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'Twas the Cruise During Christmas - Zuiderdam 2018


POA1
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A relaxing afternoon in the cabana.  Conrado, one of our cabana stewards, brings around the afternoon champagne.

 

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Poohby Joe enjoys a glass of sparking wine and some chilled grapes, trying to take his mind off the fact that vacation is RUINED because there are no Retreat robes and one of the LED indicators for Deck 2 is out in the interior button panel of a forward elevator.

 

poohby-cabana-champagne_LUCiD.thumb.JPG.e975a2d3e3fbecd797bffe8549da8712.JPG

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We've got our first formal night this evening.  Michelle's very excited abut the escargot and lamb chops.  In order to win bonus husband points, I ordered a corsage for her from the best florist on the ship.

 

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The corsages are available in wrist or pin-on and can be had in one, two, or three flowers. They're available in white & red - possibly pink. I went with a three rose wrist corsage in white. (Because she's worth it!)

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18 minutes ago, POA1 said:

A relaxing afternoon in the cabana.  Conrado, one of our cabana stewards, brings around the afternoon champagne.

 

conrado-champagne_LUCiD.thumb.JPG.06180450a077f60c09c636762c854f31.JPG

 

Poohby Joe enjoys a glass of sparking wine and some chilled grapes, trying to take his mind off the fact that vacation is RUINED because there are no Retreat robes and one of the LED indicators for Deck 2 is out in the interior button panel of a forward elevator.

 

poohby-cabana-champagne_LUCiD.thumb.JPG.e975a2d3e3fbecd797bffe8549da8712.JPG

I think you are misreading 

A relaxing afternoon in the cabana.  Conrado, one of our cabana stewards, brings around the afternoon champagne.

 

conrado-champagne_LUCiD.thumb.JPG.06180450a077f60c09c636762c854f31.JPG

 

I think you are misreading Poohby Joe.  He clearly is happy he is receiving a full glass of bubbly in his private cabana.  Just look at that smile on his face.

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3 hours ago, POA1 said:

 

And I have photographic evidence! I took photos of the wine list, or I suppose it's more accurate to call it a a wine screen now. 

 

I was pretty sure that I saw it on a bar list as well, but I don't remember which lounge it was. We haven't started the bar menu project yet. If I find any other SBP eligible sparklers, I'll be sure to let you know. 

 

Before we head off to dinner, here's your photographic proof of the SBP-eligible prosecco.

 

prosecco.jpg.80bd6edd0249ef00221def79d795c17c.jpg

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26 minutes ago, keeponcruising said:

Poohby Joe enjoys a glass of sparking wine and some chilled grapes, trying to take his mind off the fact that vacation is RUINED because there are no Retreat robes and one of the LED indicators for Deck 2 is out in the interior button panel of a forward elevator.

 

Probably a good thing Poohby Joe doesn't know there are matching slippers to be had with the Retreat robes.🤫

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4 hours ago, KrissyCruises said:

 

Probably a good thing Poohby Joe doesn't know there are matching slippers to be had with the Retreat robes.🤫

 

Yes, my wife remembers those from before. It was never an issue for the bear. (1) They never have his size, and (2) He's already got fleece covered feet. 

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On 12/18/2018 at 6:07 PM, 57redbird said:

I wish they offered plain creme brulee  --- not a fan of Grand Marnier.

It's "Grand Marnier scented." To be honest, until I read your post, I was pretty sure it was vanilla. Turns out that you are absolutely correct! Unless you are super sensitive to orange, I don't think you'll notice that it's not vanilla. And, on the off chance you don't like it, you're not out any money and they'll bring you a different dessert just for asking. 

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On 12/19/2018 at 8:14 AM, vms said:

I'm in charge of planning the shore excursions for my parent's 50th anniversary cruise, for which Grand Turk is one of the ports. If it was just me, I'd be fine on a beach lounger with some cocktails, but needing to find something fun for a group ranging from 11-mid 70's in age, I'm feeling some pressure. I'd love to hear more about the tour when you get a chance, even if it was only 45 minutes worth of tour.

 

Loving your review so far!

 

 

I want to apologize for the delay in getting back to you. I saw your post but somehow got distracted by shiny objects and didn't make it back to answer until now. (The National Institute of Cheer's Department of Quality Control was making a sweep for unanswered questions. It's part of our six sigma process improvement system, which I am absolutely making up.) 

 

With respect to Grand Turk: It's a nice island, and the people are lovely, but I'd give a pass to any large group activity. There's just not a lot to do beyond the beach, snorkeling or diving. Get off the ship, stretch your legs and visit the shops. Save your excursion dollars for elsewhere. Once you've seen the port area, get back on the ship and enjoy having it to yourself. If Amber Cove is on your itinerary, there are a lot more family activities there. It would probably help if I wrote up a report on Amber Cove, but as you can see by the speed at which I got to your question, it might be a little while. 

