Lazy Waltz to Spain Onboard the Oosterdam April 5-19th

[mawvkysc]

I’m loving  the pictures. 
How  late is the Crows Nest Bar open and what is the atmosphere there at night?  It doesn’t seem like any activities are planned there at night 

[Ready2go11]

58 minutes ago, mawvkysc said:

How  late is the Crows Nest Bar open and what is the atmosphere there at night?  It doesn’t seem like any activities are planned there at night 

 

Crows Nest has been open until 10pm for bar/coffee service. I have not seen any evening activities up there,

 

For reference, Lido Bar is open until 10PM, 

Sea View Bar (back of ship where smoking section is), Ocean Bar and Billboard bars are open until midnight and the Gallery Bar (near the casino) is open until 1am.  Pinnacle Bar on Deck 2 which serves the Pinnacle Restaurant but is open to guests is only open until 9:30pm.

Edited April 10 by Ready2go11

[Kay S]

2 hours ago, mawvkysc said:

How  late is the Crows Nest Bar open and what is the atmosphere there at night?  It doesn’t seem like any activities are planned there at night 

The bar shuts down early, but I have been known to take a glass of wine up there with me.  I like to watch the night ocean (and occasional shore lights.)

[Ready2go11]

After a lazy afternoon on Tuesday, we stopped by the Pinnacle bar for a drink before dinner since the dining room is not great for delivering bar drinks that you actually ordered.  The stop was serendipitous since we ran into the Step One Dance team that had the night off and were also enjoying a drink.  They were so nice to chat with and shared they were a little nervous about their shows on Wednesday night given that the ship was rolling.  In rehearsals earlier in the day, it was rocky.  However, they noted that the Captain told them it would calm down tomorrow.  Of note, I found a new favorite drink- a lemon drop martini made with pear Grey Goose.  The pear totally changes the drink in a good way.

 

After a dining room dinner that was not overly remarkable, we headed to the late show, featuring comedian John Wing.   Although some in the audience were laughing here and there, after 15 minutes of “you know how old I am?  I am so old that…” jokes, we left.  We headed up to the Lido to walk around and back by the Sea View pool we enjoyed a great display of stars.  It has been cloudy other nights, but today was a beautiful show, especially after we left the lights of the public deck and looked at the stars from our balcony.

[Ready2go11]

4.10 daily program

4.10 daily program continued

4.10 dinner menu

4.10 dinner menu page 1

4.11 daily program

4.11 daily program cont.

Edited April 10 by Ready2go11

[Ready2go11]

We lost another hour and it was hard getting up on Wednesday.  We again missed the coffee chat with Carlijn but did attend her talk about old and new in the Mediterranean.  It was an interesting look at how many craftsman and artists are keeping old traditions alive and marrying them with modern techniques and tastes.  The two featured stories were about Neapolitan pizza and a third generation Greek sandal maker.  Next up was an art talk about Salvadore Dali.  We are not big fans of his surrealist work but learning more about his life seemed to help explain some of his eccentricities. They had a number of his series about the Divine Comedy on display.

 

We grabbed a coffee at the Crows Nest before lunch.  I am happy they now offer many milk alternatives including soy, almond and my favorite oat.  An iced mocha with an extra shot and oatmilk please!

 

Featured at Lido lunch was smoked fish (they usually have a feature of the day), although I would eat peanut butter and jelly before eating smoked fish so I opted for a Dive in Dog instead,  I am pleased to report they found the real Nathans hot dogs and the hot dog was as I remembered it from prior trips rather than on day 1 of this trip.

 

Most notable about lunch, I used the Navigator app to order from Dive In, which was fast, easy and much better than standing in line.  I received a pop up alert when my order was ready.

There really weren’t any afternoon activities we wanted to do so we had an in cabin spa day while watching the new Wonka movie.  The movie was very enjoyable and we felt pampered after doing our own face, foot and hand masks.  This is a tradition we started on our first cruise post-pandemic and we even do it when my sister’s husband comes along.  She just comes to my cabin to share the experience.

 

Wednesday for dinner we enjoyed Pinnacle for our HIA included dinner.  It was very busy and our waiter was responsible for 10 tables (yes we counted) so service was slow but overall it was a good experience.

