Lazy Waltz to Spain Onboard the Oosterdam April 5-19th

[Ready2go11]

On Ponta Delgado we booked the HAL tour called Taste of the Azores using IA credit.  There were 5 large buses on this trip and I was not expecting too much based on past crowded tours.  However, I was pleasantly surprised and overall would recommend this excursion. 

 

I will start by describing our time in Ponta Delgado earlier tin the day since the tour meet time was not until 12:25.  We walked off the ship around 9:30 (all clear to leave was a little after 8am).  The weather was partly cloudy and improving with temps in the low to mid 60s.  As the day wore on it felt much warmer, especially when the sun was out.  We walked to the market a few blocks away from the port. It has one level that is all fruits, vegetables and flowers and the most adorable baby pineapples.  I did not know growing pineapples was such a big thing here until watching a pre-cruise video.  Other areas of the market on the upper level focused on fish, meats and dry goods.  We did not buy anything but it was very interesting to look around.  We browsed in two cheese chops as well, thinking you could have a gourmet picnic from the bread, olives, wine and cheese sold at each. 

 

We walked through the famous gates of the city that is supposed to guarantee you will visit again.  Then I wondered if you walk through them the opposite way does it cancel the guarantee?

 

Other sites in town include the churches and City Hall.  On the way back to the ship, we decided to stop and have a bite to eat, ending up at the Stage restaurant which is located right on the water with a view of the ship. The prices were a bargain.  We had a cheese plate for two, 2 flavored lemonades (one pink grapefruit, tasting like fresh squeezed juice, and one passion fruit) and a tapas tray of tuna, olives and chorizo spread.  It all came with a basket of bread.  The cheese plate contained 2 large portions of 4 kinds of local cheese and some jam.  The bill for a lot of food was only 18.90 Euro.  It was a very pleasant way to spend 2 ½ hours after 6 days at sea.  After getting back on the ship, we met in the main theatre with around 300 close friends to do the tour.

 

It started with a ride up to the twin lakes, supposedly one each blue and green.  The green lake was more vibrant on this partly cloudy day, but the 45 minute ride up to the summit contained many beautiful views along the way.  Did you know, they take a cow census on the Azores every few years?  Some even name their cows and if our guide is to be believed, the most popular names are Little Star, Lady Bug and Spotty (since most cows have spots here).  Caution- you only have about 20 minutes to walk from the parking area to the main photo op and it was a walk.  I was surprised all day that our bus full of people listened to the guide, Mario, and were back when they were supposed to be.  It can be hard to have 60 or so people follow guidelines when out and about, and especially since many of them took a little longer to get around.  We made a quick photo stop at another lake nearby (which also provided views of the green lake), then wound down into the little town of Sets Cidades.  We spent about 20 minutes there, enough time for an espresso and pastry at a little ship in town, and a quick look at the main village church.  Next came another 35-40 minute bus ride around the north part of the island heading back to Ponta Delgado.  The drive was scenic, but many people nodded off.  The guide Mario provided a running commentary during the entire 3.5 hour trip about the Canary Islands history, culture and answered guest questions along the way.  He was very knowledgeable and I loved hearing him talk.  He spoke English very well but his accent was charming. 

 

The final stop was 30 minutes at a wine and cheese reception at a very nice hotel in town.  All five buses ended at the same place so it was crowded, but the 5-6 kinds of cheese with fruit jams, several kinds of bread and crackers and red and white wine were plentiful.  No one could say they were not provided with enough food from the buffet style spread that allowed for seconds (or thirds for some people).  The plates provided a holder for your wine glass, but there were very few standing tables for so many people in the room. 

 

We did not know the Azores were famous for cows and cheese here, nor for tea.  The island was beautiful and lush.  Hydrangeas are my favorite flower and unfortunately it was too early in the season to see them.  However, I saw hundreds of hydrangea bushes.  They even use them as field dividers in the cow pastures since cows will not eat the leaves.  I cannot imagine how beautiful it must be when all the bushes are in bloom.  Adding to the scenery was the 1 lb of cheese we each ate (their cheeses are creamy and delicious), and we hope to come back here some day to explore more.  We were getting back on the ship as the Captain was making his departure announcements.

