Venture to the Caribbean with Bill & Mary Ann on the Nieuw Statendam & Nieuw Amsterdam 12-18-21 to 4-26-22

[albingirl]

Just now, albingirl said:

I just wish the passengers would stop talking so I can hear the Captain when he speaks. People just don't want to pay attention to the announcements.  

And I am very sorry to learn that your cruise was cut short.  We were on that ship and I couldn't stand the people unmasked coughing in the elevators.  It was quite frankly, concerning to me.

[riverrat]

12 hours ago, sailingdutchy said:

As one of the couples that had to be transported to the Covid Hotel after only having spend our first 11 days of our 21 day cruise I can really appreciate your commends that you are making today about people not wearing masks in crowded places like elevators , meeting rooms and crowded entertainment areas . 
 

I would have thought that HAL had learned a lesson after the explosion of positive Covid cases from the Mar 16 to Mar 27 cruise . 
 

Bill and Mary Ann mentioned that on turnover day they were waiting for the ship to reach zero occupancy . Well that point was never reached , while we were waiting to be transported off the ship to be taken to the Covid hotel  new guests were already climbing on board  . We only left around 1pm ! And there was a very large number of us infected guests . I am not sure of the exact number of us taken off but I am guessing at least 50 or 60 !
 

I do not like to hijack @WCB nice and important blog which I also have been reading for a couple of months , so my sincere apologies to them , I have learned a lot before we came on board from this .

 

So thank you for taking a stand @LewiLewi, please keep wearing your mask , we were one of the victims paying the price and having to miss a very nice part of our cruise . 
 

If people from Holland America are reading my post , please reinstate a tighter mask mandate , this is costing you too much ! 
 

Tony 

 

Tony, so sorry to hear about your experience. We tested negative on Friday and then rested Tuesday due to the large number of positive guests in the in-transit group. The retest was positive for us both and we were moved to a balcony on level five. There are at least 25 of us in quarantine within chattin distance on the starboard side aft on 4 and 5. Best story I have heard is a young couple in quarantine who were scheduled to disembark after the 11 day were informed to stay in the room and be escorted off. The horn sounded and away we sailed with them still on board. They will continue to test them and when negative HAL will fly them home.

 

I would love some herbal teabags from the tea bag wall in the lido (orange, apple, lemon) doesn't matter. I just can't get room service to understand. They keep sending me dark English tea. I have enough anxiety being in Q and don't need the caffeine. Wish i could just run up to the lido and get some. I'm in 5163.

 

 

 

[Hogladyrider]

@WCB....been following your blog for several years now.  In fact your blog and your experiences are what convinced us to try HAL!

 

We are not retired, in our late 60's and have 25+ Carnival cruises under our belts.  Guess what NO MORE, only HAL for us.

 

We did a 7-day out of San Diego to Mexico, since we were snowbirding in Arizona, we are fulltime in our RV.  We never got off the ship we loved it so much!  The food was outstanding.

 

Unfortunately we have not been able to cruise since Covid hit but when we can it will be HAL all the way.  Complete transit of Panama canal is on our bucket list and it will be on a HAL ship!

 

Thank you so much for taking the time to share your cruising life with us!

Susan

[idiebabe]

@sailingdutchy and @riverrat  So sorry to hear you both tested Positive!  Love the story of the young couple!  😂

 

I read on the other Social Media Site that others who Debarked on the 27th have now tested Positive at home.   We both did the Binax Home Test this morning and are "Negative".  I wonder how many others are Positive and didn't find out until they left the Ship.  

 

 I was also very surprised to read that HAL dropped the Mask Mandate for the 27th Sailing.  It made no sense to us since the number of cases were so high.  

 

 

 

[riverrat]

An onboard guest from Cruise Critic picked up herbal teas and had it delivered to us. Thank you so much Mr Lewi. You made my day.

[ottahand7]

4 hours ago, WCB said:

But what they were incensed about was the fact that they had brought two bottles of wine with them, like they always do.  This time, the bottles were confiscated, because they were told a new rule has begun that forbids those two bottles now.  Furious, they had to give them up, to be picked up at the end of this trip.  Has anyone heard about this change which supposedly began on March 27^th? 

