Ready2go11

There was no daily show the first evening. I think they played a movie on the main stage. The calendar was light since there were so many change overs in personnel and everyone was getting settled.

I too loads of photos on this tour because the scenery was soo breathtaking. Here are a few (sorry if out of order, I have not mastered how to upload them properly) promenade in Alicante; made of tile pieces port view of the Oosterdam from Santa Barbara Castle sunrise in Alicante Castle in Guadalest Church ruins at Santa Barbara Castle Mountain view on the way to Guadalest Laundry in Guadalest. They had a sample house museum with a photo of this where the women in town were actually using the laundry. Rock face from the bottom of town. There is a face that can be seen on the left hand side if you use your imagination, drying up reservoir viewed from top of Guadalest. Most of Spain is under drought conditions View of Santa Barbara Castle on the way up. View of St Nicolas Church and cloisters from Santa Barbara Castle. view inside St Nicolas Church St Nicolas Church Cloisters Alicante bull ring. They still have a few events per year but expected to be outlawed soon, as it is in Barcelona and other parts of Spain. Village of Guadalest viewed from an adjacent mountain.

Thursday- Alicante We had a very early start in Alicante as we had to be off the ship to meet the private Spain Day Tour by 7:15am. We heard about Spain Day Tours through CC- thank you roll call! Our guide was David and we started with a bus ride from the port to the city center (not too far) and then spent about an hour walking around Alicante. We saw some ornately decorated government buildings, but like Malaga, the French destroyed most of the city when leaving in the 1800s. Only 10% of the buildings survived. We walked by the Cathedral but it was not open yet but St Nicolas Church as open so we were able to enter there and see the Cloisters as well. It was a beautiful old Church and very well preserved. It is clear they have sufficient financial support to add a new organ and maintain the Church so well. There were two Oceania ships in port with us, and our guide noted that the town would get very busy a little later. That is why he started with this portion of the tour. All around town, looming above is the Castello de Santa Barbara, a massive complex. We would visit that later. After getting back on the bus, we headed out of town 1 ¼ hours to Guadalest; a tiny town of 200 inhabitants in the mountains. The drive was very scenic and we found that Spain has a lot of mountains and valleys in the south than I knew. There were many roundabouts and the views were astonishing at times. We finally arrived at Guadalest and had about 2 hours. We started with a tour and up many, many steps to the base of the castle that sits on the highest part of the hill. From that platform, we could see the reservoir, the lower part of town and endless views of valleys where grapes for wine were growing, as well as adjoining mountains The town was very busy given the many tours that had come there, There really is only one way into town and one main street so that made is seem even more crowded since everyone funneled into the same areas. We had lunch at a local place that served basic, but good fare. Many places were not open for a “proper lunch: as David called it as they would be opening as we left at 12;30. Temps were in the mid-60s, although it was a bit cooler in the mountains but our streak of blue skies held. As in much of Spain, there are drought conditions, but the as we climbed the mountain, things were greener. After driving back to Alicante, we climbed the winding narrow streets up to the parking area for Castello de Santa Barbara. It was massive and really more of a town than what I think of as a castle. It has bene added on to but the original structure was built by the Moors and I highly recommend a visit. Warning, to get to the highest point, there are many stairs. However, the effort was worth it. There were 360 degree views, including of the bull ring where they still occasionally conduct bull fights, the ships in port and the many, many buildings and apartments. We could see the St Nicolas Church we visited earlier. Walking around the town, it was easy to appreciate all the creature comforts we enjoy today, and marvel at the engineering and effort to build such a place at the top of a mountain. We were told that since we were in a smaller bus, the driver was able to get us as close as possible to the entrance. David was a fantastic guide; very knowledgeable about Alicante and the region, as well as Spain in general. He stopped at intervals on different parts of the tour to explain the history or significance. I would highly recommend this tour. Back on ship we had dinner in the dining room. The night before which was our last dressy night, we again tried to order the after dinner coffee drink the carajillo. It is to be made with coffee and typically Licor 43 (vanilla flavor made in Alicante) although the liquor varies in other countries to what is popular. We again received an iced, lemon lime drink that tasted like a sweet tart candy. We let Cellar Master Felipe know as he is the one who had responded with the first unsuccessful order. He shrugged his shoulders as there was little he could do the next day. On this trip the cocktails were better made overall than all HAL cruises since the restart, with the exception of the carajillo. I am not sure what they thought we were ordering, but the server repeated the name when they served it to us. It was time to cash in casino chips, my room bank and spend the unused OBC. Since we were late getting far enough offshore the evening before, the shops never opened and they did not open until 8pm on Thursday either. Needless to say, many people had OBC to spend and the shops were very busy. I doubt many people went to the late show of the final Step One Humanity show. Of course, when we returned from our excursion, the dreaded vinyl covers were at the end of our bed as it was packing time. I don’t know why all the stuff I brought never fit in as neatly as it did when I left home. Happens all the time!

