Our Nieuw Amsterdam Adventure April 3 to 30th

[sapper1]

We arrived home on Tuesday evening from our 27 day cruise on the Nieuw Amsterdam and are still exhausted, but have wonderful memories of our great adventure. I made some notes as we went along so I will try to put them into some sort of coherent order.
We flew down to Fort Lauderdale from Saint John three days early, which turned out to be great foresight as the day after we left, the province was struck by a heavy snowfall and all the airports were shut down. We were quite late getting into Fort Lauderdale as the plane we were due to board in Toronto was found to have mechanical issues just before we boarded. I was watching out the window as the ground crew started to remove the luggage from the plane and immediately felt that it was not a good sign. The announcement followed shortly and we had to wait a few hours until a new plane was readied.
The aviation gods were still not through with us as there were severe thunderstorms over Florida so the pilot had to fly way out over the Gulf of Mexico to avoid them and we wound up with a much longer flight than if we had headed straight for Fort Lauderdale. It was around midnight when we arrived at our hotel---the Renaissance Marriott on 17th Street. When we arrived at our room it was not made up, but that was quickly remedied and we enjoyed our stay there with no other unfortunate issues.
The first day in Fort Lauderdale, we found a Walgreens just across the street where we stocked up on larger bottles of liquid stuff and spent the rest of the day just resting from our flight. On the second day we bought an all-day pass on the water taxi, as we had done in the past, and headed up to the Galleria Mall. The problem this time was that it was a weekend and there were many large ships in port, so while earlier in the day we were able to get a taxi with no problem, when we wanted to return, the boats were going by the landings packed to the gills so they didn’t even stop. We gave up and paid for a taxi back to the hotel. Lesson learned. It would have been cheaper to just pay for a regular taxi there and back. However I accomplished my mission and found the Coach Store and bought a new bag. We enjoyed meals at the Bimini Boatyard, which is just across the courtyard from the hotel. We also ate at an Italian restaurant which is on the other side of the same courtyard and it was quite good as well.
On embarkation day, the taxi arrived within five minutes of being called, even though there were six ships in port. We arrived just at 11AM and the process was very smooth and efficient. The rooms were not ready on embarkation so everyone was given a glass of champagne at dinner.
We were in SS 6088 which turned out to be a connecting room with 6086, even though it indicates on the floor plans that there are no connecting SS suites. I remembered the thread on CC where it was noted that HAL just used the Eurodam’s floor plan in the brochures, and the Eurodam has no connecting SS suites. We were short a closet but we managed. I mention this because it may be a very important issue for some cruisers. The room itself was a good size to be living in for 27 days and it was clean and well attended to by our cabin stewards, Andri and Asap. Our beverage cards, which were ordered for delivery at sea, to avoid tax, were waiting for us on the bed when we entered the cabin. They must be presented with the room card when used for the first time so they can be linked to your account. (And yes Joanie, I have pictures, which I will get to sorting through next week and will send them to you)
The NA is a lovely ship and is kept very clean. The crew really seems to have gotten their act together during their first year and everything runs very smoothly. The staff is very friendly and helpful. I would even include the front desk staff in this category and I have never had good experiences with front desk staff on any other ship. They just seemed to be more human and not so robotic. Elevators were hard come by on the first day, due to the fact that several were being commandeered for luggage delivery.
I looked for the Inlet Cam sign on sailaway but could not locate it. However, we did note two large automatic hands waving to us from the window of one of the condos, which was a nice touch.
The crossing of the Atlantic was amazingly smooth, as was the whole trip. We were also blessed with good weather with temps ranging from 64 to 72, although we did have a few very warm days on our first few Spanish stops.
Our dinner companions were CC member Cristiano and his wife, their friends John and Sue, all from Australia, and CC member AnnSalberg and her husband from the US. We had prearranged our table long ago and we turned out to be a very compatible group and shared a lot of stories and good times. We had the same waiters, Komang and Jon for both segments of the cruise and they made a great effort to add to the fun. We really enjoyed them.
We had late dining and enjoyed our pre dinner drinks in the Ocean Bar where we found the staff to be most helpful. We shared Pepito's story of his first child, who was born during the cruise and, as promised, he brought a picture to show us as soon as it was emailed to him. We were also well looked after by Edguardo and Lea and enjoyed talking with them.
I had a rather nasty fall on the deck and I mention it here just so nobody else who may be reading this makes the same stupid mistake. We were leaving one of the earlier Spanish ports about ten days into the trip and my husband and I were walking the deck for exercise. I saw the pilot boat come in close to pick up the pilot and, wanting to have a look without breaking stride, I leaned over the side as I continued to walk. The deck may be non-slip but the black metal rim around the edge of the deck is very slick, as I found out as my foot flew out from under me and I went flying across the deck. I landed on my hand and my knee and hurt my hand quite badly. It was black and blue for days and now, almost a month later, I still can’t lift anything with it. I probably chipped a bone but it is getting better so I’ll just live with it a few more weeks.
I thought that 7 days at sea might be too many but they passed quickly and we were never bored. Before we knew it we were arriving in Funchal, our first port. I think I will post this section now and continue on with the ports in another post. This is getting rather long for one post.

[KirkNC]

Thanks for the review on the beginning of the cruise, 27 days on the NA would be great. Look forward to the "rest of the story".

Kirk

[v702]

Too long? Heavens no and looking forward to more!

[Krazy Kruizers]

great

looking forward to the rest

[sapper1]

Part 2 of our Nieuw Amsterdam Adventure----Ports

Funchal: Funchal was not intended to be a tender port but it was announced the day prior to arrival that it would have to be because some other ship was occupying our space. It took a long time to get to shore because only one tender at a time could tie up at the tiny floating dock next to the pier. Tender service was also temporarily suspended for the arrival of a ferry. When we arrived on the dock we had a very long walk to another section of the port to wait for our shore excursion. There was no shade available in the hastily organized waiting area and only a couple of busses at a time could make it down to pick up passengers. (The original waiting area was, of course, in the showroom on the ship but that had to change with the tendering. There was no dedicated gangway or tender service for excursions as there was on the other tender ports we visited. You had to get a ticket and make your way ashore on your own here.) The public washrooms were shut down and the only ones available were if you were a customer in one of the many cafes along the dock.
We took the Panorama Tour and once it finally started and we forgot all the discomfort of waiting, we found it to be a very scenic island. This tour is not for the faint of heart as it includes mountain roads with many switchbacks and sheer drops down thousands of feet. If you can take that, the views were amazing. At our first amazing stop they had new washrooms under construction. That was the good news---the bad news was---well, bad news. Nobody was very happy. However at our final stop where we had a bite to eat, there were washrooms and a spectacular view.

