Life and live from Zuiderdam's 10-day Mex Riviera/Sea of Cortez cruise

[Copper10-8]

Maria's "sea day doodle" - By the way, all four of Holland America Line Vista-class ships; Zuiderdam, Oosterdam, Westerdam and Noordam, are named in Dutch for the four directions of the compass (Zuid = South; Oost = East; West = you can figure that one out and Noord = North)

 

[XBGuy]

5 minutes ago, Copper10-8 said:

. . . all four of Holland America Line Vista-class ships; Zuiderdam, Oosterdam, Westerdam and Noordam, are named in Dutch for the four directions of the compass (Zuid = South; Oost = East; West = you can figure that one out and Noord = North)

 

 

 

That is too interesting.  It's not even 10:30 in the morning and I've learned something already.  The day is already a success.  Thanks.

[0106]

Thank you for all your insights.

I  think they need to replace the  polar bears at the Lido pool!

[Copper10-8]

6 minutes ago, 0106 said:

Thank you for all your insights.

I  think they need to replace the  polar bears at the Lido pool!

 

All HAL Lido pool statues were created by British artist Susanna Holt in her studio in Sedona, AZ. They have not been replaced as far as I know on the six remaining ships that have them. Zuidy has had polar bears since coming out in 2002. Oosterdam has a life-sized family of six adult penguins and one pup. Westerdam has four Atlantic Spotted Dolphins and Noordam has a group of penguins standing on an iceberg.

 

Of the two remaining "R"-class ships, Volendam has a 12-foot high cast bronze sculpture of five leaping bottlenose dolphins, while Zaandam has a group of five leaping white-sided Pacific dolphins. Rotterdam VI had two life-size California sea lions plus a sea lion pup situated away from the pool adjacent the small staircase on the starboard side of Lower Promenade deck mid-ships. Amsterdam had a life-size bronze bear catching a salmon and a bear cup playing around on it’s back away from the pool by the port-side aft seating area of the adjacent Lido Bar.

 

"S"-class lead ship Statendam had a 12-foot high cast bronze sculpture of five leaping bottlenose dolphin, as did her sisters Maasdam, Ryndam  and Veendam but in different poses

[0106]

Too bad they didn’t save those bottle nose dolphins from the Veendam ( was my favorite ship) to replace the polar bears.  Just found the beats weird as I sailed through the canal.

[Copper10-8]

Happy to report the new captain for Zuiderdam, Capt. Frank van der Hoeven, made it onboard in Cabo San Lucas this PM, and with his luggage, no less 😉 We rode a tender to the ship with him. Capt. Friso can go home now and start to enjoy his vacation 

 

 

 

Edited April 5, 2022 by Copper10-8

[KroozNut]

6 minutes ago, Copper10-8 said:

Happy to report the new captain for Zuiderdam, Capt. Frank van der Hoeven, made it onboard in Cabo San Lucas this PM, and with his luggage, no less 😉 We rode a tender to the ship with him. Capt. Friso can go home now and start to enjoy his vacation 

 

 

 

 

Awesome, now we know what our Captain looks like for next week! 🙂

[ScottishMaid]

We are boarding the Nieuw Amsterdam on April 26th at San Diego. We intend to drop off our luggage then my husband will return the rental car while I wait at the terminal. Does anyone know if there are seats outside near the luggage drop off?

[Copper10-8]

39 minutes ago, ScottishMaid said:

We are boarding the Nieuw Amsterdam on April 26th at San Diego. We intend to drop off our luggage then my husband will return the rental car while I wait at the terminal. Does anyone know if there are seats outside near the luggage drop off?

 

If I remember correctly, there is no, or very limited, seating outside the building - David/DAllentcy, who works at the port, will no doubt be able to confirm and/or send me to the penalty box for delivering bunk data 🤓. We dropped our luggage off on Sunday last, then both drove (well only one of us was driving, my lovely spouse sat next to me as the No. 1 navigator 😉) the car to parking garage, and both of us returned to the terminal via shuttle van. Easy, peasy and painless!  Why not consider doing the same to the rental agency and back? That would be an option for ya 😉 

Edited April 6, 2022 by Copper10-8

[jhsocal]

Cooper, was there any kind of Mariner reception the first day?

[boze9999]

1 hour ago, ScottishMaid said:

We are boarding the Nieuw Amsterdam on April 26th at San Diego. We intend to drop off our luggage then my husband will return the rental car while I wait at the terminal. Does anyone know if there are seats outside near the luggage drop off?

