A live view from Nieuw Amsterdam on her New Years cruise

[Copper10-8]

John, your New Year's Eve sounds wonderful. Where are those pictures on Facebook? Would love to see them.

 

I just sent you a friend request Carol

[Copper10-8]

Thanks Copper for the great description of New Year's Eve. I love that they brought the bell down and used it :D Pretty sharp!

 

Sounds like you had a fabulous New Year's :)

 

Hope you are having a joyous New Years Day on board :D

 

Thanks again - sounds very nice indeed!

 

Happy New Year to you and yours!

[Copper10-8]

Thanks For the daily reports. So refreshing to hear how one can enjoy a cruise without nick picking every tiny observation or experience.

 

Also refreshing that you both enjoyed the new Canaletto menu as much as we did versus just reading a menu and condemning it. At least give it a try and than pass judgement.

 

I take it the new intranet system has not been started yet?

 

Thanks for spending the time and money in sharing your cruise experience.

 

Enjoy the rest of your cruise and Semper Fi.

 

Neg as of yet o the Intranet system addition on NADM; in the works!

 

Happy New Year to you and yours Chief and Semper Fi

[erewhon]

Thanks for the update.

Sounds like you saw the New Year in, in style.

[hpf]

Copper 10-8; Thanks for taking us to your New Year's Eve Ball. I know you would have had a terrific time. My DH and I did a 14 day Holiday cruise On the Noordam in 2008 and we found New Years to be very special. Thanks for bringing back those memories.

 

Helen

[Copper10-8]

Day 4 – 01/01/14; Montego Bay, Jamaica, Ja Mahn! Montego Bay, also known as “MoBay”, is the capital of the parish of St. James, the second largest city in Jamaica by land mass, and the fourth by population (after Kingston, Spanish Town and Portmore). It is a tourist destination with duty free shopping, a cruise line terminal and several beaches, and is a city backed by picturesque low mountains. When Christopher Columbus visited the island for the first time in 1494, he named the bay Golfo de Buen Tiempo ("Fair Weather Gulf"). The name "Montego Bay" is believed to have originated as a corruption of the Spanish word “Manteca” (“lard”), allegedly because during the Spanish period it was the port from where lard, leather, and beef were exported. Jamaica was a colony of Spain from 1511 until 1655, when Englishman Oliver Cromwell’s Caribbean expedition, the Western Design, drove the Spanish from the island.

During the epoch of slavery, from the mid-17th century until 1834, and well into the 20th century, the town functioned primarily as a sugar port. The island's last major slave revolt, the Christmas Rebellion or Baptist War (1831–1832), took place in the area around Montego Bay; the leader of the revolt, Samuel Sharpe, was hanged there in 1832. In 1975, Sharpe was proclaimed a national hero of Jamaica, and the main square of the town was renamed in his honor. In 1980, Montego Bay was proclaimed a true city by act of parliament, but this has not meant that it has acquired any form of autonomy as it continues to be an integral part of the parish of St. James.

 

Today, Montego Bay is known for its large regional hospital (Cornwall Regional Hospital), port facilities, second homes for numerous upper class Jamaicans from Kingston, as well as for North Americans and Europeans, fine restaurants, and shopping opportunities. The coastland near Montego Bay is occupied by numerous tourist resorts, most newly built, some occupying the grounds of old sugar cane plantations with some of the original buildings and mill-works still standing. The most famous of these are the White Witch’s Rose Hall and Tryall, both of which now feature world-class golf courses. The infrastructure of the city is going through a series of explosive modernizations which, once completed, aim to keep Montego Bay as a top destination in the Caribbean and the world.

 

Happy New Year!!

