Live from the Prinsendam as the wizard & witches cruise May 17 - June 17, 2013

[cruz chic]

Thx for the update. I find the cut and paste on an iPad to be a pita. When I type in notepad and paste that into an email that works well.

[jgw321]

sorry to be so long to report in. It has been very, very busy.

It was eerie, that long silence, but we realised that from packing up at the hotel to getting on board there would be no chance and once on board there would be so much to organise. Nevertheless it is still a relief to hear from you again.

 

The next knock at the door was Jeanette & Ken (maygrovecruisers) with their Kiwi flags! Yes, I am happy to report that the New Zealanders made it - what a relief!

I am so glad to hear this. I have been worried ever since I posted the story about the pilot holding the plane and then the last post from them that they were waiting for a connection. Jeanette and Ken, the flights may have been an ordeal, but now that you are there I am sure you will find it was worth it. You have some sea days after Bermuda to relax before the hectic Baltic starts.

 

Mariner luncheon ... ended at 1 pm.

Not good news. <Hatches plan:> I take all the hand luggage to the room and Carol goes straight to MDR and holds a place.

We must have the mariner lunch, we have to toast all our TA only friends that we will never get to meet.

 

We all had a great time at the sail a way and our flags and we waved ferociously to you. Many pictures, many hugs and much cheering as we headed out to the ocean. Many of us thought it was the best sail a way ever and we had an absolute total blast.

I remember when we were discussing the location for the sailaway it was thought the afterdeck would be good as nobody ever goes there. Well it was pretty crowded on Friday. Where they all CC? Or had everyone else just followed the crowd thinking that something was going on?

 

It was hard trying to recognize anyone in the throng. I think I have spotted Rich and Glen thinks he has spotted you. By the way if anyone watching took screen shots and wants to get them to Jacqui, mail them to me and I'll take them on my laptop. I already have a set from Glen.

 

Best wishes to all, see some of you in Tilbury.

 

[kazu]

It was eerie, that long silence, but we realised that from packing up at the hotel to getting on board there would be no chance and once on board there would be so much to organise. Nevertheless it is still a relief to hear from you again.

 

I am so glad to hear this. I have been worried ever since I posted the story about the pilot holding the plane and then the last post from them that they were waiting for a connection. Jeanette and Ken, the flights may have been an ordeal, but now that you are there I am sure you will find it was worth it. You have some sea days after Bermuda to relax before the hectic Baltic starts.

 

Not good news. <Hatches plan:> I take all the hand luggage to the room and Carol goes straight to MDR and holds a place.

We must have the mariner lunch, we have to toast all our TA only friends that we will never get to meet.

 

I remember when we were discussing the location for the sailaway it was thought the afterdeck would be good as nobody ever goes there. Well it was pretty crowded on Friday. Where they all CC? Or had everyone else just followed the crowd thinking that something was going on?

 

It was hard trying to recognize anyone in the throng. I think I have spotted Rich and Glen thinks he has spotted you. By the way if anyone watching took screen shots and wants to get them to Jacqui, mail them to me and I'll take them on my laptop. I already have a set from Glen.

 

Best wishes to all, see some of you in Tilbury.

 

 

JG, to answer your question about the crowd at the sail a way - those on the entire port side and about at least 3 people deep was our roll call.! Yes, we had a huge turnout. The rest were regular passengers. It was surprising as the last sail a way I watched of the Prinsendam the aft was basically deserted. Not this time. Apparently there are a number of people excited about this itinerary. Once we started to cheer, they all joined in!

 

Interesting to note that there are a number of passengers on board that have not sailed the Prinsendam before too!

[kazu]

Weather on the TA has been great and seas quite smooth. The captain expects it to continue like this for most of the way so far. There is a storm around Newfoundland but he is hopeful he will skirt it. Of course that is 3 days away and things can change as he said.

 

Looking good for the crossing!

 

I'll post later once I get the paste to work with a report.