Cadiz: We took the White Villages Tour here and found them to be very charming. There is a lot of uphill walking over uneven surfaces but it wasn’t too bad. There are great photographic opportunities. After we arrived back in Cadiz I left my husband and went ashore on my own as the old part of the city is right by the dock and it is a pleasant place to walk through the narrow and very interesting streets.
Cadiz was an overnight stop so the next day we took the Stunning Seville Tour which we were also very pleased with. One of our group had what could have been a very serious fall at the Alcazar Palace right after our guide warned us about uneven surfaces. He was stepping backwards to take a photo and fell about five feet into what would have been an area filled with water in the Roman times. Security pulled him out and he was found to have a cut on his head and was quite shaken, but otherwise unhurt. He was an older gentleman so he was lucky his cruise did not end right there.
Our tour included a lovely buffet lunch at a local hotel. These lunches on tour are not always the greatest, but this one was very well done.
With regard to falling, I found that southern Europe was worse in that respect than the north. You have to watch your step every minute while you are trying to take in the sights. Some places are absolute death traps, with small steps where they have no need to be and a lack of railings on stairs. Cobblestones are often broken or missing and guardrail is a term they are not familiar with. I mention this because it is very important.

Gibraltar: Our shore ex was not scheduled until afternoon so we spent the morning on board. While we were sitting in the Lido we had a chance to observe the airport as the NA was docked just off the end of the runway. Cars were crossing the runway at a right angle about half way along it and when a plane would come in to land, the cars would stop crossing. Most peculiar. We took the Panoramic Tour with Tea and as luck would have it, they included a trip to see the airport setup. Just as our bus approached the runway, the red light came on, a barricade came down and a guard came out and laid a spike belt across the road. After that, two jets landed and we were then free to proceed a few hundred feet to the Spanish border area. This is where the iconic view of the Rock is located.
Gibraltar itself does not have the amazing architecture that one expects in Europe as it was mainly a military fortress over the years and, when viewed as such, it is quite fascinating. Just don’t look for any grandeur. As you drive around you can study the rock from different angles and see how it is riddled with defense positions.
We drove out to Europa Point and were disappointed not to see Africa due to the fog. (We have enough fog here at home—we don’t need to travel thousands of miles to see it.) There is a lot of construction going on out there---restaurants, shops etc. although still far from completion. We had a snack at a nearby hotel before heading back.

Cartagena: This port is very doable on your own and we did just that. We walked up the hill to where an old bullfight arena is being restored. You can’t go in as it is still being worked on. We then walked farther up the hill to the fort to enjoy the view. From the fort we could see the ruins of a Roman forum so we figured out where the path was that would take us down to see it. We could look down on it from above and saw people walking around inside it but could not find the way in. We walked down a few hundred steps looking for the “door” and met people coming up looking for the same thing. We never did find it. We later found out that you have to go one street down and walk under the street to get inside. Make sure you take water—it is quite an uphill climb. We didn’t take any and as I eyed a roadside fountain my husband told me to keep walking and not to even think about drinking from it. Of course he was right but I was sorely tempted.
At the base of the forum and down one street we found the main shopping street which is closed to traffic so we wandered and took in the sights, stopping for a drink at one of the many sidewalk cafes. Well, we had our drink and then wandered.
One neat thing happened in Cartagena. The NA docked behind the old Amsterdam for the first time and the passengers from the Amsterdam were invited to tour the NA and have lunch. As we were leaving for our walk, we passed all the officers of the NA lined up on the dock to welcome the Amsterdam passengers who were embarking via a dedicated gangway.

Valencia: This is not a step ashore and start exploring port. It is long distance through a not so attractive industrial area to the city.
Valencia is a very beautiful city. They have diverted the river that used to flow through the city and cause flooding. In the old river bed they have created the River Gardens where you can walk for kilometers in a park-like setting. They have also built many beautiful cultural buildings in the old river bed as well. The tour also took in the old town area as well.

Barcelona: We were here overnight so the first day we took the shuttle bus (3 euros round trip) to the bottom of La Rambla and spent the day exploring. This was turnaround day as the passengers on only the 15 day part of the cruise were leaving. We did not have to do anything special with regard to immigration. We were told to take our passports ashore but nobody asked to see them. If we had so desired, we could have just remained on board and taken no action. I should mention that although we were told to take gov’t issued ID ashore at every port, at no time were we required to show it.
On day 2 we took the Gaudi’s Barcelona tour. If there is a “must do” tour on this itinerary, this is it. Gaudi was amazing but I am sure he must have been a little mad.
We visited the Parc Guell (spelling?) and marvelled at Gaudi’s imagination.
The highlight of the trip was to have been the inside tour of the Sagrada Familia which is a jaw dropping sight from just the outside. What a mind to dream that contraption up!!! However, as we waited for our guide to pick up our tickets, there was a sudden arrival of police, fire and ambulance personel, with the accompanying noise and confusion. The cathedral was hastily evacuated and then there was mass confusion as all the tour guides got on their phones to call the busses to get their people out of the area. We could see smoke rising from the roof and were only told there was a fire.
When we got back to the ship I got on Google and found out that someone had sprayed gasoline or a similar substance around the sacristry and set fire to it. The result was that the sacristry and all the furnishings were destroyed. Four tourists were taken to hospital due to smoke inhalation. The paper said it was a local person who was mentally disturbed. Well when it happened you know what was on everyone’s mind. We were happy to be taken out of the area within half an hour. Such a senseless act. The family said they saw news reports on the incident here at home.
We later received a notice that we would be credited back 15% of the cost of the tour as we did not get inside the church.

Monaco: This was to have been a tender port but we were able to dock at the new pier which is still under construction. It is a very walkable port on your own but we took a tour to see the highlights. I was sorry to see the palace covered in tarps and scaffolding but hey—the prince is getting married and I guess the bride is renovating. Women do that. I know I did.
During our free time period we stopped for a dish of ice cream at the Haagen Daz shop in sort of a mall across from the Casino and were charged thirteen euros---about $19.00.
The next port was Liverno but I will have to continue tomorrow. We have to go out to the hockey game as our Sea Dogs are in the playoffs.

