Westerdam Panama Canal April 15, 2011

[kardev]

Hi Pat and Bob, I was born in MJ and grew up there but now live in Sherwood Park, AB...My husband Mike and my sister and brother in law are all coming on the cruise...Have you lived in MJ long? Look forward to meeting you both:) Did you book flights yet?

[NoWhiners]

We haven't booked any excursions thru vendors, not HAL, but I think that was a mistake. From what I have read, we can get the same excursions for less.It is true that HAL excursions get the benefit of waiting if you are late but from what I have read, it seems as though most vendors get this and we won't be late--not a good business practice!!

 

We haven't talked to the family yet, but will, and we plan to do excursions that are what we want and best price. If that is HAL, great, if not, we will go with local reputable vendors--and CC is a great resource for this!!

 

ML

[mjtigger]

Hi Pat and Bob, I was born in MJ and grew up there but now live in Sherwood Park, AB...My husband Mike and my sister and brother in law are all coming on the cruise...Have you lived in MJ long? Look forward to meeting you both:) Did you book flights yet?

Hello, thank you for your message. This is very new to Bob& I so please forgive any mistakes I make. We lived in Moose Jaw from 1982 to 1986, then moved back in 2005. We enjoy this city so much and of coarse our daughter & son-in-law are here with our 2 grandchildren and that is a bonus. This cruise site is wonderful and I hope to do more exploring in the days to come. Until nest time, Pat & Bob

[ski ww]

Hello, thank you for your message. This is very new to Bob& I so please forgive any mistakes I make. We lived in Moose Jaw from 1982 to 1986, then moved back in 2005. We enjoy this city so much and of coarse our daughter & son-in-law are here with our 2 grandchildren and that is a bonus. This cruise site is wonderful and I hope to do more exploring in the days to come. Until nest time, Pat & Bob

 

 

If you go on the CC web site and look under reviews you can check out what other people have said about HAL and our ship the Westerdam. You'll have to take it with a grain of salt as you will see that people on the same ship, same cruise have very widely different opinions about their cruise from the very best to the very worst. Having done some cruising on other lines and five on HAL I can ensure you that your first cruise on HAL will be very good. Enjoy.

 

Allan & Marlane :D:D

[NoWhiners]

Hi everyone

 

Decided to post something so we stay near the top. it's been pretty quiet on this board lately--everyone probably getting ready for the holiday weekend. I know I'm ready for a break from work. Have some friends who leave Sunday on an Alaska cruise--I am so jealous!

 

Enjoy the long weekend

ML

[mjtigger]

We just booked this. Anyone else out there booked or thinking about this cruise? it's a long way off but sales appear to be brisk, so we decided to book now. Rate went up $100 since we first checked in October 2009.

 

Sign in if you will be on board,

Mary Lynn

Hi Mary Lynn,we just joined this wonderful site and this is our first cruise. So we look forward to meeting you. Pat&Bob

[mjtigger]

We just booked this. Anyone else out there booked or thinking about this cruise? it's a long way off but sales appear to be brisk, so we decided to book now. Rate went up $100 since we first checked in October 2009.

 

Sign in if you will be on board,

Mary Lynn

Hi Mary Lynn, we just joined this wonderful site and also signed up for our first cruise with Holland America for April 15 2011. Looking forward to meeting you Pat& Bob Longmuir

[rajkr74]

Pat & Bob,

So, wil this will be your first cruise or first cruise with Hal? Either way, you will enjoy it as we did last year. Are you taking it all the way to Vancouver?

 

We are doing a B2B with a 7 day Caribean cruise then going thru the canal and getting off in San Diego for 23 days. We wanted to do Half Moon Cay again, like we did last year, and the only way that was going to happen was with the 7 day Caribean cruise. The main Panama cruise will not include this stop this year.

