Sail7seas, where is your review?

[Cruising Jake]

S7S, I have been eagerly anticipating your Zuiderdam review. I read you HMC review with interest. Did I miss you cruise review? If so, oops. If not, I hope it is not here only because you have been busy (understandably) and not because you had an awful time (how could that be).

Please don't construe this as a request for rush, just a question. Have a good weekend.

[kelelmel]

I, too, am anxiously awaiting your review!

[sail7seas]

:) We had a wonderful time and totally enjoyed being on Zuiderdam.

IMO, HAL is still doing a terrific job. Sure, they have made some cuts but so has every cruiseline in like category. We were very happy with plumbing/air cond that worked fine, were delighted we were assigned to the table we requested in the dining room and loved, as always, Neptune Lounge (particularly the coffee machine ;) ) .

We saw some crew friends we are very fond of that we had not seen for some time....and made some new friends. The best part of HAL has always been the people.

We enjoyed a fabulous dinner with the Captain and his wife. They were wonderful hosts. This was the first cruise in a very long time that we actually went to two shows. :) We never go but we heard such good things about James Mason (Elton John impersonator) and the Magician that we decided to go and were glad we did.

We think Lido on Zuiderdam is just about as good as it can get. I know that not everyone agrees but it boggles my mind at the huge variety and quality that is offered daily for breakfast and lunch. We never have dinner there. The breakfast omelette station and lunch sandwich station is great IMO I love the salad bar and was well pleased with the freshness and variety. They even had a whole grain cracker that was perfect for my South Beach regime. I cannot imagine that everyone cannot find something that pleases them in Lido. Surely there is plenty to choose from with roast chicken, pasta, pizza, burgers, taco bar, sandwich bar, sushi, wok stri fry, salad bar, sliced meats varying each day, cheeses, shrimp salads, pasta salads, artichoke salad, caesar salad, homemade breads and more all offered daily.....

We think Chef Franz is doing a good job. He is feeding alot of people alot of food and we think he is doing it very well. I think it is time for some menu changes on HAL ships but that is not the provence of individual Executive Chefs on each ship. That comes from Seattle and hope that with the hiring of their new Celebrity Chef, we shall start to see some new, interesting changes to the menus. We chatted with Chef and he had some interesting ideas. It'll be fun to watch and see if some of it appears on the ships.

I agree that dining stewards are serving too many tables. They are working as hard as they can and pax know it. We should not have to be aware of how stressed stewards are trying to get us all fed.

Pinnacle at Odyssey is excellent on Zuiderdam IMO Our dinners were excellent and prepared perfectly; served as we had ordered. Volcano is still worth every calorie/every gram of fat IMO I'll pass up most other desserts but I want my Volcano at least once per cruise. It just occured to me while writing this that we did not have 'the chef's bites' they used to serve. The small ball of goat cheese, smoked salmon and sushi......I wonder if our steward forgot it or if it is no longer served. Hmmmm???

We loved walking beautiful Promenade Deck and when we realized three times around equals one mile it made it clear how long Zuiderdam is. It's four times around on Maasdam. Everything was freshly painted, varnished, cleaned. It was a joy to walk the decks.

Something new we never saw before is a notice in our cabin that liner chairs such as those on Promenade Deck are available to buy. They would be imprinted (in some manner) with HAL and I imagine shipped to you.

We were not bothered with announcements in our cabin. NO BINGO Announcements to annoy us. :) I'm sure they made them in the public areas but we didn't have to hear them in our cabin. (Yes...I know we can shut off the speaker on the other ships but there are some announcements we do want to hear, such as when the ship has been cleared, so we leave it on.)

I don't think the ship was 100% filled but perhaps close to it. Toward the end of the week, DH and I happened to be walking out of Lido late in the afternoon when we saw the children being guided by Club HAL crew. We were surprised to see about 20 little ones as we had no idea there were even that many aboard. They clearly had been kept busy and happy 'elsewhere'. We were never bothered one time by any child.....or any other pax for that matter. It seemed to be a very nice pax mix and few of the 'attitude' types. At least we did run into any.

I have already made comments about how what we found at HMC. We were so happy to find the island in such good shape.

I guess I thought everyone had read enough about the October 2 Zuiderdam cruise so I haven't written/posted a review. There are already two posted for that cruise. I don't agree with everything they wrote but they did a great job IMO

I'd be happy to try to answer any specific questions.

