Live From Nieuw Statendam Nov 28 - Dec 12, 2021

[510picker]

On 12/2/2021 at 12:44 PM, Crew News said:

When I asked about Mariner lunches and medallion ceremonies, Guest Services Manager,  Vanessa, told me:

Big Mariner lunches in the MDR are now only on long voyages.  The big lunches were replaced by Embarkation Day lunch.  No medallion ceremonies except for Platinum.   All other medallions will be delivered to guest staterooms.  Nobody knows what the future will bring.

 

Vanessa is the most helpful and accommodating Guest Relations rep I have met in my HAL history.

As usual, HAL is consistently inconsistent. We were aboard the Nieuw Amsterdam last month and found this on our bed one day. We didn’t go, but our medallions (bronze?) are for 100 days.

 

[Florida_gal_50]

On the koningsdam I was invited to a cocktail party where they presented medals.  I was invited both weeks but only went to the first one.  It was a smallish gathering maybe 50 or so people.  It started before it was supposed to and they were pretty liberal with the drinks.  There was no food served.

[idiebabe]

45 minutes ago, 510picker said:

As usual, HAL is consistently inconsistent. We were aboard the Nieuw Amsterdam last month and found this on our bed one day. We didn’t go, but our medallions (bronze?) are for 100 days.

 

Congrats and happy to see you were invited.  Hope this is only Temporary on the other Ships!  

[Infi]

Thank you for sharing the Christmas dinner menus - it's nice to see them again. They are identical to the ones HAL has had for years, most recently for Christmas 2019. 

 

Regarding the MDR, does the lunch menu change daily when the venue is open for lunch? Have seen some indications that it's a larger set menu that does not vary every day like in the past. Also wondering if the MDR was open for lunch on embarkation day (and its operating hours), as this also seems to vary by ship.

[sherryf]

13 hours ago, Crew News said:

I have just received the MDR menu for Christmas Day from the Club Orange staff.  Notice the return of lobster.  This meal should be the same for the HAL Caribbean fleet for 2021.

 

Here is the link:  Christmas Day MDR Dinner 2021

Thank you!  We are on NS for Christmas, but it is the last full day of the cruise.  Christmas Eve is formal night.  Will it be the standard formal night menu on Christmas Eve and this Christmas menu actually on the last night?

[whirlybird3]

Thank you so much for daily reports.  I have a couple of questions … We are going to be embarking on a ten day voyage and was wondering if you can find out when are the formal nights?  My second question … Do we need to make a reservation for the gym to limit on how many people at one time? 

 

[Florida_gal_50]

1 hour ago, whirlybird3 said:

Thank you so much for daily reports.  I have a couple of questions … We are going to be embarking on a ten day voyage and was wondering if you can find out when are the formal nights?  My second question … Do we need to make a reservation for the gym to limit on how many people at one time? 

 

While I can’t speak for the n statendam you didn’t have to reserve at the gym on the koningsdam so I expect the n statendam would be the same.  I went around 1 or 2 pm and I think the most people I saw was about 5.  It’s likely more busy in the morning.

Edited December 4, 2021 by Florida_gal_50

[Florida_gal_50]

7 hours ago, Infi said:

Thank you for sharing the Christmas dinner menus - it's nice to see them again. They are identical to the ones HAL has had for years, most recently for Christmas 2019. 

 

Regarding the MDR, does the lunch menu change daily when the venue is open for lunch? Have seen some indications that it's a larger set menu that does not vary every day like in the past. Also wondering if the MDR was open for lunch on embarkation day (and its operating hours), as this also seems to vary by ship.

If you have an upcoming cruise fairly soon you can take a look at navigator under the dining room and see the lunch menu.  It no longer changes.  As much as I love the mdr for lunch the choices have limited appeal to me.

[taxmantoo]

18 hours ago, Crew News said:

Unfortunately, I haven't made a stage show yet so I cannot comment  Here are the events on the World Stage events:

Day 02, 03 Dance Company

Day 04  Movie

Day 05 Nature Documentary

Day 06 Dance Company

Not at all a comment on your posts which demonstrate your attachment to HAL and require dedication, but a comment on HAL's entertainment value ... 

Edited December 4, 2021 by taxmantoo

[Infi]

9 hours ago, sherryf said:

Thank you!  We are on NS for Christmas, but it is the last full day of the cruise.  Christmas Eve is formal night.  Will it be the standard formal night menu on Christmas Eve and this Christmas menu actually on the last night?

