Jump to content
Cruise Critic Community

Back from the Oosterdam 1-06-07

Omnium

By Omnium,
in Holland America Line

Recommended Posts

Omnium

Omnium

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Woke up late again and feeling wonderful. Went to the Neptune to pay homage to the magic coffee machine. We had another great breakfast at the Lido. They were serving up breakfast burritos. Now, I love breakfast burritos. I have three girls who play softball and I have had them all over the country at various ballparks. I plan to write a book on BB's. Last count I have had 110 different ones. The most perfect Jane does not indulge. This was unlike any I have ever had. It really was not a tortilla. But, it was muy delicious. My wife said it looked good and she got one two. Loved it!

 

Walked off the ship to Mazatlan. We took a cab to the Golden District to shop. Had a blast. Those cabs are quite an experience. No seat belts and they drive 'em fast and hard. Only good thing about having an accident in one of them, is that you would get thrown clear. Wait, that is not a good thing! That's why we have the belts! It was like riding Mr. Toad's Wild Ride at Disneyland, but for keeps! There are some good stores to buy some very nice local art pieces, along with the usual souvenir items.

 

Got back on board late and missed the Lido again. Had another hamburger. I then went to the Neptune and asked if I could borrow some appetizers. We would be entertaining Frank and Linda in our Suite before dinner. Helpful Louise said they would deliver to our room hot & cold appetizers for four. (Neptune only has cold ones). Wow! Another suite perk.

 

I went to the balcony to stare at Mazatlan and fell asleep. Oh the peace!

 

After a great workout, we heard from our new friends. They would not be coming to our room or dinner. They wanted to go the "Battle of the Sexes". Let me just say at this point that Frank & Linda did everything. Everyone knew them. The wanted those "dam dollars" with a passion unheard of in the history of cruising. We, on the other hand, do nothing. Frank and Linda were truly the MVP's of the cruise. Most Valuable Partiers.

 

Stood up, we were stuck to entertain ourselves. Hor'douvres were delivered promptly and smartly at 7:00. It was a beautiful array and assortment. Trouble was, it could have fed the whole port side of the ship! We felt very guilty leaving so much food. I received a phone call from Jun asking if it was delivered and did I need anything else? Perfect.

 

It was just the two of us for dinner. The other two ladies were off to something, and we had the table to ourselves! The evil Taguh told us we had to order for 6! We were not that hungry after trying to do some justice to the appetizers. There was nothing appealing to either of us on the menu. I ordered the Pan Sauteed Dover Sole and Jane had the Dutch brisket of beef with hodgepodge. Both were surprisingly good. Watching Taguh debone the fish was like watching a master artist at work. I don't know how he did it. There was also a Southwestern Beef Ravioli. I asked if I could try it. That was very tasty.

 

OK. Day 4. We are fooded out. No mas. Fini. Nyet. Nada. Bubkes. We are through and will never eat again. But, there was a chocolate mousse in a chocolate cup. Could we share one please? Wicked, wicked Taguh brings two. We ate them both! Marvelous dessert for once. The dinner score is now 2-4!!! (two out of four good ones!)

 

The show that night was latin crooner Peter Fernandez. I would have rather met the Norovirus face to face than to sit through that so we said Pasadena. Ran into the two Dr.'s and Sue and Jon from England. Did some dancing in the disco and had a lot of laughs.

 

On to the wonders of the perfect sleep. It has been a really great day. What is my name? Where am I from? Do I really work at that place? It all seems so far away. I think I have been gone a long time.

 

Next up is Day 5 in PV; trying to entertain again, and dinner at The Pinnacle Grill!

 

Best,

 

Kerry

Link to comment
Share on other sites
LAFFNVEGAS "Live from...." Rare

LAFFNVEGAS

Posted
Posted

It was like riding Mr. Toad's Wild Ride at Disneyland, but for keeps!