 

Nieuw Amsterdam, after a long night of New Year festivities for her pax and crew, slowly entered the Port of Montego Bay close to 0900 hours. We passed NCL’s Norwegian Jewel, already safely alongside, on our port side, and then Capt. van Zaane slowly swung her 90 degrees to port until we were alongside the dock and MoBay’s cruise terminal. We made it up to the Lido Restaurant, not surprisingly pretty empty, for a quick breakfast of Eggs Benedict, coffee and yogurt, and then got ready for our 0945 shore excursion entitled “Highlights of Montego Bay and shopping”. Yep, you heard it right “Shopping”. What was I thinking since I was the one who booked this masterpiece on-line! Anyway, we took our positions in a fairly long line inside the terminal (apparently I was not the only male who would be “sacrificing” himself today!) and struck up a conversation with a Swiss couple, a Dutch couple and a transplanted German lady who, 48 years ago, had emigrated to the home and native land of our friendly neighbors to the north, and had settled near the great city of Halifax, Nova Scotia. The slinky/line got going as several of those mid-size Japanese Hino buses, the ones so prevalent on the Caribbean islands, pulled up in front of the terminal. We boarded and found some seats in the very back of the bus, while meeting our tour guide; “Call me Mama”, Ja Mahn, and our driver from right, as opposed to left, side; “CoCo”.

 

So, this little three and three quarter hour tour would take us initially through the pretty much still deserted streets of the city of MoBay. Our first stop, a no shopping stop no less, was at the St. James Parish Church on appropriately named Church Street. St James Parish Church is regarded as the grandest church on the island. The current church was built between 1775 and 1782 in the shape of a classic Greek cross, but was so damaged by the earthquake of March 1, 1957, that it had to be rebuilt. The ageing church is set in a large graveyard featuring tombstones from over 200 years old. An elaborate stained glass window was installed inside the church behind the altar in 1911. Adorning the walls in the back are plaques and memorials to the seven national heroes of Jamaica. They also have a really nice big organ and upstairs were positioned not one, but seven, steel drums; Awesome!

 

On the road again, we hit our four shopping stops, oh joy, in succession; St. James Shopping Plaza (basically a big souvenir store/mini-mart, run by a gentleman of Indian descent), the Shoppes at Rose Hall, and I quote “quality duty-free items are available here, including watches, crystal, Italian handbags, Indian silks, etc, etc.) They did have a pretty cool water wheel and a live donkey feeding on grass there, but I digress; Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville’s trading post (actually, I must admit, the bar/restaurant was a very lively place where we got ourselves a small Mango Margarita and a large Strawberry Daiquiri for a mere $27, and where the staff, for a small fee of course, pours rum from two separate bottles in your, hopefully, opened/receiving mouth as you tilt your head back, followed by the last stop; the straw market at the old fort (Fort Montego aka Fort Frederick aka Fort George, part of the Jamaican coastal defenses in the early 1700’s) where overly aggressive locals wanted you to come inside to look at their hand-made artsy craftsy stuff. The Dutch couple returned to our bus somewhat exited after their experience.

 

\Hey, I don’t mean to sound overly negative; we did see the MoBay area up close and personal from our Hino bus and we returned to el Barco Nueva Amsterdam with smiles on our faces, an experience wiser! Oh yeah, CoCo did maneuver us all the way up the driveway of the Rose Hall Great House where the spirit of Annie Palmer is still allegedly floating around, for an exterior only photo stop, however once in the parking lot, discovered that it was too crowded, so down we went again. No worries, we have checked MoBay off our bucket list and are happy campers still

 

Back home on NADM we grabbed some lunch at the mid-ship Lido pool (awesome broodje kroket) and then did, once again, absolutely nothing until our 4:45 pm, or so, departure, following the Norwegians in their jewel out to open sea and the Cayman Islands. The plan tonight is 7:30 pm dinner in the Pan-Asian Tamarind Restaurant, followed by the, from what NADM’s steel drummer Junior, guarantees us, simply outstanding Steel Drum musical experience by the quartet from Trinidad & Tobago “Island Magic”. Looking forward to it!

 

Pic is a look at our slow entry into the port of Montego Bay, Jamaica this morning.

[leonidas]

Thank you for your update! Love reading your report and would love to see your pictures too. Would you add me on Facebook please?

 

Kind regards,

Gina Schmitz

[monina01]

wow a real live donkey, imagine that :D

 

They have broodjes kroket on board? We did not see any on either Maasdam or Veendam, is it only on certain ships, or specific itinerary's?

 

I'd love to see your photo's as well, do you have a link?

[Copper10-8]

wow a real live donkey, imagine that :D

 

They have broodjes kroket on board? We did not see any on either Maasdam or Veendam, is it only on certain ships, or specific itinerary's?

 

I'd love to see your photo's as well, do you have a link?

