Live From Nieuw Statendam Nov 28 - Dec 12, 2021

[Comptech]

52 minutes ago, Crew News said:

I spoke to Guest Services today and learned that your ship will be the first to visit

Grand Caymon.

Yes, that is why they changed the itinerary. We had to be their first stop if we wanted to go there.

[ottahand7]

Thank you so much Crew News for these updates.   Others feedback has helped a lot too.  The food pics and menus have been helping us mentally prepare for our first cruise since 12/23/2019.    We are on the NS 2/13 on a B2B.   Due to COVID we are in a NS so that we can enjoy dinners on the balcony without dealing with the mask all of the time.  We are planning on room service for dinner each port day.   It is nice to watch the island disappear on the horizon as we head to the next.   I truly appreciate the photos of the food and the plating.     We were disappointed with our room service on the Zuiderdam the last cruise but it looks like the NS is in the groove.   Thanks for the heads up about the PG.   We are eating there a few nights and can cancel if the service is bad.   We are driving to FL from MI carrying almost 2 cases of wine to have with meals even with the $20 corkage it seems like a better value for us.    If you can't tell we are getting really psyched about our trip!   

[DFWGUYZ]

3 hours ago, islander47 said:

I am a HAL newbie sailing Jan. 16th on the Zuiderdam. What is your website address? Love reading all your news here!

 

Welcome! You'll find most HAL fans/cruisers are polite and helpful. 

Edited December 8, 2021 by DFWGUYZ
.

[Crew News]

56 minutes ago, ottahand7 said:

Thank you so much Crew News for these updates.   Others feedback has helped a lot too.  The food pics and menus have been helping us mentally prepare for our first cruise since 12/23/2019.    We are on the NS 2/13 on a B2B.   Due to COVID we are in a NS so that we can enjoy dinners on the balcony without dealing with the mask all of the time.  We are planning on room service for dinner each port day.   It is nice to watch the island disappear on the horizon as we head to the next.   I truly appreciate the photos of the food and the plating.     We were disappointed with our room service on the Zuiderdam the last cruise but it looks like the NS is in the groove.   Thanks for the heads up about the PG.   We are eating there a few nights and can cancel if the service is bad.   We are driving to FL from MI carrying almost 2 cases of wine to have with meals even with the $20 corkage it seems like a better value for us.    If you can't tell we are getting really psyched about our trip!   

Diners are not wearing masks at dinner.  Unless you are in an aft corner NS, dinner on your balcony might be very windy on a moving ship.  Hopefully, the capacity will remain low and you can enjoy waiting for nothing.

 

I highly recommend the chicken wing appetizers through the Neptune Lounge everyday. 

 

Ask lots of questions and I will track down the answers for you while I am onboard.

[Doglovertoo]

I am currently on this cruise and wondering why they no longer give you water when leaving the ship.  Also we haven’t gotten nightly turn down service or towel animals. Is the demise of these things a product of Covid?

[iflyrc5]

17 minutes ago, Doglovertoo said:

I am currently on this cruise and wondering why they no longer give you water when leaving the ship.  Also we haven’t gotten nightly turn down service or towel animals. Is the demise of these things a product of Covid?

I never remember HAL giving me water when I left the ship - I could buy it but not given to me on 35 HAL cruises.  Did you ask about the turndown service and if you did, what did they say?  We take showers before dinner and would like new towels for the morning.

[Crew News]

13 minutes ago, Doglovertoo said:

I am currently on this cruise and wondering why they no longer give you water when leaving the ship.  Also we haven’t gotten nightly turn down service or towel animals. Is the demise of these things a product of Covid?

You can buy water at the gangway but no longer gifted.  Turn down is on hold on most HAL ships and some Room Stewards are asking if you still want it.  I still get twice a day service and an animal but I was not asked.  It is a lack of crew availability but with reduced capacity, I think full service should still happen.

[Crew News]

Day 02 was a day filled with sunshine and a slight breeze.  The return to Half Moon Cay with no other ship in port found lots of open loungers and little waiting for anything.  My comments on the Lobster Shack were posted earlier. so not repeated here. The Half Moon Cay bathrooms were clean and well-maintained when I visited them. There is now a shady holding area for guests waiting to return to the ship on the tenders. The cold towels provided were a blessing after time on the beach.

