cactuslady

Thanks for a good and detailed review. Statue in Olympia with the baby is Hermes (Roman Mercury), holding the baby Dionysus (Roman Bacchus, the god of wine). The other hand is supposed to hold a bunch of grapes. Probably frowning because baby Di has overflowed with wine.

--Your trivia partner Ev

October 15, 2018

Oosterdam

26 days Med to FLL

29 days counting flying to Venice and the Signature Experience pre-cruise

We will both hit 4-star Mariner status on this cruise (but on different days)

We are booked on a snorkel by boat excursion at HMC in December. I'm sure the island will be pristine, but am interested in any reports of whether the hurricane damaged the coral/wildlife in the snorkeling areas.

But you go first. I can't take the abuse.

Also, would a pair of jean overhauls be consider jean pants ??? I do have a nice fur that works well with them :)

Let's start a thread about whether it would ok to wear fur on informal night! And does it depend on whether you're in the Caribbean, Alaska or near St. Petersburg? Can't wait to see some people weigh in on that. :eek:

Forget the doctors. The people we really, really need to bring along are bepsf's friends from the new "champagne" thread:

...someone is bound to send you a bottle of Champagne.

 

When my bosses go on big vacations, I always make sure that they have Champagne and flowers in their hotel awaiting them. So when I arrived in my suite on the Oosterdam there they were: TWO bottles of Champagne, a bottle of red wine and two trays of chocolate-dipped strawberries!

 

Isn't that why HAL gives you those little cards in your docs to hand out to your friends - so that they'll know how to order things for you?

CactusLady,

For a second or two I thought the CLAP, CLAP, were the seals!:D

Oh, I'm sure they're applauding too. Provided there is enough pickled herring in the Lido.

By the way, while researching for the other thread on whether turtle shell items are legal to bring back into the U.S., I learned that bringing in hunting trophies can be OK, provided certain requirements are met. We'd better bring along a taxidermist for the skeets we bring down. ;)

Flatwallet --

Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap :D

A Beauty Pageant

 

THE MISS HOLLAND AMERICA PAGEANT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If the Rockettes are eligible, I'm not entering. :mad:

I could try to round up the Cedar Rapids Accordion Aces which was an orchestra of about 24 accordions.

Sounds good. We'll need at least that many to be heard above the taps on the Rockettes' shoes, the barking seals, the crowing of the roosters, the chainsaws, and the screaming of Barry Manilow being eaten by an alligator.

I was wondering if the Whirling Dervishes are still performing. Imagine them whirling all over the place!

If not, we can book the Lippizaner Stallions. They can be stabled down on A deck, since we're all such snobs we would never book one of those cabins.

Orcrone

This kind of star studded line up is just screaming for a big finale.

 

I am thinking a seal playing "Mary Had A Little Lamb" on a long row of horns.

I used to have a 45 of the Singing Dogs barking "Jingle Bells," but alas it melted after sitting in the back seat of a car. (Maybe that was on purpose.) :(

:)

Husband wants Barry Manilow and Billy Joel to accompany the Rockettes.

:)

Oh oh, some of us would probably prefer that Barry Manilow accompany the alligator wrestler, but I'm staying out of THAT flame-fest. :eek:

ok now you've dont it! They mentioned taking some tupperware, soooooooo now I want to take my lazy susan so I can fill it up at the Lido deck buffet and bring to the deck party. However they are not quite big enough for say 1,000 ppl, so how about it ladies, I know you still have them, please bring yours too! Think we should ask the little ole ladies gathering the sugar and salt packets to bring theirs too ????

Ask the little ole ladies ONLY if you want to spend your cruise sorting out all the tupperware after use, according to the names inscribed on masking tape on the bottoms, so you can return each and every piece (after washing in the jacuzzi, of course) to the correct little ole lady.

I still remember having to do this with all of the identical glass oval-cake-plate-and-punch-cup sets that the ladies in the coach/manufactured home/certainly not trailer park brought to my grandfather-in-law's 90th birthday. As far as I could tell, only 2 patterns of these things were ever made, but you can bet your poopdeck that every lady wanted her very own cup matched to her very own plate and put back in her (also labeled) original box. We had stacks and stacks of these things. :eek:

These are all good money-saving ideas for making a cruise comfortable yet economical. However, I'm concerned that even the back-up cruise ship may not be enough. I've read on these boards about the general decline in the quality of the onboard entertainment (as compared to the Good Old Days, of course). Do you think it would be rude if I brought along the Rockettes and asked the HAL show cast to please step aside and let me enjoy the production number the way I want it? Would this be OK (a) only on formal nights, (b) only on casual nights, or © any d**n time I want? And could I please replace the comedian with my own juggler? I do so prefer jugglers.

After all, I've saved up for a long time for this cruise, and intend to enjoy myself.

;)

Along with the propane-powered Weber Grill (charcoal is so inconvenient to lug around), I'm packing the portable firepit for the balcony. Wood is no problem, there's a plentiful supply of teak deck chairs on the lower promenade deck. The Prinsendam has a fireplace in the Oak Room, why can't I have on in my cabin?

Find your way out to the bow of the ship (try the various doors leading off the lower promenade deck, at least on the Statendam-class ships, you may have to go up and down some stairs, through the backstage area and through a sea hatch with a high sill). Once there, (1) enjoy the ride out of port at night, (2) watch them docking or undocking the ship, (3) say hi to the dolphins darting back and forth across the bow while at sea, (4) look for whales, and (5) turn around and wave at the Captain up on the bridge. Also a good make-out spot when it's dark because they keep the lights out so the crew can see where they're going -- but not during the day because the camera showing the bow would put you on the TV screen in every cabin.