We fought this when we boarded the NS on 2/13.  The young lady was clearly over her head.  She told us we could pay $40 and bring only two bottles aboard the remainder would be confiscated and held until we got off the ship.  We had a large rollaboard full.  She had the print out from HA clearly stating that there was a $20 corkage fee for each bottle brought aboard. She would not listen to what John told her that we always bring wine aboard and are happy to pay the $20 per bottle.  She was adamant that our wine was to be confiscated.    John said call your supervisor.   After a couple of minutes we were "allowed" to pay our $240 and board with our vino.   Not until she logged in each bottle and vintage into her log.  Obviously she was back on duty on Sunday.   Always ask to talk to a supervisor.  Your CO acquaintances may be able to go to the NL concierge and get their bottles returned to them, hopefully with no corkage charge for their frustration.     

 

I hope that this was a misunderstanding and there has been no change as of March 27th.   We are wine lovers and it kills us to have to pay $45 on the ship for a $15 bottle of wine.   They have Crios Malbec on the Cellar package #3.  It is a $9 bottle of wine.   🙄

[LewiLewi]

11 minutes ago, riverrat said:

An onboard guest from Cruise Critic picked up herbal teas and had it delivered to us. Thank you so much Mr Lewi. You made my day.

 

12 minutes ago, riverrat said:

An onboard guest from Cruise Critic picked up herbal teas and had it delivered to us. Thank you so much Mr Lewi. You made my day.

You are so welcome.

[Beachbum1944]

1 hour ago, idiebabe said:

@sailingdutchy and @riverrat  So sorry to hear you both tested Positive!  Love the story of the young couple!  😂

 

I read on the other Social Media Site that others who Debarked on the 27th have now tested Positive at home.   We both did the Binax Home Test this morning and are "Negative".  I wonder how many others are Positive and didn't find out until they left the Ship.  

 

 I was also very surprised to read that HAL dropped the Mask Mandate for the 27th Sailing.  It made no sense to us since the number of cases were so high.  

 

 

 

 

1 hour ago, idiebabe said:

I read on the other Social Media Site that others who Debarked on the 27th have now tested Positive at home.   We both did the Binax Home Test this morning and are "Negative".  I wonder how many others are Positive and didn't find out until they left the Ship.  

We left on the 27th and tested positive yesterday. We are both symptomatic.  Personally, I think a lot of transmission went on through the casino. It was absolutely packed every night and very, very few masks in sight. HAL should step up and enforce the masks for the safety of all passengers. 

[SarahCBL]

Hello Bill and Mary Ann!  I have loved following your blog.  Thank you for all the information you provide.  My husband and I board the Nieuw Statendam for the April 8-17 cruise, just after you will be leaving.  Was wondering if you could ask what the passenger count will be for that cruise?  Wonder what HAL is doing with the in transit group since the Nieuw Statendam will arrive on April 6th, but not depart again until April 8th due to azipod repairs?  Thank you!

[ger_77]

4 hours ago, riverrat said:

I would love some herbal teabags from the tea bag wall in the lido (orange, apple, lemon) doesn't matter. I just can't get room service to understand. They keep sending me dark English tea. I have enough anxiety being in Q and don't need the caffeine. Wish i could just run up to the lido and get some. I'm in 5163.

 

 

 

Why not try making your request through the Navigator app, or by calling Guest Services?  You're in quarantine and can't do anything for yourself, so let them do it for you.

[sailingdutchy]

54 minutes ago, Beachbum1944 said:

 

We left on the 27th and tested positive yesterday. We are both symptomatic.  Personally, I think a lot of transmission went on through the casino. It was absolutely packed every night and very, very few masks in sight. HAL should step up and enforce the masks for the safety of all passengers. 

I agree 100 % with you that the main culprit the no mask mandate specially in the casino where almost every chair was occupied and where also people were smoking again . 
 

[Sea42]

6 hours ago, WCB said:

We heard through the grapevine that it is possible that the Volendam may be used as a Ukranian refugee vessel soon.  What a wonderful gesture that would be for the displaced people.  We bet other cruise lines will follow, since many of the ships are not in operation yet. 

Is it possible for you to follow up on this? I agree that this would be a very nice thing for HAL to do but it does leave me wondering how it would effect  our cruise on the Volendam that is set to sail in 6 weeks.

[KAKcruiser]

I also wondered if the appearance of covid on the last cruise was caused by the crowding in the casino.  From what I've read, not only were there a lot of people close together but it continued for a very long time.  

[phinu]

1 hour ago, KAKcruiser said:

I also wondered if the appearance of covid on the last cruise was caused by the crowding in the casino.  From what I've read, not only were there a lot of people close together but it continued for a very long time.  

 

It was crowded because HAL offered the cruise to gamblers for no charge for the room.  My wife who is the gambler, stayed out of the casino a couple of nights because it wea so crowded.  Tha casino was the most crowded venue on the ship.  You  probably are correct in your assumption.

