SURPRISE LIVE! - MS Zaandam - Boston to Montreal

[*Miss G*]

1 minute ago, DeeniEncinitas said:

Miss G I so enjoyed your last blog it was so great and funny!!! I hope that was the live thread you did! Was it you or I believe your sister on the plane taking a pic of someone sleeping?LOL If not I’m sorry for getting things confused🙄

We loved  the Zaandam did her twice once to Hawaii and The Sea if Cortez! Jacqui is right about the rooms! First trip we had a nice OV and the room was great! 2nd time we had a Vista suit and the room to us was the same size👍Rooms are bigger on the smaller R class.

BON VOYAGE MISS G!

and Aloha from Maui

Denise🌺

 

Oh my gosh you’re in Hawaii now!  Lucky you!  Enjoy.

 

Yes!  That was/those were my threads!  I totally forgot about blanket-fort man!  😂 😂 😂. Thank you.

[kazu]

25 minutes ago, *Miss G* said:

 

Oh wow.  I had no idea of the room size!  I thought we’d be getting a little box.  This IS good news.  Thanks Kazu!

 

You are most welcome.

 

Mostly all rooms are bigger on the smaller ships (some of the insides and the odd room are the exception).  The Neptunes are a really nice size with much larger verandahs than you would see on the Vistas and up.

 

I think you will be very comfortable.  If you want, visit halfacts dot com to see some rooms.  Don’t worry about the date of the photos - other than room decor, it won’t have changed much as HAL hasn’t tinkered with the R & S ships too much (other than the bird bath on the Rotterdam & the hot tubs on the Veendam).

Pretty much any  of the class of ship will give you a good idea on the rooms.  Hope this helps 😉 

 

 

[Krazy Kruizers]

1 hour ago, fatcat04 said:

My eyes appreciate the large type 

 

I also appreciate the larger font.

 

Old Eyes here.

[Krazy Kruizers]

*Miss G*

 

Looking forward to your review.

[barbbob]

Thanks for your suggestions I sure one of these will work fine

[3rdGenCunarder]

2 hours ago, *Miss G* said:

TRAVEL PLANNING

 

It has been a long winter, and a very late Spring up north, so the river/lake/sea levels are high this year.  It is doubtful that we will disembark in Montreal.  This makes planning a little challenging.  Do I gamble on disembarking in Quebec City?  All my instincts tell me that’s where we’ll be getting off but we won’t know definitively until we are on the ship.  If we disembark in QC I am NOT getting up at Dark O’clock to get on a bus to travel so I can travel.  Nuh uh.  No way.  Not happening. 

 

We decide to add a couple of nights in Montreal.  We like the food and the people are nice.  I can now book our flights.  Arrival in Boston the day before; departure from Montreal two days after.  I enter the flight details in my cruise documents to stop the HAL emails telling me to enter the flight details in my cruise documents.  

 

Speaking of long winters... My husband is a Southern boy when it comes to Northern climes.  Yesterday I received a fleece which I had ordered from Amazon for the trip.  It is currently 82f here so he was a bit puzzled.  And concerned.  I keep referring to this as our winter cruise.  Mostly it’s just to scare him but there is a little bit of truth behind it.  😈

 

If your cruise does end in Quebec City and you don't want to take the bus, look at VIA. Nice trains and more choices than just "Dark O'clock."

[*Miss G*]

7 minutes ago, barbbob said:

Thanks for your suggestions I sure one of these will work fine

 

You are very welcome, Barbbob!  I hope you enjoy Montreal.  They have amazing restaurants and a great jazz scene.  Lots of shopping too.  

[*Miss G*]

4 minutes ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

If your cruise does end in Quebec City and you don't want to take the bus, look at VIA. Nice trains and more choices than just "Dark O'clock."

 

I love the VIA business class!  Very civilized way to travel.  It sounds like we are of like minds.  I almost booked some seats “just in case” but then decided to hold off.  If we do disembark in QC I will definitely be perusing the schedule.  

[*Miss G*]

23 minutes ago, barbbob said:

Thanks for your suggestions I sure one of these will work fine

 

This is a really helpful site for your research:  Tourisme Montreal

[*Miss G*]

1 hour ago, DeeniEncinitas said:

Miss G I so enjoyed your last blog it was so great and funny!!! I hope that was the live thread you did! Was it you or I believe your sister on the plane taking a pic of someone sleeping?LOL

 

It’s blanket-fort man!!

