Circle South America with Slinkie and Grumpy

[Grumpy1]

Home, Sweet Home… John H Payne and Henry Bishop, 1852

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‘Mid pleasures and palaces though we may roam,

Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home.

A charm from the skies seems to hallow us there,

Which seek thro’ the world, is ne’er met elsewhere.

Home, home, sweet sweet home.

There’s no place like home, There’s no place like home.

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Home is Where The Heart Is… Author Unknown

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Home is Where The Heart Is, The soul’s bright guiding star.

Home is where real love is, where our own dear ones are.

Home means someone waiting to give a welcome smile.

Home means peace and joy and rest, and everything worthwhile.

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Now don’t expect Grumpy to write prose with the feeling of the above quotes. He believes in a simpler, more direct way of expressing his feelings. So here goes….

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We’re Home!... Slinkie and Grumpy, Jan 3,2008 Aboard the fabulous Slinkiedam Prinsendam.

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Stay tuned…

[RuthC]

Welcome home, you two crazy kids. :) Have a great cruise.

 

Just a guess here, but are you doing a "Live from ..." thread? :D

[kakalina]

Welcome home you two.

 

"Home is the hunter, home from the hills,

And the sailor home from the sea"

[jhannah]

Back in the saddle again ....

 

Have a wonderful cruise! We'll be waiting anxiously for your play-by-play with Slinkiecat providing the color commentary. :cool:

[localady]

Bon Voyage to you both!!!:D :D :D

It is indeed good to be "home", especially when it's a floating home!!!;) :D

[dakrewser]

"A man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it." - George Moore

 

And you get to travel the world with your "home"!

 

Wait!!!!!

 

 

Take me with you!!!!!!!!!!!

[arzz]

I am so happy to hear from you and know that you are on board! Do have an incredible trip -- exciting and exhilarating in all of the good ways and none of the bad -- I so wish I were going again this year, but I shall be content with a virtual ride as we prepare for our 65 days on the Amsterdam in September.

 

I wish you fair seas and a following wind.

[sail7seas]

Bon Voyage..... Have a wonderful journey.

Fair winds and a following sea.....

 

[ger_77]

(clicking heels together) "There's no place like home, there's no place like home" - Dorothy, Wizard of Oz

 

I'm envious that you're aboard the lovely Prinsendam and I'm not. I am sure you are going to have a fabulous cruise and look forward to your reports.

 

Smooth Sailing! :) :) :)

Gerry

[RevNeal]

I'm looking at their itinerary. I was in hopes that Ruth and I, aboard the Rotterdam, would pass the Prinsendam or be in port with them at some point on our South America/Antarctica Voyage ... however, it doesn't look like it.

 

The closest we will get is when the Rotterdam is in the Falklands, Feb 4th. On that day the Prinsendam will be at sea on its way to Cumberland Bay, South Georgia ... just a little to our east. The Rotterdam's first day at sea after the Falklands, heading to Antarctica, will be the Prinsendam's day at South Georgia Island. They then will head for the Falklands while we're heading to and cruising Antarctica.

 

Close, but no cigar. :p

[Southbound]

We're home just a few hours from our 17 days on the Prinsendam and I haven't even started to unpack, but had to check in here to see if you'd posted. Delighted to learn you two are on board and settling in. We did just as you requested -- left her neat and nifty for your arrival. I plan on posting a review once my brain is back into the reality mode and I can get my thoughts together.

When you have a chance, please tell Jay and Rico -- two really swell guys -- in the Ocean Bar we sent them a big hi. (You and Slinkie will surely enjoy the music of Crossover -- great vocals and a nice mix).

Have a grand time and keep in touch.

[chrismch]

Just been reading your thread on your previous Prisendam tour and enjoying that. As others have added prose, I will send you off with an Irish blessing...

To wish you the top of the morning, The best that any day sends.

To wish you cheer at noontime, that comes with the thoughts of friends.

And when the evening shadows fall lengthening o'er the way

To wish you the heart's contentment that comes with a perfect day!

 

Would love to hear about the changes on the ship as it's been upgraded and/or still in the process. Have a great cruise!

[bepsf]

[PURSER]

Final call! All ashore that's goin' ashore!

Final call!

 

[CREW]

Bon voyage,

 

[PASSENGERS]

You mean "Bon Voyage".

 

[CREW]

I hate to say goodbye, sweetheart.

