Rotterdam! Feb 16-25 Trip Report & Review

[MaryBethV]

2 hours ago, EMc&DrS said:

Enjoying your review so far--we were on the same cruise. Interesting to note--our Uber dropped us off at 9:40 AM, we breezed through security and went right up the escalator to the "priority" waiting area to wait until they started the boarding process. We were in the first group to board and I took a pic just as we were stepping onto the ship. The time was 11:07. So, arriving early and having priority boarding got us onboard a whopping 10 minutes before you boarded.😂

Wow - a whole 10 minutes apart! 😁 If we hadn't been with my MIL (who had wheelchair assistance), I'm sure we would have been waiting in the large holding area downstairs for a good while longer. They originally split us up and DH and I had a boarding group 8 card... but then another person, thankfully, had us join my MIL/FIL to board with them.

[bandp407]

53 minutes ago, MaryBethV said:

There was not any pre-dinner music that we found and we missed that. Coming from Princess where there was a string quartet (that played during the day and before dinner), and other music (a pianist, a guitar/vocalist, etc) that played in various venues before and after dinner throughout the ship... we really noticed the lack of anything similar on HAL. The only live music during our Rotterdam cruise was in the music walk area or in the theater (ALL very high volume) in the evening after 7pm (if I remember correctly). There was a grand piano in the Ocean Bar area on deck 2 that sat unplayed all week which was sad.

 

They did have ballroom dancing in the BBKing area during the day at least once (maybe more) during the day. I know my MIL and FIL went to that - so I will ask them about it and get back with you.

Thank you so much MaryBeth! Regarding the pre dinner music, what you describe is what we remember from our 2019 and earlier HAL sailings. We were hoping it had changed. 
 

In addition, thank you for describing Princess. We are booked on our 1st Princess, the Enchanted in August. We then have the Sun booked for the end of January. Sounds like music will not be lacking! 
 

 

 

[MaryBethV]

Sunday | February 18, 2024 | Sea Day #2

 

 

 

 

Ship time moved ahead one hour during the night. We had rounded Haiti and were headed towards Curacao.

 

 

Since this Sea Day fell on a Sunday, there was a special brunch menu and extended hours in the MDR.

 

 

The way the menu was laid out with First, Second, and Dessert - we were thinking the dishes under "First" would be appetizer-size. We were wrong. 😂 Just an FYI

 

 

Banana French Toast - It is hard to tell from the photo, but there are two large slices of banana bread. DH thought it was very good, but he only ate half of it because we had also ordered from the "Second" portion of the menu.

 

Jamaican Banana Pancakes with Toasted Pecans - I thought this was yummy! Note: the pancakes are regular pancakes with bananas as a topping along with the nuts and cream sauce. Again, not the best photo because this is a stack of 3 pancakes! I also only ate half of my "First" dish. (When clearing our plates we apologized for leaving so much food and our server said that we could order just one pancake or just one french toast slice. Good to know - next time we will ask how many come with each dish and order less!)

 

Classic Egg Benedict - DH really enjoyed it, though I did notice that the yolks were not runny.

 

Bahamian Fire Engine and Egg Skillet - With a name like that how could I not order it?! 😂 This was full of flavor and I was so happy that I ordered this. The tomato/potato/corn beef hash on top was SO good. The rice and black beans under the eggs (see second photo) made it pure breakfast comfort food! With a name like "Fire Engine" it may scare some people off, but I would rank it as a 3 or 4 on a scale of 1 (mild) to 10 (spicy). My FIL also ordered this when they went to breakfast and he liked it as well.

 

 

Later, MrC and I met for coffee at the Dutch Cafe. The case was well-stocked, so I took some photos for all of you. 

 

 

 

FIL bought this coffee & Delft Blue mug set. Great souvenier! 

 

 

 

I can't believe I never got around to trying this Dutch Apple Pie - it looked delectable!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The ship was really moving and my view through the windows at the Dutch Cafe was making me a bit woozy... so MrC and I walked around for a while and then I headed back to join DH in our room. I may have made a quick stop at the pool-side bar for some Painkillers. 😉 

 

 

After some balcony time and a perfect little vacation nap, we dressed for dinner.

