Live from the Westerdam Oct 18 - 29, 2016

[Alberta Quilter]

Our toilet had a small puddle underneath it. DM noticed it; when I flushed it, I saw a drip hit the puddle. I immediately called the Front Desk and reported it. The poor man apologized twice and said he would contact the plumber. There is no more puddle/dripping anymore. They must have fixed it when we were out for the muster drill/M&G/dinner.

[Alberta Quilter]

Tuesday, October 19, 2016 - Embarkation Day

 

I slept fairly well, considering the back issues and the fact that I haven't slept all that well for the past few weeks. My back was better but I still treated it gingerly.

 

After DM got up and ready, we went down for breakfast in the Pan Pacific. The breakfast buffet there cost $31/person. A ridiculous amount of money but we did it anyway. Actually, the a la carte menu was just as expensive so one might as well go for the variety a buffet provides. That was our big splurge.

 

Once we were stuffed to the gills, we went back up to our room and completed packing, getting the luggage tags out, etc. We had the bellman take the bags to the ship for us; they'll do that for the gratuity. DM had to stay in the room, well, one of us had to and since I had an appointment with the chiropractor, she was elected. She had a pleasant hour reading the newspaper while I went to be treated. I was gone longer than anticipated. First there was the paperwork to be filled out. But the expected 25 minute session turned out to be about 40 - 50 minutes. She took a thorough history and then started the treatment. Fortunately, our checkout time at the hotel was noon so I was back well in advance of that.

 

We left the room about 11:30 and went down to the cruise ship level. It was a one ship day in Vancouver. Oh, how I love one ship days in Vancouver!! They have changed things since we were here in May. We first went through security, and before seeing the immigration agent, we went to a kiosk to scan our passports and fill out the customs form for each of us. The machine also took our picture to compare with the passport photo. Then it printed out a slip with the photos and we had to take them to the agent. He compared the slip with the passport and compared that to our faces. I guess we matched up because we were allowed to proceed. We were then given the health questionnaires and could proceed to the four/five star/suite lineup. Check in was quick; only delay was my filling out the health questionnaires.

 

They had already started boarding. At first we were directed to sit down but then another person realized that we had four stars so were allowed to board right away. We just joined the line and followed them. We were onboard just before noon. Amazing, less than half an hour from hotel room to ship cabin.

 

There was an Embarkation Lunch; they called it the Mariner Welcome Lunch. No one was checking if one was actually a Mariner except, of course, one gave their room number at the podium. The lunch was from 12:30 - 1:30 which was later than it used to be. The lineups to get in were huge! Fortunately, we seemed to have picked the correct lineup but people seemed to be pretty good about alternating from one lineup then the other.

 

The lunch menu was different from our last experience. No Reuben's or buttermilk chicken. There was steak sandwich, veal parmigiana and a few other options. At our table, one ordered the veal and four ordered the steak sandwich. DM opted for an appie of fruit salad and tomato soup. The soup was lukewarm and had some stringy bits in it that she later told me she had to pull out. I had a beet and oak leaf lettuce salad that was doused in a vinagrette; way too much dressing for my taste. But the steak sandwich was something to behold. Yes, that is sarcasm. I come from Alberta which is cow country. I love my beef. This may have been beef but it was not a steak. I have never in my life seen a steak that was so thin. I swear it was a quarter inch thick! I wish I had thought to take a picture (not that I can get pictures to post here on CC). It was a little tough. There were several pieces of "steak" on focaccia bread, with caramelized onions. The onions were good; beef was okay. It wasn't horrible but it was just okay. I kind of wish I had gone to the Dive In for lunch. If there is another Embarkation Lunch in San Diego, I might just do that. Or eat off the ship.

