Oosterdam Mediterranean Empires May 7-19 Journal & Photos

[purplenorway]

Twelve wonderful days exploring the Eastern Mediterranean on the Oosterdam! Over the next few days, I'm going to try something different than my usual review and instead, give you a day by day account of the amazing things I saw, did or ate.

 

I took over 2,000 photos, but narrowed them down to my favorites. I've posted them in separate Web albums so you can choose to look at them all or just pick one and daydream! Here's the link: http://picasaweb.google.com/beckysails

 

Ready? Here we go!

[Chelly]

Purplenorway, Wonderful! We've been waiting for your review, especially those of us on upcoming Oosterdam sailings. Thank you!

C.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Welcome Home Becky :) Also tell you Parents Welcome Home ;) Looking forward to hearing and seeing the changes on the Oosterdam and about yiour wonderful cruise.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Ahhh you got a picture of Rahmat and Erwin together :) I love those two. Did you tell them you knew me by chance the the other Yum Yum Man Worshippers? :D

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Another Ahhhh moment seeing the Banner :D I am so happy all of you got to sign it :)

OK where did they hold the Suite Brunch, for the life of my I cannot figure out where that is?

[purplenorway]

Pre-Cruise and Arrival (May 6 & 7)

 

About 10 months ago, my parents let me choose a cruise itinerary to celebrate my college graduation. I think you will come to agree that I chose well.

 

Since we had been waiting so long, the excitement level was huge when we finally left. We flew into JFK and had a fantastic view of New York City! We then parked on the tarmac and were bussed to the terminal, although we didn’t know which terminal it was. What a crowded and confusing airport! We eventually figured out what bus we needed to take to get to another terminal and escaped to the Crown Room because we were in business class. This was a much more civilized spot and we pigged out on snacks in training for the cruise.

 

On the long flight, the airplane food was pretty good! I ate what tasted like fillet mignon. I couldn’t sleep. Either there was too much excitement or too many movies to watch. In the morning, we flew over the Swiss Alps. So vast and snowy. Incredible!

 

The Marco Polo airport (I couldn’t believe that was the name) in Venice was wonderful. It was a breeze to go through customs. I was thrilled to get a passport stamp. Our luggage took a while to come out on the carousal and it probably seemed even longer due to the jet lag.

 

We got a taxi with a charming Italian driver. He pointed out different sites to us, including the Fincantieri shipyard. I looked hard for the Nieuw Amsterdam, but all I could see was a Costa ship.

 

We stopped at a sort of tent and dropped off our luggage. Then, we walked to the cruise terminal. It was way too early for boarding. I think we were the second group of people there. Since we were too tired to go out exploring, we had a seat and waited patiently.

 

When we checked in, I got the feeling this was one of the first ships of the season, or at least the first time our check in agent had worked an embarkation. Still, it was fairly quick and we were on our way to the Neptune Lounge to drop off our carry on and then lunch at the Lido.

 

We had deluxe verandah suite 4180, a corner aft cabin. The layout was more cramped than other suites, especially between the bed and the sofa. It severely lacked drawers, but there were tons of closets by the bed and in the dressing area. I don’t think much was done in this cabin during dry dock, because the yellow armchairs were faded and the carpet had some dark blotches.

 

The bathroom had two sinks, lots of shelves, a tub and another separate shower. The verandah was massive! It had a table and four chairs as well as three lounge chairs. The back of the verandah had a partial overhang and the side was totally covered.

 

We went to the Greenhouse Spa open house and booked a Thermal Suite/Hydro Pool pass for the whole cruise. I sat in a heated ceramic lounger and drank in the view of Venice. Wow.

 

Since we fell asleep in those chairs, we were running late for dinner. So, we went to Canaletto, the new Italian specialty in the Lido instead. The manager was great and one of our servers was named Gellato. They told us it was their grand opening and we were their first guests! (It didn’t open right after dry dock because they were missing things like the dishes.) They kept telling us what a pleasure it was to serve us, so we felt very welcome.

