jeh10641
-
Posts
1,439 -
Joined
Content Type
Forums
Blogs
Downloads
Events
Gallery
Posts posted by jeh10641
-
-
On 2/26/2022 at 4:45 AM, NCTribeFan said:
I just booked Rotterdam for the April TA. I sailed K'dam and loved the ship, so really looking forward to that. I have over a year to read every thread I can find about her!
As for entertainment, count me as one who does not miss the mediocre singing from the performers in the main theatre. IMO, it's always been the weak point. The dance troupes on Eurodam and NA this past winter were both excellent.
When I sailed K'dam, there was no Rolling Stones venue, so I was in the BB Kings club most every night. Same on Eurodam and NA. I detest piano bars and really disliked that it was directly next to the casino, so I couldn't avoid that yowling. I know Rotterdam has a different layout, so hopefully I won't have to listen to that when I'm upstairs in the casino.
Between BB Kings, Rolling Stones, and Lincoln Center Stage, I'm sure I'll find enough musical entertainment for my tastes. And I'll have my nightly donations to the casino to keep me busy.
Now to go look at every photo of the ship that I can find. 😁
You will love Rotterdam. We spent our time in B.B. Kings for r/b, Lincoln Center Stage (classical) and B.B.Kings Comedy nights. All were excellent. Cantare in the Main Stage were good as well. I liked the music in Rolling Stone.
-
On 2/25/2022 at 9:43 AM, VegasRealtor said:
We always ask the room stewards to be sure to leave us chocolate at our turn down service and they always comply!
Thanks for your service. My brother was in the Navy as a corpsman but sucked into the Marines. He spent a year in Viet Nam, 06/66 to 06/67 near Khe San.
-
On our Rotterdam cruise, we saw only one Mainstage Show, a group of four male singers called Acapella. Live singing, recorded music background. Really good. Spent most of our entertainment hours at B.B. King's, Lincoln Center and Rolling Stone. Even better!
18 hours ago, jimmy2x said:I am also following along with interest. We will be on her for b to b next year right about this time. Am hopeful that by then things will be back to normal. Managed to get a cabin on the 6th deck on the stern. Makes for some long walks, but the balcony is much larger and the view is great.
Thanks for your Navy service. The exercise will allow for MORE food.
- 2
-
I, too, start at 20% and look for reasons to go up. Rarely if ever have I gone downwards. I do not care if the guide/driver is the owner. In most places the standard of living is way too low to care about whether it is the boss or not.
- 1
-
We arrived at 12:00 for a 1:00 boarding time on 12/01/21 for a Rotterdam trip. Test results had not yet been received so I had to get tested in the terminal. In our cabin with testing and waiting within 40 minutes. NO PROBLEMS! 1700 pax.
Jim.
-
On our 12/01/21 Rotterdam cruise, I brought 12 waxed paper, 11 oz., bottles of Premier Protein shakes on board. I told HAL before our cruise about them (dietary needs). No problem. I asked our cabin stewards (Roby and Addy) to empty the minibar so I could store them. It was done in less than an hour after requesting.
-
3 hours ago, Cruise Suzy said:
Regarding the laundry, I've searched high & low for the tags that others have mentioned. They are nowhere to be seen on any of our returned items. We've had shirts, slacks, socks, underwear and pajamas laundered. No tags at all.
Ate at Canaletto last evening. Wednesday their special is veal liver, which I love. (I know many others, like DS and DD, can't stand the thought.) DH ordered it as well along with the Langoustine-Tomato soup. I had the hazelnut tart and he had the ricotta tart. We had a late breakfast and early dinner, so I just had bread pudding for lunch. Priorities, you know.
I bought the laundry package, preboarding (about $77.00) for our 11-night Rotterdam on 12/01/21. Never saw a "tag" and sent out several times. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED so you do not need to bring a lot of clothing.
