Noordam - A Passage to New Zealand

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thanks Rich

 

Appreciate you taking time to post all the menus.

[Alberta Quilter]

5 hours ago, Castaway45 said:

There are a few puzzles but nowhere to lay them out.  I saw a couple of ladies doing one on one of the Microsoft Studio tables last night but there was no sign of it this morning when I attended a computer class.  You can bet they didn't finish it in one evening.

 

 

Thanks for that report.  Not what I wanted to hear, though.

[Alberta Quilter]

7 hours ago, DeeniEncinitas said:

Thank you Rich for the menus!

I miss a few things in PG. No Caesar Salad

French onion soup also no king crab legs?Still Lobster bisque so I’m happy. The caviar is the same in price and for what it is worth a fair price! For my DH retirement in June I bought 6 oz. for a small dinner party and don’t ask the price

for Ossetra Malossol wish I got it for HAL price! We enjoyed it on the Maasdam.

Appreciate you doing this for all of us!

Looking forward to NZ!!!

Denise😊

 

Under Appetizers, there is Heart of Romaine Caesar Salad.

Edited October 16, 2019 by Alberta Quilter

[Krazy Kruizers]

The entertainment sounds decent.

[DeeniEncinitas]

3 hours ago, Alberta Quilter said:

 

Under Appetizers, there is Heart of Romaine Caesar Salad.

Alberta! Thank you! I saw appetizers and scanned fast saw wedge salad and didn’t look any farther🙄

Im happy! I do remember when they made a presentation at your table tossing the salad. Our last cruise on the Maasdam to SA it was already made up.

Denise😊

[RuthC]

Thanks for the entertainment info, Rich. Any good piano bar musician knows that it's important to read the group, and play to what they want. HAL doesn't follow that philosophy any longer, but then, Billboard Onboard isn't really a piano bar. 

[richwmn]

A question for everyone.

In the past we have talked about Pre-Paid Gratuities. Everyone seemed to indicate that the gratuities were charged each day, then offset with a credit, thereby showing up as spending for the purpose of bonus Mariner Days.

I have pre-paid gratuities on this cruise, ok I know they were paid as part of the fare. So far the daily entry has been for Marketing Promotional Items with a value of 0. What is the consensus? I think that using this method, I will not get the Bonus days.

 

[zelker]

13 hours ago, erewhon said:

Thanks for posting the menus.

Are there still fruit crisps available?

 

Banana Crisp available the first night and that’s been it so far.

[BarbarianPaul]

3 minutes ago, richwmn said:

A question for everyone.

In the past we have talked about Pre-Paid Gratuities. Everyone seemed to indicate that the gratuities were charged each day, then offset with a credit, thereby showing up as spending for the purpose of bonus Mariner Days.

I have pre-paid gratuities on this cruise, ok I know they were paid as part of the fare. So far the daily entry has been for Marketing Promotional Items with a value of 0. What is the consensus? I think that using this method, I will not get the Bonus days.

 

I fear you might be correct. That said, we always make sure that our bookings are covered by an HA promotion that provides pre-paid gratuities. But for us they do show up daily on the account page as a charge, immediately followed by the credit to offset. I wonder if they’ve changed their accounting practices, even though we’ve found they’re usually pretty liberal when it comes to determining extra Mariner days through spending.

[RuthC]

21 minutes ago, richwmn said:

I have pre-paid gratuities on this cruise, ok I know they were paid as part of the fare. So far the daily entry has been for Marketing Promotional Items with a value of 0. What is the consensus? I think that using this method, I will not get the Bonus days.

My guess is that you are correct---there will be no credit toward bonus days based on the (lack of) gratuities. 
You are not being charged anything for them, so there is nothing to count. 

Please do let us know after all this is over, and you get the tally. 

[richwmn]

On 10/15/2019 at 2:53 AM, 0bnxshs said:

Hi Rich!  Great to see you blogging again.

 

Good to see an officer (I think) at the M&G, can you tell us who it was?

 

Hope you have some great sea days along the way to Hawai'i.  I wonder if the next dry dock, scheduled for next year in Singapore(?) might complete some of the changes to the Crow's Nest, etc?  (Biting my tongue as I type this!)

Hi, Rich!

Hotel Director - Mark Pells and Cruise Director - Chris showed up for a bit. Both were extremely nice and mingled.

 

[zelker]

Not to worry.  Just asked the Neptune concierge about the prepaid gratuities... although on our online account they show as Rich described, she showed me on her system that what they see  is the charge and then the credit and yes, it still counts towards points.  👍

 

[Alberta Quilter]

1 hour ago, richwmn said:

A question for everyone.

In the past we have talked about Pre-Paid Gratuities. Everyone seemed to indicate that the gratuities were charged each day, then offset with a credit, thereby showing up as spending for the purpose of bonus Mariner Days.

