'Twas the Cruise Over Easter - 9 Day Southern Caribbean - March 29 - April 7, 2024

[POA1]

We are all packed, with the bags out in the hallway.

 

Dinner was excellent, and I want to thank everyone who suggested the Lemon Shrimp Mafaldini. If not for your shared wisdom, I'd not have tried it.

[albingirl]

Sad this is the end of a fantastic cruise with you both. What fun! Thanks!

[BetsyS.]

Thank you for all your updates, great pictures, and menus. Thanks also for telling me that I can still get a Cosmopolitan made with vodka. I'm sure the bears at home can't wait for Poohby Joe to tell them about all your adventures! I have enjoyed following along with you every day. Safe travels home. 😊

[POA1]

Photos from around the Lido Pool. If you are searching for a seat, try Deck 10, the Panorama deck.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 7 by POA1

[nw gardener]

Thanks for taking us along on your cruise.  Great pics, great writing,  great tips passed along.  Safe travels home. Looking forward to your next one!

[POA1]

We are hopeful about making the long and harrowing journey to (checks map) 2 miles to the Institute.

 

We'll be posting content until we exhaust our supply.

[Haljo1935]

Thoroughly enjoyed the report - thanks for allowing us to come along and be a part of it. Safe travels home!

[POA1]

Our last night's dinner was excellent. As a preamble, I should point out that I've been scouring the wines by the glass lists in the various restaurants all week.

 

Tonight's pairings are not on the normal wine list. I made prior arrangements to have the Whispering Angel Rosé (Tamarind) and Willamette Valley Vineyards Whole Cluster Pinot Noir (Pinnacle Grill) made available in the Club Orange dining room. Both wines are available by the glass, and are covered by the EBP.

 

I asked for the wine to be available - both in writing, and in advance. If you go this route, please - do not do this on the fly in the middle of service. You're asking for a favor. Show your appreciation.

 

Just when you're thinking, "Gee, I wish that something would warm the cockles of my heart," you look out and see this.

 

Then you say, "Let there be wine."

And there is wine.

 

At this point, you're thinking, "Say... I seem to be bordering on blasphemy." So, you give thanks for your blessings and get on with the food.

 

Michelle started with the Jerk Chicken Egg Roll & Whispering Angel Rosé.

 

I had the Salmon and Tuna Poke. (Pinot Noir.)

 

Michelle's second course was the Frisée Lettuce, Bacon, and Red Skin Potato Salad. (Rosé again.)

 

Continuing my salute to raw meat, I had the Carpaccio of Beef Tenderloin. (Willamette Pinot Noir, again.)

 

On to the mains...

 

Beef Brisket for my beautiful bride. (Her turn for Pinot Noir.)

 

I had the Club Orange special, Lemon Shrimp Mafaldini. I want to thank the Cruise Critic community for the suggestion. I would have never ordered this otherwise. It was fantastic. (Rosé)

 

With a Triple Chocolate Tart on the menu, Michelle's dessert choice was a lock. (Side of cappuccino.)

 

I hated to leave my Bread Pudding Pals down. There was a Blueberry Croissant Bread Pudding on the menu, but I opted for the...

 

Triple Berry Tart. It's kind of like the long lost fruit crisp and a puddin' had a creamy baby, and placed it in a lil bitty pastry shell.

 

 

Edited April 7 by POA1

[POA1]

At CO for our last breakfast. I'll be boring you with some additional photos, scans of the daily programs, and the art tour over the next few days.

 

Thanks to everyone who followed along with our random musings.

[puppycanducruise]

Thanks for sharing your cruise.  I enjoyed every comment and picture.  Hope you cruise again soon.

[POA1]

Left our room: 7:45 AM. Walked in our front door: 8:15 AM.

 

Travel is brutal.😉

 

 

Edited April 7 by POA1

[bEwAbG]

Love your photos.  Oftentimes people post their food shots and people scream "looks delicious!" and I don't see it.  Yours actually make the food look good, or at least real-to-life (I saw a sketchy baked potato).  I will say that HAL's food almost always looks a lot better to me than comparable lines, and your photos really capture that.

[Love the beach]

Thanks for taking us along.....enjoyed every minute!

[travelnap]

Thanks for taking us all along with you.  I have enjoyed your thread and hope that Pooh Bear is not to tired out from that long trip home.  

[Astromaid]

I have thoroughly enjoyed your trip, I will be taking a similar cruise on Rotterdam in a year. I bought Club Orange based on what I read in the forums and will be in our first aft cabin. I read a different forum by someone on Rotterdam who was not happy with the Club Orange dining room, food was cold, not as ordered and service was poor. Did you experience any problems? From what I read you seemed satisfied. Also, were you comfortable in the cabana? I have read they can be very hot with no air movement and depending on the sun, no shade. Thanks so much for your entertaining insight. 

[Ready2go11]

Thank you for taking the time to share your experiences.  Enjoyed greatly!

