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Live from Nieuw Statendam Premier Voyage, December 2018

Vict0riann

By Vict0riann,
in Holland America Line

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harryw

harryw

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Thank You so much for the day to day maiden voyage chronicles. We will be on this ship next month, and it will be our first HAL cruise. The gala night MDR menu did seem small. Do the MDR menus offer additional “all the time” options like some cruise lines have?

 

Harry

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aliaschief

aliaschief

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Thanks for the continuing post and excellent reporting. It confirms that our recent 24 days on the Koningsdam that the Nieuw Statendam follows with fantastic new venues and choices.

 

We were very pleased with what the new Pinnacle Class ship offer. The experience was like being on a new very good cruise line. We felt Hal is going in the right direction in our future cruising experiences.

 

Not sure about Orange but will wait and see.

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Vict0riann "Live from...." Rare

Vict0riann

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4 hours ago, harryw said:

Thank You so much for the day to day maiden voyage chronicles. We will be on this ship next month, and it will be our first HAL cruise. The gala night MDR menu did seem small. Do the MDR menus offer additional “all the time” options like some cruise lines have?

 

Harry

 

Yes, there are 4 things you can order every day, a steak , chicken, salmon and something else, I think .  I just went to the Navigator app on my phone to photograph today’s menu , but it isn’t  up yet.  When it appears, I’ll post it.  You can ask for those daily items on a gala night if you want.

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Vict0riann "Live from...." Rare

Vict0riann

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2 hours ago, aliaschief said:

Thanks for the continuing post and excellent reporting. It confirms that our recent 24 days on the Koningsdam that the Nieuw Statendam follows with fantastic new venues and choices.

 

We were very pleased with what the new Pinnacle Class ship offer. The experience was like being on a new very good cruise line. We felt Hal is going in the right direction in our future cruising experiences.

 

Not sure about Orange but will wait and see.

 

Chief, in some ways I agree with you.  NS seems more upscale.  But in other ways I miss the older ships.  It’s hard to find a quiet corner to read or watch the sea, there seems to be Muzak everywhere.

 

its starting to warm up now, the roof over the pool was open yesterday.  I will do some exploring there today - NY Deli and Dive In, among others.  

 

Are you you going to join Club Orange?

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Vict0riann "Live from...." Rare

Vict0riann

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10 hours ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

If you haven't had one yet for breakfast, you've gotta do so! I promise it'll be worth it :classic_smile:

 

Forgot to mention that I think food is not available in th the Dutch Cafe until 11:30.  I will check and see if there are breakfast times as well.  J

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Vict0riann "Live from...." Rare

Vict0riann

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Frank98373 - I saw a beautiful blonde in uniform across the Lido this morning, so I called out Arlin?  She said yes, so I told her Frank and Loren said hello.  She told us how much she loves you both and sends her best wishes.  We had a long conversation as we are going to S de M again tonight, and she told me which dishes are the best for food porn!  

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kazu "Live from...." Rare

kazu

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1 hour ago, Vict0riann said:

Sailingdutchies’ food porn from Nami Sushi last night.  They said it was fabulous.

 

It looks fabulous too.  🙂

 

Great food porn pics on this thread for sure 😄 

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DWAliaschief

DWAliaschief

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3 hours ago, Vict0riann said:

 

Chief, in some ways I agree with you.  NS seems more upscale.  But in other ways I miss the older ships.  It’s hard to find a quiet corner to read or watch the sea, there seems to be Muzak everywhere

i

Are you you going to join Club Orange?

Not the Chief but dw here  - as I read, it appears that Club Orange is automatic for NS guests.  That being said our first time will be on the Maasdam in April in a NS.  We've already made plans to dine with two other couples so if that is the case, we won't be trying it out.  It will be interesting to see how this rolls out.  Won't be on a Pinnacle class ship until 2020!

I'd be interested to hear how Club O is going on the NS and K-dam or if its been rolled out to other ships yet and what the experience is like.

Susan

 

Edited by DWAliaschief
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Vict0riann "Live from...." Rare

Vict0riann

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2FA26D0B-CB40-41DD-9F68-953B197830EE.thumb.jpeg.41556d7ad4314b89e5b908209d2e19e4.jpegDD745298-7462-4597-8D7B-6FF56F2F607A.thumb.jpeg.e83d03e3bcf1921d7f5fb925c7a353e6.jpegF7F58495-785C-4B1B-AD32-2C1F7B1680E8.thumb.jpeg.f8d3031fa5eed1f393a76510a39acf3a.jpegThere were almost 30 people at Sit and Stitch this morning.  Yarnsinger’s husband Bob, said I could post the panorama he took, as long as he got the credit!  

 

I did did ask if anyone was in Club Orange, no one had felt it was worth the price.  I did see quite a lot of people in the venue for breakfast this morning.  It looked very casual.  No one in the Pinnacle.

 

As a needlpointer, I was interested in some of the art in the elevator lobbies.

 

 

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aliaschief

aliaschief

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5 hours ago, Vict0riann said:

 

Chief, in some ways I agree with you.  NS seems more upscale.  But in other ways I miss the older ships.  It’s hard to find a quiet corner to read or watch the sea, there seems to be Muzak everywhere.

 

its starting to warm up now, the roof over the pool was open yesterday.  I will do some exploring there today - NY Deli and Dive In, among others.  

 

Are you you going to join Club Orange?

 

I think our take it was something new. After 23 all Holland America cruises you pretty much know what to expect. We enjoyed the new venues and dining options. Walk around every corner and there is something new. We did feel that it was very crowded in certain spots especially around the Lido pool area. We mentioned to each other that we felt it would be difficult to manuver through here with a scooter. First thing we noticed was the hallways on Schubert were narrower and with the cabin Stewards service carts it was pretty narrow passage. Again thought how would a person in a scooter get through here?

 

Will we join Club Orange?  We stay in Neptune’s quite often and eventually will give it a try. I do believe that this was a last moment decision and it was too late to change the Culinary setting. We really enjoyed dining there for regular meals and two Somelier dinners. Does it feel like an upscale dining venue. I think not. It was nice but designed for culinary shows and watching food preparation. When we had the Sommelier dinners it was very interesting watching the food prep and plating via tv’s. I feel that on the Pinnacle ships eventually this area will be  redesigned and upscaled during future drydocks. 

 

Didn’t feel like we couldn’t find a quiet space to read or watch the world go by but background music is not interfering to us.

 

So we enjoyed the changes and the new venues. However, we still enjoy the smaller ships. We are on the Prisendam this Saturday, the Maasdam next April followed by the Rotterdam next October. Our philosophy is to sail them before their gone but we now know we will still enjoy cruising on the new builds.

 

We just have a passion for cruising and are so fortunate to be able to cruise even without libraries, deck chairs on promenade or eventually adjusting to not having breakfast in the Pinnacle.😡

 

You both have done a fantastic of introducing us to the newest ship in the Fleet. Thank you and enjoy those wonderful sea days.🛳

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fatcat04

fatcat04

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19 minutes ago, Fouremco said:

It's 7:30AM till midnight. Small print, but 12:00mn. 🙂

Pizza at 7:30 am. I think that just might defy even my teenager's iron clad stomach. :classic_tongue: Do they serve breakfasty things then? I hope. But there was that guy Dan Jannsen in Maryland that ate cheese pizza everyday, every meal for 25 years. Eek. :classic_blink:

 

PS: Ah I see alias' post now.

Edited by fatcat04
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