chefestelle

21 hours ago, Scrapnana said:

 

This is the best news ever! I look forward to your live reports! 

On 12/24/2023 at 2:33 PM, island lady said:

The so called "British Finest" Beetle tribute had the most lackluster audience I have ever seen.  Me for one.  They tried...but IMHO...did not make the cut.  Oh well.  Some probably enjoyed it.  

 

One strange thing that happened...as we were walking down to our seats before the show...Etta May was talking to another couple.  I quickly thanked her for the great show.  She totally surprised me with telling me she thought she did a horrible job.  And was quite upset at it, saying she hated the new program she brought out.  OK...left her to her conversation with the couple.  

 

Spotted her later down front during the show on her own.  Was able to make my way down to see her.  Sat with her for a bit, put my arm around her and assured her that her show was fantastic, I loved it and thought she was a wonderful comic.  She actually had tears in her eyes.  Such a wonderful lady!  Glad I had the chance to meet her in person.  🙂 

That is the kindest thing ever. Good for you. It really warmed my heart to read this. I hope she feels encouraged.

8 hours ago, AroundWithMAPTravels said:

I still hold that the recipe should be same between ships for same menu offering.   If it is normally prepared GF on one ship, should be same for all during same time period. ( in this case, fish should have been breaded on both or NOT breaded on both).  

 

That had to be a terrible experience! Did you happen to address this with the maitre d? I ask because with vegetarians, vegans, food allergies and gluten intolerant they will usually have you view your menu the night before and order then so there is time to prepare a special meal. I'm told that this system works quite well. 

On 8/28/2023 at 2:57 PM, Rubyfisch said:

There is a cute little shopping area at the port area. They also randomly had little blueberry tarts they were giving out to celebrate Holland America's 150th anniversary.

 

 

 

I love Halifax and want to add for your followers who haven't been that the boardwalk is very walkable and you can see sights (including a ship that survived the Halifax explosion and two world wars) and enjoy little shops and eateries (beavertails, bacon with anything) along the way. The rest of the sights are up steep hills. It is such a beautiful city and is renowned for its fantastic restaurants.

On 8/27/2023 at 8:38 AM, Sea42 said:

Because I thought HAL's charge for the excursion would be much higher than what booking directly with a provider would be. To me, that wasn't a very big mark up in price by HAL.

I was surprised by that on our Mexican cruise with HAL. The prices were very similar. I

On 7/29/2023 at 2:30 PM, YVRteacher said:

Now I’m in the cabin watching A Man Called Otto and looking out the window at the gorgeous ocean. I identify with Otto. Yes, I’ve read A Man Called Ove. Loved it!!!

 

I haven't seen A Man Called Otto but if you loved the book (I did!) then you will love A Man Called Ove which was filmed in Swedish with excellent English dubbing. 

On 7/11/2023 at 2:45 PM, Ken the cruiser said:

No worries. There is plenty of Japanese items on the MDR evening menu. This is what they are serving tonight. For example, notice what the Princess Favorites are every night on this cruise.

 

This menu is amazing! So many choices

On 4/29/2023 at 3:30 PM, LauraAnneC said:

@YVRteacher for wheelchair assistance, this is requested through NCL. Give them a call. There’s a form to fill out. I have some mobility issues following an illness and requested assistance for my cruise in February. It was brilliant. It’s just for embarkation and disembarkation. Made life so much easier for me. I would heartily recommend it to anyone.

 

Enjoy your cruise. I’m looking forward to your trip report. It’s my dream to sail to Alaska one of these days! 
 

Laura

Thanks for this tip! My sister is joining me for our second cruise together next summer. She has mobility challenges and takes a walker but it was more of an encumbrance than a help for her. So a wheelchair for embarkation and disembarkation would be great!

