RSVP 2011 Nieuw Amsterdam Caribbean

[pidaho1971]

Oh I am pulling an all nighter, and slowly will take my time packing and figuring out ensomblah's. Wouldn't be too bad if it wasn't a 5 costume change/day sort of frivoli and fabulouseness!! Although I am allowing myself 2 medium bags, and going to try my best to pack light this year... oh so famouse last words. Bring on creative packing!

 

I'm certainly not trying for 5 costume changes per day (but good on those who aspire to be that fabuloso!); however, I like to have backup outfits! Last year, a friend inadvertently (i.e., drunkenly) spilled an entire Jack and cola all over me at one of the shows. Unfortunately, it was the last night out so I had to rinse out my clothes in the sink so by luggage wouldn't smell like a distillery!

[Boytjie]

We hope you all have a wonderful cruise, we wil miss you but hope to see you all on another RSVP cruise soon. Caribbean 2012? I think so. :)

 

Peter and Richard

[jimnbillnpa]

We hope you all have a wonderful cruise, we wil miss you but hope to see you all on another RSVP cruise soon. Caribbean 2012? I think so. :)

 

Peter and Richard

 

Hope you all have a BLAST! We know you will. As Peter mentioned, Caribbean 2012 is already in the plans. We've had to cancel the Med cruise :( but it's all good. We have made an offer on a condo in St. Petersburg and our offer was accepted. As we travel back and forth the next couple weeks we will keep an eye out for Peter or Reuel starting an RSVP 2012 Caribbean thread. I wonder who will get to it first? AND put the correct DATE in the heading?

 

(And yes, Peter, I will change our cruise signature.):eek:

[TravelerRoss]

We hope you all have a wonderful cruise, we wil miss you but hope to see you all on another RSVP cruise soon. Caribbean 2012? I think so. :)

 

Peter and Richard

 

Hi Peter...I wanted to give you the infomation that I just received for RSVP 2012 so you could get our new posting started. You always do a great job.:)

...He forgot to tell me the name of the ship before turning off his iPad:

 

 

2/12/12 thru 2/19/12

13th half moon cay

14th at sea

15th San Juan

16th Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas

17th &18th at sea

19th Ft Lauderdale

[Boytjie]

Hi Peter...I wanted to give you the infomation that I just received for RSVP 2012 so you could get our new posting started. You always do a great job.:)

...He forgot to tell me the name of the ship before turning off his iPad:

 

 

2/12/12 thru 2/19/12

13th half moon cay

14th at sea

15th San Juan

16th Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas

17th &18th at sea

19th Ft Lauderdale

 

 

I had the info too - waited till they sailed before starting the new thread. ;) It's on the Nieuw Amsterdam again.

[diver_man]

Hi All,

 

We had a fantastic cruise overall and have already signed up for next year. We should be there pending any unseen crisis.

 

Peter and Richard.... Cruise Critic was not the same without you guys!

 

As soon as I get all the cargo containers unpacked.... it will be time to being the planning and shopping for next year!!!!

 

Also... Thank you to those who were at the Cruise Critic Meet and Greet. It was wonderful to see you all again!!! :D

[Tamaracboy]

All:

Well I'm back and had a fantastic time (as usual).

Absolutely do NOT know how, but I LOST 4 pounds !

I really wasn't as piggy at the Lido as usual, but I did abuse room service more than ever. (you really need to get to know the Club Sandwich !)

Amy & Freddie were there with their old favorites and new material as well, just how do they keep getting BETTER ?????

Jeff & crew were absolutely smooth and polished.

Sister Helen had a few new hats and a Sun Dress.

Add to all this the Niew Amsterdam !

Even though she is built from the same blue prints as the already appreciated Eurodam, there are some refinements and decor details that make a huge difference.

While feeling totally familiar, the "look" of the ship is contemporary & classic & Deco & fresh & stylish & subtle all at the same time. Well done.

The food was even better than HAL's usual, and especially the desserts and pastries were a great improvement.

The "Le Cirque" night in the Pinnacle was a real treat.

So, I'm already booked on the same DAM ship in the same DAM cabin, and hopefully with the same DAM friends for next year.

Countdown clock to appear shortly.

r.