Forgotten over the past days is that there is no nightlight in my verandah stateroom as there is on the Koningsdam.

FWIW there are 1212 passengers for next week's cruise and 1419 for the week of Christmas.  Love the lower capacity while it exists.

The ship will be the first cruise ship in Grand Caymon on Dec 28.after a significant pause in cruise ships.  Might be a welcoming celebration included.

Still working on menus but the Maitre'd says they are not yet on board.  Other crew are in contact with friends on other ships to find them for me. 

 

More later.

[REM2]

Thanks for the info, especially the Christmas menus. We're going to be on the Nieuw Amsterdam on the 12/23 sailing.

 

What are the capacity reductions in place right now? Curious what numbers to expect on our sailing. 

 

Thanks!

[iflyrc5]

Roger - reading on another thread that on some HAL ships the artificial sweeteners (pink/yellow/blue) packets are no longer available and that only one type of sweetener is  available and it is in a shaker.  Would you please let us know what you are seeing in the MDR and Lido on the NS.  Wondering if this is only on certain ships and a supply change issue or across the fleet.  Thanks for all your great input as to what is going on so those of us cruising in the next few months can anticipate the changes in the new world of cruising on HAL.  

[Crew News]

1 hour ago, REM2 said:

Thanks for the info, especially the Christmas menus. We're going to be on the Nieuw Amsterdam on the 12/23 sailing.

 

What are the capacity reductions in place right now? Curious what numbers to expect on our sailing. 

 

Thanks!

When I arranged the Meet & Greet for the NA Dec 30 sailing, I asked and was told 60% which is controlled by the need to have quarantine staterooms available/standby for both guests and crew.

[rkacruiser]

3 hours ago, iflyrc5 said:

I never remember HAL giving me water when I left the ship - I could buy it but not given to me on 35 HAL cruises. 

 

Agree.  "Free" bottle of water was sometimes provided on some shore excursions.  But, never offered when I disembarked the vessel during a port visit.  

[Crew News]

2 hours ago, iflyrc5 said:

Roger - reading on another thread that on some HAL ships the artificial sweeteners (pink/yellow/blue) packets are no longer available and that only one type of sweetener is  available and it is in a shaker.  Would you please let us know what you are seeing in the MDR and Lido on the NS.  Wondering if this is only on certain ships and a supply change issue or across the fleet.  Thanks for all your great input as to what is going on so those of us cruising in the next few months can anticipate the changes in the new world of cruising on HAL.  

Ii can confirm the presence of the three artificial sweeteners above in the Lido Market. at the tea display.  I did not see them on the Lido Market or on the Club Orange tables. 

[iflyrc5]

32 minutes ago, Crew News said:

Ii can confirm the presence of the three artificial sweeteners above in the Lido Market. at the tea display.  I did not see them on the Lido Market or on the Club Orange tables. 

Thanks - I won't have to bring my own.

[Florida_gal_50]

41 minutes ago, iflyrc5 said:

Thanks - I won't have to bring my own.

I’m not sure I’d count on that.  Hal is trying to rid itself of paper so sooner or later it will run out.  I’m quite certain it’s not a supply issue.  

[Florida_gal_50]

Interesting about the sailing numbers of passengers.  When I was on the koningsdam in November I passed a q and a and the person talking said they would be up to capacity by Christmas.  Even someone that doesn’t work in the industry knew that wouldn’t happen.

 

Thank you for the information you continue to offer Roger.

[Wanless Park]

12 hours ago, Comptech said:

We got our new itinerary for the 26th sailing. Not super excited about the change in that we are not going to Cozumel anymore, but it is what it is.

 

SUN 26DEC21 Fort Lauderdale, Florida, US  4:00pm
MON 27DEC21 Sea Day
TUE 28DEC21 Georgetown, Cayman Islands  8:00am - 5:00pm
WED 29DEC21 Ocho Rios, Jamaica 9:00am - 6:00pm
THU 30DEC21 Sea Day
FRI 31DEC21 Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos 7:00am - 2:00pm
SAT 01JAN22 Half Moon Cay, Bahamas   9:00am - 3:00pm
SUN 02JAN22 Debark Ship Fort Lauderdale, Florida, US 7:00am

That's bad news. Cozumel is a nice very civilized place with a beautiful beach and lots of different activities. I wish they replaced Ocho Rios instead. Complete waste of time, in my opinion. 

