"LIVE" with Sungirl in South America. HAL Zaandam Nov 8-22, 2015

"LIVE" with Sungirl in South America! Join me on the HAL Zaandam Nov. 8-22, 2015.

Greetings from Sungirl! The last time I met you was May of 2014 on the Noordam I was a HAL virgin. I had a wonderful cruise experience on HAL and I am excited to be back. It was a difficult decision when planning my South American adventure as to where I would go, what I would do and how I would get there. I prefer land travel, but it's a lot more work. I had a busy summer at home and decided a cruise full of scenic sea days would probably be my best choice. If you have read my "LIVE" reports before on the Princess or Celebrity forums, you will know I don't take myself too seriously and I find everything funny. I am a silly girl from Kansas finding my own fun everyday. The disclaimer- food, entertainment, and life in general is subjective. I am only reporting on my experience. My key to happiness is to keep my expectations low. I am usually never disappointed and always more than satisfied. I wander around a bit, and find that patience and politeness are also key to travel success. You can also follow me on Facebook where I post photos and videos - Fungirl Across America and Beyond. FYI - PC is code for Prince Charming, the one who puts up with all of my craziness and makes all things possible.

On with the show! We tend to take longer trip at the holidays. The short list this year - Vietnam, South Africa, or Patagonia. After deciding on South America and finding the perfect schedule on HAL, I booked my usual 30 days in advance. This cruise was a steal for inside and oceanview cabins. Princess (Moi!) had that corner aft Neptune suite on the Noordam Med cruise. I could not imagine life without a Neptune suite. However, being a practical Princess, I booked a Vista suite. I was given an upgrade offer for the Neptune suite, but declined because Starboard side wasn't available. I could also find plenty of uses for that extra $2K.

I spent a lot of $$ on "gear" for this trip. Gore-tex running shoes and a ton of North Face clothes. I will go into more detail as we go.

I booked our airline tickets on United. I fly United exclusively when possible as I enjoy the perks of my status. I never find any "deals", but I do get upgraded to premium economy and/or business class on every flight.

I will create a new post for each day. I may get behind, but I will catch up eventually. I will answer any and all questions at the end of the cruise when I get on land. I hope I can help others and entertain too! I hope you will come with me.

Cheers, Sungirl

Looking forward to your "Live" reports.

Sungirl, thank you for posting! We board four weeks after you disembark. Here are a few questions that I and our roll call members would greatly like to know...

These cruises have lots of tender ports. How is Zaandam currently issuing tender tickets?

What fixed dining times are being used on board? Is it still 5:45 and 8:00?

Are the shows for 'later dining' staying late at night (10:00) or before dinner (7:00)?

Any information on 'happy hours' being offered is appreciated!

What is being charged per day for the "Unlimited laundry package?"

THANK YOU!

Looking forward to reading all about your adventures!

Subscribing :)

OK I admit to being a fan. At least I realize that since I followed you here from the Princess board I must be.

I'm looking forward to following along.

Enjoy!

I'm following along as South America is on my bucket list. Please post a little about your cabin. I'm interested in knowing the differences that you discover between being in a Vista Suite as opposed to a Neptune Suite.

Thanks!

06 - 07 November - The bucket list flight and Pre Cruise Hotel

I booked the Dreamliner 787. I had not had a date with that bad boy yet. It was awesome. Quiet, 3-3-3 configuration, and loads of storage space. shoulder to shoulder is tight in economy and I always suggest premium economy if you can swing it. Bad luck on the B Class upgrade. Waitlist number 9 and 10 weren't going to make the cut. I was over the moon with my bulkhead premium economy seat, however. The best consolation prize. Flight was great, food totally fine with salted caramel gelato for dessert in economy. WOW! First time I have ever had free wine with dinner in economy on a US airline. Arrived on time in Buenos Aires. Exhausted, but on time!