1 hour ago, trinitygirl said:

LOL.  You will not find many Aussies or Kiwis who agree that Americans drink real coffee.  No disrespect intended (I don't drink coffee, but literally everyone I know does, and whenever they find a decent cup of coffee in the US it ends up on social media, they are so amazed and eager to share the find).  It's all so funny.  I don't think anyone drinks instant coffee anymore, but kettles are necessities for making tea so I think that's why we have them. 

Ok, I've been to Australia a number of times and the coffee is not good. How bad can American coffee be? We import all our coffee in Canada as the climate is not suited for growing it. But the shade grown beans roasted in BC are divine!

4 hours ago, catgirl411 said:

OMG, this electric kettle discussion is so funny. As a Canadian, I had no idea that Americans don’t use them. The only time we boil water in a pot on a stove is to cook something in water, like pasta or veggies. We use the kettle for everything else. It is faster but it also has a spout which makes it easy to pour. 

Exactly! It has to be a rolling boil. And for tea, the pot has to have hot water in it while the water boils in the kettle. Nothing else tastes as good! - Another Canadian

1 hour ago, shark b8 said:

 

I should have gone to chefestelle’s link first….this is even better.  😂

 

I once bought a bottle of gin that had a wee bottle of vermouth attached to it. That's the one I glance at (it is unopened) when I pour my martini

1 hour ago, shark b8 said:

 

hahaha, just looked it up.  The first hit I got was this:

 

Exactly

12 minutes ago, shark b8 said:

 

Hey hpd (alright if I call you that?!) - a couple of days ago, on a sailaway from…somewhere 🤔….the Patio guys were walking around handing out “coconut lime martinis”.  (I’m pretty sure I remember that correctly, definitely coconut-something martinis).  If you’re a martini drinker (I’m not), is that a thing?  I’ve always read that a martini is, plain and simple, gin and vermouth.  Period.  And anything else (and surely there are wonderfully enjoyable variations in all directions)…if it’s not gin and vermouth, might be great but it’s just not a martini.  Like, a “vodka martini” is like saying a “vodka margarita” or a “rum Manhattan”.  I’m on the sidelines here, I await forthcoming wisdom…..😎

You set me on a very fun course. I prefer the Churchill but it looks like you are mostly right - which makes me very happy. Of course, I never mind a lemon drop "martini": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martini_(cocktail)

10 hours ago, KaySuth said:

Lamingtons - oh, we should be so lucky.  Exactly how do you think we should describe lamingtons to someone who has never experienced them?????  It's worth a try though - effort/reward.

Yes, you're right. Even now to someone who could assess the description, I struggle to think how. Maybe a picture on your cell phone. And a recipe!

Maybe they'll make lamington cakes...

5 hours ago, oakridger said:

 

😵

 

OH my!!!  @Crew News I do believe you meant Meclizine (motion sickness med)!! i

 

Mescaline is a mild hallucinogenic drug!!!  From Wikipedia:

"Mescaline or mescalin (3,4,5-trimethoxyphenethylamine) is a naturally occurring psychedelic protoalkaloid of the substituted phenethylamine class, known for its hallucinogenic effects comparable to those of LSD and psilocybin. It occurs naturally in the San Pedro cactus (Echinopsis

 ..."

 

Once again, those spell check gremlins!!

 

~Nancy

 

I did not even pick that up! Hahahahah! could you imagine?

6 hours ago, Crew News said:

Mescaline is available at the Front Desk.  Taking it after you are motion sick is futile.  I always have a bag of ginger drops just in case. 

 

I have been on many Alaska cruises and always wear my sea bands the first evening until bedtime.  By the morning, my body has adjusted to the sea and i don't need them for the rest of the cruise.

 

The pea soup is served around 9:30 AM at several locations onboard.  My visit the aft Lido deck for my pea soup and take it back to my aft balcony for consumption.

 

Tip:  Avoid the allegedly "seared" scallops in the Pinnacle Grill.  Fillets were excellent as was the beet side dish.

 

I have posted the daily activities, MDR menus, and the Late Buffet menus for Zuiderdam Alaska in 2022 at the right link in my signature below.