 

We ended up staying in port for almost an extra hour after schedule.  First, there was a medical evacuation into a waiting ambulance.  Fortunately the patient was wheeled to the ambulance in a wheelchair and the ambulance took off with little fanfare so it appears it was not life threatening.  Them, since that took some time, we lost our turn with the harbor pilot and linesmen to the other ship in port for the day, the new Ritz Carlton yacht Evrima and waited another 45 minutes or so before it was our turn again.

[Ready2go11]

Twin Lakes view from the road

village church in Sete Cidades

 

heavenly cheese shop!

Ritz Carlton Evrima

Ponta Delgada city gates

delicious fresh lemonade

Lunch waterside

Ossterdam in Ponta Delgada

 

harbor view from balcony

another city view

another city view from the ship

baby pineapples at the market

wine and cheese tasting- as much as you cared to eat and drink!

Edited April 13 by Ready2go11

[Ready2go11]

We had dinner at the inaugural Morimoto pop up in the Pinnacle Restaurant last night.  The front entrance was decorated with cherry blossoms and we walked the red carpet to enter.  The servers had special uniforms and there was excitement in the air. 

 

We paired a drink with each course as I will describe below:

We shared starters- Gyoza dumplings, fresh tuna pizza and sushi plate.  We paired these with the Yuzu cocktail. All were very well prepared, the sushi was beautiful and were large bites of 6 different items, but the tuna pizza was the star and we both agreed we would have that everyday.  The drink was also a hit containing yuzu, DeLijn Gin, vanilla and soda water.

 

For mains, I had the angry lobster pad tai and my sister chose the Ishiyaki Buri Bop, paired with a glass of the Morimoto dream brut rose.  My lobster was spicy when the red curry sauce was added, but it was tender.  The pad tai was just okay.  Adding some sauce helped but it was probably the most disappointing thing we were served.  The Buri Bop containing yellowtail, egg and rice was a spectacle, cooked at the table in a very hot stone bowl by the server.  My sister enjoyed it a lot and the brut rose paired well with each.  It had light citrus notes and was crisp.

 

For dessert we tried the chocolate sphere and the tofu cheesecake, paired with the morimoto sparking nigori (sake).  The chocolate sphere was melted as the server poured hot caramel over the large chocolate ball, revealing tender marshmallow and more chocolate inside.  The plate also contained a chocolate cookie and lo fog ganache.  The dessert star was the cheesecake.  It was served with blueberry lemon sorbet, and some other small tastes but he cheesecake was creamy, rich and tasted like crème brulee.  I was a little skeptical of the tofu in the name but this, along with the fresh tuna pizza were our favorites of the items we tried.  The saki at first sip tasted like coconut, but we are not sake fans so overall it was not something we would order again.

 

Although the dinner did take 2 ½ hours, it was an experience.  The servers assisted each other with special preparations, and noting ingredients since it was all new to them. During the course of the donner, we were visited by the Cellar Master, Captain and traveling trainer who helps set up the restaurant and training the staff on each ship as the pop ups or restaurants are opening.  He noted he had worked at the Morimoto location in Napa.

 

There have been mixed reviews of the Morimoto concept onboard but we were glad we went and would attend again, trying some new dishes while absolutely ordering the tuna pizza and cheesecake every time.

[Ready2go11]

Out of order photos of Morimoto pop up dinner

 

BuriBop, cooked on the table in a stone bowl.  Was much prettier before cooked

Chocolate Sphere dessert after the shell was melted.

Pork Gyoza Dumplings

angry lobster pad thai

sushi plate starter

tofu cheesecake

fresh tuna pizza.

 

Greatly enjoyed the meal.  Some things were a little different than the menu described but did not take away from the experience. 

Edited April 13 by Ready2go11

[Ready2go11]

Decorated Pinnacle entrance for Morimoto debut

beverage display for Morimoto pop up

Edited April 13 by Ready2go11

[Kay S]

Great photos!  I once had a landlady from the Azores who told us stories about her youth.  She made some wonderful food from her homeland.  I've wanted to visit there ever since.