 

First, Gellato brought out a huge antipasto platter and then artfully put each item we wanted on our plate. I had the Minestrone soup and they grated some cheese on it for me. It was excellent. I also had the spaghetti and meatballs. For dessert, I had the Madagascar chocolate something or another. It was difficult to eat but the chocolate was really good. I also asked for a trio of tiramisu to try and they were more than happy to bring it. Andrea Bocelli played on the speakers and we had a view of Venice. How perfect.

[purplenorway]

Chelly, you will have a great time! I hope reading this thread helps with the anticipation.

 

Lisa, I met Rahmat in the elevator the first day and asked him if he knew the Yum Yum Man Worshipers. He said yes and asked if I knew you. Twice, he told me that he wanted me to pass along his regards to you. He was awesome! He always greeted me by name and if I asked how he was, it was always, “peachy keen.” For some reason, we started giving each other high fives after dinner every night and soon, other people were doing it too.

 

We didn't have a suite brunch, so I think the picture you're wondering about is the suite farewell cocktail party. This was held in the Pinnacle Bar and was probably the most beautiful, but impractical party ever. I'll talk about it more later.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Chelly, you will have a great time! I hope reading this thread helps with the anticipation.

 

Lisa, I met Rahmat in the elevator the first day and asked him if he knew the Yum Yum Man Worshipers. He said yes and asked if I knew you. Twice, he told me that he wanted me to pass along his regards to you. He was awesome! He always greeted me by name and if I asked how he was, it was always, “peachy keen.” For some reason, we started giving each other high fives after dinner every night and soon, other people were doing it too.

 

We didn't have a suite brunch, so I think the picture you're wondering about is the suite farewell cocktail party. This was held in the Pinnacle Bar and was probably the most beautiful, but impractical party ever. I'll talk about it more later.

 

That is so sweet of Rahmat :)

No wonder I did not recognize the area since that is part of the newly redesigned ;)

Looking forward to reading what you have to say.

BTW the rest of the pictures are fantastic

[purplenorway]

Venice: Friday, May 8

 

We had breakfast at the Pinnacle and then met ashore for our ship’s tour, the Daytime Gondola Serenade. We took a boat to St. Mark’s Square and then walked over five bridges until we came to the gardens. Then, we lined up by the gondolas. Each held six people. Since we had three, the guide put us with the musicians! There was a singer and an accordion player. They did some songs we knew and invited us to sing along. It was so great! (See video http://picasaweb.google.com/beckysails/Venice#5338759183762048594)

 

We glided along narrow canals and through bridges that our gondolier, who looked like George W. Bush (see photo and see if you agree: http://picasaweb.google.com/beckysails/Venice#5338756400296428290), had to duck under. The musicians didn’t speak much English, but the singer would point to beautiful buildings so that we didn’t miss them. We went by one and he said, “Mozart.” Indeed, the plaque labeled it as his house.

 

After the ride, we chose to go off on our own instead of taking the boat back. St. Mark’s Square was very crowded. We watched people covered in pigeons and listened as the bells tolled.

 

We walked to the Rialto Bridge and ate at a café right next to it. What a view! The bridge actually has shops in the middle of it. Here, the prices for Murano glass were cheap. I bought a necklace and am proud to tell people I got it on the bridge!

 

Then, we slowly made our way back to the ship. It was a long walk, but I really didn’t notice because there were so many interesting things to look at. It was the Venice I’d always dreamed about!

 

Back on the ship, we had the lifeboat drill and then a sail away party on our verandah. Ronna in the Neptune Lounge was happy to send out invitations to Cruise Critic members whose cabin numbers I had. I also ordered cheese and crackers, veggies and more glasses from her, but the food came about 20 minutes late and the glasses didn’t come at all. We scrambled for more glasses and a corkscrew and kept calling the Neptune/room service. We finally got a corkscrew from the cabin steward. The view of Venice was great and it was fun to meet the people I’d been chatting with on the roll call.

 

We then went to the suite welcome reception in the Neptune and met Captain Jeroen Baijens, Hotel Manager Marcella Himmelreich, Cruise Director Jason Venner and Beverage Manager Daniele Palazzetti.

