Final Report on the Eurodam Cruise - Alaska and Hawaii 2017

We finally arrived with our comments on what we noticed by sailing on a larger Holland America cruise ship……the Eurodam.  As many of you know, we sail mostly on the Amsterdam, and ships in the same R-class.  Some aspects we liked, while others we did not so much.

 

One of the first things we noticed was the deck where the offices of the staff were located (deck one).  Never once did we see anyone in those offices such as the food and beverage, bar, housekeeping, hotel director, or purser managers.  Even though the doors were opened, curtains were drawn to block any view of occupancy.  Totally uninviting to guests.  The front desk area was in a dark corner with little space to form a line.  On the positive side, there were areas close by where guests could sit on couches or even at a mini bar (seldom staffed). 

 

Also in this area was the future cruise consultant.  We found that her hours were so limited, that when she was there, a group of people would gather to speak with her.  Because there was no organized way to line up, we witnessed some "almost" fights with passengers who argued who was next.  Taking a number or making an appointment may have helped here.  As for us, we had several important questions regarding some future bookings we had done with her.  But there was no way we could fight to get into the lines every day.  To give her credit, she did leave her desk in between clients to answer some promised questions we had.

 

One of the main aspects of cruising has to be the dining room.  As pretty as it is, the dining room has many flaws in the layout.  It was not created for the best flow of diners going in and out.  The problem is that the waiter stations are too close to the tables.  And the tables seemed to be very close, leaving little room to navigate.  Many times we saw waiters running ten entrees to the back of the room, only to have to move aside for people to get in or out. 

 

And of course, we wrote volumes about the breakfast service going crazy.  The crush of people at the 8am opening was never resolved during the entire Hawaii cruise of 17 days.  It became a free-for-all, where you seated yourself and hoped to have a waiter.  The dining room manager had a dilemma when 28 walker or wheelchair folks showed up all at once.  Parking and seating became a problem for him and the headwaiters.  He promised it was going back to normal when this cruise ended. 

 

This next comment deals with a problem with the Medallion Medal ceremony continues.  The complaints regarding who gets chosen to attend the small gathering was impossible not to hear while waiting in the front desk line.  In the "old days", everyone was invited to these ceremonies, usually held in the main show lounge.  Now the invites are limited to a few members, which we cannot figure out who or why.  No matter how they do this, someone will be insulted.  And they were….to the point that they said take us off the list….we will not attend if our friends are not included.  HAL needs to re-think this process, or do away with the whole thing.  In our humble opinion, that day is coming.

 

On the plus side, there are many more choices of evening entertainment.  On the Amsterdam, we have a few bands, the strings, a movie, or the show in the big lounge.  Here, we had three music venues with three time slots each (most days).  Dancing was in the BB Kings Room or the smaller Ocean Bar.  Showtime after dinner was the same, as was the movie times, but in a smaller theater on the Eurodam.

 

We really enjoyed the added Tamarind Restaurant.  Such a different venue from the dining room, Lido, or the Pinnacle Grill or Canaletto.  The staff was beyond excellent there.  Le Cirque was gone, but Sel de Mer took its place.

 

Once disappointment had to be the down-sizing of the library, which is in the Crow's Nest here.  Not attended by a librarian anymore, the variety of books was extremely limited.  There was a swap-a-book section, but there was never a book there to take.

 

It was surprising to see screens in some of the public hallways where you could book shore excursions without waiting at the desk.  By the way, this desk is in a narrow hallway, with no place to line up.  As on all of the ships now, we think shore excursions can also be booked by using the Navigator site on your cellphone.  Bottom line, they make it quite easy to spend money, even when that desk is closed.

 

In all of the ports we visited, we noticed that there were two gangways.  For most of the busy times, you could get off of the ship at either place.  So with the larger amount of passengers on the Eurodam, we never did see a problem getting on or off.  The same applies to tendering.  It went smoothly with two boats loading at the same time.

 

Lastly, the staterooms are sized differently on the Eurodam compared to the R-class ships.  Our outside room for the world cruise has more closet and drawer space….suitable for much longer voyages.  The two drawers under the bed were larger than the ones on the Amsterdam, but they are the only drawers we had in the veranda room.  The desk was noticeably smaller, but did have several plugs and connections for phones or computers.  In addition, there were nightstand connections for phones and devices.  No plugs though.  The bathroom was smaller, with a very small three-tier glass shelf over the counter.  There was a shelf under the sink too.  The tub was not angled in the back, so getting out was a challenge. The Amsterdam's tubs are more people-friendly.

 

The best part of the room had to be the interactive flat screen TV across from the foot of the bed.  Big enough to really see, we appreciated being able to get a variety of shows, movies, TV series, as well as the menus, weather, and ship news.  We would SO like this on the Amsterdam.

 

All in all, the Eurodam was nice, well-maintained, but did not have that "home" feeling for us.  Guess we just like the smaller ships better, even if they are older.  For shorter cruises, these larger ships are fine.  And yes, we hope to be back next year on the Eurodam, since she is doing the areas we like during the fall time.  Hope the weather is better, so we can try out the pool area next time.