I booked the Four Seasons Hotel for one night pre-cruise. I did something I never do. I always book direct for any and all reservations. I would never use a third party or booking engine. Never say never. When I was perusing reviews on Trip Advisor, I found a third party agent with a room price almost half of what I booked direct. I immediately decided to gamble on it. I always have visions of getting the worst rooms when booking thru a third party. I worked out great and I didn't have to sleep in the housekeeping closet. I also made the decision to use some of the $$ I saved on the room to hire the Four Seasons driver to pick us up from the airport. Their are many ways to transfer from the hotel to the city depending on your ambition and budget. Most people would get a blue taxi from the taxi center outside of baggage. Fixed price around $50. The Four Seasons recommends the Tienda Leon shuttle service. I believe it is $57. Not positive. I spent $115 to be safe, comfortable, and the car was at the front door of baggage claim. The right thing for me to do after being loopy flying all night. Lots of bad things can happen when you are sleep deprived. It was so worth every penny.

We checked in around noon, the hotel had no problem getting us to our room before the 3pm check-in. These perks make the price well worth it. We went immediately to the swimming pool and had a fabulous lunch. Gorgeous, warm, sunny spring day. Here is a jet lag story for you. We are at the pool and a lot of people had gathered in the street next to the hotel. Making a lot of noise. We thought it was a political protest and paid no attention. OMG! Pearl Jam was staying at the hotel and they were coming in. We had the best view in the house, but sat there thinking it was a political protest. PC was devastated. It's his favorite band. It's a wonder he left the hotel at all thinking he would meet Mike McCready. So close and yet so far.

We had dinner at the steak house at the hotel. It was fantastic. Don't miss going to a Parilla, Argentine steakhouse. Lots's of famous ones in BA. Don Julio is popular.

We fell into bed, but I can never sleep due to all of my excitement. Looking forward to hitting the streets of BA tomorrow.

You're off to a great start! I'm looking forward to following along.:)

I'M IN!! Looking forward to this.

Hey Paige!

It's Carole here, checking in and looking forward to your blog. We took a wonderful Northern Europe cruise on HAL Eurodam in June, and had a corner aft Neptune Suite, best cabin ever!! Just had to jump on that upsell!

Have a great trip!

08 November - touring the neighborhoods of Buenos Aires

We enjoyed a leisurely breakfast at the hotel which was included in the room rate. The food at the Four Seasons is always incredible. Breakfast was no exception. They served this pie crust pastry and I seriously could have eaten a dozen. I am a donut queen, and this was way better than a donut.

The hotel set up a guide and driver for us. http://www.check-out-buenosaires.com or sebastian@check-out-buenosaires.com

Sebastian and his driver, Ricardo were a perfect match for us. So fun, funny, and patient with all of my questions. I highly recommend. I normally take the hop on/hop off bus tours in any large city, but Buenos Aires is too spread out and I didn't want to waste time. Had not read good reviews. However, if I go back someday, I would ride around on the topless bus.

Buenos Aires is a city of 4 million people. It is divided into many neighborhoods each with a different personality. We drove through many neighborhoods and made several stops for photos and touring. Don't miss the Recoleta Cemetary. If you are visiting on a Sunday the San Telmo street fair is a must. We stopped at an upscale wine shop to purchase our allotted bottles of wine. So looking forward to immersing myself in Argentine and Chilean wine. If you are interested in photos, etc. you can check my FB page. We went back to the hotel after the tour and PC was refusing to leave. He wanted another chance to see Pearl Jam. All the groupies were still lined up. We waited a while, but no sighting so we had to head to the ship.

Ricardo brought us to the ship. It was after 6pm by the time we strolled into the terminal. Immigration was closed so we were prisoners on the ship until we cleared. We have vista suite 7065 on the Navigation deck. 30 seconds from our beloved Buff-Ette.

