Live Nieuw Amsterdam, 9-Days, Dec 30, 2021 - Jan 8, 2022

[VMax1700]

20 hours ago, Crew News said:

as well as a Lash Spa next door.

It took me a moment to understand what this is.  My first thought was a punishment for failing the test 😁

[Kitty-Kat]

Was Just wondering if the itinerary for this was changed?  Thought it was supposed to go to Curacao first.  Any issues with restrictions in the ports?

[can_birdie]

1 hour ago, Kitty-Kat said:

Was Just wondering if the itinerary for this was changed?  Thought it was supposed to go to Curacao first.  Any issues with restrictions in the ports?

I'm on this cruise also. Yes, the itinerary was flipped several times leading up to the sailing. I think the last change was about 2 weeks out. No issues getting into any of the ports.

[Crew News]

2 hours ago, Kitty-Kat said:

Was Just wondering if the itinerary for this was changed?  Thought it was supposed to go to Curacao first.  Any issues with restrictions in the ports?

Masks are required both indoors ad outdoors in Turks & Caicos with roaming policemen to enforce it,

[scubacruiserx2]

We had a nice tour yesterday and a nice dinner in the Tamarind where we saw Roger and Joanna . We had a nice chat with them and a good nights sleep last night .

[Crew News]

On 1/4/2022 at 7:33 AM, 12cruise2 said:

Yes, I agree with earlier advice, and from experience:  Definitely EAT those strawberries right away; they do not keep.

 

Also, please say hello to Jenny for us, Suzanne and Michael.  She remembered us for three weeks between the end of our first two-week cruise and our second three-week cruise and we had not had her as a server, just met her once.  She recognized us and called us by name and was just great on our last four-week cruising adventure.

The chocolate lasted one day before I cracked it off and ate all of the strawberries while they were still fresh.  Now just munching on lots of dark chocolate pieces.

 

Jenny says, "Hi."

[Crew News]

After suffering through poor internet connection and speed, the internet support guy convinced me to upgrade to the Premium package.  What I thought was just a quantity of data upgrade, turned out to be a huge speed issue as well.  Instead of taking several minutes to connect to CC, it takes only a few seconds.

To to continue my report......There was a 5* Mariner and Presidential Club Mariner Meet & Greet on our first Sea Day with about 30 in attendance.  Unlike the Nieuw Statendam, the ship officers of the Nieuw Amsterdam attended and spoke to the passengers.  At the entrance, the Captain apologized profusely to me for his Passenger Safety Drill non-compliance letters.  Unfortunately, he did not apologize with a free upgrade to a Neptune Suite.

A major goal for this cruise was accomplished when I tracked down the the two cabana menus for Half Moon Cay.  They will be posted soon.

Day 05 was in Curacao and a Beach Express excursion that was quite enjoyable.  The bus ride of about 25 minutes was unique to include the very bumpy last road.  An area was set aside for us that included loungers and shade. A free drink was included for all.  The first layer of my sunburn commenced.  The late afternoon sunset cruise began just a short distance from the ship and lasted about 3.5 hours.  The last 30 minutes was spent in the dark near the refinery area.  I saw four rounds of rum punch and five rounds of appetizers being served during the cruise. Dinner at the Tamarind was muted as I was filled with the excursion appetizers.

My morning and evening pictures of the swinging bridge came out nicely with the evening colors very bright.  Unlike previous visits to this port, I did not hear the residents blowing horns as we departed.

 

Day 06 in Aruba began with the Lido Market out of orange as breakfast ended.  My tomato juice second option, normally consumed in a single lifting of my glass, was interrupted when I noticed chunks in the stream.  Closer inspection revealed not only small chunks but also seeds.  This was my first encounter with blender tomato juice that was so very fresh.  With a touch of salt and pepper, the juice was perfect and I now have plans for my new Vitamix blender.