[Florida_gal_50]

5 minutes ago, phinu said:

 

It was crowded because HAL offered the cruise to gamblers for no charge for the room.  My wife who is the gambler, stayed out of the casino a couple of nights because it wea so crowded.  Tha casino was the most crowded venue on the ship.  You  probably are correct in your assumption.

Judging from all the posts I see on her there are a lot of free cruises going around.  

[albingirl]

1 hour ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

Judging from all the posts I see on her there are a lot of free cruises going around.  

And it makes me want to tear my hair out.  We spend thousands of dollars to cruise and don't appreciate the free cruisers bragging all week.  Makes me sick.  Sorry, really hijacking the thread here.

[Florida_gal_50]

3 minutes ago, albingirl said:

And it makes me want to tear my hair out.  We spend thousands of dollars to cruise and don't appreciate the free cruisers bragging all week.  Makes me sick.  Sorry, really hijacking the thread here.

Yup I hear you.  I pay plenty for my cruises too.  It’s super annoying.

[WCB]

Report #103   Amber Cove, Dominican Republic   Wednesday March 30, 2022   Cloudy And Dreary 75 Degrees......Part #1 Of 3.......80 Pictures

 

Our port of call for today was Amber Cove, Dominican Republic, which is part of the island of Hispaniola, the second largest Caribbean island next to Cuba.  The other part of this island is Haiti.  Amber Cove is actually a manmade complex, much like the port in Grand Turk yesterday.  And it is our fourth and final time here.

 

We were not alone, as the Carnival Mardi Gras was slowly making its way to dock alongside of us.  Remember the original Mardi Gras?  Well this is the newest Mardi Gras at a whopping 181,808 gross tons, and the capacity to hold up to 6500 passengers (full berth).  Even the crew number is big at 2000 people.   It was christened in 2020, but did not sail until 2021.  It is the largest of the Carnival ships to date. 

 

Although the Dominican Republic boasts it has 1000 miles of beaches, there are none immediately available in the Amber Cove area.  That requires a taxi ride, even to the town of nearby Puerto Plata. 

 

We could tell when we arrived to the pier, that recently there had been a huge storm that dumped a lot of rain.  Torrential rain, which is normal since this is a rain forest area.  The color of the water was a murky brown with recent run-off.  No wonder there were few locals on the small spit of beach at the entrance to the cove. 

 

No sooner than we had arrived, it was announced that several tours had been cancelled, and not to panic, they would be credited to their accounts.  It was also added to bring raincoats as the clouds suggested more rain to come.  The last time we were here, a sudden thunderstorm sent a downpour within  seconds, sending tourists running for cover.

 

So with shore excursions cancelled, and poor weather conditions, we figured most folks from both ships would decide to stay here, or on the ships.  At this point, we wondered if it was wise to be exposed to so many people?  Wearing masks and using sanitizer settled that question.

 

So we left the ship with umbrellas around 10:30am.  And yes, there were a ton of people heading to the complex, ready for the swimming pool.  Or shopping, lunch, or the zip line.  The tuk-tuk drivers were very busy bringing people to the entrance….not such a long walk, but a nice free service (tips appreciated). 

 

Like we expected, everywhere we went was full of passengers, including a lot of kids of all ages.  Remember, Carnival folks are the fun ones.  They were already into learning a line dance near the pool area with some really loud music.  We could see that more of the cabanas had been rented, even the largest one at over $1100.  We guess that these can be shared with several people.  Too bad it was such a bad day for swimming or boating in the cove.  

 

The zip line was very busy with a lot of people using it.  From the young to the old, they were liking the thrill of the zip.  For $20, you can do it all day, as long as you don’t tire of the walk up the steep pathway to get strapped in.  That was where we headed after strolling around the pool.  Judging by the color of the beach towels, we bet there were 10 Carnival guests to 1 HAL guest. 

 

Up at the tented bar/restaurant, we took a bunch of photos.  This time the mangrove outside the complex was full of white egrets, only dirty from the muddy water.  They also mixed with the cows in an adjacent field.  Except for one vulture, those were about all the birds we saw today. 

 

This was the first time we saw no empty tables at the restaurant/bar.  There was no shortage of burgers, hot dogs, chicken nuggets and fish and chips among other things.   Pricy, but it sure did not stop anyone.  Even the shops were over-crowded with shoppers.  Masks were required, and in most places, you had to use sanitizer.  That was the only good thing.  All of the high end jewelry stores were full as well.  But they did take the time to gift the charms once again.  Even local dancers entertained in the center of the courtyard.  People from the Mardi Gras were pulled up on the stage to sing with them.  Pretty funny…….