 

"Funny" story - whilst attempting to dress in the tiny bathroom I must have flailed around a bit too ungracefully and my arm whacked the soap dispenser by the sink and sent it flying. Liquid soap EVERYWHERE. Floor, walls, cabinetry, glass shower door... what a mess. I cleaned it all up and left an apology note for our steward letting him know that a few of the towels were doused in liquid hand soap. 😬
 

After all that, we headed to the Half Moon Bar which quickly became our favorite place! Reema and Lyn are SO sweet and fun to chat with - and they take such pride in crafting amazing drinks. It is a small bar in a quiet corner near the Club Orange dining room on Deck 2. Do not miss it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you are on the ship and reading this - please stop by and tell Reema & Lyn that Mary Beth misses them and would ❤️ the recipe for the 3 Mile Honey Bee.🙂😘 I tried making one last night at home and it wasn't nearly as good. 

 

Speaking of which... 3 Mile Honey Bee

 

 

 

Cherry Smoked Old Fashioned for DH -

 

 

We met FIL and MIL for dinner in the MDR. Inca was our server and took such good care of us!

 

 

 

Classic Caesar Salad - DH requested anchovies this time!

 

Chicken and Tabbouleh Salad - I liked it. The chicken was hot and the salad was cold. The hummus on the right side was perfect and the pomegranate seeds added little bursts of flavor.

 

Barlotti Bean and Pasta Soup - another delicious soup

 

NY Strip Loin with Fries - DH ordered his medium rare and it came medium/medium-well. It was a very thin cut of steak (probably why it was a bit overcooked when it came out), but seasoned well. FIL also enjoyed his steak. The fries came out a few minutes after their steaks, so I forgot to snap a photo. They were worth the wait - hot, fresh fries are the best!

 

Parmesan Crusted Chicken Breast - MIL said it was delicious and juicy.

 

Chili Prawns with Garlic Butter - very tasty. I'm not a fan of having to take the tails off of shrimp in a dish with sauce... but I know they leave them on for presentation. The black rice was yummy and the the broccoli was crisp-tender. Two thumbs up.

 

Red Velvet Cake - MIL loved it!

 

Chocolate and Whiskey Torte - rich and decadent. This is the dish where we started joking about the rationing of raspberries - it was a thing the entire cruise! One-quarter of a raspberry? Really? 😂

 

Ice Cream & Hot Fudge Sundae with Nuts - always good.

 

DH and I went to the Island Magic show (steel drum band) in the World Stage theater. What an INCREDIBLY talented group of musicians! Their love for what they do shined through and their energy was impressive. My only wish was that they would have included some softer pieces in between the very loud songs to give our ears a break (especially with it being advertised as a classical concert). I left having loved their performance... but with a headache. We were fairly close to the stage and stuck in the middle of a long row. We 100% recommend attending their shows... but if you are not hard of hearing and are sensitive to sustained-loud music, you may want to choose seats on an end towards the back just in case you need to slip out.

 

 

We went to the Dutch Cafe just before 8:30, but there was no food in the case and only the bar was open. It seems that other than room service, the only place to get food (unless I'm missing something) between 8:00ish and 10:30 pm is at the NY Pizza on Deck 10 where they serve "movie snacks".

 

Red 2 was playing by the pool and we caught the end - Helen Mirren is my fav!

 

We were watching the movie right next to NY Pizza - but we weren't even sure it was open. There were a couple of things in the case, but everything else was covered up/closed down. I ordered fries and DH ordered a soft pretzel.

 

Fries - sad to report these were pulled out from under a heat lamp and were not good. At all. 😭 (I can't help but compare this to our last cruise on Princess where we ordered fries late one night by the pool and they were cooked to order and tasted amazing.)

 

And apparently, a soft pretzel is actually a pretzel bun? So strange.

 

Since none of the above hit the spot - we thought (for research purposes and photos for you, of course 😉) that we would check out the late-night (10:30 -11:30 pm) buffet. We grabbed a seat a little before 10 and waited. (I always have a ton of photos to go through whenever I have a spare minute!)

 

 

 

 

 

The ham & cheese croissants were SO yummy. DH went back for more!

 

I tried the arancini ball (OK), chicken wings (very good), and a spicy little beef-filled pastry (best thing on the plate!). 

 

Aft pool deck at night - beautiful!