 

I took off from the MDR to check out America's Test Kitchen. That really seems just like the Culinary Arts Centre with a different name. This being the first time that it is run on a HAL ship, there were a few representatives there from ATK. I got the impression that they may have done away with the CAC Host but I could be wrong about that. I did not see a CAC Host at the open house. There are currently two ATK chefs onboard; one will stay with the Westerdam, and the other will be going to the NA when it is implemented on that ship. For this four day segment, they will likely only be doing demos, starting with one about chocolate tomorrow. As your intrepid reporter, I feel it is my duty to take one for the team and go to that demo. The lengths I will go to on your behalf are just astounding, aren't they?!

 

The workshops (hand on classes) should be offered on the 7 day Mexican cruise. I went right down to the Front Office to put my name on the list to be contacted when they schedule it/them.

 

At 2 pm, there was the Mariner's Welcome Reception up in the Crow's Nest. I had two glasses of wine! Did I mentioned that my back is better? I certainly wasn't feeling any pain after two glasses of wine in half an hour (or so). Good thing I wasn't driving!

 

We then returned to our cabin to unpack. The luggage had arrived so we quickly got that emptied and stowed away. Our muster drill was at 4:15. About 4 pm, we headed down to the Promenade deck and sat in the show lounge until it was time to attend the drill. The drill went well. This was our first experience with having our cards scanned instead of calling out cabin numbers and names. We were dismissed at 4:35 so it was a very quick drill. From there we headed up to the Seaview Bar for our informal meet & greet. DM wanted a drink so we took care of that first. There we met a couple from our roll call, Moonlight Beach. We moved to the non-smoking side of the pool for some of us to avoid the smoke. Another couple joined, with whom we had sailed previously. I hadn't realized they were the same couple because they had changed their CC handle. Unfortunately, we didn't meet up with any others from the roll call. I was really looking forward to meeting more. Hopefully, the beads (or leis in our case) will help at the next M&G in San Diego. I should have worn them to this one but we didn't talk about how we were going to identify ourselves for the M&G, at least, I don't think we did.

 

We went from there right to dinner. Early dining is at 5:30; main dining is at 8 pm. We did get our requested table. We sat with another couple and their friend. Only five of us at a table of six. Maybe someone will join us tomorrow. I won't be scanning menus but can tell you what we all had. I had the pork buco; two had chicken with cranberries (not the everyday chicken), one had the chef's salad, and one had shrimp, andouille and grits. I got a copy of tomorrow's dinner menu to request a special order; I have to say it is very uninspiring. However, I was able to cobble together an acceptable entree pulling items from three different selections. I really hate that they don't serve enough veggies with the entrees. In fact, after dinner, we went up to the lido just to get some veggies for me. I'll have to remember to order a salad with every meal.

 

After that, we went to the shops to check them out. I did buy a top that was marked down from $60 to $20. I still have to try it on to make sure it fits.

 

It was then back to the room to relax and write up today's report. The chiropractor had recommended to continue icing my back. When it started acting up a bit, I laid down to ice it (after getting the cabin steward to fill the bag). Well, when I got up again, the spasms started again! It was not pleasant. It continued throughout the night. Finally at about 2 am, I took another ibuprofen and put on my sea bands because of the rocking and rolling. DM and I also changed sides of the bed so that it was easier for me to lay down on my good side, reducing the spasms on the bad side. It is better this morning but still not great. Oh, well, at least it won't stop me from attending that chocolate demo this morning!!

[frankc98376]

We had the SBP promo with our 11 night booking. Bar Server at Seaview yesterday asked us if we'd like to upgrade to Elite Package. We did and see this morning a charge of $126.50 each on our bill. This gives us beverages up to $15 so we can now try some of the fancy martinis :).

 

Looks like they have the upgrade process working now. I've heard it has been hit or miss at the best on ships since it started. Hopefully this is fleet wide and not just Westerdam.

 

Having a great HD on board sure makes a difference with the crew. They are always above and beyond the normal wonderful HAL standard on Westerdam! Have already seen many we know from previous cruises and of course they remember us and several remembered our names. Still amazes me that they remember.