 

We enjoyed wedge salads and clothesline bacon as starters.  The bacon had gone down hill post pandemic but I was pleased to see over the prior 2-3 cruises that it is back to what I remember.  Pork chop and lamb chop were the entrees. My sister wanted the halibut entrée but they were out of it according to our waiter. As I am sure happens at most restaurants, there have been many substitutions to the stated menu preparation when the first choice ingredients are not available.  Fortunately they did not try to substitute the halibut.   It is a lot of food but we greatly enjoyed the taste of each and both were served hot and perfectly cooked. Dessert was a watermelon sorbet and I had key lime pie.  Those were also enjoyable, although the usual ending of chocolate truffles included only white chocolate as they had run out of the dark chocolate ones. 

 

Dinner took 2 hours and we were only a few minutes late for the late Step One performance “in Tandem.”  There was a singer for a few numbers, but the dances were lively.  It reminded me of old Fred Astaire type dances and we both enjoyed it, as did the audience.  Luckily, it was pretty calm while they were performing.

 

Wednesday was mostly sunny with temps in the mid-60s. There was a light breeze, perfect for a deck walk and many people took advantage.  We see many people in the deck chairs on the promenade each day, likely those enjoying outdoor time who do not have access to a balcony from their cabins.  And again the night ended with a spectacular star show.  I have an app on my phone, that when I point it towards the sky will tell me the constellations and other stars I am seeing. 

 

We end today 3 hours behind east coast US time and will lose another hour tonight.

[Ready2go11]

clothesline bacon at the Pinnacle dinner

very cool replica of the Oosterdam located in the Crows Nest.  It is more than 7 feet long and made out of Legos!

Big Dipper from the balcony on Tuesday night

we always bring along a bow or other item that stands out that we can tape to our mailbox or door to help us find our room in the long hallways.

calmer seas on Wednesday,

Edited April 11 by Ready2go11

[Kay S]

This thread is fun.  Keep up the good work!

[Ready2go11]

8 hours ago, Kay S said:

This thread is fun.  Keep up the good work!

Thank you!  It can be a chore to keep up with and I know I am giving too much detail but pre-cruise I absorb anything and everything about a ship and/or itinerary from CC posts and wanted to pass that on. 
 

we are enjoying the cruise and finding the Oosterdam and staff to provide a very welcoming home at sea!  

Edited April 11 by Ready2go11

[VMax1700]

11 hours ago, Ready2go11 said:

We end today 3 hours behind east coast US time

I sincerely hope that you are now 4 hours ahead of east coast US time or else you are going in the wrong direction! 😉

 

[FLCruiser97]

2 hours ago, VMax1700 said:

I sincerely hope that you are now 4 hours ahead of east coast US time or else you are going in the wrong direction! 😉

 

We are indeed 4 hours ahead of East Coast US time. Ponta Delgada is tomorrow.

[larry_s_taco]

I just found your posts. Sorry for being so late. Thanks for posting. We are considering a trip on the Oosterdam in 2025. We are really looking forward to all of you thoughts. 

Edited April 11 by larry_s_taco
Added info

[FLCruiser97]

20 hours ago, mawvkysc said:

How  late is the Crows Nest Bar open and what is the atmosphere there at night?  It doesn’t seem like any activities are planned there at night 

I believe that the Crow's Nest is hosting a "Pub Crawl" on Orange Party Night and I think (can't remember) but a sake tasting also.

[Ready2go11]

On the night of the Orange Party (April 13th, sea day after Ponta Delgado) they are having a pub crawl ($25 per person) that starts in the Crows Nest.  It starts at either 8:30 or 9pm and travels across 4 bars with a different cocktail at each venue.  It also promises games and fun.  We signed up after a bartender told us about it and we are looking forward.

[Ready2go11]

We have two more time changes coming; the early morning of each of our last two port days (April 13th and 14th).  That will get us on Spain time for the remainder of the trip and heavy port schedule.

[Ready2go11]

Random thoughts:

- Some MDR dinner menus have included chilled fruit soups as appetizers.  Big fan as I enjoyed those in trips years ago.

- Lex, a bartender who works days at the Lido bar is the milkshake man.  He makes then for orders and has been giving us the leftovers in the blender by making new twists.  We have had cookies and cream, banana and a particular favorite Tiramisu.  We like trying the small glasses of things rather than drinking a full milkshake.

- There is a lot of maintenance going on around the ship.  They have been replacing the carpet treads on the stairs, varnishing bannisters, etc. 

- I mentioned before about the delicious bread baking smells in our cabin on deck 7 aft.  It has been every night around 11pm and sometimes during the day too.  I would book this cabin again just for these smells!