Rick

[bcirish]

Roll Call update

BCIRISH - Ed and Barbara from Chicago first posters

NOWHINERS - Mary Lynn and Doug - first posters

BOARD NAME? - with nowhiners Carol and John from Michigan

BOARD NAME - with nowhiners Kitty and Jim (also in Albuquerque)

BOARD NAME - with nowhiners - Jim and Cindy from Saginaw Mi

HIGH SEAS TEXANS - George and Rand - Fort Worth Texas

RAJKR74 Rick and Joyce - Springfield Oregon

SKI WW - Allan and Marlane from Victo Harbor, Ontario

BOARD NAME - with nowhiners Bill and Kay from Albuquerque

GORDONS4 - Brad & Sheri Gordon from Southern Ca.

cardev - Mike & Karen from Alberta, Canada

NO BOARD NAME - with cardev - Don & Brenda from Edmonton Alberta

dontspin - Ann & Don

buffdored - Dorothy & Ed

mjtigger -Pat and Bob Longmuir from Moosejaw

 

Welcome to our newest members - Pat and Bob!!! Our first cruise on the Westerdam was in the Mediterranean and we fell in love with her - have been on her several times since and really looking forward to this cruise. Feel free to post any of your questions that you might have about cruising - if one of us do not have an answer - we may be able to point you to a resource. I found this board an excellent source when we were planning our first cruise. We are very partial to HAL.

 

Marylynn - thought of you when we were in DC last week- we actually stayed in National Harbor and drove in each day for our sight seeing- we had family along. Ed has been in DC often and is very comfortable getting around there. We went to the Newseum - interesting experience. Are you close enough to retirement to start counting the days yet?

 

We are back for about a month and then off to St Martin for a few weeks.

BTW - hope you get to Half Moon Cay - this year we had some very strange experiences - we did a B2B and the first time it was so rainy and cold that we stayed on the ship at HMC and the second week the seas were so rough they could not get the locals to the islands so we skipped it and had an additional sea day. I would think that neither of those should happen in April.

 

Good to be home- the laundry is done and we have a quiet weekend ahead- a golf outing on Saturday morning, Memorial Day parade on Sunday and a Memorial day performance on Monday - hmmm - maybe now that I think about it this may not be such a quiet weekend!!!

[bcirish]

Morning all -

Was checking through the roll call and noted that we have some info missing on some of our members- feel free to fill in the blanks- board names for several and location for a couple of others. Off to check my other roll calls- have a good day.

[NoWhiners]

Hi BC

 

Retirement is closer but counting months right now--6 months to go!! Had a bad week so it is looking even better...

 

I'll try and get board names for our crowd. Two of them may not have one.

 

Enjoy your weekend--sounds busy. I am looking forward to taking up golf again after I retire.

 

Mary Lynn

[ski ww]

You're right retirement is great, everyday is Friday or a long weekend. Although you don't have any more time. We always seem to be running out of time. We still do all the things we had to do when we where working, only now we're not working and still wondering why we're so busy. But it's great. One good thing is I don't have to wear a watch any more. Find a hobby you enjoy and keep busy.

 

Allan & Marlane :D:D

[NoWhiners]

Allan and Marlane-

 

Have heard everyone I talk to who has already retired say the same thing--they seem busier! maybe because we get to choose what to do rather than HAVE to go to work?

 

I'm a little worried but have to go this year or pay a lot more for our medical coverage. Any increase in pension would mostly be eaten by having to pay much higher medical premiums.

 

ML

[bcirish]

Just remember that the closer that retirement gets - the easier it is to recognize those " bad weeks" cause there is not much time for them:D. I found that with 6 months left I started celebrating the last time I would be doing certain things - it really made the time fly and helped with those bad days! :D

 

I never needed a calendar when I was working but find that now I need one for all of our fun activities. I figure when we worked we worked hard and now we are making the most of retirement to the best of our ability - a tough job but we are willing. :D

[mjtigger]

[quHi this is our very first cruise and we took a chance to go Holland America and so far we have good thing and there is alot Bob & I have to learn about cruising and I am sure with the help of all the good people out there we will learn all there is to know oveer the next few months. Thanks for getting in touch with us. Pat & Bobote=RAJKR74;24602338]Pat & Bob,

So, wil this will be your first cruise or first cruise with Hal? Either way, you will enjoy it as we did last year. Are you taking it all the way to Vancouver?

