The Daily for Wednesday October 20, 2021

[Vict0riann]

2 hours ago, aliaschief said:

The Gala dinner was Gala. Wait staff in white tuxedo shirts, bow ties and black suspenders. Pre dinner cocktails and appetizers in the Ocean Bar. HD Mark Pells sat down with us for the entire happy hour and we shared many memories of past cruises.

 

I was a little disappointed in the dinner. The fried dumplings were tasteless, the squash salad the same. The Halibut lobster dish was really good. The filet was perfect but by then I was getting full. Orange creamsicle desert was tasty.

 

Off to get my Covid test.

 

Some pics are failing to load.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Your Pinnacle Gala dinner only looks a little bit like ours.  Not even the same dishes.

[aliaschief]

The chef got his lobster tails as a filet and lobster tail is on tonight’s last Gala night dinner. Could not get a part in Aruba to fix the Neptune coffee machine but they are still making us a fine cup of coffee.

 

I did ask HD last night if a pax got left behind. She just barely made it but only after they waited for her.

 

No one has contacted us so we passed our Covid test again. Again very well organized your in and out in minutes and as you leave you get a nice chocolate!

 

 

 

 

[AncientWanderer]

7 minutes ago, atexsix said:

Grand Turk is one of the places I've always wanted to fly to and spend a couple of weeks there.  I will begin praying for the MDR menus, lol, good idea!  

 

I have a feeling our prayers will be answered as far as the MDR goes.  Betcha that was mentioned in 99.9 percent of surveys at the end of cruises, because it fell so far below the excellence found everywhere else.   I do ask myself, though, if the food might taste a lot better if the beverage service was on task.  HAL is going to have to pencil out which is cheaper to serve in MDR -- more good food or more booze.  Gotta do one or the other. lol

[StLouisCruisers]

Just checking out some photos from our January 2018 stop in Grand Turk on the Veendam.  The view from the ship of the beach.

 

Oh my! 

 

We were there first but the Koningsdam arrived during our walk around on the shore.  Pulling up to the pier across from the Veendam.

 

😲  I'm really gonna miss the Veendam.  I like a smaller ship.

 

Another look at the Margaritaville Beach.

 

The shopping area.

 

Before the crowds arrived

 

 

Sit down and take a load off while your significant other does some shopping.

 

Some damage to the palm trees on the beach due to an prior hurricane

 

We're on the lower right portion of this map where the red star is.

 

A local Harley Davidson store.

 

Goodbye Grand Turk!

[Cruising-along]

3 minutes ago, AncientWanderer said:

 

I have a feeling our prayers will be answered as far as the MDR goes.  Betcha that was mentioned in 99.9 percent of surveys at the end of cruises, because it fell so far below the excellence found everywhere else.   I do ask myself, though, if the food might taste a lot better if the beverage service was on task.  HAL is going to have to pencil out which is cheaper to serve in MDR -- more good food or more booze.  Gotta do one or the other. lol

I sure mentioned it on my end of cruise survey.  

In our case, the beverage service was excellent, even in the MDR, so I can't blame the bad menus on that! We always had our wine order taken before we had ordered dinner.  I just thought the menus were uninspired, even "eww" in some cases.  

[kb4683]

1 hour ago, ger_77 said:

 

 

 

@ger_77 Gerry....great minds!  I snapped this in Villefranche at the back door of a restaurant.  Mine is only a paltry 10Lt where yours is a humungous 20Lt 👍

 

Kay 🥂

[garlictown]

👍 Thank you for The Daily, Rich @richwmn and to Roy @rafinmd for keeping the Care and Celebration Lists.

Our mornings are becoming cooler and cooler...☂️rain expected this week!! 

🙏Prayers for all in need.

☕Katie

[AncientWanderer]

Just now, Cruising-along said:

I sure mentioned it on my end of cruise survey.  

In our case, the beverage service was excellent, even in the MDR, so I can't blame the bad menus on that! We always had our wine order taken before we had ordered dinner.  I just thought the menus were uninspired, even "eww" in some cases.  

 

MDR definitely needs some TLC.  The Lido on Koningsdam had some of the best food I've had in a Lido buffet.  They seemed to have the same things a lot, but they were so good, it was pleasant to work through them at lunch day by day.

