Goldenowner

We noticed that too on the Oosterdam two weeks ago.  In the past sometimes  if we were eating late in the MDR, we would take a couple of small plates back to the cabin and enjoy them on the veranda with a glass of wine.

Thanks.  I always check this before we cruise so I know what to expect.

I checked Holland America’s website earlier and unfortunately it says Liggage Direct is only available in Seattle and Fort Lauderdale.  That would have been the perfect solution.

We have a late flight after our San Diego cruise.  Has anyone stored luggage in San Diego or used bagbnb?  I have also posted this question on the West Coast board.

We have a late flight after our San Diego to San Diego Cruise.  Has anyone stored luggage in San Diego?  Where?  Has anyone used Bagbnb?

I just used this yesterday.  Worked perfectly.  Plus now I have an easy way to replace documents if I should lose them.

No

I am going to send you a FB friend request too.

Sherrie

Thanks for the heads up about possibly posting to your blog first.  I will be eagerly following along.  It should be a most interesting cruise.  Have a wonderful time.

Reading your posts while drinking a morning cup of coffee have been an enjoyable way to start the day.  Thanks.

We hold all the Indonesian crew close to our hearts as they wait for updates about family and friends.

Thanks for the picture and information.

Both DH and I enjoy classical music.

i’m confused and maybe someone who has recently been on the Rotterdam can help. Does the Rotterdam have a Lincoln Center Stage with classically trained musicians like the Vista class ships? Or does it have an Adagio Duo of a piano and violin player?

Looking at deck plans and descriptions, it looks like the Explorer’s Lounge was possibly remodeled. But I can’t tell for certain as it is not labeled as such on the HAL website.

We are on an upcoming New England cruise, and I was looking to see what will be available for evening entertainment.

When I printed out boarding passes last week, I found the double click method with a pause between clicks worked for me too.

Thanks. I would not have noticed that otherwise although I had glanced through the magazine.

We stayed in 5136 just beyond where there are lifeboats. Great cabin and we could see the water looking down.

Thank you, Pete and Judy.

I’ve enjoyed cruising along with you, especially while recuperating from a total knee replacement. Great blog with lots of helpful information. Plus I also love to knit.

Sherrie

I can second the recommendation for Ralph’s. On our last cruise from San Diego, we bought some great wines there at a very reasonable price. We chose wines mainly from California, but that was our preference for that cruise. There was a discount for buying a quantity of wine. I think it was six bottles, but I might be wrong.

We were on the Zuiderdam in December. I took a couple of nice dressy light weight sweaters and needed them in the evening. I also brought a light weight shawl.

Thanks for the link, Kathi. Safe travels. I’m sure there will be many of us following your adventures.

Kathi,

I would love to follow your blog. Where can I find it?

On our last cruise, we kept our wine in the cabin until we took a bottle to the dining room. Our wine steward suggested on our next cruise (if we planned on eating about the same time and table in anytime dining) that we could bring all the wine to the dining room at once, and he would bring whichever bottle that we wanted that night. We were on the Zuiderdam. I don’t know if they will do that on all the ships,

Since insulin dependent diabetes is not a rare disease, I am guessing that were would be several insulin dependent passengers on any given cruise. HAL passengers are often a little older, too; an age group that has a higher incidence of diabetes.

The December 6-17th Cruise was the first time we had been on the Zuiderdam. She had gone through upgrades in dry dock not long before that.

The colors on the ship were subdued and the carpets looked new and clean. I liked the little carpeted area by the elevators that indicated which direction was forward. It is easy to get confused on some floors.

We were in room 5136, a veranda room. While the veranda is a little smaller than some, there was plenty of room for two chairs with foot stools and a tiny table. Our veranda stayed dry even during heavy rain. We also did not look directly down on lifeboats unlike many central rooms on the fifth floor.

The room had been upgraded with a large flatscreen TV. There were USB connections by the bed but no electrical outlets there.

The loveseat looked like it had new upholstery, and the desk chair looked new also. I missed the hassock where you could store dirty clothes, however.

The bathroom looked unchanged and appeared the same as other Vista ships.

We we’re on the December 6-17th cruise. We have nothing but good things to say about the MDR and staff. We had anytime dining, our preference, and the first day we were greeted at the desk by Rian P. We had met Rian on three previous cruises. After hugs and updates about our families, Rian ensured that we had our table and dining times that we wanted. We noticed other people almost always sitting at the same tables also.

We asked on several occasions about the next day’s menu. Our waiter always told us what to expect or showed us a copy of the menu. We don’t have dietary problems so it was just curiosity that led to the inquiries.

We ate at 7:45, and I did not see people waiting for tables. Everyone appeared to be seated right away at that time.

We ate breakfast and lunch in the Lido. We never had a problem finding a table in the Canaletto area where it is a little quieter. Again we noticed many of the same people sitting in the same area for breakfast and lunch.

We liked the selection of Asian dishes for lunch and also the salads.