Live blog: Nieuw Statendam: March 10

[8373seth]

1 hour ago, notladjr said:

Thank you so much for taking the time to share all of this! We will be on NS 4/7/19 so this is getting me even more excited than I already was. BTW that chocolate dessert looked amazing.

 

Have you tried the buffet yet? We were on our first HAL cruise (Nieuw Amsterdam) right after Thanksgiving last year and I loved that wonderful dishes of cut fresh fruit were available anytime the buffet was open and seemed fresh all 7 days of the cruise.

 

Have you had a chance to check out the extra cost gelato place yet? I love gelato and hope it isn't too good or I may end up in a diabetic coma. 

Yes we ate at the buffet the first day.  It's great. Yes, we ate the gelato. It is yummy. 

[8373seth]

53 minutes ago, Crusinsusan2 said:

 

Thanks Seth for your live! Enjoy every minute and only post YOUR experience when you can. I always feel lousy when someone is generous enough to post an actual live on their own internet dime about a personal trip and then are sent on daily re-con tasks.          

I don't mind.  I enjoy helping.  If I can do it, I'll try. 

[8373seth]

1 hour ago, Crusinsusan2 said:

 

Edited March 12, 2019 by 8373seth

[8373seth]

We had a great first full day.  This is our second time to Half Moon cay and both times have been excellent.  It is the best private island.  The water is clear, the sand is white and soft, and there is quite a bit to do.   I found a hammock and enjoyed a tropical nap.  There were two ships in port today and the beach was a bit crowded.  However, there were plenty of chairs.  They even have  a wedding chapel.  For activities, you can pay for water sports or you can enjoy basketball and sand volleyball.  The shipwreck bar is a fun spot. 

They offer a bbq from 11-1.  It consists of hamburgers(Caribbean style, a bit spicy), jerk chicken, hotdogs and numerous sides. 

 

 If you visit, you will want to say hi to the roosters and chicken that make the cay their home.  Try not to feel too guilty while enjoying the jerk chicken.  

 

We enjoyed our first show in the World Stage tonight.  The technology is amazing. The dance was  interpretive and interactive with the screens.  It seems the best seats are five to six rows up the steps.  If you are too far down you will not be able to see the floor. Also, the shows fill up fast.  I recommend getting to the theatre no later than 20 minutes until showtime. 

 

We found the New York Pizza place on Deck 10 next to the pool.  They are open until 12:00am.  They have pizza, movie snacks (popcorn, pretzels etc), and fries.  A great place to grab a late night snack.  

 

Tomorrow is a sea day.  Luckily for us, we also gain an hour tonight as we move westward. 

 

Now off to dream land. 

[Krazy Kruizers]

Nice way to spend your first cruise day -- HMC.

 

Great pictures.

[0bnxshs]

Great pictures, enjoying your blog.  HMC is really the best; we enjoy it and love the water and watching the fish and chickens and everything.  Thanks for taking the time to document your trip. 

[gizmodog]

Are they charging $10 for an extra entree? Doesn’t affect me as I don’t do that, just wondering.

[trystran72]

Have you had a chance to try out or see the Tamarind Bar?

[8373seth]

It’s a beautiful day at sea. I’m about to play bingo. Wish me luck. Below are the dinner menus for tonight. 

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Good luck on Bingo. Appreciate if you could check if they have a poker pro Texas Hold’em table.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[cheezenip]

Someone on the K-Dam just posted that CNBC is not one of the TV channels that are available.

 

Could you confirm if CNBC or any other financial stations (Bloomberg, Fox Business, etc.) are available on NS?

 

Thank you.

[sevenseasnomad]

1 hour ago, cheezenip said:

Someone on the K-Dam just posted that CNBC is not one of the TV channels that are available.

 

Could you confirm if CNBC or any other financial stations (Bloomberg, Fox Business, etc.) are available on NS?

 

Thank you.

During Christmas, Fox News, not Fox Business was available on NS.  CNN too.  Not sure about CNBC.  We were too busy watching movies when we were in the cabin---what little time we actually spent in the cabin.  