[vms]

Always a delight to read about your adventures, Poohby Joe, and the humans you bring along with you! 🙂

 

Thanks for a great review.

[POA1]

Poohby Joe is home, sharing the tales of his high seas adventures with his friends, Big Poohby and Round Poohby.

 

We're at Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza celebrating National Beer Day. That, and we have to ease back in to that whole "cooking for ourselves" thing.

 

 

[expattraveler]

Fantastic review! Thank you for spending the time providing all of the pictures and details while on your holiday!

 

all the best…

[LabMom57]

Thank you for sharing your trip with us! It helped pass the time till our next cruise on the Westerdam in a week. Love reading your posts!

[Huskerchick]

6 hours ago, Astromaid said:

I have thoroughly enjoyed your trip, I will be taking a similar cruise on Rotterdam in a year. I bought Club Orange based on what I read in the forums and will be in our first aft cabin. I read a different forum by someone on Rotterdam who was not happy with the Club Orange dining room, food was cold, not as ordered and service was poor. Did you experience any problems? From what I read you seemed satisfied. Also, were you comfortable in the cabana? I have read they can be very hot with no air movement and depending on the sun, no shade. Thanks so much for your entertaining insight. 

We have done CO on our last two cruises and actually like the room on the Rotterdam the best. I think the trick to managing your experience is to remember if you want something ask. I saw a woman this morning get very frustrated because the waiters were walking by either dropping food items off or they were taking orders. I didn't understand why she didn't just say excuse me but could I get x, y or z. These guys are good but they are not mind readers. Sorry I digress. Our food was always served warm and exactly what we ordered. I will say there was a food temp issue in of all places the pinnicle grill but that is for another post. 

I love the cabana area and yes it can get warm up there but generally there is some air movement and if you get warm your cabana itself is generally shaded and cooler. Im a bake in my own juices kinda girl but B prefers the shade so it works for us. 

[BetsyS.]

Michelle - I agree with you that people should ask waiters for what they want. My stepfather and I have not been to CO restaurant, but in other restaurants he asked for an appetizer in the entree size. I have asked for half portions sometimes or an entree to be in appetizer size. I have asked for creme brulee when it wasn't on the menu. All requests were given. The only thing I regret not asking for was seconds on chocolate souffle in PG. Hopefully, I will do it this summer. Thanks again for all your wonderful updates, great pictures and menus. 😊

[POA1]

@Astromaid

 

I'll second Michelle's sentiments. There was the occasional wait to be seated, but it was rare, and only a few minutes. We're normally late, fixed seating people in the MDR, and our arrival time in the Club Orange dining room was usually between 7:15 - 8:00 PM. The only exception was the night we were in Aruba and had a sunset cruise excursion. We arrived around 8:30.

 

We had an excellent waiter on night one. We had him again at breakfast on the second day. At that point, I spoke to the manager, Elena, and asked to be seated in his section whenever possible. For the most part, we were. I referred to this as "creating the fixed dining experience in open seating" in our December "Live From."

 

To a person, all the waiters and assistants were very good. The managers, Elena and Hery, were great. They're pitched in and helped their team as needed. Michelle and I have a fair number of friends who own, manage, or work in the restaurant business. (Actual friends, not just people we know from establishments we frequent.) I think we have a pretty good idea what works, and what does not. This worked.

 

I know that some of our fellow diners didn't have the wonderful experience that we did. I can't explain that away, so I won't even try. I can only tell you what we encountered.

 

As a patron or guest, I own a piece of the responsibility for having a good experience. If we want something, we ask. And, we say "please" and "thank you." I never assume that our servers had some psychic way to devine my wishes.

 

The other thing that can trip you up is timing expectations. When we're sitting down to multiple courses at a table service restaurant, we aren't in a hurry. I think it helps that we enjoy each other's company. We can easily carry on a conversation between courses.

 

If we're in a hurry, we'll edit down our choices or head to the Lido. Usually, if we have somewhere to be, we'll simply start our meal earlier.

 

[Haljo1935]

17 minutes ago, POA1 said:

...I think it helps that we enjoy each other's company. We can easily carry on a conversation between courses...

Wait, what @POA1 you and @Huskerchick like each other? 😏

So an important factor in the Bubble of Awesomeness & key to successfully traveling together is to have an afinity for your cabinmate?😉

Maybe you can host a class in exchange for a reduced cruise fare - I swear I've seen couples never speak or make eye contact and wondered what the heck they were doing on a ship together.🤷‍♀️

[POA1]

Two additional comments on the Rotterdam's Club Orange dining room - the layout and furniture are better than the Nieuw Statendam's room.

 

The Nieuw Statendam's & Koningsdam's rooms started as America's Test Kitchen. Their furniture is more bistro, and less restaurant. I feel like the room's origin as a demo kitchen is still somewhat apparent.

 

You enter the Rotterdam's CO room from the center as opposed to the end of the room on the two other ships. The symmetrical layout and improved seating tilt things in favor of the Rotterdam.