After arriving at Eagle Beach  over a very bumpy road around 10:30, I discovered no available umbrellas.  Experienced Eagle Beach goers had grabbed the first taxi from the ship at 7:00 AM to guarantee an umbrella and two lounge chairs. The ship excursion did not have a reserved spot or loungers for us.  After 30 minutes, an umbrella with loungers became available and I paid the $40 rental fee.  The shade kept me out of the direct sun, no need for suntan lotion, and I savored the cool breeze.  Within two hours, I realized that the umbrella had no UV protection as my legs and head began to burn. 

 

Removing my bathing suit and getting dressed for dinner became a major undertaking as I experienced the second layer of sunburn now reddening my skin with each passing minute.  Flashbacks of my mother saying, "You can get a sunburn even in the shade," began to flow through my now reddened head. The union of Lobster-red skin, khaki pants, and clinging socks proved a major distraction during both another Tamarind dinner and the evening Neil Diamond live performance.  The cool, white sheets of my stateroom bed promised relief but delivered only further incubation.   Cool compresses applied to my torso, head, and legs allowed brief periods of rest.

Today, the burn is slightly tempered and the gentle touch of a cool hand brings instant relief.  Tomorrow, the tanning process begins and should be very evident as visual evidence of my Caribbean cruise.

More later.

 

[travelnap]

Crew News, it is -11 F with a wind chill of -35 F, so I am willing to trade you for your sunburn if you are interested.  Hope you heal up fast or find a good lotion to cool the burn a little.  Thanks for letting us follow along with you.

[travelbug615]

Just saw a  person on FB posting that HAL has cancelled the  Nieuw Amsterdam Jan 8th sailing and the person posting said HAL wanted to move them to the Jan 9th sailing on the Rotterdam.  Have you heard anything about this onboard?

[ddled]

yes- we are booked on. her Jan 14 on a charter cruise-about ready to cancel it at cfar 75% policy. If something is wrong that she can't sail the 14th it could save me a lot of money

[smlnd]

 "Day 05 was in Curacao and a Beach Express excursion that was quite enjoyable.  The bus ride of about 25 minutes was unique to include the very bumpy last road.  An area was set aside for us that included loungers and shade."

 

Did the Beach Express go to Blue Bay Beach?

[Crew News]

7 minutes ago, smlnd said:

 "Day 05 was in Curacao and a Beach Express excursion that was quite enjoyable.  The bus ride of about 25 minutes was unique to include the very bumpy last road.  An area was set aside for us that included loungers and shade."

 

Did the Beach Express go to Blue Bay Beach?

The Beach Express excursion went to the Cas Abou Beach not the beach at Blue Bay.

[Florida_gal_50]

3 hours ago, travelnap said:

Crew News, it is -11 F with a wind chill of -35 F, so I am willing to trade you for your sunburn if you are interested.  Hope you heal up fast or find a good lotion to cool the burn a little.  Thanks for letting us follow along with you.

Up in Canada some of us would break out the shorts in that weather.  I wish it would “warm” up to that.

[Florida_gal_50]

@Crew Newssorry to hear that upgrade to the Neptune didn’t materialize 😛.  Thanks for the update.

[madera1]

I am enjoying your posts. I hope you continue to have a great cruise.

[MissKins]

Hello,

 

I am on board the N.A. And have been since December 18.  It has been one of my best HAL cruises ever (we are 5 Star Mariners).  The staff and protocols have been excellent.

 

FYI - I learned last night from a Team Member that yes, the January 8 sailing has been cancelled, and I discovered from their Facebook page that the Starvista Country Cruise on January 15 has also been postponed, or as they said on their Facebook page - will be rescheduled. At last glance, the first NA cruise available to book on HAL website is 29Jan21.
 

Even though the Covid protocols are very good on the ship - eg. mandatory masks inside in all areas except when eating or drinking- I understand, as other writers have said, that there are a number of exposures and people in isolation on board and HAL wants to do a circuit breaker on sailings until Omicron subsides. 