 

Thanks for joining us once again.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

Report # 25 Going home October 17, 2017 Tuesday Rain & 59 degrees 5 Pictures

The Eurodam arrived very early this morning to the port of Vancouver, British Columbia.  We would guess around 5am or earlier.  Although it was still dark, we could see that it had continued to rain.  At least, after dinner, it was not as rough and it was smoother sailing.

 

Trying to get to sleep was another matter.  Probably due to the anticipation of tomorrow's travel, and knowing we would have to get up early, sleep evaded at least one of us.  For the second night in a row too.  One word of caution, watch that green tea they serve in the Tamarind.  It may contain much more caffeine than you would suspect.  And diet soda can also be a problem.  You never consider that when ordering a Cuba Libra (rum and coke) as a before dinner drink.

 

And why would the people next door to us decide to put their luggage out in the hall at midnight?  We suspect that someone had been ill next door, either due to a cold or sea sickness.  The noise of coughing drifted through the bathroom exhaust fan, so you couldn't help but hear it during the daytime.  More so at night.  But last night, one of us woke up with a start when the drawers began to bang, and hangars clinked in the closets.  The last that was heard was the cabin door slamming quite hard.  We can only hope they were feeling better and had tied one on in one of the bars or lounges.  Other than that, we see no excuse for being inconsiderate of the neighbors.  Doesn't take much to keep those cabin or veranda doors from slamming.

 

With that thought in mind, we noticed this morning at breakfast, that some folks were pretty crabby.  This is something that always happens at the end of a trip.  A sort of depression takes over, realizing that the pampering will soon end, and reality sets in.  Best to ignore it, and enjoy our final breakfast onboard.  We were at the door of the dining room by 6am, first in line.  Expecting a much longer line, we were surprised that there were only 10 of us.  What service we had.  Every waiter on our way to the back window tables said good morning.  They seemed happy, since most all of the 2000 plus guests will be going home today.  We found out that a total of 17 passengers will remain onboard for the next segment to San Diego or even Ft. Lauderdale.  Today, 600 guests will join the ship for four days to San Francisco.  Now why couldn't we have stayed onboard until SF?  Especially when they are selling that 4 day cruise?  Bottom line, they blame the Jones Act. 

 

After breakfast, we went down to deck one and sat in our usual spots at the little bar near the front desk to do the last of our emails.  While we were there, Jorn, the Food and Beverage Manager, stopped by to say goodbye.  He added more info about the rules of the Jones Act, and said that the foreign crew members that were going home either today or in SF, had to have a direct flight out of the USA to a foreign city.  Go figure……

 

The time for us to leave the ship was 8am.  Even though we had a colored ticket, we are allowed off at any time we wish.  It is a perk of being in the President's Club.  Now this is when you see how crabby some folks can be.  Most all, if not all of the expedited guests had left ship, so we ended up in the line behind them.  Another man yelled at us that no colored tags had been announced, and we could not be allowed to get off.  Not saying a word to him, we showed our cards, and the head of security gave the go-ahead to the "guard" at the kiosk.  Saying it was OK, he informed him that we were special, and yes, we did have priority.  Would have loved to see the man who announced loudly to all around him that we would not be allowed off.  And within a few minutes, our color yellow one was summoned to debark.  Big deal.

 

Directions were given along the way by many HAL reps.  That was most helpful.  The first stop was in the luggage pick-up area, where we found that our luggage had not arrived yet.  Most of the colors were there, but not all of them.  The one nice thing is that luggage carts were available to take your stuff to the waiting buses. And they were free. 

 

Once loaded up, we headed for the bus, but not before passing off the Canadian customs form to the agent.  They barely even looked at the form.  We joined a waiting bus that already was about full for the ride to the airport.  It was raining hard all the way to the airport, but we could see just about every coffee shop that was opened were full of customers.  It was a real treat to see the trees in full fall color, especially the maples….outstanding.

 

By the time we arrived at the airport, the clouds broke up, and the rain stopped.  We could already see blue skies, and the rest of the day looked promising.  Turned out we were in for more surprises.

 

It has been several years since we flew in or out of Vancouver, so it was pleasant to see the new improvements at the International Terminal.  One of the best things they have here are free luggage trolleys, right there where the bus dropped us off.  Loaded up, we went to United's check-in kiosks, and confirmed the flight to SF, printed the luggage tags and boarding passes.  This time we did not get the TSA approved security check.  But then, this was international, and we did not even see a separate line for any speedy security check.  So it was shoes and jackets off, and the normal computers out, and pockets empty.  We passed.

 

Then we had to go to more kiosks where we filled out our US Customs and Immigrations info.  No paper forms to fill out, this type of checkpoint was totally by computer.  It scanned our passports, asked the usual questions, and even took our photos.  Once done, we proceeded to see an agent, who asked why we pushed the button to declare what we had purchased out of the country.  Not exceeding the limit of $800 each, we did not need to declare anything.  The way it was presented confused us, and the agent laughed and said have a nice day……passed.