- 2
-
17 hours ago, jimmy2x said:
I am also following along with interest. We will be on her for b to b next year right about this time. Am hopeful that by then things will be back to normal. Managed to get a cabin on the 6th deck on the stern. Makes for some long walks, but the balcony is much larger and the view is great.
Thanks for your Navy service. The exercise will allow for MORE food.
- 1
-
On 2/12/2022 at 7:17 AM, cruiseaholic78 said:
I just discovered that there is a new movie (documentary) about Horn and Hardart Automats. Here is the link:
Back in the 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s, one of my favorite dining experiences was at the Horn and Hardart Automats in Manhattan. Chris Pavone, an author and editor (Crown Publishers) I follow, sent me the link below to a movie about those iconic restaurants. I booked two tickets for Madie and me to attend its showing with Sunday brunch, at the Jewish Film Festival in Seattle March 27 (Sunday). I hope you get a chance to see it as well.On http://www.cruisecritic.com I mentioned the Automats in a conversation about food on Holland America cruises when another participant showed food vending machines in Holland. I replied that they looked like Horn and Hardart Automats which spurred a brief flurry of more comments. This happened about two weeks ago. Pavone's email was yesterday. Coincidence? Twilight Zone! -
All good suggestions. Do not use Quest Diagnostics. We used them and my wife's test came back after were on the Rotterdam and mine never came in. We were tested by HAL at the terminal because we had proof of taking the test but no with no results.
- 1
-
On 2/17/2022 at 11:28 AM, The-Inside-Cabin said:
There are several walk thrus on You Tube
I watch La Lido Loca on You Tube every day, sometimes more than once a day, (that is Tony Barnett pictured above who shares the posts with his wife Jenny), and they have over 153,000 subscribers. There are seven others I watch daily as well. Tony's walk through of the Covid test is very good.
-
Good for you. Enjoy your trip. Do you have room for two more people?
- 1
-
Depending on your travel "needs", why not spend a couple of days in Seattle and Vancouver to see those spectacular cities? I would consider the train as it takes you to the center of Seattle.
- 1
-
28 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:
The cookies are excellent as well. The variety of beverages are worth exploring as well.
I loved the 7–8-inch chocolate chip cookies at the Grand Dutch Cafe. Emma would love them as well. I absolutely hated the meals we had at NY Pizza and Deli (one lunch, two people).
Jim
- 1
-
-
Here are my reviews of th.e food on Rotterdam in December 2021. You will not go wrong on any choice you make.
FOOD, GLORIOUS FOOD
The food quality and quantity were up to, and maybe even better than, HAL’s standards. The variety may have been a little less but it was understandable under the COVID supply chain shortages.
We ate every breakfast in the LIDO Buffet. The bagels were very good (only had two, diet concerns) with lox and cream cheese. The made to order omelets were terrific. Asked for and received sour cream to which I added a banana. The staff behind the counters and the servers at the tables were friendly and efficient. Outstanding staff in the LIDO Buffet included Genesis, Nadia, Ayuk, Meredith, Luki, Azani and especially Rini. If you see them, say “hi” for us.
We ate dinner in the Main Dining Room for all but four dinners. Most often, we sat at table 80 with our two cousins and usually two strangers. Megan (male) was our table captain and the servers were Ali and Andhika. Hazel was the hostess every night at the entrance (lower level) and made sure we had the same table even though we had open seating. There were about 4 or 5 items every night that cost extra. They included jumbo shrimp, lobster and filet steak. The main courses changed daily, not 100%, but more than enough that we could pick and choose something different each time. There was a sugar free dessert each night. Vegan, vegetarian, and gluten free meals were present at all food venues.