I followed your live report ravenously (hence my legendary comment about the pea soup)! I especially noted the seared scallops in Pinnacle because I'm taking my sister there for her birthday dinner. We will avoid them. I love beets, though. Definitely getting them. Thanks again for all the work you did posting current information on your site!

3 hours ago, JessyCruises said:

Well there is a first time for everything.  I was locked in a stall in the bathroom by the casino for a few minutes just now. 🤣😂🤣
 

I closed the door behind me and locked it, not noticing there was no inside handle.  Tried to to use a Barrette to see if I could get it opened but to no avail.  Asked for help in the washroom but no one answered. Had to text Paul and he sent someone in to rescue me.  
 

There was no sign of the handle anywhere and no sign on the door.

 

What’s next??!! 😂😂

Oh no! I don't know whether to laugh or cry. Or both!

Thank you! I expected entertainment would be geared toward the beauty of the area. I do have some angst about cruise impact and I do get the side eye from my daughter. It's not something I've reconciled yet!

Wow! Mahi Mahi, that is a great review! Thank you. I know we want to do room service a couple of mornings and I am really happy to hear that it was so good. I had room service on Eurodam a couple times but the ship was full and the delivery slow. Thanks for all the helpful tips! I can tell you loved it and my excitement is barely contained too!

Thank you. I've always taken ginger Gravol along just in case. But no one's ever had to use it so I wasn't sure if it even worked!

I've been in a couple of good storms at sea without any negative effects but I don't think my sister ever has! I am looking at alternatives to meclizine (it is not made or sold in Canada anymore). We are not prone to seasickness but would not want a rollicking storm to impact any part of this cruise. What do you use/recommend? 

3 hours ago, LJProk said:

We were on Noordam and did Whittier to Vancouver, amazing trip and would recommend to anyone! when you sail past the glaciers on Noordam they opened a forward deck on 4 that is normally closed. They had a bar set up outside but more people were eating the pea soup they were serving than ordered drinks. It was rainy and 48 that day! Skagway we did the white trail pass which fun, and the summer sled dog excursion which was a favorite for us. Juneau was whale watching and mendenhall glacier. And Ketichikan we did the misty fjords boat trip (do not recommend). Have fun, wish I could go back and we've only been home a week!

That pea soup sounds legendary! Thanks for the input. I'm just getting more excited!

6 hours ago, CruisinGirl777 said:

It was an amazing cruise. It was our first time on HAL and we really enjoyed it immensely (cruised all the major lines). For this cruise I would recommend going to the bow for Glacier Bay then warm up in the Crow’s Nest if necessary - they serve pea soup there. Also we took the helicopter tour to a glacier and did the dog sledding (over snow) and it was the best excursion ever! Great afternoon tea and the lounge was marvellous until it switched over from BB King Blues lounge to Rolling Stones lounge; then it was empty. Watch the “Earth” show in the main stage with the small orchestra; sit in the Billboard lounge for the duelling pianos and be sure to dress appropriately for the weather (it was cold and wet, yet sunny on days too). Food was great and service was good. Enjoy! 

Thanks! This is great. I love afternoon tea and it sounds like it's still good. I've wanted to try BB King lounge and I've heard a lot about the Earth show. Definitely taking them both in. Thanks again!

15 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

 

You will love it!  Since your sister will be using a walker, there will be ample room for her to move around in the suite even if the beds are separated into two singles.  (I experienced this when my traveling companion was using a scooter.  Ample--just--room for the two of us and the scooter.)   Plenty of storage space and a very nice sized veranda.  Try to enjoy Breakfast on your veranda at least once, if possible.

 

Looking forward to your reports!  Thanks for making the effort.  

Thank you! That's great info about the size of the suite. At least a walker folds too. I love breakfast on the veranda (I have only been on two prior cruises with HAL and had verandas both times). So for sure if it's not raining we'll be doing that! Thanks again. I'm so excited for this trip.