 

Gelukkig Nieuwjaar! That's the first time I've seen "Broodjes Kroket" at the Terrace Grill on any of the ships. They have a pretty extensive selection displayed there on NADM. Tasted just like "Broodje van Kootje" pn the Staalkaade in Amsterdam, my old stomping grounds

 

You would have to befriend me on FB, or I you ;) See ya!

[shrimp56]

Dear Copper10-8,

If you will friend me on FB I promise never to threaten a HALcat again;)

My name is Sally Fowler from Chicago.

Faithfully HAL's,

shrimpie

[OVgirl]

Gelukkig Nieuwjaar! That's the first time I've seen "Broodjes Kroket" at the Terrace Grill on any of the ships. They have a pretty extensive selection displayed there on NADM. Tasted just like "Broodje van Kootje" pn the Staalkaade in Amsterdam, my old stomping grounds

 

You would have to befriend me on FB, or I you ;) See ya!

 

We've done 6 weeks on Nieuw Amsterdam over the last 3 years and the kroketten are my go to snack.

And when in Amsterdam, it's mandatory to get a "Broodje van Kootje".

 

I'm hoping that they will have them on Noordam too. At least DH will be very happy with the frikandellen.

Edited January 2, 2014 by OVgirl

[monina01]

I've just spent wayyyy to much time trying to find you on FB :(

Ah well....time for a left-over oliebol :D

Edited January 2, 2014 by monina01

[65 Gator]

You would have to befriend me on FB, or I you ;) See ya!

 

I would love to see photos as well. I am Leon Morrison on FB. I have looked for your page but don't know your FB name.

 

Thanks...

 

We are soon to travel back to Panama on Zuiderdam. Lived in Panama in late 60's working for USAF.

[Boytjie]

Gelukkig Nieuwjaar! That's the first time I've seen "Broodjes Kroket" at the Terrace Grill on any of the ships. They have a pretty extensive selection displayed there on NADM. Tasted just like "Broodje van Kootje" pn the Staalkaade in Amsterdam, my old stomping grounds

 

Sounds yummy! I have been to B v K :)

Edited January 2, 2014 by Boytjie

[Copper10-8]

Day 4 – 01/01/14; Part II; Sailing towards Georgetown, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands; The Tamarind Restaurant offers an exotic mix of Pan-Asian inspired cuisine and décor. Tamarind can only be found on the two ships of the Signature class, Nieuw Amsterdam and her two-year older sister Eurodam. We had a 7:30 pm reservation for dinner and it would be only the second time eating there since Eurodam’s inaugural voyage in July 2008. The atmosphere is really nice and relaxing inside Tamarind and the service gracious by an all-female crew dressed in long black gowns. Our servers were Riana and Diah. They start off by pouring green tea in little glasses in order to “clean the pallet”. From the menu, you can select an appetizer (we chose the Trail of Spices Satay sampler – Malay-spiced lamb; Chinese pork; Thai-spiced beef and Vietnamese-spiced shrimp, served with Asian pickled vegetables and two dipping sauces; peanut and sweet & sour). You can also select a soup (we both took the Chicken Pho with wild lime and Rice stick noodles) Next up is the Sushi and Sashimi menu but we’re not really into that so skipped it.

 

For the main entrée, you can chose from “Water”, “Fire”, “Wood”, or “Earth” selections. Maria selected “Water” (Pompano baked in Rice paper: steamed pompano, marinated in citrus-infused sake and golden baked, served atop a bed of steamed Asian greens) and picked “Wood” (Wasabi and Soy-crusted Beef Tenderloin, served on an oak plank with tempura of onion rings and vegetables). It was awesome! We finished it up with tea and dessert: Mango Cloud (a light egg white soufflé served with a mango sorbet) for Maria and the Chocolate almond fortune cookie (an almond baked tuile with a surprising filling of chocolate ganache) pour moi. Just a great dining experience! Wished they had Tamarind on the remaining thirteen ships but there is unfortunately no space available (Tamarind needs a dedicated kitchen). There will be a third Tamarind, however, when the newest dam ship, the Spaarndam (just kidding) joins the fleet in Feb 2016.

