Live from the Maasdam - May 1 – 16, 2015 The Atlantic Coast

[St Pete Cruiser]

The Veendam is schecduled into Tampa on April 24, 2016. Unless it has a drydock then, it should be doing the reposition cruise to Canada from Tampa then. Since the Maasdam has usually left from Ft Lauderdale about a week later than that, maybe they could add a few more ports to the itinarary as well.

We will be watching and hoping for something interesting!

[Cruising-along]

The Veendam is schecduled into Tampa on April 24, 2016. Unless it has a drydock then, it should be doing the reposition cruise to Canada from Tampa then. Since the Maasdam has usually left from Ft Lauderdale about a week later than that, maybe they could add a few more ports to the itinarary as well.

 

We will be watching and hoping for something interesting!

 

 

That is what we noticed as well. Watching and hoping!

[SilverLining4Me]

The 14 day itinerary that we went on last year is only from Seattle. What I meant about departing from Vancouver, I meant taking two 7 day cruises back to back so that you can come and go from Vancouver. The Canadian inside passage is simply stunning. At times, you're so close to the shore, you feel like you can reach out and touch it. I realize that it costs more for Americans to fly to and from Vancouver over Seattle but, IMO, it's worth it. I hope that you can make it work.

 

The 14 night next year on the Maasdam doesn't repeat any port stops and includes Tracy Arm and Hubbard Glacier. Leaves from Seattle

 

The 14 night next year on the Noordam repeats some of the ports (and includes Haines) and includes Inside Passage cruising (twice) and Glacier Bay (twice). Leaves from Vancouver.

 

The 14 night next year on the Zaandam is basically the same itinerary as the Noordam. Leaves from Vancouver.

 

Do you feel the Vancouver cruise is the better cruise then if the departure port wasn't an issue?

[Vict0riann]

There's already a roll call for the cruise on the Westie to Hawaii and Tahiti next April, with a bunch of the Sailaway Gang signed up! Check it out. Fun! :)

[slabeaume]

Are you thinking of the Explorations Cafe? The food from that display case is served by the staff at the counter. I was speaking about the Explorer's Lounge where the Adagio play. There are, on the Amsterdam, truffles and/or other chocolates there for one to help themselves.

 

My mistake! Yes, I was thinking of the Explorations Café. Never spent much time in the Explorer's Club.

As for the film on everything, that was only noticed after we went into Code Red. They even leave the tables in Lido dripping wet with the sanitizer. Surprisingly, I don't remember the flowers in the Lido disappearing, but did realize they were gone on the last day of our cruise.

[cbreit]

Nice to see the first ship of the season in Newport today!

[Alberta Quilter]

May 5, 2015 Newport, Rhode Island

 

We've been to Newport before but I don't remember it. As I've mentioned before, we're trying to achieve a new Mariner level so we booked our tour for today through HAL. This also ensured that we were on a tender at a reasonable time. This proved to be a good thing as we later heard that people waited anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours for a tender. We waited only ten minutes.

 

We were to arrive at 11 am, and the meeting time for our tour was 11:50 am for departure at noon. We actually arrived, in the harbour, around 10 am and they started tendering by 10:15 am. The annoying thing was that they didn't change the Lido buffet hours to end the breakfast service a little early so that lunch could be started a little early. Of course, all of the tours were set based on an 11 am arrival. This meant that many people were hanging about the Lido to eat as soon as it opened, eat what they could in 15 or so minutes and then hustle down to the Showroom to get a tender ticket and wait to be called. We're not allowed to take food off the ship but that didn't stop some people from doing so. At any rate, we were two of the many who had a bite to eat in 15 minutes, after standing in a long line (because they only had one side of the buffet open initially). We did grab some cookies to eat on the way down to the showroom.

 

As I said, we only waited about 10 minutes before our group being called to the tender. DM and I were the last two on the tender and the first two off. Our tour was the Vanderbilt's Newport which included tours of both The Breakers and Marble House mansions, both Gilded Age "cottages". The dining room of The Breakers is as big as the main floor of our house!!! These were no cottages! On the tour, the guide mentioned that this is where the term "conspicuous consumption" was coined.