San Diego does not have any outdoor seating outside the gate control for check-in. If it's not yet check in time @ScottishMaidThe gate controllers will allow you to roll your bags to the porters, return back outside and then ask you to wait in line or wander across the street to a deli and come back at your check in time. 

[Florida_gal_50]

39 minutes ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

If I remember correctly, there is no, or very limited, seating outside the building - David/DAllentcy, who works at the port, will no doubt be able to confirm and/or send me to the penalty box for delivering bunk data 🤓. We dropped our luggage off on Sunday last, then both drove (well only one of us was driving, my lovely spouse sat next to me as the No. 1 navigator 😉) the car to parking garage, and both of us returned to the terminal via shuttle van. Easy, peasy and painless!  Why not consider doing the same to the rental agency and back? That would be an option for ya 😉 

That’s how I recall it as well.  I was having a heck of a time trying to get my info into the arrive can app so I needed a place to sit after they practically chased me out of the building after testing.  There was maybe a couple of benches outside as I recall.

[ScottishMaid]

Thank you all for your replies. Both of us will go to the rental car drop off.

[Copper10-8]

4 hours ago, jhsocal said:

Cooper, was there any kind of Mariner reception the first day?

 

Yes, there was a reception in the Crow's Nest, as I recall around 2:45 or so, on embarkation day, but if you snooze, you lose and we snoze (did not look at the invitation card on our counter until 4:00 PM, so we lost, as we should have! Soooooooooo, we did not attend this no doubt festive event and missed out on an opportunity to sip 1820 Juglar Cuvee @ $43,500 a bottle, 1959 Dom Perignon @ $42,350 a bottle, and/or 1841 Veuve Clicquot @ $34,000 half a bottle....................our loss!

 

 

[Sir PMP]

7 hours ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

Yes, there was a reception in the Crow's Nest, as I recall around 2:45 or so, on embarkation day, but if you snooze, you lose and we snoze (did not look at the invitation card on our counter until 4:00 PM, so we lost, as we should have! Soooooooooo, we did not attend this no doubt festive event and missed out on an opportunity to sip 1820 Juglar Cuvee @ $43,500 a bottle, 1959 Dom Perignon @ $42,350 a bottle, and/or 1841 Veuve Clicquot @ $34,000 half a bottle....................our loss!

 

 

You wish..

[lstrong]

There are several benches in the middle of the drop off/pickup zone. You will also see the blue  portable  potties there

[Q Family]

I am so happy to be following along on your journey we have booked the same 10 day cruise in March 2023 on the Zaandam. Going to be a LONG year 🙂

[DAllenTCY]

The 2-3 small benches inside of the security gate are intended for the disabled, while waiting for their port arrival times aka Boarding Group times.  They are not a "waiting area" for the public.

 

Other concrete benches in the southern part of the parking lot are for those disembarking guests to wait for a pick-up by personal vehicles or ride-share.

 

Another 2 metal benches are inside of the terminal for those awaiting wheelchair assistance.

 

The portable toilets are for the convenience of the longshoremen/women and traffic direction personnel.  They are not intended for public use.....but we won't tell you not to use them if in need.

 

David

[Copper10-8]

Day 3 - Tuesday 05 APR 22 – Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, Mexico

 

We both woke up around 0700 hrs. as Zuiderdam approached the south beaches of Cabo and Capt. Friso made the turn around the famous Los Arcos and expertly parked his ship at the primo location of Anchorage Numero Uno in the Bahia de Cabo San Lucas. Already at anchorage Numero Dos was the goofy ship with the big mouse ears, Disney Wonder. Tender operations on Zuiderdam would commence not long afterwards but we simply did not care because we had no excursions planned for today. More about that later!

 

Jutting out from that 1,000 mile long Baja peninsula where the Gulf of California (Sea of Cortez) meets the Pacific Ocean, Cabo San Lucas is separated from the north by Baja’s desert interior. At the tip of the peninsula lies a rock formation known as El Arco (“the arch”). According to geologists, the Baja California peninsula, once connected to the mainland, resulted from violent seismic activity along the San Andreas Fault between 10 and 15 million years ago. Powerful earthquakes caused Mexico’s west coast to split at about the same time and Baja was born.

 

The sea around Cabo is home to a wide array of marine life, including large sea mammals such as grey and humpback whales. The area is frequently referred to as “Los Cabos” (the capes) which identifies the two communities at the end of the peninsula, Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo. Cabo San Lucas is the main resort area on the western side of the peninsula while San Jose del Cabo, 18 miles to the east, is the more laidback, colonial community. The combined population was once 200 people, but that has grown to more than 50,000 today. The term “Los Cabos” also includes the almost unbroken line of hotels, golf courses and luxury condominiums in between both communities.