[kazu]

Welcome back Sapper1 - sorry about your airline issues but you were indeed wise to leave when you did. I can assure you things were a mess here :eek:

Sorry to hear about your fall - I do hope you were ok to enjoy the rest of the cruise.

I would certainly not say that your post was too long.

you're a great writer and always enjoyable on the boards.:)

I'm looking forward to the rest of your story and review:D and very glad that the NA has improved so much since our cruise last year

[kazu]

Oh my heavens - we were posting at the same time I think :p

Loved part 2 - sounds like you recuperated quite well.

Glad you liked Gaudi and Sagrada Familia - it is truly remarkable - we plan on going back when we stop to see what the new progress has been.

thanks for part 2 - just fantastic and enjoy the Sea Dogs tonight (for our cc friends - it's a hockey team here, based in Saint John and they are indeed in the play offs :))

[catl331]

Thanks for this review. I am sorry you missed in the inside of the still-under-construction church. It is totally amazing in there but lots of work still going on. I always thought the outside was a bunch of crazy carvings but after touring the outside and inside I now have seen the beauty and story behind it. Yes, he was a little crazy but many artists are.

We also enjoyed the N Amsterdam very much. Carol

[timothy998]

The marks on the carpeting of the NA that you may have noticed upon embarkation were just the marks from our fingernails as we were dragged off the ship earlier that morning!

[RuthC]

Welcome home. It sure has seemed like a long time that you've been away. It passes quickly while on board, though, I know.

I'm another who is enjoying your report. I'm sorry you didn't get to see the inside of the cathedral. At the time it must have been unnerving!

Looking forward to the rest of your story!

[IRL_Joanie]

Loving every single word my friend!!

Looking forward to more:D

Hope the hand heals quickly and you are able to use it 100% soon.

Joanie

[lettienets]

Hi sapper1
I did the first 15 days of this cruise and mine was great too and I will add a few points. Hal put on a really nice cruise critic party for us and the cruise director attended. Loved the decor of NA, the beautiful flowers, the many interesting movies, Cantare and crafts.

Madeira smelled so fresh, the air was like flowers. Did the tour elegant tea at Reid's Hotel and tour of the gardens, and a drive to the rock cliff and the area where Winston Churchill painted. Very leisurely and lovely. Had time for a walk around the core and the market area. (fresh fish, lace, flowers etc)

Cadiz, I took the bus to Sevilla with two other roll callers, Bob and Marcelina and we went straight to the alcazar (rivals the Alhambra in my opinion, esp the unexpected many gardens within the walls) I stayed overnight at a reconverted hotel, Hotel Convento La Gloria near the cathedral and the dining room was so charming we had a very Spanish lunch there before heading to the cathedral. I walked the 34 levels up the Giralda for beautiful views over the city and later toured the Museo de Belles Artes.

Arriving back in Cadiz after the 1 1/2 hour bus ride the next afternoon, a very lovely clean old city with narrow streets and seaviews, I did some looking at churches, shopping and sauntering around on my way back to the ship. Got a nice pair of shoes. Very trendy shops, cafes etc. Cadiz is far prettiier and walkable than Gibraltar, a city of ugly highrises and a rock. I also did the Hal tea tour in Gibraltar to a hotel near the sea, La Caleta. Yummy treats.

This time for the Cartegena stop I took the new Hal all day tour to Caravaca 2 hours away to see the old medieval city where the battle of the Moors and Catholic Kings is still reenacted today,visited the famous cathedral there (where there happened to be a German choir singing) and the museo, had a huge Spanish lunch at one of the salones.

Valencia is a sight to behold, beautiful modern space-age buildings designed by 2 famous Spanish architects in the "New City" sapper mentioned, I toured again with Hal, the Oceanographic center for two hours and also had a look at the other modern buildings like the opera house and gardens before driving to the elegant old city with many majestic buildings, then a tour of the bullring and museum. Very good tour. Had not been there in 40 years. That new city is a feat of modern engineering.

Flew straight home in BCN.

[PGV]

Thanks for the wonderful review! We are on the NA in August, round the med and you have whet our appetites! What a great resource CC is! :)
Sorry to hear about your fall - will be warned... Hope your injury will soon be fully healed.

[EaglesWing]

Thanks for your excellent review. Best of luck with your hand.

Please comment on the music in the Ocean Bar. You had mentioned enjoying that lounge and it has always been our favorite, too. On the last few HAL cruises the music was less danceable, however.

Who was the captain and who was the cruise director? We are on the NA in mid-October round trip from Venice and certainly looking forward to it based on your review!

[ANSalberg]

Sapper; TOTALLY GREAT report. I do hope you've had your hand X-rayed; [us Mom's worry, yah know!] It was GREAT getting to know you & I miss the ship/people ALREADY!!!! Take care, darlin' A

[sapper1]

Nieuw Amsterdam Part 3

Livorno: We opted for the two city tour of both Pisa and Florence. Our guide was named Lucca and I mention him because he was the best guide we have ever had ---ever. He put his heart and soul into the tour and had the whole bus in the palm of his hand before we even got out of the port area. He was quite young and had an amazing sense of humour. He also gave everyone a business card with his cell phone number in case someone got lost, so that they could call him and he would come and get them. He also passed around a sheet where we all listed our names and seat numbers so that he could call the roll at every stop to see if anyone were missing. He was the only guide on the whole trip who gave us wireless receivers and earphones so we could hear him as well.
Florence was so crowded that everyone had to push their way through the crowd and it was often difficult to keep up with Lucca. The surfaces we had to walk on were among the worst we had encountered as well, so we had to watch our footing, try to keep an eye on Lucca and try to see the sights as well.
Lucca took us to a very nice leather and jewellery shop where the staff did not harass you and you were free to browse. When I did show an interest in a leather jacket the salesman was very helpful and polished. There was no pressure and I wound up buying the jacket. I normally just walk out of the stores we are sent into because of the pressure. This was a refreshing change. The place was called Misuri Leather and it is located on the square in front of the cathedral.
We had a very nice lunch provided in a tiny little restaurant but it was down in a cramped cellar with only one extremely narrow staircase going down---and no second fire exit. My husband was very uncomfortable down there.
When we got to Pisa, we were immediately accosted by the swarms of watch, purse, and scarf sellers as we got off the bus. This was the first time we had noticed them in such numbers. They followed us down the street as we walked to the tower area. When we reached the area outside the wall, Lucca just told us to go on by ourselves and we would meet back at a certain point later. We had to walk through an area that reminded me of the Dunn’s River Falls market to get to the entrance through the walls to the tower. Once side of the street inside the wall was also taken up by the stalls, but there must have been some kind of rule that they could not cross the street into the tower/church area because they did not bother anyone there.
There is a large clean restroom area behind the church and for 30 cents you are good to go. (Sorry—couldn’t resist that) The area is also rife with pickpockets. Lucca said to watch out for the women.
I was surprised that the tower was leaning that much and we got some good pictures.
All in all it was a very good tour, made more special by Lucca. I think he cleaned up in tips. I know I tipped more than I normally do.