 

We should have had a two hour wait for the flight, but it turned out most all flights to SFO had been delayed.  Assuming it was from the smoke from the horrible fires in Northern California, it was uncertain when or if we would be able to get home.  Since we had complimentary wi-fi, it was easy to go to the website and research it ourselves.  The connection was off and on, but stayed on long enough to find out that construction on some runways in SFO was the actual culprit.  As we watched the time advancing on the screen for our flight, many folks were panicking.  Lots of them had connecting flights to elsewhere in the US, and would for sure miss their connections.  A long line formed at the desk, as people demanded to be re-routed a different way.  One couple from Boston was visibly upset, but the agents did find them an alternate route.  Good to see something happening to cool them down, as everyone was uncomfortable with the situation.  We had no connecting flight, so if we got back later than expected, it was not the end of the world. 

 

Then when we had decided to chill out and relax, they were up and running again, and said there was a window for some flights to take off, and we would begin seating shortly.  So as it turned out, we were delayed only an hour or more.  Not as bad as everyone thought, although some folks were cutting it close to missing other connecting flights.

 

It was an uneventful flight with one serving of Bits and Bites  Meli Melo snacks with our choice of water, juice, or sodas.  The fancy name was really Chex mix with a French-Canadian name.  The flight was under 2 hours, and we were landing by 4pm.  We could spot the smoke from miles away, and were told that it had been much worse.  We cannot begin to imagine the severity of so many people losing their homes and their lives.  And from the reports we were getting, the fires were far from being put out.  So sad.

 

All four pieces of luggage came down the carousel, and we made our call via the courtesy phones for our driver to pick us up.  We followed the doggie prints that brought us to the #4 relief stop for dogs. It doubles as a pick-up for shuttles as well.  By then it was nearing 5pm, and the worst time for commuting anywhere in the Bay Area.  We knew we were in for at least three hours of traffic. 

 

It was dark by the time we pulled in the driveway at 7:30pm.  The road detour was still operating, as we expected, but it was sure good to be home, as it always is.  Not so much work to do this time, because we were only gone a little over 3 weeks.  We were simply grateful to have a intact home to go to.

 

We will follow up with some more comments on the differences with the two ships as we see it.  But that may be in a few days.

 

Thanks for tagging along…..

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

Sunrise in Vancouver

 

Docked at the port in Vancouver

 

A rainy, dark morning

 

A praying mantis at our house

 

A large critter

 

 

 

 

Report # 24 Day at Sea October 16, 2017 Monday Partly cloudy & 57 degrees

Partly cloudy was the way the day began, but that changed to totally rain by late afternoon.  Not predicted, this system advanced quickly, giving us some rough seas.  Enough so that the Captain announced his disappointment, along with a warning to be careful walking about the ship.  At his PM talk, he mentioned that once we got closer to shore, we may be lucky enough to spot whales spouting.  Chances of that were dashed when the rain hit.  He suspected that this storm would remain with us through the evening.

 

We noticed that our room stewardess was nowhere in sight this morning.  Normally, she is close by, watching and listening for the stateroom doors to open and close.  That way, she and her assistant can get inside and tidy up when you're gone to breakfast.  We did ask Moh, our assistant, where she was, and he said in the infirmary.  Never did we have clue she was feeling ill, at least not that bad to go off duty.  So we never had a chance to thank her for her good job.  We did, however, leave her a card at the front desk, doing just that.  They promised that the head housekeeper would see that she got it.  We also handed a card to Moh, who was so pleased, he asked if he could give us a hug.  Now that's a first.  And a good indication that we did not over-load him with extra work.  We always try to keep our place as neat as we can.

 

One thing we miss here is the ability to watch re-runs of the visiting lecturers.  Today's subject of gardens and gardeners would have been  right up our alley.  Later in the day, another good lecture by Mr. Tartaglino was all about Vancouver and its early beginnings by who else, but George Vancouver.  Unless we have missed something, we do not have these talks on our room TV.  We're afraid that this interactive TV has turned us into what some might consider couch potatoes.  But then, it was something to do while packing most of the day.

 

Is packing to go home anyone's favorite activity?  Certainly, it is not ours.  Although our purchases were few, we did buy a small rolled piece of luggage to take some of the overflow.  At least it helped to keep the other three bags lighter.  Actually, we should not complain, because from some Canadian friends we have traveled with, they told us they have to itemize everything in each suitcase.  Not sure if that applies to all cruises, but it sure did on the Grand Voyage.

 

We had made reservations for a 12:30pm lunch in the Pinnacle Grill, but since we slept later this morning, our breakfast was later than usual.  So we cancelled them, and as it turned out, we never did eat a real lunch.  There was still one bottle of sparkling wine left in our refrigerator, so we cracked that open, and enjoyed it after the packing job was completed.  The "champagne" and some Maui onion potato chips would hold us over until dinnertime.  Oh yeah, we had some crunchy Snickers candies left, and that became dessert. 

 

Glad we took our long walk this morning, because the rain began, and never let up.  It sure did not feel like 57 degrees, but not warm enough to spend much time on our veranda. 