 

Next, it was off to dinner. We had table 52 at 8:00. It was a table for eight, but no one else was there. Our dining stewards Achmad and Ash introduced themselves. I had the beef Wellington. This has always been my favorite menu, but it wasn’t near as good as what I’ve loved on other ships. The double strawberry cheesecake was yummy, though.

 

They had a Venetian masquerade ball in the Atrium. It was decorated with all kinds of balloons and looked nice. There was more food in the bars, but we were too stuffed.

[Chelly]

Lovin' your day-to-day review. Thanks again!

C.

[san diego sue]

Becky,

Thanks for posting your review and photos. Seeing people sign the banner, I can actually see my signature on it and where I had my cruise critic group sign. (the Transatlantic). We didn't go to Venice on our Transatlantic but after seeing your photos, I am ready to go.

Lisa,(Laffn) On our trip the Yum Yum men knew who you were and even brought out the Photo that your cruise critic group gave them . After I said I knew Lisa, they became our best friends. You have clout.

Becky, looking froward to the rest of your review.

San Diego Sue

[ger_77]

Thank you for providing the link to your photos - it was wonderful to re-visit Istanbul and Ephesus. I can't wait to get back there in October - I hope you left some of the spices and pashminas in the stalls for us! I saw you dined in Hamdi restaurant - we've booked a private tourin Istanbul; would you recommend it as a nice place for lunch?

 

Smooth Sailing! :):):)

[purplenorway]

Split, Croatia: Saturday, May 10

 

Split was busy because all the locals were out at festivals, cafes and markets. The town was very cute with big palm trees, marble streets and narrow alleys draped with banners.

 

We went to see Diocletian’s Palace. We weren’t exactly sure how to get inside it or if we really did see all of it. There was a big line of people but we thought they were just waiting to get in the tower. Who knows? We walked around the ruins and there was a neat cylinder-shaped room that was open to the blue sky.

 

We saw the markets with pretty flowers, fruit and vegetables and pet some cats that were wandering around.

 

We got some gelato at a stand and started to lick it. When Dad tried to pay, the vendor would not take Euros or credit card, only the local currency. Whoops, guess we should have asked first. We offered to give the gelato back, but she wouldn’t take it. She didn’t speak English, but pointed to the direction of an ATM. While Dad went to get some Kuna, we waited and watched as other people encountered the same problem, tried to give the gelato back and left. Maybe the vendor should put up a sign saying “Kuna only” if that is all she wants to accept.

 

Since the smallest amount of currency Dad could get was more than what was needed for the gelato, we had some money to burn. I got a cute purple clutch. We still had some money left, so we went to the market and handed the coins to a fruit vendor while pointing at the strawberries. She bagged some up and we ate them while we walked back to the ship’s tenders. Maybe the gelato lady isn’t so bad after all.

 

We fell asleep in those thermal suite loungers again, so we got ready for formal night in a hurry. It was the night of the Captain’s toast and the first production show at 7:00, Garage Band. It was the best show I have ever seen on a cruise ship! Really. It had good songs, costumes, dancing, comedy, everything.

 

At dinner, we were still alone at the table. This meal was not so great and I usually don’t say that. My Caesar salad was really soggy. The pork tenderloin that was Chef Rudi’s recommendation was awful. I couldn’t cut it let alone chew it. The potato that came with it tasted like old fried breakfast food. I asked for the prosciutto wrapped turkey and it was much better, but very salty. So, I got two desserts to make up for this, the sachertorte and Aunty Jean’s cherry pavlova (wonder who Aunty Jean is?).

 

We went to the battle of the sexes game show hosted by the cruise director and DJ Jay. Our own Cruise Critics, Steve and Sandy were participants. It was hilarious, even though some answers were pre-planned.

[purplenorway]

Sue, I remember seeing the transatlantic section on the banner! I'm ready to go back to Venice. It's gorgeous!