Final days of dinner menus and daily programs.

Cartagena government complex wall markings in Cartagena Roman Theatre ruins Roman Theatre complex Roman Theatre stage area View from the stage at the Roman Theatre The Oosterdam in port at Cartagena. Walk from the port into Cartagena.

As I thought, I got behind as we went from port to port but although i am now off ship and staying in Barcelona for a few days, I am going to catch up to recap the last few days of the trip. Wednesday We signed up for a HAL tour Roman Theatre and Tapas Trail. There were numerous HAL passengers that were broken up in groups of 15-25 depending on what sticker they received when they got in line. Our group had 22. Our guide, Maria walked us out of the port area and into the nearby city center. We had another beautiful day with blue skies and passing puffy white clouds with temps in the upper 70s. We passed several impressive buildings before arriving at the excavation site of the old Roman Theatre and church. Cartegena has over 2,000 years of history like many cities we visited and has been occupied by many groups. It was located on one of the 5 hills of ancient Cartagena and over time it was back filled and forgotten until while digging for another project, the site of the Roman Theatre was found and it was an impressive site. The seats and stage are intact enough to grasp how large this place was. Unfortunately we did not have time to climb the stairs as we had to be at the first bar for our first of five tapas and drinks. Walking along the streets, it felt like we were in an old European city, as compared to the more modern feel of Malaga. The façade of many buildings reminded of what it looks like in Paris. Here there are wide pedestrian streets alongside narrow, winding alleyways that allow cars. At our first stop at the site of the old Casino, we enjoyed a cod fish fritter. At the second stop after further walking through town we enjoyed a tuna salad on a hard breadstick with optional anchovy. The third stop was a 15 minute walk away and Maria shared stories and history along the way. At the third bar we had a fritter of undetermined name, that tasted like bread stuffing. After walking back towards the main part of town, at the fourth stop we enjoyed a mini chorizo sausage served on a small toast. The final stop included a taste of Spanish omelet, basically potatoes and eggs baked into a pan and served in wedges. I should note that at each stop we were offered sangria, beer, white or red wine, soda or water. We opted each time for the sangria and were surprised at how different it tasted at each stop. One was like drinking red wine with soda water, while our favorite tasted like red wine with some hints of cinnamon and citrus. We then left our guide and had some time to explore on our own before heading back to the ship. The tour was interesting and although we signed up for the tastings, we enjoyed seeing the Roman Theatre more. As we were preparing to leave port, the Captain announced that once we were far enough off shore, we had to do the annual recalibration of the compass. It was like when they spin the ship around in Glacier Bay so everyone has a chance to see the large glaciers, except we did it several times. After dinner we walked around but there was not much of interest going on. We spent some time in the casino before heading to bed around 11pm since we had an early start for Thursday in Alicante.

The sun often went down while we were at late fixed dining (between &l45pm and 8L45pm- extending later as we headed east) so we did not have "night light." I am not aware of any special parties either. You were on a ship at a good time! We commented that on the 151th HAL birthday they would have a special drink or mention but never heard of any. I can only recall the usual sail away parties, and a few times they opened the bow to view the sail away. Anyone who was on board please correct me, but Id o not think we even had the cake away event that they have been offering recently. I remember it was on the Navigator app one day but then disappeared.

Totally agree on these pop up dinners being on sea days. Same with the fun fair. Sea days had evening shows on the main stage. The Oosterdam Ball and chocolate surprise were last night after Cartagena stop. Orange party was on a sea day (day after Pinta Delgado). Did you have something else on your cruise to Antarctica?

Here are some miscellaneous shots of Malaga- a church, city hall and various ruins that are left, as well as the beach closest to the port.