 

After a two hour walk, we decided it was time to head back.  And besides the wind had picked up, and we were certain the rain was coming.  Wrong…it never did. 

 

Back at the ship, we lunched in our room, and watched as the ship pulled away from the pier by 4:45pm.  The Mardi Gras was still docked, but not for long we suspect.  They had to wait for the pilot to escort them out after we left. 

 

Reading Cruise Critic, we discovered that about 60 in transit people had tested positive prior to our arrival to Florida.  That has to be the biggest number yet.  No wonder we had to be re-tested.  The rumor with that was another 25 folks were detected, and had to be quarantined on the ship.  And to top that off, some folks came down with the virus after they got home.  We are staying ever vigilant, with hopes of making it through healthy to sail the final cruise on the N. Amsterdam. 

 

Nothing looked appealing on tonight’s dining room menu, so we opted for the Pinnacle Grill.  Calling the front desk at 10am, it took 5 minutes before the call was answered.  This was not the first time for such delays, leaving us to think they are short-staffed.  Anyway, for dinner we had the wedge salads with clothes line bacon.  Even though we had asked for two pieces of bacon on the salad plate, they came hanging…..one tray for each of us.  Oh well, we did enjoy the slice of pickle.  That was followed by the entrees of their 7 ounce filet mignon, baked potatoes, and mushrooms.  With the addition of warm bread, we were totally full.  No room for petit fours or dessert, we left happy campers. 

 

Tomorrow will be a day at sea, most welcomed…..And we already received our “walking papers” for disembarking on April 6^th.  Will have to follow up on that and some other questions we have.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

 

[CruiseMGM]

17 hours ago, Sea42 said:

Is it possible for you to follow up on this? I agree that this would be a very nice thing for HAL to do but it does leave me wondering how it would effect  our cruise on the Volendam that is set to sail in 6 weeks.

 

I'm going to second @Sea42 request for a follow up on the Volendam news, if you have time! May is right around the corner, and any news you are able to divulge would be much appreciated! TIA.

[rkacruiser]

On 3/30/2022 at 3:04 PM, Beachbum1944 said:

Personally, I think a lot of transmission went on through the casino. It was absolutely packed every night and very, very few masks in sight. HAL should step up and enforce the masks for the safety of all passengers. 

 

But, it is so difficult to smoke and to buy/consume beverages when one is wearing a mask.  

[Beachbum1944]

3 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

 

But, it is so difficult to smoke and to buy/consume beverages when one is wearing a mask.  

     I guess HAL would rather make the gamblers happy than protect it's loyal customers. Good to know when planning our next cruise. They should reconsider their priorities. Both my wife and I are sitting here with Covid, and believe me we won't forget this for a while. 

[510picker]

When the Nieuw Statendam returns to Port Everglades on April 6th, it is going to be docked for two days for azipod repairs. I'm curious to know how in-transit passengers will be handled. I assume they will stay on the ship while it;s docked for repair. Have you heard any information about this and how many in-transit passengers there will be?

[phinu]

9 hours ago, Beachbum1944 said:

     I guess HAL would rather make the gamblers happy than protect it's loyal customers. Good to know when planning our next cruise. They should reconsider their priorities. Both my wife and I are sitting here with Covid, and believe me we won't forget this for a while. 

I am not trolling your statement.  We are loyal customers.  Gamblers are pure profit for the cruise line.  The house never loses, and since the ships are not anywhere close to being full, a free room and food is  an inexpensive cost for the cruise lines.  The ship has to sail an empty room makes them no money, but someone losing a thousand bucks on a cruise is a tidy profit.  My wife plays penny slots and does not spend a ton of her money.  We never asked for the free cruises, the offers just started coming.  We got our offer in the fall, however, the ship was pretty empty so they sent out a new offer just a few weeks before the cruise to get more bodies on the ship.  It gave the cruise line an opportunity to fill  their coffers.

 

[WCB]

Report #104  Sea Day En-Route To Bonaire   Thursday March 31, 2022    Some Sun, Rain, And Wind  78 Degrees     Part #1 Of 1.........46 Pictures

 

The day began with a quiet breakfast in Club Orange, mostly due to the fact that the guests slept in.  We like granola on top of our yogurt and fresh berries, but recently, they have run out of the boxed cereal.  So the substitute has been a mix of raw oatmeal,  slivered almonds, and some raisins.  It may look like the boxed granola, but it is not even close.  So this morning, the manager brought over a bowl of sweetened and crunchy granola that is served to the crew.  And it was perfect.  He promised to have it available for us until we leave the ship in a week.  All this attention, and we didn’t even ask for the substitute.  That’s how observant this particular staff has been the whole trip.  And it is appreciated.

