Join Bill & Mary Ann On A Journey Like No Other-2024 GWV On The Zuiderdam For 128 Days

[WCB]

Report #5   Wednesday  January 3, 2023    Embarkation Day On The Zuiderdam For The 2024 World Cruise    Partly Cloudy With Periods Of Sun 52-65 Degrees  Part #1 Of 1........35 Pictures

 

Embarkation day is always a most busy one.  The first job was dropping off our duffel in the ballroom so it could be brought to the pier.   Before the fun and games began, we enjoyed another early morning breakfast at Joe’s Café.  No waiting to be seated, we were invited to take any booth we wished.  Being here for the third day in a row, we were already part of their family.  Good food and hot coffee, what more could you want?

 

Before leaving the shopping center, we tried Ace Hardware to look for the little hand sanitizer, and found just what we wanted.  Job done, we headed back to the hotel.  We needed the rest of our hand carrys to be filled, then we went down to the lobby to meet with our group at 10:15am.  They had two coaches for the sixty of us, although some of our friends “Ubered” to the port to be among the first to board.  We were in no hurry, since there was no guarantee our room on the ship would be ready. 

 

The coach ride took all of 10 minutes.  The driver got us close to the entrance, where we informed the greeter that we were President’s Club members when she asked.  With a big smile she directed us to a line that took us to an area where we filled out a form regarding our not-yet-granted Brazilian visa.   We were told that there were Brazilian reps onboard to assist folks like us in getting our visas quicker.   So far, it is 9:30pm, and we have yet to hear from anyone regarding further info.  The good news is that we were not denied boarding, as had been suggested by HAL.  There is still a possibility that we might not be able to leave the ship while in Brazil, but that is still a week or more away.  At least we are not sitting on the pier twiddling our thumbs while watching the ship leave Port Everglades.

 

After having our passports scanned, and our photos taken, we were personally greeted by Maja, the nicest guest relations manager we met last year.  She led us around the check-in desk, and made sure we had our boarding passes with the skew on them.  Handing off our passports for safe-keeping, we were handed receipts to retrieve them later.  Maja informed us that the yellow fever requirement had been lifted by Devils Island and Brazil as well for this cruise. In addition, we were not asked to produce our China and India visas at this point.  From there, we went up the escalator to the second level.

 

Finding an area not occupied with a lot of waiting people (Pinnacle and Neptune suite and the few President’s Club members, we were offered ice water or lemonade and fresh cookies.  Dining room Matre’d Presty spotted us and came over for a chat.  We asked if our table # 66 was assigned, and he said he figured we would keep our table from last year.  No, we thought we had made that perfectly clear, and we followed up with confirmation from ship services when we got home last spring.  We could tell from the look on his face, there was a problem.  Pulling out his cell phone, he made some inquiries and said he would get back to us on that.  He never did, but we trusted he would clear up the confusion before dinnertime.

 

At least, the wait was short, and starting with the first row of seats, we were invited to board.  We did not notice if the photographers were there, so the process was quick.  The cruise director, Kimberly, Captain Frank Van der Hoven, and Henk Mensink, the Hotel Manager greeted us as we entered.  Both of us got handshakes and hugs.  On the way to the gangway, we were handed new logo pins for the Zuiderdam as well as a welcome card from the Captain.  Boarding was as easy as showing our boarding passes.

 

Michele, the Mariner Manager, greeted us and led us to the side elevator.  She said our room was ready, and that was exactly where we headed to unload our heavy hand bags. We were grateful to see our new room with the extra corner space.  This Signature Suite will work just fine.  On the coffee table, we had two open-face sandwiches and a tray of fancy desserts.  Our bed was filled with gift cards and letters along with the daily program.  Not all of our amenities had been delivered, but a letter was there saying they would arrive within 5 days.  Two bottles of sparkling wine were on ice.

 

There was no Mariner lunch in the dining room, but there was a welcome aboard “champagne” lunch in the Lido until 4pm.  Our luggage began arriving one piece at a time, and we did open the first few.  Then we headed for the Lido pool area, but got side-tracked by so many folks we knew.  Some were regulars and some we had not seen since 2020.  Such a nice reunion.  We never did make it to lunch in the Lido, but ended up dining on the fancy food in our room.   More luggage arrived, but it was time for the muster check-in on deck three.  We went right on down, and completed that job within minutes.  So easy these days, all we had to do was run the muster drill on our TV, and we were set.

