jeh10641

Hi, All,

As we are traveling in Florida for five days before our 12/01/21 Rotterdam cruise, testing became my biggest concern. We will be in Port St. Lucie on 11/28 and have a test through Quest Diagnostics at a Walmart in Boynton Beach at 10 AM. Has anybody done a Quest test?

Jim

Hi, All,

Thanks for all the terrific posts so far. A BIG SALUTE TO ALL MILITARY AND THEIR FAMILIES! ANOTHER BIG SALUTE TO ALL MEDICAL PERSONNEL ESPECIALLY THE UNDERPAID NURSES.

My younger brother was a Navy/Marine Corpsman in Vietnam (1966-67) near Khe San. 3rd Division, 327th Regiment. He has a purple heart. I am so proud of him! Our parents never knew.

I have had diabetes for over 40 years with insulin being a part of the treatment for over 30 years. During COVID, I consulted with a nutritionist from my hospital's medical team. She put me on a high protein, low carb diet. I lost 40 pounds and cut my insulin by more than 50%. I am 80 years old. You can teach an old dog new tricks!

I recently asked her about cruise food. She, "Cruises are for cheating!" which was music to my ears and diet!

Hi, All,

I received the following response from HAL related to my shareholder request. My original message went out 09/14/21. I received the response 09/27/21. I made a print version to take onboard. Good hunting!

"Thank you for your request to have a shipboard credit applied to reservation(s) XXXXXX based on your status as a CCL stockholder

Holland America Line has applied the shipboard credit of $100.00 USD to your booking and it will be credited to your onboard account upon embarkation.  If you have further questions about your Carnival Shareholder Benefit, please let us know.  If you are booked through a travel agency and have booking related questions, please contact your travel adviser. 

We look forward to welcoming you onboard in the near future."

Jim

Hi, Trixiee,

We have cruised in outside and mostly LARGE inside cabins (never less than two weeks). On our 12/01/21 Rotterdam cruise we are booked in a LARGE inside on Deck 1 about midship.

Think of a ship as a seesaw - the least amount of up-down/side-side motion is in the middle, and low down. On one Panama Canal cruise (Ft. Lauderdale to Seattle, 17 nights) there were three adults - my wife, her sister and me. We were all about 70 years old. We had no problem with space.

Btimmer,

Rain? What we have been facing is a flood from the sky as opposed to rivers. It should get worse later this year. That is why we are taking a three-week getaway including visits friends and family in Florida.

Jim

Btimmer,

I look forward to your posts as we are booked on Dec. q1, 2021 Rotterdam cruise. I see by your name tag the word "Burien". Is that Burien, WA? If so, we are almost neighbors. I will also let others on my cruise know about your postings. Bon Voyage!

Jim 

Hi, All,

I believe that the CDC said awhile back that if, as a country, we reach a 70% or 80% vaxxed rate that COVID could be controlled successfully. If a ship is at 95% or greater, that far exceeds the CDC's standards.

I, for one, wear a mask whenever I enter a public space (community center, grocery store, restaurant, etc.) so I find a masking policy unoffensive. From watching a variety of You Tube Cruisers, I agree that a cruise ship might well be safer than visiting any local retail space.

I have spoken to HAL a number of times about our upcoming Rotterdam cruise (12/01/21). The one constant I hear is that policies are extremely fluid and can/will change daily if not hourly. I suggest preparing for the most extreme conditions and be happy if they are relaxed when it is your time to board.

Thanks for this opportunity to discuss policies.

Btimmer,

I look forward to your posts as we are booked on Dec. q1, 2021 Rotterdam cruise. I see by your name tag the word "Burien". Is that Burien, WA? If so, we are almost neighbors. I will also let others on my cruise know about your postings. Bon Voyage!

Jim 

Sansterre,

I add my thanks for all you posted over the last three weeks. I am leaving on Dec. 1, 2021 on the Rotterdam and feel more prepared my cruise.

Thanks to everybody else who has posted in this thread.  you are all 5 Diamonds in my book.

Jim

Hi, Sue/WDW1972,

you may well have seen my name. I am following our ship closely. See you in three weeks. My wife and I will be boarding at 1 PM on 12/01/21.

Jim

Hi, wdw1972 (Sue?),

Will you be on board on Dec. 1, 2021? If so, would like to meet you. Thanks for the sentiment.

Jim

Hi, All on Rotterdam,

I will be watching your posts avidly since we travel on it on 12/01/21. For that, I THANK YOU most profusely in advance. especially sansterre.

On your way in and out of Port Everglades you may notice two high rise buildings on the beach front. They are Point of Americas, Bldg. 1 and 2. 1 is the shorter of the two. My parents lived there from 1969 to 2000 on the NE corner of the 23rd floor. Whenever we visited, we joined the horn tooting for departing/arriving cruise ships (a lot fewer then!). On a clear day, you could see the Statue of Liberty in NY (not really but close!). I know that there will be tears in my eyes as we pass those buildings. 

Enjoy your short cruise.

Jim

Is there a live thread for the current Rotterdam cruise?

Hi, MaxEdison,

We have done the East to West transatlantic twice (2009 from Barcelona, 2016 from Rome) and loved gaining an hour of sleep each day. The second trip followed nearly three weeks of site/sightseeing in Europe so the rest was warranted (I was 75).