 

[DeeniEncinitas]

31 minutes ago, *Miss G* said:

 

It’s blanket-fort man!!

 

OMG THATS HIM MS G😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

Ive got a good memory 👍

That was such fun you and your sister! I loved your live blog,

Have a memorable cruise and I will be following you

Denise🌺😊ALOHA HERE TILL 5/28

[Sharon in AZ]

3 hours ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

If your cruise does end in Quebec City and you don't want to take the bus, look at VIA. Nice trains and more choices than just "Dark O'clock."

We did this after disembarkation in Quebec City once and it was wonderful.  Purchased ahead of time online and it worked like a charm.  We enjoyed the beautiful garden near the station before we boarded the train.  I only wish we had ventured out into Montreal that evening to enjoy the city more but we had a very early flight and wanted to stay close to our hotel. 

[puppycanducruise]

I'm looking forward to reading all about your cruise Miss G.

Hope you and your hubby have a wonderful time.

[Stakeout]

also onboard right now since May 11 out of Boston.. for 4 weeks.. until June 8.. 5th year we've done this cruise.. last year on the Veendam also added Bermuda.. leaving QC earlier than planned yesterday afternoon at 330pm so ship could clear the 2 bridges south of the city.. on Sports Deck as we made the pass under .. close.. officially from the ship's bridge it was 5 feet of clearance -- that happened to be the minimum clearance needed-- so it was on to Montreal.... to the temporary 'tent city' terminal about 2 miles north of the city as ship cannot clear the Montreal bridge to the new terminal.. a non-sunrise at 522am this morning.. mostly cloudy skies.. nice full moon setting in the west at about the same time.. btw-- we always say 'this is the lobster cruise' 

Edited May 18, 2019 by Stakeout

[*Miss G*]

1 hour ago, Stakeout said:

also onboard right now since May 11 out of Boston.. for 4 weeks.. until June 8.. 5th year we've done this cruise.. last year on the Veendam also added Bermuda.. leaving QC earlier than planned yesterday afternoon at 330pm so ship could clear the 2 bridges south of the city.. on Sports Deck as we made the pass under .. close.. officially from the ship's bridge it was 5 feet of clearance -- that happened to be the minimum clearance needed-- so it was on to Montreal.... to the temporary 'tent city' terminal about 2 miles north of the city as ship cannot clear the Montreal bridge to the new terminal.. a non-sunrise at 522am this morning.. mostly cloudy skies.. nice full moon setting in the west at about the same time.. btw-- we always say 'this is the lobster cruise' 

 

Wow.  5 feet of clearance.  Hope it’s lower for you today.  Thank you so much for that information, Stakeout.  Hopefully the waters will have receded enough to get to the new terminal the next arrival.  I’m sure it’s a relief for passengers not to be bussed!

[*Miss G*]

2 hours ago, puppycanducruise said:

I'm looking forward to reading all about your cruise Miss G.

Hope you and your hubby have a wonderful time.

 

Thank you, Puppy!    Life is proceeding as if we are not going on vacation so it’s going to be a little harder to relax.  But I’ll give it my best shot!

[jimbri]

Looking forward to your review and photos!

[jbhcw]

Thanks for doing a live review!!  Will enjoy following along...we did the Zaandam to Hawaii several years ago and had an outside on lower deck...cabin was spacious for an outside and had a full size couch if I remember correctly!

[*Miss G*]

30 minutes ago, jimbri said:

Looking forward to your review and photos!

 

26 minutes ago, jbhcw said:

Thanks for doing a live review!!  Will enjoy following along...we did the Zaandam to Hawaii several years ago and had an outside on lower deck...cabin was spacious for an outside and had a full size couch if I remember correctly!

 

Thank you both for following along!  With no interactive TV in our room I am thinking I’ll have ample time.  lol

[CRu1853!!]

Hey Miss G,

my husband and I returned May 4th from the Ft. Lauderdale to Montreal cruise on the Zaandam. Second time on the Zaandam and really enjoy her. Not so big that you can’t get from one end to the other easily and never felt crowded.