 

While stashing our stuff, we had a phone call asking us to come down to deck A to have a bag check.  It was there we ran into Shiv, the best-ever Head of Housekeeping.  He also gives the best bear hugs.  Opening the duffel, we showed security a large can of peanuts and the ice thermos we had brought to serve as our ice bucket.  That was all they needed to see, and we were free to go, hauling the duffel with us.  They would have delivered it, but we said no thanks. 

 

We did stop unpacking long enough to go to the Seaview Pool deck to the advertised Sail Away Celebration at 4:30pm.  It did not happen, the actual sail away or the party.  It had been delayed until later in the evening due to last minute deliveries and perhaps late-arriving guests.   The ship still had not moved by 7:30pm.   We never leave on time here on a long cruise.

 

So, we did see our table we had reserved, but got into conversations with longtime fellow cruisers.  Should we check at the desk first, or just sit down?  Well, the head waiter came and said there was a problem, and our table was not available this evening.  He called Presty, who showed up and promised he would clear up the confusion tomorrow, so in the meantime, we sat at a different table.  We offered to bring our confirmation from last summer for this table, but he said no, it wasn’t necessary.  Our waiters at this table on the railing were very nice and our food was excellent.  Champagne was brought with compliments from Presty.  Not the end of the world, we did not see this switch coming.  Expect the unexpected, right?  And a lovely single stem red rose was handed out to all of the ladies this evening.  Nice touch.  By the way, the Zuiderdam left the port during dinnertime without any fanfare that we could see.  

 

Visiting with more long-time friends we were glad to turn in after 9pm.  It had been another marathon day, and we will deal with the mountain of clothes on the couch tomorrow.   Stay tuned……

 

Bill & Mary Ann 

 

 

 

[WCB]

Greetings all!

 

Thank you so much for the encouraging words in welcoming us back.  The blog site is up and running now.  Looking forward to sharing this "mystery cruise"  with everyone!

 

Bill & Mary Ann 

[cruzingnut]

@WCB  You may thank us for you getting that cabin!  😎  We had it last year and, oh wow, was it awesome!  Since we aren't there this year, you get it.  Enjoy!  Great cabin, fantastic balcony too!

 

I'm wondering if the breakfast place was (Just joking!!!) happy to see you go considering all the free coffee I know at least ONE of you consumed, lol! 

 

Have a blast; I'll miss you and everyone else. 

 

Last but not least, is there a way to sign up for your blog to get an email?  I used to have that but it hasn't happened in a while and I see nothing to click on to be notified of your new blog entries.  Meanwhile, I'll be coming here to check up on you guys.

 

Linda R.

[oakridger]

I saw on the Viking Ocean thread that the Brazil Visa issue has been resolved.....postponed by the Government of Brazil until April!   All that stress for naught but glad everyone will get to go ashore.

 

Visa requirement for citizens of Australia, Canada and the US is postponed to April 2024 — Agência Gov (ebc.com.br)

 

~Nancy

 

 

[WCB]

Report #6  Thursday January 4, 2024  Sea Day Enroute To Tabago An Island Republic   Still Organizing Our Room  Mostly Cloudy With Some Sun  75 Degrees  Part #1 Of 1........20 Pictures

 

Our first full day at sea began early this morning with breakfast in the Pinnacle Grill Restaurant.  As President’s Club members, we have the option of dining in the Pinnacle Grill along with the folks in the Pinnacle and Neptune Suites.  Last year, we were told there were too many of us President’s Club members, and breakfast for us would be in the upper dining room.  At first, we all resented being separated like that, but, in the long run, we had the best waiters ever and a small group of 12 or so people we knew.  Breakfast in the dining room and Pinnacle Grill begins at 7:30am every day now.  Whether we are at sea or in port, the time will remain the same.  Easy to remember.  As always, the food and service were excellent, as was the company of many friends.

 

With only half of the unpacking done, we spent the majority of the day unloading the rest of the suitcases.  We had read on Cruise Critic that a stack of four drawers with wooden tops could be delivered to our rooms, giving us more space for our stuff.   So we asked our room steward for one, and he brought it in a few minutes.  It fit perfectly in that extra space by the veranda door.  The wall in this area was good for hanging two shoe bags, a large clock, and the world map we brought from home.  When our room attendant stopped by again, he said it looked like we had room for two more.  Maybe he was kidding, but we said, yes, we sure do.  He disappeared down the hall and came back with two more sets of drawers.  Now we have ample space for purses, camera equipment, t-shirts, extra bags of nuts, and so much more.  We were sure that these drawers would be gone already, but it did pay to ask. 