[Vicar]

S7S

Glad that you had a great time and that everything went well for you.
I also read your post on HMC and was happy that it is still beautiful despite the hit it took.
I have never been there myself, but I can sense that it is a very special place to you and so many people here.

One question ..
I am sure you went to Pinnacle at least once. What did you have and how was it?

And South Beach be darned

How many Volcano Cakes did you have *LOL* :)

[sail7seas]

Vicar..... :)


You posted before I had finished "editing" my comments above. I added a paragraph re: Pinnacle.

We had WONDERFUL dinner in Pinnacle and could not have been more pleased. We were seated at a lovely table against the glass. DH had a rib eye steak and I had filet mignon. Both were cooked a perfect medium rare as ordered and were very tender and flavorful. I had a side of creamed spinach (South Beach be 'damned') :D and DH did potatoes and asperagus. We both feasted on the cracker bread and the steward brought us more when he saw both of us eyeing the last piece. Pinnacle was my major cheat from my 'careful eating'. Volcano (as I commented above) was heavenly and worth every gram of sugar, fat and calories!!!


Yes....Half Moon Cay is a very special place. If it isn't Paradise, it's good enough for me!!! The water there on a sunny, bright day is indescribable. Picture blue scope mouthwash and that would be a 'dull' version of the blue of HMC's water.

[Ziggy7]

Thanks for posting your review S7S, alway a pleasure to hear your view on the HAL ships :) And mostly thx for letting us know about HMC, our favorite place on earth! :)

[Vicar]

S7S

*LOL*

Just went back and read what you added.

Glad you had such a great cruise. The food sounded wonderful.

hmmmmmm the water is the color of Blue Scope mouthwash?????

I thought it was the color of Blue Jell-0 :)

Have you been endorsing a new sponsor while I was away *LOL*

[SANDY BEACH]

S7S, Sounds like you had a great, relaxing cruise. I agree with you that the dining stewards are serving too many tables. I remember how they always seemed to be moving at a very fast pace. Sometimes this makes you feel a little uncomfortable for them. Still a good dining experience, just something they could improve. Keep us informed when you head off to your TA to book your next cruise. Love to hear your stories and adventures. Life is good!

[Cruising Jake]

S&S, thanks for your review. Thanksgiving will be a special time for me. My daughter and year old grandson return from England on 11/21 for 6 weeks and I leave on the Zuiderdam on 11/27. Poor planning, I know, but I will still see her after I return from our wonderful vacation.

[sail7seas]

S7S

*LOL*

Just went back and read what you added.

Glad you had such a great cruise. The food sounded wonderful.

hmmmmmm the water is the color of Blue Scope mouthwash?????

I thought it was the color of Blue Jell-0 :)

Have you been endorsing a new sponsor while I was away *LOL*
Vicar.....Your sleep schedule really is all messed up. I just noticed what time you posted this message!!!


Endorsing a New Sponsor :D ROFL.....

[TedC]

S7S,

Thanks for the review but please enlighten me.

I guess I'm more of a gourmand than a gourmet because I don't know what "cracker bread" is. My first thought was "stale bread" but I don't think that's the case.

On the Prinsendam last year we had the most delicious bread in the alternative restaurant. I could've - and some said I did - make a meal out of it. The bread came in an individual circular pewter dish that had several small bites of various types of warm breads inset.

I've never had anything so good - as far as bread goes.

[HeatherInFlorida]

Sail, thank you sooooo much for your review. I had been anxiously awaiting it for days and posted hints on several threads with no luck. So I was thrilled to see it here this morning. I think you present such an honest view of things instead of going overboard in one direction or another.

With only 3 weeks until our Oosterdam cruise, I absolutely engulf any information about current HAL cruises, but your opinion is particularly valuable to me.

We're going to the Pinnacle on our 3rd night and I cannot wait for the volcano cake. Which reminds me, on a personal note, how do you like the South Beach Diet? My nephew has been on it very successfully and loves it. I'd be interested in a woman's point of view. I am always watching my weight, but would particularly like to lose about 10 lbs. in 3 weeks:D ... do you recommend South Beach?

Again, thanks for your thoughts on your cruise. Although time consuming for you, it's very valuable to those of us who have a high regard for your opinion.

[ekerr19]

Sail-

Thank you for taking the time to post a review of your cruise! Glad to hear it was as good as always on board the Zui...

