill is our favorite for breakfast.