 

We had about an hour and a half to tour The Breakers and about 45 minutes to tour Marble House. We weren't able to take pictures inside, only outside. Let's just say that I wouldn't want to live in either house. I wouldn't mind either property, though. It's a beautiful setting; the mansions overlook the sea, the waves crashing on the rocks below. We took a look at the Cliff Walk but didn't have time to walk even a portion of it.

 

The weather was fabulous today. It was cool to start, about 10C, which is pretty good to me, particularly after the heat of the past few days. I didn't bring a jacket or windbreaker; I think I was the only one on the tender that didn't. By the end of the day, many were quite hot and carrying their jackets.

 

After the tour, we went to the Barking Crab for some crab. DM and I shared two appetizers, the hot crab dip and the crab cakes. The cakes were really good; the hot crab dip was good but very salty. DM enjoyed the dip more than I did but even she found it salty.

 

There was a long lineup to get the tender back to the ship. Just before we got to the front of the line, they had enough people for the tender so we had to wait for the next one. Fortunately, it wasn't too long a wait. But, of course, then we were almost the last off the tender when we got to the ship. By this time, it was 6 pm, well after our dining time of 5:30. Well, we hoofed it right to the MDR and kind of snuck in. We did this mostly because I had pre-ordered my dinner last night to accommodate my low salt request; I would have felt guilty if I didn't show up for the meal. Our dining stewards were quite gracious about it; they said that it often happens at tender ports. Two others at our table were there and their meal proceeded as it should have. They were only held up at dessert so we could all eat dessert together.

 

By this time, we were quite stuffed. We went back to the cabin for a bit to unpack our day bags and put things away. Then we went to the show in the showroom. Tonight was Rich Purpura, a Comedian and Mentalist. Some of his act was good; some was a little stupid.

 

We're both rather tired now; I had a mojito at the show and that did me in. I don't think I've had such a strong one on a ship, at least not in recent memory.

 

Tomorrow is our last sea day for a little while. We then have six port days in a row, with some early mornings. DM is not going to like that but she'll "suck it up". Talk to you tomorrow!

[Alberta Quilter]

The 14 night next year on the Maasdam doesn't repeat any port stops and includes Tracy Arm and Hubbard Glacier. Leaves from Seattle

 

The 14 night next year on the Noordam repeats some of the ports (and includes Haines) and includes Inside Passage cruising (twice) and Glacier Bay (twice). Leaves from Vancouver.

 

The 14 night next year on the Zaandam is basically the same itinerary as the Noordam. Leaves from Vancouver.

 

Do you feel the Vancouver cruise is the better cruise then if the departure port wasn't an issue?

 

Departing from Vancouver is stunning, more so, IMO, than departing from Seattle. The 14 day intinerary is wonderful, don't get me wrong. As you say, there are no repeated ports. However, the poster to whom I was responding has already done the 14 day itinerary so I was suggesting that they might consider departing from Vancouver to give themselves something different to see.

 

As for repeating ports on a B2B, that has it's pros and cons like getting different weather conditions each time you get to a particular port. If you want to do two different excursions at a particular port, you can do both, one the first week and the other on the second week.

 

It's something that each person/couple has to decide for themselves.

[trophy_23]

The 14 night next year on the Maasdam doesn't repeat any port stops and includes Tracy Arm and Hubbard Glacier. Leaves from Seattle

 

The 14 night next year on the Noordam repeats some of the ports (and includes Haines) and includes Inside Passage cruising (twice) and Glacier Bay (twice). Leaves from Vancouver.

 

The 14 night next year on the Zaandam is basically the same itinerary as the Noordam. Leaves from Vancouver.

 

Do you feel the Vancouver cruise is the better cruise then if the departure port wasn't an issue?

 

 

While I agree leaving from Vancouver is superior, IMO the 14night itinerary from Seattle is far superior in the fact it goes to ports that no other ships go to (Anchorage, Homer, Kodiak). Any Alaska cruise is amazing, and the scenery spectacular, but if you really want to see some nice areas without crowds look at the 14day out of Seattle, the disadvantage is you sail outside of Vancouver Island.

[trophy_23]

May 5, 2015 Newport, Rhode Island

 

 

 

We've been to Newport before but I don't remember it. As I've mentioned before, we're trying to achieve a new Mariner level so we booked our tour for today through HAL. This also ensured that we were on a tender at a reasonable time. This proved to be a good thing as we later heard that people waited anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours for a tender. We waited only ten minutes.