Even though we are through with time changes, the day after day ports are wearing me out! On Tuesday we docked early at Malaga and were able to get off just after 8am. After an exhausting day in Cadiz, we opted for the Hop on Hop off Bus in Malaga. We have used this mode of transportation in other cities to get a lay of the land and to see things as we are riding around. It was sunny and warm in Malaga and the MSC Grandiosa was also in port. Both ships were using the Hop On bus and they were busy! We got off at the meeting time and there was already a line waiting, and most of the HAL passengers had gotten on earlier buses. We waited about 40 minutes in line outside before getting on the bus and waiting another 5-10 minutes to take off. They had to wait even though the bus was full to space out the buses. On ships in port days only, they make a special stop at the port to pick up passengers. It was $25 through shore excursions and well worth the 90 minute or so drive around the city. The port shuttle would have cost $10 each and we would not have gotten to see as many views or places as we did. The buses have open air tops and on this warm day that was perfect for scenic views as we climbed up various hills (which were very steep). We learned that although the city was 3,000 years old, many historic sites (other than fortified walls and the remaining castle) were destroyed during conquests, particularly by Napolean’s forces as they retreated. Although we preferred the charm and historic feel of Cadiz, Malaga grew on me as the day wore on. There are many parks and gardens, and many pedestrian only walking areas, including in the busy downtown area full of winding streets, restaurants and shops. We ate lunch in that area, enjoying cold tomato soup, patatas bravas and some icy sangria. Although it would not appeal to everyone, we spent close to an hour (and could have stayed longer) at a store, Druni, that was a cross between Sephora and a high end department store cosmetics counter. They had everything from 1 euro items to pricy la Mer and YSL brand items. It was huge and we actually picked up some gifts for those at home of products we cannot find elsewhere. Most prices on comparable products were cheaper than in the US, obviously European brands because they do not have to be exported and taxed in the US. The store appears to be a chain, at least in southern Spain as we had seen a smaller one in Cadiz. After getting back on board, and getting ready for dinner, we stopped at the Pinnacle bar, our favorite on the ship for the servers who are personable and warm, and because they are a tad less busy and more willing to make special drinks (and get them right!). We have been enjoying the Yuzu cocktail from the Morimoto pop up menu there. After a quick dinner because we wanted to make sure we got to the final Michelle Montuori show on time, we actually detoured to the Lido for the fun fair. HAL set up old school games like cornhole, knocking down stacked cans, knocking down bowling pins, etc. It was a lot of fun and you won tickets for winning the games that were put into a drawing. They gave away prizes ranging from HAL swag like Rudi’s Sal de Mer charger plates, spa bags, credit for Explorations Café or shore excursions, bottles of wine and the big prize was a Pinnacle Grill dinner for two. I won a lot of tickets, more because of luck than skill and ended up winning a bottle of wine. It was a lighthearted atmosphere and special cocktails were also served. Needless to say, I missed most of the show.

Cellar Master menu- other photos posted in reverse order for some reason. wine dinner dessert wine dinner fish course best filet I've ever enjoyed! wine dinner pasta course wine dinner starter wine dinner welcome cocktail

After a busy day in Cadiz, it was time for the Canaletto Mediterranean Cellar Master dinner. We received a card in our mailbox after getting back from Cadiz that we should meet at the Lido bar at 5:30pm for a cocktail before going to Canaletto for the dinner that started at 6pm. I kept wishing they had done this dinner on one of the 8 sea days we had rather than a port day. The same is true of the Morimoto pop up which was held on our Ponta Delgado port day. I did ask Windu, the Canaletto Manager about scheduling, and it was decided higher up. So on to the dinner... It was five courses, starting with a limoncello and prosecco cocktail. I am posting the menu and photos of each course so I will not go into detail about each, except for a few comments. All the food was fresh, paired well with the wines an the portion sizes were huge, as in larger than some dinner entrees we were served on this trip. What I was served was enough to feed a family of 4. And because I did not plan well and ate a later lunch and ice cream in Cadiz, I was not as hungry as I should have been to do this dinner justice. As far as individual standouts, the filet was the most tender piece of perfectly cooked beef I have ever eaten. It also had a nice, light peppercorn crust. I am not a big fish fan (unless it is fried so it doesn’t taste like fish) but the branzino served was flaky, tender and well seasoned. I ate a few bites more than I would have because I actually enjoyed it. The grilled fig and honey mascarpone dessert was divine, a great ending to a great meal. Overall, there was a very nice variety of food, the presentation of each plate was magazine quality and the service was outstanding from Cellar Master Felipe who checked on us frequently, to Manager Windu and all the servers. Back home, this kind of dinner with wine pairing would easily have cost upwards of $200. It was $69 on board or $81.42 with the 18% service charge. I understand it would not appeal to everyone, but it was a real treat and we will do it again when offered. We even stopped by the Lido area where the chefs were working to thank them and I think they appreciated being recognized as well. We sent a Navigator chat message to let the ship know how much we enjoyed the dinner also.

