Live from and life on ms Zaandam on her 7-Day Canada-New England cruise - Bos to Mon

[oakridger]

No, based on photos on halfacts.com and YouTube.  It has a huge whirlpool bath in the master bathroom though.

[Copper10-8]

2 hours ago, hotzej said:

Can anyone tell me if they have a whirlpool on the balcony of the Pinnacle Suite (7001).  Thank you. 

 

There is on the other ships! Will confirm for you tomorrow

[Copper10-8]

Day 1 - 08/13/22 Boston, Massachusetts; Embarkation (con't)

Following this, we meandered down to Boat Deck / Deck 3 (our lifeboat is lucky No. 7) where we received our safety briefing from Zaandam’s public health officer with directions to ensure we both watched the safety video on our cabin TV, This simplified process was instituted post-Covid and it sure beats standing underneath your lifeboat wearing a life vest waiting for some of your malingering rocket scientist fellow guest(s) to finally show up at their mustard station. Having said that, I hope we never have to find out, but I wonder how those fellow guests will behave in an actual mustering at their lifeboat stations. I have a bad feeling that there will be lots of poultry running about with their noggins chopped off! Brrrrrrrrrr.

 

From 4-5 PM, there was a Mariners (4 stars and up) Reception scheduled in the Crow’s Nest where lots of bubbly was flowing courtesy of the ship’s beverage dept. There was a bit of a receiving line of Zaandam officers staring on the port side, one of which turned out to be the ship’s GRM (guest relations manager) Daphne! Always good to see her again!

 

Our actual departure time from Boston was scheduled for 1700 hrs. / 5:00 PM in non-military terms. However, around that time, Capt. Willems came on the ship’s P/A system to announce that bunkering / the process of taking on fuel for use by ships (in Boston via bunker barge) was taking longer than expected today resulting in our new departure time being dropped back to 7:30 PM or thereabouts.

 

This being our actual wedding anniversary day, we had a 7:30 PM reservation in the ship’s Pinnacle Grill restaurant. On Zaandam, the PG is located on Deck 4, port side, mid-ships behind the Wajang (movie) theatre. We were met at the podium both her manage; “Alph” who hails from Turkey, and the restaurant’s host; Dayrest from the Philippines, who assigned us a nice table along the railing. Gunaran from the beautiful Indonesian island of Bali would be our waiter who did an outstanding job for us!

 

The PG on the “R” class ships (only two left, Zaandam and Volendam) does not have any windows with a view, unless you count the four windows that overlook the starboard side interior corridor.

 

When Zaandam first joined the HAL fleet in the year 2000, that alternative 88-seat restaurant was known as the Marco Polo, sporting the contemporary pan-European warmth of light beech wood. Architect Frans Dingemans strove to create an artists’ bistro with works by Rubens, Rembrandt, Henry Moore, Picasso, Matisse plus a host of unknown talents, each framed in the style of its period. The result was a fine artists’ bistro that looked as if it evolved over the centuries. Open for lunch and dinner by reservation at no additional charge, the Marco Polo featured “California-style” Italian cuisine such as Pollo ala Aglio e Rosmarino, Costoletta di Vitello al Carbone, Petto de Pollo Rustico and Osso Buco ala Milanese.

 

But I digress, we had a nice dinner, consisting of Caesar Salad, Filet Mignon (Maria had the pollo loco), potatoes au gratin, and a Pomegrenade Martini each, finished up by crème Brule and some hot java. Excelente!

 

Post dinner, our choice of evening entertainment wound up watching a movie in the dedicated Zaandam movie theater named the Wajang, located right smack in front of the Pinnacle Grill. The term “Wayang” is the Javanese word for 'shadow' or 'imagination'. The word's equivalent in Indonesian is bayang. In modern daily Javanese and Indonesian vocabulary, wayang can refer to the puppet itself or the whole puppet theatre performance.

 

Which movie did we watch in that extraordinary setting, you might ask? Well, stand by for a surprise! “Falling for Figaro”, a romantic comedy (although listed in the daily program as a “drama / thriller” which it was most definitely not! set in the fierce world of opera singing competitions, starring Danielle Macdonald and Joanna Lumley. Millie (Macdonald) is a brilliant young fund manager, who decides to leave her unfulfilling job and long-term boyfriend behind to chase her lifelong dream of becoming an opera singer in the Scottish Highlands!