[SueMo]

I, too, am on this cruise.  We have not officially been notified of number of positive cases onboard.  I know a number of people have been isolated for contact, but have no idea as to how many.  Other than cancellation of some of the entertainment on board and the wearing of masks, COVID hasn’t really affected this cruise for those of us who are without symptoms.

[SueMo]

One of the entertainment hosts said the cancellation of cruises for the next month on the NA wasn’t because of COVID numbers onboard.  The Jan 8 cruise had lots of cancellations and the low number of passengers made HAL decide to cancel.  The Starvista Country cruise was postponed, not by HAL, but by the organizers.

[smlnd]

We are booked on NA for February 13th and we have not been notified if that cruise is cancelled.  When you say cruises "for the next month", I'm wondering if that just means January???

[smlnd]

3 minutes ago, smlnd said:

We are booked on NA for February 13th and we have not been notified if that cruise is cancelled.  When you say cruises "for the next month", I'm wondering if that just means January???

Ooops, correction, we are going on the Nieuw Statendam.

[Crew News]

Day 07 was a sea day which for me means catching up with camera downloads, answering emails, searching for answers to questions, completing the "Let us know" feedback, and sleeping late.  

After a number of commendations for great dining service, I receive "Hello, Mr Roger.  How is your day?" whenever I pass through the Lido.  Those who greet me have seen all of my face and I have had the opportunity to see only their eyes/hair which puts me at a great disadvantage in acknowledging them first.

The Lido Market table-busing staff are truly more efficient than I have encountered in my many cruises.  There seems to be challenge to never let a used bowl/plate/cup/utensil rest on any table, even while the passenger still remains seated at the table.  Over the past years, I have have evaluated and ultimately chose a large green salad bowl from the salad station to transport a daily portion of chips to my stateroom but while the bowl sits empty at my Nieuw Amsterdam lunch table, every passing Lido Market team member tries to take it away.  They are very successful in snatching hardly-used silverware if you glance away but I think there must be a reward for collecting unused salad bowls.  A mere blink of my eye, or a turn of my head to speak to a fellow passenger,  puts my empty bowl in busing jeopardy.  I have lost two potential chip bowls so far this cruise and have caught many a busser before they could take their first step away with my bowl in hand.

Some may say, "Roger, just go get another bowl," but that would require me standing again in the salad station line with my fellow passengers who are deciding between the garbanzo or red beans, debating types of cheese, or quizzing the server about his/her preference for additional veggies.  The same deciders oftentimes turn to their following friend in line and ask their opinion of what toppings to choose.  Those who cruise have experienced the aforementioned overwhelmed-with-decisions passengers who when faced with various veggies, cheeses, dressings, and croutons, just need a little extra time to ponder their options. And I just want an empty bowl for chips.  

By the eighth day of any cruise, I have developed a report with the salad makers that requires a mere nod of my head, while I am waiting in the salad station line of deciding deciders,  to have the salad maker pause in mid bean sprinkling and hand me an empty bowl.  

On my Nieuw Statendam cruise last year, it took only six days for the nod and bowl-handing process to become firmly entrenched.   So far, I have yet to develop that report on the Nieuw Amsterdam and must closely guard my green salad bowl at all costs lest I be forced into the salad station line again. So, "Roger, just go get another bowl" is not an option, at least not yet on this ship.

My laundry, turned in at 10:30 AM, was delivered at 8:00 PM and the contents of the basket were still warm to the touch. I am impressed with the laundry.

The comedian on the Main stage was average but some of his religious, sexual,  and bodily fluids elimination jokes did not go over well with the Inspirational Cruise group aboard.  I would not pay to see him in any show in the future.

My attempts to determine the number of passengers in isolation has been futile but I did learn that there will be 400 new crew coming from another ship and heading into quarantine for 14 days when we reach Fort Lauderdale.