 

Ger_77, don't worry, they have plenty of spices left. I would reccommend the Hamdi Restaurant. It's right by the Spice Market and the view is great. The food was really good. I'll talk more about it soon. The menu was also in English, but we needed our guide to translate for us with the staff there.

[GeorgesGal]

PurpleNorway, Thanks so much for your running commentary on the cruise. I will be on-board for the 5/31 sailing out of BCN with the back-to-back on 6/12 as well. Your review is giving me some insight as to what to expect. Surprised at your food comments, though. HAL food is usually so very good.

 

Will try the new Italian restaurant a night or two while on-board. Sounds yummy! But spaghetti and meatballs?????!!!!!

 

I note you were on deck 4 with an aft/corner suite. My sister and I will be on deck 8, aft/port corner. Your rear decks on 4 are the largest on the ship from what I can see, and we do envy you that, but I'm sure 8 will be quite satisfactory. From the pix I saw from the 5/19 sailing, they look very spacious.

 

Also you mentioned a farewell cocktail party in the Pinnacle - was that sponsored by the ship for suite guests? I haven't seen anything about that listed by HAL, and having cruised in the SA category several times in the past, that was never included. Do elaborate!

 

Keep up the postings - we leave home this Thursday, arriving in BCN early for some addl sight-seeing time. Last year on board Azamara Quest, we did an overnight in BCN, but that was not nearly enough time to see everything. Looking forward to three days in Venice (thanks to the back to back cruise). Will definitely check out the shops on the Rialto.

 

Your gondola rides - did you book that through HAL or a private tour operator?

[DrFUN]

Thanks also from us, dear Becky!! We're on the May 31 sailing (12 nights: BCN to VEN), departing our Phoenix home in just three days and eagerly awaiting more of your excellent posts.

 

Also loved your outstanding photos!! Like our May 31 cruise-mate Donna (who just posted) and YOU, DH Dave & I are in an aft port corner Deluxe Suite (SB-7142) -- though we'd have preferred the starboard aft corner had it been available for even better views of our entry INTO the Grand Canal. Do you have any of the suite? Disappointing to hear there's not much drawer space.... Where did you put your folding clothes? Also: How many people fit on the balcony?

 

And congrats on your university graduation! We're mass media professors at Arizona State's Cronkite School of Journalism--and I lived in Michigan for 3 years MANY years ago when I had an interview show on the PBS station in Mt. Pleasant at CMU. Where did you get your degree--and what field? Your journal and photos suggest you'd be a super journalist.

 

Our only common ports are Venice (where we disembark after an overnight) and Katakolon (where we've booked HAL's Olympia + Museum half-day tour). We're also like to know about the Pinnacle Grill and what happened to you in the dining room. Hope you weren't alone too long. If you'd prefer email a bit of info and some suite photos before I leave at dawn on May 27 (rather than spoiling your day-by-day chronology here), my email is DrFUN [at] RealisticRomance [dot] com ....

 

Again, THANKS for your terrific journal and photos!

Mary-Lou (& Dave)

:)

[FLsealegs]

We were on the same cruise. They upgraded us to a deluxe suite, which we had never had before. We really enjoyed all those extra perks, and we loved that king sized bed with the 9 pillows. I think this was the first cruise we've been on that every day was beautiful, my luggage wasn't lost, and I didn't come down with a cold near the end of it. We flew into Venice two days early, and stayed at the Bonvecchiati. Very nice place. We loved all our tours. Now we have to think about where to go next!

[purplenorway]

At Sea: Sunday, May 10

We went on the galley tour and then to the Pinnacle Grill for the special Mother’s Day brunch. I thought it was sweet how all the servers greeted my mom with “Happy Mother’s Day” and “Today is your special day.”

The menu was a little different than the normal Pinnacle lunch, but mostly the same. I had the antipasto, five onion soup (which is to die for!), and the filet mignon with blue cheese crust. It was excellent. The dessert was chocolate ‘leaves’ layered with hazelnut cappuccino mousse. It was very pretty and they wrote “Happy Mother’s Day” in chocolate on the plate. If you wanted to upgrade the meal from $10 to $15 per person, you got champagne.