By the seashore,

 

[PASSENGERS]

You mean "sur la plage".

 

[All]

I'll wait and watch the sea

Till you come back to me,

 

[CREW]

Oh my dearie,

 

[PASSENGERS]

You mean "ma chérie",

 

[CREW]

I'm yours for life,

 

[PASSENGERS]

You mean "pour la vie",

 

[CREW]

So kiss me, pretty wench,

 

[All]

In English or in French.

Bon voyage - "bon voyage".

 

[CREW]

And there's no cure like travel

To help you unravel, etc.

 

[PASSENGERS]

Bon voyage,

I mean "bon voyage", etc.

 

[All]

And there's no cure like travel

To help you unravel

The worries of living today.

When the poor brain is cracking

There's nothing like packing

A suitcase and sailing away.

Take a run 'round Vienna,

Granada, Ravenna, Sienna

And then a-'round Rome.

Have as high time, a low time,

And in no time

You'll be singing "Home, Sweet Home".

[Southbound]

Would love to hear about the changes on the ship as it's been upgraded and/or still in the process. Have a great cruise!

 

Promenade Deck: The Half Moon Room has been replaced by a new Explorations Cafe; Erasmus Library has been replaced by a HAL Signature shop which also contains a very small area displaying liquors/cigs/misc. for sale; Boutique shops have been replaced by a larger fine jewelry shop.

Lower Promenade Deck: Internet Cafe has been replaced by the Half Moon Room.

All cabins have new bathrooms, except #190 thru #198 (which had been replaced more recently).

These were the changes I was able to see. However, since the Prinsendam is like a second home to Grumpy and Slinkie, they'll be able to share their expertise on this topic.

I was personally delighted to find that the beautiful art deco light fixtures in the dining room and Ocean Bar remain as they had been when we were on board a year ago.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Welcome Home Grumpy and Slinkie, so glad to see you back on board the Slinkiedam. As others I am so looking forward to following along and especially Slinkie's Shopping sprees:D

[Grumpy1]

3Jan2008

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Slinkie and Grumpy went to dinner with Grumpy’s sis, BuckeyeGal, Wednesday evening in their hometown of Naples,FL. Returning home about 8:00 P.M., the decision was made… there just wasn’t any way to avoid it any longer. Time to start packing! Three hours later the contents of the closets had been compressed into four large and two small suitcases, Grumpy’s collection of gadgets and toys were sorted and packed and they could get some sleep knowing that there wasn’t that much left for the morning.

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Morning came much too early, but that allowed for a leisurely breakfast and going through the checklists one final time before BuckeyeGal arrived at 11:00 A.M. to provide Limo service to the port. The trip across Alligator Alley from Naples to the Fort Lauderdale port took just under two hours, so shortly before 1:00 Slinkie and Grumpy had handed off their luggage with the appropriate bribe to encourage the stevedores to actually put the bags on the ship in a reasonably unmangled and dry condition. BuckeyeGal departed with tears in her eyes… not because she was going to miss her dear brother and sis-in-law… more likely because she wasn’t going too.

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Passing through the security checkpoint took just a few minutes and then Slinkie and Grumpy were presented with The FORM. You know, the one where you have to swear that you’ve never been sick a day in your life, and then were directed to have a seat. A very pleasant woman then came over and examined the passports to verify the presence of a Brazilian visa and to examine the yellow fever vaccination documentation. Once she was satisfied that the documents were in order Slinkie and Grumpy were allowed to proceed to the queue for check in. While waiting in line they spotted their former dinner companions and occupants of the adjacent cabin from the 2005 world cruise. It’s always good to see familiar faces again.

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Check in was quick. The agent complimented Grumpy on having used the online check in and making his job much easier. Passports were collected, pictures taken, and that was it. No need to run the credit card or remove a page from the document book. HAL is finally getting their act together on the check in procedures.

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After being waylaid by the photographer and forced to have their gangway picture taken, Grumpy and Slinkie proudly presented their cards to be scanned so they could board the ship. Uhoh… Grumpy didn’t know that he was a ghost. He must be though, because his picture didn’t show up on the screen. They must be used to dealing with ghosts though. They just took Grumpy’s cabin number and told him to stop by the front desk to have his picture taken again. “No problem”, said Grumpy, looking around at the familiar surroundings… “after all, I’m home!”