 

Setting up the plug strips for the desk area took some time getting it just right.  Now we have plenty of plugs for batteries, the computer, electric toothbrush charging, a waterpik, and a hair dryer. 

 

Then we heard the ship’s noontime horn blasting.  Captain Frank always did this every sea day, a tradition for most vessels.  During his talk, Captain Frank mentioned that we had a few brown boobies following along with us.  These high-diving birds are fun to watch as they chase after the flying fish, their favorite food.  Naturally, we took some time to go out on the veranda and get some good pictures.  It was also a good excuse to try out those lounge chairs for a spell.   Something tells us that we are going to spend lot of time outside here in the days to come.  So far, the weather has remained on the cooler side, but that suits us fine.  It has been smooth sailing and fair seas to this point.

 

It took forever to unpack all of the little things that went in the shoe bags, but once done, everything we need can be seen on the wall.  Several hooks were placed here and there for the calendar, lightweight jackets, the two week planner and a spot for the daily newsletter called The Daily.  Then we tackled the dowels and magnets for against the ceiling shirt hanging.  It has been appropriately named “Piccadilly Circus” thanks to our friend Greg.  Now these forty or so shirts are not crowded in the closets and add a lot of color to our room.  The real trick was obtaining black felt hangers that are so much better to use than the heavy wooden ones.  And nothing slips off of them.  We began with 50, and later asked for 30 more.  That should do the trick with the rest of the clothing that did not get hung today.  Another big job for one of us is the jewelry distribution in a mini- jewelry bag and using hangers hung from magnets for necklaces.   That can also wait until tomorrow.

 

There were dozens of activities happening all day, but we only had time for a room service lunch break, followed by a 4pm Block Party.  This was fun as we all grabbed our champagne flutes and went out in the hall to meet our neighbors.  Complimentary red & white wines and sparkling wine was served by our room attendants, and trays of salsa, olives, a nut mix, and tortilla chips were offered to us as we chatted.  Officers including the Captain, his wife, and Henk and Crystal walked down each hallway, deck by deck greeting all of us that had gathered in the elevator lobbies.  The drinks and food continued for a full hour with more visits from key staff members.  The main conversation revolved around this Brazil debacle.  Everyone had a different story of being stalled or rejected.  We are still waiting, and really doubt that are any officials onboard doing anything to speed up the process.  Later in the evening, we all would have a very nice surprise concerning these visas. 

 

Dinnertime came quickly and we dressed up a bit and headed for the upper dining room.  Remember the mix-up with our table assignment last night?  Well today we had a call from Presty who came through with the good news that table #66 was ours for the entire voyage.  He thanked us for our patience last night and made good on his promise to grant our request from last summer no less.  We met our new waiters and they seem really nice.  Our mains of parmesan-coated veal loin were excellent served with creamy polenta, but he added mashed potatoes as well.  And the best part was both plates were hot as could be.  And we didn’t have to request it. With our table being situated close to the kitchen, our food has always been served very hot without a long wait time between courses. Yes, this is going to work out just fine.

 

Just as we finished a small slice of carrot cake, Bob and Martha came for a visit and delivered some really good news.  They had just gotten an email from our travel agency CEO saying that Brazil had agreed to delay the visa requirement to April 10, 2024.  HAL will send us all a message tomorrow we suspect.  As far as our visas go, we may still be getting them, as we have not heard from the visa service yet.  Or they may be voided due to this situation.  Time will tell, but now all of that pressure and worry is gone. 

 

More good news was that our laundry had come back this evening after turning it in this morning.  Can’t ask for more than that.  And it was accompanied with a personal note thanking us for sending them the laundry.  One thing we did not like was having to turn the clocks ahead one hour to be on Tobago time in a few days. Eventually, we will get that hour back, and many more as we eventually head west.

 

So much for a very busy and eventful day.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

 

 

[1of4]

I watched you depart Fort Lauderdale on Wednesday just after 7:30 and was surprised the captain did toot the horn 3-4 times. A good sendoff! 

[oakridger]

18 hours ago, 1of4 said:

I watched you depart Fort Lauderdale on Wednesday just after 7:30 and was surprised the captain did toot the horn 3-4 times.