 

Time for sleep! Tomorrow is Curacao and we are going on a DIY adventure...

Edited March 2 by MaryBethV

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Thanks for sharing.

[Navybikermom]

How was the Pusser’s Painkiller? I had two of them on the Nieuw Amsterdam in 2022 and they were so awful that I never dared have them again. I couldn’t figure out what was missing or mixed wrong. They used to be my favorite 😋.

[MaryBethV]

6 hours ago, bandp407 said:

Thank you so much MaryBeth! Regarding the pre dinner music, what you describe is what we remember from our 2019 and earlier HAL sailings. We were hoping it had changed. 
 

In addition, thank you for describing Princess. We are booked on our 1st Princess, the Enchanted in August. We then have the Sun booked for the end of January. Sounds like music will not be lacking! 
 

 

 

I did a trip report on our 2020 Sky Princess cruise (link in my signature) if you need to do some pre-cruise research - the Enchanted will be very similar to the Sky. We've been watching videos on the Sun Princess. It looks like such an interesting ship & half the fun for me is having a new ship to explore, so that might be in our future!

[bandp407]

1 hour ago, MaryBethV said:

I did a trip report on our 2020 Sky Princess cruise (link in my signature) if you need to do some pre-cruise research - the Enchanted will be very similar to the Sky. We've been watching videos on the Sun Princess. It looks like such an interesting ship & half the fun for me is having a new ship to explore, so that might be in our future!

Agreed & thank you again! Happy Cruising! 

[TinaLee]

Ahhh… Princess fries - it’s a real thing! We love them. We often went into the buffet to make a cheese plate or get some shrimp before watching a movie and all around us people would ask where we got the food - ummm… the buffet is right there! Happy memory for us! Enjoying your review! 

Edited March 3 by TinaLee

[Anastas617]

NY Pizza had the full menu up until 11:30pm when I was on the cruise before yours. I went up for a late night pizza a couple of times. (Actually, I can't speak for the deli sandwiches as I didn't look for those as I was pizza focused).

 

I got fries and cheese nachos one night from the movie snacks menu and both were huge disappontments.

[MaryBethV]

Monday | February 19, 2024 | Willemstad, Curacao 

 

 

 

 

 

We were scheduled to dock at noon, so we spent the morning on our balcony enjoying the view as we sailed the length of the island. 

 

 

 

 

There was just land, then this cluster of homes that filled an entire hill, then just land again. 

 

Clouds came and went. I love how these look almost b&w.

 

 

 

Looking through two hills into a valley, I saw this beautiful church. It could only be seen for a minute and then the angle changed and it was gone. (apologies for the low-quality photo - zooming that far with an iPhone isn't recommended 😂)

 

 

 

Each cruise, I try to remember to take photos of what you see from our balcony and now was as good a time as any. So here is what you see if you are in room 7144.

 

looking forward -

 

looking down -

 

Looking aft -

 

Not wanting to tear ourselves away from the gorgeous view, I called room service for breakfast.

 

 

We could tell we were getting close when we saw the pilot boat approaching. It was very choppy, so the captain turned us a bit to give the pilot calmer waters.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bags are packed - let's go! 😃

 

We met all our peeps and walked to Smart Wheels car rental. A few weeks in advance of our trip, we rented a large SUV for the day. I'd say it was about a 5-minute walk down our pier and to the white tents by the other pier. Thankfully we had the wheelchair for my MIL.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Smart Wheels is the green building (near the white tents).

 

This was our planned route for the day.

(1) A very special Dutch grocery store

(2) Shete Boka National Park 

(3) Cas Abao Beach

 

 

 

 

Outside the grocery store, we saw this beautiful hummingbird. 

 

So WHY did we go to a grocery store you may be wondering... well, our very long Dutch last name is also the name of the store! Distant relatives of my FIL immigrated from the Netherlands to Curacao and established this store in 1931. So, this is us standing under the store's name. I'm sure the locals wondered why the crazy tourists were taking photos outside of their supermarket. 😂

 

 

Dutch candies...

 

Dutch cookies...

 

 

We call these windmill cookies - they are a crisp molasses/ginger cookie. YUM

 

On with the road trip!