 

Kerry, I laughed out loud when I read this because that is exactly what we call it as well:D But of course that is also what we call our ride to the airport in our son's beat up 91 Honda Accord:eek:

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Cruising Boomer

Cruising Boomer

Posted
Posted

Kerry,

 

Really love your review!

 

Some of our thoughts:

 

We often take wine on board - drink it in our cabin before dinner - and then carry in a glass with us to dinner....like we're coming from the Lounge! Two glasses is enough for us so this may not work for everyone.

 

I have found the coffee in the Lido to be "sock juice." I usually take a small jar of instant and add it to the colored water. I also end up buying coffee at the coffee bar in the library which is "close" to what you would get at Starbucks. Wonder if the Oosterdam has this arrangement. It was not on our first cruises but the new library/ lounge/ coffee bar was on the Rotterdam and Veendam.

 

This is our first cruise in SY - since it was such a deal. Our other cruises have been 14 days and two were 32 + days so an SY would have required winning the Lottery for us! We are usually in an E cabin mid-ship on the bottom deck. Our friends who we travel with often get seasick so they want this area. In SY I guess (?) we get to use the Neptune Lounge so maybe their coffee will be better.

 

The coffee is about the only thing we do not like with HAL. We also love the beds! When in E class, we have noticed that this class of room is larger than the counterparts on other cruise lines. On the Rotterdam and Veendam they were 190 square feet. Our favorite, however, is the Prisendam - about the same size but a walk in closet and a nice room arrangment in E.

 

Agree that some of the entertainment is not all that great - we almost never go to comedians any more - I swear some of them probably are rejects from the Poconos! We usually like the cast shows but some are better than others and it totally depends on the cast. The cast on the Prisendam November 2005 was fabulous! They were so-so on our last cruise on the Veendam October 2006.

 

Agree that the drinks are watered down - the sail away drinks are almost devoid of alcohol! I have enjoyed the Mojitos on our cruise through the Panama Canal/ Amazon - of course, with the heat almost anything cold and wet would have been great!!

 

The staff on HAL ships are great - Agree! Our table staff on the last cruise was the best we have had and that is saying something.

 

Can't wait for the description of PV!

 

Did anyone try a tour with King David Tours in Mazatlan? Is it best to just walk around the old town or are there some other things you would recommend?

 

Cruising Boomer

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Omnium

Omnium

Posted
  • Author
Posted
Kerry,

 

Really love your review!

 

Some of our thoughts:

 

We often take wine on board - drink it in our cabin before dinner - and then carry in a glass with us to dinner....like we're coming from the Lounge! Two glasses is enough for us so this may not work for everyone.

 

I have found the coffee in the Lido to be "sock juice." I usually take a small jar of instant and add it to the colored water. I also end up buying coffee at the coffee bar in the library which is "close" to what you would get at Starbucks. Wonder if the Oosterdam has this arrangement. It was not on our first cruises but the new library/ lounge/ coffee bar was on the Rotterdam and Veendam.

 

This is our first cruise in SY - since it was such a deal. Our other cruises have been 14 days and two were 32 + days so an SY would have required winning the Lottery for us! We are usually in an E cabin mid-ship on the bottom deck. Our friends who we travel with often get seasick so they want this area. In SY I guess (?) we get to use the Neptune Lounge so maybe their coffee will be better.

 

The coffee is about the only thing we do not like with HAL. We also love the beds! When in E class, we have noticed that this class of room is larger than the counterparts on other cruise lines. On the Rotterdam and Veendam they were 190 square feet. Our favorite, however, is the Prisendam - about the same size but a walk in closet and a nice room arrangment in E.

 

Agree that some of the entertainment is not all that great - we almost never go to comedians any more - I swear some of them probably are rejects from the Poconos! We usually like the cast shows but some are better than others and it totally depends on the cast. The cast on the Prisendam November 2005 was fabulous! They were so-so on our last cruise on the Veendam October 2006.

 

Agree that the drinks are watered down - the sail away drinks are almost devoid of alcohol! I have enjoyed the Mojitos on our cruise through the Panama Canal/ Amazon - of course, with the heat almost anything cold and wet would have been great!!