[Ready2go11]

Menu and Daily program Catch Up

 

4.13 dinner menu page 1

4.13 dinner menu page 2

4.14 daily program

 

4.14 daily program

 

4.14 dinner menu page 2

4.14 dinner menu page 1

4.14 MDR lunch menu

Edited April 14 by Ready2go11

[Ready2go11]

 

The Mariner brunch was held at 11:30am on Saturday.  Our dining room manager said over 700 guests attended. The menu was the new one we had on the Rotterdam last October, although the presentation and chocolate dessert was not quite as impressive.  Still to feed 700 guests almost simultaneously is a feat t be admired. We sat at a large table and met some interesting fellow travelers, including one who was on the world cruise in 2020 when HAL “dumped” them in Australia to get home themselves.  He did say though that they were well treated and he is HAL loyal after that experience.

Chocolate dessert at Mariner brunch.  The cake tasted like the Pinnacle lunch brownie usually does.  Very good and moist-like a flourless chocolate cake.

Mariner brunch menu

tile delivered to our stateroom on the morning of the brunch (before the actual brunch)

Edited April 14 by Ready2go11

[Ready2go11]

After the Mariner brunch the “Ask the Captain” session was held on the World Stage.  We always enjoy these because we learn more about ship life.  It usually starts with a video of the engine room and bridge.  Captain Wouter van Hoogdalem took a different route.  He had a slide show and instead shared info about bridge operations and the ship, as well as sharing photos of his family and how he met his wife on a HAL ship, where she was a Customer Service Manager.  Their first date was in Quebec City.  That received lots of awws from the audience.

 

His presentation was engaging as he walked around the stage and showed maps and other interesting data, including how many back up steering systems there are.  He has been with HAL for 20ish years and asks to be reassigned to a new ship every 3 years.  He has he is flexible and wants a new crew and ship to keep it fresh and interesting.  I imagine the itinerary changes also keep things interesting, He has a 3 month on, 3 month off schedule and lives in a small town in northern Holland, calling it the best “little Amsterdam” and better than Amsterdam.  His home is on a canal and I would not have been able to tell he was not in Amsterdam just from the shared photos. 

 

The most interesting detail shared was how when they sailed to St. Petersburg, the Russians would scramble their GPS signals and show that instead of the north Baltic, they were in Antarctica or something like that.  He mentioned he suggested to HAL that they invest in alternate signal location services and there are 4 I think I recall now onboard.

 

The Captain did mention that the passenger who was airlifted off a few days ago was still alive, but that he could not discuss any medical details of course. He next answered some passenger questions, mostly from men about the azipods.

Captain on stage showing types of mapping and locations services.

Captain showing photos of thrusters

Captain describing bridge personnel

Edited April 14 by Ready2go11

[Ready2go11]

The final highlight of the day was the Orange Bar Hop and Orange Party.  There were 21 participants including two of the Step One dancers.  We started in the Crows Nest by playing a team relay game carrying an olive around with a spoon in your mouth before transferring to another teammate.  It was hysterical and the lives were large and fell on the floor more than once.  The reward was a Long Island Ice Tea and the winning team (not mine!) won a HAL shot glass.  Next the group moved down to the Lido bar where we played a chug some beer in a cup and then flip your cup over on the table.  It was harder to flip than you would think.  My team did win though so we each received the shot glass as well.  The reward here was a Sex on the Beach cocktail and even better a fantastic drink pouring and sort of juggle using alcohol glasses and metal cups.  He was very good and it was fun to watch.

 

The leader of the tour was Alvin, one of our favorite bartenders from the Pinnacle Bar.  He was engaging, lively and had everyone laughing.  He led us next to the Ocean bar on deck 3.  The bar had stacks of half full glasses with cranberry, orange and some kind of green juice.  On top was stacked 2 oz square, clear plastic cups of vodka.  The oldest person in the hop (ages were mid-20s for the dancers to the oldest participant at 78) had the honor of tapping a spoon against the first small cup and then in a domino effect all the vodka cups fell into the juices.  Each participant then had a drink.  It worked so well I was impressed. The final stop was at the Orange Party in progress at the Rolling Stone Lounge.  We were encouraged to join the conga line and dance floor and were provided with a rum punch.  We could not have finished all the drinks provided, although some did and had some extras, but I am glad we went for the fun and camaraderie.

