New Years on the MS Ryndam

[rafinmd]

I'm approaching hotel checkout and just got word that schools are closed at home today. Hopefully, won't be too bad a flight.

 

Roy

[rafinmd]

In airport early. Flight started out on time but has gradually pushed back 1:45. At least the plane is now on the way to Orlando. Glad I,m headed home and not trying to get to the port.

 

I saw one air Canada flight due to leave at 7 and now slated for 2PM.

 

Roy

[buckirj1]

Things were pretty hairy in our location this morning, but got better as the day progressed. Welcome almost home; I'm glad you had a good trip.

[Himself]

Ray:

 

Thanks for taking us on your cruise through the pages of cruise critic. Have a very great 2015..

[rafinmd]

Thanks all.

 

Monday was basically a family day. My walk was in the form of accompanying my brother on a round of golf. Carts were required at the course and sometimes I walked and at other times I drove the cart to give him a chance to walk a bit. The evening was spent at my niece’s.

 

The weekend through Monday had been unseasonably warm I Orlando. Tuesday morning was beautiful but comfortably cooler. The trip home was “interesting”. My flight was scheduled for

1:10 but by quirk in my rental car agreement I needed to turn it in before 9:30. While I left plenty of time to get to the airport it was not especially easy. I encountered one stretch where construction was starting and had to follow a roller at 10mph for almost 3 miles. I arrived at the airport about 9:15.

 

When I went to check in for my flight I was told I couldn’t check in until 4 hours before the flight, this at 3 ½ hours from scheduled flight time. When I pointed that out she agreed but still couldn’t take the bag. She did send me to another counter where it was accepted.

 

After a snack and coffee in the main terminal it was time to head through security. I procured a NEXUS card several years ago to be able to travel when my passport was committed to visa processing. I’ve never actually used it for that but it qualifies me for TSA preCheck. I’m betting accustomed to the way preCheck works and security today was a total breeze.

 

My incoming flight was coming from Baltimore, which had enough snow today to close my county’s schools. When I checked in my flight was listed as on time, but it was pushed back to an hour by 11:30 and another 45 minutes within an hour later. At 12:15 my plane was listed as having left and my flight running 1:45 late. By 1:30 the arrival time had been pushed back almost another hour. I can only assume that the extra hour my flight was delayed after “leaving” Baltimore was spent in a taxi holding position.

 

My plane actually arrived about 10 minutes before the final estimated delay time. My flight was uneventful and left and arrived pretty much 2 ½ hours behind schedule. It was about 15-20 minutes for bags to arrive and the Airport Shuttle was waiting for me. I walked through my door about 7:15. When I headed out for dinner and groceries the same full moon that had been so lovely my final days on the Ryndam was still evident, although it was cold with patchy snow in intersections.

 

Roy

[PathfinderEss]

Really enjoyed all your updates and beautiful photo's. Sounds like you had a wonderful time.

[Mtn2Sea]

Glad you made it through your really long travel day home. Airline travel this time of year can be so uncertain. Thanks for your review of one of our favorite ships.

[rafinmd]

I’ve been slow reporting this catching up on other things but one of my fellow Cruise Critic members sent me a couple of photos from Chacchoben at Costa Maya. I will comment on one thing, you will see me with a cane in the photos which is not normal for me. I have some strange foot sensations due to diabetes and my Doctor wanted me to try a new medication. One of the side effects is dizzyness and it was severe at the start but supposed to diminish. I agreed with the Doctor to try it when I didn’t have critical driving and used it for most of the cruise. I had some problems at Quirigua in Honduras in some of the rougher terrain, so I took the cane along on this excursion. I will use the rest of the medicine on the next cruise but if there is no improvement will discontinue it. Thank you for the photos, Rich (0bnxshs).

 

http://getawaysfrom21044.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/maya1.jpg

 

http://getawaysfrom21044.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/maya2.jpg

 

 

I will also comment a bit on the Ryndam. This seems to be a bit surprising but I think I prefer the R-Class to the S-class. I tend to prefer the smaller ships but the center stairs on the R-Class eliminating the S-Class dead end by the Hudson Room does overshadow the small difference in size. It was a wonderful cruise and will be sad to see the ship go. I think, though, that so far my favorite S-ship is the Statendam. Nothing really wrong with the Ryndam but the one thing that wasn’t quite so good was breakfast in the Lido. It seemed like all the griddle items (waffles, pancakes, etc.) were freshly made on the Statendam while they were pulled from storage on the Ryndam. In less than 2 weeks I will know if the Maasdam can overtake the Statendam as my favorite.

 

Roy

[RuthC]

I will also comment a bit on the Ryndam. This seems to be a bit surprising but I think I prefer the R-Class to the S-class. I tend to prefer the smaller ships but the center stairs on the R-Class eliminating the S-Class dead end by the Hudson Room does overshadow the small difference in size.

I felt the same way about the ease the mid-ship elevator provided on the R-class ships, until I changed my preferred cabin on the S-class.

 

When on that class of ship now, I book a cabin at the forward elevator---no backtracking! I miss my happy little cabin just aft of the atrium, as it was so easy to step right outdoors, but this works well for me now.

[rafinmd]

I felt the same way about the ease the mid-ship elevator provided on the R-class ships, until I changed my preferred cabin on the S-class.

 

When on that class of ship now, I book a cabin at the forward elevator---no backtracking! I miss my happy little cabin just aft of the atrium, as it was so easy to step right outdoors, but this works well for me now.

 

I guess I'll find out about that soon enough. I got my Maasdam cabin assignment this morning, 538, OV close to the forward elevators.

 

Roy

[RuthC]

That cabin is about 2-3 forward of where I book now when on an S-class ship. I hope you find the location as convenient as I do. I have not had a problem feeling rough seas there.

[trvlcrzy]

Nothing really wrong with the Ryndam but the one thing that wasn’t quite so good was breakfast in the Lido. It seemed like all the griddle items (waffles, pancakes, etc.) were freshly made on the Statendam while they were pulled from storage on the Ryndam.

 

I did find this oddness on ONE side of the Lido. On the other side of the Lido, the food was still being freshly prepared.

 

Another cruiser commented on a particularly busy morning, "It should be self-serve" as we waited for our custom-order eggs and French toast to be prepared.

I jumped into cheerleader mode, I guess, and replied, "But then the food wouldn't be as fresh. You can't get an overmedium egg on Princess since it sits there under lights until someone chooses it. It ends up being overcooked."

 

After ONE visit to the "wrong" side long about Wednesday, I quickly returned to the other side of the Lido for breakfasts.

Edited January 14, 2015 by trvlcrzy

[shrimp56]

Thank you so much for a wonderful report. I particularly enjoyed your comments and photos of Quirigua Archaeological Ruins as I visited there in the early 80's on a shorex from Paquet's mv Mermoz. It was still under development then. On my visit the steles were shaded by canvas tarps secured by wooden poles. I liked the more intimate size compared to, say, Chichen Itza.

[rafinmd]

Thanks, shrimp56, trvlcrzy, and RuthC. trvlcrzy, I'll have to keep that oddity in mind in case it happens on the Maasdam as well.

 

Roy

[cruisun]

Thanks for another very interesting review, great reading!

[Caribbean Chris]

Thank you for this interesting review. We booked the same itinerary yesterday on the April 12 Ryndam sailing, and I was looking for info on Trujillo.