 

Lovely pictures, Seth.  Thanks so much for taking time away from your vacation to post.  Brings back lovely memories of a wonderful Christmas cruise.

[0bnxshs]

7 hours ago, gizmodog said:

Are they charging $10 for an extra entree? Doesn’t affect me as I don’t do that, just wondering.

 

Yes, apparently being tested for now.

 

2 hours ago, cheezenip said:

Someone on the K-Dam just posted that CNBC is not one of the TV channels that are available.

 

Could you confirm if CNBC or any other financial stations (Bloomberg, Fox Business, etc.) are available on NS?

 

Thank you.

 

No business channels were provided on our cruise in January.  Very limited selection of TV.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

During Christmas, Fox News, not Fox Business was available on NS.  CNN too.  Not sure about CNBC.  We were too busy watching movies when we were in the cabin---what little time we actually spent in the cabin.  
 
Lovely pictures, Seth.  Thanks so much for taking time away from your vacation to post.  Brings back lovely memories of a wonderful Christmas cruise.

The channels on the NS in January were MSNBC, Fox News, BBC, Prime, Travel, HGTV, ESPN, ESPN2

See my blog for a video with cabin details.


www.theinsidecabin.com

[gizmodog]

I know the $10 charge for additional entree is being tested but not on all ships wondering if it was being done on the NS.

[cheezenip]

14 minutes ago, gizmodog said:

I know the $10 charge for additional entree is being tested but not on all ships wondering if it was being done on the NS.

 

The testing is on 4 ships but not NS.

 

I seem to recall on another thread that HAL will make a decision after the end of March if this will be fleet wide.

[PandaBear62]

I'm sailing in July so love seeing everything you've posted. If you have a chance, can you take a picture of any of the drink menus, especially wine? I'd love to see what they have. We have the drink package, so plan to indulge a little!

[Elevatorman]

On 3/11/2019 at 8:54 AM, terrydtx said:

IMHO Florida or Caribbean warm water lobsters are not worth the effort or price to eat. I would prefer a good shrimp dinner. On a sailing charter to Anegada Island in the BVI in 2017 we had at a local beach restaurant local fresh caught Caribbean lobster and it was just plain tough and tasteless for $50pp. Do not waste your money at HMC, unless it is cold water lobster from New England,

Maine or cold water lobster has claws. Warm water Florida lobster no claws. 

[RoyalVisit]

Looks like you're having a great time and beautiful weather! Thanks for sharing your experience with us.  the photos are reminding me of when my husband and I were on the Koningsdam in 2016.  Totally agree with you on how they serve the food, it does take a tad longer but good hygiene/food safety is worth the wait.  This is all getting me more excited for our cruise to Alaska in May 

[cheezenip]

Having never been on HAL before, I was wondering if a shirt and tie is good enough on Gala dinners. What did you observe during those evenings?

[Krazy Kruizers]

5 hours ago, cheezenip said:

Having never been on HAL before, I was wondering if a shirt and tie is good enough on Gala dinners. What did you observe during those evenings?

 

A shirt and tie will be fine on Gala night.

[Judyrem]

I am thinking of doing this same cruise in November, it looks amazing and the food looks fabulous!

 

Thank you posting!

[caribill]

On 3/11/2019 at 12:05 AM, 8373seth said:

Our first day is almost complete.  Well technically it is complete. Dinner was excellent as usual.  I had the turkey and Todd had the shrimp. Below are a few pictures from dinner and around the ship.  Also, I have the When and Where for tomorrow. 

 

 

I do not see this great looking cake on the menu. What is it called?

 

 

On 3/11/2019 at 12:05 AM, 8373seth said:

 

Are the early and late traditional times for dinner not listed for some reason?

 

[BarbarianPaul]

On 3/12/2019 at 5:18 PM, cheezenip said:

 

The testing is on 4 ships but not NS.

 

I seem to recall on another thread that HAL will make a decision after the end of March if this will be fleet wide.

Do you know what ships it is being test on?

[sevenseasnomad]

8 minutes ago, BarbarianPaul said:

Do you know what ships it is being test on?

Oosterdam is one of the test ships.  Not sure about the other three.