[Crew News]

13 minutes ago, Wanless Park said:

That's bad news. Cozumel is a nice very civilized place with a beautiful beach and lots of different activities. I wish they replaced Ocho Rios instead. Complete waste of time, in my opinion. 

My first time at Ocho Rios, I walked the road by the falls and then made a beeline for the waiting bus in the parking lot.  "No," the  security guard declared followed by telling me that all excursions had to take the sidewalk through the vendor's row.  During my pass through the gauntlet of grabbing vendor hands, I felt threatened and devised a scheme for safe passage by telling two vendors that my wife had my money.  The grabbing hands stopped when at their demands for my wife's description, I provided the bizarre attire of a much younger female.  I proceeded through the gauntlet without a single vendor grabbing my arms or even offering to sell me their souvenirs.

 

If there was a young female with pink sneakers, green hair, striped red shorts, and gold polka dotted jacket in the long line of tourists behind me, I felt sorry for her.

 

Will not go back to Ocho Rios.

[Himself]

8 minutes ago, Crew News said:

My first time at Ocho Rios, I walked the road by the falls and then made a beeline for the waiting bus in the parking lot.  "No," the  security guard declared followed by telling me that all excursions had to take the sidewalk through the vendor's row.  During my pass through the gauntlet of grabbing vendor hands, I felt threatened and devised a scheme for safe passage by telling two vendors that my wife had my money.  The grabbing hands stopped when at their demands for my wife's description, I provided the bizarre attire of a much younger female.  I proceeded through the gauntlet without a single vendor grabbing my arms or even offering to sell me their souvenirs.

 

If there was a young female with pink sneakers, green hair, striped red shorts, and gold polka dotted jacket in the long line of tourists behind me, I felt sorry for her.

 

Will not go back to Ocho Rios.

 

Any time I go to Jamacia, I choose to enjoy the ship.  I stay on the ship.  Now you know why I choose to stay on board.

[smlnd]

Some questions for onboard.  I looked at the bar menu's  you posted and didn't see a  pina colada as a choice. Do they offer this at any of the bars?  Also, there was mention earlier that they aren't providing the little sugar substitute packets like the pink sweet n' low.  Is this true that I need to bring my own?  How about straws?  Thank you so much for spending the time to answer all our questions.  I will be on board in February.

[oakridger]

3 hours ago, Crew News said:

Ii can confirm the presence of the three artificial sweeteners above in the Lido Market. at the tea display.  I did not see them on the Lido Market or on the Club Orange tables. 

 

@smind  - See post #313 from Crew News.  I don't know why they aren't listed on the bar menu, especially at the pool bars, but unless there is a world shortage of cream of coconut, yes, you should be able to get a Piña Colada!! Just ask!

 

 

Edited December 9, 2021 by oakridger
fixed

[Florida_gal_50]

7 hours ago, oakridger said:

 

@smind  - See post #313 from Crew News.  I don't know why they aren't listed on the bar menu, especially at the pool bars, but unless there is a world shortage of cream of coconut, yes, you should be able to get a Piña Colada!! Just ask!

 

 

I agree.  I ordered a drink on my last cruise and the person looked at me like I had horns and a tail.  She said I don’t think we have that.  I said please ask the bartender and he knew right away.  Most of the bartenders are quite knowledgeable and I think it would be no problem at all for the pina colada.

[smlnd]

In the Main Dining Room, is the upper level for anytime dining and the lower level for fixed early/late seating or visa versa?

[Crew News]

22 minutes ago, smlnd said:

In the Main Dining Room, is the upper level for anytime dining and the lower level for fixed early/late seating or visa versa?

Upper level is for fixed dining and the lower level is for anytime dining BUT after 15 minutes past the designated arrival time, upper level tables that are not yet occupied will be added to the available tables for anytime diners.

[Crew News]

12 hours ago, smlnd said:

Some questions for onboard.  I looked at the bar menu's  you posted and didn't see a  pina colada as a choice. Do they offer this at any of the bars?  Also, there was mention earlier that they aren't providing the little sugar substitute packets like the pink sweet n' low.  Is this true that I need to bring my own?  How about straws?  Thank you so much for spending the time to answer all our questions.  I will be on board in February.

Straws are available only on request.

 

FWIW orange juice was omitted when the Room Service Breakfast menu card at the time of printing but available via write-in.