Back to Black and the Med too.... Live from the Prinsendam

[Krazy Kruizers]

Glad you made it to Barcelona safely.

[sunsetbeachgal]

Very sad getting off today. :(.

 

The ship felt hot last night and we had trouble cooling off our stateroom last night which I reported this morning. Saw other folks from our sailing walking around Barcelona today and they also reported that their room was warm.

 

Have a great cruise and I will be following along! Don't miss the Rock at the Opera show, it was absolutely fantastic. Great group of singers and two exceptional dancers aboard.

 

Bon voyage!

[roberts2005]

Look forward to your posts. We had two weeks on the Prinsendam in May. It was our 3rd time and we loved every day. Our only complaint was the internet. Hope that they have it running better by now. Only cruise I canceled my plan and used my iPhone

[sail7seas]

Bon Voyage!

Fair Winds and a Following Sea.... :)

 

 

 

 

[LindaM]

Very sad getting off today. :(.

 

The ship felt hot last night and we had trouble cooling off our stateroom last night which I reported this morning. Saw other folks from our sailing walking around Barcelona today and they also reported that their room was warm.

 

Have a great cruise and I will be following along! Don't miss the Rock at the Opera show, it was absolutely fantastic. Great group of singers and two exceptional dancers aboard.

 

Bon voyage!

 

I will second that...about Rock at the Opera. I thought the quality of the production shows was great....we just got off last month.

 

Well Jacqui, we have our playoff tickets but we still have 7 more games to see if we make it, thus our canceling the second half of your cruise!! I could have jinxed the whole thing!

Glad you got into LaSagrada Familia...it is facinating.

[Skipper's Mom]

To all, have a wonderful cruise! We'll be following your posts!

 

Lynne

[PathfinderEss]

Very sad getting off today. :(.

 

The ship felt hot last night and we had trouble cooling off our stateroom last night which I reported this morning. Saw other folks from our sailing walking around Barcelona today and they also reported that their room was warm.

 

Have a great cruise and I will be following along! Don't miss the Rock at the Opera show, it was absolutely fantastic. Great group of singers and two exceptional dancers aboard.

 

Bon voyage!

Worse day of the cruise, getting off, yuck. Glad to hear you had a good cruise. Sorry your cabin got to warm, hopefully they will fix that before the other passenger embark. Have a safe trip home.

[kazu]

i know enquiring minds want to know.

 

Creme brûlée still exists on the any time dining dessert menu on our ship. :)

 

Have a lot of catching up to do and finally bit the bullet for wifi.

 

Stay tuned as I will be adding a lot more shortly and have a bit of news.

 

Prinsendam is such a class act. I couldn't resist :)

[kazu]

The adventure begins.

 

Two days in Barcelona and while the first was partially spent recuperating, we had a great meal in a little spot not that far from the hotel. I had cuttlefish, Gerry the hamburger with fried egg and bacon (a favourite in Barcelona), Georgina the salad which she is memorizing the recipe for and DH surprisingly had pizza.

 

Plans to do some serious exploring were for naught as everyone was tired from the flights and lack of sleep. So, we called it a night and I do believe we were all in bed by 7:30 pm (separate rooms of course):)

 

The next day we started out. I had pre-purchased tickets to La Sagrada Familia so we had the pleasure to show that to G & G. After that we headed to la Predrera toshownoff some more of Gaudi's work. A little stop on a side street for some tapas and cerveza and we were off again. Then a stroll sown Paseig de Gracia and on to Casa Battlo. Then it was time for Las Ramblas and la Boqueria. The festival was in full swing and we caught a performance at Playa de Catalunya.

 

There I picked up my usual box of gold (saffron), but the crowds were very thick, festival Merce had begun and my intrepid explorers were getting weary.

 

Back to our home away from home so they could rest and Jose and I could pick up some necessary pre- cruise items, like wine :)

 

Then off to dinner so gigianne could have some paella. Dinner was decently priced and quite edible, so after doing some walking, people watching and soaking in the ambience we parted ways until the morning.

 

Our hotel is not one I would have usually chosen but because of the festival we had to be a bit away from the Ramblas. Stayed at the Atrium Palace. If you can swing the nicer rooms, the beds are great the space is great,etc. smaller rooms get mixed reviews for good reason apparently.

 

Really great service though and they had our rooms ready early for us and took care of our transfer to the pier and from the airport. Actually they had the best prices and those of you who may have cruised with me know I research a lot.

 

Well, wouldn't you know it the jet lag/lack of sleep must have caught up with us as the morning of embarkation we all slept in! Pure panic as we had little time to be packed and ready for our transfer.......and of course, it was early, but we were there!

 

And we were on our way to the Prinsendam!

[1of4]

Thanks for the update. Sounds like a nice time was had by all in Barcelona. Don't blame you a bit for being tired. Some good R&E time coming (relaxation and exploring)!

[Krazy Kruizers]

Glad you didn't miss the ship.