Civitavecchia: Sorry I can’t help much here as we started to have second thought about Good Friday in Rome—for various reasons. We went down to cancel our tour just before the 5PM deadline two days prior and were pleasantly surprised. We expected to pay a 10% penalty but were told that only applied to tours bought on board and since we had pre purchased online we would get a full refund---and we did.
As much as we wanted to see Rome, when the appointed morning rolled around we were so tired that we were glad that we had cancelled. We spent a nice relaxing day onboard recharging our batteries.

Messina: We took the ship’s tour to Taomina but if I were doing it again I would take the HAL transfer and do it on our own. We were afraid we would not be able to find the Roman Ruins on our own but in Taomina all roads lead to the Roman Ruins. The only difference is that on the tour, the guide spent an unnecessary period of time lecturing on the site---even after she had lost most of her audience. We wanted to leave as well but I heard my mother over my shoulder telling me not to be rude and to sit there until she was finished. No--my mother was not on the trip with us! People later said they hated to walk out but they wanted to explore.
This is a delightful place to explore with narrow, winding streets.

At this point we had a sea day and we went to the Mariners’ Luncheon, which followed the medal ceremony. We both received our 100 day medals and a glass of champagne. We had to pass on the CC meeting as it was held at the same time as the medal ceremony and luncheon.
That evening as we were preparing for formal night, the ship started to slow right down and the captain announced that we had been requested by the Greek Coast Guard to assist in searching for a missing sailor off an overturned sailboat. We went out onto the balcony and could see the boat fairly close along with the Coast Guard boat and another freighter that was helping to search. The NA sent out its rescue boat and I was impressed by the up to the minute equipment the crew was wearing---including special helmets. The situation was quite peculiar as the seas were perfectly calm and there was not a breath of wind. Keel sailboats don’t just flip over. At first it seemed as though there had been a fin keel that had snapped off, but I took a zoom picture and then zoomed in on the viewer to get a good look. I think it was a skeg keeled boat as the entire surface was showing anti-fouling paint and if anything had snapped off; there would have been bare metal showing.
After about an hour we were released by the Coast Guard and nobody was found. The word on the deck later was that the Coast Guard had rescued three sailors but that the fourth was, sadly, not found.

Nafplion: I may be wrong, but I think this was our only other tender port. It was handled much better than Funchal as we were able to meet in the showroom and have a dedicated tender---2 busloads per tender.
We took the tour of the Corinth Canal and were so glad we did. We actually went through twice----once was not enough. Try Google or Youtube for some pictures of the canal. It is extremely narrow with sheer cliffs rising straight up from it. As it is a sea level canal there are no locks but when you look at it and think that it was built with late 19th century technology it is quite amazing.

Katakolon---Here we took the tour of Olympia with Zorba which was also a good tour. The Olympic area is in ruins, of course, but the area was much larger than we expected and the tour takes quite a while.
After the tour we went to a nearby hilltop hotel (Best Western, in fact) for a lunch and to watch a local Zorba dancing group. Usually these things turn out to be ho-hum at best but these guys were great. The music was very upbeat and they had all kinds of people up snaking around the room holding hands while everyone else clapped and cheered. Great fun---I would have loved to join in but I was afraid someone would squeeze my sore hand. The lunch was pretty good as well.

Corfu: When the alarm went off we both just said “uh-uh” and rolled over and went back to sleep. No refund there but we were too tired to care. Later we went ashore and walked around a bit and from what we saw, they have not started to rebuild since WW2. We did not take the shuttle into the old town so I am perhaps being a little unfair here. I was told by people who did, that it was quite pleasant there. The neighbourhood we were walking in made us nervous so we returned to the ship. We seemed to be the only tourists and it didn’t feel right. That was the only time on the whole cruise that I got the feeling, so I guess we were right in listening to our instincts.

Dubrovnik: We took the shuttle into town and spent many hours exploring the old section of this gem of a stop. We had planned to walk the wall but when faced with a 335 step climb up to the top, with a total of 750 steps along the way, I decided that it was too much for my husband and we decided to forego it. He protested, saying he had walked it the last time he was there. I gently reminded him that it was 25 years ago and he dropped it.
There is a new public washroom of sorts near the gate where you are dropped off. Be warned that it consists of a hole in the floor but it has a lovely stainless steel platform to stand on, so it isn’t all bad. There are only two so if you arrive at the same time as a tour you are kinda out of luck.
I’ll end here as Venice is a whole other post, as we spent two days post cruise there. Probably tomorrow.

[sapper1]

I don't know why everything is coming out with such a small font. I wrote the report on Office on a larger font and copied it to the post, where I also set it for a larger font. I am sorry that it is so small and hard to read.

I also used a good paragraph separation in the report but when copied the paragraphs are much closer together than intended. I guess I have a lot to learn.

[sapper1]

Welcome back Sapper1 - sorry about your airline issues but you were indeed wise to leave when you did. I can assure you things were a mess here :eek:

Sorry to hear about your fall - I do hope you were ok to enjoy the rest of the cruise.

I would certainly not say that your post was too long.

you're a great writer and always enjoyable on the boards.:)

I'm looking forward to the rest of your story and review:D and very glad that the NA has improved so much since our cruise last year
Tks Kazu---I have your coupon books and if you wish, I can leave them with your neighbour, Brenda at Sorority this Tuesday night.

[sapper1]

Flew straight home in BCN.
You flew straight home? What happened to the the trip to London to watch the wedding? I was watching for you in the crowd.

[sapper1]

Flew straight home in BCN.
You flew straight home? What happened to the the trip to London to watch the wedding? I was watching for you in the crowd.

[sapper1]

Thanks for your excellent review. Best of luck with your hand.

Please comment on the music in the Ocean Bar. You had mentioned enjoying that lounge and it has always been our favorite, too. On the last few HAL cruises the music was less danceable, however.

