LIVE from the MAIDEN VOYAGE OF THE ROTTERDAM VII - TRANSATLANTIC

[Florida_gal_50]

I’d completely forgotten about the glass floor.  Never did look for it on the nieuw statendam.  Good thing since it’s gone 🙂.

[kazu]

16 hours ago, sansterre said:

I asked a waiter this morning about the assorted cheese plate for dessert after dinner.  He said they have the cheese, it just isn't on the menu.

Just ask for cheese plate and they will provide.

 

that’s great news!  Thank you 👍 

[aliaschief]

Originally, we were booked on this cruise but it just did not work out with our other European schedules. In the end nothing worked out!

 

Glad you got to go and thank you for sharing your cruise with us.

[0bnxshs]

2 hours ago, sansterre said:

Yesterday we had another Covid Test.  They provide a time to go to Deck 1 midship.  Ours was 7:30.  We arrived a bit later and had no wait.  In 5 minutes we were out at the aft elevators and went to MDR room for breakfast.

I forgot to mention that the day previous, at the Ask the Captain session, someone asked if there were any Covid positive results on the ship.  To everyone's relief, he said everyone had tested negative.  Last night we received printed results of the Covid test, which should be helpful if required by anyone on their way home.  But I don't think flights inside the U.S. require Covid test proof, so not sure how useful the results are.

I took some photos at Ask the Captain of the engine room.  Not sure if they are all from this ship or the New Statendam.  I will post them later today as they are still on my phone.

I asked what provisions (water, fuel, food, etc.) we missed by not making the port in Azores.  The captain said we did not intend to pick up any provisions.  There were a few military that would have disembarked and the evacuated passenger was going to get back on in the Azores.  (Good news that person quickly recovered but too bad they couldn't rejoin the ship.)

I also asked about the "lending library".  The CD Rebekah said to leave them in the Book Drop and they would create an area for "give/take a book".  This being the first cruise, a space has not yet been determined, but most likely will be somewhere in the Library on Deck 2, forward.

Today DH and I will disembark between 9:30 and 10:00.  We will transfer to a hotel in Plantation for two nights, then transferred back to the ship.at 10:30 on Friday.   A covid test will be done (at no charge) at the dock, just prior to re-boarding the Rotterdam.  This 2 day delay to what was planned as a back-to-back cruise, is to allow a 2-day, complete cleaning of the ship.  The ship seems to be pretty clean already.  Since we have the same cabin for the next 5 day cruise, we can leave our things in our cabin so we only packed what we will need for the two night stay, so we are happy we don't need to pack and unpack again.

More trivia and some photos (not yet downloaded) to come.  If I forgot to answer a question, please ask it again. Many thanks to those of you who could answer questions I didn't know (like the Signature Suite question).   

All sounds great!  Glad you can continue to "occupy your room" while at the hotel.  Just got my test results back, and I failed, so I'll see you on Friday somewhere on the ship!  Can't wait to board!

[Vict0riann]

38 minutes ago, 0bnxshs said:

All sounds great!  Glad you can continue to "occupy your room" while at the hotel.  Just got my test results back, and I failed, so I'll see you on Friday somewhere on the ship!  Can't wait to board!

 

Always good to fail that test. 😉  We have failed every time!

[VMax1700]

18 hours ago, sansterre said:

I asked a waiter this morning about the assorted cheese plate for dessert after dinner.  He said they have the cheese, it just isn't on the menu.

Just ask for cheese plate and they will provide.

You might ask the waiter if the cheese plate comes with crackers? 🙄  There was a shortage of crackers on Eurodam in the Med and just wondering if they have found a workaround  for the S.U.P. dilemma.

[Sea42]

1 hour ago, VMax1700 said:

You might ask the waiter if the cheese plate comes with crackers? 🙄  There was a shortage of crackers on Eurodam in the Med and just wondering if they have found a workaround  for the S.U.P. dilemma.

Yes, inquiring minds want to know!

[Caribbean Chris]

Thank you so much for bringing us all along on this special crossing! We’ll join you and your fellow B/B-ers on Friday afternoon. 
 

Got our Covid tests out of the way this morning, and next up this afternoon is my service dog’s usual pre-cruise health check, USDA health certificate, and vet permit stating that the dog was examined shortly before arrival in the Bahamas.