Our first specialty dinner took place at Canaletto where we celebrated my wife’s birthday. The food was excellent and plentiful. They made a special dessert for my wife’s celebration that we could all share. We had dined at previous Canaletto’s. It is located in an area that is part of the LIDO Buffet but was separate. It had many windows to see out of when it was light enough (Deck 9). The night we were there at 7 PM, maybe 20% of the tables were occupied. The staff were smiling and professionally top notch. It felt as if we were at an Italian trattoria in Florence. We were there in 2016 preceding our HAL cruise on the Oosterdam. Give yourself 90 minutes to enjoy the experience fully. Staff members to remember were Ana and Maria. RECOMMENDED.
Tamarind was our second “night out”. This was new to us as a venue. It is an Asian fusion specialty restaurant that included a bar (really good pina coladas, our first of the trip) and Nami Sushi Bar. It overlooks the stern of the ship on Deck 12. Staff members we want single out are Maria (again), Azani and Ayuk (again). The main courses were great. The five side dishes were included for the whole table (four of us). Again, it takes 90 minutes to two hours to fully enjoy it. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Another new to us venue was Rudi’s Sel De Mare (on Deck 2), the brainchild of restaurateur Rudi Sodamin. It is basically a French bistro with an emphasis on seafood. However, I had steak tartare for my main course (ordered two appetizers) and my wife had a 12-ounce Maine lobster tail that was the best. (I went to college in Maine and ate a lot of lobster.) We celebrated the birthday of one of my cousins. They made him a special dessert to celebrate it. The hostess at the door was Genesis (LIDO). They treated us royally. Budget at least two hours for the best experience. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Our final extravaganza dining spot was The Pinnacle Grill on deck 2. It too had windows for when it is light enough to see out. This is primarily a steakhouse but other options are available. We had dined previously at Pinnacle Grills but this was far and away the best. My steak was done to perfection – tasty, tender. Impeccable service added to the two-hour experience. Our server was Boris who was friendly and efficient. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Just to reiterate, all dining venues had vegan, vegetarian and gluten free options. One of my cousins is gluten free and she was happy with her choices. The servers and the kitchens were able to make many of the meals gluten free even if not listed as such. Because of my experience with specialty restaurants on previous cruises, I felt they had not been worth the extra expense. These four dining experiences changed my attitude. They were off-the-wall awesome.
We did have lunch twice at Dive-In Burgers and once at New York Pizza and Deli. The former offered hamburgers and Nathan’s Hot Dogs. I loved the burgers wrapped in lettuce (no buns for me) with cheese, bacon and frizzled onions. My wife enjoyed the Nathan Hot Dogs (no bun for her either). The fries were pretty good as well. The pizza my wife ate had very little cheese or pepperoni so she ordered four slices to get enough to eat. She scraped the toppings off the crust, which was NOT a New York pizza crust at all. I tried the Reuben (no bread) which also failed miserably in taste, quality and quantity. DIVE IN is RECOMMENDED. NY PIZZA and DELI is NOT RECOMMENDED.
The other days, we had lunch in the LIDO BUFFET. I had salads every day and the toppings were very tasty and varied. My wife also had some salads and some noodle dishes from the Asian section. She, too, loved her food. We did not have any desserts for lunch. One day I did have a chocolate chip cookie from the GRAND DUTCH CAFÉ. It was one of the best ever. Both venues are HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
We are not alcohol drinkers so we did not test any of the bars’ alcoholic beverages except for a couple of pina coladas that were excellent. My wife did have coffee, tea or soft drinks on numerous occasions from the bars. The service was timely and friendly.
- 3
- 2
-
For my Rotterdam cruise on 12/01/21, I brought about a dozen paper "bottles" of a protein shake on board for dietary reasons. I asked HAL first (by phone) if that was okay. The answer - yes.
- 1
-
I always check several cruise websites for pricing before I decide on a cruise. I always then use a local Travel Agent to book the cruise and mention the prices I have seen. He/she can match the lowest fare. AND, on every cruise using a T.A., I can all kinds of onboard credits making the deal sweeter. If there is a problem, the T.A. will take care of it. They do not charge for their services. The cruise lines pay them a commission based on the price.