[pidaho1971]

These cruises just seem to get better and better for PolarBearBR and I... We had a great time, as usual, and are looking forward to 2012 (fingers crossed that I don't have to cancel). I like the itinerary, though what is up with this Sunday to Sunday business??? Saturday to Saturday just feels more "right" to me.

 

My only real complaint this year is that there seemed to be more timing conflicts than ever before. Really and truly, it seemed that every event that we had marked as a must-attend had a conflict with ANOTHER event that we very much wanted to do. We ended up flipping a coin a few times, sadly. :( We missed the costume contest and one of The Judy Show presentations because of this. And that final bingo was just too late for me!

 

The ports of call? Had a good time at all of them. We were on the ill-fated full beach day in Puerto Cortes (one of at least a couple that ended up being refunded). Fortunately for us, there was a small group of guys who decided to stay at the resort despite the poor condition of the beach and just sit by the pool, eat, and drink (exactly what we would have done back on the ship). All in all, it was an excellent example of the "when life gives you lemons" philosophy; the busload of complainers who couldn't wait to get back to the ship and tear Jeff/RSVP/HAL a new one missed out on a nice day. :p

 

My only problem with the ship was that I wanted to take down several light fixtures for my house and they seemed to be pretty well-attached! :( I've heard mixed reviews on the ship- particularly from those who prefer the more modern-looking decor- but personally, I loved it.

 

I miss Boozie.

 

The HAL questionnaire insert re smoking was kind of interesting. I wonder if they're considering a totally non-smoking environment? Kudos to them if they do. No disresepct meant to the smokers; I actually don't support the government mandating that private establishments ban smoking, but my sinuses applaud such legislation.

 

Pre-cruise at the Schubert was great! The studio suite was a little small, but basically all we did was sleep in the room, so it wasn't a big deal. Wish the weather had been a little more cooperative, but it was light years away from 2010!

[hybucket]

All:

Well I'm back and had a fantastic time (as usual).

Absolutely do NOT know how, but I LOST 4 pounds !

I really wasn't as piggy at the Lido as usual, but I did abuse room service more than ever. (you really need to get to know the Club Sandwich !)

Amy & Freddie were there with their old favorites and new material as well, just how do they keep getting BETTER ?????

Jeff & crew were absolutely smooth and polished.

Sister Helen had a few new hats and a Sun Dress.

Add to all this the Niew Amsterdam !

Even though she is built from the same blue prints as the already appreciated Eurodam, there are some refinements and decor details that make a huge difference.

While feeling totally familiar, the "look" of the ship is contemporary & classic & Deco & fresh & stylish & subtle all at the same time. Well done.

The food was even better than HAL's usual, and especially the desserts and pastries were a great improvement.

The "Le Cirque" night in the Pinnacle was a real treat.

So, I'm already booked on the same DAM ship in the same DAM cabin, and hopefully with the same DAM friends for next year.

Countdown clock to appear shortly.

r.

 

Agree completely with all of the above.

Let me just add a couple of the entertainers to the list, including Amy and Freddy.

Michael Holland and Karen Mack are a superb lounge act...different from Amy and Freddy, but variety is a good thing. Fine entertainers, and I hope we'll see them again.

The Judy SHow was quite a surprise. I thought...oh no, not another Judy Garland impersonator. Wrong! Utterly fantastic...word spread quickly on the ship, and his/her final appearance was a much-deserved standing room only.

Bring this one back, too.

Another surprise was the Cantare singing group. I couldn't find anything about them on Google - they were a Holland America act, but the audience loved 'em. The other Holland America show was OK if you were a blue-haired lady from the mid-west (no offense meant to blue-haired ladies who might be reading this), but it was certainly not aimed at a gay audience.

And what was with the comic whose second show was suddenly cancelled Friday night? Could he have been THAT bad??

And certainly the two Williamses - Danny and Paul J. - deserve some sort of award/recognition for the superb job they do hosting the events. I can't imagine an RSVP cruise without them.

As for Pidaho's comments, I agree, too, about the scheduling of the shows. Though it's a nice idea to have a lot of great entertainment, I heard a lot of people saying that they were either making a mad dash from one stage to the other, or having to miss shows completely because of overlap. It must be a tough job to do the scheduling, but it seems this year, it was frantic.