We had a Cruise Critic Meet and Greet in the Crow’s Nest and it was well-attended. They served us appetizers, champagne and mimosas. The Hotel Manager, Beverage Manager and Event Manager joined us. We signed the new wave banner.

We went to high tea and again, the Thermal Suite.

The show was Livewire, the Celtic musicians. They were alright. Very energetic.

Alone again for dinner. There’s only so much the three of us can talk about after we’ve already spent the entire day together. We noticed that our table didn’t have any flowers, something we’ve come to expect with HAL. We asked our head waiter about this and also asked where the people were at our table.

I got the bean and lentil soup. The menu said it was, “lightly flavored with cinnamon,” but I’d say it had a lot of cinnamon. It was lukewarm too. The head waiter brought us French onion soup instead and made sure that it was really hot. None of the entrees really interested me, so I just decided on the capellini with arugula and roasted tomato and asked for it with some chicken. It was too bland for me. Achmad offered to get me something else, but I really didn’t want anything else. So, once again, it was two dessert night. The Viennese apple strudel a la mode and the Sizilien cassata- sponge cake with ricotta cheese, candied fruit, marzipan and chocolate. It was surprisingly good although it sounded strange.

I also want to mention Jena who was our wine steward. We never ordered anything from her, but she still wanted to learn our names and came over to chat with us every night. She is for sure one of the sweetest people on the planet.

After dinner, we watched “Bedtime Stories” in the new Screening Room. The popcorn was stale, but then someone brought some that tasted fresher. The reclining chairs were comfortable and you could smell the new leather.

We ordered some cheese and crackers and cookies from room service at midnight. It took about a half hour to be delivered.

[purplenorway]

Donna, oooh a back to back! Lucky! I think the food really depends on the head chef; they all do things a little differently. Definitely try Canaletto. The spaghetti was quite good. You will love your corner aft suite! The views are fantastic. I think your verandah will still be huge.

 

The suite farewell cocktail party at the Pinnacle Bar was held the last night at 7:15. They had a spread of about four long tables filled with all kinds of appetizers, hot and cold, and pretty little desserts. It was just impractical because they removed all the tables and chairs so there was no place to sit or set down your drink and food. Balancing act! Hopefully they noticed this and will do things differently next time.

 

We booked the Daytime Gondola Seranade through HAL. I'd reccommend it because, at least from the research we did, it was cheaper than any other gondola we could find and you get music! It also gave us that initial transfer to St. Mark's so we didn't have to get there ourselves.

 

Mary-Lou & Dave, more lucky people with a corner aft! I was also worried about being on the side to see all the Venice sites, but since you are on the aft, you will still be able to see them. I loved being able to turn the corner on the verandah for a different view. We had at least 30 people on the balcony and there was room for more. I'll add some photos of our suite to my ship album for you. On the way back, we got up at 5:30 am to see us sail into Venice and it was beautiful. Then we went back to bed!

 

The closets have some fold-down shelves that we used for folded clothes. I also moved around some glasses that were in the cupboards and used that space. I hung up a lot of clothes because there was so much closet space. I asked our cabin steward for 20 extra hangers and he had them for me in an instant.

 

I'll send you an email to answer your other questions.

 

FLsealegs, the weather sure was awesome! It was also the smoothest cruise we've had in a long time.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

The suite farewell cocktail party at the Pinnacle Bar was held the last night at 7:15. They had a spread of about four long tables filled with all kinds of appetizers, hot and cold, and pretty little desserts. It was just impractical because they removed all the tables and chairs so there was no place to sit or set down your drink and food. Balancing act! Hopefully they noticed this and will do things differently next time.

 

I would also tend to bet there was a lot of let over food. I for one enjoy going to the between dining times cocktail parties but...I never ever eat the appetizers. Most of the time we have just come from the Dining Room and have eaten and no way am I ready to eat more. And the few times we have had late dining I also would not want to eat much prior to going to dinner. Have seen in so many times that when they bring around the trays everyone is saying "No Thank You" So why would they put on this lavish spread with no where to sit and probably hardly anyone eating this.

