Our anniversary cruise on the Neiuw Statendam : Is the honeymoon over ? Part 2

[KroozNut]

1 hour ago, Iamthesea said:

Had my DH and I encountered the "wedding group", we would have turned around and headed back to the ship.

 

😄👍

[KroozNut]

On 1/23/2023 at 9:04 AM, scubacruiserx2 said:

 We didn't book a Neptune this time but choose a Vista Suite the same as the previous cruise but with a different location . The first time was an aft our prefered view # 5200 . This time we booked # 7089 midship with a nicer cabin arrangement and hoped for an upgrade/upsale , but to no avail . The ride down to Ftl was smooth . The Navigator app . and a 4 star card got us on quickly by 12 :30 pm in time for a MDR lunch . A couple of quick photos before lunch and the main crowd arrived .

 

 

 

The aft MDR with it's 2 story wine tower reminds us of the Celebrity Solstice class .

 

 

 

The Apex was docked aft of us 

 

 

It was a bit windy with a cold front that had moved in and it was clear and sunny with a high temp of the 60's and the low was predicted in the mid 30's where we live about and hour North and West of  FtL . So the soup and half a club sandwich looked good .

 

 

 

 

The Club Sandwich looks tasty, but to be honest, I've never seen a Club quite like that, especially the 'creaminess' of it, and it looks like maybe a raisin in there?

Hmmmmm..

 

[Overhead Fred]

1 minute ago, KroozNut said:

The Club Sandwich looks tasty, but to be honest, I've never seen a Club quite like that, especially the 'creaminess' of it, and it looks like maybe a raisin in there?

Hmmmmm..

 

 

Maybe a side of coleslaw??

[KroozNut]

1 minute ago, Overhead Fred said:

 

Maybe a side of coleslaw??

I thought about that too, but it looks like it's inside the sandwich itself too..

[PROCRUISE]

Thank you for your ongoing review of the NS. Cruised on this vessel the first week of December and loved everything about it, mostly. 

We really enjoyed the Orange Club Dining Room: quiet, outstanding service, food served HOT! Booked Orange Club again for our 11 night cruise on the Rotterdam at the end of February.

We really enjoy Tamarind and your picture of the Trio of Sorbet made my taste buds spring to life! It's booked again for February since it is our favorite speciality restaurant.

Thanks again for your insights.

[fsufancc]

@scubacruiserx2 Mrs Fan and I sailed on the Liberty a year before the pandemic started. We booked the trip and then her mom passed away about 2 weeks before the sailing (early December).  It was a great trip as Mrs Fan could shake off all of her emotions about her mother's passing (and years long illness leading up to that point).  We never even got off the ship.  Just chilled, had daily happy hour on the balcony, relaxed in the adult only areas of the ship, caught a few shows. I guess due to the dates of the cruise (again, early December) it was not filled with the knuckleheads that normally seem to sail on CCL.

[scubacruiserx2]

And we're back from a busy day yesterday helping our grandson who was pressure cleaning our driveway and pool deck and sealing it . In the early morning we had an interesting first time visitor which we videoed through our dirty front windows . He or she moved very fast but you can see it best at the 25 second mark . My camera scared it away when it made a sound as I switched it from video to try to take a still photo . But it was back this morning for a quick breakfast .

 

 

 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

On the first day's lunch it was a bit cool ( upper 30's where we live and a high of the upper 50's ) and quite breezy . Thus I was craving the soup more than the sandwich . The next time I would order the sandwich without lettuce and tomato as it made it mushy like the lobster roll in a previous lunch . It bordered , like the cole slaw , on being slimy . 

[scubacruiserx2]

As for the wedding party the guy in the blue shirt wore a Maverick on his T-shirt and took some frequent walks from the party . If the reference on his shirt is to the movie then he appears to have a back seat driver as his partner . It kinda gave us cold feet ( even when wearing Alpaca socks ) thinking about our upcoming daughter's wedding and some of her friends that we don't care to see especially when they are drinking too much truth serum . 

 It's time to man the BBQ for lunch and we'll be back after lunch with a boatload of some new photos .

