BTimmer's Almost Live from the Rotterdam 11/21/21-12/1/21

[Btimmer]

Here's sister ships (Rotterdam & Nieuw Statendam) holding positions at Half Moon Cay.  When we departed there were dueling ship's horns.
 

[sevenseasnomad]

Love the dueling horns.  Heck, I love ships' horns period.  Your pictures are lovely and make me want to dive into the middle of one, especially the waters around Half Moon Cay.

[Btimmer]

3 minutes ago, sevenseasnomad said:

Btimmer, Thanks for the wonderful photographs and commentary.  We will board Dec. 22 for 11-day Christmas/New Year's and are, of course, counting the days.  I have a few questions and will thank you in advance for taking time to let us share in your cruise experience.  At what time did embarkation begin?  Was MDR open for lunch that day?  Will there be an Orange Party?  If not, has that event gone by the wayside, or will HAL reinstate it at some point in the future?  I don't want to pack my orange party clothes if there's no Orange Party!  How is the entertainment?

Thanks for your questions.

 

1.  Embarkation is according to a HAL assigned time.  Ours was 1:00pm, and even though we were a few minutes early, it was a nonissue .

2.  I don't know about whether the MDR mess open as we always eat in the Lido.

3.  I. haven't heard anything about  an Orange party and I brought minimal orange stuff.

4. An entertainment review will come later in the cruise.

[jeh10641]

Hi, All,

On Embarkation Day, you could also try NY Deli and Pizza and the Dive In Burger Bar. I do not know they will be open but you can check onboard. I might try them myself!

 

Jim

[Btimmer]

1 hour ago, jeh10641 said:

Hi, All,

On Embarkation Day, you could also try NY Deli and Pizza and the Dive In Burger Bar. I do not know they will be open but you can check onboard. I might try them myself!

 

Jim

They're open.

[MisterBill99]

4 hours ago, sevenseasnomad said:

 Was MDR open for lunch that day?  Will there be an Orange Party?  If not, has that event gone by the wayside, or will HAL reinstate it at some point in the future?  I don't want to pack my orange party clothes if there's no Orange Party!  How is the entertainment?

 

Recent posts here have indicated that the MDR is not open for lunch at embarkation and that there is no Orange Party. It could change by the time you sail, so I think should ask a few days before you sail, not a month. As for whether it is gone for good, that's something you should probably ask when you're on the ship if they still aren't holding them.

[Rick-n-MeMe]

MDR was open for lunch. We are on the Rotterdam now and we ate lunch in the main dining room.  It was on the 2nd floor.

 

 We boarded around 1215 and the staff didn’t appear to pay any attention to actual boarding times. Everyone entered from one area and then eventually we were funneled to priority, etc. areas for photo recognition of passport.  After the initial long line to get in the first set of doors, things moved quickly.  Your room cards will be waiting for you in an envelope at your stateroom.  

 

All is good on the ship so far….although Club Orange has some slowwww service. 

[sevenseasnomad]

4 hours ago, Rick-n-MeMe said:

MDR was open for lunch. We are on the Rotterdam now and we ate lunch in the main dining room.  It was on the 2nd floor.

 

 We boarded around 1215 and the staff didn’t appear to pay any attention to actual boarding times. Everyone entered from one area and then eventually we were funneled to priority, etc. areas for photo recognition of passport.  After the initial long line to get in the first set of doors, things moved quickly.  Your room cards will be waiting for you in an envelope at your stateroom.  

 

All is good on the ship so far….although Club Orange has some slowwww service. 

Thanks for the information.  We, too, have Club Orange.  Last cruise, 2019 Christmas/New Year's on Nieuw Statendam, service in Club Orange was snail's pace the first night.  After that, it picked up and was the efficient, friendly service we've always enjoyed.  Since we haven't sailed for two years, we've made a pact not to complain about anything, although if we have to sit for half an hour or more waiting for service, we may have to break our agreement!  How long are you having to wait for your order to be taken and for food to be delivered to table?  

[MisterBill99]

On 11/22/2021 at 7:15 PM, jeh10641 said:

Hi, All,

On Embarkation Day, you could also try NY Deli and Pizza and the Dive In Burger Bar. I do not know they will be open but you can check onboard. I might try them myself!

 

Jim

 

My wife is definitely planning to have lunch at Dive-In the first day, and several days after that! I might try it, too, now that they've added a Beyond Meat burger option!

[Btimmer]

The cruise is going well.  We're approaching San Juan, Puerto Rico today . Yesterday was Amber Cove, Dominican Republic.  There was a nice lightning storm last night.

[idiebabe]

12 hours ago, MisterBill99 said:

 

My wife is definitely planning to have lunch at Dive-In the first day, and several days after that! I might try it, too, now that they've added a Beyond Meat burger option!

The Back Flip (Grilled Chicken) is very good, too! Yum

[wjslam]

We too are onboard Rotterdam, currently docked in San Juan. Food in MDR is excellent so far, but sadly no wine stewards, at least early upper. We found our verandah to be very tight, so upgraded onboard to Vista Suite for $270pp. Much nicer arrangement for our needs.

[glorialagos]

Can anyone share how the spa package is?  I believe I saw the heated stone chairs?  I absolutely love those!!  How about the hot tub?  Sauna?  Has it been very crowded?  This is what I am most looking forward to!!

 

Thanks and enjoy.

