Live from the Eurodam Trans-Atlantic

[hulamoon]

Our cruise is winding down we have four ports left and two sea days. So I thought I would catch up and finish this in case any of you are reading it.

May 5th

Lisbon Second Day

We took a private tour with other CCers. `I searched for a word to describe Sintra and Pena Palace. Lame as it sounds enchanting is the best one world can think of. This area is beautiful and the weather was perfect. I read that Walt Disney was inspired on a trip to this castle in Sintra and the Tivoli gardens in Copenhagen to build Disneyland and I have to agree the place is like a fairy tale.. The tour also covered Cascais, Belem, and Lisbon again. Portuguese is an interesting language to me, some of the pronunciations seemed slurred however but I keep trying to improve.

We heard rumors of pick pockets and people leaving the ship. The sun was hot, and the area dry, but I liked Lisbon and hope to get back there as one of my new favorite ports. I found the city clean, friendly and generally happy.

At sail-away in Lisbon we had another successful party. We regularly get a cheese plate, I love the excellent cheese but I am beginning to feel like it is time to slow down. My sinus infection is showing symptoms again and sacrifices must be made. We had a cheese plate scheduled and I called to let them know we had a party and could they bring it a tad earlier. Our tray showed up and so did eight more!

The Eurodam singers and dancers performed Dreampark. This was an excellent show that I believe we had a preview of last year on the Zuiderdam, it was better than their first show, if you have not seen it.

May 6th at Sea

Sleep was more compelling than wakefulness, probably due to a little dehydration. But we went to the Mariners Brunch, refused wine and desert and I definitely need to have a break from rich food. We met our new captain and had a picture taken with him. I asked if he was feeling better and he smiled and said he was a little thinner. I liked him and look forward to learning more about him. We both wish him a speedy recovery.

We played Bingo on board for a free cruise today; sorry to say I do not have exciting news.

Finally, we get to eat again, my goodness it was been hours, minutes, seconds! Off to the Pinnacle Grill for our third meal there. Tonight Linda was our waitperson and of our three waiters she and Firat are the best IMO. The Pinnacle finally got new menus. The first we looked at had food splattered all over them. I had the surf and turf and I have to say, I do not think it was better than the main dining room. My picky opinion is my own and not shared by my tablemates but I think there are also others on board who also expect the Pinnacle to be head and shoulders above the Rembrandt. For those with gluten free restrictions, the Pinnacle does not make many substitutions for you. Let me say it another way, they tip toe you around the menu and make no effort to serve the gluten free dishes you order ahead of time like the dining room does. This is the exact opposite of my experience last year on the Zuiderdam where the Pinnacle was much better than the MDR. If I had known, I would not have pre-purchased so many dinners.

For entertainment tonight we listened to Count Dimas from Transylvania. He is talented, and quirky. If you see this show, please sit so you can see the screens, much of the room cannot see them. I give it a C plus / B minus. His piano playing is very good.

May 7th Bilboa Spain

The ship seemed to back into port, what a unique perspective for those on the stern. It is cold, overcast and much bigger than I expected. I imagined a dusty old town with the Guggenheim sitting on the river. Boy was I wrong. Bilboa is cosmopolitan and well dressed. The ship bused us in a for a scenic 30 minute drive to the older part of town. While the buildings look old and are striking for those who love architecture the streets are wide. Did I mention it was cold? After walking in sandals until we reached the Guggenheim, I asked DH to hand me the socks I asked him to bring in case this happens. My blisters have not allowed me to wear shoes, but in a pinch I was prepared to put socks on. Well he pulled out a pair of his socks, one with a gold tip and the other not. How fashionable and embarrassing. Soon I was ready to go back to the ship after a quick cup of Tea at the Te & Café Shop and watching a demonstration of civil disobedience. Groups silently formed in lines like a choir and threw flyers in the air. Sadly, my Spanish is lacking, but I think it had something to do with banks and public funds. I am sure I will be corrected. After returning to port we stepped into the aquarium and had more than 3 euros of entertainment. It is a pretty good aquarium, but there are no mammals, except for us peeping Toms.