 

At 7:30pm, there was a drawing in the shops onboard.  For every $50 spent there, we had been given tickets to fill out.  The prize was a collection of HAL souvenirs and rum cakes.  The problem with that is where are you going to put it all to bring it home?  Although we attended, we did not win.  But then, we were glad we did not.  Wonder if you could pass on their $300 collection and swap it for something smaller……like jewelry for instance?  While waiting for the drawing, we watched the folks milling around, looking at the 75% off items.  Most of them were from the Alaska season.  The one thing we did notice was that the O (Oprah) collection in the corner was empty of shoppers.  For the life of us, we cannot understand what the attraction is to these items.  But then, we are not "name" shoppers, with the exception of Tommy Bahama or Hard Rock Café items.  We feel that you get quality with their line of clothing.

 

For our last time this cruise, we enjoyed a prime rib dinner….every bit as good as it was the last time we ordered it.  Our head waiter, a young fellow from the Netherlands, came over to say goodbye and chat for a while.  He was followed by Luis, the DR Manager, who was checking once again to see how we liked the cruise.  Such a fuss, but it was nice to be able to thank him for the excellent service.

 

Not sure we mentioned it, but had been gifted a bottle of wine by the hotel director and Captain.  Since we passed on the beverages the last two nights, we felt it polite to accept drinks of our choice tonight.  So our wine stewardess ordered what we preferred (no wine), and they were delivered promptly.  Making it doubles, by the way.  She came back offering us another one, or an after dinner drink, but we said no thanks.

 

Around 8:45pm, while we were almost done with our meal, the chefs paraded past us and down the staircases to the lower deck.  They got a huge applause from all that were still there.  This replaces the Baked Alaska Parade they used to have several years ago.  Remember the lights dimming, the music starting, and the sparklers flashing on top of the Baked Alaska dessert?  Oh, the good old days………they are gone forever, but never forgotten.  What you won't see are the napkins spinning overhead, because the new group of passengers probably never saw this before. 

 

There was no Log of the Cruise waiting for us in our room tonight.  These are a thing of the past.  Why, we do not know.  At least we knew what time breakfast would be served tomorrow morning, as it was printed in the log.  Oh, that's right.  It is on your smart phone, or on the TV now.

 

The luggage had to put out in the hallway before midnight, so we made that deadline quite easily.  Tomorrow will be busy, and we will need to be up bright and early to go to breakfast at 6:30am.

 

We intend to follow up with some comments, as we always do.  So stay tuned, and give us a couple of days.  Thanks for coming along on this 24 day journey!

 

Bill & Mary Ann

Report # 23 Day at Sea October 15, 2017 Sunday Partly cloudy & 70 degrees

Not too sure who creates these weather predictions, but someone needs to look out the window.  A better description would be completely cloudy, and nowhere near 70 degrees.  We did notice that the promenade deck lounges were laid out with pads and towels, and there were a couple of guests sitting outside.  A handful of people were doing laps, like us, but disappeared once a lecture and a movie began.  Don't blame them, since it was much warmer inside the ship.

 

Breakfast seemed back to normal, with less guests dining there. Without asking, the head waiters all know we prefer a table for two, especially with a window view.  Despite coming in to the room halfway through the meal time, we never felt rushed by our waiters.  It seems that we always know some waiters, who stop by to take care of us.  Good way to begin the day.

 

We took the time to fill out a couple of Share Your Thoughts cards.  Over the years, we have learned that mentioning crew and staff members that have been good to us is very much appreciated.  We are not certain, but crew members that we have complimented can earn an extra day off while in port.  While on a world cruise, the ship will overnight in some major ports and special buses will be reserved for a crew excursion.  We think this is when the crew members use their "points" to be able to take an all day tour.  So for that reason, we always write specific names to thank each one of them. 

 

The only slightly negative comment we had concerned our inability to have a quick chat with the Onboard Booking Consultant.  Her hours have been limited, and the line of folks waiting to book trips with her unlimited, it seems.  We had intended to pay a visit to the Guest Relations Managers, but Joanne, the consultant, waved one of us over to her desk, 10 minutes before she was opened to begin the line of waiting guests.  Quite obviously, she had gotten the message, and came to us with answers to questions she knew we had.  Every time you make an onboard booking, the details are emailed to you, and there is a follow up confirmation with an old-fashioned paper confirmation left in your mail slot.  Our dilemma was that October is a special sale month with every onboard booking getting some nice extra shipboard credit.  However, it was not that simple, as all of this info has to go through the HAL offices in Seattle.  Unknown to us, that is the info she has been waiting on.  She promised an updated email before we leave the ship on Tuesday, assuring us that all of the proper credit would be attached to the invoices.  We wonder if she has help behind the scenes?  Some of the consultants are couples, who share the job.  Now we know why.