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Although it was now close to 1:30, cabins were still not ready. No problem, straight to the Lido. The Lido was pretty crowded. HAL had ordered a few days of cold weather for Florida to get everyone acclimated to the weather to be expected at the bottom of the world. Since the Prinsendam does not have a covered pool, the poolside tables were the choice location they usually are. The open aft deck was even less used. Grumpy found a table with another couple, parked the bags and proceeded to load up on the delicious offerings. After a few minutes of conversation with the other couple at the table it was discovered that they were CruiseCritic members “Motorhome Cruiser” from the rollcall thread. Small world!

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A few minutes later the announcement came that the cabins were ready, so after finishing their lunch, Slinkie and Grumpy headed to their cabin, SY031, just 2 doors down from their former home. Stepping through the door, the cabin looked much the same as before… but different! The walkin closets, unique to Prinsendam, have been redone. The best way to describe the change is to say that everything is reversed. Not real sure it is a better layout, but it is different.

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The entertainment center has been replaced. Now we can watch the dreaded CNN on a 37” widescreen flat panel TV mounted on the wall above the desk. There is a Bose CD/DVD/FM Radio Sound System with Subwoofer under the desk and multi range speakers mounted above the TV. Very impressive. There’s a new refrigerator. It seems smaller than the old ones. The angled corner shelves that used to house the TV is now a cabinet where the ice bucket, and the champagne bucket are stored when not needed. There are five small drawers on one side of the desk and a 3 shelf cabinet on the other side. Everything else in the main room of the cabin is pretty much the same as before.

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Moving on to the bathroom… lots of changes there. The walls and floors have been retiled. The tub/shower has been moved to the wall where the basin was and vice versa. The tub is larger, the countertop for the basin smaller. In the second room, the toilet has been replaced and the basin/counter top is new. Unfortunately, they also eliminated the medicine cabinet that was above that basin. There is a shelf under the counter top in both rooms, but it’s not as convenient as having a medicine cabinet.

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Slinkie and Grumpy did a little exploring of the other areas of the ship that were reworked during the recent drydock. Discussion of that, the CruiseCritic unofficial meeting in the Crows Nest, the dining experience, etc will be covered in another post. It’s late. Grumpy needs his beauty rest. That wonderful HAL bed is beckoning.

[travelinjones]

Grumpy and Slinky -- can't wait to hear your comments on the newly updated Prinsendam.

 

--Travelinjones

[Grumpy1]

4JAN2008

Today is a sea day. The Prinsendam is sailing along at a leisurely pace along the north and west coasts of Cuba. It’s been overcast, but comfortable temperatures. There was enough motion in the ocean to rock Grumpy to sleep last night, but it is starting to abate and Captain Gundersen expects conditions in Grand Cayman to be OK for tender operations tomorrow.

The highlight of the morning was the CruiseCritic get together in the Crows’ Nest. First time HAL Cruisers BobnSandi had made the arrangements with Seattle. At 11:00 we arrived and found that several of the CC’ers were already there, the usual arrangement of coffee, tea, water and cookies was set up, the “Reserved for Private Function” sign was up and the Beverage Manager , Bas van Es, was there to Meet and Greet. Now Grumpy could really get to like that guy! He looked around and must have decided that CC is a deserving group. A signal to the bar staff and suddenly the above beverages were supplemented by Bloody Mary’s, Champagne, and Orange juice spiked with champagne. Trays of appetizers also appeared. Very nice! Frits Gehner , the Hotel Manager stopped by for a few minutes, as did the Cruise Director, Thomas Faulkner. Of course, the real highlight of the party was the opportunity to meet and get to know the great group of CC’ers from the Roll Call thread. A very interesting group indeed! There are at least two more CC get togethers planned before the Prinsendam returns to Fort Lauderdale. Thank you, BobnSandi, for taking the lead.

OK, everyone wants to know about the changes. The biggest change is in the area of the shops, library, Oak Room and Half Moon Room. The Erasmus Library Room is now the shop for sundries, liquor, tobacco, souvenirs and clothing items. The area that was the combined shop for jewelry and clothing items has been completely reworked and is all jewelry with a corner for the designer cosmetics and fragrances. The entire area from what was the sundries and liquor shop back to the Oak Room has been opened up and is now the Explorations Café/internet center. There are lots of book shelves, well stocked. There are lots of Crossword Puzzle tables, internet kiosks and writing tables that have a flipup top that reveals a keyboard, mouse and monitor. The Oak Room seems more like a quiet extension of the Explorations Café than a separate room. The walls are lined with bookshelves. The fireplace and easy chairs are still there, but Grumpy doesn’t think it will be used as a cigar lounge anymore. The Java Café is pretty much unchanged. Grumpy hasn’t checked to see if the Cappuccino is free. The Half Moon Room still exists. It is in the room that was the internet café.