Good to hear there was good wine service for you.  Maybe because you were in Europe?   Our former wine stewards now "beverage runners" were nowhere in sight in MDR.  Happily, we brought on a lot of our own wine and self-served.  But a cruise shouldn't really be BYOB.

[jimgev]

Good Morning. Thanks for the daily and the care list.

Great collection of days.Hats off to the chefs and waiters. They have had a rough time due to all the covid closures.

I have heard that quote many times - it still rings ture.

Beef Reubens? Well, reubens are made with corned beef (that is still beef) and I would prefer the original corned beef rather than the variouus spiced beef renditions.

B&B is a fine after dinner drink.

I do something a bit different with brandied fruit. Not the traditional method of incorporating the brown suugar. I take about a cup of dried cranberries and soak them in brandy for several days and then incorporate them into the stuffing for my Thanksgiving turkey. Yum!

Stay safe everyone

[Cruising-along]

11 minutes ago, AncientWanderer said:

 

MDR definitely needs some TLC.  The Lido on Koningsdam had some of the best food I've had in a Lido buffet.  They seemed to have the same things a lot, but they were so good, it was pleasant to work through them at lunch day by day.

Good to hear there was good wine service for you.  Maybe because you were in Europe?   Our former wine stewards now "beverage runners" were nowhere in sight in MDR.  Happily, we brought on a lot of our own wine and self-served.  But a cruise shouldn't really be BYOB.

I thought the Lido food was very good on the Eurodam too.  

I don't know if being in Europe was the reason our wine service was so good, I do know that the service overall was excellent.   

[AncientWanderer]

3 minutes ago, Cruising-along said:

I thought the Lido food was very good on the Eurodam too.  

I don't know if being in Europe was the reason our wine service was so good, I do know that the service overall was excellent.   

 

We had wonderful service overall, too.  (Even the wine, in all but MDR.)  It's really heart-warming sharing in the "back to work" enthusiasm of the crew. 

We had a great time -- as we did in Alaska.  These first cruises are memorable.

[Marmot@Sea]

Good Morning from a very wet and grey island.  It makes me long for the sunshine and sand of Grand Turk.

 

Here are a few photos from our visits to Grand Turk.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Val

[Horizon chaser 1957]

Good morning, all! Brandied fruit, chefs, waiters, I see a theme here. The beet Reuben sounds intriguing, but I’d have to wait until I’m alone. DH hates beets, and reacts to the very mention of them like a vampire reacts to garlic! We’ve never been to today’s port, so all pictures are appreciated.

WELL, TODAY IS THE DAY! DD in Taiwan got my Etsy site up and running! She has six scarves posted. As long as I don’t buy any of them myself, we should be fine! I don’t think I can name the shop here, but I used the name I used to sell herbal teas under many years ago. It’s exciting, though after the number of hours that went into each one, it will be like mailing off my children when they go! On a completely unrelated topic, my email address is laurasar at shaw dot ca if anyone was curious.

 

Happy Wednesday, and here’s to FOUR BHB’s with passengers back at sea by days end!

Edited October 20, 2021 by Horizon chaser 1957

[puppycanducruise]

@Horizon chaser 1957Beautiful scarves.

[rothbury]

Just checked the port cam in Amsterdam and the Rotterdam is still tied up.  6 hours ahead of us so 6:30PM (1830) there.  Light Rain.  

[Horizon chaser 1957]

2 hours ago, ger_77 said:

  As we walked in past the bar, my heart did a little flip-flop as I saw the largest Cardboardeaux of my life.

 

 

Smooth Sailing!  🙂🙂🙂

Gerry

My fridge doesn’t have room for a 20 Lt Cardbordeaux. I just checked.😔

[57redbird]

26 minutes ago, Horizon chaser 1957 said:

Good morning, all! Brandied fruit, chefs, waiters, I see a theme here. The beet Reuben sounds intriguing, but I’d have to wait until I’m alone. DH hates beets, and reacts to the very mention of them like a vampire reacts to garlic! We’ve never been to today’s port, so all pictures are appreciated.

WELL, TODAY IS THE DAY! DD in Taiwan got my Etsy site up and running! She has six scarves posted. As long as I don’t buy any of them myself, we should be fine! I don’t think I can name the shop here, but I used the name I used to sell herbal teas under many years ago. It’s exciting, though after the number of hours that went into each one, it will be like mailing off my children when they go! On a completely unrelated topic, my email address is laurasar at shaw dot ca if anyone was curious.