 

The staff on HAL ships are great - Agree! Our table staff on the last cruise was the best we have had and that is saying something.

 

Can't wait for the description of PV!

 

Did anyone try a tour with King David Tours in Mazatlan? Is it best to just walk around the old town or are there some other things you would recommend?

 

Cruising Boomer

 

 

Thanks for the kind words. I don't think the SY class allows access to the Neptune. I never did try the coffee in the Lido, but you could see that the machines grind it fresh, so I guess it would be decent. Oosterdam has a coffee bar but I did not use it.

 

As for the entertainment, that is subjective. The cast was great: I just do not have the patience to sit through reviews. I am tired or all those perky and peppy dancers! Talented? Yes! It is not my thing. I love musicals, but not these kind of reviews. The audiences at them seemed to disagree with me! It was disapointing that there were no comedians. There was some woman with late night jokes, but I was not interested. I love a good comedian. Where is the great Noodles Levenstein, greatest of all shipboard comedians when we needed him?

 

Looking forward to hearing about your cruise,

 

Kerry

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Omnium

Omnium

Posted
  • Author
Posted
Hi Kerry... I'm enjoying reading your day by day review. I give you credit, I was glad that I wrote what I wrote in my short review. You do give quite a bit of detail.

 

herb

 

 

Hi Herb,

 

You were an important part of our cruise. I always enjoyed bumping into you on the ship or on shore. Thanks for the pictures you posted. I must have been in awe of everything, because I hardly took any! I will keep my fingers crossed that someday we will meet again. We are planning on going same time next year.

 

Kerry

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Omnium

Omnium

Posted
  • Author
Posted
Kerry,

 

Do you know what cabins get access to the Neptune? We have a Suite - Superior Verandah - Guaranteed - hoping to get upgraded to Deluxe!! ;)

 

Doug

 

It is the Deluxe. We got a Deluxe guarenteed, lowest level, and were moved up two notches. Pretty cool!

 

Kerry

Link to comment
Share on other sites
herb

herb

Posted
Posted
Hi Herb,

You were an important part of our cruise. I always enjoyed bumping into you on the ship or on shore. Thanks for the pictures you posted. I must have been in awe of everything, because I hardly took any! I will keep my fingers crossed that someday we will meet again. We are planning on going same time next year.Kerry

 

I agree...we seemed to bump into each other quite often on the ship, hallways, elevators, in the Lido Restaurant ... and yes, even on shore.

 

My mother held up well for the rest of the cruise and didn't cause me too much agida except for when she lost her glasses and room key and had me, as well as the whole ship looking for them only to realize they were in her pocket! She thought it was amusing. I on the other hand, did not! :eek:

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Omnium

Omnium

Posted
  • Author
Posted
I agree...we seemed to bump into each other quite often on the ship, hallways, elevators, in the Lido Restaurant ... and yes, even on shore.

 

My mother held up well for the rest of the cruise and didn't cause me too much agida except for when she lost her glasses and room key and had me, as well as the whole ship looking for them only to realize they were in her pocket! She thought it was amusing. I on the other hand, did not! :eek:

 

 

As I told you in Cabo, you are nominated for sainthood.What a good son you are. You made me feel so guilty. No way would I ever bring my mother. I would have gone berserk, and probably would have thrown myself overboard.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Omnium

Omnium

Posted
  • Author
Posted
Yes it had to be me. Miss you and the lovely Jane. Meet ya on the lido in 10 minutes?

 

O the pain of cruise withdrawl! I should be working and not daydreaming. At least you have a couple of them to look forward too. I looked at the Alaska cruises, and boy, were they a lot more $$$ than this one. Am I missing something here?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
SanDiego Single

SanDiego Single

Posted
Posted
O the pain of cruise withdrawl! I should be working and not daydreaming. At least you have a couple of them to look forward too. I looked at the Alaska cruises, and boy, were they a lot more $$$ than this one. Am I missing something here?