I take it your cruise was extremely port intensive which is why they could not fit in a Suite Brunch so I am guessing this is the way they were trying to make up for not having one like they did when we were on the Eurodam with you.I know that HAL means well but sometimes they over think it.

 

Now what they did on Mother's Day sounds great, that was a nice touch having that in the Pinnacle. Did you have to make reservations? I am guessing for the upgrade the Champagne was just one glass and not unlimited. Do you by chance know was it their House Champage or was it something a bit better. For $5.00 doubt it was Vueve :D

[tennisobo]

Thanks for the great review and pictures. Can you tell me about the church with the beautiful ceiling in Santorini? Was it is Fira or Oia? Thank-you!

[Chelly]

Do you know if the Oosterdam banner stays on board for the next CC group to sign? Thanks, C.

[purplenorway]

Athens: May 11

We woke up early and watched the awesome sunrise. Only later did we find out that the sun came up next to what was the Parthenon! We went back to bed and totally missed breakfast. Still jet lagged. So, my breakfast was stir fry in the Lido. Wow they make good stir fry!

We met ashore for the ship’s tour to the Acropolis. Traffic was dense and what a densely populated city! First, we stopped at an Olympic stadium where marathons end. Then, we hiked up steps quite a ways to get to the Propylaia. Once through that, there it was, the Parhenon! It was incredible! I imagined how beautiful it must have been during the time of Socrates and Aristotle. One thing to note is that the marble makes it very slippery. We saw one guy wipeout. I can’t imagine what it would be like in the rain.

Our guide talked for a long time as we stood in front of it. I really hate just staying in one place, because I’m afraid I won’t have enough time to see everything. So, I started to walk around in a sort of circle, taking pictures, but staying close enough so I could hear her voice. Suddenly, she said we would have a certain time period on our own and we would meet back at the entrance. Yes!

We walked around the Parthenon. I was amazed to see how many detailed carvings there were. We also went to a nice look-out point and went to the Erechtheum with the famous Porch of the Maidens.

Then, we walked back to the entrance. It was really hot and we were exhausted.

The sail away was great and we liked that the suite had binoculars in it so we could steal some last views of the Parthenon.

We didn’t go to the show, but it was Richard Gauntlett. I wished the shows were at 10:00 instead.

We went to a cocktail party in the Crow’s Nest with the Captain, Hotel Manager and other officers. The Yum Yum men served appetizers and chocolate covered strawberries. Those were a big hit with me.

At dinner, our head waiter called the elusive table mates’ cabin and told us they said they were coming, probably tomorrow. Is there hope?

I ordered the parmesan-crusted chicken. This is one of my favorite menu items and I was happy that it was still delicious. I also got the cheesecake sampler plate. This had regular, raspberry and chocolate chip. The last two had chocolate crust. Yum.

I thought the activities were not timed well for people on late sitting. For example, on this night, the only thing we could go to after dinner was big band night in the Northern Lights at 10:15. The other show was at 9:00 and movie quote trivia was at 8:00. I noticed that the shops onboard were really busy after dinner because there wasn’t anything else to do.

[purplenorway]

Lisa, yes, there was a lot of food leftover. It could have been a nice suite lunch for how much they had. The Mother's Day brunch took reservations. I don't know what kind of champagne it was.

 

tennisobo, the church is in Fira. It's at the very top. If you look at the picture I have when we're going down the cable car, you can see its white dome: http://picasaweb.google.com/beckysails/Santorini#5338768068265317842 After I took a bunch of photos, a worker suddenly said, "No photo." At least I got some before she came along.

 

Chelly, the banner stays onboard in the Hotel Managers closet, I believe. Just ask the HM if you can sign it or have it at your Meet & Greet (they would probably have it ready anyway).

[smslms]

Becky'

 

Read your comments and reviews and found them to be really helpful. We're on the Odam 31/5 sailing. Viewed all your photos and got a great feel for what we are going to see. By the way, congratulations, a lot of your photos show a very good eye for composition!