We had a small sail-away gathering and watched passengers hurry to board. Only a small fish splashed but at least this was something!

We had an excellent meal again at Rembrandt, I cannot recommend them enough. Again we sat with experienced passengers raving about the food and service.

Our comedian tonight was Tony Stevens. I give him an A for material and delivery. DH liked him so much he watched it twice.

I suppose if this is an honest report I should mention that I asked the spa manager to call me. She never did. I continue to be surprised the staff is so set on keeping the hydro-therapy pool in the thermal suite cool. The one time we did get the water temperature measured it was four degrees Celsius below body temperature. I just do not see how it is therapeutic to put people in a cool pool in a very cool room and force them to walk in even cooler air conditioning to get to a hot shower. Unlike the Zuiderdam there is no shower in this room. I did meet a passenger today who said it was warm in the morning but I watched her shiver after she had moved on to the ceramic lounge chairs. For us, this and the disabling of the overhead jets for neck and shoulders has been a big disappointment.

[mom&me_cruising]

Thank you for your excellent report. I have really been enjoying your reports and had a fews days of withdrawal. :D Please keep posting.

[hulamoon]

Through most of last night and most of the day our ship rocked with the sway of large swells. Late in the morning we visited the Explorers Lounge for Chai Tea and noise of creaks and glass were quite loud. I spent some time sitting in the front of the Crow’s Nest watching the Albatross races. The birds would race ahead and fall back in the wind but soon it became apparent they were just playing with the ship as the flock moved ahead of us and continued their dance with the wind. Soon I learned not to watch the water from the Crow’s Nest unless I watched the horizon as the ships motion was dizzying. It was also true of our balcony on the stern; there was too much motion to enjoy the view unless my eyes were fixed upon the horizon. We picked up hitch hikers from Bilboa, very large horse flies. Last night I did not open the balcony door at all and today I only noticed one hanging on the balcony door.

 

The motion was so dramatic we took refuge in the screening room and watch the Quantum of Solace movie. Crowds were gathered for the computer classes and bridge players carried on with their customary intensity. Once I bounced off the wall in the passageway, it was a soft landing without injury.

 

We braved the forward spa again, endured the cold thermal pool and then hurriedly went to the sauna. Last night our Canadian tablemates mentioned that they did not have heat; they were on deck four midship. I assume it has been corrected because with temperatures are the low 50’s. Our room is fine and toasty.

 

I have not shared my excess planning of ports with you folks. But the bottom line is after much teeth gnashing and obsessing we are on ships tours for two days in a row. Tomorrow we see Giverny and Rouen. The following day we have the Panoramic London tour. This is my fourth trip to Europe but my first to Normandy and England. This trip will be the first that I have done back to back 10 hour tours. I will tell you soon if that was the right choice for us. I admit to a bit of nervousness about it still. We needed to visit the shore excursion desk, and the line was long, especially with passengers on the Baltic leg trying to book. The staff in shore excursions has been very attentive and responsive, I do like them.

 

Tonight we had dinner in the Tamarind with our neighbors. The meal was perfect; we all enjoyed another successful evening. Tonight they asked if I wanted the same gluten free meal I had last time, I suppose they keep records to be able to ask. I wanted to do something different and they impressed me with their ability to accommodate.

 

If any of you have questions I may be able to help.

 

Thanks Mom&me!

[mom&me_cruising]

I research and plan a lot for each port also, but sometimes it is good to join the ships' tour for a change. Every once in a while just handing over the controls to someone else and kick back and relax on one's vacation is good. Enjoy the ships' sponsored excursions.

 

A few questions please.

 

Can one book the shore excursion on tv? Some other cruise lines offer that option. Also, last time I was on HAL there was a drop off box for shore excursion signup, do they still have that option? I am trying to avoid having to line up during my vacation. :D

 

Do you hear a lot of noise and vibration when the ship was docking/anchoring when you are in your room? I have read posts that indicate that might be an issue.