No tender ports at all. It has made getting off (and back on) at each port quick and easy.

I am currently on the Oosterdam TA and they debuted classical music in the form of the Chordial Chamber Trio. I found them to be quite good. Over the 2 week trip they performed two Matinees and two main stage shows. I think this is how they are bringing classical music back after the contract with LCS ended.

artichokes with ham at Cafe Lazo Best ice cream in Cadiz sunset as we were leaving Cadiz view of Cadiz from our balcony Cathedral de Cadiz bottle collection at Taverna de Manzanilla octopus at Cafe Lazo Plaza de Espana another city view from our balcony sample stall at the Cadiz market delectable counter display at a dulceria (sweet shop) barrels of sherry at Taverna de Manzanilla

Monday we docked in sunny, warm Cadiz. Temps were in the mid-70s by mid-day. The city is over 3,000 years old and I always wonder when walking the old cobblestone streets of any European city who has stood where I am now. The families, the horse drawn carriages, famous people and even what murder or battle may have taken place. In Cadiz it is very possible that Christopher Columbus once travelled the same way I did. This is especially true since we spent the bulk of our time in the historic district getting lost in the narrow, winding streets. We docked at the edge of the city center, a short walk from the historic area. Cadiz is very charming, and easy to walk. I had downloaded Google Translate before heading into Cadiz but turns out my college Spanish and the English spoken by those we encountered got us through quite well. As an aside, we also learned at the Captain’s talk that English is the language used on the bridge, and in fact, is the common maritime language. We were in port on a Monday and many museums and restaurants are closed on Monday so after walking a fair amount to get to a restaurant for lunch, we were disappointed to note they were closed. The majority of the very large market in Cadiz was also closed, although some stalls were open and we bought a few unique, local products at the local grocery as well. DO NOT rely on Google opening hours as they were often incorrect. One thing on our list was trying sherry in this most famous place in the world to produce it. We had researched and found the Taverna de Manzanilla, a short walk from the ship. There, for a small fee of 1-2 euros, you can sample 10-12 different sherries from very dry to very sweet. They also have an impressive miniature and other old alcohol bottle collection on display. The proprietor noted his grandfather opened the shop 80 or so years ago (I forget the exact year). He referred us to a map of Spain posted and described how sherries produced in the dry hills are dry, and those produced closer to the ocean are sweeter with a hint of salt. He was brusque at first, but as we chatted with him, and tried more sherry he quickly warmed up. The samples included a small plate of olives or crackers. We also ordered cheese and it came in a vacuum packed round. I was not expecting much but it tasted fantastic with the sherry. We ended up buying a few bottles to take home. We had actually planned a stop like this before we left for the trip and brought wine bottle shaped air cushions to get some home safely. It was an informative and tasty experience and I would recommend to anyone. Several people came and went during the time we were there. Despite our first lunch choice not being open, the owner of the Manzanilla sherry tasting provided a recommendation- Café Lazo a few blocks away. It was charming, the service was friendly and warm and they featured fresh seafood. When you are seated they bring you marinated carrots and potatoes, served at room temp in a seasoned olive oil with a basket of bread. I would have bottled the olive oil and taken it home if it was available. We then enjoyed gazpacho, octopus served simply with olive oil, paprika, salt and potatoes and small artichokes cut in half and roasted with some local ham. The prices were not cheap but they provided a lot of food! We were very pleased we ended up there. Another stop included the famous ice cream from Bajo 0. It is a small shop close to where we had been walking, and featured 20 or so flavors. It was the creamiest ice cream I’ve had in recent memory. I had banana dulce de leche and would gladly have that often as well. All this food was delicious but turned out to be untimely as we had the Canaletto Cellar Master dinner on board at 6pm. More on that experience later. Back on board, and after quick showers, we headed down to the Rolling Stone lounge for the Malaga port talk at 5pm. Many people were still getting back on board so attendance was much lighter, but it was once again very useful to hear Karlijn talk about transportation options, what the city was famous for and the anticipated weather. Another warm one is expected with high temps in the mid 80s! That is not Maryland weather this time of year. We were about 35 minutes late leaving after a few passengers did not return in time. Unlike the recent NCL cruise, apparently our Captain had the leeway to wait, and he made an announcement at one point noting the passengers were expected by 6:05pm so I guess they had been in contact with the ship. It ended up being a lot of walking, but we needed it after all the food and drinks. Cadiz is a beautiful city, full of friendly people and I hope to come back again soon!