 

 

Yes you are missing the sea air and the cool breezes while standing out on your verandah. You are missing that little chocolate before you went to bed. Those fresh danish each morning with that great ground coffee each morning before you were really awake. As far as the price. I looked at the prices again and I am not shocked. I think what might be happening is that $100 special they are having is making lots more people sign up from cruises. But I also think that 3 months before each of the cruises they will be losing quite a few of the resevervations. My next cruise is the New England cruise and its about $1000 more than I thought it would be. OUCH. But I think they price might go down a little before I leave. I will keep checking each day to see how it works out. I think you should do the same on the Alaska cruises.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Omnium

Omnium

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Day 5 and it is hot. 91 in PV. The first four days have been a blast. I have had two good dinners, and have reached my minimum acceptable for that. The usual coffee and breakfast routine. We then order evening appetizers for three, as we once again invite the Doctors over for dinner. Jane says to order for only three.

 

At this time, let me say that Dr. Frank, who along with Dr. Linda are my two new favorite people, can really eat. He is about 6' 4", slim and in great shape. I have no idea as to how he does it. He would order practically everything off the dinner menu. He is one of those people that has never met a meal he did not like. So, we order for three, and that is really enough for about 25.

 

We meet the good doctors and have a wild tender to the port. I love PV. There is so much to do and see. We took a cab to the shopping area and really enjoyed ourselves. We found a bar where the (small) beers are 6 for $10.00. Chips, guaco, and salsa were the norm. We went through 12 beers. Frank had at least 4, maybe 5. No effect on him at all. It was another glorious day in Paradise. Got back to the ship and had another great lunch. Once again I snoozed on the balcony. As I said, glorious.

 

I hit the gym and got ready to receive our guests. The party were treats were again delivered as elegantly as can be. At 7:15 there is a knock at the door. It is Dr. Linda, and no Frank! Frank has a migraine and can't come. Noooooooooooooo! All this food! Linda, who is a rare beauty can fit in Frank's pocket. So, we do the best we can and pack Frank a large care package. Louise calls to see if all is well, and would we like to place this order for the remainder of our cruise. A resounding no is what we gave her. No more entertaining. Food for three would have fed the starboard sside of the ship. Jane says next time we should order food for zero, and that should be enough for 4.

 

The much heralded PG was our stop for dinner. Let me not beat around the bush here friends: The PG is a very good restaruant, and that is about it. Was the food good? Very. Was the service excellent? Of course. Than what is your problem, you might say? The problem is that I can get a meal like that anywhere at home. It was no big deal. The product is always defined by the experience. It was ho-hum dining at its best. It was just a good meal. For $60.00 I expected more. On the Infinity they have the SS United States Restaurant. It is a dining experience not to miss. I have been to it twice, and it is one of the best dining experiences I have ever had, land or sea. Note I said experience. The food was also fabulous. Anyone can cook a good steak, but not anyone can provide the atmosphere to eat it in. It is the experience you remember. The service was incomparable. The presentation extraordinary. There was nothing like this in the Pinnacle Grill. The presentation was bland, and the waitstaff was not trained to work in a great restaurant. Overall, a big letdown. HAL should really rethink this aspect of their business. This should be a great restaurant. The food was at the quality level of a MiMi's.

 

Would I dine there again? Of course, but only if you pick up the tab! But, another good meal, and now I am at 3 good meals, two bad meals. Way ahead of my my goal for the week!

 

I was not interested in seeing the magicians, so we enjoyed strolling around, logged some time on our balcony, and called it an evening early.

 

Did I tell you about the wonders of the bed? Well, allow me to do it again! The most comf....naaaa, I won't bore you! (It really is. Go on this ship just to sleep! It will make you healthy and rich!)

 

Tomorrow: Day 6 at sea. My favorite part of a cruise. My report on steak and lobster night! (Surly he will not find nothing wrong with Steak and Lobster! Please don't! I am leaving tomorrow for my cruise, and I don't want to hear this!) Stay tuned.