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On 12/18/2018 at 8:42 PM, wdw1972 said:

So nice to see my friend Brian Bradley is on your cruise - he's the entertainer the night you've been in Aruba.  He's a funny guy, and does quite a bit of improv besides regular stand-up.  Definitely check him out, as he should be very funny!

 

Sue/WDW1972

 

Thanks for the tip! We haven't had a comedy show yet, so it will be a nice change of pace. 

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I'm playing around with the Navigator app-not-an-app and I've noticed that it does not have the dining hours listed. Also, it has the MDR dinner menu, but no Lido or other MDR meal menus. Hmm... 

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I'm playing around with the Navigator app-not-an-app and I've noticed that it does not have the dining hours listed. Also, it has the MDR dinner menu, but no Lido or other MDR meal menus. Hmm... 

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12 hours ago, POA1 said:

We've got our first formal night this evening.  Michelle's very excited abut the escargot and lamb chops.  In order to win bonus husband points, I ordered a corsage for her from the best florist on the ship.

 

formal-flower_LUCiD.thumb.JPG.b32c3b0602631a31baf05255e18cbebd.JPG

 

The corsages are available in wrist or pin-on and can be had in one, two, or three flowers. They're available in white & red - possibly pink. I went with a three rose wrist corsage in white. (Because she's worth it!)

 

Very pretty 😄 

Wrist corsages are so much better IMO than the ones you pin on.

 

Thanks for the info on the PG wines by the glass, too.  Your scientific research is SO appreciated.

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On 12/17/2018 at 8:23 AM, POA1 said:

Despite having a head start of more than a decade, the pilgrims, with their bigger promotional budget, cool hats and Massachusetts Turnpike sign sponsorship deal, are more recognized than the Dutch Halve Maen.

Great writing... enjoying and needed the chuckle this morning!

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6 hours ago, POA1 said:

 

I want to apologize for the delay in getting back to you. I saw your post but somehow got distracted by shiny objects and didn't make it back to answer until now. (The National Institute of Cheer's Department of Quality Control was making a sweep for unanswered questions. It's part of our six sigma process improvement system, which I am absolutely making up.) 

 

No apology necessary! Cabana relaxation is much more important! But I do appreciate the info.

 

Sorry to hear about the lack of robes in your cabana. The Eurodam Cabanas in November didn't have the misters or fans, but we did have the robes, and on some days, but not every day, the slippers.

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56 minutes ago, kazu said:

Thanks for the info on the PG wines by the glass, too.  Your scientific research is SO appreciated.

 

The PG wines are a good addition to your options...in theory. In practice, it sort of blew up my whole wine ordering system last night. I made a little note for myself so I'd know which wines I wanted as substitutes. It was not a neat note. It was just scribblings so that I knew what I wanted. I was looking for Chateau Ste. Michelle Horse Heaven Vineyard "Mimi" Chardonnay to pair with Michelle's escargot. The wine was on the MDR list in December 2016, and I think I saw it on Roger's lists since then. (My note said, "Ste M Mimi," which is fine for me, but inadequate for anyone else. In fairness, I wasn't expecting anyone else to need the note.) Other wines I wanted from the Pinnacle were the Sokol Blosser Evolution #9 to go with my sole, and Peter Lehmann Portrait Series Shiraz for Michelle's lamb chops. 

 

There were two issues. First, our wine steward Mario, who had been doing so well since our initial performance discussion, really doesn't know the PG wines by the glass list. Second, our table, while providing excellent spy seat opportunities, is in a bad area for the WiFi that the wine stewards need for ordering. Mario had to go over to an actual terminal to enter my choices. I wasn't there, and all he had was my unintelligible note. In addition to PG wines, I ordered Nicolas Feuillatte Champagne for both of us and a different PG Chardonnay, Seven Falls, to go with my appetizer. 

 

The Champagne never showed up, so we had to reorder it. I was told that the Mimi Chardonnay was over limit. It's not. I have a photo of it from the PG digital list. My PG chard also went missing or more likely, was never ordered. 

 

To add to the overall jocularity, the wine runners who drop off the wine, cannot get their heads around the fact that we're ordering our wines straight through. They always wanted to give Michelle's father some wine, even though he's apparently given up drinking for this cruise. I can see it in their eyes as they approach with the tray of wine. 'Hey, the old guy doesn't have anything. This must be his."

 

I don't think it would be wise to order your wine course by course. There is no way they'd get it to you on time. It'd be like liquor you bought in port. On the last day of the cruise, a cart with a crap-ton of wine glasses would show up at your stateroom door. 