Who was the captain and who was the cruise director? We are on the NA in mid-October round trip from Venice and certainly looking forward to it based on your review!
The music was nice enough but it was played at just a slightly too loud volume. A fair number of people were dancing both before dinner and later in the evening.

Captain Mercer was in charge for the first 15 days and then in Barcelona Capt. VanZaam (spelling?) took over. The cruise director was a very personable young man named Gene. The last name escapes me as we really didn't partake in any of the activities. However, I noticed that he was very involved.

[sapper1]

Sapper; TOTALLY GREAT report. I do hope you've had your hand X-rayed; [us Mom's worry, yah know!] It was GREAT getting to know you & I miss the ship/people ALREADY!!!! Take care, darlin' A
I know I promised I would get an x-ray but it really is getting better. As long as I don't try to lift or pull, or twist with it , it is OK. I figure they wouldn't do anything with it at this point anyway and in a week or two it should be an old memory. It is probably just a hairline crack.

We miss all of you guys as well. Dinner is so quiet here with just the two of us. We are so jet lagged still---going to bed early in the evening and then are wide awake at 4AM.

[paganwoman]

My husband and I were on the Nieuw Amsterdam for the Barcelona-Venice leg of the trip. Loved every minute of it. I thought I would chime in on the Rome-Good Friday situation as we did take the tour of Rome and went in the Vatican. To be honest with you I expected it to be much worse then it was. We had a tour guide (sorry I have yet to unpack my notes so I don't have her name) but she was very informative and we got through security and into the Vatican in about 20 minutes total. Yes it was very crowded inside but she told us she did not see any more people than usual inside on non Holy-week tours. And she mentioned it usually takes about 45 minutes through security into the front door so even she was surprised. Got some great photos and a nice lunch afterwards at a local place included on the tour. Overall very nice and we are glad we went. We were concerned but it worked out great. Also just a comment on Corfu. We did not take a tour but took the shuttle into Old Town and climbed up to an ancient fort. Nice bit of exercise and wonderful photos. Then stopped in the cafe outside the fort for the best cup of cappacino we had the entire trip. Spent about 3 hours walking around the old fort. Did not go into the actual town so I can not tell you anything about that.

[lettienets]

You flew straight home? What happened to the the trip to London to watch the wedding? I was watching for you in the crowd.
Hi sapper1, I am enjoying your review.
I came home for Easter and then went to London on the 27th. The royal wedding was awesome, magical, loved it. I had a place in the crowds at Horseguards and Whitehall, got there at 6am and had to settle for second row. However, I packed my kitchen collapsible step stool in my backpack and had a great view! Had a weekend reunion with friends and got home Monday.

[sapper1]

Hi sapper1, I am enjoying your review.
I came home for Easter and then went to London on the 27th. The royal wedding was awesome, magical, loved it. I had a place in the crowds at Horseguards and Whitehall, got there at 6am and had to settle for second row. However, I packed my kitchen collapsible step stool in my backpack and had a great view! Had a weekend reunion with friends and got home Monday.
Oh I am so glad---for a minute I thought something had gone wrong. I know how much you were looking forward to it.

[IRL_Joanie]

I don't know why everything is coming out with such a small font. I wrote the report on Office on a larger font and copied it to the post, where I also set it for a larger font. I am sorry that it is so small and hard to read.

I also used a good paragraph separation in the report but when copied the paragraphs are much closer together than intended. I guess I have a lot to learn.

It is hard to read as it is, BUT, that being said, I can read it easily if I highlight each paragraph:)

Things happen and we learn to deal with it my friend. Do not worry about us being able to read, we can if we really want to, AND WE DO!!

Highlighted, it reads easily:)

Joanie

[erewhon]

sapper1,
The reports of your cruise are really great reading.
Thank you.

[Zyzygy]

Thank you for the excellent cruise report. The detailed information about the Mediterranean ports is very helpful. The second set of fingernail marks in the carpet were mine when they dragged me off on April 3. I wanted to stow away, and your reports only make me wish I had.

[kazu]

Tks Kazu---I have your coupon books and if you wish, I can leave them with your neighbour, Brenda at Sorority this Tuesday night.

why, you devil ;) if you don't mind, why not?:)

[kazu]

Sapper - I just finished part 3. What a great review.

so much detail and good info for others. And no worries about the font.

When something is this good, we don't worry about the font :D

[flakey71]

Your review is fantastic, we are sailing on the NA in August. I love reading your comments on all the ports...looking forward to the Venice post as we are in Venice two days pre cruise.

Many thanks for sharing your fabulous holiday with us :)

Michelle and David

[EaglesWing]

Many thanks for telling me about dancing in the Ocean Bar. I will dust off my dancing shoes for October and hope for a handsome gentleman to ask me to dance in between my martinis!

Best of luck with your hand.

[SabreSailor]

We were in SS 6088 which turned out to be a connecting room with 6086, even though it indicates on the floor plans that there are no connecting SS suites. I remembered the thread on CC where it was noted that HAL just used the Eurodam’s floor plan in the brochures, and the Eurodam has no connecting SS suites.


Great review - thanks so much for the effort.

I brought the incorrect deck plans to the attention of Stein Kruse in a letter (after I had been assured by multiple phone agents in Seattle that the deck plans were correct), which was followed by contacts with several Seattle employees on his staff and below. They apparently found many errors in the Nieuw Amsterdam's deck plans - but two months later, the deck plans on their website are unchanged.

If you are sailing on the Nieuw Amsterdam, and missing a closet would bother you, you might touch base with Mr. Kruse's office and ask that they contact the Chief Housekeeper on board to verify that your cabin choice is not connecting. You would think that the Guest Relations manager on board would have heard enough complaints over the past year to incent Seattle to fix the deck plans, but I guess it's falling on deaf ears.

['The Bear']

"Sapper" So happy that you had such a great cruise! I appreciate your in-depth, timely, well written review. I would certainly have been stressed out after all the airline SNAFU's on the way down to Fll., not to mention the tendering issue -- Oh well, I guess 'stuff' happens.

(Aside) -- Too bad about last night --- They should've won that game! I still believe that the 'Dogs' will win the 'Q'

[sapper1]

New Amsterdam--part 4

Instead of doing the rest on Office and pasting, I will try to do it all in one sitting directly here on CC so I can get a better font size to show up.