 

In researching where to go in Curacao, we came across videos of this park and we were so excited to see it in person. FYI - the entrance fee is $15.00 US dollars PER PERSON. We were caught a little off guard by that, but it turned out to be worth every penny. (also...If you want to use the outhouse, that's extra 😆)

 

The "you are here" is where all the buses park and those people have to walk. If you are in a car, you can drive on the (brown line) dirt roads. The most scenic spots are on the far right and the far left, so it is adventageious to have a car.

 

We went to Boka Pistol on the far right first. I wish I could post a video for you! The waves come and crash against the rocky shore all along the coast, but in this spot, they rush into a narrow inlet and "explode".

 

 

 

There are benches you can sit on to take in the view, as well as a platform you can walk out on to view it from a different angle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When we looked closely we realized we were walking on tiny little shells!

 

 

 

Cute little guy hiding in the rock... 

 

Next, we headed to Boka Wandomi (Natural Bridge) on the far left side of the map. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There were stone steps to get down into the inlet.

 

This is one of those places that just takes your breath away.

 

 

MrC took this photo of us (DH, me, and MrsC) and then he went up the stairs on the other side to go see the natural bridge. He got some incredible photos!

 

 

 

This one is going to get framed I think!

 

And trek back to the car where MIL and FIL were waiting patiently for us.

 

Some of us weren't up to going to our last stop (the beach), so we headed back to the cruise port & dropped off FIL, MIL, MrC, and MrsC. DH and I headed to the floating bridge area. What a beautiful place!

 

 

 

The bridge was open to let a Coast Guard ship through.

 

 

 

 

Driving though town... I had to get out at one point and take a few photos of the buildings. 

 

 

 

 

 

I sat on the rocks while DH returned our SUV. He thought it was just an extra $20 + fuel for them to fill up the tank for you. However, it was $20 PER GALLON... so they gave him directions to a nearby gas station and he went and filled it up himself.

 

Panoramic shot of the two ships.

 

 

There was a line at both gangways to get back on the ship, but it went rather quickly. 🙂

 

This is already so long, so I'll save the evening for another post. Next up: our new favorite thing - Nami Sushi "snack"!
 

 

 

Edited March 4 by MaryBethV

[MaryBethV]

On 3/2/2024 at 7:05 PM, Navybikermom said:

How was the Pusser’s Painkiller? I had two of them on the Nieuw Amsterdam in 2022 and they were so awful that I never dared have them again. I couldn’t figure out what was missing or mixed wrong. They used to be my favorite 😋.

Ours weren't good either! We were wondering if the pineapple mix/juice was bad or if they made it wrong. We didn't order them again.

We first had a Painkiller in St. Thomas and we even make them at home occasionally. Made well, they are delicious!

[Navybikermom]

1 hour ago, MaryBethV said:

Ours weren't good either! We were wondering if the pineapple mix/juice was bad or if they made it wrong. We didn't order them again.

We first had a Painkiller in St. Thomas and we even make them at home occasionally. Made well, they are delicious!

Well darn. Thanks for the warning. I’ll drink something else with my copious allowance ☺️. 

[MaryBethV]

Curacao continued...

 

What a fun day so far! While washing up and changing for the evening I noticed we had a new soap dispenser. 🙂

 

 

Not having eaten since breakfast - we were quite hungry! We decided to head to Nami Sushi for an early "snack" and then have a late dinner in the MDR. Tamarind wasn't busy and we were seated in the restaurant area instead of at the sushi bar.

 

Sunset 😍

 

 

 

 

 

 

Crispy Lobster Tempura Signature Roll - YUM YUM YUM! It is absolutely incredible to have this quality of sushi on a ship! (I have to say, Nami puts the sushi bar on Princess to shame!)

 

Fried Soft Shell Crab Signature Roll - also very good, but comes in second place to the lobster roll.

 

We wandered the ship, grabbed drinks at the Half Moon Bar, and (since there was no room at the HMB) took them with us to the Ocean Bar lounge area next door. This is the home of the lonely un-played grand piano.

 

 

Time for a late dinner! The MDR wasn't as full and we had incredible service from Rokhman. It was Culinary Council night. Great menu!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Coconut Crusted Shrimp - DH loved this and said it was memorable! 