And Amy and Freddy's first show at MIDNIGHT??

Maybe because of the open dinner seating plans. WHo knows.

One more thing. I know it's a holiday and all that, but I thought that the WiFi on the ship this year was just awful. I never had a problem before getting a signal on my iPhone, but this year (and I was in the same stateroom as last year), the signal would cut in and out, and most of the minutes I purchased were spent trying to stay online. Once, I was charged twice for being on at the same time. It was crazy. Even trying to check email, which even at the dial-up speed they have should only take a couple of minutes, took at least fifteen, with the cutting in-and-out.

Didn't stop me from reserving for next year, tho.

I wonder if they'll bring back Boozie? He was an overnight sensation. His performance at the Orange Crush party was a riot.

[Typhoon1]

Also... Thank you to those who were at the Cruise Critic Meet and Greet. It was wonderful to see you all again!!! :D

 

Thanks to you Dave, for taking the time and effort to organize this event. Without your efforts the Meet and Greet would not have been a success.

[Typhoon1]

I like the itinerary, though what is up with this Sunday to Sunday business??? Saturday to Saturday just feels more "right" to me.

 

The current HAL schedule has the Nieuw Amsterdam operating Sunday-Sunday. Consequently, if RSVP wants to charter the N.A, they will be stuck with the days HAL is operating their schedule.

 

If you spend enough time on your knees praying, :D perhaps 2013 will revert to a Saturday sailing.

[MDDCFlyer]

If you spend enough time on your knees praying, :D perhaps 2013 will revert to a Saturday sailing.

 

I actually like very much the Sunday to Sunday (in the particular set of dates RSVP seems to charter the ship) - I can get to Florida leisurely on Saturday, and as Monday following the cruise is a Federal Holiday, I a day to recover at home.

[pidaho1971]

I actually like very much the Sunday to Sunday (in the particular set of dates RSVP seems to charter the ship) - I can get to Florida leisurely on Saturday, and as Monday following the cruise is a Federal Holiday, I a day to recover at home.

 

I'd be more OK with it if I got Federal holidays, too... Getting home at 8 pm on Sunday and having to be up and at work by 7 am the next day was quite a shock to my system. And I STILL haven't had the time to unpack completely!

[pidaho1971]

The current HAL schedule has the Nieuw Amsterdam operating Sunday-Sunday. Consequently, if RSVP wants to charter the N.A, they will be stuck with the days HAL is operating their schedule.

 

If you spend enough time on your knees praying, :D perhaps 2013 will revert to a Saturday sailing.

 

I suppose with all of the ships that sail out of Port Ev, it'd be pandemonium (if even possible) to have them all leave out on Saturdays.... No matter- I'll go whenever they schedule it. I just find it kind of weird, is all! :D

 

It also forces PolarBearBR to miss 2 Sundays in a row of his choir directing duties, which makes him feel guilty about taking any other weekends off for a while.

[pidaho1971]

I wonder if they'll bring back Boozie? He was an overnight sensation. His performance at the Orange Crush party was a riot.

 

I got my first Boozie drink, literally, within 15 minutes of boarding... I wasn't really looking to get a cocktail at that point, but found it difficult to say no to him!

[hybucket]

So I have a question that maybe someone can answer here cause I'm too lazy to email RSVP (but yet I'm not too lazy to type it here). Having been on four cruises thus far, I have the following questions re: RSVP "Membership Status" and "Points'...

1) Being now in the "silver" category, just what does "Additional Special Amenities" get me?

and

2) WHat kind of "upgrades" do they offer for...say, $100?

[Typhoon1]

So I have a question that maybe someone can answer here cause I'm too lazy to email RSVP (but yet I'm not too lazy to type it here). Having been on four cruises thus far, I have the following questions re: RSVP "Membership Status" and "Points'...

1) Being now in the "silver" category, just what does "Additional Special Amenities" get me?

and

2) WHat kind of "upgrades" do they offer for...say, $100?