- We sent out laundry on Day 3 Monday morning and received it back the same evening.  We sent the next bag out on Wednesday morning and received it back the next day.

Edited April 11 by Ready2go11

[Ready2go11]

After losing another hour, we forced ourselves to get up and out the door because I did not want to miss another coffee talk at 9am since today was the last one.  I find them so informative to hear about all the things passengers like me take for granted in our cruise experience.  Today was the Chief Engineer as a guest for Karlijn (I realized last night I had been spelling her name incorrectly with a "C").  The talk started with a short video walkthrough of Deck A where the engine rooms are.

 

Things I learned or relearned:

- the Chief Engineer (CO) for the Oosterdam works three months on and three months off.  He has the reverse schedule with another CO.  He lives in England and has two children, ages 11 and 18.  He admitted he is only a part time parent since he is gone half the year.  Very hard on his wife and children.

- The drydocks happen about every 2 1/2 years, usually lasting two weeks.  The Oosterdam is next scheduled for drydock in April 2025.

- COs are usually on the same ship for 3 years at a time.  This one has been on the Oosterdam for five years and loves this ship.  Could be the pandemic interruption is why he has been allowed to stay longer.

- all water is made on board.

- The CO was on the Oosterdam when the pandemic hit and de described all the places they went.  He said they ended up with about 100 crew left on board.  The hardest was thinking they would be able to go home the next day or week and then it wouldn't happen.  

- he said when he started at HAL (on the old New Statendam) they were adding a ship every year or two; now the next one is not expected for a few years.

- The CO's department has over 70 crew members, including electricians, plumbers, engineers, carpenters and even a locksmith.  They cover everything from broken coffee makers to failed engines. 

- In response to a guest question, he acknowledged that there are issues to the ship's mechanicals when seas are rough, including knocking elevators out of order. 

- The ship was loaded in FLL with enough fuel to last for three weeks at normal speed.

- Each engine uses about 30 tons of fuel per day and each ton costs about $500.  We have ben using 3-4 engines each day at an average speed around 18 knots. 

- Each of the engineering crew work about 6 hours on active duty monitoring systems and the alarms (Karlijn noted there are 5,000 different alarms). They work an additional 4 hours each day on maintenance items.  Therefore, there are three active duty shifts.   

[Sea42]

1 hour ago, Ready2go11 said:

After losing another hour, we forced ourselves to get up and out the door because I did not want to miss another coffee talk at 9am since today was the last one.  I find them so informative to hear about all the things passengers like me take for granted in our cruise experience. 

I enjoy these too. Hearing about the different areas of the ship and the responsibilities that come with working in those departments is very interesting.

[Ready2go11]

Balcony cabin photos

table tat does adjust up and down

blankets included, so much better than old scratchy blue check blankets

included standard robes

curtain that separates the main bedroom area from the closets and bathroom.  Works well to have room to dress outside of small bathroom, especially for sister or friend travelers. 

bathroom overhead night light that is always on.

bathtub and shower combo

 

 

this is a great feature- built in medicine cabinet for extra storage

closets- one with some shelves and safe, one full length and one that has adjustable shelving, 

balcony

 

mini fridge, and vanity area.

 

There is a floor motion activated night light in the closet area as well.

 

This older ship only has one USB charger by each bed.  That does not help with newer equipment and we have to plug everything in above at the vanity.  There are three outlets in this area.

Edited April 11 by Ready2go11

[Ready2go11]

 

We have been regularly sharing feedback on the great service provided by some of the crew.  This feedback is shared with them as they will thank us the next time they see us.  We know they also get a little extra time off when they are mentioned in a positive review onboard.

 

I had booked the Morimoto pop up and Canaletto Cellar Master dinner before embarkation to have a greater choice of times or to make sure we got a reservation.  On Sunday I went to the Service Desk to ask that they prepaid portion be refunded as I wanted to use the generous on board credit I had for these dinners.  The manager on duty said she did not think they could do that but would check.  She had asked for our room number but wrote nothing down and as we walked away we got the sense nothing was going to happen.  Turns out that was correct, 

When we checked again on Tuesday night, there was no record of  the request.  We know this is possible as we and other CC posters have repeatedly done it.   We had a different representative who asked us to wait a few minutes while he entered the request into the system for the finance department to take care of. He was courteous and friendly.  Less than 24 hours later I noticed the credit to my onboard account as a refundable credit for the dinner charges.  Even better, the customer service rep called our room to let us know it had been done.  That prompted a Navigator compliment for that rep, and a separate posting for the supposed manager who did nothing with our request.  I rarely share negative info on a crew member on the app feedback option because most are trying hard (like our dining room waiters) even if the results are not what we might hope.  This was an exception and although I did not request a call back when I entered the feedback, we did receive a call in our room asking if they could help take care of the problem.  We shared it had been taken care of by someone else, so I did appreciate the follow up.