[hulamoon]

Mom&me,

 

We have not had vibration noises in our room, 4187. There is a drop off box for activities and you can do them online before you leave. The TV does not have a booking system. The lines to shore excursions have not always been long, I think after so many sea days guests were ready to commit. They do have a drop box and a computer booking terminal on the main deck if you don't need to talk with anyone.

 

I agree, I love DIY but sometimes it is more relaxing to just buy the tour and let go. We are DIYing again in Rotterdam, but ships tour tomorrow to London because the trains schedule is not good on the Sunday we are there.

 

Have Fun!

[hulamoon]

Our tour for Rouen and Giverny was excellent. Our guide was informative fun and filled us in on historical facts I had not heard before. He described Normandy, the invasion, gave us a geography and history lesson of Normandy and then taught us about the revolution of impressionism and the American artists in Giverny. We had a blast with pronunciation. I had been calling Rouen, basically ruin. On the ship, several staff and French speaking Americans said it was rew-on. But today we learned it comes from the throat, is a barely recognizable r and no n, and one syllable. Similar but not exactly like the sound a cat makes coughing up a fur ball, or at least that is what we sounded like. We kept trying and I think greatly amused our guide with our failures. Le Havre is pronounced lave. Sort of like love with a short a. Once upon a time I lived in Montana where French trappers had named a town Havre. We pronounced just like a cowboy would, Have-er.

Several sources have told me not to expect much on either garden tour, Giverny and Keukenhof. Giverny more than exceeded our expectations. Between the two of us we shot over 300 pictures and that was before we arrived in Rouen. What a task that will be going through, but the garden was larger than I imagined and in full bloom. There was a melodious sound coming from the garden. I looked for ducks or birds but later learned it was frogs. Our Hawaiian frogs do not compare in musical talent, I have never heard anything like it before.

Rouen was sweet and we learned that the men collecting money in baskets in front of the cathedrals are not with the church but gypsies. After donating to their cause, we sang a few remembered lines from a Cher song, gypsies, tramps and thieves…..

Our guide was very good, we stopped at a rest stop that was very nice, but the women’s room was being clean. She directed us to the men’s room which worked for some of us, but I must say it was an interesting way to get to know our fellow passengers. Women asked our guide to instruct the cleaning woman to leave so they could use the restroom. He was surprised we would ask and said it would be rude to ask her to stop doing her job and we should just use the men’s. In a short while she finished and we were on our way.

We had lunch at the hotel in town. They kindly served me a meal on my restricted diet and when I wasn’t sure if they thought I asked for meat free or wheat free, I used a written in French request given to me by Surfgram. They laughed and I was given salmon in parchment with rice and a cheese dish with sour strawberries, or at least not very sweet. Our guide had warned us we would all be asleep on the bus in the afternoon and despite my best efforts, I nodded off like everyone else.

If any of you are considering this tour, I recommend it highly and no one I spoke to was disappointed. At dinner we met many who went to the Normandy beaches and none were disappointed with that either.

[mom&me_cruising]

Thank you Sharie.

 

Happy to hear that you enjoyed the tour of Rouen and Giverny.

[hulamoon]

Last night we were given back the last hour we lost, but being nervous about our tour I got up at 7am to get ready. I was surprised our room service breakfast did not arrive on time and called to see if it was still coming. We were assured it was and continued to get ready for our trip. We also wondered why our wakeup call never came. Just as we were getting ready to leave the room, we decided to let room service know to cancel our order. When I called they kindly told me the ships clock was forwarded and I was an hour early. The ship’s TV wasn’t adjusted back an hour, so it says the time is an hour later than it is and, mysteriously, so does the cell phone we have. DH’s watch never turned up so we were completely relying on the TV. Later that day the cell phone time adjusted, just in time to lose the hour as we cruised into Rotterdam.