I noticed the $16.21 pp port adjustment too. This is pretty common in my experience. We received $12 something back on our January Caribbean cruise. I think they usually figure out max it could be since they will not charge passengers if they are short, and then adjust to refund if they collected too much based on number of passengers and crew, ship's weight etc. that goes into how much they owe the port. I think it is always a nice surprise to get a small refund.

They used to post, or you could find a schedule online, but I do not think that information is readily available anymore. I know our great Captain of the Oosterdam recently started here (he says he changes ships every 3 years) and is 3 months on and 3 months off, so hopefully the Fall TA back to Florida will have him too.

Agree 100%!. The Captain is personable, fun, informative and clearly loves his job and loves being on the sea. We love listening to his noon and other reports.

Misc info 4.16 daily program page 2 4.16 daily program page 1 4.15 dinner menu 4.15 dinner menu page 2

Photos below are all from High Score. kids only during the day, adults (even without children) allowed from 6-10pm.

affogato dessert at Canaletto lemon ricotta cheesecake at Canaletto

On Sunday, our last sea day of this 14 day TA (that’s 6 hours in change overall), we again got up late and skipped breakfast and instead had an early lunch. I am very glad we are done with losing hours, and this was a negative when compared to last fall’s TA when we lost all our time at once b flying to Amsterdam and then slowly getting them back as we headed back to Florida. In the am, we dropped off our papers to get more Future Cruise Deposits (FCDs). We always make sure we have a couple in the “bank” so we can book cruises for a low, and refundable deposit whenever Hal has a decent promotion. Using them to book also gets you some extra on board credit. There have been port chats in the Rolling Stage lounge for the two ports so far, and each time Karlijn seems surprised by how many people attend, and they have to bring in extra seating. She told everyone there are short videos on each stateroom tv about each port. These replaced the live presentations they had on each voyage and are not as good as a live session, hence the popularity of the chats. You can’t ask the tv a question or hear from others about their experiences. Dinner on Sunday night was our HIA Canaletto. We love Italian food but the Canaletto has been so hot or miss. I am happy to report that on this ship it was a win. We shared the Canaletto Salad, meatballs and burrata as starters. They were out of burrata but substituted fresh mozzarella that was not as flavorful, but still very creamy. I fixed this by asking for an extra side of balsamic vinegar. Mains were pesto pasta to which the server suggested adding shrimp and seafood trenete. Both were very good. The pesto had potatoes in the bowl, which I had not thought to combine but the pesto soaked into the cooked potato cubes and will be something I make at home. The trenete was full of mussels, scallops and calamari in a rich seafood tomato broth. It was less soupy than a cioppino and enjoyed greatly. Finally, for dessert we had a lemon ricotta cheesecake and an affogato. The cheesecake was a surprise hot. Canaletto has not always impressed us at dessert time but the cheesecake was light and the lemon was a tart accompaniment to the sweet cheesecake. The Manager at Canaletto is Windu, who we have gotten to know quite well as we chatted with him at each of the three Pinnacle lunches, and have seen him at other events as well. He works very hard and manages daytime Lido staff as well. We heard that although they still had to confirm with the reservation desk, they expect about 480 to continue on after Barcelona on Friday the 19th to head to Italy, Greece and Turkey. That is roughly ¼ of the ship’s guests. Sad that we will not be among that group, but should make disembarkation much quicker. After dinner, we stopped by the High Score kids area, During the day it is open to ages 7 to 17 but from 6-10pm it is open to all ages. Some photos will be uploaded to show the area and available games. We spent a half hour playing some old video games (classics like Donkey Kong and Frogger), skee ball and some other classic and old fashioned games. The only occupants besides the attendant were a group of 8 ladies enjoying skee ball and air hockey. Final event of the night was to watch the Step One Dance performance called Musicology. As I noted in an earlier post, I had gone to one show of Step one in the past and was not all that interested. On this trip I gave it another try and really enjoy the performances. This one featured dances highlighting different instruments like the guitar, bassoon, steel drums and many more. It was fun, lighthearted and impressive how well the team of 6 can dance. Dances ranged from ballet style, to some swing to some modern style. We may also be more partial to them because we have chatted with some or all of them at times. On their non-performance days they are out and about and very friendly.

