Don't know how it happened, but here we are on the last sea day of the trip…..Friday. It was obviously to us that it was time to pack the luggage, since we had the two rubber mats on the end of the bed when we came back to the room after breakfast. Hint, hint? The good thing is that we had packed light, and it would be easy to get the job done. And having taken advantage of the Port Valet Service, we do not have to worry about the exact weight. We were told that it would not matter if we were a pound or so over the 50# limit with the airlines. And even though we purchased some clothing, both pieces were still well under 50# limit.
At 11am, we had been invited to a Mariner Recognition Event held on one side of the Ocean Bar. This was for the medal awardees who had achieved their next level. About 10 guests got either silver or gold medallions, which had been delivered to their staterooms prior to this event. They had their photos taken with Captain Baijens and Mark Pells, the Hotel General Manager. Finally, we were invited to come up for a photo in appreciation of our loyalty as President's Club members. Even though it was a short and sweet ceremony with a small audience of high numbered Mariners, we appreciate the recognition. And the photo which arrived to our room by 3pm.
The ship must have run out of the commemorative Delft tiles, because we got a message saying that they will be shipped to our home sometime in the future. This is our first voyage on this particular ship, so we are glad they will be mailed. And it is not the first time this occurred. They had to mail tiles a few years ago as well.
Before the ceremony started, we had the chance to chat with Joanne, the Guest Relations Manager. We had some questions about the Covid procedures. She told us that on this size of a ship, they are required to hold 60 staterooms back in case several guests test positive or actually are sick with the virus. In addition, there are 68 guests going on the following repositioning cruise through the Panama Canal to Ft. Lauderdale. They had to be tested yesterday to be able to continue on the next 21 day cruise. Hoping that this will be the method of operation when we join the Nieuw Statendam in December, Joanne said she would get that exact info from HAL. If the answer did not arrive before they closed for the weekend, she will email it to us. We have to say, Joanne has gone the long mile to make sure our trip was perfect. She succeeded.
We decided to take a walk to see the part of the ship we had not seen yet. So we took a ride up the elevator to the Crow's Nest, which did not resemble the same area we know on the now sold or leased Amsterdam. Instead of a bar, there is the Explorations Café, along with the shore excursion desk, a sitting area, a tiny library, and a game corner. No music or dancing up here in the evenings anymore.
The Mainstage is another place we never saw. With show time for us late diners being at 7pm, we managed to miss every performance. Oh well, we are certain to see these shows on another ship in the future. The Music Walk and Casino were also spots we missed. Popular venues for many, we never did seek out this entertainment.
The Dufry Shop is one place we needed to do some shopping. It sure was busy today, since it was the last chance to part with your money. We had fun doing just that, except it was shipboard credit….even better. What we did not spend, we got back in cash at the front desk. The amount could have been credited back to our credit card on file as well. And while we were there, they printed our final statement for us. No invoices are given at the end of the cruise anymore. You do have the option to check out your account on the interactive TV in your room. And while we are on the subject of the TV, the ones they have on these newer vessels are wonderful. Compared to the old and sad TV's on the Amsterdam, these big flat screens have so many more options for viewing, you never need to repeat anything.
Time for lunch, we went to the Lido for salads and a made to order pizza. We really like the pizza here, because the crust is thin, and cooked crispy on the bottom. At this time of day, only the salad, sandwich, and dessert stations are open. But there are no lines anywhere. The waiters still serve beverages too.
There was a bottle of Veuve Cliquot waiting for us to drink in our room, so that is what we did. Usually we do not drink wine, but this is a nice champagne, not a sparkling wine. A very nice gift.
Dinner for us was in the Pinnacle Grill, which was fairly busy for the last night. We were seated at "our" table by the window, and served by an excellent waiter. We tend to stick to what we know best, and that was a Caesar and wedge salad. The clothesline bacon goes perfectly when cut up and used as a salad topping. Entrees were the 7 ounce filet mignons with a side of French fries. The plates are heated, so your food stays warm until you are done. Saving a bit of room, we added desserts of a chocolate soufflé and one Almost Baked Alaska. Before we left, several of the staff stopped by our table to bid us farewell. Many of them had remembered us from the Amsterdam. We cannot say enough nice things about the service and food in this venue. Highly recommended.
Back in our room, we added the last of the stuff to our luggage, then rolled it outside the door for pick up between 9pm and midnight. We must add here that these rooms are so insulated, we never heard any noise from surrounding cabins or even the hallway. Nor did we hear the luggage hitting the walls as they were gathered. With using the Port Valet, we will not see our luggage until we reach the San Francisco airport. Hopefully……
We will follow up with our final comments after we get home. It has been a pleasure sharing our adventures with you all!
Bill & Mary Ann
Sunday, October 3, 2021
Report # 9 Day at Sea October 1, 2021 Friday Overcast and 55 degrees