Ate most breakfasts in Lido but have also enjoyed the MDR, very restful breakfast. DH and I were in Vista suite and I don’t think it was any larger than a Veranda and really perks weren’t anything. We are both from Florida and were prepared for the cold but not the winds that really dropped the wind chill. Cadillac Mountain, Peggy’s Cove, Lunenburg, Fortress Louisbourg, and out at Anne of Green Gables the wind was really gusting and cold. Hope you have better luck! But we didn’t have rain ☔️.

We ate at a couple of good restaurants IMO; Geddy’s right on the Main Street up from Harbor in Bar Harbor. Look for the lobster over the door, lobster roll, chowder and blueberry tart. 

At Lunenburg we ate at Salt Shaker Deli a small family place with good food and people.

We were some of those people that were up at 4am. to get ready and on bus by 6:30 for transit to Montreal airport for a flight scheduled at 3:35pm 🤭☹️.

Have a great time, oh and we rarely used veranda after Boston, too cold😂

Edited May 18, 2019 by CRu1853!!
Left out place

[*Miss G*]

44 minutes ago, CRu1853!! said:

Hey Miss G,

my husband and I returned May 4th from the Ft. Lauderdale to Montreal cruise on the Zaandam. Second time on the Zaandam and really enjoy her. Not so big that you can’t get from one end to the other easily and never felt crowded.

Ate most breakfasts in Lido but have also enjoyed the MDR, very restful breakfast. DH and I were in Vista suite and I don’t think it was any larger than a Veranda and really perks weren’t anything. We are both from Florida and were prepared for the cold but not the winds that really dropped the wind chill. Cadillac Mountain, Peggy’s Cove, Lunenburg, Fortress Louisbourg, and out at Anne of Green Gables the wind was really gusting and cold. Hope you have better luck! But we didn’t have rain ☔️.

We ate at a couple of good restaurants IMO; Geddy’s right on the Main Street up from Harbor in Bar Harbor. Look for the lobster over the door, lobster roll, chowder and blueberry tart. 

At Lunenburg we ate at Salt Shaker Deli a small family place with good food and people.

We were some of those people that were up at 4am. to get ready and on bus by 6:30 for transit to Montreal airport for a flight scheduled at 3:35pm 🤭☹️.

Have a great time, oh and we rarely used veranda after Boston, too cold😂

 

Thank you so much for your post, CRu1853!!  That was very helpful and informative.  Yes, the winds are far worse than the cold, I agree.  Yikes!  Up at 4am to board a bus!  I would not be a happy camper.  And thanks for the restaurant tips!  You may see a post about Geddy’s.  😊

[jhannah]

We are looking forward to this itinerary on the Zaandam in August to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary. We've sailed this itinerary and Zaandam before, and are looking forward to going again.

 

I'll second the eating at Geddy's in Bar Harbor. That's our plan this time, too.

[*Miss G*]

6 minutes ago, jhannah said:

We are looking forward to this itinerary on the Zaandam in August to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary. We've sailed this itinerary and Zaandam before, and are looking forward to going again.

 

I'll second the eating at Geddy's in Bar Harbor. That's our plan this time, too.

 

Thank you, jhannah!  Congratulations on your upcoming anniversary.  That is a special one indeed.  I hope you have a wonderful time.

[Turtles06]

Bon voyage, Miss G!   I really enjoyed your live reporting from the Zuiderdam last fall (you may remember that we were on the cruise before yours -- we all had to deal with being bumped to Brooklyn).  My wife and I will be taking our first New England/Canada cruise this fall, so I'll be reading along here with particular interest.

 

Have a wonderful trip!

[*Miss G*]

8 minutes ago, Turtles06 said:

Bon voyage, Miss G!   I really enjoyed your live reporting from the Zuiderdam last fall (you may remember that we were on the cruise before yours -- we all had to deal with being bumped to Brooklyn).  My wife and I will be taking our first New England/Canada cruise this fall, so I'll be reading along here with particular interest.

 

Have a wonderful trip!

 

Thank you Turtles!  Yes, I definitely remember our convo regarding Brooklyn.  lol  Will you be sailing with HAL in the Fall?