 

As soon as the first opera notes started flowing in this flick, a fellow passenger of the male persuasion, seated some distance next to us, got up and while uttering the famous words “Hell, no” exited stage left never to be seen again. Actually, this cinematograph wasn’t that bad, and I definitely do not care for pure chick flicks!

 

And so, this first day/night on the beautiful and elegant Zaandam ended! Tomorrow (Sun) is our call at Bar Harbor, Maine, also known as Bah Haba, Maine! Our only scheduled tender port! See ya then!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[CruiserBruce]

@hotzejthere isn't a hot tub on the balcony of the R and S class ships. Only the newer classes. At least there wasn't on the old Ryndam and Statendam when we stayed in the Pinnacle Suite.

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

Having said that, I hope we never have to find out, but I wonder how those fellow guests will behave in an actual mustering at their lifeboat stations. I have a bad feeling that there will be lots of poultry running about with their noggins chopped off! 

 

I have always felt this way. I suspect in an emergency there would be real panic. Witness the ship off the Italian coast several years ago. I too never want to find out.

 

Enjoying your descriptions as always and a Belated Happy Anniversary.

Barbara

[hotzej]

2 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:

@hotzejthere isn't a hot tub on the balcony of the R and S class ships. Only the newer classes. At least there wasn't on the old Ryndam and Statendam when we stayed in the Pinnacle Suite.

Thank you.  I didn't think so, but HAL's own site is stating there is one in their description.

[hotzej]

10 hours ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

There is on the other ships! Will confirm for you tomorrow

Thank you.  Also, since this cruise goes to Canada are we still required to submit a Covid test prior to Boarding?  Thanks again.

[Copper10-8]

1 minute ago, hotzej said:

Thank you.  Also, since this cruise goes to Canada are we still required to submit a Covid test prior to Boarding?  Thanks again.

Yes on a negative Covid test taken within 72 hrs of embark. However, keep an eye out because Carniva Cruise Line (so not Carnival Corp yet) just dropped the neg Covid test requirement! My money is on HAL following that in the near future

[Copper10-8]

11 hours ago, oakridger said:

No, based on photos on halfacts.com and YouTube.  It has a huge whirlpool bath in the master bathroom though.

Both Bruce and Oakridger are correct! No hot tub on the balconies of the remaining two "R" class ships due to limited available space. Instead, they have a large whirltub in their bathrooms

2 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:

@hotzejthere isn't a hot tub on the balcony of the R and S class ships. Only the newer classes. At least there wasn't on the old Ryndam and Statendam when we stayed in the Pinnacle Suite.

 

Edited August 16, 2022 by Copper10-8

[Sir PMP]

11 hours ago, Copper10-8 said:

Day 1 - 08/13/22 Boston, Massachusetts; Embarkation (con't)

Following this, we meandered down to Boat Deck / Deck 3 (our lifeboat is lucky No. 7) where we received our safety briefing from Zaandam’s public health officer with directions to ensure we both watched the safety video on our cabin TV, This simplified process was instituted post-Covid and it sure beats standing underneath your lifeboat wearing a life vest waiting for some of your malingering rocket scientist fellow guest(s) to finally show up at their mustard station. Having said that, I hope we never have to find out, but I wonder how those fellow guests will behave in an actual mustering at their lifeboat stations. I have a bad feeling that there will be lots of poultry running about with their noggins chopped off! Brrrrrrrrrr.

 

From 4-5 PM, there was a Mariners (4 stars and up) Reception scheduled in the Crow’s Nest where lots of bubbly was flowing courtesy of the ship’s beverage dept. There was a bit of a receiving line of Zaandam officers staring on the port side, one of which turned out to be the ship’s GRM (guest relations manager) Daphne! Always good to see her again!

 

Our actual departure time from Boston was scheduled for 1700 hrs. / 5:00 PM in non-military terms. However, around that time, Capt. Willems came on the ship’s P/A system to announce that bunkering / the process of taking on fuel for use by ships (in Boston via bunker barge) was taking longer than expected today resulting in our new departure time being dropped back to 7:30 PM or thereabouts.