Yesterday we were in Harwich. We took the London Panoramic tour on a Sunday. I spent countless hours looking and pricing private tours and taxis. I did find a well priced one willing to go where we wanted, but in the end he kept forgetting his quoted price, so we decided to DIY or take the ships tour. In the end no one quite knew, even Ian, that the train wouldn’t be available even to Colchester. Good news for those planning this as the train line provided a bus for them. But with all the uncertainty we decided to go to London where I had not been before. Our Mothers Day was pristine. The weather was warm, the skies clear and there was little traffic. Our nine and a half hour tour came back an hour early. I loved London. The tour gave us 5 stops including a comfort stop. Our tour guide told us to find half pound coins for the toilet on the way home.

Our tour guide acted surprised we got to London in 90 minutes, but I had been told by all companies I researched that travel would be 90 minutes each way on a Sunday. So I was wondering why she was so surprised, certainly a tour guide should know traffic patterns, the taxis do. I give London an A for great weather, cleanliness history. Having given Olivier an A, I had to give this tour company a C. I took points off for being brazen about collecting tips, not saying much on the drive into London and not giving us an overall idea of the order we would see things and how long it took to travel to each and an idea of possible comfort stops. Also, rather than cutting the tour short by an hour she could have given us more time in each place or added another stop.

Lunch was on your own and we stopped at the West End and had lunch in the Globe, their claim to fame is being the location for a Hitchcock movie, Frenzy. I had my first pint of Cider, and mindful of our tour guides talk about toilets I used every one we came across. Even with this when we got to Buckingham Palace I had to go, really go. She told me I had to wait, there were no options, so I gathered a pound coin and was ready for the next stop without much idea how long I was going to wait. But as we were loading back into the bus I overheard a gentleman say he was going to use the toilet on the bus. So I asked Richard our driver about this and he said that is what it was there for. Thrilled as this news was a highlight of the trip, I entered a small room on the bus with sandwich wrappers in the sink. As I prepared to leave, I was shocked to hear a loud metal clink hit the floor. Oh dear, I thought the food on the cruise had popped my pants button, but quickly confirmed this was not true. Later I discovered the pound coin had slipped out of my pocket. I went back to look for it but it was not there. We walked maybe 12 blocks total on this tour, making it the longest day of sitting since we flew to Fort Lauderdale. When they say they give you a picture opportunity, this is exactly that, we were not very close to the London Tower but saw it from afar.

The first rule of being a tour operator is to give people more than they expect and the second rule is to make sure the guests know what the schedule is. I am hard on her I know, but tours should be fabulous. Most businesses in Hawaii double the price of the tour if it is a ships tour and I expect them to step up as we used to do when I ran such a business. So I give her a C and London an A for excellent weather, being clean and a wondrous city.

Rotterdam May 11th

Dutch immigration boarded the ship last night. They checked everyone’s passport in the Northern Lights. This was the first time I saw the entire bar. I don’t remember if there were five or seven that came aboard. They told us they came over on the fairy from Rotterdam to Harwich and will be on board until we leave Rotterdam. Later than night we received notice that there will be no smoking in public places while in Rotterdam. The folks that boarded are sort of the smoking police while we stay in Rotterdam! We had a chuckle about this. Speaking of smoke fumes I have not been bothered for many days now. Other gossip we heard was the travel agents that board do not get fed until after they listen to a two hour presentation. This struck me as funny, but I don’t know if it is really true.

We backed all the way into Rotterdam. With the cabin on the stern this was a beautiful site to wake up to. I was tired after the two big days in a row, but I was reminded by a CC member I was going to Keukenhof garden, so I forged ahead. The ship announced yesterday they were going to have a tour of the area but it sold out quickly. We took the free shuttle from the ship to Central Station, picked up a train to Leiden and then the Conexxion bus to Keukenhof. Total cost 23 euros apiece. Although the Dutch folks I spoke to did not have high hopes for the garden this time of year, I was impressed. Cold but impressed. The wind was biting and I was not dressed for it. Thank goodness a CC’er lent me her windbreaker when I ran into her. If you travel to Holland during the time the garden is open please try to get there. We stayed for over two hours but you need three to appreciate all of it. Most travel books do not give Rotterdam enough credit, or is it that the rest of the country is so amazing this modern city falls through the cracks?