 

So because we did not have any plans that involved shore excursions, we once again had a leisurely breakfast of eggs benedictus and banana bread French toast in the Neptune Lounge, walking in there at 0921 hrs. (they once again closed their doors at 0930 hrs. where we were served by Miss Junia from West Java. When this was consumed to satisfaction, we ducked into the Neptune Lounge while Ivan the Terrible and Itzar took care of our cabin. That coffee machine in the Neptune is good. It gives you six selections plus hot chocolate. The NL is manned ……...wrong word…. womanned by Front Office attendant/Neptune Lounge Concierge Alyssa, a very nice and outgoing young lady who does a great job running the place, taking care of her guests, as well as running a tight ship in there!

 

As stated, Zuidy had already taken her assigned anchorage and tender operations had been in progress since shortly after. As a matter of fact, a young lady with absolutely no accent, perhaps the U.S. entertainment director, came on the P/A system around 11:30 to inform everybody left onboard that Zuiderdam was now operating in a “open tender” mode, meaning tenders tix were no longer required to go ashore and not on a shorex. Life is good!

 

Cabo San Lucas, and even not that far away Todo Santos, no longer hold any secrets for us, so the last several calls there, we have gotten into the habit to do our own thing there. So at around 1:00 PM, off we went down to A-Deck midships where today’s tender platform had been assembled by the trusty “boatmen.” Said hello to security guards Elaine (Zuiderdam 2016), Lambert (Oosterdam 2015) and Satya (Amsterdam 2016) and descended the ladder which led us into Zuidy’s Tender 11 expertly operated by a trusty quartermaster with a crew of one, a young Dutch cadet officer from near Almere, the Netherlands, in his last year at the Maritime Institute “Willem Barentsz” on the Dutch 2nd largest West Frisian island of Terschelling. Willem Barentsz (c, 1550-June 20, 1597), born on Terschelling, was a Dutch navigator, cartographer and Arctic explorer. They named the Barents Sea after him, among other places.

 

Off we went for the approx. twelve minute ride to the interior of Cabo’s Marina where one of Zuidy’s two security supervisors, James (Noordam 2015) was holding court on the assigned tender dock. Memories! In transit, we saw some of Cabo’s real animal life of pelicans and seals attempting to catch some Pisces. Also in full view was the "Lady S," a superyacht built In October 2018 by Dutch yacht builder Feadship and owned by Dan Snyder, an American advertising executive who is the owner of the Washington Commanders (formerly the Redskins), an American NFL football team

 

Our destination, once ashore and past the checkpoint where Mexican authorities peek inside the interior of ladies purses in an attempt to locate forbidden fruits, was to find an establishment to have lunch. We wound up walking around the outer perimeter of that same marina to an establishment by the name of Karlito’s Cantina (2nd time we’ve been there now) where we consumed a cold Pacifica cerveza and an even colder Margarita. Followed by a nice plate of nachos con queso and did some people watching of those passing by outside. Lots of tourist folk in Cabo! We had a pleasant conversation with an adjoining table of a couple from Milwaukee, WI.

 

After that lunch, we headed back to Cabo’s big tender pier, showed our ship I.D. to the Mexican security guards at the foot of said pier (there were two separate checkpoint Charlie’s, one of Disney Magic and one for Zuiderdam), and boarded Tender Numero 13. HAL is also once again hiring local Cabo tenders at different times of the day to free up their own tenders. The ride back was fast and uneventful - newly joining Capt. Frank van der Hoeven, with his luggage, was on our tender, so Capt. Friso could go home - as was Zuidy’s security screening process back on board A-Deck.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 7, 2022 by Copper10-8

[Copper10-8]

 

 

Day 3 - Tuesday 05 APR 22 – Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, Mexico (con't)

 

One more of Maria's creations

 

So tonight, we had a seven thirty reservation in the Pinnacle Grill and, upon arrival, were duly escorted by the restaurant’s female host Rini to a nice table for two inside the front section. The place wound up being packed! We received primary service from a steward by the name of Radomir hailing from Vojvodina, Serbia and a loyal supporter of Fudbalski Klub Vojvodina. Our assigned wine steward got us a glass of Mosquito and a very masculine sounding Lemon drop!

 

Tonight’s PG menu:

A laid out basket of Bread and Rolls (with a cup of beurre blanc along with a similar cup of red pepper butter next to it).

