carolcp

I knit on the cruise all the time. If your wife is worried about scissors, dental floss contains will cut yarn or there is a thread cutter http://hiyahiyanorthamerica.shptron.com/p/hiyahiya-puppy-snips

why are you opening an old would?? There was recently a knitting group that did a British Isles cruise on the Zuiderdam and they managed very well themselves. There is blog about it on "inside-the-cabin", check it out.

I am sorry I did not realize that there was a time limit on joining the conversation. I don't visit this board often and saw the title of the message. I am aware of the Craft Cruises and since someone posted a question about crafting on VoV cruise I thought I would try to give some helpful information.

I shall pack away my password and not inflict pain on anyone wounds.

On the Voyage of the Vikings there is an organized group from Craft Cruises that will be hosting a knitting group. Hazel Tindel from Lerwick Scotland will be one of the teachers.

Oh that is not good news. We bought bikes in Copenhagen a couple of years ago to ride before the cruise and then took them on our Baltic Cruise. We had a balcony where we stored them and were very careful to clean the tires before we got back on the ship. We also waited to get off the ship after the crush of people. We only have a few incidents where we tried to get into an elevator, there would be one person and they refused to move to allow one bike in.

We so enjoyed all our ports with our bikes, got to see so much more of the real city, not just the tourist areas.

We bought used full sized bikes in Copenhagen to take on a Baltic cruise. We waited about an hour before disembarking so that there would be room in the elevators. We tried to be as considerate as possible of others but others did not return the favor. Sometimes it took a while to get an elevator and it was made worse when single riders would stand in the center front of the elevator refusing to let us on. We always made sure that the bikes were clean before we brought them on board. Checked the hallway before wheeling them back to the cabin. We stored them on the balcony. Also we pulled back the duvet so as not to get the gears on the linens.

It was wonderful to have the freedom in the docking ports. We did not bring the bikes out on tender ports.

We also tipped the musicians in the explorers lounge since we went there every night on our 24day cruise and they made sure to play to songs we requested.

For our room stewards we did use euros or kroners since the ship was returning to Norway and Denmark a few more times. We couldn't use the currency and we hoped that it would save them money by not having to exchange dollars for the other currency.

We had bikes with us and tried to be very careful when wheeling them back into the cabin so as not to track in mud. After a week I has talking the stewards boss man and he said he told our steward to wipe down the bikes every night. I said that was not necessary adding to their chores but he insisted "they are happy to do it". We made sure to be even more careful about not leaving any mud or dirt on the bikes after being in port. That earned them a big thanks and a larger tip at the end of the cruise. I wanted to give them the bikes but we weren't sure they would have had a place to store them.

"Horrors - having to only get two pieces of salmon at a time.". I thought you were just being funny, but are you serious?

This and the chocolates seems pretty picky, so I thought you were joking around til I got all the way thru what you wrote.

And, if other people bother you, shouldn't you choose a more private cruise than on a major cruise line?

I was only posting what I noticed, I usually only ate two pieces of salmon so it was great. Just another plate to juggle.

Again, the chocolates were just what I saw. Didn't really care one way or the other, just didn't eat the milk chocolate, there is plenty of other choices around.

I have learned the hard way not to try to be funny on these boards because people will rip to shreds thinking you are serious. Just the facts.

As for people bothering me, I did state it was when I was trying to find a quiet place to work on sea days, you did not understand what I wrote. Some of us still have to horrors work to pay for the cruising. I was trying to be out of the cabin to allow the stewards access for their work.

We were on the back to back cruise also. First the Baltic and then the Norway/Scotland cruise.

Saw some "minor" differences between the food in the two cruises. Nothing major just different. The "biggest" and it was minor was on the Baltic cruise the salmon roses in the breakfast were all one big tray with the capers in a bowl and for the Scotland/Norway cruise there were two roses on a plate and 3-4 capers. Horrors - having to only get two pieces of salmon at a time.

The chocolates in the explorers lounge in the Baltic was dark and the Norway/Scotland milk chocolate. Don't like milk chocolate so I didn't take any.

Talking of milk chocolate, only saw chocolate milk out one time at breakfast.

For the Baltic cruise we ate dinner in the Lido more than half the time. I like the better choice of veggies in the Lido.

We didn't have good luck with tables in the main dining room. We were seated at a time for 10 and there might be three of us. Or us 2 at one end of the table and a party of 4 together sat at the other end ignoring us at the other end. One night we were seated a table where we were the only English speakers, the others were from Sweden and Denmark. That night we didn't add much to the conversation.

A couple of nights we meet some really interesting folks and had fun swapping stories of our adventures in port.

The worst was breakfast. Five times I walked up to a table being cleared or the people were leaving and just as I was putting my plates down a family swooped in from the other side of the table and took it over and just grinned up with a smile of too bad you loose. No room for hubby who was still getting his coffee so I was off to look for another location.

Loved the ports and the experiences. Hard to find a quiet place to work (sad to say had to bring work with me for the sea days) away from the music and loud conversations until the LAST day when hubby found a retreat up by the spa that is open for all, not just those with a spa pass. If I had found that I would have not had to keep moving just to get away from the noise and still be able to watch sea. The silk den was usually my choice until loud conversations were too distracting. Then on to explorers lounge until the art auctions and then the crows nest until other meetings.

Since I am not a big foodie, the food was good enough for the most part. I thought that most of the food was pretty good.

Gee I need to get my boa certified as a comfort animal, afterall she gives greats hugs. And if I had been on that cruise, I could have invited the dog woman and her pet to have dinner with my Rover (yes my snakes name).