 

Some ports have noise restrictions after a certain time of day.  Maybe that's the case in Ft. Lauderdale?

 

@POA1 or @Huskerchick probably know the answer to that! 🙂

 

~Nancy

[WCB]

Report #7  Friday January 5, 2024  Sea Day Enroute To Scarborough, Tobago, A Two Island Republic Mostly Sunny With Some Clouds 80 Degrees Sea State  3' 18 Knot Wind  Part #1 Of 1........23 Pictures

 

Another day at sea presented us with a beautiful sunrise, although waking up an hour earlier was not easy for one of us.  Occasionally a world cruise will take an eastbound direction, where you lose an hour every few days, as opposed to going west, and gaining one hour for the most part.  The couple of times the world cruise did the eastbound direction, so we opted for a different grand voyage, such as circle South America and Antarctica.  It worked better for us. 

 

There has not been a crowd in the Pinnacle Grill for breakfast like we expected.  Customers come in slowly, but have not filled the room.  Of course there are fewer guests on this cruise – about 1250 we have been told.  But we are not complaining, as it has worked to our advantage and everyone else we know.  According to a reliable source, we will lose more guests in the segment ports than we gain.  For that reason, we bet these segments will be heavily promoted in each region we travel.  There may be some good deals out there.

 

After breakfast, we began our usual walk around the promenade deck.  Once again, this deck does not have the ambience of the smaller ships like the Volendam we recently sailed on.  There are only a couple of areas that have lounges, but there never seems to be anyone relaxing on them.   There are walkers like us, but no one stops to chat.  Perhaps as time goes on, things will change.  After all, many of us are still in the process of unpacking.

 

So back in our room, we continued to finish the job.  Even with the 50 felt hangers we were given, we still needed 25 more.  Of course, we exchanged them with the wooden hangers which take up so much closet space. 

 

We have to mention the subject of laundry.   We are so lucky to have complimentary laundry service which is currently worth $35 a bag.  Or if you chose the unlimited laundry for the entire 128 days, the price was $768.  That did not include dry cleaning.  And pressing only package is $384 for the whole trip.  Now we really appreciate the perk of complimentary service.  And by the way, so far we have turned in a full bag two days in a row, and they were returned same day.  Can’t beat that. 

 

We all got a notice yesterday concerning account balance charges.  The credit card authorization process has changed.  In the past, we all had our charges billed at the day we debarked, whether it be a segment or two or the entire voyage.  Now there will be multiple settlements during this cruise.  There are seven dates (mostly segment endings) where owed money will have to be paid.  If you maintain a credit, then obviously there will be no charge.  And for that reason, we had the opportunity to change the card on file if the policy presented a problem.  Any refundable credit at the end of the cruise will be put back on your card. 

 

Taking a break, we took a walk to the Seaview Pool to catch some sun.  The clouds had gone away, and the sun was out.  But that can be deceiving, as with the nice breeze, you do not feel the burn.  One of us had a nice glow by the late afternoon after an hour sitting at a table by the pool.  At high noon, Captain Frank sounded the horn.  We like that tradition.  Then cruise director Kimberly came and chatted with us for a spell.  We met her on the Tales of the South Pacific, and she did remember us.  Among other things, we asked if her morning coffee chats could be televised later in the day.  She promised to look into that.   She did explain that sometimes there are copyright laws, and everything had to be researched completely before jumping the gun. Kimberly remarked at how different this group of travelers were compared to the seven day cruisers she usually deals with.  She is correct.  There does not seem a need to hurry up and do  everything since we have time on our side.  It was time for us to move on after she left.

 

The masked boobies appeared this afternoon, putting on a display of soaring and diving for fish.  They are truly a remarkable bird, and of course, one of us got some clear shots of their performance.   Finally, everything got stashed in the new drawers and also hung on the walls with the nifty magnets.

 

There was an invitation to a President’s Club welcome reception, compliments of Gus Antorcha, the President of HAL.   It began at 6:30pm in the Gallery Bar with Captain Frank, Henk M, and key officers and staff greeting each of us.  Henk’s wife Christel was in attendance as was the Captain’s wife Alexandria.  We were served beverages of our choice, then sat with Martha, Bob, and Mike and Pauline.  Christel joined us as did Captain Frank.  We all had a nice visit as we dined on numerous delicious canopies.  The main subject had to be the switch with Brazil’s visa requirement.  The Captain reassured us that we WILL be going up the river as long as the water level is acceptable.   The hour went by, and soon it was 8pm.  Time for dinner, or actually a half hour late.  But none of us were holding others up as we have tables for two. 

