Liveish MS Rotterdam Partial Panama Canal, November 12-24

[pedirn]

Anxiously following your report as we will be on the 24th sailing.   Watched you at sail away and located you right where you said you would be.  Thanks for posting.   I do have one question.  Do you know when first seating is?   We usually take anytime but TA booked us on early seating.    Wondering about the time and if we should change it when we board..   Keep information and posting coming and have a great cruise.

[0106]

@pedirn We got off the Rotterdam in October.  First seating was at 5; we arrived every night at our table for 2 at 5:30. Our waiter seemed grateful for our late arrival, one less table to deal with during the initial rush.  
 

@rafinmd Enjoy the Club Orange dining room.  The service and food quality is superior to the MDR; it is a much more relaxing experience.  Plus you aren’t locked into a specific dining time.   We had CO on the Rotterdam in February.  We asked to sit in the same section with the same waiter for every meal and were accommodated.  The only reason we didn’t have CO on our TA is we booked late and it had already reached capacity.

[rafinmd]

4 hours ago, kirkc said:

Is Starlink operational for the internet?

 

I really don't know but so far things have been pretty good.  I'm watching a movie now (of course most are on the island), and had a good zoom meeting yesterday evening.  I would think we have starlink but I thought when starlink was present the social plan was no longer offered, and it was an option on the cruise,

 

2 hours ago, pedirn said:

Anxiously following your report as we will be on the 24th sailing.   Watched you at sail away and located you right where you said you would be.  Thanks for posting.   I do have one question.  Do you know when first seating is?   We usually take anytime but TA booked us on early seating.    Wondering about the time and if we should change it when we board..   Keep information and posting coming and have a great cruise.

It is 5PM,  On your cruise there is no ship at pier 25 so you should actually get out close to 3, and have plenty of time for dinner.  If you are Catholic I should warn you that Mass is usually at 5PM as well.

 

Roy

[rafinmd]

I have created 2 new "pages" in Wordpress.

 

The first is the daily evening menus

 

https://morethangetaways.wordpress.com/rotterdam_menu/

 

And the other is the programs:

 

https://morethangetaways.wordpress.com/rotterdam_programs/

 

The first 2 menus and first 2 programs are available now; others will be added over the course of the cruise.

 

Roy

[POA1]

Thanks for the Daily Programs! Very helpful for planning.

[horseymike]

Have a great cruise Roy.

Thanks for sharing with us.

[rafinmd]

Monday, November 13, 2023, Half Moon Cay, Bahamas

 

I was up close to 5 and caught the sunrise from the lido deck just before breakfast started around 6:30.  Much of the morning was spent catching up on things not accomplished on Sunday such as unpacking and finding a place for things.

We anchored off Half Moon Cay about 8:30. (I know Rotterdam is capable of dynamic positioning but I saw from the tender that we were actually using the anchor)

 

This was my second visit to Half Moon Cay after the Koningsdam in 2017.  I think then I went ashore early and things worked out very well.  My plan this time was just to go ashore for the beach lunch, and it was not so easy.  It seemed that everybody else wanted to go ashore about the same time.  While I was in the priority lane, I still stood for about 15 minutes before a tender came, and when it did the onslaught of people seemed endless, I think over 300 people ended up on a very crowded tender for the 15 minute ride to shore.

 

Once ashore I started off for the barbecue pavilion and the walk seemed long but I think just because of my impatience.  On the way I passed the chapel.  I suspect it is used on occasion for weddings.

My lunch was a hot dog and corn on the cob.

The island is relatively free of pests.  The one thing is chickens, who at times can get aggressive but not as much as some other animals.  One did take a peck at my finger.

An icon of Half Moon Cay is an “I wish I could stay here forever” sign which I remember from 2017 as greeting us as we got off the tenders, but this time it was at a beach and I only saw it on the way back to the ship.

On the way back I got a reasonably decent view of the anchoring Rotterdam.  

In the afternoon I had 2 zoom meetings, Church at 4 and Fire Department at 6, so dinner was later than I would have preferred. Between the meetings I caught a nice sunset from my balcony.

My first meal in Club Orange was Caesar Salad, New York Strip Loin, and Red Velvet Cake a la mode.

We lost an hour as we moved to Aruba time so I did very little after dinner.

 

My parting shot will go back to Sunday night.  While not a football fan I do honor the Ravens contributions to Baltimore and felt quite good early in the afternoon when the Ravens appeared to be on the way to an easy victory.  I happened to be walking across the pool deck as the game ended and am both surprised and saddened at the final result.

 

Roy

 

[rafinmd]

Not the nicest of mornings but I have no need to be outside today.

 

Roy

Edited November 14, 2023 by rafinmd

[rafinmd]

I have added today's dinner menu and program to their pages on the blog.

 

Roy

[BetsyS.]

Thanks for your reports and pictures of scenery and food. The Ravens will have a game in Baltimore this Thursday night and I wish them all the best! 😊

[kirkc]

Thanks for the updates. I think you have answered my Starlink question as you have been able to have Zoom meetings. Sounds like it it is up and operational.

[rafinmd]

Tuesday, November 14, 2023, At Sea, MS Rotterdam

 

Monday night was not the greatest, I had frequent trips to the bathroom with cramps which for me generally signify dehydration, and was up about 5.