We settled in, grabbed a quick bite to eat, and went to the Welcome Show - Listen to the Music. I love the nightly production shows and rarely miss one. Unless it's a juggler or hypnotist. Those shows are anxiety producing! Linda Minnikin is the cruise director. I want to call her Edina. She reminds me of Jennifer Saunders in Ab Fab. She is hospitable and professional. PC suffers through the production shows because he knows I love them. At 51, I am definitely one of the younger people on board. It's an elderly clientele. There are approx 325 Americans, 225 Aussies, 200 Germans, 175 South American, 125 Canadian, 150 UK, and smaller numbers from lots of countries. I was surprised there were not more Canadians and Brits. Many in the crowd were falling asleep during the show. I was getting so worried someone was going to lose a denture with mouths hanging open. I think that someone should be assigned to do a denture sweep after every show.

Nothing on the ship was open since we were in port so it was very quiet. The 10:30pm late night snack in the buff-ette is a full on meal. PC goes to bed and gets up to get another round of dessert at 11pm. 30 seconds from sugar.

09 November - Another day in BA/Bon Voyage

We had to report to immigration 9am in the cruise terminal. We were unsure about how we wanted to spend the day. I was very disappointed I had not booked another day in BA on the front end. I wanted to go to Colonia de Sacramento in Uruguay. It is much easier to take the ferry from BA than make the drive from Montevideo. Our guide, Sebastian, was going over also and he was willing to guide us around. Unfortunately the ferry returned to BA at 5:15pm and the ship left at 6pm. Not enough time. I decided to do something I never do - sign up for a ship tour. I was feeling tired and lazy and not willing to play tour guide. I signed us on for a trip to the suburbs and a Tigre river cruise. It was a nice, easy excursion, but I was quickly reminded why I hesitate to book ship excursions. We like to move fast. That is the impossible on the ships tours. I had to laugh though because PC needs more bathroom stops than anyone. We stopped a lot. A 30 minute ride becomes 2 hours. UGH. It worked out ok and I was glad to have someone else do the work. I am not sure if i would recommend this tour or not. I am on the fence about that. There is so much to see/do in BA. I would do a food crawl next time.

Another tip: If an excursion is showing sold out, you can go stand by. That is what I did. Usually they have a few extra seats.

We returned to the ship in time for the muster drill at 5pm. The Buff-Ette opens at 5:30pm - 8pm. Traditional dining is at 5:45pm and 8pm. Open dining til 9pm.

Tonight's production show - Brazilian pianist Rogerio Tutti. I am not a fan of Liberace or Van Cliburn, but this young man was charming. The showtimes in the evening are 8pm or 10pm.

Another leisurely stroll back to the cabin thru the promenade shops and casino. Smoking is allowed in the casino. We don't hang out in there, so not an issue for us.

10 November - a short hop to Uruguay. As Homer Simpson says U R Gay!

We hit a wall and needed sleep. We slept in and I did it again! Booked another ship tour! This time a walking tour. Surely this would be the physically fit group that could move faster. Montevideo is very easy to walk on your own. There is a internet/post office/phone center at the port. They have a good map with a walking tour. I enjoy the narration a lot, so tours are good in that way. Plus I always have a lot of questions.

Marcelo was our guide for our 3 hour tour. We stopped at the Cathedral, art museum of Torres Garcia, Independence Square, and the Solis Theater. Very easy and plenty of time for an overview. The only thing I regret is not getting a hot dog at La Pasiva.

We were the last kids on the ship because I was busy at the internet center.

We love the Buff-ette. PC wants protein and I want salad bar and desserts! We have a booth in the back we love. We need to put a sign on it to let others know we own it.

Tonight's production show - Pampas Devils Gauchos. An Argentine dance trio. tango thru the years and gaucho dancing with balls on a string. There were a lot of jokes made about balls. so sophomoric, and so funny.

We have settled into our routine. Our official date time is 6pm-9pm. Dinner and the show. Happy hour is offered 4-5pm at Ocean Bar and Crow's Nest. 9-10pm in the MIX. Buy one, get one for $1. Not sure if this includes wine or beer.

There is a movie shown every day in the theater and it also repeats in the cabins. Cabin TV has two movie stations.