 

While waiting to speak with Joanne, the consultant, we could hear the Park West Lightning Art Auction taking place in the Ocean Bar on deck three.  Some of the bids would curl your hair, so to speak.  We have to admit, we have never understood this obsession with purchasing art in this way.  But of course, this is a trapped audience, and the company capitalizes on this.  We have heard rumors that much more is involved with the art buying, such as hidden fees and taxes, as well as shipping charges.  The only good news is that they advertise that you can return any work purchased for up to 40 days.  Of course, that is if the art arrives to your home before then.  Buyer beware, we've been told from those who know.

 

Lunch was in the dining room at 12:30pm.  By then, the room was beginning to empty, and it was easy to get a nice table at the window.  Small salads, a pasta dish, and a mini-burger was just enough to hold us until dinner at 8pm.  A long walk around the deck followed lunch.

 

Many ads advertised last minute shopping sprees in all of the shops onboard.  The main shop contains all of the items such as clothing, perfumes, jewelry, and watches, among other various sundries.  Until they draw the folks in with a 75% off most things, the shop remained fairly quiet from what we saw.  Bet we see those clearance tables tomorrow, our final day at sea.

 

We did receive a delivery of two more photos, a gift from the last Mariner's medal ceremony a few days ago.  Having a houseful of ship photos over the years, we never purchase them anymore.  Actually, when the photographers offer to take those "gala" photos, we always decline.  So we have to laugh at the gift of four of the 8 x 10 photos, but we only get one tote bag, probably worth 50 cents, between the two of us at the beginning of the cruise.  Surely these pictures are worth far more than the tote bags.

 

The day dissolved as they all seem to do. We thought about packing, but as far as we got was filling out the luggage tags and Canadian customs form. Before we knew it, dinnertime had arrived.  We decided to spend the last chance we had to dine in the Tamarind Restaurant.  We did not realize that not all of the ships have this venue.  Only the Nieuw Amsterdam, Koningsdam, and the Eurodam.  The next one to have one will be the Nieuw Statendam. 

 

Not sure if we mentioned it, but last night at dinner, we got a card From the Captain and Hotel Director that gifted us with a bottle of wine to enjoy with dinner.  As we do not drink wine, we said thanks, but perhaps we would have a cocktail instead.  But maybe tomorrow.  So this evening, the Cellar Master located us in the Tamarind, and offered us that drink with dinner.  Wow, they certainly are taking good care of us.  We said thanks, but tomorrow for sure, we shall have that cocktail. 

 

Our meal was excellent as we expected it would be.  The staff all gathered as we left the room, and wished us a good evening.  Another wow moment.  Perhaps they had gotten the message we turned in at the front desk letting them know how much we appreciated this venue……especially the staff.

 

At 9:30pm, there was a Chocolate Surprise - chocolate treats served throughout deck two.  We might have checked it out, but we were filled to the gills from our special dinner.  The last time we saw this, there was chocolate everywhere.  Could be due to the fact we were in a very hot and humid area of the world, and the chocolate had melted.

 

The entertainment this evening was performed by the singers and dancers of the Eurodam.  The title of their act was 1000 Steps. We did see this show on the Alaska cruise, so we thought it wise to head back to our room and call it a night.

 

The bad news is that the clocks went forward one hour, putting us on Pacific Standard Time.  Tomorrow we will deal with packing, which should be OK since we did buy another rolled piece of luggage, which was sold on the ship.  The last time we did this, the bag we bought had metal wheels.  They were already tweaked by the time we arrived to the airport.  This bag has inline wheels, so we will see how well they hold up.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

 

Report # 22 Day at Sea October 14, 2017 Saturday Partly cloudy & 68 degrees

By mid-day, the Eurodam was about at the halfway mark towards Vancouver Canada since leaving the island of Kauai.  Hard to believe that the weather can change in that short amount of time.   But it has become much cooler, and more cloudy.  On every horizon, we could see rain showers, although, we never had any showers hit us.  Perhaps if the middle dome over the Lido Pool remained closed, the folks may get at least one more day of swimming and lounging about.  Then it will be back to a crisp fall in North America.

 

For some reason, we never made it to any of the pools, since when it got really warm, we were in port.  Normally, we would have been spending a lot of time in the sun, while catching up on reading books.  Really books….paperbacks or hard covers.  Many people we have spoken to are not happy to see the libraries on the ships dwindling.  As we have stated, there are no librarians anymore, so the books are slowly being removed.  What we found here were mostly research books that cannot be removed from the room.  We think it has been assumed that a lot of people are reading books online, downloaded into personal devices.  Even though we do own a Kindle with a few books on it, we find it is difficult to see while outside in the sun.  Can't win.  Except for being able to ship some books ahead on the Grand Voyages.  That works well. 

 

Lectures continued today, the new test kitchen had a session, and the Captain gave a virtual tour of the bridge and engine room in the Mainstage.  As for us, we did our usual couple of miles totally alone on the promenade deck.  Absolutely no one was outside.  It was no- where near as windy as yesterday, but it had cooled down significantly.  We suspect that the money-making activities onboard love these kind of days.  People will stay inside the ship, and spend money at the art auctions, shopping, or gambling.

