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

[VMax1700]

The port is very busy, with the usual ferry traffic.  Also in port are Azamara Journey, Celebrity Constellation, Viking Sea, MSC Armonia and us!

[VMax1700]

Today is Thursday so here is today's special Blooms Day edition of bread pudding 😁Luckily it is not a gorgonzola sandwich eaten in Davy Byrne's pub with my friend Leopold.   

 

[VMax1700]

We left our first bag of laundry on the bed last night when we went to dinner.

It was returned at 8.15am this morning! 

[kazu]

15 minutes ago, VMax1700 said:

The port is very busy, with the usual ferry traffic.  Also in port are Azamara Journey, Celebrity Constellation, Viking Sea, MSC Armonia and us!

 

Yikes! that is busy!

 

6 minutes ago, VMax1700 said:

We left our first bag of laundry on the bed last night when we went to dinner.

It was returned at 8.15am this morning! 

 

Excellent!  Good to hear 👍 

[terrydtx]

20 minutes ago, VMax1700 said:

Today is Thursday so here is today's special Blooms Day edition of bread pudding 😁Luckily it is not a gorgonzola sandwich eaten in Davy Byrne's pub with my friend Leopold.   

 

I see that you post a different bread pudding every day, where are you getting it?  I love bread pudding, but my wife doesn't, something about being soggy bread, so I can only get some when we travel.

[VMax1700]

6 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

I see that you post a different bread pudding every day, where are you getting it?  I love bread pudding, but my wife doesn't, something about being soggy bread, so I can only get some when we travel.

🤫You are not going to like this!  It is only available in the Lido 'Sweet Spot' at lunchtime.  It is kept at the back counter, away from poking fingers, and is served over the front partition by a Lido staff member.

[puppycanducruise]

Happy Blooms Day!

Yum on the bread pudding.

[terrydtx]

50 minutes ago, VMax1700 said:

🤫You are not going to like this!  It is only available in the Lido 'Sweet Spot' at lunchtime.  It is kept at the back counter, away from poking fingers, and is served over the front partition by a Lido staff member.

I am not a fan of the Lido, but I may have to sneak up there for some at least once and bring back to my balcony to enjoy. We only have 2 sea days on our cruise so it will have to be one of them, we have private tours planned for every port day and we will be having lunch onshore.

Edited June 16, 2022 by terrydtx

[terrydtx]

1 hour ago, terrydtx said:

I am not a fan of the Lido, but I may have to sneak up there for some at least once and bring back to my balcony to enjoy. We only have 2 sea days on our cruise so it will have to be one of them, we have private tours planned for every port day and we will be having lunch onshore.

I just realized we have 4 sea days not 2 so more bread pudding opportunities. Yumm

[VMax1700]

22 hours ago, Torquer said:

Are both levels of the dining room open on your cruise? 

Yes, they seem to be.  I checked tonight and both deck 2 and deck 3 entrances were staffed.  On deck 3 they were getting ready for the late sitting.

[VMax1700]

Tonight's Greek Dinner in the Lido was hugely successful.  It was very busy on the port side (where the open stations are positioned).  The stations on the starboard are closed each evening as they are used for Caneletto.  But, there are always lots of empty tables available to those who are prepared to walk the few extra yards to the port side 🤫.

After consuming mussels, snapper, and shrimp with a side of roasted lamb to satisfy the carnivore within me,  I made a little cheese plate to enjoy with a glass of red.

Who can spot the "non HAL item" on the plate  🙄🤣

 

[1ANGELCAT]

23 minutes ago, VMax1700 said:

Tonight's Greek Dinner in the Lido was hugely successful.  It was very busy on the port side (where the open stations are positioned).  The stations on the starboard are closed each evening as they are used for Caneletto.  But, there are always lots of empty tables available to those who are prepared to walk the few extra yards to the port side 🤫.

After consuming mussels, snapper, and shrimp with a side of roasted lamb to satisfy the carnivore within me,  I made a little cheese plate to enjoy with a glass of red.

Who can spot the "non HAL item" on the plate  🙄🤣

 

Looks good, I think you brought your own crackers 😃

[VMax1700]

15 minutes ago, 1ANGELCAT said:

Looks good, I think you brought your own crackers 😃

Winner!  Yes, after our experience last October on Eurodam when there were no crackers, they are now first on my packing list. 

Edited June 16, 2022 by VMax1700

[terrydtx]

4 minutes ago, VMax1700 said:

Winner!  Yes, after our experience last October on Eurodam when there were no crackers, they are now first on my packing list. 

After our experience on the Equinox last year, I am bringing my own Mexican Salsa or Picante Sauce. I love either one on my eggs for breakfast and all our butler could find were small bottles of Tabasco sauce or chopped jalapeno peppers, not the same thing, I was surprised a cruise ship from Florida had neither sauce on the ship, in fact the kitchen had no idea what either were when I asked.

[Torquer]

@VMax1700I didn't see any classical music group on the When & Where.  Do they have a string quartet or a violin & piano group onboard?

[VMax1700]

8 minutes ago, Torquer said:

@VMax1700I didn't see any classical music group on the When & Where.  Do they have a string quartet or a violin & piano group onboard?