I was up about 5 and off to the lido for coffee a little after 6:30

Sunrise is much later after losing an hour Monday night and there were clouds on the horizon, making the sunrise quite filter.

My first breakfast in Club Orange was Texas French Toast.

One thing that has worked very well on this ship is the laundry.  There are no self service laundries but as a frequent cruiser I get free basic laundry which is supposed to be next day.  I left a bag on my bed at breakfast and it was returned the same day at 1PM.

 

I had a nice find on the deck 7 midship elevator landing.  I have been on 16 Holland America ships now with 13 different names.  The only name that’s been repeated is Rotterdam, and there is a model of my very first Holland America ship, SS Rotterdam 5 which I sailed in 1997 shortly before she was retired.  Her replacement, Rotterdam 6 was my first ship when I returned to HAL in 2011, and now Rotterdam 7 which could be my final cruise.

I also walked a section of the promenade deck near the lifeboats and got a close look at the setup. 

I think on her 2 sister ships there is a platform next to the boats where the crew can get easy access.  On Rotterdam, the boat sits flush against the fence, a couple feet further inside the ship than on her sisters, and that is the difference which allows Rotterdam to enter the Panama Canal with passengers while her sisters cannot.

I have been having an issue with a sore spot on my left foot I went up to and soaked it for a while in the hot tub.  Not sure if it really helped but I think at least a little bit.

 

The Captain’s welcome was scheduled for 7PM so I headed down to Club Orange for dinner promptly at 5.  Service was very quick for my Garden Salad, Rack of Lamb, and Dutch Apple Pie.

I was back on my balcony to watch the sun go down just after 6.

I headed up to the lido pool about 6:40 for the Captain’s welcome taking a seat on the edge of the pool.  Near 7 Captain Bas van Dreumel appeared to the right of the big screen and introduced his senior officers and then proposed a toast.

I spent a bit of time on my laptop after the toast and then headed to bed a little after 9.

 

Roy

 

[USCAdventurer]

hope you're feeling better, roy,  drink lots of water to keep hydrated.  the dinner looked wonderful.  rack of lamb is a favourite of mine too.

enjoy the day.

cheers

[mafig]

Can you order cocktails and wine in CO?

 

[kazu]

12 minutes ago, mafig said:

Can you order cocktails and wine in CO?

 

 

Yes you can.

[Iamthesea]

I also love Rack of Lamb, but missed it in Club Orange on the last cruise because we were eating elsewhere that night.  Your lamb looks better than what I had in Rudi's.   Did you have to ask for the pepper jelly, or was the dish served that way?  Lately, a pepper jelly sauce has been offered on cruise lines.  I don't like the sauce and have had to ask for the jelly.   

 

The Texas French Toast also looked great.  I will have to try that in May.  How had the service been in CO for your cruise?

 

Stay well!!!

[rafinmd]

2 minutes ago, Iamthesea said:

I also love Rack of Lamb, but missed it in Club Orange on the last cruise because we were eating elsewhere that night.  Your lamb looks better than what I had in Rudi's.   Did you have to ask for the pepper jelly, or was the dish served that way?  Lately, a pepper jelly sauce has been offered on cruise lines.  I don't like the sauce and have had to ask for the jelly.   

 

The Texas French Toast also looked great.  I will have to try that in May.  How had the service been in CO for your cruise?

 

Stay well!!!

I think overall very well.  I didn't ask for the pepper and wasn't aware of getting it.  I think generally service has been excellent.  One thing that surprised me is that I'm not sure I've identified a single waiter for my table; it appears to be very much a team effort.

 

Roy

[Niagarawine]

Thanks very much for the updated menus. Everything sounds very delicious .

[Iamthesea]

We noticed the same in Club Orange about the waiters.  Hard to give an extra tip when there are so many waiting on you.  

[kazu]

10 minutes ago, Iamthesea said:

We noticed the same in Club Orange about the waiters.  Hard to give an extra tip when there are so many waiting on you.  

 

Not at all.  Just give it to the Club Orange manager for the team.  

[horseymike]

Hope you feel better Roy. 

[Iamthesea]

4 hours ago, kazu said:

 

Not at all.  Just give it to the Club Orange manager for the team.  

We did!!!  😀   However, we had more than one Team/Table, as we were placed all over CO on the N. Statendam.  Also, the teams seemed to be mixed some days.  We got to know only a few well enough to recognize them each visit.  On the last night, we got a tableside visit from just about everyone that had served us those past 14 days.  Lol

[NotLikeBelleRosen,IHope]

10 hours ago, rafinmd said:

Tuesday, November 14, 2023, At Sea, MS Rotterdam

 

Monday night was not the greatest, I had frequent trips to the bathroom with cramps which for me generally signify dehydration, and was up about 5.

 

 

Roy

 

I hope you're feeling better. I don't cook with salt, so noticed on our last cruise (Zuiderdam) that the food was saltier than I'm used to. This may be contributing to dehydration. Drink extra water. Note: I'm no medical professional, so take this advice with a grain of salt.

[aliaschief]

So glad you’re cruising Roy. Thanks for taking us along. B.

[Haljo1935]

Does HIA drink benefit apply in CO dining room?