In your opinion, was the Pinnacle service/food on the Zui better than your recent Maasdam cruise? I sounds like it was wonderful. We enjoyed the Pinnacle on Maasdam so much, I can't imagine it getting any better. :)

Thanks again for posting your thoughts and observations, they are most insightful - I'm glad you had a good cruise. :)

[sail7seas]

TedC.... How to describe 'cracker bread'? It is crispy like a very thin cracker and is baked in large sections which can be broken to serving size. Often it has sesame seeds but it must be very thin and very crisp to be Good!! Because I have only seen it baked with white flour, I rarely buy it at home as we normally only have whole grains.


Heather.......Thank you so much for, as always, being so kind. I try to be objective and to comment about our experiences as unbiasedly as possible.

As to South Beach......I positively love it. I'm not actively trying to lose any weight but certainly do not want to gain. I find South Beach to be such a sensible way to eat that it can only benefit anyone's well being IMO Depending upon whether one wants to lose weight or to maintain, determines which level (out of three) to follow. (We have several friends who are MD's and they and their families use South Beach. One of our friends in particular never approved of some of the other Trendy Diets but when he himself wanted to drop 15 pounds, he chose South Beach and both he and his wife remained on it at maintenance level.)

If you follow Level One for the recommended two weeks (and don't cheat :) ) it is almost assured you will lose the ten pounds you mention. Often, South Beachers report that the more a 'newbie' has to lose is the more they Will lose during Phase One. Most people lose ten pounds in the first two weeks if the carefully follow the plan.

I found on our Zudm cruise, I ate more than I normally do at home. For the most part, I ate per the boundaries of South Beach and had no trouble finding appropriate choices at all three meals each day. Between that and keeping up our usual walking routine, I barely gained 1 1/2 pounds and I ate 'heartily'. I could find plenty that was 'legal' and that I enjoy.

If you have any specifics about doing South Beach on Board, you know I will try to help with any questions.

[HeatherInFlorida]

Many thanks, Sail, for your response!! My nephew was quite overweight and lost 17 lbs. very rapidly. I don't have all that much to lose so would probably lose the 10 as you say. I had the book, it looked too painful :o so I sold the book back on Amazon. So I will have to think about it but really appreciate your input! I know my nephew (who lives in your area!) and his wife are both on it and absolutely love it. So we'll see;) .

But it's good to know that you can be on a cruise on HAL, follow the diet, and still have a great time!!!!:D

[kelelmel]

S7S,
Off topic, but your response regarding the 'South Beach Diet' got my attention. My fiancee and I are cruising in 3 weeks (YEAH!!) and I know he would like to drop atleast 10lbs. He is, however, not very disciplined, will not exercise and is not very educated when it comes to good food choices. I don't want to encourage him to go on a fad diet or take any sort of pills and I don't know what to recommend. His true dilemna is that he is a truck driver and does not have access to healthy food. Out of complete desperation he will eat fast food because he cannot make himself a healthy meal during the day (he works 10-12+ hours per day). One of his healthier options is a turkey sandwich, but that equates to a lot of carbs. I am, now, considering buying the book for him but I have a couple of questions I was hoping you might be able to answer. First, is the book easy to read and follow and is the diet easy to follow? Second, are the food options readily available or is a lot of preperation required? Lastly, what's your opinion, is this a good option for him? Thanks for your help!

~Kelly

[sail7seas]

S7S,
Off topic, but your response regarding the 'South Beach Diet' got my attention. My fiancee and I are cruising in 3 weeks (YEAH!!) and I know he would like to drop atleast 10lbs. He is, however, not very disciplined, will not exercise and is not very educated when it comes to good food choices. I don't want to encourage him to go on a fad diet or take any sort of pills and I don't know what to recommend. His true dilemna is that he is a truck driver and does not have access to healthy food. Out of complete desperation he will eat fast food because he cannot make himself a healthy meal during the day (he works 10-12+ hours per day). One of his healthier options is a turkey sandwich, but that equates to a lot of carbs. I am, now, considering buying the book for him but I have a couple of questions I was hoping you might be able to answer. First, is the book easy to read and follow and is the diet easy to follow? Second, are the food options readily available or is a lot of preperation required? Lastly, what's your opinion, is this a good option for him? Thanks for your help!

~Kelly

Kelly.....