 

 

 

We were to arrive at 11 am, and the meeting time for our tour was 11:50 am for departure at noon. We actually arrived, in the harbour, around 10 am and they started tendering by 10:15 am. The annoying thing was that they didn't change the Lido buffet hours to end the breakfast service a little early so that lunch could be started a little early. Of course, all of the tours were set based on an 11 am arrival. This meant that many people were hanging about the Lido to eat as soon as it opened, eat what they could in 15 or so minutes and then hustle down to the Showroom to get a tender ticket and wait to be called. We're not allowed to take food off the ship but that didn't stop some people from doing so. At any rate, we were two of the many who had a bite to eat in 15 minutes, after standing in a long line (because they only had one side of the buffet open initially). We did grab some cookies to eat on the way down to the showroom.

 

 

 

As I said, we only waited about 10 minutes before our group being called to the tender. DM and I were the last two on the tender and the first two off. Our tour was the Vanderbilt's Newport which included tours of both The Breakers and Marble House mansions, both Gilded Age "cottages". The dining room of The Breakers is as big as the main floor of our house!!! These were no cottages! On the tour, the guide mentioned that this is where the term "conspicuous consumption" was coined.

 

 

 

We had about an hour and a half to tour The Breakers and about 45 minutes to tour Marble House. We weren't able to take pictures inside, only outside. Let's just say that I wouldn't want to live in either house. I wouldn't mind either property, though. It's a beautiful setting; the mansions overlook the sea, the waves crashing on the rocks below. We took a look at the Cliff Walk but didn't have time to walk even a portion of it.

 

 

 

The weather was fabulous today. It was cool to start, about 10C, which is pretty good to me, particularly after the heat of the past few days. I didn't bring a jacket or windbreaker; I think I was the only one on the tender that didn't. By the end of the day, many were quite hot and carrying their jackets.

 

 

 

After the tour, we went to the Barking Crab for some crab. DM and I shared two appetizers, the hot crab dip and the crab cakes. The cakes were really good; the hot crab dip was good but very salty. DM enjoyed the dip more than I did but even she found it salty.

 

 

 

There was a long lineup to get the tender back to the ship. Just before we got to the front of the line, they had enough people for the tender so we had to wait for the next one. Fortunately, it wasn't too long a wait. But, of course, then we were almost the last off the tender when we got to the ship. By this time, it was 6 pm, well after our dining time of 5:30. Well, we hoofed it right to the MDR and kind of snuck in. We did this mostly because I had pre-ordered my dinner last night to accommodate my low salt request; I would have felt guilty if I didn't show up for the meal. Our dining stewards were quite gracious about it; they said that it often happens at tender ports. Two others at our table were there and their meal proceeded as it should have. They were only held up at dessert so we could all eat dessert together.

 

 

 

By this time, we were quite stuffed. We went back to the cabin for a bit to unpack our day bags and put things away. Then we went to the show in the showroom. Tonight was Rich Purpura, a Comedian and Mentalist. Some of his act was good; some was a little stupid.

 

 

 

We're both rather tired now; I had a mojito at the show and that did me in. I don't think I've had such a strong one on a ship, at least not in recent memory.

 

 

 

Tomorrow is our last sea day for a little while. We then have six port days in a row, with some early mornings. DM is not going to like that but she'll "suck it up". Talk to you tomorrow!

 

 

Thanks for the play-by-play. It takes me back to our Canada New England cruises, what a beautiful area! We did the whole cliff walk when we were there the first time, we were absolutely exhausted at the end of the day but it was spectacular!

[Vict0riann]

Sleep well!:)

[cruz chic]

Thx for the update.

[carri cruiser]

Departing from Vancouver is stunning, more so, IMO, than departing from Seattle. The 14 day intinerary is wonderful, don't get me wrong. As you say, there are no repeated ports. However, the poster to whom I was responding has already done the 14 day itinerary so I was suggesting that they might consider departing from Vancouver to give themselves something different to see.

 

As for repeating ports on a B2B, that has it's pros and cons like getting different weather conditions each time you get to a particular port. If you want to do two different excursions at a particular port, you can do both, one the first week and the other on the second week.