 

We are doing a B2B with a 7 day Caribean cruise then going thru the canal and getting off in San Diego for 23 days. We wanted to do Half Moon Cay again, like we did last year, and the only way that was going to happen was with the 7 day Caribean cruise. The main Panama cruise will not include this stop this year.

Rick

[bcirish]

IMO - HAL is what sold us on cruising - we have had only great experiences on HAL cruises and are particularly fond of the Westerdam - sorry - I know the rest of you have heard it before. There are lots of goodies that you can learn from the more experienced cruisers here - they are an absolute wealth of information. They can provide anything from where to find the 2 for 1 drinks to the best spots for chilling and where to sit when they retract the roof on the pool. Then there is the tricky problem of how to jam as much as possible into a laundry bag so that you get our money's worth and do not have to spend tons of money on baggage through the airport. The down side of that is those wonderful little ID stickers on every item they clean- I always find one sometime after I get home- stirs up all of those fond memories of the cruise although I do not think that was the intention :D:D

 

Feel free to ask lots of questions IMO that is great things about the roll cals - sharing knowledge.

[NoWhiners]

BC

 

LOL--I completely get the "last time" I will do some things. Mostly this happens when I take our required training classes!! They are so dumb and insulting, I won"t miss them at all. On June 10 we go to my college reunion and this kicks off a busy summer of vacations! Anything that keeps me out of the office is good. Part of my bad week was finding out that our customer in DC is not happy, even though we did everything we said we would, and more, under budget, and with no help from them. Good news is, no more trips to DC for me--managers will start working with customers (of course, managers are so much better at this than mere staff members:D)!

 

This week I will make an appointment with Fidelity to start doing my financial planning for 401K rollover and other things.

 

Starting to ramp down for work, and ramp up for retirement and cruise!

 

ML

[bcirish]

ML -

glad you are done with DC - that did not seem to be a favorite and so far from home. Seems that whether it is a company or a person there are some that the more you do the more they want and they are never satisfied - seriously - those are the ones you will be glad to be done with.

 

Hope all are enjoying the weekend and the weather is being kind.

We have a concert at the local City celebration for Memorial Day and then intend to kick back for the rest of the day. Yesterday - we were in the local parade - 3 of our gkids ( that live nearby ) joined us had a great time. They stayed with us while their parents had a "date" - their oldest ( 10 ) thinks it is very funny that her parents are having dates.

Have a good day!

[NoWhiners]

bc

 

You are going to get along great with my hubby--he said the same thing ("you don't want to work with those guys")!! Just about over the frustration and disappointment; life goes on.

 

Thinking about bidding now for a hotel on priceline the night before we leave FLL. Anyone even considered this yet?

 

ML

[rajkr74]

Well.... not good weather here in Oregon. Rained all day today luckily got the lawn mowed yesterday. It's about 58 and finally stopped raining around 4:00pm here. To add injury to this lousy weather, I came down withe the flu this morning (Mon.).

 

Joyce and our daughter went to Victoria BC yesterday for a "girls" week off with 3 others. I have our daughter's black Lab to babysit and all she wants to do is go outside and I don't have the energy to walk her. Don't even know if I will go back to work tomorrow yet.

 

Yes, we're still working. Joyce will retire next year in the spring but I am having a good time in my job and really want to stay another year plus. IRA and 401k plans are not meeting expectations with the market these days.

 

Hope everyone had a great long weekend. Oh.. does Canada have a Memorial Day? Pardon my ignorance.