Since our arrival in Venice was to coincide with a wedding we wanted to watch on TV we had a decision to make. We knew we had two days post cruise in Venice so we set up two chairs side by side at the end of the bed, facing both the TV and the glass doors. It was sort of like having a split screen what with watching the wedding to the left and Venice to the right. I can hear some of you asking "Is she nuts?" --and you may be right, but that is what we did.:o

That night at dinner there were hugs and goodbyes all around, including with the waiters as we were all so sorry to be leaving and we were lucky to have had a great table and servers for the month.

The next morning as we were leaving for breakfast, our stewards asked if they could get in to make up the bed and I said that was fine but would they please leave the towels for us until later, which they did. We had silent disembarkation and our letter said we were to leave between 8:15 and 8:30. When we left the terminal with our luggage, our HAL rep was waiting for us outside and she directed those waiting for the Bauer Hotel (booked through HAL) transfer to a waiting area. We then walked to an area where all the luggage for that hotel was loaded onto a large cart. Following that we walked along the dock in front of the NA to wait for our water taxi. As we walked we looked up and saw Cristiano waving to us from his balcony.
The taxi took us directly to the landing in front of the Bauer Hotel where the bellman took charge of the bags for us , while we held on to our carry-ons.

There was a HAL rep waiting at the hotel and we were given a letter with our departure instructions and then we checked in. This was still quite early and we were told the rooms would not be ready until after 2PM. While my husband sat in the lobby I did a quick lookabout in the street. Cristiano had told me that St. Mark's Square was about a two minute walk away-- and it was. I noticed lots of people dragging luggage around the streets so decided we would not look out of place if we did the same. I went back and got my husband and we joined the luggage draggers and walked to the square, where we found a sidewalk cafe and thought we would have a mid morning coffee and treat. We each had a small cup of lukewarm coffee that tasted like motor oil and a piece of apple pie. For that we were presented with a bill for 42 euros. That's 63 dollars. Yes you read right. Beware of sidewalk cafes that have waiters in lovely white uniforms with gold braid---especially if there is a small orchestra playing to the outdoor crowd in the evening.

After that experience we decided to go back to the hotel and wait as it was awkward dragging the luggage. My husband promptly fell asleep in the lobby by the desk and they then found us a room quite quickly. Maybe they thought it didn't look so good. We were taken up to our room in an elevator that was similar in size to the one used to rescue the Chilean miners last year. From that point on we used the staircase. The hotel was very clean and the rooms were very modern. A safe is also included.

We then set out to wander and explore. Venice is a great city to just get lost in. Forget about where you are going and just walk. There is a new delight at every turn. As long as you know where your hotel is in relation to four key points you will always be able to find your way back. All over the city there are signs high up on the buildings pointing the way to San Marco, the Rialto Bridge, the railway station and the Piazzale Roma so when you are ready to be found again, just follow the signs. If you are too tired to walk just hop on a vaporetto and get off at one of those stops.

For lunch we found another sidewalk cafe---no white uniforms---and had a plate of spaghetti, a drink and a shared dessert for 50 euros---75 dollars.

When we arrived back at the hotel we went onto the terrace and I had a glass of wine and my husband had a beer, while we watched the activity on the Grand Canal. For this we paid 20 euros--35 dollars.
Being used to North American hotels where you just wander down to the dining room when you are hungry, we headed down to eat. Wrong. We were greeted by the dining room manager and there is no object in existance more snooty than an Italian waiter or dining room manager. It seems we did not have a magic reservation so we found ourselves sitting in the bar looking at a very limited menu----too tired to go out into the street looking at this point. We ordered cheeseburgers at 28 euros apiece. They turned out to be inedible, so my husband protested paying such an amount for something we could not eat and they did not charge us--- we went to bed hungry.

Next morning we had better luck as the breakfast is included in the hotel price and they had an excellent buffet laid out.

We went out to walk in a different direction and never did get inside the cathedral or the Doge's Palace as the lines were just too daunting to join. We had been spoiled by all the HAL tours where the guide would produce tickets as if by magic.

For lunch we had more spaghetti as we could not understand the menus and because my husband has food allergies we had to be careful. Then as we were walking back to San Marco we came around a corner where two small canals filled with gondolas met and when I looked up I saw the sign on the building that read "Hard Rock Cafe".
It turned out to be about 50 feet off St Mark's Square so we knew we could get a meal that night. We sat upstairs by the window overlooking the canals and had a very good meal. It was expensive by our standards but reasonable by the standard we had been experiencing over the last few days.

For those of you who will be staying on in Venice and would be interested,here is how you find it---Stand in St. Mark's Square with your back to the main entrance to the cathedral. Start walking forward toward the other end of the square, keeping to your right, close to the buildings. When you are almost at the end of the square you will see an archway in the building to your right. Turn right and go through the arch and almost immediately you will come to the little canal. Look to your left and you will see the Hard Rock Cafe.

While in Venice make sure you have lots of room on you memory card because you will be taking pictures every whipstitch. It is the most amazing city I have ever encountered. Having been there once before and been inside the cathedral on a tour then, I was not too disappointed to miss out, but it would have been nice.

I will post this now and do another one on the airport transfer and extra bags at the airport experience. We learned a big lesson there about not taking extra bags.

[sapper1]

Nieuw Amsterdam Part 5

Well I am back to using Office and pasting again because I just spent an hour writing a direct post on CC and it timed-out waiting for the board to respond when I tried to post it. I will try again.


When we called for luggage pick-up the morning of our departure the bell captain seemed to know we had a 9:30 HAL water taxi transfer arranged. He said he would call us when the taxi arrived. When it did we had it all to ourselves as we raced across the lagoon at warp speed. It was thrilling but a little nerve wracking at the same time as we kept hitting the wake from other boats.

