Hawaiian Holiday 🎄🍾 LIVE from Koningsdam Dec 21-Jan 6: join me for my 1st solo cruise & 1st inside cabin!

[oakridger]

 

I love Rambutan!!  It's great you had them on the ship.  We can get them here in Asian markets.

 

It's midnight here in an hour and 6 minutes.  Happy New Year!  Enjoy the rest of the cruise!

 

~Nancy

[SusieKIslandGirl]

Thanks for the update on the rats-oops, I mean dogs. How frustrating to still be dealing with them. I think we're all amazed that they are onboard and wondering how it happened. Can't wait to hear what Guest Services has to say. 

Happy New Year and hope the rest of the cruise is calm and peaceful.

[Haljo1935]

Table next to us had a beautiful bird

Dinner was good, if limited in variety - lobster, escargot shrimp

and cream brule were very popular. Server Suparte allowed me to order extra 🦞 🦂 🦞 for the table to share.

Tablemate celebrated his birthday, so we got a song 🎵 he said the cake was good.

There were a few non-seafood dishes

 

 

 

And a strawberry 🍓 mojito in addition to the usual wine.

[oakridger]

It just turned 2024 here in California!  Happy New Year @Haljo1935!!

 

~Nancy

[Haljo1935]

2 hours ago, oakridger said:

It just turned 2024 here in California!  Happy New Year @Haljo1935!!

 

~Nancy

Happy New Year, Nancy - I made it to bring in 2024 on the K'dam!! 🥂🥳

 

[Haljo1935]

We made it - we brought a new year in on the K'dam!! 🥳🥂

MANY crew at the Lido pool to celebrate 🍾 

Apps (staged from Dive In)

 

And bubbly for everyone

Hot tubs filled w/bottles of 🍾 

[Notalotofinfo]

Have you run into any bar menus. 

Thanks

[SUESEABE]

@Notalotofinfo

Lots of bar menus here:  https://rogerjett-photography.com/

[Bruinboy20]

12 hours ago, Blackduck59 said:

@BetsyS. I just thought I would point out the NHL team in Montreal is the Canadiens with an e. 😉

Who'd have thunk it, eh?

[Bruinboy20]

11 hours ago, Haljo1935 said:

Yes, seas have been fairly calm, so all is good there. I posted a novella about the "service" dogs, so I'll spare you the details here.🫡

Read the novella. Now for the response from the powers that be!

[Notalotofinfo]

41 minutes ago, SUESEABE said:

@Notalotofinfo

Lots of bar menus here:  https://rogerjett-photography.com/

Thanks hoping to see new ones as prices are changing

[albingirl]

Really enjoying this thread.  Thanks for all the pictures and effort you put into it.  Such fun to follow along.

[Niagarawine]

12 hours ago, Haljo1935 said:

Yes, seas have been fairly calm, so all is good there. I posted a novella about the "service" dogs, so I'll spare you the details here.🫡

I would have spoken to them, good and loud. In fact someone would have had to come from guest services to quieten me. Maybe embarassing guests who have no respect for other passengers who have paid and were looking forward to a quiet and enjoyable cruise would give them a clue that this is unacceptable on a cruise ship.

[Niagarawine]

I thought the doggie story needed more traction so I mentioned the situation on YouTube.

[Sherry H]

Inquiring minds want to know where you posted this novella about the dogs

[VMax1700]

3 minutes ago, Sherry H said:

Inquiring minds want to know where you posted this novella about the dogs

you will be detained after class for not paying attention. 😁

please read posts #519/522 and then be prepared to answer questions.......🤣

[jeh10641]

On 12/18/2023 at 8:56 AM, Crew News said:

Looking forward to your report to gather insight to my January 2025 Hawaii cruise on the Koningsdam.  Hope your cruise is a culinary and scenic blockbuster.

We are booked on January 28 2025. What date is your cruise?

Jim,

[Haljo1935]

3 hours ago, Notalotofinfo said:

Thanks hoping to see new ones as prices are changing

Hi - I posted some from Rolling Stone, Lido and GDC - did you see those? I'll get more in the coming days and happy to repost these if you need them.

[Haljo1935]

2 hours ago, albingirl said:

Really enjoying this thread.  Thanks for all the pictures and effort you put into it.  Such fun to follow along.