11 November - I need sleep! 48 hours at sea.

I didn't know if i would wake up today. We are going to take advantage of the next two days to rest and get some spa treatments. I booked a hair highlight and cut today. PC and I will have massages tomorrow. Plus I will get a mini facial. I took the $139 special. Body massage including head and feet plus facial. I only do these things while cruising, so it is a treat.

The activity schedule is full. The roof on the main pool is closed and lots of people using the pools. I wanted PC to take Tango lessons at 11am, but he over slept. He is all about sensual, seductive, and erotic ballroom dance. We took dance lessons once and the instructors basically told us we flunked out and could move on to the second class. If that is our worst problem, I will take it.

The Captain had to blow the whistle every two minutes today due to low visibility. very annoying. Seas are pretty smooth, around 50 degrees. Still at two layers, but will be at three layers by tomorrow. Packing was very difficult for this trip. I packed for four seasons. I will assess my success on the way home. Right now if feels like i am a thermal under shirt short. I worry about getting cold.

Eat, eat, and eat some more. It feels like that on sea days. But actually, we haven't made it to breakfast yet, so that means we have not eaten to the maximum potential.

We have had mechanical issues in the cabin. So far the electrician for a blown fuse in the outlet, and a plumber for the busted O-Ring in the shower. This feels way too much like home. One more issue might make me complain.

There is a group on board - The Knitting Club. Lots of people knitting all over the cruise. I need them to knit me a long sleeve shirt STAT.

My stylist in the salon, Melissa, was great. She did exactly what I wanted for less than I pay at home. Very happy.

Tonight was formal night. We rarely dress for formal night, but I did reach an all time low tonight. I wore yoga pants and work out wear all day. I didn't even put on clothes for our date. I had the best lamb chops ever in the Buff-ette. All of the meat and fish has been great. Chicken especially.

Production show - Classique. A song and dance show. I was so impressed by the costumes. Really impressive for a cruise ship.

We ordered room service dessert after the show because I can't get the souffles in the Buff-ette. PC had some sort of brownie dessert. We have been ordering soda (DietCoke) through room service because they offer the 3 can package that may be less expensive than purchasing individual cans. The $45/day/pp drink package is a horrible deal for us. We don't drink that much.

Since we slept in, we stayed up late to watch movie from the cabin DVD library and I could also get caught up with my "live" thread. I bought the jumbo internet package - 1000 minutes for $250. I will probably burn through two of those.

Looking forward to some more R & R tomorrow.

And I'm looking forward to more of your thread! Thanks for posting.

KC Sungirl,

I am enjoying reading your wonderful reports. I haven't looked at your itinerary so it is going to be a big surprise for me. Enjoy your time on the ship and being pampered.

We returned home from Bali on Monday night, we were delayed 12 hours due to the Volcano but others have been stuck there for 7 to 8 days!

Jennie

Thank you too for answering a few of our questions in your commentary. Hope you are having an incredible day in the Falklands today!

I am posting a link to this thread on our roll call so you will have more fans!

Great reading - I'm loving your posts. We are considering a SA cruise in the future, so I'll be taking notes.

It sounds like you know about layering; up here on the "frozen tundra", it's how we enjoy outdoor winter activities. For you to keep warm here's how it should go: sports bra, tank top, short sleeve t, long sleeve t, long sleeve shirt, sweater or sweatshirt, jacket. Don't forget about something for your head to help keep in your body heat, and gloves. For your bottom layers: panties, panty hose, leggings, thermal underwear, pants. Add or remove layers as required.

Smooth Sailing! :) :) :)

12 November - it's a Hawaiian tropic day at sea off the coast of southern Argentina

We awoke to blue skies and smooth seas. We relaxed in the cabin until we headed for lunch around 1pm. It was beautiful outside. All the Germans were in bathing suits at the outside pool aft. Only a German would tan in a bathing suit at 50 degrees. We did enjoy sitting outside for lunch getting sun on our face. The Buff-Ette is crowded on sea days. 2 sea days in a row is about all I can take of the togetherness. I figured out today there is no pizza on the ship. What? Never heard of such a thing.