 

Dinner was good because we had forgotten to eat lunch today and were hungry by now.  Many good items were on this menu such as Thai papaya salad, arancini, Caesar salads, honey mustard chicken and meatballs and spaghetti.  Call us crazy, but those are favorites of ours.  The food was excellent and our mains hot.  Ordering small desserts, one of us had coffee which was singly made.  Our assistant waiter Al said he warms the cup up with boiling water first, then makes the coffee, which stays piping hot.

 

One more day at sea, and we will be in our first port of Tobago.  Never been there before……

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

 

[1of4]

4 hours ago, oakridger said:

 

Some ports have noise restrictions after a certain time of day.  Maybe that's the case in Ft. Lauderdale?

 

@POA1 or @Huskerchick probably know the answer to that! 🙂

 

~Nancy

Yes Fort Lauderdale has noise restrictions due to all the condos around the port, which is why I was surprised to hear the horn blast 3-4 times upon departure. 

[chawkjewel]

I really appreciate your showing pictures of how you organize your room.  It has given me many great ideas over the years.  Thanks!!

[LouChamp]

Aloha. Glad things are going well so far. The laundry perk is something we treasure and certainly makes things easier. 

[Coco39]

Looking forward to "sailing" with you again. Sure wish Barb was there too.

[WCB]

Report #8  Saturday January 6, 2024 Sea Day Enroute To Scarborough, Tobago, A Two Island Republic  Mostly Sunny 80 Degrees  20 Knot Winds And A  6' Swell  Part #1 Of 2.......42 Pictures

 

Day number three at sea found us falling into our usually sea day pattern.  Beginning with breakfast, we are discovering that when ordering our food, we need to be very specific about each and every item we want.  We like Greek yogurt which resembles regular yogurt, but is much thicker and whiter in color.  Both us got the “other” kind this morning.  The waiters here seem to drop the food, then disappear.  So we finished the mixed berries with the yogurt before he reappeared to take our order.  What we think occurred was that he asked another waiter to get our starters, but did not give the correct instructions.  Not a big deal, he promised the right yogurt tomorrow. 

 

One of our buddies sitting across from us said his eggs Benedict was sitting on an English muffin that was like cement.  He challenged our waiter to try to cut it with a knife.  Guess we were not the only ones with a problem.  Very quickly, a new plate of food was brought to our friend, who said the muffin was just right and not a brick.  Bet that doesn’t happen again.  The omelets we ordered were just fine, but we had to order double-sized catsups and jams……and more butter.  If you don’t ask, they do not automatically bring you all of the condiments.   We do like coffee at breakfast….lots of it and hot as can be.  That has been a problem.  Tomorrow we will ask for a full carafe to be left on our table.  The folks sitting behind us did just that today and were given them.  Why not?  It saves them the trouble of pouring it all morning.  

 

The masked boobies were putting on quite a show all day outside mostly on the port side.  We got some good shots of them diving and actually catching some of those flying fish.  Wonder how many they can consume in a day?  A few brown boobies invaded for a while, but the white ones prevailed.  Several of the camera folks also came out to snap some shots.  These birds are curious enough to fly close to the promenade deck to check us out. 

 

Spending some time at the Seaview Pool, we noticed that the smoking area is on the port side now and not near the Seaview Bar.  Most all of these tables were full too.  We did not linger too long, since yesterday, we got a little more sun than we expected.  The pool lounges on this ship are set up nicely with lots of room in between them.   On the Volendam, the lounges were about touching each other, and few people were able to use them.  And to be honest, this is a whole different crowd of passengers that are busy doing many other activities besides sunbathing.

 

We ordered room service for lunch at 2pm and it came rather quickly.  The chicken Caesar salads were excellent along with a shared club sandwich.  Also, we got our complete delivery of the four bottles of alcohol that comes with the veranda room.  Although they were not on the written request form, we did get two bottles of Jack Daniels, one Captain Morgan Spiced Rum and a bottle of Johnnie Walker Red.   These will last nicely for the next four months.  The last bottle of JD we ordered while on the Volendam set us back $94.  Once again, we appreciate this perk.