I have pre-paid gratuities on this cruise, ok I know they were paid as part of the fare. So far the daily entry has been for Marketing Promotional Items with a value of 0. What is the consensus? I think that using this method, I will not get the Bonus days.

 

Based on my past experience, you WILL get the bonus days.  There is a difference between what you see on screen and the printed copy received at the end of the cruise.  On the printed copy, you'll see the ins and outs.  I only see my ins and outs; my mother's don't appear on the joint bill for some reason.  But based on the cruise day credits received, the pre paid gratuities for both of us are included in the cruise day credits.

[cruisingxpert]

13 hours ago, DeeniEncinitas said:

Hummm... I could be wrong but Himself I rechecked Rich’s menu didn’t see it’ I love their tossed Caesar salad and had it often in the Maasdam on our last cruise.

Sounds like even if it isn’t on this menu they still have it. I did see wedge lettuce on Rich’s menu 🙄 

Denise😊

Deleted.  Saw Alberta Quilter posted it

Edited October 16, 2019 by cruisingxpert

[zelker]

On 10/14/2019 at 5:03 PM, michael620 said:

What was the special entree and how did you like it?  We are also in a Neptune. 

 

It was called Chicken Peruvian, a roasted half chicken with a delish rub on the skin.  Am sure they’ll serve it again.  Didnt see CO entree last night, maybe because it was the Culinary Council menu?

[Poodles65]

Hello Cruisers! My brother is on the ship and was unprepared for the rougher seas. Any suggestions to sea sickness? I told him to as his room stewart as well. Thank you!

[richwmn]

I just realized I hadn't posted today's activities. Here they are for your enjoyment

 

[kazu]

53 minutes ago, Poodles65 said:

Hello Cruisers! My brother is on the ship and was unprepared for the rougher seas. Any suggestions to sea sickness? I told him to as his room stewart as well. Thank you!

 

The front desk has sea sickness tablets but they will make him sleepy.

 

Tell him to get some ginger after dinner (on the way out of the MDR).  It does help.

 

And seriously, green apples and soda crackers can really help.  They are even available on room service.  It took me years to get DH to try a green apple and he confessed it made a HUGE difference.

[TiogaCruiser]

1 hour ago, Poodles65 said:

Hello Cruisers! My brother is on the ship and was unprepared for the rougher seas. Any suggestions to sea sickness? I told him to as his room stewart as well. Thank you!

Try sniffing rubbing alcohol. He can get some alcohol pads in the infirmary. 

[taxmantoo]

2 hours ago, zelker said:

Not to worry.  Just asked the Neptune concierge about the prepaid gratuities... although on our online account they show as Rich described, she showed me on her system that what they see  is the charge and then the credit and yes, it still counts towards points.  👍

 

It has to do with HAL's "creative" accounting system combined with HAL's "pre-modern jukebox" computer system.  For example, on the Koningsdam, if you look at your account online, it never displays the same info as what you see if you get a print from Guest Services and that one does not display the same info as if you print your own at the self-serve machine a few feet away. 🙄  Hard to explain, but sometimes two of them will have the same balance 🙄   

[FlorenceItaly]

Thank you for posting the daily.  It appears they raised the Sip and Savor from $5 to $7.  I hope it is slow to go fleetwide, lol.  We board the Amsterdam on the 28th.

[SilvertoGold]

6 hours ago, DeeniEncinitas said:

Alberta! Thank you! I saw appetizers and scanned fast saw wedge salad and didn’t look any farther🙄

Im happy! I do remember when they made a presentation at your table tossing the salad. Our last cruise on the Maasdam to SA it was already made up.

Denise😊

 

The iceberg wedge salad is excellent especially if you like crisp lettuce. It is nice and light, too, which helps a lot considering the rest of the menu! 

[michael620]

1 hour ago, taxmantoo said:

It has to do with HAL's "creative" accounting system combined with HAL's "pre-modern jukebox" computer system.  For example, on the Koningsdam, if you look at your account online, it never displays the same info as what you see if you get a print from Guest Services and that one does not display the same info as if you print your own at the self-serve machine a few feet away. 🙄  Hard to explain, but sometimes two of them will have the same balance 🙄   

It is a good idea to also check on your Mariner account balance. I just did and discovered that I hadn’t been given the double days for my last suite. 

[Poodles65]

3 hours ago, kazu said:

 

The front desk has sea sickness tablets but they will make him sleepy.

 

Tell him to get some ginger after dinner (on the way out of the MDR).  It does help.

 

And seriously, green apples and soda crackers can really help.  They are even available on room service.  It took me years to get DH to try a green apple and he confessed it made a HUGE difference.

Thank you Kazu! I messaged him right away with the helpful info!

[erewhon]

8 hours ago, zelker said:

 

Banana Crisp available the first night and that’s been it so far.

 

Thank you  for your reply