Tonight was our sail away 4th deck party. We have made this a habit each time we sail away at 5pm. We all gathered outside to brave the cold, opened five rooms of balconies and laughed at the 6 tour buses that were late coming back. We left 90 minutes later than scheduled but enjoyed our party and the beautiful view. This turned out to be a blessing for some on private tours who were also late. Our Dutch friends have told us for years not to trust Rotterdam commuter traffic, so keep this in mind if you DIY. The train was perfect as always for us.

Our Farewell formal night was on Rotterdam evening.

I have been fighting sadness of the end of the cruise, but each time I catch myself I take a deep breath and keep to the moment and enjoy each event. We went to the fixed seating tonight and sat with friends. I missed all the folks I came to enjoy seeing downstairs so I will be there the last night. We like AYW dining and I have met more people wanting into it than into fixed seating. We never made any reservations, as we noticed those who did waited longer. I did learn to ask for a fast dinner, and if asked they have been able to accommodate. I know I have raved about the AYW Rembrandt staff before, and I will doit again, they are amazing, polite, responsive and skilled. I have never been happier with a dining venue on a ship.

The show was Nightlife and I enjoyed it. Others must have too as there was a standing ovation at the end. I think over 20% of the ship was back in casual attire for the show. I have no judgment about this, I do not mind.

Last day at sea before Copenhagen

I woke up at 6:30 and tried to read while DH slept. Then we started on our list, to visit the front desk about our bill and to get a FCC. Our only billing issues are from the extra packages the Thermal Suite and the Suite Amenities and I do not have answers to my questions yet. The spa manager never returned my requested phone call; we just quit complaining and have been awaiting her call, for 5 days. The Suite Amenities package requires your personal management, and some of what they list for value is free on the ship. I have raved about the thermal suite on the boards for a long time, but I am disappointed in the pool this time. It is too frigid. They checked it once and it was four degrees (Celsius) too cold.

PS: The new spa manager just called me, her name is Emma. I liked her a lot and she told me the jets were adjusted on all ships as they were too strong. I have to agree they could have been dangerous for a frail person as they were last year on the Z, but now they are useless, leaving no jets for the neck and shoulders. She said the engine room was checking the heat now. I love this pool. I do hope by the time I am on a ship again it will work for me.

Tomorrow I disembark for a day in Copenhagen. We are going to see the city on the Ho-Ho bus and then go to Tivoli. We will spend the night at the Marriott. Our flight out is early the next morning and we have a 20 hour flight home. If any of you have emailed me directly I have not checked that mail for 3 weeks and won’t get to it for another week. Thanks for taking the journey with me so far, I will make anothepost either in Copenhagen or when I get home.

A hui ho!

[mom&me_cruising]

Sharie,

 

I understand what you mean regarding the London tour; it would be so easy for the guide to at least provide 30 more minutes of "free time" somewhere. (I say 30 minutes instead of an hour since she probably would not count on the 30 minutes on the return trip.)

 

If you do not mind, please post your impression of the Marriott also. I will be staying there the night before the Eurodam cruise at end of June.

 

Enjoy Copenhagen and have a safe flight home.

[auntibe49]

Thank you for posting about your cruise. I have enjoyed reading them. I hope to one day take a transatlantic cruise.

[brucory]

It has been wonderful reading about your cruise...

 

Have a safe trip home!!!

 

:D:D:D

[DFD1]

Great Work! Fun to read. Thanks for sharing your trip. Safe journey home.

[hulamoon]

Last day at sea….

We are at the Marriott in Copenhagen. I am nursing a bandaged ankle and sipping French champagne, a last toast to our vacation. Here are the highlights of the last two days.

Our last day at sea… we took care of our billing, had a nice last dinner and enjoyed a nice show from cast moving on or to other ships. There was a seafood luncheon, and I grabbed a shrimp but we mostly kept to skipping lunch to limit the guilt at dinner.

