obriendan

I’ve so enjoyed lurking on this thread, Jacqui. All the good pictures, food porn etc., and comments.  Congratulations on the fine turnout for your M&G. I’ve organized quite a few myself and I know how much work it can be but only a few times were there over 100 in attendance.  Looking at my records I note that I organized the M&G for Oct 2009 Oosterdam Venice to FLL cruise when you and Jose sailed with us.

I won’t be on CC for the next day or so. We are on our way from IAH to FRA to ATH to board the Oosterdam in Athens for the Oct 20th Athens to FLL cruise, the same cruise you are taking in 2024 on the same date.

Smooth sailing!
 

Dan

On 10/2/2023 at 12:03 AM, canadianbear said:

I loved the printed stationary on our first cruise ever and was in a Neptune suite.  I also remember in the MDR where they’d use a utensil to “scrape” off any crumbs before the next dish was served.  

And say it was for the bread pudding!
 

Dan

Nieuw Amsterdam-02-Oct-25 - 23 day Panama Canal

Thanks

Dan

Rotterdam-03-Oct-20 - 29 day Iberian Adventure and Passage to America

obriendan

Thanks.

Dan

On the recent 29 day Yokohama to Sydney EXC cruise beginning Aug. 28th all Masses were at 5pm.  We were very disappointed as were several others. When we and others tried to discuss what we thought of as a significant change from all cruises we have been on with the Cruise Director what we got would be best described as a run-around.  Very dissapointed.

Dan

6 hours ago, bcummin said:

The presenters aboard can be a valuable group of experts.  We had a number of good ones last winter, wearing yellow lanyards to identify them for asking questions whenever.

Barbara

Please Barbara.  We’ve been on two Maasdam EXC’s and they were definitely ORANGE.  Holland, after all!😀

Dan O’Brien

I like this statement!  We’ve repeated 29 times so it’s nice to have your judgment confirmed😁

Dan

We did the Sel de Mer on our recent Koningsdam cruise and it was one of the best meals we had onboard.  The service was excellent and we thoroughly enjoyed the Dover sole.  The surprise for the dessert was that while three of the pyramid of profiteroles contained vanilla creme, the fourth contained ice cream!

Dan 

We had 8032 on a recent 24 day Caribbean and TA cruise, March 27th to April 20th.  It probably has an extra triangle of space of about 25 sq feet. Before I booked this cabin with extra space in mind I thought they might use the space to accommodate a full sized couch.  No such luck!  They have the same small sized couch that you see in a regular verandah stateroom.  What they have done is move the desk from opposite the couch to beside the couch.  Don't have a picture of the couch opened to a bed.

We really liked the stateroom for its slightly larger inside area but more for the verandah. It is larger and since it faces aft, it is protected from the wind and gives excellent views aft.  We also liked its convenience to the forward elevators and staircase.  I think you'll really like it.

Dan

On 10/27/2018 at 4:34 PM, OlsSalt said:

 

 

Willing buyer met willing seller. Nothing wrong with that.  They got what they paid for. 

 

Meanwhile to flesh out your arguments for credibility's sake please provide more details and fewer anonymous slurs:

1. who was this ... someone who was VERY much in the know

2. what were the... such things

It seems that the negative comments often come ill-defined and heresay from secondary sources.  Well here is another "glowing report" from direct, recent experience.  We have recently cruised:

Statendam-Alaska and final cruise-44 days-9/2015

Maasdam-Circumnavigation of Australia-29 days-10/2016

Maasdam-FLL to Papeete-34 days-9/2018

IMO neither of the ships looked tired and we had no "ship happens" problems.  On the recent Maasdam cruise a more apt description would be elegant after its recent dry dock refurbishments.  The crises were wonderful and as usual the crews are outstanding.  We hope to cruise on the Maasdam as long as she is still around.

Dan

I agree with sammiedawg.  At the end of our cruise on the Maasdam last Sunday having already visited 2 other French Polynesian ports and using USD's, I got 4000 XFP at an ATM so I wouldn't have trouble getting a taxi from the port to the airport in Papeete.  The taxi asked for the fare in USD's!  If you are flying out of Papeete use a taxi rather then the HAL ($34.95 pp!).  We teamed up with three others in a large cab and the fare was only $5 pp!

Dan

Please add obriendan to Maasdam - 10 - Sep - 18 34 day Kon Tiki Voyager

Thanks.

Dan

We received the brochure the day after we booked the first leg, FLL to Papeete. Maybe it is being sent to those who have recently returned from a cruise and haven’t booked another yet. We returned from a Prinsendam cruise on Nov. 18th.

Dan

You write it, I'll read it! :)

Dan

I'm 63 and DH is turning 75 on our next cruise.... so we are older than some and younger than some. Does that make us middle aged? I don't feel so middle aged the morning after yoga, or after a day kayaking, or painting a ceiling all those things I now do at a slower pace than i used to....

 

We serve our community as volunteer EMS providers, maybe we do a few calls a week in our rural area. But we see a lot of trauma, illness, people in compromised health or living conditions, and yes, sometimes we're called when people die. We have friends with family members in Memory Care, our mothers were in Memory Care. We've all lost friends and loved ones long before we were ready to. We don't get to choose paths for other people... but we get to choose our path!