 

Outside Promenade closed today due to weather. Winds up to 55 knots from the south/southeast hitting us head on so very windy and some bumping and rolling going on. Love going to sleep in an aft wrap with the bumping, rolling, and soft moans and groans from the ship. Have seen several people out this morning with varying shades of light green :). Amazes me when I see someone that is obviously not feeling well with a bloody mary in their hand. So smart.....

[dee2673]

Thank you both for posting this. We are also in a NS aft wrap in December. First time in a aft wrap and looking forward to it!

Avidly following..thank again:):)

[JimAOk1945]

I'm following along. This itinerary is on my wife's bucket list. Do you plan to post pictures?

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using Forums mobile app

Edited October 19, 2016 by JimAOk1945

[Alberta Quilter]

I'm following along. This itinerary is on my wife's bucket list. Do you plan to post pictures?

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using Forums mobile app

 

I don't, at least not until I get home. It doesn't seem to work for me. I've been able to long ago but then I couldn't get it to work. I'm sorry; I know having pictures really adds to the review.

[Alberta Quilter]

Went to the first demo for ATK: We Love Chocolate. It was so crowded with people they brought in extra chairs and placed them in front of others who were in first. I sat at the back in the curved seating. They added a row of chairs in front of us; the people sitting in them partially blocked the view. But it was the only available space after they filled the dance floor with more seating. There were that many people.

 

I'm not at all familiar with ATK since I don't think it is shown in Canada. We were given three handouts. One was Chocolate 101 which describes the structure, how to buy, store and use chocolate. We also got two recipe cards, one for Pot de Creme and the other for Chewy Brownies. Along she made the recipes, the ATK chef gave little tips or explanations as to why they found the best way to do things. That was interesting. If you want to attend future demos, it would be handy to have a pen so you could add notes to the recipes. We were also shown a video of how to melt chocolate by the hosts of ATK (Not that I would have known who they were). We were given a sample of the Pot de Creme. They did seem to have enough for everyone, even though there was such a large group. I didn't hear any grumbling. If I hear about some later, I'll let you know. The demo took about 45 minutes; she took questions at the end. What was nice was she repeated the questions so everyone could hear.

 

It was geared more to Americans which isn't surprising. We Canadians use some slightly different terminology like whipping cream vs heavy cream. She said that whipping cream has a additive in it; I don't believe that's true in Canada.

 

Anyway, it was a good demo. The Pot de Creme was amazing. A little bit goes a long way. I did manage to keep from licking the ramekin clean but it was tough!

[Lizzie68]

Hey AIP! Long time, no chat!! We ran into Ed and June who were on the Amsterdam with us a couple of years ago. They are also on this cruise. I hadn't realized it because they changed their handle since then.

Delighted to see you are doing another Live from...

And please say hi to Ed and June for me.

 

Sent from my SM-G386W using Forums mobile app

[Alberta Quilter]

Another ATK update. The shows are playing on the TV in the cabin.

[frankc98376]

Heading to Pinnacle Bar for a pre-dinner libation. Hoping Captain Mark wasn't joking when he said weather would be better tomorrow. This back corner on deck 5 is a groaning and creaking :). We were at Seaview by the bar at sail away and met one couple from here. Not sure where the rest of the group were. We'll try again in San Diego or will hopefully meet up before. We were at the ATK- you didn't see us? LOL

I think the host was surprised by the turnout- was HUGE. She looked overwhelmed when she started.

[Alberta Quilter]

It's been pretty rocky here at the bow of the ship. It's our first time towards the bow and I suspect it will be our last time. I had to take some sea calm today. With my back issues, I didn't need to aggravate it any more by woofing my cookies!

 

Funny thing is that our table mates turned out to be our roll call mates, oceanshores. Just learned that tonight at dinner. They didn't make it to the M&G. Frank, we met one couple at the Seaview bar but moved to the other side of the pool to get away from the smoke where we met the second couple. Then they went up to see us go under the Lion's Gate Bridge. We disbanded shortly after that as four of us had to get to dinner.