 

Sushi Roll Trio - In the interest of research 😉 I had to order this. It was good, but not close to Nami-Sushi-GOOD.

 

Crab Cake - served HOT, this was very good. 

 

Baked Rigatoni with Italian Sausage - DH made me try a bite. Perfectly al dente pasta with a rich sauce that tasted like it simmered on the stove all afternoon.

 

Vegetable Tempura Udon - We ordered this to share. It was a flavorful, light dish.

 

Roasted Spice-Crusted Prime Rib with Wild Mushrooms - I'm not usually a prime rib fan, but this was amazing. Perfectly medium-rare and the horseradish/mustard mousse was SO tasty. Even the little hash brown was great!

 

Ricotta Raspberry Tart - Good, but I feel like they could work on the presentation of their desserts - especially on a Culinary Council night.

 

Chocolate Puff Pastry Craqueline - This was great! 

 

 

Mmm - the filling! 😋

 

The ice cream that came with both of the desserts was very good ice cream - even if a bit melted.

 

We were originally scheduled to leave Curacao late in the evening, but that was changed to a 6:00 am departure the next morning. It didn't matter to us as we didn't go out in the evening, but I know some did and I heard the floating bridge is lit up at night. 

 

 

 

 

 

Tomorrow is mostly a Sea Day as we sail in circles between Curacao and Aruba. 😎

Edited March 4 by MaryBethV

[Vict0riann]

I’m really enjoying your report, especially the food porn…. I agree that that lobster roll in Nami Sushi is the best!

[POA1]

17 hours ago, MaryBethV said:

Ours weren't good either! We were wondering if the pineapple mix/juice was bad or if they made it wrong. We didn't order them again.

We first had a Painkiller in St. Thomas and we even make them at home occasionally. Made well, they are delicious!

We had painkillers at Pusser's in Tortola on more than a few trips.  The ones in the Crow's Nest on the Nieuw Statendam were a little "off," not bad, per se, but a little light in the cream of coconut, if I had to guess.

 

If I am able to establish a working relationship with one of the bartenders, and they're not too busy, I may try to get one made from scratch to compare in few weeks. (For science.)

 

Ingredients

• 2-ounces (60 ml) Pusser’s Rum
• 4-ounces (120 ml) pineapple juice
• 1-ounce (30 ml) orange juice
• 1-ounce (30 ml) cream of coconut
• Freshly grated nutmeg

 

https://pussersrum.com/blogs/cocktails/pussers-painkiller

[Caribbean Chris]

1 hour ago, POA1 said:

We had painkillers at Pusser's in Tortola on more than a few trips.  The ones in the Crow's Nest on the Nieuw Statendam were a little "off," not bad, per se, but a little light in the cream of coconut, if I had to guess.

 

If I am able to establish a working relationship with one of the bartenders, and they're not too busy, I may try to get one made from scratch to compare in few weeks. (For science.)

 

Ingredients

• 2-ounces (60 ml) Pusser’s Rum
• 4-ounces (120 ml) pineapple juice
• 1-ounce (30 ml) orange juice
• 1-ounce (30 ml) cream of coconut
• Freshly grated nutmeg

 

https://pussersrum.com/blogs/cocktails/pussers-painkiller

 

Great idea - I’ll be interested in the research results. We lived on St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands for years and just about any bar there and, obviously, any bar in the BVIs, serves up an excellent Painkiller.

 

Friends always brought along a jug of Painkillers for a day on the sailboat using the Pusser’s recipe - except in our neck of the woods, dark Cruzan Rum was always substituted for the Pusser’s.

[POA1]

16 minutes ago, Caribbean Chris said:

 

Great idea - I’ll be interested in the research results. We lived on St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands for years and just about any bar there and, obviously, any bar in the BVIs, serves up an excellent Painkiller.

 

Friends always brought along a jug of Painkillers for a day on the sailboat using the Pusser’s recipe - except in our neck of the woods, dark Cruzan Rum was always substituted for the Pusser’s.

Apologies to the original poster, but this is an excellent suggestion @Caribbean Chris

 

We're both on the Rotterdam on the 29th and can make it a joint fact-finding mission.

[MaryBethV]

@POA1 - Looking forward to your research results! I recommend asking Reema at the Half Moon Bar when she isn't busy. She can make anything.