I was on the same cruise. The staff as usual were their normal wonderful selves. Things on the ship aren't brand new but neither are they tattered, just nice and cozy. The bow was painted while we were in port and she is gleaming. One thing I noticed was the lack of flowers. On other HAL ships, you would see HUGE displays of flowers. The vase in front of the Rotterdam dining room was in an 18 inch vase and the flowers just sort of sat there just barely above the top of the vase. I was glad to not have the fruit basket filled in my room and have it go to waste.

I like sitting in the Explorers lounge in the evening listening to the violin. Unfortuantaly it is next to the Pinnacle dining room and one night a very loud disagreement between some members of the large wine tasting group broke out and spilled over into the lounge.

I personally had some dining issues due to a food allergy. I am allergic to mayonnaise and some of the food listed on the menus did not state mayonnaise or aioli (which the chef seemed to be very fond of using often). I had to send food back when there was slaw under the pate and blue cheese (can't have because of penicillin allergies) under the caviar. Then the Dive Inn hamburger bar, ALL the burgers are made with their "special" sauce and when I tried to request a burger with no sauce he pointed to the sign and said to order only one of those. Sorry, no, not going to do it.

Never seemed to have enough free time on the ship even with the surprise sea day due to missing Sydney because of the rough seas. HAL did a great job of creating a whole new schedule for the sea day. Lots to do with no down time unless you wanted it.

I did have a fountain in my room. The toilet ran over twice, just wouldn't stop filling with water. Learned to push the button in only a little bit and not all the way in.

Wish my room was cooler, even turned all the way down didn't get too cold. Maybe it had to do with the guest in Lanai who kept propping open his sliding door to get the sea breeze. Ah yes the breezes were wonderful, sometimes a little strong that they had to block off some of the outside access. It was fun though on the night we did have some seas. I like the rocking and rolling seas. Went up to the Crows nest to get a good view and enjoyed it.

We love going to tea. Sunday tea was held in the Explorers lounge at 3. At 3 o'clock every seat was filled and no room. "Here is a plate of scones, go get your tea in the Lido". Tea on two other days was in the Crows nest. Filled to capacity again. We did not get milk or sugar since we were sitting on the benches along the window. Nor did we get silver ware to eat with. We did arrive 30 minutes early the next time to sit in a chair.

Now for the canceled part. Those that that HAL flights got theirs changed automatically. I do wonder what they did for those who flew internationally. We had started in Boston and we were lucky to have gotten a rental car because they stopped renting cars one way to the states. HAL had transfers going to the airport every two hours and a couple of buses going to Montreal. HAL said they will reimburse us for the rental car and for other people, the fees for changing their flights. We found out Sunday night that the cruise was canceled. That was after two nights in Quebec for us since we were doing a back to back. They were giving us until Tuesday to get off the ship. They canceled the captains welcome on board party, the Mariners lunch. Food was served in the Lido and Rotterdam dining room. Felt sorry for the bar staff. After having a very busy day from the canceled port day, no one was in the mood to order drinks Monday even though all the public lounges were busy, just a very low key busy. HAL turned on the internet for free for us but it was useless. After 30 minutes I never got anything to work. Walked to the terminal for the free Wi-Fi there.

All in all it was an adventure, wish we could have continued, but rather not have a break down even in the river or along the coast. HAL treated us well, thank goodness we got to do the cruise one way, just not the return.

As of 3 pm the "parts" needed for repair to the propeller had not arrived. The staff are thinking they there will be a dry dock because they will need to lift the ship to get the parts in. Sounds horrible for the staff on board because she said they will not have air conditioning down on deck 3 while in dry dock conditions. But when we left Quebec the weather turned from Saturdays/Sunday mid 70's sunny to Monday 49 degrees with a hard blowing ice cold rain. Glad it was not like that when we rented bikes and road out the falls.

Don't know if ya'll heard but the cruise Quebec-Boston was suddenly cancelled when we tried to depart Quebec. Something showed up on the pre-sail check and after 5+ hours of delays the captain said it is severe problems with the propeller and is cancelling the cruise. I don't know if the ship will make it back to Boston in time to sail for the October 4 cruise.

We have been treated very well by the cruise line. We are doing a back to back cruise Boston - Quebec - Boston and have our car in the parking lot in Boston so we are renting a car and driving back to Boston. Thank goodness we got a car late at night since there are none left. Our luggage is not "airline" ready and too much breakables so driving or a train were our only choices. It will be an adventure and more time to see the leaves change.

Well we are stuck in Quebec for the Quebec - Boston leg. Something wrong with the propeller and we are trying to get back to Boston since we took a back to back trip.

They have refunded us the Quebec - Boston portion of the trip, given us till Tuesday to get off the ship and credited us the amount of the Quebec -Boston trip to a future trip.

Those of you getting on in Boston might want to check with your travel agents.

We were just on a Baltic cruise. A stop in Tallin and I bought the CHOCOLATE bottles filled with liquor. I thought that they would be about 1-2 inches tall. Put it through the scanner and security asked about the liquor bottles I was bringing on board. I told him it was candy which was true. Got to the room and the next day opened the box. There were 4 chocolate bottles holding about a tablespoon of liquor each:eek:.

So security "caught" me but let it slide. I didn't know they were that big honest.

Our favorite is the Java Bar and the tea selection. But the all time favorite was the condiment bar and the rock candy swizzle sticks made from brown sugar. Hopefully they will keep the Java Bar free on the Prinsendam.

Carol