 

Today was a very quiet day. We skipped trivia; I went up to the CN to scout it out and look for DM but it was packed. I decided to go to the Lido for a burger. The burger wasn't as good as I remembered from past cruises. It was jsut okay. I refrained from getting the fries and instead got a nice salad. DM did find me there so we were able to have lunch together (sort of). She ate while I got in the salad line and then I ate while she got her salad!

 

AFter lunch, we came back to the cabin and laid down. I was down for almost two hours!! The guys had filled up my ice bag so I laid on it and passed right out. It was awesome. Mom had a much shorter nap and went off to tea. She was back before I knew she was gone!

 

We then went to Happy Hour to get her beer. We got 5 Grolsh beers and got the second 5 for $1 each. The server did tell someone else that the second drink had to be the same as the first drink. It took me two trips to take all of DM's beer back to the cabin! That should keep her in beer for the cruise but if it gets really hot, she may need some more!

[Alberta Quilter]

Had some issues connecting this morning but it seems to be working now.

 

Last night we went to the show only to find out that the entertainer that was scheduled did not board the ship. There were booking issues, we were told. The singers and dancers rose to the occasion and put on a show. We stayed for about half an hour and then left. The boys had filled my ice bag again so I laid down to ice my back and fell asleep for the night. I slept so well, waking up three minutes before room service arrived with our breakfast.

 

I have to say that breakfast both days has arrived on time and our exact order. We've gotten a call both days about half an hour after delivery asking if everything was satisfactory. The hot items were hot and the cold items were cool. I'm liking the RS breakfast because it allows us to not have to rush to get dressed to get somewhere for breakfast with others. It will be a sad day for us if the room service menu changes.

 

The weather today, well, we can't tell what it is like. It is extremely foggy. The fog horn is making its presence known. The TV says it's 14C which is warmer than what we've experienced at home. The seas have settled down. We're off the coast of San Francisco.

 

Will report more later.

[Alberta Quilter]

Hi All,

 

If anyone can recommend a dentist in Cabo, Mazatlan or PV, would you let us know, please? I thought i had mentioned this previously but couldnt' find it just now. DM lost a crown yesterday while eating breakfast. She has the crown; it just needs to glued back in. We thought we might see a dentist in one of the Mexican ports because they're supposedly so good and inexpensive, particularly compared to Alberta dental pricing. Any way, if you can help us out with a recommendation, we would appreciate it.

 

Thanks so much!

[Love the beach]

Hi All,

 

If anyone can recommend a dentist in Cabo, Mazatlan or PV, would you let us know, please? I thought i had mentioned this previously but couldnt' find it just now. DM lost a crown yesterday while eating breakfast. She has the crown; it just needs to glued back in. We thought we might see a dentist in one of the Mexican ports because they're supposedly so good and inexpensive, particularly compared to Alberta dental pricing. Any way, if you can help us out with a recommendation, we would appreciate it.

 

Thanks so much!

 

You might try asking at Guest Services and/or the Medical Dept....they might know of someone...I'm sure the need arises now and then.

[frankc98376]

I was told that the internet problems this morning were due to heavy fog and satellite reception limited. I'm sure that when service is limits the ship's needs for communicating with Seattle take preference. Seems fine now. Meeting a lot of "old but new" friends from CC on board- so much fun!

 

PG has been out of Crab and large lobster tails- hopefully they will pick it up in San Diego. The PG staff is spoiling us rotten. Gabor has a GREAT crew which tells me they have a great leader.

 

Something else I wanted to mention but the great Bloody Mary earlier and the therapy pool has pushed it out of my brain. Looking forward to meeting all in San Diego!! Still haven't heard if we will need in transit cards.