 

Not Crew News, but we have sailed HAL over the holidays since 2013. There are special Christmas Eve and Christmas day menus; the one posted here will be served the night of 12/25. Christmas day is usually a gala night for dress code. It is likely you will only see one of the typical gala night menus earlier in the cruise and 12/24 and 25 will be the special menus for the holidays. I hope this is helpful.

[Infi]

2 hours ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

If you have an upcoming cruise fairly soon you can take a look at navigator under the dining room and see the lunch menu.  It no longer changes.  As much as I love the mdr for lunch the choices have limited appeal to me.

 

Thank you! Just checked and there they were. Usually the Navigator crashes and is generally pretty useless, so it was a pleasant surprise to see the menus posted there already.

[Crew News]

10 hours ago, Infi said:

Thank you for sharing the Christmas dinner menus - it's nice to see them again. They are identical to the ones HAL has had for years, most recently for Christmas 2019. 

 

Regarding the MDR, does the lunch menu change daily when the venue is open for lunch? Have seen some indications that it's a larger set menu that does not vary every day like in the past. Also wondering if the MDR was open for lunch on embarkation day (and its operating hours), as this also seems to vary by ship.

The Embarkation Day MDR lunch is open from 12:00 to 1:00 PM.the times I asked this week.   I will check my When & Where to verify the time for the Embarkation Day tomorrow.

[Infi]

2 minutes ago, Crew News said:

The Embarkation Day MDR lunch is open from 12:00 to 1:00 PM.the times I asked this week.   I will check my When & Where to verify the time for the Embarkation Day tomorrow.

 

Thank you for this info. That's not a lot of time, especially considering the staggered boarding groups. In pre-COVID times, I remember it being open on embarkation day until 1:30pm.

[Florida_gal_50]

16 minutes ago, Crew News said:

The Embarkation Day MDR lunch is open from 12:00 to 1:00 PM.the times I asked this week.   I will check my When & Where to verify the time for the Embarkation Day tomorrow.

Please do.  I’ve always noticed it posted in the when and where but when I said that I got told that it never is so I guess we shall see in this case.  Thank you.

[Crew News]

Day 06 was another day filled with sunshine and a chance to catch up on all of the questions I have been receiving.  It was also a COVID testing day in the MDR which went quickly with only 2 other passengers during my 10:00 AM assigned time.  Since I was not contacted afterwards, I considered myself negative. 

 

With itinerary changes, I stopped at the Deck 2 kiosk to make sense of my prepaid Specialty Restaurants.  I learned, and the Front Desk confirmed, that my two free 5* Specialty Restaurant meals can be enjoyed at not only the PG but the Tamarind.

My roll call for next week informed me that Grand Turk was being cancelled and asking when I would hold the Meet & Greet.  I also received an email from HAL that my Dec 30 Nieuw Amsterdam itinerary had been shuffled and that Meet & Greet needed to change as well..  Vanessa, Guest Relations, quickly changed the Meet & Greet for next week but also emailed her colleague on the Nieuw Amsterdam to change the Meet & Greet , too.  As posted earlier, Vanessa is the best HAL Guest Relations person I have had the pleasure to meet.

I decided to change my HMC Lobster Shack reservation to Monday so will report my impression next week instead of today.

FWIW I have not been offered/pressured for an upsale on any of the extra-cost dining menu items.

B2B day tomorrow meets in Billboard and will not depart for the Customs check-in until ALL B2B guests are present.  IIRC that will be 184 of us.  After Customs walk-by, guests may leave the terminal or return to the ship.  Those returning to the ship will not be allowed to leave the ship later in the day.  Reboarding will be around 11:00 AM.

With the exception of Bingo (need to put the photo of the bingo sale into words), I think that I have answered all posed questions on this thread.  Since I will be onboard next week, keep asking.

Tidbits:

• HMC Lobster Shack requires a reservation and the presentation of the paid receipt (phone or paper).
• Tamarind and Canaletto are ow 5* Mariner free options on this ship.
• 1419 passengers for the 12/19 sailing.
• No orange juice on the Room Service menu but you can write in.
• SBP orange juice cannot be delivered with Room Service breakfast.
• The beet salad in Club Orange is a work of art.  Photo will be posted later.
• Lobster is on the Christmas Day MDR menu without an extra charge.
• Gym appointments needed only for classes.  Masks are required and are worn when I have checked.
• No brotchen in Club Orange last night.
• Internet was down last night so this report is delayed.