 

On this style of ship, you have to go out of your way to find the casino.  On the Amsterdam, you have to walk through it or the adjacent Sports Bar to get from the dining room to the Ocean Bar.  The casino here is off of the beaten path, so we have only gone through it maybe three times.  Maybe because of its size, we feel almost disconnected from these venues.  This ship has more of a hotel feel about it, than the smaller ships.  The connecting hallways are more like a maze without windows, especially near the front end of the ship.

 

Since there was another Mariner Lunch, the dining room was closed this afternoon.  We thought it might be easy to get lunch in the Pinnacle Grill, but upon calling for reservations, we were informed that it was fully booked, as were the next two days.  Makes sense, since there are only three days left.  Monday was open, so we booked a 12:30pm lunch then.  Within 5 minutes, our phone was ringing, and we were surprised to find that if we came at noon, a table would be found for us.  Really?  A change of heart or sudden cancellations?  In fact, she said we could come at noon on both days, and we would be seated.  Guess being in President's Club does work for something, even though we never mentioned it.

 

Most of the afternoon, we stayed inside and watched more episodes of the popular Downton Abbey.  We are determined to follow this series through to the end.  We haven't even watched more than two movies that were available on the interactive TV. And there were scores of them.  Gosh this would be great on a grand voyage.  Hint, hint.

 

At 5pm, we did go to the Ocean Bar, much like we usually do on the Amsterdam.  A band plays there from 5 to 8pm, which is nice.  Except for the Lincoln Stage Center and the string music, the other music venues don't begin until after dinnertime.  At least something is going on, and there is no dead time.  It is working, since most all of the seats are taken in and around the Ocean Bar. 

 

Back at our table in the dining room, we enjoyed entrees of carne asada and roasted chicken.  Both were cooked perfectly, and served piping hot.  Another favorite, split pea soup, was on the menu.  We could make a meal out of that alone.

 

While we finished the meal with a little bit of ice cream, a very lovely couple from British Columbia stopped by to introduce themselves.  They were not only avid readers of Cruise Critic, but also friends of our tablemates, Maureen and Jim, from Vancouver, who we had the pleasure of being tablemates on this year's world cruise.  They said they finally recognized us at the Mariner's awards gathering, and decided to hunt us down today.  That's one of the downsides of such a larger ship, you seldom cross paths with people you know.  Sometimes, you can go an entire trip without meeting folks again.

 

It was still too early to go to the Mainstage show.  This evening there was a medal-winning illusionist, James Cielen.  Appears he uses a small dog in his act, which explains why the "doggie" grass is still in a corner on the promenade deck.  Maybe tomorrow, we shall make an attempt to see the singers and dancers again.  It will be the final gala evening, and possibly their last performance on this trip.

 

The good thing is that the seas have leveled out, and the winds have died down.  Sure makes for a smoother sailing.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

 

 

 

 

Report # 21 Day at Sea October 13, 2017 Friday Partly cloudy & 72 degrees 7 Pictures

Another day at sea, and we are closer to Vancouver.  But not without a ripple.  Not even close, as during the course of the night, the ship continued to rock and roll.  The best place to be was between the lily white sheets, safely tucked away for the night. 

 

This morning the conditions had not improved.  During his PM talk, the Captain warned that the winds on the outside deck had been exceeding 50 km, so the exit doors were  cordoned off since last night.  And they would remain so during the rest of today.    Come to think of it, we did go under those tapes after dinner last night for a quick walk.  But it was not as windy as it was today.  And it did not stop us this morning or afternoon when we ventured out for some exercise.  There were people outside besides us, but they were crew workers grinding, chipping, and painting the railings.  Nothing besides driving rain stops the work in progress.

 

Trying to keep breakfast minimal is always hard.  But maybe not, as our waiter forget several of the items we had ordered.  Some are undoubtedly better than others.  Or he was anxious to clean up to get ready for the Mariner Lunch today.

 

We need to mention that prior to today, while doing business at the front desk, it was impossible not to hear people complaining about being invited or not being invited to the medal ceremony held at 11:30am.  This has been a touchy subject that we recently read about on Cruise Critic.  For instance, while on a grand voyage, these medal ceremonies were held in the Queen's Lounge, and everyone is invited.  Now the group is limited to a small number of guests, and no matter how they try, they will never get it right for all.  Where is it decided to cut off the number of guests?  On the Alaskan cruise, there were about 56 people in the lounge, while today, there were up to 200 guests.  Truthfully, we feel the day is coming that these medallions will not be awarded anymore.  It is confusing to deal with the Mariner Star Program and the Medallion Program.  They are two different beasts, aren't they?

 

A reception for the Mariner Society was held at 11:30am in the BB King's Blues Club where the medallions are awarded.  We attended one already for the Alaskan cruise.  So the protocol should have been the same, but it was not.  We have not had the pleasure of meeting the captain of the vessel, Captain John Scott.  And although he was standing there chatting with Marco, the HD, no attempt by the Mariner Society rep who led us to our "reserved" seats was made to introduce us.  In our way of thinking, it is just common courtesy to do this.  It only takes a few seconds.  