When we arrived at the dock we were met by a lady holding a HAL clipboard. I wish I had gotten her name as she was more than helpful to us. Now we had four pieces of checked luggage and they have carts available for a few coins at the dock but the HAL rep advised against using them as it would be a long walk over not so smooth ground. The HAL rep called the porter service and they took our bags for 5 euros each. The next time we saw them was at the baggage check in line at the Air France counter.
Air France does not allow counter check in for flights and since I had never used a kiosk to do it myself before, the HAL lady very kindly walked me through it while my husband guarded the pile of luggage. (It didn’t take long to notice the we were the only smooks with so much luggage.) The machine would not take my Visa to pay for the extra bags. This is where it gets convoluted. I went to the pay counter but was told we would have to check the bags before we could pay for them. The HAL rep said we would have to deal with them at the counter so we stood in line for an hour to reach the bag drop-off counter. You cannot pay there and they will only take the two regulation bags at first and send them on their way. The lady said she would have to give me a form to take over to the pay counter on the other side of the airport, where I would pay for one bag, come back with my receipt and she would then check that one bag for me. She would then give me a form for the second bag and I would repeat the procedure. There was no way to pay for two bags at a time. I insisted that we would miss our flight if I had to follow such a ridiculous course of action. The counter lady then called her supervisor and she showed her how to prepare a form that would allow for the payment of two bags at one. I then left my husband guarding the two offending bags and raced over to the pay counter where I handed over 110 euros for two extra bags. When I returned with my receipt she took forever processing it so she could check the bags through. We made it to the gate on time but were told at the gate check that we had not paid for the extra bags. I had my receipt but she just shrugged and passed us through without looking at it.

We were late getting into Paris and missed our gate slot so we had to descend a long flight of stairs and board a standing room only bus for the trip to the terminal. We had to walk from 2F to 2E and it took us 40 minutes. It was very well marked and easy to navigate—it just took forever and we arrived at our gate just as the plane for Montreal was loading. Stress!!!

Lesson learned---Never ever ever travel to Europe with extra bags. Just take what you can manage by yourself. They may allow extra bags but they sure discourage it. I never would have thought I would hear myself say this but if we do another European cruise we will probably pass on some of the formal nights and eat in the Lido. There were seven formal nights on this cruise. I will never go through the baggage hassle again—ever.
Another lesson learned-- When you are booking excursions learn to pace yourself. It is supposed to be a holiday, not an endurance race. The cruises are very port intensive and touring in Europe is very tiring with all the hills, steps and crowds. What may sound like a good idea in the comfort of your family room doesn’t always work out that way. You can’t do it all. Pass on the tour in a few places and wander at you own speed. You will then regain the energy needed to do more tours.

Overall I would say that we had a marvellous time. There were a few minor irritating issues but isn’t there always? I would give the Niew Amsterdam and this cruise a resounding 9!!! And that goes for the wonderful crew who worked so hard to make our vacation memorable.

We bought a few cruise credits onboard and are just waiting for the 2012 late fall cruises to be posted. Maybe we will do the NA in the Caribbean. We would certainly be happy to cruise on her again.

Well that’s all folks----it is now time to start a period of post cruise depression.

[rkacruiser]

Many thanks for a wonderful review and the advice! I am one who tends to overpack, so your experience with the extra baggage situation will encourage me to "do better" in that area in the future.

[RuthC]

Thank you for what has been a lovely report. I enjoyed reading your thoughts, (and I really appreciate your attempt to increase the font size).

And oh, didn't anyone ever tell you not to change planes in Paris?

[lettienets]

sapper1, what an amazing description. Thanks. I think I may have had a nervous breakdown with your airport experience or they would be carrying a raving lunatic out of there! Good grief you poor things!
Airports are getting worse. I had that KLM kiosk thing too and complications. Our airplane was so cramped and horrible going home I complained to the company and they replied with a long letter and gave me 5000 airmiles (as if I want DeltaKLM miles, I have them but don't earnestly collect them) I think we have to write more complaint letters instead of taking all the crap shoved at us. I said they need to treat their customers with more respect. We are not animals in pens etc...:mad:. As if they care.......

PS I am with Ruth, never go through Paris.

[kazu]

Another great report Sapper1.:) Missed you while you were away.

As to your luggage scenario coming back - I have a great suggestion - do a Med & transatlantic. Not so much hassle with luggage and lots of time to relax after you've seen all those tremendous ports. Why not join us in November ;)

Going down, we used points and are doing business class - all through one carrier so no worry about the bags or coming back out of Fort Lauderdale:)

I am glad it worked out for you though. and you're right. European flights really discourage extra baggage. We won't skip our formal nights, but we don't bring a lot. i just add a couple things and have no problem if I am wearing the same thing twice ;)

Thank you so much for sharing your adventures with us.:)

[ANSalberg]

I know I promised I would get an x-ray but it really is getting better. As long as I don't try to lift or pull, or twist with it , it is OK. I figure they wouldn't do anything with it at this point anyway and in a week or two it should be an old memory. It is probably just a hairline crack.

We miss all of you guys as well. Dinner is so quiet here with just the two of us. We are so jet lagged still---going to bed early in the evening and then are wide awake at 4AM.

We, too, are still backasswards! 10 hours from London so I figured a week; today's a week and I think I MAY live!! We stayed overnight in the Sofitel AT Heathrow's Terminal 5 -it was terrific; NO outside noise [amazed] great restaurant =BUT LONG long walks from anything TO anything in the terminal or between Hotel/terminal. Saw NOTHING of "the wedding" except a zillion Newspapers or [ funnily enough] several glossy magazines evidently PRINTED ahead. We brought three Newspapers home ALL being devoured by our girls & my sister [in Boston!]

I thought it was a GREAT cruise/LOVED the ship/ delighted to see the Captain -VanZaane & Apolonia again! We traveled a whole YEAR with them on "Amsterdam" from 2004 on 5 different cruises!! Now I have to actually cook AND do my own dishes.......Ewwwwwww Anne

[sapper1]

Thank you for what has been a lovely report. I enjoyed reading your thoughts, (and I really appreciate your attempt to increase the font size).

And oh, didn't anyone ever tell you not to change planes in Paris?
Two words---Cruise Air. Another lesson learned although it has taken two trips for me to learn it. I should pay more attention to the advice here on CC.

[IRL_Joanie]

AWESOME!!!!

Joanie

[sapper1]

Another great report Sapper1.:) Missed you while you were away.

As to your luggage scenario coming back - I have a great suggestion - do a Med & transatlantic. Not so much hassle with luggage and lots of time to relax after you've seen all those tremendous ports. Why not join us in November ;)

Going down, we used points and are doing business class - all through one carrier so no worry about the bags or coming back out of Fort Lauderdale:)

I am glad it worked out for you though. and you're right. European flights really discourage extra baggage. We won't skip our formal nights, but we don't bring a lot. i just add a couple things and have no problem if I am wearing the same thing twice ;)

Thank you so much for sharing your adventures with us.:)
Your November trip sounds lovely and it would be fun to go back (with less luggage), but we have an Alaska cruise at the end of August. My husband hates flying so much that I will be lucky to get him on the plane to BC. Mentioning flying to Europe anytime soon would be met with a blank stare.
I was surprised at the number of people I talked to on this cruise who planned to return to North America on the Queen Mary2.