 

Best,

 

Kerry

Link to comment
Share on other sites
CPeters40

CPeters40

Posted
Posted

"After a great workout, we heard from our new friends. They would not be coming to our room or dinner. They wanted to go the "Battle of the Sexes". Let me just say at this point that Frank & Linda did everything. Everyone knew them. The wanted those "dam dollars" with a passion unheard of in the history of cruising. We, on the other hand, do nothing. Frank and Linda were truly the MVP's of the cruise. Most Valuable Partiers. "

 

Hey Kerry,

Just have to ask--where were the Dr's Frank and Linda from? There was a very tall man from Magnolia, Arkansas and very petite wife from Magnolia, Arkansas, that fits your description. They were wonderful at the Trivia games every day. This person I am thinking of was great at the Jeopardy game! Is this the same couple?

Chris (Iowa--warming up to a whopping 18 degrees! I am so in depressed mode, being in this cold weather. So, what to do, but book a land/cruise to Greece in April! Yea! And, we are taking my mother, but she's really cool!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Omnium

Omnium

Posted
  • Author
Posted
"After a great workout, we heard from our new friends. They would not be coming to our room or dinner. They wanted to go the "Battle of the Sexes". Let me just say at this point that Frank & Linda did everything. Everyone knew them. The wanted those "dam dollars" with a passion unheard of in the history of cruising. We, on the other hand, do nothing. Frank and Linda were truly the MVP's of the cruise. Most Valuable Partiers. "

 

Hey Kerry,

Just have to ask--where were the Dr's Frank and Linda from? There was a very tall man from Magnolia, Arkansas and very petite wife from Magnolia, Arkansas, that fits your description. They were wonderful at the Trivia games every day. This person I am thinking of was great at the Jeopardy game! Is this the same couple?

Chris (Iowa--warming up to a whopping 18 degrees! I am so in depressed mode, being in this cold weather. So, what to do, but book a land/cruise to Greece in April! Yea! And, we are taking my mother, but she's really cool!

 

Greetings Chris,

 

Like I said, everyone knew them. You are absolutely right! They are hardcore trivia fans, and were quite upset that they did not win. I think Frank won at Jeopardy.

 

Kerry

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Omnium

Omnium

Posted
  • Author
Posted

I don't know if anyone is even reading this, but I appreciate being able to write it all down. Soon this thread will melt into the CC archives. As I write, it makes the memories so much stronger. The more I think of the cruise, the more warmth and affection I feel toward all those I met.

 

Yesterday I had to call Dr. Frank in Arkansas. I really miss him. I did not want to disturb him at his medical practice, only leave a message. While the receptionist was writing it down, he walked by and saw my name. Imediately he grabbed the phone and made some wise-guy remark. He said that he and the almost as perfect as Mary Poppins Linda have been in a state of depression. "you might as well shoot us he said. We have been so worthless". Due to delays, the did not get home until Monday. We, on the other hand arrived at our house at 10:30 AM on Saturday.

 

It is now Thursday, and my favorite time of a cruise is when I can lay out by the pool, listen to the band and drift of into oblivion. Sadly, this was not to happen. Although it was hot in Mexico, the ride home was freezing. Cold and windy. I never got to lay out. I forgot that it is never January in this part of Mexico. It is January as we get closer to home.

 

I slept in though! That bed! Another wonderful, window seated breakfast at the Lido. Of course, this was precluded by my morning pilgrimage to the Neptune Lounge. I honestly don't recall what went on this day. Must have been very relaxing. I do recall lunch at the Lido. Nothing looked appealing that day. I settled for something called veal bolognese over spaghetti. It was fantastic! I went over to the Pasta Bar to get some parmesan where I became locked in a titanic battle of wills with a slice of pizza. The pizza won again.

 

We ran into Frank a lot. He was always trying to get us to do some sort of game. He was always worried that there would not be a minyon, and actually have two few players to collect Dam Dollars.