 

Signing off from the elegant Crow's Nest on the Elegant Explorer

[catl331]

Stephen Card hopped on in Bermuda. I have often admired his work on the HAL ships. If I didn't read the Explorer I would have missed his lecture. Since most of the passengers on this voyage were long time Mariners, I was surprised at the turnout. (about 25) I found him very interesting and he had a visual show for us showing his paintings. To my surprise he had a beautiful one of the Queen of Bermuda which I sailed on in the 60's. He said it was his best selling painting. He came on to have a fond farewell with Firmen.

 

For our cruise (last leg of voyage) Firmen we was constantly lauded. Gene Young was always including him. One instance was a cooking demo with Gene and Firmen. They were making sauces. It was hilarious. Another was our Field Day with Firmen Dollars. Each passenger got 10 bills with his face on it and you could use them to play games and increase your holdings. Of course, he made a speech at the end of the cruise and made the rounds on formal nights and Mariners lunch etc. I have never sailed with him before but certainly rate him at the top of managers. He was always around and available. Also available for Gene's jokes. Good sport!

[Traveller1]

Jaqui, lovely to hear from you! Thrilled everything went so well and so sorry you missed the Mariners lunch--hard to fit everything in. It was amazing to see so many waving at the stern --it did look like 1/2 the ship was there! This is going to be SUCH a cruise--I can tell...off to a wonderful start.

Thanks so much for everything--you've had a large part in making this special. Good luck to all.

Wendy & Al

[1of4]

:):p:)

 

So happy to read your updates and everything worked out with everyone on board.

 

I was channelling your gardening spirit yesterday and spent a few hours out in the garden transplanting. Going to venture out to the garden centre today.

 

It sounds just wonderful. I am glad I could contribute.

 

Thanks for the update. You will be an ipad wiz in no time.

[catl331]

Yes, the hamburgers were great. I thought the pizza was very good--not thin and paper tasting. It is on a turning rack in the Lido starboard. Only complaint was a cold pancake! Covered it with pure maple syrup!! I wasn't

very hungry one night and asked for a shrimp cocktail and a salad. Suppose to order cocktail a day ahead but voila it appeared. Next night it appeared again along with a escargot appetizer (on the next night's menu). Don't tell Weight Watchers please!! Ya gotta love HAL!

[LuckyJ]

Jacqui,

 

So glad to her from you, and all is well. I am so glad that all the miniatures made it there safe and sound. I would love to have been there to see you give them to the group. I did take pictures of them before I sent them.

 

So glad that your weather is great!

 

My DH and myself will be sailing on her fir the first time so looking forward to it. Is she as great as the last time you were on her?

 

I loved the sail away, the count said over 310 viewers were watching, and I saw all the flags.

 

Janet

[LindaM]

Your captain will be Capt. Tim Roberts and HD Cees Tesselaar; unk on the CD. The current one disembarks in mid-July

 

Wow...great news. He is my all time favorite! Thanks!

[jgw321]

Carol,

do they still have biscuits and gravy in the Lido? I can't get this in UK, so I like to have them sometimes for breakfast. Also (as anyone who reads my blogs will know, I don't like American bacon) do they have British bacon or as you know it back bacon? I could make do with Canadian, but if they only have American I'll just have to make do with extra sausages.

[sail7seas]

Stephen Card hopped on in Bermuda. I have often admired his work on the HAL ships. If I didn't read the Explorer I would have missed his lecture. Since most of the passengers on this voyage were long time Mariners, I was surprised at the turnout. (about 25) I found him very interesting and he had a visual show for us showing his paintings. To my surprise he had a beautiful one of the Queen of Bermuda which I sailed on in the 60's. He said it was his best selling painting. He came on to have a fond farewell with Firmen.