 

This being our actual wedding anniversary day, we had a 7:30 PM reservation in the ship’s Pinnacle Grill restaurant. On Zaandam, the PG is located on Deck 4, port side, mid-ships behind the Wajang (movie) theatre. We were met at the podium both her manage; “Alph” who hails from Turkey, and the restaurant’s host; Dayrest from the Philippines, who assigned us a nice table along the railing. Gunaran from the beautiful Indonesian island of Bali would be our waiter who did an outstanding job for us!

 

The PG on the “R” class ships (only two left, Zaandam and Volendam) does not have any windows with a view, unless you count the four windows that overlook the starboard side interior corridor.

 

When Zaandam first joined the HAL fleet in the year 2000, that alternative 88-seat restaurant was known as the Marco Polo, sporting the contemporary pan-European warmth of light beech wood. Architect Frans Dingemans strove to create an artists’ bistro with works by Rubens, Rembrandt, Henry Moore, Picasso, Matisse plus a host of unknown talents, each framed in the style of its period. The result was a fine artists’ bistro that looked as if it evolved over the centuries. Open for lunch and dinner by reservation at no additional charge, the Marco Polo featured “California-style” Italian cuisine such as Pollo ala Aglio e Rosmarino, Costoletta di Vitello al Carbone, Petto de Pollo Rustico and Osso Buco ala Milanese.

 

But I digress, we had a nice dinner, consisting of Caesar Salad, Filet Mignon (Maria had the pollo loco), potatoes au gratin, and a Pomegrenade Martini each, finished up by crème Brule and some hot java. Excelente!

 

Post dinner, our choice of evening entertainment wound up watching a movie in the dedicated Zaandam movie theater named the Wajang, located right smack in front of the Pinnacle Grill. The term “Wayang” is the Javanese word for 'shadow' or 'imagination'. The word's equivalent in Indonesian is bayang. In modern daily Javanese and Indonesian vocabulary, wayang can refer to the puppet itself or the whole puppet theatre performance.

 

Which movie did we watch in that extraordinary setting, you might ask? Well, stand by for a surprise! “Falling for Figaro”, a romantic comedy (although listed in the daily program as a “drama / thriller” which it was most definitely not! set in the fierce world of opera singing competitions, starring Danielle Macdonald and Joanna Lumley. Millie (Macdonald) is a brilliant young fund manager, who decides to leave her unfulfilling job and long-term boyfriend behind to chase her lifelong dream of becoming an opera singer in the Scottish Highlands!

 

As soon as the first opera notes started flowing in this flick, a fellow passenger of the male persuasion, seated some distance next to us, got up and while uttering the famous words “Hell, no” exited stage left never to be seen again. Actually, this cinematograph wasn’t that bad, and I definitely do not care for pure chick flicks!

 

And so, this first day/night on the beautiful and elegant Zaandam ended! Tomorrow (Sun) is our call at Bar Harbor, Maine, also known as Bah Haba, Maine! Our only scheduled tender port! See ya then!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That's 2 Filet Mignons in 3 days, Copper...

[hotzej]

2 hours ago, Copper10-8 said:

Yes on a negative Covid test taken within 72 hrs of embark. However, keep an eye out because Carniva Cruise Line (so not Carnival Corp yet) just dropped the neg Covid test requirement! My money is on HAL following that in the near future

Thanks again.  One more thing.  Do you know of a convenient place in Boston to get the testing.  We're flying in from Charlotte NC on Sept. 9 2022 for a back to back.. Thank you.

[Copper10-8]

1 hour ago, Sir PMP said:

That's 2 Filet Mignons in 3 days, Copper...

Your Dutch math from the middelbare school in Den Haag., class of 1898, is still excellent Meneer! 😜

[Copper10-8]

1 minute ago, hotzej said:

Thanks again.  One more thing.  Do you know of a convenient place in Boston to get the testing.  We're flying in from Charlotte NC on Sept. 9 2022 for a back to back.. Thank you.

Can't help you with that one since we got tested at home in L.A. the afternoon before flying to Boston. Mr. Google is your friend, however 😉

[Fred321]

1 hour ago, Copper10-8 said:

Can't help you with that one since we got tested at home in L.A. the afternoon before flying to Boston. Mr. Google is your friend, however 😉

We got tested last month at ARC Point labs in Boston. One block from the cruise terminal. Very nice folks and will even print out a hard copy for you if you are tech averse.