 

We did make it a point to listen to Kimberly’s talk on Tobago.  It was very informative and had lots of good hints about what to see and do outside the shore excursions.  One aspect that was not mentioned was the fact we are going to be there on a Sunday.  We bet some of the venues will be closed.

 

At 5pm, Kimberly came on the speakers to promote this evening’s activities.  Included in her speech, she added that tonight was formal, and the “required” attire was in force in every table service venue.  Only the Lido was exempt as always.   Now we were really curious to see how this was going to work.  Will there be people wearing jeans and baseball caps in the dining room?  Somehow, we think not.

 

At 7pm, there was a Captain’s welcome in the World Stage.  Still not comfortable with big crowds, we did not attend.  Normally it is so crowded that the overflow can go to the Billboard Onboard to watch a live broadcast of the affair.  Perhaps it will be repeated on the TV later.  By the way, we are still seeing some passengers wearing masks, although they are not mandatory to wear like they were last year.

 

Formal dinner was just that….formal.  Nice to see for a change. No jeans or baseball hats.  Now it would have been nice if our mains had been delivered hot like we prefer.  The dining room for the second fixed seating was not crowded at all, so why we had to wait almost an hour for the entrees is a mystery to us.  After our starters, we had ordered one veal entree and one beef tenderloin dish with a baked potato.  When the plates finally arrived, everything was cold, including the baked potato.  Not even warm, we could not tell our waiters since they had disappeared again.  Normally there is a two minute window where they come back to ask how everything is.  But not tonight.  Normally we do not complain, but cold is cold.  When we were about done, our waiter came by and we did inform him about the cold plates.  He looked surprised because he was not the one that brought them to us.   Apologizing, he offered to replace them, but no way were we going to wait another hour for more food we did not need.  Even when the chef came by, he was happy to hear that the food was tasty, but disappointed it was served cold.  Up until tonight,  the food has been very hot and the plates hot as well.  Somewhere along the line, these dinners took a detour long enough to get cold.  They all promised it will not happen again. 

 

To brighten our spirits, we had gifts waiting for us in our room.    There were two heavy duty canvas bags containing a computer-sized bag, a phone charger, a new room key holder, and a safari hat, although we are not going to Africa that we know about.  A card came with the gifts saying they were handed out now so we can use them during the cruise.  And there was a promise of a few more surprises as the voyage nears the end.  “Formal” pillow chocolates were on the bed along with a cute towel animal.  

 

Tomorrow we will be in Tobago and as we said, a new port for many of us.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

 

 

[RICHARD@SEA]

"Now it would have been nice if our mains had been delivered hot like we prefer.  The dining room for the second fixed seating was not crowded at all, so why we had to wait almost an hour for the entrees is a mystery to us.  After our starters, we had ordered one veal entree and one beef tenderloin dish with a baked potato.  When the plates finally arrived, everything was cold, including the baked potato.  Not even warm, we could not tell our waiters since they had disappeared again.  Normally there is a two minute window where they come back to ask how everything is.  But not tonight.  Normally we do not complain, but cold is cold.  When we were about done, our waiter came by and we did inform him about the cold plates.  He looked surprised because he was not the one that brought them to us.   Apologizing, he offered to replace them, but no way were we going to wait another hour for more food we did not need.  Even when the chef came by, he was happy to hear that the food was tasty, but disappointed it was served cold.  Up until tonight,  the food has been very hot and the plates hot as well.  Somewhere along the line, these dinners took a detour long enough to get cold.  They all promised it will not happen again. "

 

You have to be really careful w the cold food...  I recently had taken a cruise on the  ROTTERDAM.  On the second night I ate i the steak house (extra fee) the steak, potato & veggies were all cold - like you there was no one around even tho the restaurant was half filled

Well I only had a couple of bites - and left - and proceeded a couple of hours later to have food poisining that lasted for 2 days - not pretty.

According to the HOTEL MANAGER, the food is precooked (in the shared kitchen w the club orange restaurant & kept under heat lamps - the potato much like the English muffin you mentioned was like a rock). 

 

I wish you luck w the rest of your voyage  - but be vigilant!!!

 

I've sailed w HAL since 1977 & after this past cruise(there were several other major problems onboard) I won't step onboard another HAL / Carnival Corp ship.