 

For our cruise (last leg of voyage) Firmen we was constantly lauded. Gene Young was always including him. One instance was a cooking demo with Gene and Firmen. They were making sauces. It was hilarious. Another was our Field Day with Firmen Dollars. Each passenger got 10 bills with his face on it and you could use them to play games and increase your holdings. Of course, he made a speech at the end of the cruise and made the rounds on formal nights and Mariners lunch etc. I have never sailed with him before but certainly rate him at the top of managers. He was always around and available. Also available for Gene's jokes. Good sport!

 

Just for the sake of accuracy, to correct the incorrect spelling :) ....

 

The much admired, very able Hotel Director currently on Prinsendam who is retiring at the end of this month is Firmin van Walle.

 

He has come full circle in his career. The first ship on which he was a Hotel Manager was Royal Viking Sun....... now called Prinsendam. :)

 

How appropriate is that? :)

 

[jgw321]

I can cover the arrival at 8:00 am (going past webcam just after 7:00 a.m. I guess). I will probably miss the sailaway (AGM at Camera Club), so if anyone else can cover it, it would be nice. She is due to leave at 5:00 p.m. (9:00 p.m. UTC/GMT) and will come round the corner perhaps half an hour later. The light will be better for the sailaway than for the arrival. Also there may be some people waving, whereas they will be at breakfast or getting ready for excursions on the way in (or still asleep in bed).

 

I bet Ken has had a bit of shut-eye after that marathon flight.

[catl331]

glad you caught the name for the hotel manager. I am busy typing and coughing!!

 

I did not see biscuits and gravy. They had sausage patties, link sausage, Canadian Bacon for the Eggs Benedict. I didn't even see Turkey sausage but maybe it was there. I would alternate between Cheerios and banana/fruit and egg and 1 piece of Am. bacon for breakfast. I didn't look closely at other food as I didn't want to be enticed:). They certainly had a lot of fresh fruit.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Hi Jacqui, when doing your report in Notes on your iPad, after you finish writing go to the beginning of where you started tap the beginning and a box will appear that says Select and Select ALL, hit select All, then it will come up to copy or paste and it copy. Then go to CC to post and tap you finger in the post box and it paste and it is all there :) I did a lot of that the past 11 days. ;)

[luvtwotrvl]

Kazu,

Have a great cruise! I love that itinerary. I see so far that the ocean is very smooth, and hope it stays that way.

 

You will be missed on Your Fleet Locations!

 

David

[gigianne]

Jacqui, I hope you won't mind me commenting from on board the EE. Thanks Janet for your very thoughtful little gifts - I love my little Toto. Thanks also to Lisa for being so thoughtful - we truly appreciate your kindness and work on our behalf. The Prinsendam is everything we expected and then some. The CC members are all so nice and because of the ships size, we see more of everyone each day - I have a lot of the names and faces memorized by now. Looking forward to our first port of call tomorrow - beautiful Bermuda - I think I will wear shorts!!!

[Vict0riann]

Bermuda shorts, I hope!

[cruz chic]

I love Bermuda. Enjoy the day!

[1of4]

 

Two cc members were kind enough to help me out and Gail had made lanyards for the group and Janet the appropriate miniatures for the witches

 

I was pleased to make the lanyards and hope people were able to choose one made out of fabric they liked.

I am listening to the booms and blasts of Victoria Day fireworks and I wright this.

I hope your first stop on this wonderful jouney is warm, sunny and full of fun. Glad to read the seas are smooth.

[rafinmd]

I guess he bad news on Bermuda is that Stephen (Topsham) will be leaving you.

 

Roy

[PathfinderEss]

Sorry Kazu that I did not get to see your sailaway from Pt. Everglades, but wishing you a great cruise. Thanks for taking us along with you with the live reports, enjoying them.:D

[erewhon]

Jacqui,

Thanks for taking time to report on your cruise.

 

How wonderful to have met Stephen Card, we greatly admire his work.

[Scrapnana]

I would love to see pictures of your CC lanyards and name tags.

[DrTee]

Anyone have a screen grab of sail away with a good look at the flags?