More later.

[Florida_gal_50]

Thank you for all your reports and all the questions you so kindly answer.  I didn’t receive a call within the 15 minutes after my covid test either.  Strangely enough I did get a paper copy later that night or the next day.  You can also exchange your 5 star dinners for Canaletto if you are so inclined.  I know it’s  worth less money.  Canaletto has quickly become my favorite.

[SilvertoGold]

2 hours ago, Infi said:

 

Not Crew News, but we have sailed HAL over the holidays since 2013. There are special Christmas Eve and Christmas day menus; the one posted here will be served the night of 12/25. Christmas day is usually a gala night for dress code. It is likely you will only see one of the typical gala night menus earlier in the cruise and 12/24 and 25 will be the special menus for the holidays. I hope this is helpful.

 We have found the Christmas Eve menus are much more interesting than the Christmas Day ones.  Goose is especially good :)

[Crew News]

13 minutes ago, SilvertoGold said:

 We have found the Christmas Eve menus are much more interesting than the Christmas Day ones.  Goose is especially good 🙂

I will see if I can get the Christmas Eve menu.  Still working on the New Year's Eve menu.

[iflyrc5]

The next time you see Vanessa ask her if she will be on board Feb - Mar.  That is when we are sailing and I would like to meet her.

[brainy blonde]

The MDR lunch menu did not change on the Eurodam TA, Barcelona to Fort Lauderdale last month.  On a crossing, the MDR is a great escape from the crowds in the Lido.  There were upcharges for a better cobb salad, fancier mac and cheese.  (Very tacky, pennywise, dollar foolish.)

 

While we avoid the Lido, we found ourselves having lunch there on most of the eight sea days.  We quickly ran out of choices we liked on the MDR lunch menu.

 

The Tamerind was completely closed, the Pinnacle Grill closed for lunch, and the evening Pinnacle Grill  reservations were sold out, except for a few exceedingly late times.  The demand for the Pinnacle far exceeded its capacity. (Probably freebies and promotions.)

 

Ww are five star, and never were able to "cash in" our Pinnacle benefits.

[SusieKIslandGirl]

4 hours ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

  I didn’t receive a call within the 15 minutes after my covid test either.  

I did receive a call just after returning to the cabin after my covid test.😲 But it was the Shops clerk letting me know our liquor order was ready to be picked up-phew!

[Crew News]

36 minutes ago, iflyrc5 said:

The next time you see Vanessa ask her if she will be on board Feb - Mar.  That is when we are sailing and I would like to meet her.

I see her often, and for certain for our Meet & Greet next week.  I will ask Vanessa. if she will be aboard in Feb-Mar  If you would like a head start on a Meet & Greet, I can plant the seeds with her.

 

FWIW I passed on to her the review I found here on CC from last weeks cruise.  She wants to know how to be better.

 

My impression is that the crew is really happy to be at sea, are working to build team interaction, and working only a short time as a unit.  Yes, they did practice with each other but passengers are the real proof of capability.

 

From the HAL veterans to the first-contract crew members I have met aboard the Nieuw Amsterdam, this is by far the friendliest HAL crew in my memory. 

[Florida_gal_50]

5 minutes ago, SusieKIslandGirl said:

I did receive a call just after returning to the cabin after my covid test.😲 But it was the Shops clerk letting me know our liquor order was ready to be picked up-phew!

I bet your heart was pumping pretty fast after that.  I know mine would be :). I  thought about taking my phone off the hook (joking).

[sunnypalms08]

On 12/3/2021 at 4:21 PM, Crew News said:

Unfortunately, I haven't made a stage show yet so I cannot comment  Here are the events on the World Stage events:

Day 02, 03 Dance Company

Day 04  Movie

Day 05 Nature Documentary

Day 06 Dance Company

and I understand they show The Origins Story at 8pm on day 1...That is what I hope to get to tomorrow night

[mrspeck]

Agree with you Crew News in regard to PG service.  We were scheduled to go back tonight, but so thoroughly enjoyed Rudi’s that we cancelled the PG and are headed back to Rudi’s.  My filet with an optional tail was one of the best meals I’ve ever had.