[ski ww]

Well.... not good weather here in Oregon. Rained all day today luckily got the lawn mowed yesterday. It's about 58 and finally stopped raining around 4:00pm here. To add injury to this lousy weather, I came down withe the flu this morning (Mon.).

 

Joyce and our daughter went to Victoria BC yesterday for a "girls" week off with 3 others. I have our daughter's black Lab to babysit and all she wants to do is go outside and I don't have the energy to walk her. Don't even know if I will go back to work tomorrow yet.

 

Yes, we're still working. Joyce will retire next year in the spring but I am having a good time in my job and really want to stay another year plus. IRA and 401k plans are not meeting expectations with the market these days.

 

Hope everyone had a great long weekend. Oh.. does Canada have a Memorial Day? Pardon my ignorance.

 

In Canada we honour our veterans on 11 Nov. It was the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month 1918 the WW1 ended and we wear a red poopy to remember them. Also in Canada we have what we call " Red Friday " when we wear a red " Support the Troops " shirt. You'll find this more around military bases. The last Canadian veteran of WW1 was a John Babcock of Spokane Washington, where he moved after the war and he died on 18 Feb 2010.

 

Allan Mantel

[rajkr74]

In Canada we honour our veterans on 11 Nov. It was the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month 1918 the WW1 ended and we wear a red poopy to remember them. Also in Canada we have what we call " Red Friday " when we wear a red " Support the Troops " shirt. You'll find this more around military bases. The last Canadian veteran of WW1 was a John Babcock of Spokane Washington, where he moved after the war and he died on 18 Feb 2010.

 

Allan Mantel

 

Thanks Allan for the information. A little ignorant of me to not know what Canada celebrates. We also have Veterans day on Nov 11th. here in the US.

 

We love traveling to Vancouver BC since it's only an 8 hour drive from Springfield, OR. We are going to spend a week in Whistler in July this summer. We have a time share that has units there and we love the village there. Did not do the Olympics since the units were on a lottery draw basis to get in . Beside it would have been too crowded.

Rick

[NoWhiners]

Hi All

 

You will probably think I am nuts but today just for fun, I went looking at hotel prices for FLL for the night before the cruise on Hotwire. I was surprised to see a 3.5 star for $59! ($72 drive out). After some quick checking on FLL boards on CC, we decided to go for it! It ended up being the Hyatt Summerfield Suites on 90 SouthWest 18th Avenue, Dania Beach, FL, 33004. Just south of airport, so also close to port.

 

It is a suite hotel, airport shuttle (we will have a rental car), free full breakfast, internet, parking and afternoon appetizers/drinks!!

 

Way too early but I'm glad I checked--rooms listed right now at $179! Maybe if all the oil rolls up on Florida beaches it will be less next year but I am happy with this deal.

 

ML

[ski ww]

Just read on the CC web site that Oasis of the Sea broke the record for most passengers carried, 6100+along with crew that was over 8000. Just think of them docking at one of the small islands and all those people getting off. The line ups on board must be crazy. No thanks, you wouldn't catch me dead on one of those huge ships. We enjoy the small to mid sizes ships. Laid out on our back deck yesterday reading, temp 24C, 80F remainded me of been at sea lying on the Lido deck. Had to fix and fetch my own drinks, they where cheaper. But more fun doing it at sea, drinks also taste better for what ever reason at sea.

Allan & Marlane:D:D

[bcirish]

Great price on the hotel ML - now all you have to do is mapquest the Total Wine and more so you can arrange to pick you your wine - I know where it is - about a mile from the port behind the Embassy Suites -hmm- guess I have been there often : )!

 

Allan & Marlan - this winter when we were coming sown to FLL for our cruise there were flashing signs on the INterstate warning that the Oasis was in port on Friday- tht is scary and let me say that it has had a huge impact on getting to FLL. My SIL finally flew into Orlando and did a one way car rental for considerably less than the flight into FLL- the hotels were out of sight too- If i see them in port I stay on the ship!!!! That is like having 3 large ships in port with you - yuk!