 

 

 

 

[RuthC]

4 hours ago, RICHARD@SEA said:

"Now it would have been nice if our mains had been delivered hot like we prefer.  The dining room for the second fixed seating was not crowded at all, so why we had to wait almost an hour for the entrees is a mystery to us.  After our starters, we had ordered one veal entree and one beef tenderloin dish with a baked potato.  When the plates finally arrived, everything was cold, including the baked potato.  Not even warm, we could not tell our waiters since they had disappeared again.  Normally there is a two minute window where they come back to ask how everything is.  But not tonight.  Normally we do not complain, but cold is cold.  When we were about done, our waiter came by and we did inform him about the cold plates.  He looked surprised because he was not the one that brought them to us.   Apologizing, he offered to replace them, but no way were we going to wait another hour for more food we did not need.  Even when the chef came by, he was happy to hear that the food was tasty, but disappointed it was served cold.  Up until tonight,  the food has been very hot and the plates hot as well.  Somewhere along the line, these dinners took a detour long enough to get cold.  They all promised it will not happen again. "

@RICHARD@SEA, If you are going to quote a post, it would be much easier to read exactly what the quote is if you use the quote function, and not just copy and paste. 

Thank you for your consideration. 

[dchip]

Spectacular photos of the boobies and flying fish!! 🩵👏👏👏🩵

[Oceansaway17]

2 hours ago, RuthC said:

@RICHARD@SEA, If you are going to quote a post, it would be much easier to read exactly what the quote is if you use the quote function, and not just copy and paste. 

Thank you for your consideration. 

my what a polite scolding.  Lots of people copy and paste or just use partial comments. 

 

I see nothing wrong with how he did his post.

[ottahand7]

7 hours ago, RICHARD@SEA said:

"Now it would have been nice if our mains had been delivered hot like we prefer.  The dining room for the second fixed seating was not crowded at all, so why we had to wait almost an hour for the entrees is a mystery to us.  After our starters, we had ordered one veal entree and one beef tenderloin dish with a baked potato.  When the plates finally arrived, everything was cold, including the baked potato.  Not even warm, we could not tell our waiters since they had disappeared again.  Normally there is a two minute window where they come back to ask how everything is.  But not tonight.  Normally we do not complain, but cold is cold.  When we were about done, our waiter came by and we did inform him about the cold plates.  He looked surprised because he was not the one that brought them to us.   Apologizing, he offered to replace them, but no way were we going to wait another hour for more food we did not need.  Even when the chef came by, he was happy to hear that the food was tasty, but disappointed it was served cold.  Up until tonight,  the food has been very hot and the plates hot as well.  Somewhere along the line, these dinners took a detour long enough to get cold.  They all promised it will not happen again. "

 

You have to be really careful w the cold food...  I recently had taken a cruise on the  ROTTERDAM.  On the second night I ate i the steak house (extra fee) the steak, potato & veggies were all cold - like you there was no one around even tho the restaurant was half filled

Well I only had a couple of bites - and left - and proceeded a couple of hours later to have food poisining that lasted for 2 days - not pretty.

According to the HOTEL MANAGER, the food is precooked (in the shared kitchen w the club orange restaurant & kept under heat lamps - the potato much like the English muffin you mentioned was like a rock). 

 

I wish you luck w the rest of your voyage  - but be vigilant!!!

 

I've sailed w HAL since 1977 & after this past cruise(there were several other major problems onboard) I won't step onboard another HAL / Carnival Corp ship.

 

 

 

 

Cooked potatoes kept too long and not hot can cause Bacillus cereus bacteria to overgrow and perhaps that was the source of your problem.  We had a problem with cool, dry spuds on the Volendam last year. 

[RuthC]

22 minutes ago, Oceansaway17 said:

I see nothing wrong with how he did his post.

While I found it difficult to read. 
Which is why I asked he follow the CC procedure and you didn't need to. After all, if you don't ask, you don't get! 

[Oceansaway17]

1 minute ago, RuthC said:

While I found it difficult to read. 
Which is why I asked he follow the CC procedure and you didn't need to. After all, if you don't ask, you don't get! 

well let the mods handle if they see an issue.   

[RICHARD@SEA]

16 minutes ago, ottahand7 said:

Cooked potatoes kept too long and not hot can cause Bacillus cereus bacteria to overgrow and perhaps that was the source of your problem.  We had a problem with cool, dry spuds on the Volendam last year. 