We went to the spa around 2:30pm for our treatments. We used the thermal area also. I have massage anxiety ever since I was traumatized by a massage therapist in Cambodia. She massaged my boobs and Michelin tire around my waist and it was weird. Now I have to make sure there is no boob or belly rubbing. Tijana from Serbia was great. The facial was also awesome. My only complaint is the treatment room next door was not soundproof and I had to listen to a lot of conversation. Annoying. Tijana tried to turn up the music to drown out the chatter, but that was worse. I complained and the manager said I could come back for another treatment in a quiet room. Nice. PC had a 75 minute massage from Queen.

We came back to the cabin to clean up for dinner. I went to get in the shower and the shower curtain was gone. OMG. Why would they change the shower curtain and not replace fairly quickly? I am naked in the shower trying to get a curtain. They bring a curtain for a shower, not the tub. It was half the width. PC will yell at me if I get water all over the floor. More anxiety. PC takes the the second shower and the shower head breaks again. The O-ring must be slipping or something. We told the cabin steward to get it fixed while we were out for the evening. This is getting ridiculous. This is the kind of crap I do at home.

We had our usual meat and potato dinner at the buff-ette. The production show tonight was Scottish singer/violinist Simone Welsh. She was darling. Loved the show.

After the production show we stopped by the Ocean Bar where each night they are tango dancing. The tango troupes on board dance with each other and guests. It is fun to watch. There is one woman who is hogging the male dancer. Funny. After the tango, we made our way to the Mix piano bar. That is the best entertainment. Drunk and frisky old people. A Seinfeld episode. I am sad to say that Don, the piano entertainer, and I will not be getting into a relationship. I have a thing for piano men, but Don is too old for me. He works the pedals barefoot and I was worried about foot odor. The play list tonight was Grandma's favorites. Even though I know all the words, songs like Embraceable You, Annie, and As Time Goes By puts me to sleep. I am looking for show tunes, Billy Joel, Elton John, and modern music. There was a woman who was coming on to Don and wouldn't let him go on break. I had to watch this train wreck. The best deal on the ship is happy hour. This includes all drinks under $8. We are going back from 9-10pm every night to refill the Diet Cokes at happy hour prices. I spend thousands of dollars to travel, but insist on saving a dollar on Diet Coke!

We went to the late night snack at the buff-ette. They were featuring German food. I wanted some spätzle and bratwurst. PC had eight scoops of ice cream.

Returned to the cabin and guess what? The freaking shower is not fixed. I called for a plumber, but they won't send one this late (11pm). This is frustrating me. I will rip them a new one tomorrow. But, they did correct the shower curtain!

Praying we make it into Port Stanley tomorrow. They missed three ports on the last cruise, including Stanley. Night.

Thank you for your posts! We'll be taking the Zaandam in early 2017 for the same cruise, but including Antarctica. How do you like the ship? Pros and cons?

Hope you get your shower fixed soon!

Great reports. Hope they get that shower fixed soon.:D

Enjoying reading your comments. Hope you make it into Stanley.... it is always a crap shoot. I have tried 3 times and have made it twice so it can be done!!! I trust you will get the shower fixed.... it is really annoying when it does not work.

Keep up the fun reviews.

Susan

Paige,

What a bummer that the shower isn't working! Have you tried asking for a new cabin or an upgrade! I have my fingers crossed for you re Stanley, as when we did our Antarctica cruise back in 2006, we missed 3 ports including Stanley so I have some unfinished business in that area of the world.

Jennie

Only a German would tan in a bathing suit at 50 degrees.

Or a Canadian . . . our motto is if the water isn't cold enough to walk on, it's warm enough to swim in. LOL

I'd love to be there to see you take on the establishment about your shower . . . :D

Smooth Sailing ! :) :) :)