With AYW dining we never had the same waiter more than twice, some were better than others, but all did a great job, so we decided to give an extra $100 to the dining room manager, who promised to pass the money on to Anthon the AYW host to distribute in their pot. At first we were just going to add it to the normal service charge fees but the front desk staff told us to give it in cash. We were half way back to our room before we realized he had not asked us who we were or taken our room number. It didn’t matter it seemed, but we went back anyway and asked him to please let them know who had dropped this off. Of course we left the normal service charges on as well. I could keep bragging on them but you have heard it before.

Emma the spa manager, who has only been on the ship a couple of days, also took care of our concerns. If there is some sort of jet for the neck and shoulders stronger than my cabin shower and a stable temperature I will try this again another time.

Disembarkation May 13th…

We were able to leave the ship late with the suite amenity package, but we needed to start our day in Copenhagen so we had a quick breakfast in the Pinnacle. It was the same menu as the dining room. We checked out the Neptune Lounge, with a quick look see and I can see why those across the hall like it. We tried to get the last punches on our coffee cards but the fellow asked us to come back at 7am and we didn’t get back to that side of the ship. I could not find Ann’s room number, I am so sorry, so I dropped off the wine, Baileys and vodka with another CC member who was staying on the ship along with mardi gras beads in case someone else might need them for their next CC Meet and Greets.

Leaving the ship was easy; we lined up in the taxi queue and joined another CC couple to share a taxi to the Marriott. Total cost was 207 DKK. On the way our taxi driver gave us language lessons and we saw there was some sort of incident at the palace with a lot of police cars.

As soon as we arrived at the hotel, we ran into more CC folks. We dropped on the luggage and hiked down to the Netto canal bus. I had planned on the Ho-Ho but the day was beautiful and I wasn’t sure I would ever be in Copenhagen this warm again, so thought we would try the water. Must have had withdrawals after two hours off the ship. Netto tour was 30 DKK. We hiked back to the hotel and one of us bought some almonds and the rest picked up beautiful sandwiches. I should have said yes when a pedicab offered to take us back to the hotel because in short order my ankle was out of alignment. I think all the uneven cobblestones in sandals did the trick. Really I should have replaced the hiking shoes that caused the blisters in the beginning of the cruise. DH helped put my ankle back in and after some pills, ice, a couple of tears, and an ACE bandage I decided I should see Tivoli as we were leaving in the morning. I am sure it would have been better without pain, but this is what I think of the park. It is 80% for kids, if adults are uninterested in rides try to see it when entertainment is there and later in the day. The Marriott concierge told us her favorite restaurants and we picked the most crowed with Danish voices, the Promenaden. It was not so good, but a lot of food and 400DKK for both of us. The garden was okay and in bloom, but I had just been at Keukenhof and Giverny so the garden was attractive but not that exciting. They do have a nice green policy where every cup you buy drinks in has a deposit and if you return it to a special machine you get the 5DKK back.

The Marriott is very spacious and nice. I decided to take a bath after our walk back and inadvertently turned the shower on instead. The shower head was pointing at the sink and I was balanced on one foot trying to reach it to turn it back into the bathtub. I could not reach it all. This room is for tall people, thank goodness DH was close enough before the room was flooded. Of course I should have just turned off the water, but I was so used to the ships shower and ours at home, it never occurred to me I wouldn’t be able to reach it. The tub is made for tall people too. If I lie down in the tub I would slip under the water. My feet cannot reach the other end of the tub.

The sun has set and DH is getting work calls from Hawaii, so I will close so we can check in to the airline. We have a long flight early tomorrow and will hit the ground running. I would like to thank the staff of the Eurodam for an excellent vacation, whoever arranged the excellent weather, and all of the CC members who shared their happy hours, dinner tables, coats, and friendship. Without those connections our cruise would not have been as informative or friendly. Thanks to all of you.

[hulamoon]

Mom&me,

 

The Marriott is clean, spacious, beautiful view of the canal or Tivoli Gardens. We will miss breakfast tomorrow, so we can't comment on the food. The hotel is about 4 blocks to Tivoli Garden and the Central Train Station. Food costs here in Copenhagen are very expensive; a 1/2 liter water bottle is about $10 (45 dkk) in the room. Internet is 75 dkk for 1 hour at the hotel. We would definitely stay here again.