Jim

Sansterre,

Thank you for your answer to the Microsoft/Library question I asked. And for all of the other updates and photos you posted.

My wife and I are booked on Dec.1, 2021 for 11 nights. I am starting to assemble all that I need for our trip from Amazon and elsewhere. We are spending a few days before and after the cruise visiting friends and family all over Florida.

MrBill,

Looking forward to meeting you on our cruise.

Stay well everybody.

Jim

Having gone to college in Maine in the early 1960s where I could get a lobster dinner on Friday night for $3.00, I have been hooked on Maine lobster (or cold water, New England). Others do hold a candle to them. I am addicted to a 1.75-pound lobster (whole, not the tail alone). I agree with the terrible inconvenience of having to tear it apart so always ask for it split and cleaned out. I only want the meat part. With lots of melted butter. Lots! $20.00 upcharge in MDR would be a bargain. Here in the west, Red Lobster sells them for $35 or more.

I cannot thank sansterre enough for creating this wonderful forum. Whetting our appetites, so to speak.

Jim

Thank you to all the "Posters" on the maiden voyage. My wife and I and two cousins from NC are booked December 1 for 11 nights. It has been great hearing about your adventures and misadventures so far. The photos have been amazing. We have been on two prior HAL cruises (2012 and 2016). I could not tell you the name of any staff member we encountered. Those who remember names from past cruises are fantastic. Thanks for sharing that info. I remember Punta Del Gado from our first transatlantic cruise on Navigator of the Seas in 2008. Reminded me a lot of Hawaii. Hope to see more posts of your DAYS AT SEA. Have any of the posters seen the Lincoln Center performers? That is our favorite music venue. Is the Microsoft lab gone? I saw that in its location was a library.

Hi, atexsix,

I responded to to your July 12, 2021 note: 

"Welcome neighbor!  I'm on the east side as well."

We live in Sammamish.

Jim 

Hi, atexsix,

Sorry it took so long to reply to you but I am still trying to figure the whole "reply" thing. we actually live in Sammamish. If I do not get back to you, do not fret. It may be that I have not seen your message yet. Look forward to meeting you on the Rotterdam. If you use "Rotterdam VII on You Tube" in your computer search, there are a number of videos available.

Jim

Looking forward to our Dec. 1, 2021 Rotterdam cruise. Fourth attempt at this itinerary. One I had to cancel because of surgery; two cancelled by COVID. Finally got some rain here (near Seattle, WA). Driest summer I can remember in 45 years living here (originally from Metro NY City).

Jim

Thanks Gail and Marty for the live updates. My wife and I are sailing on the Rotterdam on 12/01/21 in the Caribbean. This is the first report I have seen on HAL cruises.

Jim

On 7/12/2021 at 3:12 PM, atexsix said:

 

Welcome neighbor!  I'm on the east side as well.  

Where? I am in Sammamish.

Jim 

On 7/12/2021 at 3:00 PM, USN59-79 said:

Welcome to the daily from a fellow Washingtonian.  Enjoyed reading your background story especially from one who sailed on a HAL ship in 1959.  In 1959 I began sailing for two years on a U.S. Navy ship, USS Pine Island (AV-12), a seaplane tender.  Somewhat different from a cruise ship, but we saw a lot of the Far East.  I am guessing from your avatar that you once lived in White Plains, NY.  Is that right?

Ray

Hi, Ray,

I am sorry it took so long to reply to a fellow Washingtonian but I did not see you quote until today (09-06). My brother lives in White plains. We grew up in Pelham and Larchmont.

Jim

Is it cheaper or more expensive than other trip insurance and does it cover COVID19 to full extent?

JEH10641

Hi, Everybody,

This is my first visit to this site. Thanks for all the comments. I think I will return. Maybe not every day, though.

My favorite pie - Key lime. My favorite drink - Pina Colada. Do not eat/drink them very often - health reasons but willing to give it a go in December at least once.

Cruising on the Rotterdam 12/01/21 with cousins from NC. celebrating our anniversary (54) and our birthdays (80 for me, 78 for Madie). Honeymooned in 1967 on St. Thomas. Shibui, a Japanese cottage style hotel, now condos. Strawberry Daiquiris at the Hotel 1829. Looking forward to see if it is still in business.

First cruise was 1959 on the Nieuw Amsterdam (1938 version). Sailed on her again in 1966 (same table server!). Westerdam, Panama Canal from FL to Seattle in 2012. Oosterdam from Rome to FL in 2016. In 1959, took the SS Constitution from Genoa to New York City. Both 1959 trips were 8 nights.

Celebrated my 75th and Madie's 73rd on that. Since we were going to Rome, we thought we could add Florence before the cruise. Decided to add Venice before Florence. Madie's family came from Vienna so we added that before Venice. I always wanted to see Prague (WWII spy thrillers and more; I have posted nearly 250 book reviews on GoodReads.com). Flew from Seattle to New York City to Oslo to Prague.

I have a great story about a bird poop scam that happened to us in Barcelona in 2009 (Navigator of the Seas) pre-transatlantic cruise). Three hours in a Barcelona police station. Two hours getting new passports.

In 1989 on the Costa Riviera to celebrate my father's 85th birthday (August) we played tag with a hurricane in the Caribbean. Great videos of that.

Hope to meet you all on a cruise someday. Stay well.