 

I LOVE going on a HAL ship and meeting "old" people, who may or may not be my age. People who are wanting to get a good seat at the enrichment presentations to learn new things. People who are adventuring into countries they've only heard about, or have been to a dozen times and want MORE of. People who have lived through historic events. I meet them on HAL cruises!

"Old" people who are living the full life and sharing it with ME along the way are inspiring, re-energizing and refueling to me, and just plain fun to be around. "Old" people have had many trials, set-backs and losses in life - you don't get "old" without them. But "old" people rebound with new energy, new wisdom, laugh a lot and move ahead into the next chapters.

When I come back from a difficult 911 call, all I want to know is that soon I will be able to go on a cruise with people who enjoy LIVING! - even if they have to use a mobility device now, or in some other way aren't as "young" as they used to be.

I'm excited about all the interesting, intelligent and experienced cruisers with whom I am about to share our upcoming 49 night Atlantic Adventurer. Maybe I'll journal about that instead of a daily log of what I ate, did for activities or who was entertaining each day (though I love to read cruisers blogs!), because my fellow cruisers are what really make my cruise excellent. m--

What a wonderful, wonderful post! Thanks for correcting the often stated stereotype of HAL guests as being "old" and therefore uninteresting. Outside I am indeed old but inside I still feel young and so much enjoy visiting with the young in spirit on a HAL cruise.

Dan

The World Ocean Cruise Liner Society (wocls.org) may still be selling Stephen Card prints to members. I purchased one of the ms Ryndam from them about ten years ago.

Dan

Is sin at this age a curse or a blessing? Sounds like a delicious opportunity to me.

It's the penance that you have to pay that is the worst part!

Dan

I don't understand why younger people seem to regard being around older people with horror. Old age happens to everyone if they live long enough.

I find I still feel the same way inside that I did when I was young. It's just that the body doesn't cooperate as well anymore. It's rather hurtful to read that younger people don't want to be around us simply because we committed the sin of aging.

Oh dear, dear! I have indeed committed the very serious sin of aging:). Where or where and how do I get absolution?

Dan

Back to our last night in Paris...

 

After tackling the laundry and organizing the suitcases, DH and I decided to return to the lovely spot where I had my escargots.

 

It's on a street corner and so typically Paris, it just felt like the right thing to do. Besides, they had a happy hour.

 

We discovered that happy hour only applied to their cocktails (for which they seemed to be famous) and beer so we asked our waitress for some advice.

 

She recommended this one.

 

 

 

OMG, it was so good. I had to take a pic of the menu so that I can try to recreate it at home.

 

 

We enjoyed chatting with locals and one couple of tourists from Sweden.

 

As you can see, it was pretty cool still in Paris.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Hi Jacqui,

But you didn't tell us which cocktail she recommended!

Thank you so, so much for such an excellent and detailed journal of your cruise. What wonderful pictures!! Its was the perfect antidote for the Koningsdam cruise we had to cancel. Barb's treatment is complete and all is well. We're off on Tuesday for a brief 12 day makeup tour of Arizona and southern Utah in celebration.

I may get back to you about tour operator recommendations for our Oct. 19, 2017 30 day Prinsendam cruise. Wish you and Jose were going to be aboard.

Dan and Barb

Have a great cruise, Jacqui and Jose!

We had to cancel our April 2nd Koningsdam cruise so we'll enjoy the TA by following along with yours. After several trips to Houston Barb's news is all good and we will resume cruising with an October 19th TA from Athens to FLL on the Prinsendm.

Dan and Barb

I am beyond envious that you are doing a reprise of that wonderful Prinsendam TA. I hope whatever the medical problem may be and, whichever one of you is affected, that it will quickly be resolved Take care, my friends, I think of you often.

Hi Jane,

Thanks. Barb is recovering well and the tests for spreading were negative!! You should join us on the Princendam. We are trying to get Suzanne and Woody to come along. With you and Helen it would be a 9 year reunion cruise.

Dan and Barb

Thanks everyone for your kind d thoughts. Only 201 days until we leave for a TA from Athens to FLL on the Prinsendam!:)

We we're able to get a no cost voucher from American Airlines for our non-refundable DFW to FLL flight. Took a little searching around the AA website but they will consider a medical reason among others for a refund. Will use voucher for FLL to DFW after the Prinsendam cruise.

Dan

Since medical, did they refund 100% of the fare?

No. Refund approximately 90%.

Dan

Unfortunately we had to cancel our upcoming April 1st Koningsdam cruise for medical reasons. I wish to report how well HAL’s insurance worked. We submitted a cancellation form to our TA and she forwarded it to HAL. Very shortly we received a confirmation email from the TA. It contained the usual statement “Please allow 2 to 3 weeks for the cruise line to refund you back to your original form of payment”.

In less than 24 hours the refund had been credited to our credit card. Kudos to HAL!

Dan

I've heard that there is a "naughty room" for those who try to sneak alcholic beverages aboard in there checked luggage:).

Dan