 

So we had some loose ends to tie up at the front desk, specifically with Jonah, the event coordinator.  If we have questions, she has the answers.  And if not, she will follow up with the information.  The main thing we needed to sort out was what credits on our account had to be spent onboard.  It’s a use it, or lose it situation.  Then a certain amount was cashable, a no-brainer.  If we don’t choose to cash out, that amount will be directly credited to our credit card on file. 

 

The rest of the questions concerned getting Covid tested before we leave to join the N. Amsterdam.  And finally, how will our transfer work to the hotel.  We received a letter with all of the disembarkation choices, and were not sure which one applied to us.   These days, it appears that you determine your flight time, and take the luggage tags from a kiosk near the front desk.  Exceptions to that rule are the 4 & 5 star Mariner members ( Orange Club and President’s Club too) who will get their tags delivered to their rooms. 

 

So with that info, it was time to go shopping.  Bill had already looked closely at the watch display, which is extensive on this ship.  So it took no time at all to find the perfect one.  And the sales fellow was low-key and very helpful.  No pressure.  Now for me….that was a different story.  The same sales girls were there that tried helping us a few days ago.  We’re talking Effy jewelry now, so everything is over-the-top.  I never know what I am looking for unless something catches my eye.  Which means I need time to look at every display and ask prices.  This is opposite to their sales technique.  And that is why another set of eyes works best, and that is Bill.  He knows what I like and found the most unique earrings, which had just been brought out today and put in the display case.  Perfect, although, the girls still tried combining the sale with a matching pendant at a deep discount.  By the way, the price on each item was also discounted, including the watch.  I passed on the pendant, so there is more SBC to spend, but in another shop.  In addition, we were both given a handful of coupons for a drawing later in the cruise. 

 

During our conversation at the front desk, we learned that the guests that tested positive for Covid after the second round, had to be debarked.  If they had remained on the ship, it is possible that we would have been denied entry into the upcoming ports.  Wish the mask mandate had never been dropped.  Even at his noontime talk, the Captain strongly urged passengers to keep the masks on, but the “recommended” signs are still up.  Washing hands and sanitizing helps, but not when you hear and see folks coughing, especially in the elevators.  Speaking of which, going down the forward elevators, we noticed that two were shut off on deck A.  That is where the medical center is located.  When we see that, we know these elevators are being sprayed down from a Covid patient transfer.  Then the same thing happened with the mid-ship elevators.   Two of them stuck on deck A.  Doubt we will ever know what is really going on behind the scenes.

 

One good thing we happened to notice was that the casino seemed back to normal, with just a handful of folks gambling.  Even better, at 6pm, the casino went smoke free for the evening.  No doubt many other passengers sounded their objections to the smoke, and someone finally listened.

 

Lunch  was in the Lido with healthy salads.  We have been eating on the side of the Lido where few people dine, trying to keep away from crowds. Back in our room, we watched as a variety of boobys soared overhead, catching fish.  Must have taken at least 500 photos of these soaring birds, just to get a few good shots.  While we were seeing the streamers of yellow/green algae go by, we saw some rather large dolphins right under the surface alongside the ship.  No time to film them, they were gone in a flash without jumping at all.  Bet they were going after the flying fish too. 

 

Dinner time was back in the dining room, where we found our section pretty quiet.  Most of the guests had eaten and left.  Much of the activity around us involved the waiters re-setting the tables.  It can be distracting, but that is the nature of anytime dining these days.  We are considered “fixed” seating guests, but it doesn’t seem to make any difference.  Couldn’t help but notice that the clean plates were upside down, and the glasses laid over.  Bet they are going to spray when everyone leaves.  Anyway, we ordered the arrancini? meatball appetizer, salad nicoise, one prime rib, and one spaghetti and meatballs. Two of our favorites.  And they did not disappoint.

 

Tomorrow, we will be back to Bonaire….a different, but nice place to visit.  Not so “touristy”.

 

Bill & Mary Ann   

 

 

[WCB]

Hello all!

 

Since we are not going to be "in transit" guests this time, we do not know the number of people that are in that group.  One of our friends who is going onward, will be staying in a hotel (at HAL's expense) for the two days of the azipod repairs.  No in transit passengers will be allowed to stay onboard the ship. 

Regarding the use of the Volendam for humanitarian purposes, we have heard no more news.  Best to check with your travel agent. 

 

Bill & Mary Ann