 

It's something that each person/couple has to decide for themselves.

 

I think the difference is, the RT is the "regular" cruise from Seattle, the other was called a "collector's cruise " RT Vancouver, and visited ports twice.... although it went up the inside passage, and into Glacier Bay twice, and I enjoyed it immensely, I prefer the 14 RT from Seattle! We had gone up the inside passage in the mid 80s, and if looked completely different this last time we did it, I wonder what the difference was???

[cruz chic]

Alberta quilter, you are missing history tonight. We will have a NDP governed province. Shocking.

[Cruising-along]

Loving your daily updates. We took public transportation to the Breakers and walked the cliff walk when we did this cruise in 2012. One reason I want to get back is so we can see more of these "cottages" :p

[erewhon]

Not so far. After seeing the flower in our room, I thought tHere might be orchids in the Lido but I checked last night and there weren't.

 

Oh, and I heard from our tablemates that the two ladies who are Adagio are very good.

 

Thanks for your reply.

[SilverLining4Me]

While I agree leaving from Vancouver is superior, IMO the 14night itinerary from Seattle is far superior in the fact it goes to ports that no other ships go to (Anchorage, Homer, Kodiak). Any Alaska cruise is amazing, and the scenery spectacular, but if you really want to see some nice areas without crowds look at the 14day out of Seattle, the disadvantage is you sail outside of Vancouver Island.

 

We have sailed from Seattle twice and San Francisco once. One of our Seattle cruises did an overnight in Vancouver and then proceeded to Ketchikcan.

 

One place we really wanted to see is Hubbard Glacier which is offered on the one from Seattle.

 

Still lots of pros and cons. Not sure what we will do.

 

I think the difference is, the RT is the "regular" cruise from Seattle, the other was called a "collector's cruise " RT Vancouver, and visited ports twice.... although it went up the inside passage, and into Glacier Bay twice, and I enjoyed it immensely, I prefer the 14 RT from Seattle! We had gone up the inside passage in the mid 80s, and if looked completely different this last time we did it, I wonder what the difference was???

 

Thank you for your input too. Weighing all the options.

[SilverLining4Me]

While I agree leaving from Vancouver is superior, IMO the 14night itinerary from Seattle is far superior in the fact it goes to ports that no other ships go to (Anchorage, Homer, Kodiak). Any Alaska cruise is amazing, and the scenery spectacular, but if you really want to see some nice areas without crowds look at the 14day out of Seattle, the disadvantage is you sail outside of Vancouver Island.

 

Thank you for your insight too.

 

We've only been to Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, Tracy Arm, Misty Fjord, Endicott Arm, and Glacier Bay.

[Alberta Quilter]

Alberta quilter, you are missing history tonight. We will have a NDP governed province. Shocking.

 

Thanks CC for the info! My sister texted me last night which we received this morning. Not good news for industry in our province. DM keeps saying OMG, OMG!!

[Diver2014]

Wow, I'd forgotten all about Newport until now....we stopped there when we were on the Queen Mary II and toured the same 'cottages'....amazing the amount of wealth around that area. But frankly, I'm perfectly happy with our 'little' house in Miami. Can't wait to hear the next installment. We missed Bar Harbor because of high winds so it'll be interesting to hear about it.

[Folk Singer]

Have fun and enjoy.:):)

[cruz chic]

Thanks CC for the info! My sister texted me last night which we received this morning. Not good news for industry in our province. DM keeps saying OMG, OMG!!

 

That's for sure. Not what I wanted to hear since I've been unemployed for over 3 months.

[DeeniEncinitas]

That's for sure. Not what I wanted to hear since I've been unemployed for over 3 months.

 

Cruz chic!!

You stay positive,you've worked hard,it wii happen for you!

You will find that special wonderful new enviroment soon!

I believe it!

Denise :)

[cruz chic]

Cruz chic!!

You stay positive,you've worked hard,it wii happen for you!

You will find that special wonderful new enviroment soon!

I believe it!

Denise :)

 

Some days are better than others. I do believe that when it's meant to happen it will.

[DeeniEncinitas]

Some days are better than others. I do believe that when it's meant to happen it will.

 

Absolutely!

You enjoy the Veendam on the 9th!

Denise😄