 

Today I joined Jane on the promenade deck for a walk instead of my ususal workout. It was very invigorating. Making me hunger for steak and lobster!

 

Bad news for me! I have a meeting to go too! I hope the HAL faithful will forgive me for what I am about to say about Dinner #6! And you know me, I have a lot to say!

 

More later on that, the final review and getting ready for a really big Day 7!

 

Best,

 

Kerry

Link to comment
Share on other sites
catvango

catvango

Posted
Posted

Dear Omnium, Whatever you say about the next dinner in the next installment of your review, it's been a delight to read it. You're like Bardgal's long lost sibling!. I even printed the whole darn thing out for my husband to read. A great primer for a first time cruiser. I especially wanted him to read about the goodies in the Neptune lounge. A bit cruel because we've been on the South Beach Diet to make room in our clothes for all the temptations we're going to face. (I know, I know, it's supposed to be a permanent lifestyle change, not a pre-cruise crash diet:rolleyes: ) Thank you so much also for, "keepin it real". Warm regards, Catherine

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Omnium

Omnium

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Dinner and day 7 was a real adventure. We had 6 lobster monsters at our table. I started with a rather boring antipasto plate. Frank had at least three helpings of escargot. He offered, and I told him that I prefer mine to be more authentic and served on a bed of grass. The breads, were as always, delicious.

 

Soups have been sort of a hit and miss with me on this cruise. The Lido's soups were always top notch, much better than the Vista's. I had heard that their chilled soups are good, so I opted for the Chilled Strawberry Bisque. Not bad if you like a smoothie before dinner.

 

I stayed away from the salads. As a matter of fact, I, a vegetable lover, stayed away from most of the vegetables on this cruise. The vegetables served with dinner were not good at all. They were not cooked right nor did they look right. The house salad that night was (I have the menu here) "a tangle of frisee, (a frisbee?) mache (paper mache?) arugula and oak lettuce with a honey pear crostini (say what?)" Note the first words: "a tangle". I consider a tangle to be a mess and that is what this salad was. No menu doubletalk will ever work its way out of this.

 

Wonderful, wonderful, faithful Taguh brought us each two lobster tails, and two filet mignons. Dear friends, it was not what I expected.I know you are suprised! Sorry. Is this lobster? What kind? Rock Lobster? Langostino from Sizzlers? It is peculiar. No one came to take the shells away. I ate one small tail and it was OK. The other one was disgusting looking. I would not touch it. I asked our resident trencherman Frank if he would like it, and even he passed! As I said, the lobster was just OK. Minimum acceptable.

 

The filet on the other hand was unusual too. It looked more like one of those Camp Butter Beef Steaks. You know, the kind in the store with the pat of butter on them? No way was this a filet. What I had in the Pinnacle was a filet, and a very fine one. This was not Grade A beef. This cow get an F-. The vegetables, as expected were really bad. Limp asparagus.

 

For desert they had the parade of Baked Alaska. That was all we were offered for dessert. Oh, well.

 

But...I had a blast at dinner. I could afford to be gracious, because the score was 3 out of 6 for good vs. bad dinners, and I am way ahead of the curve here.

 

The Doctors dragged us to the final review show. It was a musical review that was based on the song "do you like Pina Coladas?" Boy, would I have loved to have been at the meeting where the dreamt that one up! "Hey, let's base our entertainment on one of the most irritating and stupid songs ever written! The crowds will love it!" You know what? It was so bad, that I liked it! Antsy Jane kept on saying, "this has to be the last song". Much to her annoyance, they would do another one! I love to see my wife get antagonized, especially when it is not my doing! Of course the always gracious southerners, Frank and Linda loved it. Figures.

 

Tomorrow is day 7. Hard to believe. Last day. Again, I feel like I have been away for a long, long time. Day 7 was really a great day. Can't wait to tell you about it.

 

Best,

 

Kerry

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Cruise Critic News & Features
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...