 

Happy Wednesday, and here’s to FOUR BHB’s with passengers back at sea by days end!

Sent you an email re:  your Etsy shop.

 

[Overhead Fred]

We have been to Grand Turk a couple of times. There doesn't seem to be a lot to do excursion-wise, but I think it makes for a relaxing stop - sort of like a sea day where you can wander a beach if you like...

 

They also have some pretty impressive bougainvillea plantings.

 

 

 

 

[atexsix]

35 minutes ago, AncientWanderer said:

 

We had wonderful service overall, too.  (Even the wine, in all but MDR.)  It's really heart-warming sharing in the "back to work" enthusiasm of the crew. 

We had a great time -- as we did in Alaska.  These first cruises are memorable.

I heard enough good reports about the Lido to know it wasn't just a fluke (someone catching them on a good day).  The MDR was just MEH, poor Dear Dad, only time there was anything remotely appealing was when the French onion soup was on it, but that wasn't every day the way it used to be.  I know I know...how DARE I criticize when businesses are facing labor shortages and supply chain problems, I've been ripped to pieces in other discussions, but....as many have pointed out, if those were the primary issues, we'd be hearing about the same problems on other cruise lines and we're simply not, quite the opposite actually.  

 

I don't know if prayers will help, but what's more fixable in the immediate term is the upselling, magic tricks and other interruptions, hideous piped in music, and maybe the return of sommeliers. 

[Himself]

Thanks for the DAILY fleet report.  It is nice to see we now have four ships with passengers.  The meal and the drink sound good.  Thanks to all posters.

[AncientWanderer]

57 minutes ago, Horizon chaser 1957 said:

Good morning, all! Brandied fruit, chefs, waiters, I see a theme here. The beet Reuben sounds intriguing, but I’d have to wait until I’m alone. DH hates beets, and reacts to the very mention of them like a vampire reacts to garlic! We’ve never been to today’s port, so all pictures are appreciated.

WELL, TODAY IS THE DAY! DD in Taiwan got my Etsy site up and running! She has six scarves posted. As long as I don’t buy any of them myself, we should be fine! I don’t think I can name the shop here, but I used the name I used to sell herbal teas under many years ago. It’s exciting, though after the number of hours that went into each one, it will be like mailing off my children when they go! On a completely unrelated topic, my email address is laurasar at shaw dot ca if anyone was curious.

 

Happy Wednesday, and here’s to FOUR BHB’s with passengers back at sea by days end!

 

I found you on Etsy!  So cool...  😊

[kazu]

2 hours ago, St Pete Cruiser said:

Certainly appeals to the younger and less traveled cruisers than most of us! 

 

I totally agree with you on Grand Turk.  Not a stop that we were crazy about at all.  I think we were back on the ship by 2 pm 😉 

[kazu]

1 hour ago, Horizon chaser 1957 said:

WELL, TODAY IS THE DAY! DD in Taiwan got my Etsy site up and running! She has six scarves posted. As long as I don’t buy any of them myself, we should be fine! I don’t think I can name the shop here, but I used the name I used to sell herbal teas under many years ago. It’s exciting, though after the number of hours that went into each one, it will be like mailing off my children when they go!

 

YAY 🙂. Good for you 👍. I bet they will be flying off the shelves (or out of your house 😉 )

[AncientWanderer]

1 minute ago, kazu said:

 

I totally agree with you on Grand Turk.  Not a stop that we were crazy about at all.  I think we were back on the ship by 2 pm 😉 

 

I always feel short-changed there on a cruise because some years ago a friend, who knows her way around,  told me, "You absolutely HAVE to go to Turks/Caicos."  She went on and on about the water, beauty of the island, etc., etc.  But she had stayed at a resort somewhere.  Not sure where.

Seems like there must be more to offer than what we are seeing there at the little cruise beach at Grand Turk.

[kazu]

2 hours ago, aliaschief said:

The chef got his lobster tails as a filet and lobster tail is on tonight’s last Gala night dinner.

 

That is great to hear 👍. Encouraging 🙂 

 

2 hours ago, aliaschief said:

Could not get a part in Aruba to fix the Neptune coffee machine but they are still making us a fine cup of coffee.

 

Dam - so nice of them to make it manually for you. 👍