[hulamoon]

Aloha Everyone,

 

I am home, attempting to put my self back on Hawaiian Standard time. Our flight was uneventful which is good for over 20 hours. The house sitters loved Hawaii and left me gifts for the privilege of watching my house and pets. I was happy as leaving pets can be tough. They also gave me a renewed since of pride in our island, so we vowed to once a week get out and enjoy where we live until that next cruise to be named is identified.

 

Thanks again..

[mom&me_cruising]

Thank you. I just want to tell you again how much I enjoyed your cruise reports.

In just over a month mom and I will be at the Marriott, then on to the Eurodam. I hope we don't have problems with the direction of the shower head at the Marriott, both of us are petite (yes, ok, short, :D ), so we will have to call the front desk to get someone to move the shower head for us.

From your review of Tivoli, I would likely skip it since I already have 2 full days worth of touring planned for Copenhagen.

Hawaii is wonderful. Enjoy re-discovering why so many visitors fell in love with it. Sometimes we don't know what wonders we have in our own backyards until someone with fresh set of eyes helped us see. ;) I am guilty of that. When I was in Hawaii, all I wanted to do was leave the islands, and now all I want to do is find a way back.

[hulamoon]

[quote name='mom&me_cruising']Thank you. I just want to tell you again how much I enjoyed your cruise reports.

In just over a month mom and I will be at the Marriott, then on to the Eurodam. I hope we don't have problems with the direction of the shower head at the Marriott, both of us are petite (yes, ok, short, :D ), so we will have to call the front desk to get someone to move the shower head for us.

From your review of Tivoli, I would likely skip it since I already have 2 full days worth of touring planned for Copenhagen.

Hawaii is wonderful. Enjoy re-discovering why so many visitors fell in love with it. Sometimes we don't know what wonders we have in our own backyards until someone with fresh set of eyes helped us see. ;) I am guilty of that. When I was in Hawaii, all I wanted to do was leave the islands, and now all I want to do is find a way back.[/quote]


thank you, yes that shower head was wild, I am sure the cleaning person didn't realize they had it aimed at the sink rather than in the tub. These are things the tall people of the world do not consider.:D It also occured to me that the tall people may more easily sneeze upon the vertically challenged. I wonder if short people get more colds. :rolleyes: This concern kept me occupied on the very long flight home.

I think the travel info I read did not prepare me for Tivoli, what is most quoted is that it is not just for kids and local adults go there for dinner frequently. But again, I had just been to Giverny and keukenhof so although the tulips were nice my standards were set high.

You may consider taking in your own bottled water and snacks for the day if Danish cuisine doesn't grab you. The water bottle by the bed in the hotel is just under 10 dollars. Have a great time and let me know how it goes for you!

[grsnovi]

[quote name='hulamoon'] The water bottle by the bed in the hotel is just under 10 dollars.[/quote] :(

10 bucks for a bottle of water!

I'd heard the prices in Denmark were steep, now I'm glad that we booked at the Hotel 27 which included both an evening buffet as well as breakfast.

We'll also be on Eurodam in about a month (same cruise as mom & me) doing the CPH to CPH loop for 10 days.

Thanks for your crossing updates!

[hulamoon]

I hope your trip is as nice as ours was, I would love to do the extra 10 days.

Have a great time. email if I can help with anything. When I go back to copenhagen it will be with a water bottle and an eye for food off the beaten track.

[cant51]

Thank you for the nice words about Rotterdam, I live in a condo overlooking the Maas across the Cruise terminal and I see all the
ships coming, but most off the time people don't like Rotterdam because
its a "new" city, of course the city is new almost everything was bombed
in the war on may 14e 1940.

I was born in 1954 and when I was a child the only thing you see in the
city was building (and the are still building:)) I think the people from Rotterdam build a great city and the people ho live there are proud to be
a ROTTERDAMER, We travel around the world also about 25x the USA and
we love te country (sorry we never see Hawaii ) but every time a coming back in Rotterdam and overlooking the Maas river I think yes this is home.

