LIVE (hopefully) from the Nieuw Amsterdam's 2nd Alsakan Sailing

[panamashark]

1 minute ago, kazu said:

 

Exactly.  Sadly that particular wine is not in the wine packages but it is what it is.  We’ll cope 😉 

Yup, I agree.  We often bought nice glasses of wine during Happy Hour too.  I am trying to remember the name of our favorite red.

Edited August 1, 2021 by panamashark

[rkacruiser]

2 hours ago, Brentt_M said:

The hydro pool and ceramic loungers were both nice and relaxing.  Great way to waste an hour.  When I first got there 11 people were in the pool, but it cleared out pretty quickly.  Had no wait for a lounger.

 

This is my favorite area on all of the ships that have such amenities.  The Nieuw Statendam's pool is even better.  

[Boytjie]

2 hours ago, Brentt_M said:

The hydro pool and ceramic loungers were both nice and relaxing.  Great way to waste an hour.  When I first got there 11 people were in the pool, but it cleared out pretty quickly.  Had no wait for a lounger.

 

I was going to book a couple pass but then with the delta variant news of the last few days have been a bit more hesitant. Maybe a bit irrational, but it seems a bit more enclosed areas. I am eager to hear others' experiences.

[giuseppes1933]

2 hours ago, Brentt_M said:

Single pass for the week.  Got it for 139 online in advance.  199 on the ship and they only had 7 left by 5pm yesterday.

What are the 15 minute time slots for with the Thermal package?  Do you know how many slots are available?

 

[liam1965]

Successful meet and mingle held, met several lovely new folks, and of course chatted with Brentt again.

 

 So nice to be back at sea!

[Kelownabccan]

My wife just said...."Happy Hour"....is not happy hour anymore if you are correct......used to be 2 for 1....if I remember right.....wow....a long time ago....since last cruise....

[canadianbear]

9 minutes ago, Kelownabccan said:

My wife just said...."Happy Hour"....is not happy hour anymore if you are correct......used to be 2 for 1....if I remember right.....wow....a long time ago....since last cruise....

On our last cruise at the end of 2019 the 2nd drink was $2.  I love my kahlua & milk but don’t drink much so won’t bother me.  But it was a nice way to socialize with others.  When they had dancing at the Ocean Bar we loved happy hour & watch the dancing.  That’s long gone too.  

[aliaschief]

1 hour ago, Boytjie said:

 

I was going to book a couple pass but then with the delta variant news of the last few days have been a bit more hesitant. Maybe a bit irrational, but it seems a bit more enclosed areas. I am eager to hear others' experiences.

We will always have a mask with us and will cover if necessary. How many times have we felt uncomfortable pre Covid  in Show Room with folks coughing and sneezing!

[VintageGeo]

10 hours ago, Brentt_M said:

Beautiful morning on the balcony!

Beautiful!

Throw that on the big screen, yank some New Age Easy Listening out of Amazon and I won't bother anyone for hours 😃 Thanks!

 

George

 

[cowmilker]

9 minutes ago, aliaschief said:

We will always have a mask with us and will cover if necessary. How many times have we felt uncomfortable pre Covid  in Show Room with folks coughing and sneezing!

You know, I think I will start making it a habit to wear a mask to the shows, period.  I know that I personally have been guilty of going to the auditorium with my kleenex clutched and coughing and sneezing and trying to not do that, but yeah, I'm guilty.

Never, ever again.  I have plenty of masks now and I will wear one, period.

Maybe that will mean that I can get through an extended cruise without having an upper respiratory infection (and without giving anything to anyone else).  It's a very small price to pay.

 

[Sir PMP]

9 minutes ago, cowmilker said:

You know, I think I will start making it a habit to wear a mask to the shows, period.  I know that I personally have been guilty of going to the auditorium with my kleenex clutched and coughing and sneezing and trying to not do that, but yeah, I'm guilty.

Never, ever again.  I have plenty of masks now and I will wear one, period.

Maybe that will mean that I can get through an extended cruise without having an upper respiratory infection (and without giving anything to anyone else).  It's a very small price to pay.

 

Don't you think that this a weird comment?

[Sir PMP]

2 hours ago, Boytjie said:

 

I was going to book a couple pass but then with the delta variant news of the last few days have been a bit more hesitant. Maybe a bit irrational, but it seems a bit more enclosed areas. I am eager to hear others' experiences.

But you're vaccinated, right?

[Sea42]

5 minutes ago, Sir PMP said:

Don't you think that this a weird comment?

Nope, everyone has the right to do what they feel is necessary to protect their health.

Not sure why you would feel that is "weird"?

[aliaschief]

33 minutes ago, aliaschief said:

We will always have a mask with us and will cover if necessary. How many times have we felt uncomfortable pre Covid  in Show Room with folks coughing and sneezing!

It will be like the Kentucky Derby: instead of riders up it will be mask up!😷

[Sir PMP]

3 minutes ago, Sea42 said:

Nope, everyone has the right to do what they feel is necessary to protect their health.