The final highlight of the day was the Orange Bar Hop and Orange Party. There were 21 participants including two of the Step One dancers. We started in the Crows Nest by playing a team relay game carrying an olive around with a spoon in your mouth before transferring to another teammate. It was hysterical and the lives were large and fell on the floor more than once. The reward was a Long Island Ice Tea and the winning team (not mine!) won a HAL shot glass. Next the group moved down to the Lido bar where we played a chug some beer in a cup and then flip your cup over on the table. It was harder to flip than you would think. My team did win though so we each received the shot glass as well. The reward here was a Sex on the Beach cocktail and even better a fantastic drink pouring and sort of juggle using alcohol glasses and metal cups. He was very good and it was fun to watch. The leader of the tour was Alvin, one of our favorite bartenders from the Pinnacle Bar. He was engaging, lively and had everyone laughing. He led us next to the Ocean bar on deck 3. The bar had stacks of half full glasses with cranberry, orange and some kind of green juice. On top was stacked 2 oz square, clear plastic cups of vodka. The oldest person in the hop (ages were mid-20s for the dancers to the oldest participant at 78) had the honor of tapping a spoon against the first small cup and then in a domino effect all the vodka cups fell into the juices. Each participant then had a drink. It worked so well I was impressed. The final stop was at the Orange Party in progress at the Rolling Stone Lounge. We were encouraged to join the conga line and dance floor and were provided with a rum punch. We could not have finished all the drinks provided, although some did and had some extras, but I am glad we went for the fun and camaraderie. The Orange Party was very well attended by guests and ship crew and officers. There were drinks for purchase and some passed appetizers. Almost everyone had some orange colored clothing, hat, jewelry, etc. Bar Hop Crows Nest game Ocean Bar drink dominos Lido bar drinking game C&TD Carlijn at the Orange Party Lido bar hop entertainment

After the Mariner brunch the “Ask the Captain” session was held on the World Stage. We always enjoy these because we learn more about ship life. It usually starts with a video of the engine room and bridge. Captain Wouter van Hoogdalem took a different route. He had a slide show and instead shared info about bridge operations and the ship, as well as sharing photos of his family and how he met his wife on a HAL ship, where she was a Customer Service Manager. Their first date was in Quebec City. That received lots of awws from the audience. His presentation was engaging as he walked around the stage and showed maps and other interesting data, including how many back up steering systems there are. He has been with HAL for 20ish years and asks to be reassigned to a new ship every 3 years. He has he is flexible and wants a new crew and ship to keep it fresh and interesting. I imagine the itinerary changes also keep things interesting, He has a 3 month on, 3 month off schedule and lives in a small town in northern Holland, calling it the best “little Amsterdam” and better than Amsterdam. His home is on a canal and I would not have been able to tell he was not in Amsterdam just from the shared photos. The most interesting detail shared was how when they sailed to St. Petersburg, the Russians would scramble their GPS signals and show that instead of the north Baltic, they were in Antarctica or something like that. He mentioned he suggested to HAL that they invest in alternate signal location services and there are 4 I think I recall now onboard. The Captain did mention that the passenger who was airlifted off a few days ago was still alive, but that he could not discuss any medical details of course. He next answered some passenger questions, mostly from men about the azipods. Captain on stage showing types of mapping and locations services. Captain showing photos of thrusters Captain describing bridge personnel