[Alberta Quilter]

I was told that the internet problems this morning were due to heavy fog and satellite reception limited. I'm sure that when service is limits the ship's needs for communicating with Seattle take preference. Seems fine now. Meeting a lot of "old but new" friends from CC on board- so much fun!

 

PG has been out of Crab and large lobster tails- hopefully they will pick it up in San Diego. The PG staff is spoiling us rotten. Gabor has a GREAT crew which tells me they have a great leader.

 

Something else I wanted to mention but the great Bloody Mary earlier and the therapy pool has pushed it out of my brain. Looking forward to meeting all in San Diego!! Still haven't heard if we will need in transit cards.

 

 

Oh, Frank, you just crushed DM's hopes for crab legs tonight! Oceanshores is dining there tonight at 5:30; our reservation is for 6:00. Maybe we'll see you tonight! I booked lunch there for later in the cruise; I think the first day out of San Diego.

[Alberta Quilter]

You might try asking at Guest Services and/or the Medical Dept....they might know of someone...I'm sure the need arises now and then.

 

Thanks, I did ask at the Front Desk and they told me that they are unable to vouch for anyone but would do the same research on the internet that I would be able to do. Fortunately, someone who will be joining us on the next segment posted my request on the roll call and we did receive a recommendation. I've just made a request for an appointment for the day we're in Cabo. We had nothing planned for that day so it's a good day to attend to the dental visit.

[Alberta Quilter]

Tomorrow's port is Santa Barbara. We are due to arrive at 8 am and were to depart at 3 pm. The Captain announced that there is extra time in our schedule so he's extended the time in SB! I believe he said that All Aboard will be 4:30 so we have an extra 2 hours (All Aboard was previously 2:30).

 

DM and I booked the trolley tour of SB so that we can get our bearings. Then we'll do some more walking about on our own. We are looking forward to seeing Santa Barbara (one of the main reasons I wanted to take this cruise).

[vaguy22]

I like breakfast in the main dining room are they serving breakfast there on port days or they using the Pinnicale resturant for breakfast. I dont like the buffet option. thank you for your help and enjoy your Mexico cruise.Norman

[qsuzi]

So happy to see you are doing a live thread and will follow along. May your seas be smooth for the rest of your cruise. Best regarding your back and your mom's tooth issues.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Catching up.

Loving all your reports.

Hope your mother gets her crown back on.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I like breakfast in the main dining room are they serving breakfast there on port days or they using the Pinnicale resturant for breakfast. I dont like the buffet option. thank you for your help and enjoy your Mexico cruise.Norman

 

 

The main dining is open every morning for breakfast. Sea days -- 8 - 9:30 AM. Port days -- 7:30 - 9 AM.

The Pinnacle Grill -- breakfast -- only for those staying in the Neptune and Pinnacle suites. Same hours as the main dining room.

[dfish]

Hi All,

 

If anyone can recommend a dentist in Cabo, Mazatlan or PV, would you let us know, please? I thought i had mentioned this previously but couldnt' find it just now. DM lost a crown yesterday while eating breakfast. She has the crown; it just needs to glued back in. We thought we might see a dentist in one of the Mexican ports because they're supposedly so good and inexpensive, particularly compared to Alberta dental pricing. Any way, if you can help us out with a recommendation, we would appreciate it.

 

Thanks so much!

 

Go to a drug store in one of the ports and get some dental cement. You can stick the crown back on with that and it will hold for quite a while. I went about a month like that and my dentist was impressed with the good job I did. Just make sure you seat correctly. It won't set up right away, so you can manipulate the crown to get a good fit.

[vaguy22]

Thank you Krazy Kruizers

[Alberta Quilter]

Go to a drug store in one of the ports and get some dental cement. You can stick the crown back on with that and it will hold for quite a while. I went about a month like that and my dentist was impressed with the good job I did. Just make sure you seat correctly. It won't set up right away, so you can manipulate the crown to get a good fit.

 

Thanks for the suggestion! I would never have thought of that. We'll check it out in SB tomorrow.