Thank you so much - it has definitely gone places I had not imagined...

[Haljo1935]

1 hour ago, Niagarawine said:

I thought the doggie story needed more traction so I mentioned the situation on YouTube.

Oh my; you'll have to update me since I don't go there. Well unless I'm looking for videos on how to make Excel cooperate, lol.

[jeh10641]

On 12/18/2023 at 11:13 AM, JackyPants said:

I'm kind of in the same boat (pun intended lol) I'll be traveling with my mother on Jan.30th.  She's did this exact cruise last winter, and she's older, so I expect to be on shore by myself more often then not. There's a lot that I'd like to see on Oahu, but I'm leaning toward a simple visit to the botanical garden, and a makeshift tour using the hop on, hop off, buses. I'm the type of person who is content with just seeing hula dancers, instead of attending a luau so, if it's possible, I'll just stroll around some of the resorts and see what I find. 

I'm still unsure about the other islands. I lean toward seeing nature, so hopefully there's some convenient options that aren't too expensive, and won't worry me about the timing of getting back on board. The Oahu stop is overnight, so timing isn't an issue there, but in general, the things that have piqued my interest seem to be quite a distance by car.  I'm almost too safe when it comes to timing on shore lol

Having been to Hawaii more than 60 times when I was working (part of my sales territory), I can recommend the Polynesian Cultural Center as a "not miss" site/sight. It is on the Northshore. It is the ONE place I plan to visit on our January 28 2025 cruise on Koningsdam. Another place I plan to visit is the International Market near Waikiki and to have lunch (?) at the Sheraton Waikiki buffet.

On Maui, the places to visit used to be Lahaina and the volcano Haleakalā (sp?). Lahaina had a disastrous fire late in 2023 and pretty much no longer exists. Its famous Banyan Tree is showing new growth in 2/3 of the tree. A true miracle.

On Kauai, it is Waimea Canyon, the Grand Canyon of the Pacific.

On Hawaii, the active volcanoes are number one. I also love the Punalu'u Bake Shop near the most southern part of the US (move over Key West!).

Jim

[jeh10641]

On 12/18/2023 at 1:24 PM, NCTribeFan said:

Looking forward to this!

 

My first HAL cruise was Zaandam to Hawaii.  I think that was 13 years ago.

 

I should've just been on Volendam to Hawaii last month, but I cancelled that just a couple of weeks before the fires there.

 

So, I booked January 2025 on K'dam.  I sailed her when she first came to the states.  I believe that was November 2017.  Loved the ship.

 

I'm usually solo (although most of my recent and upcoming cruises have friends also sailing, so I'm solo but not alone).  But I've done plenty of true solo cruises and almost always in interior cabins.

 

Safe travels!

What date in 2025? We are on the January 28th cruise.

Jim

[Haljo1935]

This is truly the Cruise of Firsts: breakfast mate did not enjoy her crepes; Server came by asking the obligatory "how is everything?" Her reply of "horrible, it's awful" got a response of "please enjoy." As we shook our heads, Tablemate said she expected him to ask what was wrong or at least offer to bring her something else, instead the Server kept walking.

Sheez...

Upside, I have a lovely view from the library 

[jeh10641]

On 12/18/2023 at 3:55 PM, Haljo1935 said:

Promo, yes - the last one I received  😪Got cabin assignment about 2 weeks ago; it's a sideways layout. I could not find the exact cabin or similar ones on Halfacts and I know that "efficient" is code for "tiny," lol. Hope there's room for the bed to be set up as a queen and still have a walking path. My sister had an inside w/a window (different ship) and she had to go w/twin beds to have room to move. What an adventure!

We had a "sideways" inside cabin on Rotterdam. Look at cabins 1140, 1146 on the Main Deck (#1).

Jim

[jeh10641]

On 12/20/2023 at 5:13 AM, AryMay said:

Thanks @POA1…with 2/3 of the cruise being sea days crossing the Pacific it will be nice to stay connected! Usually I just rely on our T-Mobile service in ports since I am a cheapskate. 
 

Sorry to hijack this thread. Time to go back into lurking mode. 
 

 

I hear the HAL is 100% Starlink now for internet.

JIM