[Copper10-8]

Greets from Baddeck, Nova Scotia, Canada, eh

[erewhon]

@Copper10-8   John, did you send us a message to our gmail address?

[Copper10-8]

30 minutes ago, erewhon said:

@Copper10-8   John, did you send us a message to our gmail address?

 

Negative Sir! Don't open and delete with extreme prejudice please! Apologies for the inconvenience and quagmire / mal de tete! 😔 

[Copper10-8]

Day 2 - 08/14/2022; Bar Harbor, Maine

 

After departing Boston on Saturday evening, Zaandam passed Deer Island and entered the Atlantic Ocean to follow a northeasterly course towards the state of Maine, destination Bar Harbor.

 

Bar Harbor is situated on Mount Desert Island in Hancock County, as well as on Frenchman Bay. As of the 2010 census, its population is 5,235. The town is a popular tourist destination in the ‘Down East’ region of Maine. Prior to a catastrophic 1947 fire the town was a famous summer colony for the super-affluent elite. Bar Harbor is home to the largest parts of Acadia National Park, including Cadillac Mountain, the highest point within twenty-five miles of the coastline of the Eastern United States.

 

Bar Harbor is a tender port, the only tender port on this seven-day Canada/New England voyage. It does have a pier, known as the Town Pier, located opposite Agamont Park, but it’s too small to accommodate a large cruise ship. So that all means tendering operations from one of the two anchorages in Frenchman’s Bay. Bar Harbor has two general anchorages for cruise ships: “A”, approximately one half mile east of the tender landing at the Town Pier and “B”, north of Bar Island, approximately one mile from the tender landing. Zaandam first picked up a Frenchman’s Bay pilot and, once at the “A” anchorage at 0727 hrs., her crew started preparing for tender ops by lowering and rigging the starboard side forward platform and lowering and the “splashing” some of her tenders. Not all six however, because a local sightseeing boat, “Miss Samantha” had been hired as an extra tender.

 

In port (also tendering) with us today was the much smaller ms Independence from American Cruise Line. Homeported in Dover, Delaware and built in 2010, she carried 100 pax and 37 crew and goes up and down the North American eastern seaboard into interesting places and ports too big for us.

 

So, after breakfast, we jelled for most of the morning until 11:30 (open tendering had been called so no need to go to the Wajang Theatre for tender tix anymore) when e down to A-Deck, my old stomping grounds, and down the steps to Miss Samantha who took us ashore. For several years now, HAL and other cruise lines, no longer use the Town Pier for tendering rather a nearby dock located adjacent the Harborside Marina where Andy, Zaandam’s British SECO (security officer) had set up shop.

 

A short walk-up West Street past Paddy’s Irish Pub & Restaurant (great place for lunch) and up Main Street where the real games were to begin. Allow me to ‘splain; Main Street is known as a “window shopper’s paradise,” where the ladies delight and the well-trained husbands follow in tow, most holding their wife’s purses, like the well-trained spouses we are, while attempting very hard not to lose the will to live! It is a place to discover Maine’s famous gemstone, the dazzling and elusive watermelon tourmaline, a chance to bring home a coveted sweetgrass basket woven by one of Maine’s finest Native American artisans, or to remember your trip with a sunny watercolor painting of the Porcupine Islands. Of course, there are also about a zillion ice cream shops on both sides of that bloody street. So, that’s basically how we spent our afternoon!

 

To be completely honest, in addition to being a well-trained and fully domesticated man servant for my lovely wide Maria, we did find a place for some chow by the name of Bar Harbor Beerworks, also on Main Street, a casual family friendly restaurant with good food. We spent about an hour there and then mozzeed down the other side of Main back towards the waterfront. Btw, there are a lot of dogs in Bar Harbor, also fully trained! Oh yeah, one of those ice cream shops did lay out a trap and sucked us in for some very tasty Italian gelato. Gelato typically contains 35% air and more flavoring than other kinds of frozen desserts, giving it a density and richness that distinguishes it from other ice creams.