[albingirl]

Thanks for your posts and I love your photos.  That is my favorite ship.

[KroozNut]

Looking forward to the 'boatload' of new photos! 🙂

[scubacruiserx2]

Thank you guys . A quick peek at the pig out lunch . Baby back ribs , pulled pork and BBQ beans on the grill . Inside was potato salad , coleslaw and corn 

 

 

[KroozNut]

4 hours ago, scubacruiserx2 said:

Thank you guys . A quick peek at the pig out lunch . Baby back ribs , pulled pork and BBQ beans on the grill . Inside was potato salad , coleslaw and corn 

 

 

 

Yummmm!!! 😋

[scubacruiserx2]

The Nassau Harbor ship show . We had a good view of the ships entering and exiting the port . A lot of construction near the pier .

 

 

The Carnival Liberty was in port when we arrived

 

 

Across from us we saw a bed on the balcony . Maybe Maverick - the groom was misbehaving and ended up on the couch for the evening ?

 

 

The NCL Pearl we went on with our young grandson at Halloween when it was a new ship

 

 

The Liberty of the Sea was the second ship named Liberty in the port

 

 

And the baby sister Jewel of the Seas

 

 

The Jewel of the Seas was backing in next to her big sister

 

 

A golf cart and 2 cans

 

 

The Dawn was gone

 

 

The effects of hurricanes . Beautiful and location until the storms hit .

 

Ditto for the Lighthouse . When we did our first TA across the Atlantic it was on the Celebrity Constellation and this was our last stop before Bermuda . As we were leaving the waves were crashing higher than the lighthouse !

 

 

Atlantis , we have never been there ( too many people ) . We have tried to dive in Nassau but they don't make it easy for cruisers .

 

 

Close up detail of the Liberty OTS . Notice the curved forward windshield for the forward balconies .

 

 

 

Chasing the Dawn

 

 

 

Nassau in the setting sunlight

 

 

Pilot boat escort service

 

 

A Sunday Sunset

 

[KroozNut]

Great photos.. hoping you have and post more!

[scubacruiserx2]

49 minutes ago, KroozNut said:

Great photos.. hoping you have and post more!

 

Thanks . We will work the dinner photos when our grandson finishes pressure cleaning and sealing the driveway . Dinner was at the Canaletto ( Sunday night is Chicken Parm night ) .

[scubacruiserx2]

A sail away clip from Nassau . 70 % of the population of the Bahamas live in Nassau . The total amount of the 6 ships capacity if filled would be 20,000 or 10 % of the total of the Nassau population .

 

 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

There are a couple of things that we miss from BC ( before Covid ) . One was the free computer classes . And back in the good old days we remember HAL had a RC priest , an Interdenominal minster and a Rabbi . Now only a RC Priest . Worse than the services having to be DIY is that the Mass was every day and announced in the Daily Program with a convenient time and place and the Shabbat service also . But nothing for the interdenominal DIY . When we called the front desk they told us that we should have looked on their App . 

  This just seems to feed into people constantly playing with their devices and ignoring others and their meals and vacations . It is their choice but we like to enjoy our meals , each others company , and discourages meeting other cruisers and the crew . 

 We tried using their App to order food from the Dive In and NY Deli every day and it never worked on this cruise .

  Finally , the Interdenominal service was set at 6 -7 PM , prime dining time . We did change our time from 6 to 7 . The service was well enjoyed by those who attended and a number of times previously we did see no empty seats and had to borrow ones from other rooms . Oh well .

[Iamthesea]

We loved the free computer classes...such fun!  Are they now a pay-for, or a not even offered?

 

I know what you mean about always having to be on your app.  I spent a week at Disney with my DH, daughter, and two GC in October.  I spent what felt like many hours a day on the app.  That was the only way to get around the park and be able to make ride reservations.  I have to say that I mastered it, and we had a great time, but I was not able to spend as much quality time with my family.  Having to walk and navigate the app, checking the app after every ride, during wait times, during breaks and meals, studying it before bedtime, and waking at 6:00am (sometimes earlier) to book ride times was not my idea of a vacation.  What is the world coming to!!!