The artwork is still the same as it has been, with works by Stephen Card, aka Prinsendam, prominently displayed in the stairwells.

Slinkie and Grumpy have the pleasure of sharing a table for eight, late seating, with Bob and Janet, Jim and Jane, and another couple whose names Grumpy can’t recall right now. Bob and Janet were dinner companions at the same table with Slinkie and Grumpy on the last half of the 2005 world cruise, so it was really nice to see them again and get reacquainted. Jim and Jane have been on several world cruises on Regent and Crystal, but this is their first time on HAL. Being used to an all inclusive cruise on a luxury line, they seemed to feel that HAL isn’t quite up to the service level in the dining room that they are accustomed to, but it appeared that they knew there would be differences and are OK with that. The other couple had sailed with Jim and Jane on the Crystal World Cruise last year. It’s also their first HAL cruise. As Slinkie and Grumpy have learned to expect, the first night in the dining room is a little hectic, but overall, it was a pleasant evening and a very good dinner.

Thanks to all for your nice comments on the start of this thread, especially those that expanded on the theme of “home”.

RuthC… good guess.

RevNeal… since schedules down at the bottom of the world aren’t cast in stone, the paths of the two ships may still cross. If not, though, The Eurodam will be the meeting place of choice.

Chrismch… thank you for the Irish Blessing.

Southbound, you guys must have really worked hard on your cruise. The Slinkiedam looks great!

… more to come…

[RuthC]

RevNeal… since schedules down at the bottom of the world aren’t cast in stone, the paths of the two ships may still cross. If not, though, The Eurodam will be the meeting place of choice.

No! No! Keep your eyes peeled for the Rotterdam, Grumpy. That's the ship Greg and I (and a few others) will be on later this month.

And if, by some chance, we do find ourselves in the same port at the same time, we can do "rock, paper, scissors" to see who hosts. ;)

[RevNeal]

RevNeal… since schedules down at the bottom of the world aren’t cast in stone, the paths of the two ships may still cross. If not, though, The Eurodam will be the meeting place of choice.

 

Absolutely! And, true, sometimes schedules do change out in the "wilds" like that. I suppose ... if y'all discover that you have to not go to South Georgia and, instead, head from Antarctica straight to the Falklands, then there would be a chance that we'd be there at the same time. Otherwise ... correct, we'll see each other for certain aboard the Eurodam!

[Williebill]

Hello Grumpy, good to see another one of your threads. Shelia and I will again be sailing with the two you, although vicariously.

 

Bill

[HeatherInFlorida]

Grumpy, I'm just so glad you made it this year ... you deserve a wonderful cruise:) . Tell Slinkie a special "hi" from me!!!

 

Looking forward to your 60+ day journey (can't remember ... 68???).

[Ides of March]

Slinkie and Grumpy:

 

Delighted to see you have a keel under you again.

 

Greatly looking forward to following along.

 

Watch out for pink dolphins.

 

Ides

[Copper10-8]

Where the air is so pure, the zephyrs so free

The breezes so balmy and light

That I would not exchange my home on the range

For all of the cities so bright

 

Home, home on the range

Where the deer and the antelope play

Where seldom is heard a discouraging word

And the skies are not cloudy all day

Grumpy & Slinkie, looking very much forward to rounding South America and various other places with you! Thanks for giving us Prinsendam's updates already. Especially like the Explorations Cafe! Enjoy!:)

[susiesails]

Ah, I am just in time to enjoy your cruise around South america. It is nice to see both of you cruising again. I thought I remembered you were not cruising any more from prior posts.

Grumpy, I think you have the room mom and I shared when we were on the 2006 RTW cruise. I believe your reply to our room number was nice neighborhood! I know you will enjoy your cruise as you usually do. I am looking forward to cruising with you again even is it is just reading about yours. I really do wish I was going on my second cruise with you but it is not to be.

I hope your cruise is every thing you want it to be and more. Susiesails