 

All kidding aside, the main reason we like this itinerary so much are places like Bar Harbor, Montreal, Quebec City, Charlottetown and Halifax, cities and towns that just feel good and have so much to see and experience! Poor Sydney is kinda like the ‘ugly duckling’ in this group.

 

Last tender back to Mum was at 3:15 pm – had a chance for some catching up with the ship’s excellent GRM Daphnae on the tender dock, before taking lucky tender #13 back. Zaandam subsequently hauled up her starboard anchor and tenders and was outtahere by 4:15 pm, setting a sea course for our first Canadian port, that being Halifax, Nova Scotia.

 

Tonight was the first, what used to known as “formal night.” Now known as “Dressy” night. Prior to our 8:00 PM dinner, our first in the main dining room, we shared pre-dinner drinks in the Ocean Bar with my very first boss on the dam ships; Albert-Jan and his lovely spouse Lammy, herself a former HAL employee. Albert-Jan is currently Zaandam’s environmental officer however back in November 2010 on my first contract, he was Maasdam’s chief officer and, as such, my immediate boss. It was good to see both again!

 

As stated, we had our first dinner in the main dining room where we met our table mates, a couple from New Braunfels, Texas (near San Antonio) and another couple from Mesa, Arizona. Conversation flowed and dinner was very nice! When Zaandam first came out that two-tier dining room was known as the Rotterdam dining room. Unfortunately, all those individual names have been removed by the “powers to be” in the emerald city and are now just known by the very boring name “dining room.”

 

Post dinner – we had to rush because the start times here are 9:30 PM as opposed of the much better 10:00 PM – we fast-walked to the World Stage show lounge (another name change from the original “Piet Mondriaan” lounge, named after Dutch abstract painter Pieter Cornelis “Piet” Mondriaan) where the Step One Dance Company was staring in “Humanity”, a very entertaining high energy show with lots of good music and dancing, accompanied by vivid imagery and special effects. We’ve seen Humanity numerous times now, but it remains one of our favorites. Called it a night around 11:15 PM to get ready for tomorrow (Monday) morning excursion in Halifax, NS. See ya then!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Copper10-8]

Day 2 - 08/14/2022; Bar Harbor, Maine (con't)

"Humanity" Excellent show!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[0106]

Always enjoy your reports!

 

We did a Montreal  to Boston cruise on the Veendam.  We were very surprised by the “protection” the ship received in Bar Harbor.  They were with us from arrival to departure.  Is this still occurring?  If so, do you know why?

[Stakeout]

the Step One Dancers put on a great show with 'Humanity'.. as well as their other shows..  saw it on the Koningsdam when we were with Captain Henk for 8 weeks Nov-Jan and again on the Zaandam May thru June for 4 weeks with Captain Ane..  actually saw it more than once on each

[SusieKIslandGirl]

Oh dear-I think you owe your child bride an apology. In the paragraph where you described lunch you mentioned your "wide" Maria 😲. But thank you for the wonderful details of the cruise.

[erewhon]

3 hours ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

Negative Sir! Don't open and delete with extreme prejudice please! Apologies for the inconvenience and quagmire / mal de tete! 😔 

 

@Copper10-8  Thanks for the info. Will be very careful.   Sounds like you are aware of this happening.

 

Enjoying your posts from the Zaandam.

 

[Copper10-8]

1 hour ago, SusieKIslandGirl said:

Oh dear-I think you owe your child bride an apology. In the paragraph where you described lunch you mentioned your "wide" Maria 😲. But thank you for the wonderful details of the cruise.

 

I am sleeping on the couch in front of Guest Services tonite, but thanks a bunch for bringing this enormous faux pas to my pea brain attention.............

[Copper10-8]

3 hours ago, 0106 said:

Always enjoy your reports!

 

We did a Montreal  to Boston cruise on the Veendam.  We were very surprised by the “protection” the ship received in Bar Harbor.  They were with us from arrival to departure.  Is this still occurring?  If so, do you know why?

 

 

USCG escorts of cruise ships by the Coasties have been a routine event for quite a while now. They - the escorts - are not always available due to ongoing training, prior commitments, availability (maintenance) of the boats, etc. but you will see them, in addition to local/county/state law enforcement on the water quite frequently and they all do a great job!