 

The Orange Party was very well attended by guests and ship crew and officers.  There were drinks for purchase and some passed appetizers. Almost everyone had some orange colored clothing, hat, jewelry, etc.

Bar Hop Crows Nest game

Ocean Bar drink dominos

 

Lido bar drinking game

C&TD Carlijn at the Orange Party

Lido bar hop entertainment

Edited April 14 by Ready2go11

[cccole]

All I can say is WOW!!!!  Your posts and photos are amazing.  We were on the Oosterdam for 22 days in January and loved it.  A Morimoto entree was always offered for extra $ on the MDR and Pinnacle menus, but no pop up.  We did not try because of mixed reviews.  Will definitely try if we have a chance.  

 

I have spent hours today looking for home rentals on Sao Miguel. You made Ponta Delgado look like a must go destination.  Just a beautiful island and direct flights from Boston.  Jeff Farschman's review and photos are equally stunning.  I could spend hours in the market that you walked to.  Thank you so much for including us in your cruise, it's just amazing!!!  Cherie

Edited April 14 by cccole

[Kay S]

I love this thread.  We are using our tiles as coasters.  Good conversation starters when we have guests.

[CNSJ]

11 hours ago, Ready2go11 said:

Captain Wouter van Hoogdalem

We said with Captain van Hoogdalem transpacific in the Fall of 2022.  (In our opinion) He was by far the best of more than a dozen HAL Captains we have sailed with.  He handled the tail end of COVID like a master, and was the most open and candid we could hope for.  We often found him enjoying meals in the Lido and seemed to love his job!

 

 

[Ready2go11]

On Sunday, our last sea day of this 14 day TA (that’s 6 hours in change overall), we again got up late and skipped breakfast and instead had an early lunch. I am very glad we are done with losing hours, and this was a negative when compared to last fall’s TA when we lost all our time at once b flying to Amsterdam and then slowly getting them back as we headed back to Florida.

In the am, we dropped off our papers to get more Future Cruise Deposits (FCDs).  We always make sure we have a couple in the “bank” so we can book cruises for a low, and refundable deposit whenever Hal has a decent promotion.  Using them to book also gets you some extra on board credit.

 

There have been port chats in the Rolling Stage lounge for the two ports so far, and each time Karlijn seems surprised by how many people attend, and they have to bring in extra seating.  She told everyone there are short videos on each stateroom tv about each port.  These replaced the live presentations they had on each voyage and are not as good as a live session, hence the popularity of the chats.  You can’t ask the tv a question or hear from others about their experiences.

 

Dinner on Sunday night was our HIA Canaletto.  We love Italian food but the Canaletto has been so hot or miss.  I am happy to report that on this ship it was a win.  We shared the Canaletto Salad, meatballs and burrata as starters.  They were out of burrata but substituted fresh mozzarella that was not as flavorful, but still very creamy.  I fixed this by asking for an extra side of balsamic vinegar.  Mains were pesto pasta to which the server suggested adding shrimp and seafood trenete.  Both were very good.  The pesto had potatoes in the bowl, which I had not thought to combine but the pesto soaked into the cooked potato cubes and will be something I make at home.  The trenete was full of mussels, scallops and calamari in a rich seafood tomato broth.  It was less soupy than a cioppino and enjoyed greatly.  Finally, for dessert we had a lemon ricotta cheesecake and an affogato.  The cheesecake was a surprise hot.  Canaletto has not always impressed us at dessert time but the cheesecake was light and the lemon was a tart accompaniment to the sweet cheesecake.  The Manager at Canaletto is Windu, who we have gotten to know quite well as we chatted with him at each of the three Pinnacle lunches, and have seen him at other events as well.  He works very hard and manages daytime Lido staff as well. 