[kazu]

Glad you didn't miss the ship.

 

Wouldn't have missed the ship, just our transfer :D

 

Don't like to pay for things twice. They state they only wait five minutes but I think our hotel would have helped. Glad it wasn't necessary:D

[Mtn2Sea]

Glad you made your transfer! Your comments made me go change the battery in our travel clock that we'll be taking on our upcoming cruise. Looking forward to your upcoming reports. Please let us know how well the ship's wifi is working.

[Lizzie68]

Thanks for the update, Jacqui - looking forward to all your installments.:)

[RuthC]

Well, wouldn't you know it the jet lag/lack of sleep must have caught up with us as the morning of embarkation we all slept in!

Don't ya just HATE eastbound??? For whatever reason, westbound time zone changes always seem to be easier to adjust to.

Hope you are all "adjusted" now, and in the swing of things.

[sppunk]

Don't ya just HATE eastbound??? For whatever reason, westbound time zone changes always seem to be easier to adjust to.

Hope you are all "adjusted" now, and in the swing of things.

We're the opposite! Eastbound is "easy" - it just means you stay up the entire next day and get to sleep around 8 or 9 p.m. Walking and being outside help. Then you sleep 11 or 12 hours, wake up at 8 or whatever a.m. and we're ready to go.

 

Coming west kills us. It took me all of last week to get back in rhythm after flying home from Amsterdam.

[Alberta Quilter]

We're the opposite! Eastbound is "easy" - it just means you stay up the entire next day and get to sleep around 8 or 9 p.m. Walking and being outside help. Then you sleep 11 or 12 hours, wake up at 8 or whatever a.m. and we're ready to go.

 

Coming west kills us. It took me all of last week to get back in rhythm after flying home from Amsterdam.

 

I'm the same way as you. I think adrenaline gets me through the first day or two of the trip after flying eastbound. On the return home, it takes a full week to get back to normal again. No, or not as much, adrenaline on the way home! That's my very unscientific theory!!:)

[kazu]

Our transfer to the port arrived early, so luggage loaded and we arrived a bit earlier than planned. 11:00 am and they were ready to process us! Quick check in and I mean quick. By the way, we were asked for our boarding passes. Made me glad I had the first page with me.There was no priority boarding for 4* or suites that I saw but they did give us an earlier number. No s tags that they usually use but instead a little sticky on our cruise package that said 4*. As moved into the waiting room we were greeted immediately by SFO Peter who we had the pleasure of sailing with last year on the Prinsendam. So nice to see old friends!

 

Boarding began quickly at 11:30 and we were in the second group after those that needed assistance. Rooms were ready and once Gigianne was on board we headed off to the Mariners luncheon. Here's where we got the first idea on how the cruise would be.

 

The Mariners lunch menu has Changed. At least it seemed different to us. Here's what was offered:

Mediterranean Salumi & bay scallop cocktail as appetizers

 

Soup - farmers vegetable purée

 

Entrees were: angel hair pasta with sautéed vegetables, chicken & mango salad, grilled Reuben on rye, avocado & bacon burger, pan seared salmon n fillet, crispy country style buttermilk chicken and potato, and cauliflower curry.

 

I got the menu but forgot the dessert menu, sorry. Will scan it when I get home for HALfacts :)

 

The verdict? Very good. We all had the same appetizer - the Mediterranean Salumi

 

A good mix of choices .... Our table had the pasta, chicken & mango salad, the Reuben and the avocado and bacon burger. The verdict from everyone at the table? Very good! If this is a sign of the food on board, life should be very good.

 

Back to our rooms and our bags were there along with two that weren't ours! Looking at the tag, it sure looked like 14 but perhaps it was a 17? In any case we called and reported it, proceeded to move them outside our room and before we were done there were stewards there to get them.

 

We managed to get unpacked before our friends arrived and headed out to muster drill. It was the same as in the past, not the one we have read about. It was surprisingly painless and completed in 15 minutes. We have been advised that we will have to do it again for the second leg so hopefully that one is equally painless.

 

Our room - we lucked out and got an upsell offer so I cleverly ( or foolishly depending upon how you look at things) took it to a Neptune Suite. We are in 014 which is the Jacques Cartier suite (all the Prinsendam suites are named ) which seems very appropriate as he was a famous explorer in Canada. Many thanks To my tA who I know had a hand in that.

 

Our concierges seem very nice. It seems like we are meeting some old friends. One of our cabin stewards is the same one we had last year anD yes, he remembered us. He stopped me in the hallway when he saw me. At the Mariners luncheon another familiar face - our assistant dining room manager from the last cruise is here and now in charge of the dining room (well deserved by the way)

 

Full of ambition, I decided to get the meet and greet invites done as the next day is a port day and an early start. Mission accomplished, it was time to relax with a glass of Pinot Grigio. It was nice to hear Adagio playing in the atrium as people went to the front desk and to select their wine packages.