 

@Caribbean Chris Now that is some expertise you have! 🙂

 

[Caribbean Chris]

43 minutes ago, POA1 said:

Apologies to the original poster, but this is an excellent suggestion @Caribbean Chris

 

We're both on the Rotterdam on the 29th and can make it a joint fact-finding mission.

A plan is afoot! Look for the people with large black dog. 

[MaryBethV]

Tuesday | February 20, 2024 | Curacao-Sea Day-Aruba 

 

Good morning! I woke up to the gentle rocking of the ship and knew we had left Curacao. Today we would slowly make our way to Aruba. We were supposed to dock in Aruba at 5:00 pm, but due to port congestion, we wouldn't be able to dock until 9:00 pm. It wasn't a big deal for us as we didn't have plans, but MrC and MrsC had a sunset excursion for that evening that was canceled. ☹️ Our captain did, however, move our departure the next day from the original 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm to make up the time, which was really nice.

 

 

 

We had planned on getting up in time for breakfast in the MDR (8:00 - 9:30 am), but we didn't quite make it. So, we headed to the Lido Market just before 10:00 am instead. It was PACKED - I think everyone on the ship had also slept in. Even though there was a half-hour left and SO many people getting breakfast, they were already shutting down stations.

We grabbed some hot food (I love that they will fry eggs to order for you!) and ended up sitting by the mid-ship pool since there were no tables available in the buffet area. I was happy to see they had a coffee station set up where Dive In is located so I wouldn't have to brave the buffet again. 😂 However, there wasn't any cream left, and try as I might I am not the black-coffee type. 

 

No worries - there are always options on a ship like this! We headed to the Explorations Cafe for some real coffee. I had a cappuccino and DH had a Caramel Latte. Mmm!

 

 

 

Let's talk LAUNDRY! 🙂 Back in our room for a bit, our clean laundry had arrived. We purchased the unlimited laundry service for the week and it was worth every penny! They had a 2-day turnaround, though occasionally it was more like a day and a half. The only downside was that you didn't get a new laundry bag & list to itemize until your laundry was returned, so we had to ask our steward to get one for us a couple of times.

 

They did a fabulous job! Small items came in a basket, folded and wrapped in tissue paper. Shirts/dress pants/dresses came on hangers.

 

 

 

 

Elevator bank art - makes me smile!

 

 

DH was resting his back (Curacao was a lot) so I went to the buffet and brought back a plate of food for us to share. Our room is right next to the aft elevators on deck 7 - so the Lido Market is an easy 2 flights up!

 

 

Sushi (blurry), Orzo vegetable salad, pulled pork slider, and fish & chips. All good.

 

 

 

After some reading time on our balcony, we went to the aft pool for a swim. It is a nice, deep pool and the full-stair entry makes getting in and out easy. Waiters come around to take drink orders, which is so nice! I was so happy to not have to go to the bar that I let our waiter up-sell me to a Patron margarita. While I wouldn't order it again because of the upcharge... it was still a lovely day for a refreshing pool-side beverage. Cheers!

 

 

 

I'm pretty sure we were sailing in circles because the sun would keep changing directions. Laying on the loungers, we joked that we felt like we were on a rotisserie. Nice! Didn't even have to move for an even tan. 😂

 

The wake looks different when you are just doing lazy donuts in the Caribbean.

 

 

Time for dinner - we were joined by FIL, MIL, MrC, and MrsC tonight! I loved the dinners where we all shared a table... such great memories.

 

Arugula & Pumpkin Salad -

 

Chicken & Chorizo Soup - there was some confusion about this. FIL thought he was going to get a Chicken broth soup... this was more of a chili with sausage. I had it as well and I don't know where they were hiding the chicken... but it was very tasty!

 

Seared Black Pepper Duck Breast - DH liked it & I give him bonus points for ordering it!

 

Classic Caesar Salad - I put my anchovies on the salad before snapping this photo.

 

Turkey Roast and Cranberry - MIL enjoyed it.

 

Farfalle Boscaiola - I think MrsC had this dish. Looked yummy!

 

Jerk Lamb Shank - this was the show-stopper of all the dinner plates! The lamb shank was huge. DH said it was incredibly tender and just all-around delicious.