 

[Btimmer]

1 hour ago, glorialagos said:

Can anyone share how the spa package is?  I believe I saw the heated stone chairs?  I absolutely love those!!  How about the hot tub?  Sauna?  Has it been very crowded?  This is what I am most looking forward to!!

 

Thanks and enjoy.

 

We haven't been to the spa, but nothing has been crowded for us.

[Btimmer]

As we sit berthed in San Juan, PR, we are enjoying dinner again in the Tamarind.  Here's our main courses of shrimp and barramundi accompanied by shiitake mushrooms and bok choy.  Simply scrumptious.

 

 

[rkacruiser]

7 hours ago, idiebabe said:

The Back Flip (Grilled Chicken) is very good, too! Yum

 

Have not tried that, but the Hot Dogs are good as well.  

[jeh10641]

Hi, All,

My wife and I have been on a Keto friendly eating plan for more than two years. When we have sandwiches eating out, we get them without bread. We have each lost a lot of weight and have kept it off. We do not ourselves any type of food as long as we can "have it our way". Papa Murphy, a take and bake pizza chain, offers crustless pizzas. Just the toppings and they are terrific.  At NY Pizza, we will probably scrape the toppings of and just eat them (if it cannot be served crustless).

 

To all, a Happy and Healthy Thanksgiving on Thursday.

 

Jim

[bcummin]

Tim, thank you for the reports and photos.

Some families from our church will be taking a mission trip to Puerto Rico in July.  Any suggestions are welcome.

Meanwhile, Happy Thanksgiving to you, Angela, and everyone else aboard.

Barbara in the rainy Pacific Northwest

[Btimmer]

4 hours ago, glorialagos said:

Can anyone share how the spa package is?  I believe I saw the heated stone chairs?  I absolutely love those!!  How about the hot tub?  Sauna?  Has it been very crowded?  This is what I am most looking forward to!!

 

Thanks and enjoy.

 

I should add that we did have the spa package on the Koningsdam and this ship is virtually identical.  The heated stone chars and the giant spa pool are very nice.

[ger_77]

6 hours ago, wjslam said:

We too are onboard Rotterdam, currently docked in San Juan. Food in MDR is excellent so far, but sadly no wine stewards, at least early upper. We found our verandah to be very tight, so upgraded onboard to Vista Suite for $270pp. Much nicer arrangement for our needs.

Did you just go to Guest Services and ask if you could upgrade?

[Btimmer]

35 minutes ago, bcummin said:

Tim, thank you for the reports and photos.

Some families from our church will be taking a mission trip to Puerto Rico in July.  Any suggestions are welcome.

Meanwhile, Happy Thanksgiving to you, Angela, and everyone else aboard.

Barbara in the rainy Pacific Northwest

Barbara, per a long discussion with a local couple on the waterfront, the country is pretty much healed from the storms.  Covid appears under control and mask wearing is mandatory and there were signs for fines for not doing so.

[MisterBill99]

11 hours ago, idiebabe said:

The Back Flip (Grilled Chicken) is very good, too! Yum

 

Thanks, I've had that in the past.

 

My go-to lunch on Koningsdam is typically Asian/Indian food from the Distant Lands station, some sushi rolls if they look decent and then some seared tuna from the salad station, combined with soy sauce and wasabi (need to ask the employees for that) from Distant Lands.

 

But Dive-In is also very good.

Edited November 25, 2021 by MisterBill99

[nimiq]

4 hours ago, jeh10641 said:

Hi, All,

My wife and I have been on a Keto friendly eating plan for more than two years. When we have sandwiches eating out, we get them without bread. We have each lost a lot of weight and have kept it off. We do not ourselves any type of food as long as we can "have it our way". Papa Murphy, a take and bake pizza chain, offers crustless pizzas. Just the toppings and they are terrific.  At NY Pizza, we will probably scrape the toppings of and just eat them (if it cannot be served crustless).

 

To all, a Happy and Healthy Thanksgiving on Thursday.

 

Jim

Hey my partner and I have been on Keto now for close to 4 years and find it very easy to eat Keto on cruise ships. When we first started we were Keto strict but with time our body adapted and have become Keto Liberal. We might cheat on vacation like once have a slice of pizza but that morning we will have fasted 16 hours prior. 
for us dessert is not a must and never had that sugar craving so lucky for us. 

FYI they don’t do crustless pizza but like you said just eat the top or go for meats and cold cuts in the lido. You can always order your burger at Dive-In without the bun and they do them in lettuce wraps very delicious. We always add a slice of bacon or sausage on the side 🙂

 

In the main dinning room we always have meat or fish with veggies and tell the staff no potatoes. Holland does an excellent cauliflower gratin which we have almost ever night 😂. Sometimes the waiters when they start knowing us brings a middle plate of that dish every night after. 

 

My partner did Keto to keep his weight off and for myself had very painful back problems and was taking meds everyday until I did keto and now no more pills.
 

Have fun enjoy the cruise 🚢 and if you do cheat one meal just remember to not do it again the next day 😂.  
 

Sea ya 

Eric 

[MisterBill99]

Did you happen to notice if the price for Wi-Fi on the ship was the same as it was being offered for on the website, or was it actually cheaper to buy in advance?

[Btimmer]

4 hours ago, MisterBill99 said:

Did you happen to notice if the price for Wi-Fi on the ship was the same as it was being offered for on the website, or was it actually cheaper to buy in advance?

WiFi is included in our 'Have it All' fare so I didn't look it up in advance although I've tried (unsuccessfully) for another cruise we are considering. Where are you finding the WiFi pricing pre-cruise?