 

We heard that although they still had to confirm with the reservation desk, they expect about 480 to continue on after Barcelona on Friday the 19^th to head to Italy, Greece and Turkey.  That is roughly ¼ of the ship’s guests.  Sad that we will not be among that group, but should make disembarkation much quicker.

 

After dinner, we stopped by the High Score kids area,  During the day it is open to ages 7 to 17 but from 6-10pm it is open to all ages.  Some photos will be uploaded to show the area and available games.  We spent a half hour playing some old video games (classics like Donkey Kong and Frogger), skee ball and some other classic and old fashioned games.  The only occupants besides the attendant were a group of 8 ladies enjoying skee ball and air hockey. 

 

Final event of the night was to watch the Step One Dance performance called Musicology.  As I noted in an earlier post, I had gone to one show of Step one in the past and was not all that interested.  On this trip I gave it another try and really enjoy the performances.  This one featured dances highlighting different instruments like the guitar, bassoon, steel drums and many more.  It was fun, lighthearted and impressive how well the team of 6 can dance.  Dances ranged from ballet style, to some swing to some modern style. We may also be more partial to them because we have chatted with some or all of them at times.  On their non-performance days they are out and about and very friendly.

Edited April 15 by Ready2go11

[Ready2go11]

affogato dessert at Canaletto

lemon ricotta cheesecake at Canaletto

Edited April 15 by Ready2go11

[Ready2go11]

Photos below are all from High Score.  kids only during the day, adults (even without children) allowed from 6-10pm.

[Ready2go11]

Misc info

4.16 daily program page 2

 

4.16 daily program page 1

4.15 dinner menu

4.15 dinner menu page 2

 

Edited April 15 by Ready2go11

[Ready2go11]

21 hours ago, CNSJ said:

We said with Captain van Hoogdalem transpacific in the Fall of 2022.  (In our opinion) He was by far the best of more than a dozen HAL Captains we have sailed with.  He handled the tail end of COVID like a master, and was the most open and candid we could hope for.  We often found him enjoying meals in the Lido and seemed to love his job!

 

 

Agree 100%!. The Captain is personable, fun, informative and clearly loves his job and loves being on the sea.  We love listening to his noon and other reports.

[CNSJ]

2 hours ago, Ready2go11 said:

Agree 100%!. The Captain is personable, fun, informative and clearly loves his job and loves being on the sea.  We love listening to his noon and other reports.

Is there a way to know which Captains are on which ships?  When picking cruise A or B, that might be the deal breaker!

[Wehwalt]

Despite the presence of the ten-euro round trip shuttle, the two of us took Uber from the cruise terminal to downtown for 8.97 going (thank you Carolina) and 7.94 returning (thank you Fahim).

 

Also we received some taxes and fees back on our ship account. Do you know anything about that?

Edited April 16 by Wehwalt

[Ready2go11]

15 hours ago, CNSJ said:

Is there a way to know which Captains are on which ships?  When picking cruise A or B, that might be the deal breaker!

They used to post, or you could find a schedule online, but I do not think that information is readily available anymore.  I know our great Captain of the Oosterdam recently started here (he says he changes ships every 3 years) and is 3 months on and 3 months off, so hopefully the Fall TA back to Florida will have him too. 

[Ready2go11]

2 hours ago, Wehwalt said:

Also we received some taxes and fees back on our ship account. Do you know anything about that?

 

I noticed the $16.21 pp port adjustment too.  This is pretty common in my experience. We received $12 something back on our January Caribbean cruise.  I think they usually figure out max it could be since they will not charge passengers if they are short, and then adjust to refund if they collected too much based on number of passengers and crew, ship's weight etc. that goes into how much they owe the port. 

 

I think it is always a nice surprise to get a small refund.  

[Ready2go11]

Monday we docked in sunny, warm Cadiz.  Temps were in the mid-70s by mid-day.  The city is over 3,000 years old and I always wonder when walking the old cobblestone streets of any European city who has stood where I am now.  The families, the horse drawn carriages, famous people and even what murder or battle may have taken place.  In Cadiz it is very possible that Christopher Columbus once travelled the same way I did.  This is especially true since we spent the bulk of our time in the historic district getting lost in the narrow, winding streets.