 

We enjoyed a Pinnacle lunch (last time they will be open) today.  Starters were carpaccio and tomato salad, with Cioppino and carb cakes as an entrée.  We both enjoyed a light lemon sorbet for dessert.  Service again was impeccable, even if the food was a little uneven.  We ordered crab cakes earlier in the cruise and these were good, but not exactly the same as last time.

 

We also attended a cooking demonstration that was supposed to be seafood boil but turned out to be tenderloin with vegetables.  They handed out a recipe that would be very hard to follow (and I consider myself to be an above average cook) and made us wonder if this is the reason there have been inconsistencies from ship to ship and even at different times on the same ship.  The recipe even included a 5 lb tub of bearnaise sauce of which you were to use 75 grams.

 

We watched a movie in the afternoon and attended a port talk about Ponta Delgado hosted by C&TD Karlijn.  It was at 5pm (odd since many left early to go to early fixed dining) but informative and there was a few minutes left for guest questions.  We were surprised there is no immigration check at this stop, even though it is our first official stop in the European Union.  The ship will dock in the 7 o’clock hour and we should be able to exit around 8am, with an all aboard at 4:30.  The weather forecast is for temps in the 60s with light winds and partly sunny skies.  We are hopeful we will be able to dock after missing this stop on the Rotterdam TA last October.

 

The unhappy news of the day was the need for a medical evacuation.  First the Captain came on the speaker announcing there was an urgent medical situation, asking everyone to stay off the open decks when the helicopter was to arrive around 7:30.  It came while we were at dinner as we could see it flying towards us while at dinner.  Many people were on the promenade deck watching and taking video and photos of the evacuation.  Everyone said a prayer and offered well wishes to the guest evacuated and their family.  It had to be serious to need the evacuation only 12 hours from when we would have docked in the Azores, although their medical facilities may not have been sufficient anyway.

 

Tonight was our second dressy night and beef and duck were on offer.  I actually had the tomato and zucchini tart as I wanted something that wasn’t meat.  It came with quinoa and butternut squash and I really enjoyed it,  On the after dinner drink menu, there was an option for a drink called carjillo.  We googled it and found it to be a coffee drink with liquor.  We ordered two with dessert.  What they brought out was an iced, lemon lime drink that tasted like a sweet tart.  We confirmed with the server what she was handing us, so somewhere along the way, the drink order was muddled or the bar staff did not know what the actual drink on the menu was.

 

On the way back to our room after a post-dinner walk, we stopped at the Billboard bar for a water,  I noticed a bottle on the shelf that looked like Buffalo Trace but not exactly the same.  It was in fact the HAL special Buffalo Trace.  I quickly ordered a shot as the bar was almost empty.  Very excited to try it, I found it smelled like vanilla, but was spicy and strong.  If they happen to have any left tomorrow, I may order that along with a regular Buffalo Trace to see if I can detect differences.

[Ready2go11]

4.11 dinner menu page 1

4.11 dinner menu page 2

venue and other hours

 

Pinnacle tomato salad for lunch

4.11 dining room lunch menu

Pinnacle lunch cioppino 

Edited April 11 by Ready2go11

[arizonaperson]

Have friends onboard and heard there was a passenger evacuated by helicopter in the middle of the sea,last night or yesterday.

[sunviking90]

Thank you for doing this trip report. We are booked on Oosterdam’s return voyage at the end of October, so we are eagerly following along. I’m glad to hear the Step One Dance Company is aboard. 

[Pia1913]

8 hours ago, arizonaperson said:

Have friends onboard and heard there was a passenger evacuated by helicopter in the middle of the sea,last night or yesterday.

It was last night about 7:30 PM. We were on our balcony helicopter right overhead.

[Wehwalt]

Regarding the power, while having no outlet and only one USB port by the bed is a bit inconvenient, especially given our recent memories of the Zuiderdam, the number of outlets on the vanity is more than sufficient because we utilize one of the European outlet for my laptop with an adapter, and the other 220V outlet is occupied by the power converter we brought for use in Europe.

 

We had an excellent view of the helicopters departure from our balcony.

Edited April 12 by Wehwalt