Navybikermom

The Corinto, Nicaragua, stop was cancelled and replaced with a sea day. That was the only one.

Here is the TV in the ocean view cabin. It fits on the same shelf as the old one. They still have to pair the remote to the TV, so all I get is static if I turn it on. Didn’t see any manual channel or volume buttons but there are USB ports on the side.

I’m on deck 3 and received the note last night that they will be installing today!! Since I’m in an ocean view, I’ll post pics of what size this cabin gets.

The Zaandam has a nice band in the Ocean Bar in the evenings. I’ve seen several couples dancing to them. The world stage has had comedians, magicians, guitar duos (fantastic!), along with the BBC earth shows, and a few Step One dancing shows. I’m on a 16-day Panama Canal itinerary and the entertainment has been pretty good.

I am currently in 3405, lower promenade aft and it is quiet. A/C works so well I had to move the dial up into the warm temperature setting. I love this little ship!

I have the thermal suite package on the Zaandam. There is a small hydrotherapy hot tub, a couple of saunas, and the delightful heated ceramic beds. Here’s a pic of the beds and hot tub. There’s also a nice balcony area where you can walk outside and check out the scenery.

I saw some of the TV commandos on deck 3 forward, starboard side. They were a long way from where I was but I did recognize the big boxes. I first thought they were some sort of security force until I read their shirts. 😁 I imagine they wouldn’t give my room one of the huge TVs because there’s no room unless they hang it on the wall next to the sofa, but there’s no outlet there. However, once they put one in my room I will post a pic! I’m in 3405, ocean view.

I’m in an ocean view on deck 3 and here are the outlets. Two on the desk (one US and one UK), a power strip behind the TV with UK-style outlets, and one in the bathroom in the old hair dryer that says “shavers only”. I still have an old TV but the installers are currently working their way down the decks. Deck 6 is getting theirs at this time, so we should be next!

I’m on the Zaandam right now and LOVE the Ocean Bar band. They do a great job and each musician is very talented in their own right. Throw them together and they are fantastic!

I’m currently on deck 3 and haven’t seen a new tv yet, but I’m sure they’re working their way down to the lower levels. I’ve seen the techs wandering around in their SpecOps outfits - lol. I thought they were some serious security dudes until I read their shirts 🥷

Dang it -sorry my husband called me to see if I was visible so I missed your post.

We’re moving!

I hope we don’t leave at 5. Too close to dinner and I’ll miss sailaway! Hopefully the captain announces it soon. A few minutes ago, 200 people still hadn’t gotten their cards scanned for muster 🙄

I just boarded the Zaandam and went up to the MDR for lunch. They said “Mariner Society Lunch”? I said yes and they sat me at a table. Not sure why they said it that way, since everyone is a Mariner of some level, even those on their first cruise. I had the roasted cauliflower, and the tomato bisque soup. Very delicious. That was enough lunch for me since I have the early fixed seating for dinner.

Same! We met another CC member while I was waiting so at least there was something to talk about!

I paid $99 for several color photos of my son and a USB containing them, but I wasn’t all that pleased with the quality. A couple at our table had the black and white photos done but never bought them since they cost so much.

Quite often the MDR is open for lunch for everyone on embarkation day, usually 12:00 - 1:00 or thereabouts. Some people have said their ship hasn’t had it, but it seems to be the norm that it is open for a limited time on embarkation day. I do recall having a Mariner-only lunch there several years ago, but they don’t seem to do that anymore.

You can take it with you. They are set up like the airport security. If you can fit it in their security scanners, there will be no problems taking it through the cruise terminal. I always take my carry-on wheeled luggage on and off myself.

On the Zaandam, it was in the Crow’s Nest. Quite lively, but the cocktails on “special” were quite potent. When your cruise gets close enough, it will be posted in the When & Where section in the Navigator (tap the ship icon at the bottom labeled “Experiences” and then tap When & Where. Keep selecting the days at the top and then scroll through the listed events to see on which day it will be held. My cruise leaves January 5 and the schedule has been posted for a week or so already.

I also have only carry-on when I travel these days, even for cruises two weeks or so. I manage to stuff three dressy outfits and plenty of “dinner” clothes, along with casual things into a regular suitcase that fits in the overhead bins of the standard planes. I have a big tote for things like toiletries, jewelry, shoes, and reading material. I have checked plenty of bags in the past and so far, only one went astray. The airline had it delivered to our home three days later. Whew!

The Canal has been a bucket list item for me, so I’m really looking forward to this! My dad calls it the “big ditch” cruise 😂.

Seems like the direction the world is going in general. It’s “all about me” with not much consideration for their fellow humans. I avoid the smoking section since I don’t smoke, but on one cruise I occasionally hung out with my adult son there (he smokes). Some people seemed quite cranky but most were very nice. My son made a few new friends there. The folks reading a book and not smoking for a long time should move and make room for others, since the area is so small.

Did I see a fruit(-ish) soup on the MDR menu? 😁 It looks tasty. Hope they have it on the Zaandam next week or thereafter!

I’ve had my room changed on me a few times between initial check-in and arriving at the terminal. No explanation from them as to why and so far they haven’t been a downgrade 😁

I have done the Canada/NE cruise on the Zaandam twice and loved it both times. All the ports were so interesting and the scenic cruise down the St Lawrence is very picturesque. Yes, the ship is “small”, but to me it’s laid out better than the bigger ships. There will be some children onboard if you cruise during the summer, but I didn’t notice any during the Sept one.