-
I agree with those who say go to the port. It is much better to speak to somebody in person. In December, we took our tests in Florida (we live near Seattle and took five days in Florida to see friends and family) two days in advance of our cruise. Had no response from testing service by cruise day. We went to the port early and explained our situation. We took another test there and were in our cabin in less than 40 minutes including the test and the wait.
- 8
-
To find out about a place I have never been to, I use TripAdvisor's website. If I am on a cruise, I also use the shore excursions to see where they go. I try to use local guides/tours booked independently using TripAdvisor's referrals. I have never been disappointed by the independents. On rare occasions, I use the cruise line's shore excursions. They are generally more expensive and I am not sure how much the locals get from the fee.
-
I have never cruised to Alaska (bucket list) but I have traveled there frequently.
I went to Alaska for 20+ years as a book sales rep, three times a year, two weeks or more at a time, usually late February (really cold and dark), mid-May (usually really nice weather) and early September (most unpredictable weather). I started all my trips in Fairbanks and worked my way south to Anchorage (the ugliest U.S. city in the most spectacular setting), Homer, Juneau, Sitka and Ketchikan. Part of the scheduling had to do with daylight and part had to do with weather. I also made it to Nome, Kodiak and Petersburg at various times.
In Juneau you can go to Mendenhall Glacier just a short drive from the cruise port (15-20 minutes) and get REALLY close to a glacier (albeit a smaller face than those in Glacier Bay et al). Midsummer you will see whales from the cruise ship and just about any other water craft excursion you take. If possible, use local tour guides/excursions rather than HAL's. Use TripAdvisor or Cruise Critic to find them.
I second the opinion to do a Land/Sea trip. Start in Fairbanks. Two full days in Denali and two days in Anchorage. If you can arrange a day trip Homer, do it. It will take about 6 hours roundtrip by car (unless it is a Friday which can double the time because of traffic). There are also air trips via small planes that do it in an hour or less each way.
In Juneau, Sitka and Ketchikan, try to eat ashore for FRESH salmon probably caught that day. I remember a couple of times in Ketchikan having lunch from a street vendor selling salmon burgers on the pier (the best I ever ate) with few customers while the hamburger/hot dog vendors had LOOOONNNNGGGG lines. What is wrong with that picture?
In Juneau, if you can get in, the Red Dog Saloon is really fun even if it is a tourist trap. One of the best bookstores in Alaska is in Juneau, Hearthside Books, near the waterfront. The Homer Bookstore is also worth a visit. There used to be a woman who fed bald eagles on the Homer Spit. She is gone but the eagles are not. Google it.
Have fun!
Jim
- 3
-
12 hours ago, BelleEpoque said:
Days 3 and 4:
Day 3 was a sea day, following HMC and en route to Falmouth, Jamaica. It was one of those perfect day where I did very little, as planned. I also met many of my fellow shipmates, including a couple of solo cruisers, though I didn’t attend the solos and singles lunch. (I did meet someone who attended the solo lunch and they said it was lovely but it was roughly six women and one man; I’ll admit to being a man’s woman - an offshoot of being a daddy’s girl - so that didn’t really appeal to me. And my experience has been that it’s quite easy to meet people through my normal daily activities.)
I spent most of the day in the incredibly comfortable lounge chairs on the lido deck reading my book and chatting with fellow cruises in the pool and hot tub. I also found time to get a nice spa treatment in the afternoon. I would say that nearly all of the deck chairs at the lido pool were taken during the peak times around 10a - 2p, but it did seem like everyone who wanted a deck chair was able to get one.
I went to the whiskey tasting at Notes, which focused on Highland scotch and was great fun. There is a Japanese whiskey tasting later this week and I would love to go but I think the fee is $40. I am trying to stick with the included drinks and dining options going forward (wish me luck).