Just for fun, I purchased the "Add additional devices" package that offered only 3 additional devices in spite of wanting only one.  Two days for three additional devices on the Premium Plan costs $20.  It must be noted that passengers in the hot tub were passing a tablet around to wave to their friends back home while others were Zooming   The Premium Package works fine but with a few slowdowns.

And so it was January 6, 2022.

Will post more later.

 

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

9 minutes ago, Crew News said:

 

 

My attempts to determine the number of passengers in isolation has been futile but I did learn that there will be 400 new crew coming from another ship and heading into quarantine for 14 days when we reach Fort Lauderdale.

 

 

That might explain why the Jan 8th and 5th cruises have been cancelled as reported elsewhere.

[Florida_gal_50]

I’m glad I’m not the only one that gets behind these people  that think they are picking out a kidney at the salad station.  How hard is it?  Too bad they don’t have an express lane for those of us that can make quick decisions.

[Boatdrill]

24 minutes ago, SJSULIBRARIAN said:

That might explain why the Jan 8th and 5th cruises have been cancelled as reported elsewhere.

 I thought the same. With the Jan 8th, the 15th (charter) and the 22nd (charter)  cruises cancelled/rescheduled,  that gives the NA three weeks of down time.  

[Crew News]

A bit late but I will close out this thread with a few final thoughts.

The last sea day was spent catching up with crew feedback submissions, packing, and a final dinner in the Pinnacle Grill.

Disembarkation procedures now allow passengers to select their own luggage tags from a rack near the Front Desk for a time of their own choosing.  As a 5* Mariner, I was delivered tags and allowed to disembark anytime between 8:00 and 9:30 AM.  My plan was to leave at 9:15 AM to avoid the crowd and then wait for my traveling partner to get her COVID test outside the terminal exit.

The Lido Market had few passengers remaining when i had breakfast at 8:30 AM and only a few pieces of luggage remained when I descended the escalator to the luggage storage area.  The new process of leaving your HAL luggage tags attached to your luggage meant all of your pieces are placed together.  Saves a lot of time.  No passport needed as only passing a facial recognition is needed to let passengers bypass the Immigration booths.  Same process for my Canadian traveling partner.

Once outside the terminal, my partner joined the back of the very long COVID testing line at 9:30 AM and I unpacked my portable photography stool to have a comfortable wait.  Among the waiting group was a young adult, who had earlier tested positive for COVID, leaning against the terminal wall with his father, and waiting for a confirming test.  

I learned that not only Canadians but all passengers leaving the USA were getting their tests.  Included in the waiting line were passengers needing a test to transfer to the Rotterdam after the Nieuw Amsterdam was converted to a shuttle ship for the upcoming weeks.  The private testing company resisted testing those passengers until letters were produced reportedly saying that HAL would cover the cost.

Starting at 10:30 AM, passengers began arriving to board the Nieuw Amsterdam for the next week only to find that their cruise was moved to the Rotterdam at a different terminal. At 11:00 AM, the waiting father was called to the table and given the results of his son's COVID retest.  After spending a few moments to read the results, he shouted, "You get to go home.  You get to go home, today!!"  High fives were exchanged between father and son before both left the area with their arms around each other.  

After two hours in line, my traveling partner finally was tested at 11L30 AM and told to check her email later in the day for results.  I was surprised when I learned that the lady behind her had tested positive and was crying while waiting for a retest.  Glad everyone in line was wearing masks.

Test results from 11:30 AM were received by 3:00 PM meaning that any flights booked on Disembarkation Day to Canada best not be made before evening.

In summary, I accomplished a major goal locating the Half Moon Cay Butler menu and I ll be posting it soon.  I think I reported answers to all of the questions posed on this thread.  My time aboard the Nieuw Amsterdam with it's very friendly crew, good food, amazing pizza, interesting Navigator app, and good service was both relaxing and enjoyable.

And so it was December 30, 2021 to January 8m 2022.

My next live thread will be aboard the first 7-Day cruise to Alaska in April, 2022 and I will be posting all of the menus for those who will follow.