 

The entertainment tonight was a Steel Drum Experience by Island Magic. Now, when you say “steel drums” you expect a bunch of guys from Jamaica, St. Lucia or Barbados in wildly colored shirts jamming away on their instruments to the tunes of Bob Marley right? Wrong! Upon being introduced by CD Dave for the 10:00 pm show, up on stage come three gents and one lady from Trinidad & Tobago, dressed in full blown tuxedos, the lady wearing a long formal gown. These weren’t folks in their early twenties either, not that there’s anything wrong with that, as George Castanza from Seinfeld would say. The band leader plays the “base” on four 22 gallon drums; the gent next to him the “tenor” on one single hollowed out pan; the lady accompanies both on three somewhat larger pans and the 3rd gent plays the skins on a regular drums et. For the next 45 min or so, 50 with the encore they played, this quartet would wow their audience by playing classics such as ‘Memories’ from “Cats”, the opening number from “Phantom of the Opera”, the “William Tell Overture”, etc, etc. I think most of us are used to regular steel band music but I have never heard the classics played on them! Just a phenomenal performance!

 

We once again finished up the night in the Queen’s Lounge with Danny & the HALCats. Tomorrow is the Cayman Islands. Pic is a look at Nieuw Amsterdam's Silk Den Bar from the exterior

[Copper10-8]

I've just spent wayyyy to much time trying to find you on FB :(

Ah well....time for a left-over oliebol :D

 

Got a "throw away" e-mail? addr?

[shrimp56]

OK here's my email: shrimp56 at hotmail.com

Edited January 2, 2014 by shrimp56

[erewhon]

Thank you for the updates.

[Boytjie]

Got a "throw away" e-mail? addr?

 

I would like to find you too ;) boytjeny at yahoo dot com

[Copper10-8]

Day 4 – 01/01/14; George Town, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands; The first human known to have laid eyes on the Cayman Islands was Christopher Columbus, who in 1503 spotted a swarm of turtles around Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, and named the islands Las Tortugas in their honor. The next century or so, the Caymans were visited by lurking pirates and turtle-hunting sailors, but there were no permanent settlers until the 1600’s when a couple of deserters from the British Army came over from Jamaica. In 1670, the islands became the possessions of the British Crown, falling under Jamaican administration. The major occupation was wrecking the practice of salvaging the remains of ships that ran aground on the island’s many reefs. The most famous of these disasters is the wreck of Ten Sails, which occurred when a ship struck a reef in 1794, causing a chain reaction involving nine other vessels.

 

According to legend, the locals went to such lengths to aid the shipwrecked that the grateful King George III granted the island tax-free status. Regardless if that’s true or not, the residents of Grand Cayman enjoy one of the highest levels of GDP and one of the highest standards of living in the world, with all the luxuries of the western world set against the beauty of the Caribbean tropics.

 

George Town has been the capital of Grand Cayman since the early 1900’s. Its predecessor was Bodden Town, home of the first settlement in Grand Cayman. The ambiance in the town is an enticing mixture of the laid back and the metropolitan. History and heritage sit comfortably amongst a modern international financial center. Six hundred banks are based in George Town, which also hosts the island’s stock exchange. George Town is world famous for its duty-free and tax-free shopping experience in the various plazas and quirky boutiques. The town has become the shopping epicenter for jewelry and loose diamonds, watches, sunglasses, treasure coins, crystal and Cuban cigars.

 

Grand Cayman is a tender port for cruise ships and has always been one. There are no port facilities in George Town large enough to handle ships the size of cruise ships so that means tendering. Nieuw Amsterdam arrived at anchorage #1 by 0900 and right away went into tendering operations. It would be busy off George Town today, no doubt about that! Besides NADM, HAL’s Amsterdam was there, along with Norwegian Pearl, Norwegian Jewel and Carnival Liberty! Amsterdam, in fact, was on the last stop of her voyage which started in San Francisco on the west coast after emerging from dry dock there. After George Town, CI, she’ll be on her way to Port Everglades/Ft. Lauderdale where she will pick up her passengers for her World Cruise which will conclude at the end of April.

 

We had a late, 10:00 am, breakfast in the Pinnacle Grill (I’m very afraid we’re getting hooked in there) and then got ready for a 11:45 pm shore excursion entitled “Grand Cayman Duck & Seven Fathoms Distillery Tour”, a two and a quarter hour tour in an open-air amphibian Duck vehicle on land and in the water with a stop/visit at/to the distillery where the Cayman’s only local rum first sees life.