 

See you at sailaway!

[bcummin]

I am still wondering if the Terra Cotta Soldiers are on this Rotterdam?

Thank  you for sharing so much as you welcome us along.

Barbara

[sansterre]

10 hours ago, 0bnxshs said:

Welcome back!!! 😁

Thanks Rich.  Glad you "failed" your Covid test and are still booked for Rotterdam on Nov. 5th, right!  I'll look for you.  Which reminds me I probably should post a photo or two of us so you know what we look like.

 

Edited November 3, 2021 by sansterre

[sansterre]

2 hours ago, bcummin said:

I am still wondering if the Terra Cotta Soldiers are on this Rotterdam?

Thank  you for sharing so much as you welcome us along.

Barbara

I did not see any sign of the Terra Cotta Soldiers on the Rotterdam.  Does anyone know where they went?

 

[sansterre]

6 hours ago, VMax1700 said:

You might ask the waiter if the cheese plate comes with crackers? 🙄  There was a shortage of crackers on Eurodam in the Med and just wondering if they have found a workaround  for the S.U.P. dilemma.

S.U.P.?  Trying to remember if I saw any crackers on the Rotterdam.  Can't recall any.

 

[Sir PMP]

7 minutes ago, sansterre said:

I did not see any sign of the Terra Cotta Soldiers on the Rotterdam.  Does anyone know where they went?

 

They are on the Ms. Borealis..

[sansterre]

Today, at breakfast I noticed this two story "wind cellar" right in the middle of the Main Dining Room.

I can't believe we ate most breakfasts and dinners in this room and never noticed it before today.  In fairness, it is more obvious from certain angles and pretty far aft, but not something easily missed.

[sansterre]

Here are some things for sale on the Rotterdam at the Dutch Cafe:

[sansterre]

and the coffee mugs which give a discount on your coffee purchased on the cruise.  I'm not much of a coffee drinker but I heard many preferred the coffee in the Dutch Cafe to Exploration's Central.

[sansterre]

The tables in the Dutch Cafe have these lovely little arrangements.

[sansterre]

........and the florist on board sells those vases and others sometimes in the Music Walk on Deck 2.

Some I looked at were $30;  they varied in price.

[sansterre]

I just realized that I never posted the Downton Abbey tea photos.  And now I seem to have lost the large group photo.  But here is Laurel who organized the tea.  The second photo is of  the "best dressed" couple.

[VMax1700]

28 minutes ago, sansterre said:

S.U.P.?  Trying to remember if I saw any crackers on the Rotterdam.  Can't recall any.

 

Single Use Plastics.  Carnival Corps' mission statement to reduce plastic usage and waste was the reason that there was no crackers available on Eurodam last month. (so I was told!)  They offered bread sticks instead 😭

[canadianbear]

27 minutes ago, sansterre said:

........and the florist on board sells those vases and others sometimes in the Music Walk on Deck 2.

Some I looked at were $30;  they varied in price.

Oh. I’ve never seen those for sale before! 

[AncientWanderer]

1 hour ago, VMax1700 said:

Single Use Plastics.  Carnival Corps' mission statement to reduce plastic usage and waste was the reason that there was no crackers available on Eurodam last month. (so I was told!)  They offered bread sticks instead 😭

 

There were Wasa-type rye crackers on the Koningsdam last month.  They were just stacked, unwrapped.   I want to say by the salad bar, but I might be remembering incorrectly.  Possibly at another station.  Anyhow, crackers onboard.

[dot73]

1 hour ago, sansterre said:

........and the florist on board sells those vases and others sometimes in the Music Walk on Deck 2.

Some I looked at were $30;  they varied in price.

I love the vases.  I will definitely pick up a couple when I'm on the Rotterdam next June.  Thank you for all your pictures.

[NonnaGa]

That florist on board is amazing.  He was on the Koningsdam and did a wonderful class on flower arrangements.  His work resume is pretty impressive too as I remember.

[rkacruiser]

12 hours ago, sansterre said:

I also asked about the "lending library".  The CD Rebekah said to leave them in the Book Drop and they would create an area for "give/take a book".  This being the first cruise, a space has not yet been determined, but most likely will be somewhere in the Library on Deck 2, forward.

 

That's good news.