 

The captains toast was tonight instead of the formal night which seems nice as you are introduced to the staff early on. And then, it was time for dinner. Yummy, yummy, yummy. It was just wonderful. Dh had the salmon and I the prime rib. We both left with smiles on our faces. Talked to a few other cc members and they seemed equally pleased. Had a date with friends in the casino so we joined them there to try our luck (NOT) but we had fun. Checked out the crow's nest and then remembering that we had an early start the next day to Marseilles, we figured we had best put ourselves to bed. Tomorrow we arrive in Marseilles

[kazu]

Sadly, the Prinsendam is 10 metres too long for the old port ( we knew that thanks to the help I got on the HAL board, thank you everyone) so we docked at the new one. There is a shuttle for $14 round trip but the four of us had a private tour and didn't want to be late so we opted to take a Cab. It wasn't any more expensive and perhaps a tad cheaper depending upon when you bought your euros and it gave us the flexibility that we needed. We arrived at the meeting point early at the museum and soaked in some ambience while we waited for our guide Danielle.

 

Marseilles has a great organization called Marseilles Provence Greeters where volunteers will show you some things. I had registered long ago and the guides commit about 3-6 weeks out. We were really lucky to get Danielle. Originally she was going to meet us at 10:00 or 10:30 . I told her that was fine as we wanted to get to Notre Dame Le Garde early. When she heard that she suggested the earlier time and would take us there. So, we took a local bus with her to Notre Dame, got there before the crowds were too thick and got a guided tour. Fantastic! The basilica is exquisite and since the Fort was there first it is very impressive. Done there, we took the bus back and proceeded to Fort St. Jean and then across this magical led way that hangs over the street to see the Cathedral, a little Break and off to explore the old Panier District of Marseilles.

 

Visited the Hospice de la charite along the Way. Very beautiful architecturally speaking but it was in its time a place for the indigent, prostitutes and unemployed. The only way to get out was to learn a trad (or die). Time for a bite and we worked our way in the old area and the maze of streets to a a very little restaurant. Barely four tables inside and we sampled Camembert heated with cherry jam and onions on the side along with a cod dish. Scrumptious. The house wine was a bargain and very good , but of course, we are in France!

 

Loved the history imparted to us. I had no idea that Louis Quatorze had so much influence on Marseilles. A lot of the architecture is owed to him.

 

Our two hour tour had turned into nearly six hours! Danielle loves her country and city and showing off the little things along with the traditional things. At the end, she helped us hail a cab to get back to the ship and she was horrified to have money pressed into her palm. She reminded me it was free. Since this organization relies on donations I asked her to make a donation on our behalf and to please keep some for herself. An absolutely fabulous day. A lot of walking, a lot of hills and cobblestones but ever so worthwhile.

 

There is no HAL tour like this one and this was so individualized it speaks to the magic of private tours. What is amazing is that this lady is a volunteer, she would really challenge some of the best private guides I have had who were paid. If this is a sign of our port days, we are in for some incredible times. If everyone else is as good, we are in for a magical time!

 

 

Back on the ship early we went to check if the terminal had free wifi, alas no. Not even wifi for a fee. Oh well.

 

On the Lido, they said they were serving bouillabaisse so we went up. OMG, what a layout. Ham (similar to Serrano ham in Spain ), fish, cheeses,olives, all towards the French theme. It was really nice and quite tasty.

 

Dinner was wonderful again. I laughed last night when our Waiter apologized and said they would be faster. We had all three courses and were out in an hour and one quarter. I suppose with dessert it would have been a tad longer but we found the service good for any night let alone the first night :)

 

We are on main dining and our friends are on early and so far, the opinions seem to be the same - always a good sign.

[0bnxshs]

Jacqui, thanks for the effort to do this. It's nice following along with you.

 

Say hi to SFO Peter! Are Roger and Jose the Adagio Duo still? They were the best we've ever encountered and so much fun. (Big wistful sigh....) :D

[PathfinderEss]

Thanks for the update Kazu, sounds like you had a great tour in Marseilles.

[LindaM]

We're the opposite! Eastbound is "easy" - it just means you stay up the entire next day and get to sleep around 8 or 9 p.m. Walking and being outside help. Then you sleep 11 or 12 hours, wake up at 8 or whatever a.m. and we're ready to go.

 

Coming west kills us. It took me all of last week to get back in rhythm after flying home from Amsterdam.[/quote

 

We are the same. It is supposed to be the opposite. Good thing...it's easier to have jet lag after we get home.

[Mumsysailor]

Thanks Jacqui for the reports. Following along with great interest.

[KirkNC]

Sounds like a great tour!

[1of4]

Thanks for the update! Sounds like a fantastic tour.

 

As for jet lag...I don't care if it is east or west...whichever direction is home is the one I have trouble with! :rolleyes: :)

 

Going I am excited and do, as someone already suggested, stay up until at least 6:00 PM local time. Early to bed...early to rise....makes your vacation start on the right foot! Works for me anyway.