I clicked your profile to see if you had an e-mail addy listed. I would have written privately if you did so as to not annoy others with too much discussion re: South Beach Diet. But, seeing as you didn't indicate an e-mail addy......Anyone can cruise on by this message as it is about South Beach Diet.

South Beach is a wonderful eating plan for healthy eating. I cannot see how it could possibly harm anyone. It is the Doctor's Diet among some with whom we are personal friends.

It is NOT low carb as is Atkins. It is GOOD carbs. Forget about white bread, white pasta, white rice, potatoes.....they are all starch; high glycemic levels which spike insulin production and most nutrition was removed from the processed food in the factory. If it says 'fortified' on the label, that is because they had to add back something of food value in order for you to get any nutition.

The book is written very clearly and easy to understand. It is silly to try to do this 'diet' without reading the whole book in order to understand the premise of the eating pattern. IF you or he are going to try the diet, I strongly encourage you to fully read the book.

It will be difficult for him on the road to get the foods and to get them prepared the way he requires. In most 'sit down' restaurants today, I find it possible to always find something I like that can be served to me the way I want it.

This is NOT a low fat diet. In fact, he encourages moderate use of olive oil, canola, peanut oil. He includes some low fat cheese.

We all should be eating whole grains, whole wheat, lots of veggies (skip the butter); salmon and other fish particularly that provide Omega 3 's.
Very low saturated fat but poly and mono's are okay. NO TRANS FATS !!!

The first two weeks on this diet are quite rigid in order to rid you of cravings for sugar/over processed foods which produce insulin for digestion. I think your fiance/anyone would have a hard time following it in fast food places.

For others familiar with South Beach, please feel free to correct/add to what I have written if you have a 'different slant'.

I lost the few pounds I wanted with it and enjoy eating this way now for maintenance. I like to eat the foods that are recommended and cannot imagine putting a slice of white Wonderbread in my mouth. Whole grains are sooo much better tasting IMO I rarely have a white potato but enjoy baked yams/sweet potatoes from time to time. I've always eaten tons of veggies and really like them so it is not hard for me.

The foods I indicate as recommended for South Beach are good whether on South Beach or not. For your fiance, you are wise to not suggest a Fad Diet and certainly to avoid 'fad pills'. As to how can he lose weight while on the road.....

Salads are always good choices and places such as Wendy's offer them. No fatty dressings and skip the potato salads and cole slaws. Stick with lettuce (any other than iceberg is best....iceberg is all water and little to no nutition); tomatoes, onions, olives, celery, broccoli, mushrooms, (carrots are high glycemic). Certainly skip soda with sugar. Turkey sandwich on whole wheat....use mustard rather than mayo and add a sliced tomato and romaine lettuce.

Can he get grilled chicken? Skip the french fries and mashed potatoes. Can he stop at a grocery store along the route and purchase fresh veggies? Wash 'em and many are fine for eating uncooked. He can eat lots of veggies while driving. Fresh Fruit....skip pineapple and watermelon and coconut as they are too high in sugar.

Eggs are fine scrambled, poached, even fried if not swimming in butter. A slice of Canadian bacon or breakfast ham is way better than bacon. Hopefully this has given you a few suggestions to help him. I'm always happy to talk about nutritious eating as I think it so important. I hope I have helped and have annoyed too many who think it doesn't belong here.

I am sorry to have taken the space to post this off topic but I think perhaps one or two others may be interested enough that it is not a total 'crime'.

Hope you have a wonderful cruise.....you will be able to eat very healthy while aboard if you choose to.

[Roadwork]

I opened this thread to see if there was a response but saw it has turned into another diet thread. There is another board on this site dedicated to the subject. Why not just take it over there?

On a positive note, it was good to read that there were no bingo announcements. This is an improvement.

Having dinner with the Captain is always nice and at times very interesting. How about telling us about dinner with the Captain? Was it at his table or a private dinner in the Pinnacle?

Glad you had a wonderfull cruise. Thanks for the reports on Half Moon.

[OCruisers]

sail7seas .... Glad you had a wonderful cruise!!!!

Need your help on what to order on Dutch Night! :confused: In the past we ALWAYS really looked forward to the Denver Sole and know it was a favorite of yours too (hate it's gone :( ) ... so, I'm sure, whatever you ordered and liked ... we will like as well.

Not even asking for suggestions ! :p Totally trust your opinions on food so just TELL us what to order! :D

Happy Sailing! OCruisers :)

[sail7seas]

I wouldn't dream of TELLING someone else what they should order.