 

Our reserved seats were not so special, as five of us President's Club members were jammed in a couch area with large chairs in front of us.  Chairs so close, we had to turn sideways to get around them.  Even though a few bar waiters passed by us, drinks were never offered.  One other PC couple we know, had to get up and visit the bar to get their own beverages.  We did not bother, thinking someone would come along soon. Didn't happen.  Our other PC friend offered us some of the nuts in her jar, but we declined.  On the Alaska cruise, we had custom drinks from the bar, and special canapies offered.  Why not now?  The only conclusion we could come up with is that the staff on this ship is not used to dealing with this level of Mariners.

 

After a small number of medals were handed out, we were called up to have our photo taken with the Captain and Hotel Director.  At least this was the same as the last time.

 

We had not intended to go to lunch, but Mega said they had reserved tables for us, and they were waiting to seat all of us, at different tables.  Both dining rooms were being used, as it appears that everyone was invited this time.  In fact, we heard that there will be another ceremony and lunch tomorrow.  So we ended up attending, and did get seated at a table for two next to where the Captain, Hotel Director, and the Cruise Director were giving the champagne toast.  It was short and sweet, and an opportunity to introduce the crew member of the month.

 

The menu was a nice one with starters of a shrimp, mango, and cherry tomato salad or cream of chicken and artichoke soup.  A choice between a ginger soy glazed beef tenderloin, eggplant curry, or macadamia nut crusted ono were the mains.  Finally, dessert was a coconut mousse tart.

 

Before we left the room, we had a chance to visit with the other Pres Club couple.  They agreed with us about the change in this awards ceremony, saying they were disappointed.  Wonder if they will pass this message along to anyone?  We felt we needed to speak up.

 

Recently, while reading Cruise Critic, we can upon a thread concerning changes with HAL.  A wise person wrote something to the effect that if you settle for mediocrity, then that is what you can expect.  Hopefully, we are not stepping on their toes, but we totally agree with that outlook.  With that in mind, we went back to our room, and wrote a constructive "Share Your Thoughts" card.   Perhaps our comments will help them in how they conduct future Mariner Awards for the President's Club members. 

 

Later this afternoon, we received a call from the Hotel Director, apologizing profusely about their "mistakes".  He freely admitted that they are not accustomed to hosting guests in our category, but they are learning.  With that said, he offered to include us in tomorrow's activities, which would be a repeat of today's.  Thanking him, we declined.  Twice in 24 days was plenty for us. 

 

The remainder of our day was spent relaxing on our veranda until the wind drove us inside.  The breeze was still warm, but when the clouds came over, it was downright cold.  We doubt it will be nice much longer, since we are sailing northeast on a rapid pace.

 

An ad was placed in our mail slot this morning stating that there was a one day sale on their high end watches.  We found that strange, because we just purchased one yesterday and there was no mention of a sale today.  Getting to the bottom of it, we inquired at the front desk if these watches were being sold at a lower price.  After a phone call to the shop, we discovered that there was no "real" sale today, only the same watches at the everyday 15% off price.  It was simply a promotional ad to get people into the shop in hopes of finding a better deal. 

 

Dinner was back in the Tamarind Restaurant tonight.  With the movement of the ship in the rolling seas, it was far more pronounced up on deck 11. So it was not crowded at all, and that worked well for us.  The wait staff were so attentive, making our meal delightful.  You never find better spring rolls or a Thai salad than in this venue.  The wasabi crusted tenderloin is the best beef in the house.  We were happy, but full campers when we left the room by 9:30pm.

 

The show this evening was a comedian by the name of Dan St. Paul.  He has been the opening act for Seinfeld, Natalie Cole, and Ringo Starr among others.  His current show is "What's funny after 50".

 

Then we discovered that we would lose one more hour on the clocks tonight.   We knew it was coming, but always resist doing it. 

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

 

Shrimp, mango,& cherry tomato salad

 

Sparkling wine

 

More sweet treats

 

Creamy tart

 

Macadamia nut sprinkled mousse

 

Clear skies, but rough sailing

 

50 knot winds prevailed

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Report # 20 Day at Sea October 12, 2017 Thursday Sunny & 77 degrees

The first day at sea on our way back towards Vancouver was definitely not a sunny one.   Well, actually it was very early in the morning, but as the day progressed, we would see the temperature drop 10 degrees, clouds drift over, and eventually rain fall.  Not only rain, but lightning, thunder, and rough seas.  The ship was rolling and pitching for most of the afternoon into the evening hours.  Hard to believe we were trying to cool off walking on that lovely warm and humid beach in Kauai just 24 hours ago.   So the balmy Hawaiian days are behind us, and we shall get out the cold weather clothing again.  Or at least until we find our way back to warmer climates next January.

 

Having lost one hour last night, we were slow in getting to the dining room for breakfast this morning.  This probably was the case with many other passengers, because the room was near empty of customers.  Today, we were greeted by a head waiter, and were seated at a table by the back window.   Our food was freshly-cooked and served right away. No waiting.  Just like when we are on the Amsterdam.