 

Broiled Salmon with Herb Mustard Glaze - 

 

Rustic Home-Made Lasagna - FIL sure looks happy! 😃

 

Caribbean Sea Fresh Lane Snapper Curry - First of all - look at that beautiful presentation! 😍 I thought it was a very nice dish, though I would have liked a little more sauce and a more pronounced curry flavor. I think the rice/bean mixture is the same as was in the Fire Engine brunch dish I had a few days ago.

 

Almond Fruit Cake - Apparently mine spent less time in the oven than DH's and the inside had more of an almond paste consistency - but it still tasted yummy (just like my MIL's almond bars!).

 

Almond Fruit Cake (DH's more fully baked version - also delicious!)

 

Strawberry Pavlova -

 

After dinner, we attended the dance show, Musicology, in the World Stage theater. While we met ladies in the elevator afterward who clearly loved it, I'm sorry to say we didn't share their opinions. The choreography wasn't fluid and most of the dancers seemed new and/or inexperienced. Maybe we are just spoiled where we live - but our local High School showcases better dance numbers in their musicals and revue shows. 😑 I'm not saying we hated every number, but it was not what we were expecting (having experienced dance shows on Princess and Norwegian).

 

 

After the show, we popped into the library to check it out. What a beautiful library! If I was on a longer cruise this place would be a favorite of mine.

 

 

 

Walking through the Rolling Stone Rock Room on our way aft... The instrumentals seemed on point if you enjoy loud retro-style rock. However, I've honestly never heard such off-key vocals. 😬 I'm hoping they were just having an off night. (Don't throw things - just giving my opinion! 😘)

 

*Photos taken during the daytime

 

 

We grabbed a few cans of water at the Ocean bar and headed to our balcony to watch our arrival into Aruba.

 

This stairway looks like the flag of The Netherlands to me. 😊

 

I spy Aruba! We picked up the pilot around 8:40 pm...

 

... and docked around 9:45 pm.

 

Celebrity Equinox - ships are so beautiful all lit up at night!

 

 

HAL Nieuw Amsterdam - 

 

 

 

We pulled in and docked bum to bum with the Nieuw Amsterdam with what seemed like only a couple of feet to spare. Nice job Captain - impressive!

 

 

 

All aboard announcement at 10:04 pm for those with more energy than me! 🤣

 

Next up: Aruba - fun excursions and stunning beaches!

Edited March 5 by MaryBethV

[sailawayward]

8 minutes ago, MaryBethV said:

I'm pretty sure we were sailing in circles because the sun would keep changing directions. Laying on the loungers, we joked that we felt like we were on a rotisserie. Nice! Didn't even have to move for an even tan. 😂

 

The wake looks different when you are just doing lazy donuts in the Caribbean.

 

 

We were on the same cruise, and we definitely sailed in a circle on our way to Aruba.  Considering how much time we had after leaving Curaçao, we could have done several.  I thought I saved a screenshot of the ship's navigation map on our cabin's TV after we arrived in Oranjestad but I guess we never took an actual pic.  The most activity from the sea seemed to be during our turn around Haiti on Day 2 and even that was mild (to us, anyway).   

[Vict0riann]

Quick question - was that Jerk lamb shank spicy?  I don't know much about jerk seasoning, but I would like to try it if it's not too spicy hot.   (In our house we use caliente and picante - I like caliente but not picante!)

[CruiseIreland]

OP, your review is brilliant and reflects much of our experience on the Nieuw Statendam last month. Excellent photos. Keep up the good work!! Ken 

[Navybikermom]

That library carpeting hurts my eyes! 😵‍💫

[MaryBethV]

7 hours ago, sailawayward said:

 

We were on the same cruise, and we definitely sailed in a circle on our way to Aruba.  Considering how much time we had after leaving Curaçao, we could have done several.  I thought I saved a screenshot of the ship's navigation map on our cabin's TV after we arrived in Oranjestad but I guess we never took an actual pic.  The most activity from the sea seemed to be during our turn around Haiti on Day 2 and even that was mild (to us, anyway).   

We felt movement on this ship more than in the past likely because of our room location (aft and higher up) - but agree that even day 2 was mild. I actually prefer some movement and sightlines to the water because I like to feel like we are on a ship. 😊