Especially since we went to Pinnacle that night. :) We have never, ever been out of the dining room on Dutch Night in the past but the last time we went to the dining room looking for our usual enjoyable dinner, we did not care for the remaining choices. They took away most of what we liked.

The deck barbeque was that night as well. We went up and 'looked at it' and it looked REALLY good. Way better than our long ago memory of many cruises ago on the one and only time we ever chose to eat at the barbeque. There were alot of choices and the steaks looked good IMO

[MandyGirl]

Sail -

Did you use the cardio equipment in the gym? Or did you happen to notice if they were equipped with heartrate monitors (that you grip onto and the machine monitors your heart rate)? I'm assuming they have the typical cardio equipment... treadmills, bicycles, elliptical crosstrainer machines, etc.

Thanks for sharing 3 laps = 1 mile! I certainly enjoy getting the heartrate up while being in fresh air overlooking a beautiful sea!!

[sail7seas]

Mandy....


We did go up to the gym and thought they had good equipment....even better than Maasdam. Most of the treadmills have the heart rate monitor, I think. I agree that you need to get your heart rate up to get a cardio workout.

But, we didn't use any. Seeing as this was only a seven day cruise (short for us) and the weather was so wonderful, rather than using treadmills (as I did on Rotterdam and Maasdam), we stuck to walking Promenade and ashore. We didn't use the weights at all either.

[MandyGirl]

Thanks! That's great! I tend to get mine up TOO high at times on certain machines so I must monitor to keep it in range. Taking my own pulse always seems to be off some... but I'm keeping my promise to my cardiologist to monitor closely and I watch those numbers closely at my home gym on a regular basis. :) That will be great to have good equipment onboard. Thanks again!

[Roadwork]

I have come to the conclusion since I am not part of the clique, my post about dinner with the Captain has been ignored. I was interested and thought possibly others might have enjoyed reading about it also.

If my post about taking the diet talk to the other board was offensive, I am sorry you took it that way, but I do feel that is where it belongs. I believe the original questions about it could have been answered with yes / no answers without elaborating that carrots are high glycemic.
First, is the book easy to read and follow and is the diet easy to follow? Second, are the food options readily available or is a lot of preperation required? Lastly, what's your opinion, is this a good option for him?

[bookworm0911]

I have come to the conclusion since I am not part of the clique, my post about dinner with the Captain has been ignored. I was interested and thought possibly others might have enjoyed reading about it also.
I don't know about Cruise Critic cliques (is this true?), but I for one would be very interested in hearing all about dinner with the captian. I've been away for awhile waiting for my new computer to come, so I am just catching up on whats been happening here, hehe.

[sail7seas]

Your points about my response to the questions about South Beach Diet are well taken. I am sure you did not wish to offend anyone. I did alert right at the start of my post that the subject matter of my post was South Beach and suggested it was easy to cruise on by if it did not interest you. You certainly can (and hopefully did) skip it. But, I do not think any of us should discourage any poster from asking any questions they wish. I also think that just because a question is asked, no one is obligated to reply/respond. Just because it is asked places no responsibility for someone to HAVE to answer. JMHO, as always.

As to our wonderful dinner with the Captain, it was held on the first formal night and was at his table in the dining room rather than in Odyssey at Pinnacle. The Captain's Table on HAL ships is always on the lower level but on some ships is forward near the stair case. On Zuiderdam, it is in the center of the dining room, more aft. It was a real treat and we very much enjoyed it. I always find it very interesting how each Captain, each ship, each cruiseline all follow (very closely) the same pattern as to meeting for cocktails, all going to the table en groupe, enjoying fabulous wines. Captain John Scott and his wife are wonderful hosts and provided us with a very special evening. We are very appreciative to them for inviting us.

[Pincus]

Your points about my response to the questions about South Beach Diet are well taken. I am sure you did not wish to offend anyone. I did alert right at the start of my post that the subject matter of my post was South Beach and suggested it was easy to cruise on by if it did not interest you. You certainly can (and hopefully did) skip it. But, I do not think any of us should discourage any poster from asking any questions they wish. I also think that just because a question is asked, no one is obligated to reply/respond. Just because it is asked places no responsibility for someone to HAVE to answer. JMHO, as always.