 

It was time for some shopping to use up some of that shipboard credit.  One particular line of pearls has always caught our eye – Majorca.  A collection of them were displayed in the shop last night, and it was not hard finding some to take home.  Be a nice token to remind us of our tropical trip this fall.  This afternoon we picked out a watch and more elegant jewelry.  Hope the "gala" nights never go away, or wearing such nice jewelry will be difficult while we are at home.  Anyway, we vowed not to leave any of the credit unspent, and we did a fine job of doing such that.

 

Lunch was in the dining room, the first time they have been opened from noon to 1pm since before we hit the islands five days ago.  Once again, showing up near the end of the service, it was not crowded.  We had a wonderful waiter that had recognized us from previous cruises.  He admitted that he also prefers the smaller ships, like us.  Both of us ordered different entrees, but found the food to be very good….even the mushroom cheeseburger.

 

After lunch, we relaxed on our veranda, until the rain began.  Once it did, it flooded the gutter quickly.  Good time to continue the Downton Abbey series.  There are several seasons with many episodes.  And we are running out of time, with only 4 days left before we are back to Vancouver. 

 

Lectures continued about the Kon-Tiki, and Kona coffee.  Movies shown were My Cousin Rachel and Megan Leavey.  We spotted an unusual behind the scenes ad in the daily newsletter.  A tour of the navigation bridge, engine control room, back stage, main gallery, laundry, and the provisions store was offered for a mere $150 per person.  Funny, we did the very same tour for free a few years ago.  Oh well, we hope they have some takers.

 

We have noticed that the three music venues alternate with one group being off one evening.  Today, the musicians from Lincoln Center Stage are absent, but will return tomorrow.  The billboard onboard and the BB King's Blues have been off once this week as well. It is possible and practical that the Hawaiian team are gone from the ship. 

 

Dinner was good in the dining room.  It was also very quiet, since we were told that lots of guests were reportedly tired from 5 days of ports.  Sea sick might also be the case for a few.  A favorite entrée happens to be the honey-mustard drizzled parmesan crusted chicken breast, and it was on the menu tonight.  One of us had turkey scaloppini, also very tasty.  Frangipani pie proved that some of "Hawaii" is still on the ship.  Luis, the dining room manager, stopped by to chat, as he does every time we dine in there.  You could not help but notice that half of the room was empty this evening at 8pm.  Luis said that was correct, because of the rough seas.  Apparently, many guests were sea sick.  He added on the evening of Nawiliwili, that was just the opposite.  And since we went to the Pinnacle Grill that evening, we did not see the rush of guests showing up at the same time, especially on deck two, to eat dinner at the open seating time.  Luis said it had to be the worst night of his life, because over 1000 folks showed up, demanding to be seated.  We often wondered what they would do if this happened.  He said it was not pretty, and he thanked us for going elsewhere that evening.  In addition, he concluded by saying life for them was so much easier when the seating at dinner was fixed.  He would be happy to see that return, but doubts it ever will.

 

Entertainment this evening was a film from Frozen Planet Live with music to accompany it.  Except it starts at 10pm, and it was only 9pm.  One of these nights we will see this performance.

 

On another note, we searched through our stack of saved info, and still could not locate any itinerary of either cruise – Alaska or Hawaii.  We do remember when the port info booklet had more real info.  Now, these booklets come without a cover that shows the Captain's biography and the entertainers that we would see during this cruise.  Usually on the grand voyage, every segment is printed on the first daily newsletter.  And it certainly helped to have the Log of the Cruise handed out at each segment.  We have heard rumors that these have been eliminated.  We did not get one after the Alaskan trip. 

 

Then today, we got a notice that let us all know that there will be no tiles given out at the Mariner's Celebration tomorrow,  The boxes of these tiles are reportedly delayed.  Now, they are promising to send the tiles to our home addresses.  They are scheduled to arrive at our homes by late-October.  We shall see…….

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

 

  

Report #19 Nawiliwili, Kauai October 11, 2017 Wednesday Sailaway Partly cloudy & 85 degrees Part #3 Of 3 49 Pictures

Sailing away photos…..

This vessel is special, but we forget why

Local tug getting ready to assist

Leaving the bay

Pier and terminal

Green hills

Sharp peaks

Ending around the breakwater

Very few boats in the bay

US Coast Guard

Lighthouse on the tip

Pilot boat followed us

Homes with a view

Buried in the jungle growth

Quiet bay once we leave

One of hundreds of helicopter flights

Many palms

Nawiliwili Small Craft Harbor

Sheltered bay

Pleasure boats

Striking lighthouse

Leaving Kauai

A resort on the hillside

Recall that a golf course was up here

Pilot

Building where we were docked

Breakwater

Heading out to sea

More surf out here

No swimming

US Coast Guard

Industrial part of Nawiliwili

Such a contrast from modern Honolulu

The last island of our visit

Must get a lot of rain here

Pretty settings

Steep peaks

Clouded up quickly

Pilot's job is done

And away he goes

Last land we shall see for days

The "green" isle

Finally, sighted a bird

There were four of them

Flying close to the water

A fishing vessel

A orange footed booby

Gone fishing

So few birds here

Circling the ship