 

“Appetizers”:

Lobster Bisque

Forrest Mushroom Soup

Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail

Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes

Ossetra Malossol Caviar ($70 supplement)

Steak Tartare

Iceberg Wedge Salad

Heart of Romaine Caesar Salad

 

“Steak”:

7 oz. Petite Filet Mignon

10 oz. Petite Filet Mignon

12 oz. New York Strip Steak

15 oz. Boneless Rib Eye Steak

16 oz. USDA Prime Dry Aged Delmonico ($15 supplement)

36 oz. Tomahawk Bone-in Rib Eye Steak ($40 supplement)

Surf and Turf (by the addition of a 5 oz. lobster tail ($10 supplement)

All steaks are served with choice of hand-crafted sauce

(Shallot and red wine Bordalaise, green peppercorn, Bernaise, mustard and cognac sauce)

 

“Chops, Classics & Seafood”:

Double-Cut 14 oz. Kurobuta Pork Chop

Jidori Chicken Breast

Grilled Lamb Chops

Heirloom Tomato & Eggplant Tarte Tatin

Alaskan King Salmon

Alaskan King Crab Legs

Baked Alaskan Halibut

12 oz. Maine Lobster Tail ($20 supplement)

 

“Sides to share”:

Creamed Spinach

Sautéed Mushrooms

Roasted Baby Beets with Roasted Cheese

Asparagus with Hollandaise

Mashed Potatoes

French Fries

Baked Potato

Beecher’s Lobster Mac n’ Cheese

(individual serving)

 

Desserts:

Not-so-classic Baked Alaska

Jacques Torres Chocolate Soufflé

Key Lime Pie

Crème Brulée

Ice Cream or Sorbet

Assortment of International Cheeses

 

We both chose pretty much the same except for dessert. We had the Heart of Romaine Caesar Salad minus anchovies but with a poached egg; the 7 oz. petit filet-mignon with Bearnaise; we shared the shoestring French Fries. Maria had the Crème Brulée, while I had Italian ice cream. We ended the whole shebang with an Espresso and a Cappuccino. We both felt that dinner turned out to be “enak sekali” (excellent) and the service by Radomir very good and professional.

 

The main entertainment tonite at 9:30 PM was the first performance by the Step One Dance Company (six very talented dancers, three female/three male) in “Humanity”. We have seen this show several times now and it remains one of our favorites. Great music/Great Dancing and Great special effects projected on the walls of the Main Stage by her tech staff using the room to its advantage. We enjoyed it once again and so, it appears from the standing ovation the cast received from the majority of the audience, did they.

 

At around 10:30 we found two seats up front inside the BB Kings Blues Club and listened to the All Stars. The two vocalists are very good, and so are the six musicians. They were just joined today by a sax player, so there now is a keyboard player, the band leader, a base guitar, solo guitar, percussion, trumpet player and sax player. They sang/played some all-time favorites and had the dance floor filled and hopping. Even five of the six Step One Dance Co. joined in on the dance floor, as did we. Good times!

 

We called it a night around 11:30 PM Tomorrow is our second port of Loreto, Baja California Sur. Haven’t been there in fifteen (15) years. Last time was on Rrrrrrrryndam with Capt. Frans Consen. See ya then!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Florida_gal_50]

I see you had the passion fruit yougart for breakfast.  That’s one of my staples.  Hal has such a great breakfast menu.  I’m enjoying your thread very much.

[KroozNut]

Copper - After reading your PG menu offerings, I didn't see the 'Clothesline Candied Bacon' listed that I've seen on so many other PG menus and in a lot of photos. 

I was looking forward to trying it on our Zuiderdam voyage next week. Not available any more?

 

Loving your live review as you experience each day... especially the level of detail. I know it's a lot of work, but it is much appreciated!

[boze9999]

Captain Frans Consen....one of our absolute faves!!!

 

[Copper10-8]

50 minutes ago, KroozNut said:

Copper - After reading your PG menu offerings, I didn't see the 'Clothesline Candied Bacon' listed that I've seen on so many other PG menus and in a lot of photos. 

I was looking forward to trying it on our Zuiderdam voyage next week. Not available any more?

 

Loving your live review as you experience each day... especially the level of detail. I know it's a lot of work, but it is much appreciated!

 

Thanx and yes, the candied bacon on a string is still being offered! I forgot to add it 😳

[durangoscots]

5 minutes ago, boze9999 said:

Captain Frans Consen....one of our absolute faves!!!

 

I was about to comment the same thing. Memories......