Not sure why you would feel that is "weird"?

Why would you go to the theater while you coughing and sneezing?

[cowmilker]

14 minutes ago, Sir PMP said:

Don't you think that this a weird comment?

I'm not sure what is weird about trying to be thoughtful and considerate of other people.

I always know that I shouldn't comment on this board, ever. I know it and I still do it.

 

 

1 minute ago, Sir PMP said:

Why would you go to the theater while you coughing and sneezing?

Are you going to tell me that you have never, ever, once in your entire life left your home, or your cabin on a cruise, while you had a cold?  Really?  Never once?  You stay home, in your house, for the entire time you're contagious?  Always?

[Sea42]

4 minutes ago, Sir PMP said:

Why would you go to the theater while you coughing and sneezing?

Oh, yeah, that part didn't stand out when I read it!

That is annoying if people choose to go to the theater when they have symptoms like that! I'm not talking about a one off sneeze or cough but if you're clutching your Kleenex, stay away from others!

Edited August 2, 2021 by Sea42

[Sea42]

1 minute ago, cowmilker said:

re you going to tell me that you have never, ever, once in your entire life left your home, or your cabin on a cruise, while you had a cold?  Really?  Never once?  You stay home, in your house, for the entire time you're contagious?  Always?

Sitting in a crowded theater when you have a cold/flu and are actively sneezing and coughing is not something that should be done.Yes, you should stay away from others when you are sick, I thought that was just common courtesy?🤔

[cowmilker]

Let me explain this.

On my last cruise, I caught the flu.  I very dutifully went down to Medical and saw a doc.  I got a prescription for Tamiflu and I also was confined to my cabin and put on temperature checks twice a day until I no longer had a fever.  To go to Medical to get my temp checked, I was given a mask and required to wear it while in the hallway.

About 36 hours later (thank you, Tamiflu), I was declared good by Medical. They cleared me to leave my room.  I went ashore that day and never ran another fever.

HOWEVER, I had a lingering cough. I had that cough for about two weeks.  (This was a long cruise - 74 days).  It sort of sounded like I was ripping out my lungs.  Are you all suggesting that I should have remained in my cabin for two solid weeks just because I had a cough?

With benefit of hindsight, I probably should have worn a mask a lot of that time.  I didn't.  I honestly didn't think much about it because I'd been cleared by the doc.  I almost certainly was not contagious.  However, I suspect that the cough made other people uncomfortable.

That's what I was thinking about.  I'll never do that again. I'll have masks with me and I will wear one.  Maybe if I'd worn one from the beginning, in the auditorium, I never would have caught the damned bug in the first place.  (I am pretty religious about staying off the elevators and use the stairs, and I try to avoid close up contact with other people anyway, but the auditorium, well, it's hard to avoid folks.)

And hopefully, now I am done. 

[Sharon in AZ]

@cowmilker I feel ya!  I caught a horrible cold/sinus infection 10 years ago on an Alaskan cruise. I continued regular activities on board although I was really tired. I honestly didn’t realize how sick I was until I got home. If masks were common then I would have totally worn one!  And, also, no need to apologize for your actions. You do what is important to you. 

[aliaschief]

44 minutes ago, Sir PMP said:

Why would you go to the theater while you coughing and sneezing?

Because we live in a it’s only about me society. 
Most of us have witnessed  the mindset “I paid a lot for this cruise and I’m not going to isolate in my Cabin.”

 

Basically, they just don’t care other than for themselves.

Edited August 2, 2021 by aliaschief

[Brentt_M]

2 hours ago, giuseppes1933 said:

What are the 15 minute time slots for with the Thermal package?  Do you know how many slots are available?

 

Not sure on the total slots they sell, but the 15mins are just placeholders and don't mean anything at all.

[Brentt_M]

2 hours ago, liam1965 said:

Successful meet and mingle held, met several lovely new folks, and of course chatted with Brentt again.

 

 So nice to be back at sea!

I thought the M&M went great. We had several representatives from HAL there fornthe start of it. Had some great conversations with some great people and time went by really fast. Thanks for organizing @liam1965

Edited August 2, 2021 by Brentt_M

[Boytjie]

56 minutes ago, Sir PMP said:

But you're vaccinated, right?

 

I don't wish this to become a back and forth about whether to wear a mask or not. I merely stated that I have started wearing masks more in indoor situations. Living in New York I have worn a mask on the subways everytime I have been on it. And yes, I am vaccinated. 

[Brentt_M]

So Gala night in the main dining room was absolutely underwhelming.  I had escargot that was only luke warm at best. My son had the crab deviled eggs and said they were very good. Kali just had a caesar salad to start as nothing appealed to her.  For entrees I had the fish, which was barramundi and was pretty much tasteless. Kali went with filet and I let Lawson "indulge" and get the taste of Alaska for +$30 (definitely not worth it and won't do that again). For dessert Lawson went with the strawberry Romanoff and I had thr chocolate souffle.  Lawson ended up eating both.