 

I really wish that the wine system had a way of telling the runners both the table and the position of the guest for each glass ordered. HAL can do it for food. Why not wine? It's the same concept. Thank goodness we're just three people - all related - at a table. If we were at a table for 8,it would be bedlam. :classic_blink:

 

All in all, we had a very nice meal. I'm just gonna write out my wine order in painstaking detail from now on. (We always know what we're going to order food-wise in advance, so the pairing can be planned as well.) Maybe I'll write the name of the wine and put a little stick man or stick woman next to it. 

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As I read back through my little mini wine rant, I can appreciate that some people might be thinking, "That's a lot of wine. I could never drink that much. No wonder the staff gets a bit mixed up." 

 

I hear you, and I respect your opinion. But, we are probably the most organized by-the-glass people they deal with all day. I think we owe it to each other to bring our "A" games. It pained me to do so, but I could not recommend a performance bonus last night. First time the whole trip. (Night 1 had the incentive plan because I believe that coaching works best with positive reinforcement.)

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30 minutes ago, POA1 said:

The PG wines are a good addition to your options...in theory. In practice, it sort of blew up my whole wine ordering system last night. I made a little note for myself so I'd know which wines I wanted as substitutes. It was not a neat note. I

 

Well, thanks to you, I'll visit the PG first thing and ask to see the wine list for "by the glass" and take some screen shots of it.  That's a fabulous tip. 😄 

 

I don't remember them having different choices on my last cruise - but, my memory can be short 😉 

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This is the screen shot of the Ste. Michelle Mimi.  We have a more compact camera for taking our dinner photos and my photos of the PG wine list were on the other camera. So, it was possible that I was mistaken and that the Mimi was more than $15. I thought it was less than $10.

 

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It was supposed to be $9.75. (Mind like a steel trap, I tell ya.) If the MDR isn't busy tonight, I am going to double check. I doubt that there's a discrepancy between the Pinnacle wine list and the MDR POS system, but you never know.

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2018-12-21-Bonaire-Card-sm.jpg

 

 

 

Greetings from Bonaire! This picturesque 288 square mile island has an arid climate and is one of our favorite snorkeling spots in the Caribbean. Even if you aren’t a big fan of donning the fins, you can see many scenic fish by simply sticking your mask in the water as you stand on the ocean floor.

Our plan today is to go to the Van der Valk Plaza Beach Resort. https://www.plazaresortbonaire.com/en  It’s a short cab ride from the dock. They have a nice beach and you can rent chairs and palapas. They have snorkel masks and equipment available for rent if you don’t have any. There is a bar that serves food and there are the oh-so-important restrooms.

 

 

 

Map-2018-12-21-Bonaire.jpg

 

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A little behind on posting dinners, just now getting to Day 3's dinner (Amber Cove Day). I didn't want to be too far behind before we see the fishes and eat the frikadellen. (John, Michelle does not share my enthusiasm for Dutch health food.)

 

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We all started with the Vegetable Spring Roll with Rice Noodle, Sweet Chili (Somebody took the time to get the actual menu descriptions. No more "spring roll device" food definition.)

 

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Michelle had the Caesar Salad for her second course. It's from the everyday menu.  I had the French Onion Soup from the everyday menu but it was camera shy.

 

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My father-in-law had the Calypso Shrimp Cocktail with a Mustard-Calypso Sauce for his second course.

 

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For our main course, both Michelle and I had Chef Rudi's Classic Wiener Schnitzel with Home Fried Potatoes, Lingonberry Compote, Green Beans. (Always a winner!)

 

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Her dad had Chef Rudi's Classic Rosemary Roasted Chicken with Carrots, Green Beans, and Herb Stuffing.

 

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For dessert, Michelle ordered the Whiskey Chocolate Torte, a Moist Chocolate Cake, with Whiskey Flavored Ganache

 

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DFIL had the Raspberry Frozen Yogurt, because he had already hit the Lido ice cream bar for Vanilla in the afternoon. (The man is a stick and he can eat sweets all day long.)

 

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I had the Coconut Mille Feuille with Passion Fruit Sauce & Chocolate Ganache. The filling reminds you of a really stiff panna cotta.

 

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I wasn't a fan, which is good because I then had the Tangerine Dream Cordial In Souvenir Glass. It's Grand Marnier & White Crème De Cacao.

 

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We decided to go for the glass collection. I think we're at 5 of 6 now, but we're waiting until we get a full set to take them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Bonaire tip:

 

Michelle found this place in 2012 when we were coming on the Maasdam. It's called Plaza Resort Bonaire. I'll post the URL when I get back to the ship. For $10/pp you get a chair, beach access, some shade and a drink. The cab is $10 each way for up to 4 people. The resort will call you a return cab when you want to go back. They have a floating dock to get you out to better fish viewing. 

 

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You rent masks, snorkels and fins, but we have our own gear. They have a beach + pool day pass for $15 if you prefer a pool. There's a bar & restaurant too. I'll report on that later. 

 

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