Thank you for this explanation...I never figured out whether it was the steak or potato. I left before desert. due to every part of the meal & service being terrible.  The Hotel Manager did credit my account for the meal - but the 2 days of being sick was terrible.

 

fact is today these large ships are serving thousands of meals to thousands of passengers  24 hours a day.  The handling of food is another issue...in warm climates like Florida if the foods are not stored & handled properly certainly there are problems.

 

the cutback in staff onboard is a contributing factor.. Obviously the Management onboard ROTTERDAM needs to be looked at & revised.

 

For those on a world cruise w less than full capacity (or anyone on any ship sailing today) there is no reason the food should be served cold or not as ordered.

 

After meeting w the Hotel Manager & Guest Services Manager for over an hour concerning the problems I encountered w my cabin & the food poisoning - she went quiet when I said I would take the issues up w the HAL corporate office & I would like to see the bonus package the HAL & Carnival management received this past year...maybe they are the  ones that should be cutback - or at least help too serve & insure all passengers are served food at the correct & healthy temperature.

[Oceansaway17]

8 minutes ago, RuthC said:

While I found it difficult to read. 
Which is why I asked he follow the CC procedure and you didn't need to. After all, if you don't ask, you don't get! 

Oh I get what you mean now so that it comes up above one's own comment.

Well still I did not have an issue even though you did.   But because of your reply I found a lot of interesting things under the Welcome to CC help section.  

[The Other Tom]

8 hours ago, WCB said:

There were two heavy duty canvas bags containing a computer-sized bag, a phone charger,

What are you going to do with the phone charger??

[Oceansaway17]

2 minutes ago, RICHARD@SEA said:

Thank you for this explanation...I never figured out whether it was the steak or potato. I left before desert. due to every part of the meal & service being terrible.  The Hotel Manager did credit my account for the meal - but the 2 days of being sick was terrible.

 

fact is today these large ships are serving thousands of meals to thousands of passengers  24 hours a day.  The handling of food is another issue...in warm climates like Florida if the foods are not stored & handled properly certainly there are problems.

 

the cutback in staff onboard is a contributing factor.. Obviously the Management onboard ROTTERDAM needs to be looked at & revised.

 

After meeting w the Hotel Manager & Guest Services Manager for over an hour concerning the problems I encountered w my cabin & the food poisoning - she went quiet when I said I would take the issues up w the HAL corporate office & I would like to see the bonus package the HAL & Carnival management received this past year...maybe they are the  ones that should be cutback - or at least help too serve & insure all passengers are served food at the correct & healthy temperature.

well that was a brave comment to make but might do some good.  I often worry about room service quality. 

 

I post on various cruise line threads on cc, and I am seeing more and more negative comment about MDR and or room service food.  That is why I go to buffet so that I can see my food before eating and the food is generally hotter than MDR.  And some of the best food on ships is really at lunch time.

I am surprised about the food on Rotterdam since she is one of the newer ships. Still, I really do not go on ships for the food but for seeing places and enjoying the entertainment.   One area ALL cruiselines need to improve is on desserts.  What a disappointment for me.

 

toodles

[RICHARD@SEA]

2 minutes ago, Oceansaway17 said:

well that was a brave comment to make but might do some good.  I often worry about room service quality. 

 

I post on various cruise line threads on cc, and I am seeing more and more negative comment about MDR and or room service food.  That is why I go to buffet so that I can see my food before eating and the food is generally hotter than MDR.  And some of the best food on ships is really at lunch time.

I am surprised about the food on Rotterdam since she is one of the newer ships. Still, I really do not go on ships for the food but for seeing places and enjoying the entertainment.   One area ALL cruiselines need to improve is on desserts.  What a disappointment for me.

 

toodles

I book a cruise to escape to sea - I chose ROTTERDAM Vll because one of my favorite ships was ROTTERDAM V.  I realize the quality has gone down a lot & I always find something to eat...after a few days a slice of pizza, a salad & some gelato is fine.  I eat out quite often - to all types of restaurants.  When ashore I research hotels w restaurants & bars.  I'm not  a buffet person but found the pasta on ROTTERDAM to be decent.(its the same pasta served in the Italian Specialty restaurant onboard - which really is just a section in the lido buffet).

 

One other point about cold food - each morning I have a continental breakfast brought to my cabin...the first 2 days the coffee in the thermos was cold... i mean really COLD COFFEE - each day after I wrote on the menu  - HOT COFFEE.