Nearly Live from Oosterdam Med Empires June 13th - 25th.

[VMax1700]

The 2022 European season has been short on “Live from” threads so far, so I am starting a “Nearly Live from the Oosterdam” during her 12 day Mediterranean Empires cruise departing from Venice/Trieste on Monday June 13^th.

 

This will be only Oosterdam’s 4^th cruise since returning to service, so it will be interesting to compare this cruise to the one we did last October on Eurodam also in the Med.  Unfortunately, no Tamarind, but I am sure we will manage to forage enough calories from the other dining locations.

 

We booked this cruise in April during a ‘flash sale’ and got a Guarantee Verandah for a very good price. Since then we added ‘Have it All’ and have taken advantage of HAL’s exchange rate to pre pay ‘Crew Appreciation’. Last week I called Inventory and purchased an upgrade to a Signature Suite for a great price. Overall we are very happy with the amount that the cruise is costing.

 

Airfare, now that is a different story!  Also it appears that hotels in Venice are trying to recoup the last two years of nearly zero income by charging substantially more this year compared to last.

 

Anyway, our plan is to fly from Cork to Venice with Ryanair (direct flight) on Saturday 11^th and stay 2 nights in the Hilton Garden Inn in Mestre. We have a private transfer booked to take us from the hotel to the port on Monday morning.

 

Anyone else travelling? Do feel free to add to the thread.

 

Next step is the Health Form, due to be available on 10^th June...................

 

 

 

Our itinerary:

 

 

 

[Vict0riann]

Bon voyage, @VMax1700 and your DW!  I'm looking forward to hearing all about it.  We are booked on Oosterdam next Fall (2023) quite a similar itinerary, and then a TA, so I'm interested in your comments on the ship.  I know we, too, will miss Tamarind, it is our favourite!  

 

Strange that arrival in Trieste is 1 p.m. Friday for debarkation Saturday.  I wonder if it is all about the distance to Venice and all the transfers.  

[VMax1700]

Thanks! @Vict0riann We will miss you and your DH from this one!

Originally the itinerary was for an overnight in Venice, so when they moved embarkation/disembark to Trieste, they really had no other options other than overnight in Trieste unless they added an additional stop in Split or Zadar or similar and who knows what problems that would have added.  Anyway we will probably wander ashore in the afternoon and see some of Trieste.

[pschweig]

Thank you so much for starting this thread! A question that I hope you will be able to answer once on board - how do you find out what time to which you have been assigned for your complimentary transfer to Marco Polo Airport?

[0106]

I am looking forward to hearing about the condition of the ship.  We are considering her for the Spanish Farewell in November 2022.

[Torquer]

We are looking forward to reading your reports as we have an identical cruise (the same port stops) later in the summer on Oosterdam.  We are particularly interested if there are any covid restrictions in Turkey.  Also are you using HAL's transfers back to Venice and if so, have you heard what time they will leave.

[Fredrik]

We’re onboard for the July 16th so keep it coming 😉

[ger_77]

Thank you for taking us along with you!  Will you be in the same cabin for the trans-Atlantic in November?  I can't wait for your reports!

 

Gerry

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Looking forward to your "Nearly Live" 😀  Safe Travels!!

[VMax1700]

2 hours ago, pschweig said:

Thank you so much for starting this thread! A question that I hope you will be able to answer once on board - how do you find out what time to which you have been assigned for your complimentary transfer to Marco Polo Airport?

We are taking the complimentary transfer from Trieste to VCE Marco Polo airport on June 25th.  Currently our boarding pass shows a debarkation time of 8.30 am.  I am hoping that this is the transfer time, bearing in mind that we will be docked in Trieste overnight.  I will confirm what exactly happens, as it happens.

 

 

[VMax1700]

2 hours ago, 0106 said:

I am looking forward to hearing about the condition of the ship.  We are considering her for the Spanish Farewell in November 2022.

We are on that sailing also.  Come and join us.  There is a great roll call already.

[VMax1700]

1 hour ago, Fredrik said:

We’re onboard for the July 16th so keep it coming 😉

👍

[VMax1700]

1 hour ago, ger_77 said:

Thank you for taking us along with you!  Will you be in the same cabin for the trans-Atlantic in November?  I can't wait for your reports!

 

Gerry

I wish!

We have a Verandah Gty for that sailing, although it seems to be a VC gty.  I think that has happened because of the original Zuiderdam booking was moved to Volendam  to Westerdam to Eurodam to Oosterdam (did I miss one? 🙄)

For this sailing we are in 6117, which has the extra space and strangely shaped balcony on the starboard side.

[sailingdutchy]

Thank you @VMax1700 for doing a nearly live report from the Oosterdam we hope to be on her for 3 weeks starting on Sept 16 from Barcelona we have been on the Oosterdam a couple of times and enjoyed her but like you mentioned we will also miss the Tamarind although the might have a once a week pop up Tamarind in the Pinnacle Restaurant  with a slightly smaller menu . Could you please let us know if they still do that . Yes the Pinnacle Class ships have spoiled us as far as specialty restaurants are concerned . 

 

Wishing you a great cruise and safe travels  ! I will be following you and read your reports . 