 

We docked at the edge of the city center, a short walk from the historic area.  Cadiz is very charming, and easy to walk.

 

I had downloaded Google Translate before heading into Cadiz but turns out my college Spanish and the English spoken by those we encountered got us through quite well.  As an aside, we also learned at the Captain’s talk that English is the language used on the bridge, and in fact, is the common maritime language.

 

We were in port on a Monday and many museums and restaurants are closed on Monday so after walking a fair amount to get to a restaurant for lunch, we were disappointed to note they were closed.  The majority of the very large market in Cadiz was also closed, although some stalls were open and we bought a few unique, local products at the local grocery as well.  DO NOT rely on Google opening hours as they were often incorrect.  

 

One thing on our list was trying sherry in this most famous place in the world to produce it.  We had researched and found the Taverna de Manzanilla, a short walk from the ship.  There, for a small fee of 1-2 euros, you can sample 10-12 different sherries from very dry to very sweet.  They also have an impressive miniature and other old alcohol bottle collection on display.  The proprietor noted his grandfather opened the shop 80 or so years ago (I forget the exact year).  He referred us to a map of Spain posted and described how sherries produced in the dry hills are dry, and those produced closer to the ocean are sweeter with a hint of salt. He was brusque at first, but as we chatted with him, and tried more sherry he quickly warmed up.  The samples included a small plate of olives or crackers.  We also ordered cheese and it came in a vacuum packed round.  I was not expecting much but it tasted fantastic with the sherry.  We ended up buying a few bottles to take home.  We had actually planned a stop like this before we left for the trip and brought wine bottle shaped air cushions to get some home safely.  It was an informative and tasty experience and I would recommend to anyone.  Several people came and went during the time we were there.  

 

Despite our first lunch choice not being open, the owner of the Manzanilla sherry tasting provided a recommendation- Café Lazo a few blocks away.  It was charming, the service was friendly and warm and they featured fresh seafood.  When you are seated they bring you marinated carrots and potatoes, served at room temp in a seasoned olive oil with a basket of bread.  I would have bottled the olive oil and taken it home if it was available.  We then enjoyed gazpacho, octopus served simply with olive oil, paprika, salt and potatoes and small artichokes cut in half and roasted with some local ham.  The prices were not cheap but they provided a lot of food!  We were very pleased we ended up there.

 

Another stop included the famous ice cream from Bajo 0.  It is a small shop close to where we had been walking, and featured 20 or so flavors.  It was the creamiest ice cream I’ve had in recent memory.  I had banana dulce de leche and would gladly have that often as well.  All this food was delicious but turned out to be untimely as we had the Canaletto Cellar Master dinner on board at 6pm. More on that experience later.

 

Back on board, and after quick showers, we headed down to the Rolling Stone lounge for the Malaga port talk at 5pm.  Many people were still getting back on board so attendance was much lighter, but it was once again very useful to hear Karlijn talk about transportation options, what the city was famous for and the anticipated weather.  Another warm one is expected with high temps in the mid 80s!  That is not Maryland weather this time of year.

 

We were about 35 minutes late leaving after a few passengers did not return in time.  Unlike the recent NCL cruise, apparently our Captain had the leeway to wait, and he made an announcement at one point noting the passengers were expected by 6:05pm so I guess they had been in contact with the ship. 

 

It ended up being a lot of walking, but we needed it after all the food and drinks.  Cadiz is a beautiful city, full of friendly people and I hope to come back again soon!

[Ready2go11]

artichokes with ham at Cafe Lazo

Best ice cream in Cadiz

sunset as we were leaving Cadiz

view of Cadiz from our balcony

 

Cathedral de Cadiz

 

bottle collection at Taverna de Manzanilla

octopus at Cafe Lazo

Plaza de Espana

another city view from our balcony

sample stall at the Cadiz market

delectable counter display at a dulceria (sweet shop)

 

barrels of sherry at Taverna de Manzanilla

Edited April 16 by Ready2go11

[Kay S]

Your photos are great.  So enjoying following your journey.  Have you had many tendering ports?