Sorry If my English have mistakes, to reed your review was fun.

Groetjes Toos from Rotterdam:)

[hulamoon]

Dear CANT51,

Rotterdam is a beautiful, proud and underestimated city. Passengers coming into the port have beautiful views. Most travel books do not give it justice. I think the words new and modern are not descriptive enough to pull tourists. So I think it needs better press. Maybe these will help...

vibrant
city of the future
distinctive
unique
city of cycle paths

We spotted the Holland Line buidling as we were leaving, I bet many passengers would like a closer look at that, I assume it is in use as there are two smokestacks on the lawn.

It may be fun to let tourists guess names or rename some of the art about town. The two bus drivers we had were hilarious, gave us the impression the city new how to laugh and enjoy life.

We have a Hawaiian song about flying into the airport and spotting the city lights and what that feels like. I too keep checking to make sure I still have that feeling of having found a special place to call home, and sure enough I feel it each time I return.

Thank you for your comments, your English is just fine and your spelling probably better than mine, as I forgot to use the search engine that lets me use spell check.

[mom&me_cruising]

[quote name='hulamoon']Dear CANT51,
We have a Hawaiian song about flying into the airport and spotting the city lights and what that feels like. I too keep checking to make sure I still have that feeling of having found a special place to call home, and sure enough I feel it each time I return.
[/quote]

"Honolulu City Lights", that's the song in my head everytime I fly out of Honolulu! I get melancholy when I hear that song since I associate it with leaving Hawaii.

Just so this does not get deleted for being off cruise topic:

Do you know if the tap water is safe for drinking at the Copenhagen Marriott?

How about water from the tap on Eurodam? Is it safe to drink or where would I go to get water? Mom and I drink a lot of water.

Thanks.

[hulamoon]

10 points, that's the song!

I assume the tap is safe as Copenhagen is billed the most civilized city in the world. But coming off the ship, we filled a bottle with tap water from the Eurodam to drink around town and I am glad I did. It was good and I believe they have a reverse osmosis system.

Coming out of an airport I would buy bottles in the airport rather than in copenhagen if drinking bottled water and cost is important to you.

Someone needs to write a song about sailing into port in Rotterdam, this would add some mystic to the city.:) Or I suppose having a well recieved movie there would help. I wonder if "In Brugge" helped Belgium tourism?

[cant51]

[quote name='hulamoon']10 points, that's the song!

I assume the tap is safe as Copenhagen is billed the most civilized city in the world. But coming off the ship, we filled a bottle with tap water from the Eurodam to drink around town and I am glad I did. It was good and I believe they have a reverse osmosis system.

Coming out of an airport I would buy bottles in the airport rather than in copenhagen if drinking bottled water and cost is important to you.

Someone needs to write a song about sailing into port in Rotterdam, this would add some mystic to the city.:) Or I suppose having a well recieved movie there would help. I wonder if "In Brugge" helped Belgium tourism?[/quote]

Dear Hulamoon

There are a lot of songs about the port of Rotterdam but the are all in Dutch, Rotterdam is still the biggest port of the world, but it is nice
Thad someone from the USA see nice things about your home town.

[IMG]http://www.ljschoutens.nl/Rotterdam%20001.JPG[/IMG]
About the HAL building you see from the ship, Thad's now a very nice Restaurant, and the art in Rotterdam has always a nickname the people
from Rotterdam are good in Thad.
[IMG]http://www.top010.nl/assets/images/autogen/a_HotelNewYork_site.jpg[/IMG]
Groejes Toos

[cant51]

The Hal Building ys now a Hotel/Reataurant and the name is Hotel New York and it has a lot of the origenal detail inside, a friend of my how life
now in the USA leave from this building when see move to the USA in the
early 50, and see visit us last yaer, we have dinner there and see say
it stil looks a lot like before.

[IMG]http://www.top010.nl/assets/images/autogen/a_HAL_Montevideo_site.jpg[/IMG]

I like this picture it show the "old an new Rotterdam"

Groetjes Toos