 

For a while now, George Town has had a new purpose built multi tender dock by the name of the Royal Watler Cruise Terminal. It is located just a bit west of the earlier and older single tender docks, still in use, and now known as the North and the South Cruise Terminals. As a matter of fact, when working on MADM last February and on our way to Brazil, we used the South Terminal. Today, Amsterdam’s and Norwegian Jewel’s tenders would be using this terminal while Nieuw Amsterdam tenders were using Royal Watler. Norwegian Pearl (in addition to some of her own tenders) and Carnival Liberty were using larger shore-side tenders to Royal Watler so needless to say, Royal Watler and the shops on that property was/were a bit busy today.

 

Our Duck today, manufactured in Florida some twenty years ago, comes from a design originated during World War II. That Duck, officially known as DUKW (D for a vehicle designed in 1942; U for Utility; K for front wheel driven and W for having two powered rear axles) was designed for transporting goods and troops over land and water. So we got into this bad boy, with the name “Pirates Pearl” adorned below the left front window, via a ladder and gate on the left rear side. The driver, also a Cayman Islands firefighter, used to driving fire rigs, took off down Harbour Drive and Church Street for about 10 minutes, before hook-shanking a left towards an obvious inclining boat ramp. He stopped long enough to blow air into two inflatable bladders on both sides of the duck (for “stabilization” you understand) and the in the waters of the Caribbean we went, now in a boat. He “sailed” us back towards the George Town harbor where our nineteen-year old guide came by handing each one of us a clump of bread. Upon being told, we started tossing pieces of bread into the water and a million fish came out of the deep and up to the surface where they started munching on the bread, some pretty aggressively. Next up was a look at a wreck sunk during WWII but that didn’t really pan out ‘cause we weren’t really able to see anything except maybe some shadows down there and the onboard underwater cameras and monitors didn’t help!

 

Anyway, our Captain sailed back to that same boat ramp and reversed the process. Then back as a truck, we drove past the Governor’s Mansion and Seven Mile beach before turning back towards town and winding up at the Seven Fathoms Rum distillery on Bronze Road. Out here, we received a tour and explanation of the distillery process when it comes to the making of Seven Fathoms and Governor’s Reserve Rum. This was followed by free rum tasting, always a favorite subject, in their showroom, with option to purchase larger quantities of course! After this 45 min stop, we climbed back onboard Pirates Pearl, it took our captain about 15 min to drive back to port. All in all, a fairly unique way to see some of the George Town sights. We were one of the groups of returnees being transported back to NADM with another 200 or less pax outstanding.

 

Back onboard, we made it up to the Lido Pool deck for lunch/code-7 and then jelled. The game plan for tonight calls for Before Dinner drinks at 7:30 pm in the Crow’s Nest, hosted by the captain and HD, followed by dinner in the Manhattan dining room at 8:00 pm and Julie Barr’s late show at 10:00 pm. Pic is a look at Pirates Pearl, the Duck, our mode of transportation today in and around George Town, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands

[monina01]

(only if you have time and inclination, you are on vacation after all) :)

 

monina01nl at Hotmail dot com

 

We spent 3 weeks on Grand Cayman long time ago, off the beaten track a great place to be. The diving was superb back then. Unfortunately the place we stayed at, and the eateries we frequented, were all demolished by hurricane Iwan.

 

Have you had a taste of that fabulous tortuga Rum Cake? Love that stuff!:D

Edited January 3, 2014 by monina01

[catl331]

Quite windy (from the Northern storm) here in FL. Should subside but I guess winter has arrived.

 

Thanks for your pics. We bought some of that rum for DD on our G Cayman visit. We did a tour with a stop at the turtle farm.

[momatibm]

Got a "throw away" e-mail? addr?

 

momatibm at gmail.com

 

Thanks John

 

Elaine

[CruiseWhere]

Thank you so very much for taking us along on your vaca with you and your wife Maria! We both look forward to boarding the NADM on the 26th of this month!! Would love to see your pics on fb (if you wouldn't mind).

 

c.carswell@rogers.com

 

My DH said it's all 10-45A.

 

BTW Happy New Years & Safe Travels!!!

[AlohaPride]

Thanks so much, John! Really love your writing style. :)