[scubacruiserx2]

Dinner at the Canaletto .

 

 

 

 

We like plain pasta to park their delicious meatballs and Chicken Parm on

 

 

 

 

We had heard that the Crab Risotto was something special but we tried many times to get it without tomato sauce but to no avail . But the chef on this ship consented ! We really appreciated their effort but it just was not good to our taste .

 

 

A lot of delicious Gelato 

 

I've had a lot of Lemoncello and this was good . But we've never seen it in a glass like this .

 

 

Overall we enjoyed dining here 2 thumbs up .
I

 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

14 minutes ago, Iamthesea said:

We loved the free computer classes...such fun!  Are they now a pay-for, or a not even offered?

 

I know what you mean about always having to be on your app.  I spent a week at Disney with my DH, daughter, and two GC in October.  I spent what felt like many hours a day on the app.  That was the only way to get around the park and be able to make ride reservations.  I have to say that I mastered it, and we had a great time, but I was not able to spend as much quality time with my family.  Having to walk and navigate the app, checking the app after every ride, during wait times, during breaks and meals, studying it before bedtime, and waking at 6:00am (sometimes earlier) to book ride times was not my idea of a vacation.  What is the world coming to!!!

 

We haven't seen the classes AC . But they do offer free adult drawing classes and painting classes for a charge .

[VMax1700]

10 hours ago, Iamthesea said:

We loved the free computer classes...such fun!  Are they now a pay-for, or a not even offered?

The classes are no longer offered.  They were available during HAL's tie in with Microsoft, but that contract ended (during Covid, I think) and was not renewed.

 

They introduced the Navigator App instead 🤣🤣🤣 

 

(p.s. the comment about the app is facetious!)

[Iamthesea]

4 hours ago, VMax1700 said:

 

(p.s. the comment about the app is facetious!)

I don't get it. 🤔  Are you saying that my comment was inappropriate? 

 

Thanks for the information about the free drawing classes, Scuba.  that should be fun!

[VMax1700]

1 minute ago, Iamthesea said:

I don't get it. 🤔  Are you saying that my comment was inappropriate? 

 

 

No, I was commenting on the end of the Microsoft classes and the introduction of the Navigator App to use onboard, bearing in mind discussions about cut backs etc. I was trying to be light hearted and obviously failing!  

Sorry if my 'joke' was misconstrued. 

[scubacruiserx2]

15 hours ago, Iamthesea said:

We loved the free computer classes...such fun!  Are they now a pay-for, or a not even offered?

 

I know what you mean about always having to be on your app.  I spent a week at Disney with my DH, daughter, and two GC in October.  I spent what felt like many hours a day on the app.  That was the only way to get around the park and be able to make ride reservations.  I have to say that I mastered it, and we had a great time, but I was not able to spend as much quality time with my family.  Having to walk and navigate the app, checking the app after every ride, during wait times, during breaks and meals, studying it before bedtime, and waking at 6:00am (sometimes earlier) to book ride times was not my idea of a vacation.  What is the world coming to!!!

 

Disney World opened on my 21st birthday - quite a coming of age present . When we and the kids started arriving in the early 80's it was like a cruise for us and them . My wife and I still remember the A,B,C,D and E ride ticket books that came with admission in the early days . We did homeschool our children until High School and were able to get a Floridian 3 season pass for us and the kids for a great price . The only dates excluded were Summer , Christmas and Easter/Spring . That was fine as we try to avoid crowds and lines ( one of the reasons that Mr. Walt started it ) .

Our son and his wife ( who have 2 colleges each ) took our youngest grandson and went there on Christmas Day this year and told us it was a big mistake   (We guess he wasn't paying attention in homeschool) . Anyhow he's quite a video gamer/ techie and wrote a book about how gaming can teach us about success in management , work and life skills . For him to be flustered with the crowds and the current Disney of doing things tells us that we will not be going there anytime soon .

  Unless they open Victoria and Alberts with better prices . The last price was $ 295 p.p. with wine . When we first ate there is was only $85 p.p. and here's the 3 desserts with coffee . Sorry about dark lighting in the video clip .