I had dinner that night at the sushi bar at Nami Sushi and the food and experience were both great, including the staff at the restaurant and the other cruisers I met there. Nami’s prices are a la carte and it is located sort of in the same space as Tamarind. I’m excited to use my specialty dining credit at Tamarind later this week - I have heard only good things.
I had caught a performance on the Lincoln Center stage, just before the whiskey tasting, that featured a lovely program of French composers and musicians, including music by Debussy, Ravel, and others, plus a medley of songs popularized by Edith Piaf. But that night I went to bed shortly after dinner, so I didn’t catch the stage show or any other performances on Music Walk.
I awoke early on Day 4 (no surprise there). I did disembark and take a stroll through the Falmouth cruise port. I wasn’t in the mood for an excursion, so I spent about an hour in port browsing through the straw market and then headed back on board. I have spent a lot of time in Jamaica, so I kind of treated it like a sea day. And I once again spent most of my day poolside at the lido deck and relaxing in the spa.
i missed out on the music yesterday because I chose to spend time in the casino and at the Half Moon Bar (which I absolutely loved; if you enjoy craft cocktails, the Half Moon is not to be missed - some photos below). Food that day was all quick and casual, except I did do breakfast in main dining, which is one of the few meals I enjoy taking there. Lunch was Dive-In burger, so convenient to the lido pool.
I had dinner at New York Pizza and Deli. The salads at NYP&D are small but very fresh and good, and the pizzas are outstanding, in my opinion (and I say that as someone who knows both New York and Neapolitan pizza very well, which is an important detail because I do think the pizza is more like what you would find in Naples, Italy than what you would find in the five boroughs of NYC. I prefer Neapolitan-style pizza so it’s a win for me).
In any case, my days tend to be busy with restorative and relaxing activities and I haven’t had nearly as much time to vlog as I expected, but that is definitely a good thing.
Today is another sea day (I love sea days which makes me think that I would also enjoy a Transatlantic cruise). It will look a lot like a combo of Days 3 and 4 but I’ll try to stay out of the casino, though I have to admit that I enjoy it so much more since it’s non-smoking and last night it felt like I was winning, but in the end, it was just break even (which is not the ultimate goal but still fine by me).
*Note: I rarely do food photos but I’ll try to remember to do a few throughout the week if anyone is interested. I can also post menus later in a separate post.
Hi,
We, too, love NY Pizzas so my wife was really disappointed with her pepperoni NY pizza in December. We are currently eating pizzas without the crust (health). She scraped the toppings off of her FOUR slices to make a meal. The toppings were very skimpy and really fell short of what we call NY Pizzas. We were both born and raised in and around New York City. Loved Dive In burgers and Nathan Hot Dogs. Usually, I find specialty restaurants not worth the extra fee. Rotterdam broke the rules. We ate at all except Nami Sushi. They were extraordinary and made for our evening entertainment. We ate at 7 PM all four nights. Each dinner was 1.5 to 2 hours long. Worth the time and the cost. We love sea days as well. I find they are the only way to really get to know the ship. I wanted more sea days on our 12/01/21 Caribbean cruise so made a couple of the port days sea days. Your photos are great. Thanks for helping me to bring back memories.
Jim
- 1
-
23 hours ago, SUESEABE said:
@jeh10641 Did you look at the date of the posting?? 5/14/2019
I did not notice the date but did not see any list that was up to date.
-
I think you will enjoy Rotterdam. The Music Walk venues are great (I was on board 12/01/21 with my wife). Ask for a table for 6 or 8 people in the MDR. Tell them you would like others to sit at your table. We have done that on several cruises over the last decade and have made lifelong friends on each trip.
Jim
- 2
The 3% Club
in Holland America Line
Posted
My wife and I are octogenarians. We have graduated from "formal" nights to being comfortable. She may wear a nice dress and I wear a nice sweater with a long-sleeved shirt and nice long pants (never jeans). If being "formal" is your thing, I applaud your efforts.