 

 

RSViP Travel Point Redemption

Earn Upgrades Earn Free Cabins

$0-$100 upgrade 2,000 points Up to $1,000 cabin: 20,000 points

$101-$200 upgrade 4,000 points $1,001-$1,500 cabins: 30,000 points

$201-$300 upgrade 6,000 points $1,501-$2,000 cabins: 40,000 points

$301-$400 upgrade 8,000 points $2,001-$2,500 cabins: 50,000 points

$401-$500 upgrade 10,000 points $2,501-$3,500 cabins: 60,000 points

[sfgoguy]

I'm sure there was an on-board sign-up for future RSVP cruises. I'm hoping many of you guys signed up for the July Med cruise. It'd be great to have it 90%+ sold-out. Did it seem there were many signing up for July?

 

(RSVP doesn't update their website often enough to give a good idea of just how full the Med cruise is at this point. :rolleyes: )

 

Hope to see you guys in about 4 months! :p

[sfgoguy]

Did you guys on the HAL February cruise have the chance to purchase HAL drink packages? On my last HAL Atlantis cruise (New Zealand/Australia), we could buy cocktail "punch cards" which provided somewhat of a discount per drink. There were wine cards, coffee cards and soft drink/water cards, too, as I recall.

 

Did the Nieuw Amsterdam offer those to you guys? If so, they may offer them to us on the July Med cruise, too. ;)

[MDDCFlyer]

Did you guys on the HAL February cruise have the chance to purchase HAL drink packages? On my last HAL Atlantis cruise (New Zealand/Australia), we could buy cocktail "punch cards" which provided somewhat of a discount per drink. There were wine cards, coffee cards and soft drink/water cards, too, as I recall.

 

Did the Nieuw Amsterdam offer those to you guys? If so, they may offer them to us on the July Med cruise, too. ;)

 

There were discount cards (which gave you 10% off alcoholic beverages, and some other for soft drinks which I did not use - so not sure how much discount they gave). They were like a debit card and they just deduct the amount from the card. I believe you could get the reamining balance (minus the discount) if it has any value left.

[sfgoguy]

There were discount cards (which gave you 10% off alcoholic beverages, and some other for soft drinks which I did not use - so not sure how much discount they gave). They were like a debit card and they just deduct the amount from the card. I believe you could get the reamining balance (minus the discount) if it has any value left.

 

Thanks for the quick response. I thought that would be the case. I like the debit card idea better than the punch card.

 

I note that you're on the upcoming Med cruise, too. You must really like the Nieuw Amsterdam and RSVP. Maybe we'll get a chance to meet on board. Just a little more than 12 weeks! :)

[Tamaracboy]

Did you guys on the HAL February cruise have the chance to purchase HAL drink packages? On my last HAL Atlantis cruise (New Zealand/Australia), we could buy cocktail "punch cards" which provided somewhat of a discount per drink. There were wine cards, coffee cards and soft drink/water cards, too, as I recall.

 

Did the Nieuw Amsterdam offer those to you guys? If so, they may offer them to us on the July Med cruise, too. ;)

 

HAL has changed from the older Punch Cards (and yes I used them) to a newer electronic (swipe-able credit card) system. This is less paperwork & punching for the staff.

 

They have different classes available for just "sodas" and for coffee drinks and for "standard cocktails" and for "All Beverages", all at different prices, of course.

 

These are NOT good for room service :( or for mini-bar consumables :(

 

Good news is that these cards are good for one year if not used up all in one cruise.

 

r.

[MontereyJim]

My partner and I have booked. We met on an RSVP cruise 22 years ago and have been together ever since. We've been on many cruises and other trips since then, but only one other RSVP cruise. We are so looking forward to it! We'll be staying at the NH Master Hotel in the Eixample District from July 5, and hope to meet up with some of you in Barcelona.

[sfgoguy]

My partner and I have booked. We met on an RSVP cruise 22 years ago and have been together ever since. We've been on many cruises and other trips since then, but only one other RSVP cruise. We are so looking forward to it! We'll be staying at the NH Master Hotel in the Eixample District from July 5, and hope to meet up with some of you in Barcelona.

 

MontereyJim, you may want to post the same message above on the RSVP 2011 Med Cruise Thread here on CC. You might get more response from those who are on that cruise.

 

BF and I are on the cruise, too, but staying in Madrid pre-cruise and Barcelona post-cruise. So, may see onboard.

 

Only about 10 weeks! :p