Flying used to be fun. Things sure have changed although I must admit that the security people we encountered on this trip were very agreeable. One guy at the Montreal Airport even got joking with my husband as he was going through. Maybe they are trying to improve their public image.

[lettienets]

........I was surprised at the number of people I talked to on this cruise who planned to return to North America on the Queen Mary2.
....
There must have been a good deal on the QM2. Two people at my table (not travelling together) were also going home on the QM2

[kazu]

Your November trip sounds lovely and it would be fun to go back (with less luggage), but we have an Alaska cruise at the end of August. My husband hates flying so much that I will be lucky to get him on the plane to BC. Mentioning flying to Europe anytime soon would be met with a blank stare.
I was surprised at the number of people I talked to on this cruise who planned to return to North America on the Queen Mary2.

Flying used to be fun. Things sure have changed although I must admit that the security people we encountered on this trip were very agreeable. One guy at the Montreal Airport even got joking with my husband as he was going through. Maybe they are trying to improve their public image.


Oh my I pity you - another trip in August (i forgot :o).

Flying is definitely not what it used to be - no question. It's not that bad though if you are just going one way to Europe. Getting out of FLL is a piece of cake :D

I really can't blame the people going back on the QEII, I'd do the same thing with the time - better yet, we'll do it on the Prinsendam:)

It's my fave now for Europe. You still do a good 12 days of ports and relax and no jet lag when you get home :D

[CowPrincess]

Thanks for the great report! Sorry about the overpriced ( :eek: ) food and the luggage problems. I think I'd have been catatonic and DH would have been jailed over the luggage issue. So glad you were able to manage it.

[pennez]

Sapper1 wrote about cabins 6088 and 6086 being connecting-but not being reflected as such on the ship's diagram. A suggestion was to contact the head housekeeper of the NA--wrong!! I had read the earlier posting which indicated that 6095 and 6097 were also connecting and thus missing a third closet and asked my travel agent about it. She emailed HAL who then contacted the head housekeeper. HAL responded that that person verified there were indeed three closets in 6097. Wrong answer since when we boarded the ship last month we only had two closets because it was a connecting room-with 6095. May sound like a minor point, but after all, we paid for the same type of room that had three closets and we were obviously misled. You would think HAL would update its diagrams and its employees would be more thorough when verifying information.

[IRL_Joanie]

Got the photos and grabbed the stateroom review:) Will get them up in the morning!!

Thank you:)

Joanie

[sapper1]

Got the photos and grabbed the stateroom review:) Will get them up in the morning!!

Thank you:)

Joanie
I was going to post here to ask if you received them so I was glad to see your message. I thought I may have had too many in one email and they would be bounced back to me.

[EaglesWing]

Welcome home, Sapper1! Thanks so much for taking the time to tell us so many interesting things.

Please tell exactly how many bags the two of you had so we don't endure what you did. How many constitutes "extra" for a couple?

[kazu]

Welcome home, Sapper1! Thanks so much for taking the time to tell us so many interesting things.

Please tell exactly how many bags the two of you had so we don't endure what you did. How many constitutes "extra" for a couple?

I'm not Sapper1 but I can tell you that for flights out of Canada and Europe, the maximum baggage is traditionally 1 check in unless you are travelling business class. European air lines also have strict rules on weight :( some of them are a lot less than here :(

It's very wise to read your terms of flight and/or airline website for whose baggage regs you have to adhere to.

[sapper1]

Welcome home, Sapper1! Thanks so much for taking the time to tell us so many interesting things.

Please tell exactly how many bags the two of you had so we don't endure what you did. How many constitutes "extra" for a couple?
We had two checked bags apiece, along with the usual complement of carry on bags. It was the second bag we each had that caused all the trouble. Not only will the airlines accept the one checked bag with no extra charge, you can manage the one bag and your carry-on without resorting to carts and porters. With only one bag we will also be able to to do self embarkation from the ship next time---push the carry-on and pull the checked bag. We just have to simplify things if we are going to continue travelling by air. I was still living back in the days when we used to drive to Florida and take everything we owned:eek:, as we did for our first three cruises. Live and learn.:)

[Cristiano]

OK OK I finally found you......a couple of complaints....No mention about the strange man chasing you around the promenade each day and no mention of the wolf whistling romeo in Venice as you disembarked !@!!!

I would do it all again in a heart beat with you and Ken, Anne & Dick, John & Sue !!!

Great report and just brings back the vivid memories.

I also would like your pictures......

Hugs...Cristiano......

[sapper1]

OK OK I finally found you......a couple of complaints....No mention about the strange man chasing you around the promenade each day and no mention of the wolf whistling romeo in Venice as you disembarked !@!!!

I would do it all again in a heart beat with you and Ken, Anne & Dick, John & Sue !!!

Great report and just brings back the vivid memories.

I also would like your pictures......

Hugs...Cristiano......

I must admit that 27 days of flattery went to my head. When I heard that whistle from above when we were on the dock, I knew without looking up who it was. ;)

I do hope our paths cross again one day. On our next cruise we missed our international table---Yank, Aussie and Canuck. It was a great mix.

Send me your email address in a Facebook message and I will send you and Kerry a few pictures.

[brooklyn66]

we are doing the Med cruise Barcelona to Venice and your review is so helpful with tips on Venice airport and some of the ports. Thank you so much for the information!!! uh oh, we are flying home thru Paris and I have done it once before, I dread it again!!!

[PathfinderEss]

Welcome home Sapper. Thanks for the review of your cruise, sounds wonderful.

[solocanadian]

Who keeps resurrecting these old posts????:confused:

[IRL_Joanie]

Who keeps resurrecting these old posts????:confused:

I'd say wonderful newbies who know how to use a Search function:)

WTG to them for bringing up some of the great reviews and knowing how to search:)

Joanie

[RuthC]

Who keeps resurrecting these old posts????:confused:
Without even mentioning it when they do. :(

[Boytjie]

Without even mentioning it when they do. :(

I was reading along quite a bit before I realized it was an old thread.

[RuthC]

I was reading along quite a bit before I realized it was an old thread.
I've learned over the years to check the date on any "new" thread, especially if it's already long.

[Typhoon1]

Thanks for taking the time. Looking forward to the next installment.