Yes they do.  Lincoln Center Stage had a pianist last night and a cellist the night before.  

[kazu]

23 minutes ago, VMax1700 said:

Winner!  Yes, after our experience last October on Eurodam when there were no crackers, they are now first on my packing list. 

 

And thanks to your warning from before, it’s on my list too.  Can’t have a wine and cheese get together without crackers 😉 Have to check, but I am hoping I can buy some in Barcelona and avoid having them broken on the flight over.  I will be doing some googling 😉 

 

15 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

After our experience on the Equinox last year, I am bringing my own Mexican Salsa or Picante Sauce. I love either one on my eggs for breakfast and all our butler could find were small bottles of Tabasco sauce or chopped jalapeno peppers, not the same thing, I was surprised a cruise ship from Florida had neither sauce on the ship, in fact the kitchen had no idea what either were when I asked.

 

DH liked hot too and could always rely on Sambol. He asked for it the first day in the MDR and the crew had fun with him giving him different kinds.  They even gave him their own which was quite hot - even by Jose standards.  The regular sambol is in the Lido and readily available in the MDR with a quick request.  

 

It’s one big plus on HAL for those that enjoy it.  Just in case this is of help. 

[terrydtx]

1 hour ago, kazu said:

DH liked hot too and could always rely on Sambol. He asked for it the first day in the MDR and the crew had fun with him giving him different kinds.  They even gave him their own which was quite hot - even by Jose standards.  The regular sambol is in the Lido and readily available in the MDR with a quick request.  

 

It’s one big plus on HAL for those that enjoy it.  Just in case this is of help.

I had no idea what Sambol was, so I googled it and it does sounds too hot, here in Texas we just like good old Mexican Picante or Salsa. I will be on the lookout for it, but in case I am bringing some in little packets like you get in fast food restaurants.

[kazu]

51 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

I had no idea what Sambol was, so I googled it and it does sounds too hot, here in Texas we just like good old Mexican Picante or Salsa. I will be on the lookout for it, but in case I am bringing some in little packets like you get in fast food restaurants.

 

I don’t think the regular one is that hot.  (At least it wasn’t for DH - but remember his definition of hot and mine are different 😉 I didn’t eat the stuff).  Might be worth a shot to give it a try and take your back up.  

[ger_77]

3 hours ago, kazu said:

 

And thanks to your warning from before, it’s on my list too.  Can’t have a wine and cheese get together without crackers 😉 Have to check, but I am hoping I can buy some in Barcelona and avoid having them broken on the flight over.  I will be doing some googling  

 

There's a Carrefour store mid-way between our hotels that we'll be hitting up for some "supplies" to take onboard - crackers and chocolate (because apparently we now only get chocolates on gala nights).  I'm going to put a chocolate on my pillow before we head out for dinner, then act surprised when we return at the end of the evening.  LOL

[kazu]

26 minutes ago, ger_77 said:

There's a Carrefour store mid-way between our hotels that we'll be hitting up for some "supplies" to take onboard - crackers and chocolate (because apparently we now only get chocolates on gala nights).  I'm going to put a chocolate on my pillow before we head out for dinner, then act surprised when we return at the end of the evening.  LOL

 

 

You slay me with the chocolate idea 😂  Yes, I know the store you speak of all too well.  I confess when I visited I was never looking for crackers - key essentials like wine were on my list back in the day 😉 

 

I will check it out on line and if it has good crackers that will be a bonus.  Thanks for the reminder.

 

 

[0106]

The delicious HAL bread works for me with a cheese plate.  I must have had an amazing steward on the Zuiderdam in February but I ask him if I could have a piece of dark chocolate every night and he put one one my pillow each night.  (Maybe because I told him I didn’t need a towel animal.)

[Hlitner]

Enjoying the reviews and pix of food ").  What about onboard entertainment?

 

Hank

[Florida_gal_50]

3 hours ago, terrydtx said:

I had no idea what Sambol was, so I googled it and it does sounds too hot, here in Texas we just like good old Mexican Picante or Salsa. I will be on the lookout for it, but in case I am bringing some in little packets like you get in fast food restaurants.

I’ve never heard of sambol before but I use sambal on the ship and at home.  I’ve tried the crew sambal before but it had a different aftertaste that I didn’t personally care for.  Maybe it’s just my tastebuds.  You definitely wouldn’t use sambal in place of salsa or picante unless you use it sparingly.  For instance you wouldn’t have tortilla chips and sambal or at least I wouldn’t, but then again I can’t eat corn so I wouldn’t be eating chips either.

[Dunmore2]

2 hours ago, ger_77 said:

There's a Carrefour store mid-way between our hotels that we'll be hitting up for some "supplies" to take onboard - crackers and chocolate (because apparently we now only get chocolates on gala nights).  I'm going to put a chocolate on my pillow before we head out for dinner, then act surprised when we return at the end of the evening.  LOL

There’s also a nice grocery store in the basement of El Corte Inglés off Plaça de Catalunya. I’ve bought “picnic” supplies, wine, crackers, cheese, nuts, etc. I may need to get chocolates too, thanks for the idea!