Tony 

Edited June 8, 2022 by sailingdutchy

[0106]

38 minutes ago, VMax1700 said:

There is a great roll call already.

That is quite a long roll call!  

[Dunmore2]

We’re looking forward to hearing all about the Oosterdam. Have a fantastic time.

[pschweig]

1 hour ago, VMax1700 said:

We are taking the complimentary transfer from Trieste to VCE Marco Polo airport on June 25th.  Currently our boarding pass shows a debarkation time of 8.30 am.  I am hoping that this is the transfer time, bearing in mind that we will be docked in Trieste overnight.  I will confirm what exactly happens, as it happens.

 

 

After reading your post, I checked my boarding pass and it also says disembark time of 8:30. Thank you for offering to verify if this is correct when on board. If possible, could you also find out if HAL will do Covid testing on Sat morning before disembarking for those with Sunday flights to the US?

[Torquer]

2 hours ago, VMax1700 said:

We are taking the complimentary transfer from Trieste to VCE Marco Polo airport on June 25th.  Currently our boarding pass shows a debarkation time of 8.30 am.  I am hoping that this is the transfer time, bearing in mind that we will be docked in Trieste overnight.  I will confirm what exactly happens, as it happens.

@VMax1700Just curious what time is your flight out of VCE?  Given the long bus ride, if I was arranging my own transportation, I would want to leave Trieste at least 5 hours before the flight.  So I am wondering what HAL thinks is enough time.

[kazu]

4 hours ago, 0106 said:

I am looking forward to hearing about the condition of the ship.  We are considering her for the Spanish Farewell in November 2022.

 

2 hours ago, VMax1700 said:

We are on that sailing also.  Come and join us.  There is a great roll call already.

 

LOL - I was about to say the same thing 😉 

 

Hope you two have a really wonderful time on board.  Looking forward to any reports you have time for and really appreciate the time and $ you are investing doing it 👍 

 

Bon Voyage !!!  🥂 🥂Have a great cruise and a WONDERFUL time 🚢 🛳

[bluesplayer]

Looking forward to your experience and reviews.  Following along.,

[VMax1700]

ED-2 (Embarkation Day -2).

 

A minor crisis has occurred.  Overnight DW has had severe tooth pain, so (very) early this morning I left a message on the dental practice's answering machine.  They called back this morning at 8.30 am and we have an appointment at 10.40 this morning.  Never been happier to receive a call from the dentist!  They are aware of her chemo and radiation treatments and also being on zolandronic acid injections and daily anti hormone tablets, so her jaw and teeth are at risk.

🤞🙏🤞

[VMax1700]

10 hours ago, sailingdutchy said:

Thank you @VMax1700 for doing a nearly live report from the Oosterdam we hope to be on her for 3 weeks starting on Sept 16 from Barcelona we have been on the Oosterdam a couple of times and enjoyed her but like you mentioned we will also miss the Tamarind although the might have a once a week pop up Tamarind in the Pinnacle Restaurant  with a slightly smaller menu . Could you please let us know if they still do that . Yes the Pinnacle Class ships have spoiled us as far as specialty restaurants are concerned . 

 

Wishing you a great cruise and safe travels  ! I will be following you and read your reports . 

Tony 

Hi Tony,

A pop up Tamarind would be great, but there is nothing showing on Navigator and also PG is bookable for all nights (except the night of Pinnacle Gala and pop up Sel de Mer).  So I feel we will be unlucky.  Hope you have more luck in September!

We were on Oosterdam twice but it was back in 2016.

Best wishes to you and Martha.

Colin

[VMax1700]

8 hours ago, pschweig said:

After reading your post, I checked my boarding pass and it also says disembark time of 8:30. Thank you for offering to verify if this is correct when on board. If possible, could you also find out if HAL will do Covid testing on Sat morning before disembarking for those with Sunday flights to the US?

 

I will try to find out what is being offered.

 

8 hours ago, Torquer said:

@VMax1700Just curious what time is your flight out of VCE?  Given the long bus ride, if I was arranging my own transportation, I would want to leave Trieste at least 5 hours before the flight.  So I am wondering what HAL thinks is enough time.

Our flight time is 2pm.  Presuming the bus takes two and a half hours to the airport that will leave us just 3 hours before our flight departs.  With the chaos at airports these days, I am just about comfortable with that timing.

I will report back with any further information.

[ski ww]

Bon Voyage. We are boarding her on 2 July. Read a not very flattering post yesterday about the ship. Looking forward to your report.  

[kazu]

1 hour ago, VMax1700 said:

ED-2 (Embarkation Day -2).

 

A minor crisis has occurred.  Overnight DW has had severe tooth pain, so (very) early this morning I left a message on the dental practice's answering machine.  They called back this morning at 8.30 am and we have an appointment at 10.40 this morning.  Never been happier to receive a call from the dentist!  They are aware of her chemo and radiation treatments and also being on zolandronic acid injections and daily anti hormone tablets, so her jaw and teeth are at risk.

🤞🙏🤞

 

Oh dear - I hope the dentist can fix this ASAP.  Prayers for her 🙏🏻