As to our wonderful dinner with the Captain, it was held on the first formal night and was at his table in the dining room rather than in Odyssey at Pinnacle. The Captain's Table on HAL ships is always on the lower level but on some ships is forward near the stair case. On Zuiderdam, it is in the center of the dining room, more aft. It was a real treat and we very much enjoyed it. I always find it very interesting how each Captain, each ship, each cruiseline all follow (very closely) the same pattern as to meeting for cocktails, all going to the table en groupe, enjoying fabulous wines. Captain John Scott and his wife are wonderful hosts and provided us with a very special evening. We are very appreciative to them for inviting us.


S7S, thanks for the very prompt review; DH and I have been fans of HAL for many years, and have many cruises on the line, but are beginning to be concerned with the current trend of HAL management. Can you remember exactly how many tables/passengers your stewards served? Our TA is collecting such information for a letter to Lanterman.

Also, we have 15 months experience with SBD, and always order a plate of steamed vegetables. Thanks for sharing.

Again, thanks for all that you do to make this board to helpful.

[sail7seas]

Hi Pincus. That you for your nice compliment about my contributions to the Board. It is my 'Avocation' and the only thing I like better than talking about cruising is being on an HAL ship. :)


As to how many pax our dining steward and his assistant were serving.....the simple answer is too many IMO I do not know the exact number. In our section of the dining room where they were serving there were several tables with two pax; a table for six and one for eight. I think there was a four.....BUT I do not know just which they were serving and which other stewards were serving. It could be anywhere from 10 pax to 20.....I just don't know.


How great you are so into South Beach. I truly think itis a wonderful, healthy way to eat/live IMO After doing it for 15 months, you probably cannot imagine eating any other way now. I know I cannot imagine putting sugary, overprocessed junk into our bodies. At almost every restaurant we frequent, I, too, request steamed broccoli with dinner. At least 90% of the time, they accomodate me.

[Roadwork]

Thanks for answering my question about dinner with the Captain.

But, I do not think any of us should discourage any poster from asking any questions they wish. I also think that just because a question is asked, no one is obligated to reply/respond. Just because it is asked places no responsibility for someone to HAVE to answer. JMHO, as always.
This sounds like a riddle. I do agree that no one is obliged to answer a question, but when a question is asked and directed at someone, I look at it as pure courtesy to answer. I did feel like the question was ignored since questions by 2 others were answered. Mine was related to the cruise and not off topic. Not answering a question does discourge people from posting.

Again, I thank you for answering.

[sail7seas]

Sometimes folk stop at what they have written as being all they wish to say about something. Just because another expects/requests/wants more info on the subject does not make it rude to not wish to provide more information. JMHO, as always.

As to courtesy......well..........courtesy begets coutesy (usually).

[Roadwork]

Sometimes folk stop at what they have written as being all they wish to say about something. Just because another expects/requests/wants more info on the subject does not make it rude to not wish to provide more information. JMHO, as always.
Sorry, but I don't agree with this. I think it is rude. To post something you do not wish to discuss should not be posted in the first place. If not brought up it would not prompt people to ask questions on it and feel ignored when their question was not answered and other questions were.

[HeatherInFlorida]

Sail, there are days that one simply cannot win:o ... and often it's not even worth trying:) . Enjoy your Sunday! Hope it's as beautiful in Boston as it is in West Palm Beach!

[gliles]

S7S...I don't think you could have made it more clear that you knew you were off topic! Personally, I would never have gone to the diet forum but found what you said about SB very interesting. I always thought it was like Atkins but now realize it isn't, it sounds to be easier? Maybe I should get the book. Good to know you can follow it well on the ship, which is on topic.

[kelelmel]

S7S,
Thank you for your very informative response. As always you are very helpful, regardless of the topic. As 'Gliles' indicated I would have never checked the diet forum, simply because I wasn't looking for one, but I found your post so intriguing that I felt it warranted a response. Again, sorry to get off topic. Hope the CC police don't come and arrest me! :p

Also, thanks for the reminder, I will add my email address to my profile.

~Kelly

[gliles]

S7S,
Thank you for your very informative response. As always you are very helpful, regardless of the topic. As 'Gliles' indicated I would have never checked the diet forum, simply because I wasn't looking for one, but I found your post so intriguing that I felt it warranted a response. Again, sorry to get off topic. Hope the CC police don't come and arrest me! :p

Also, thanks for the reminder, I will add my email address to my profile.

~KellyWell I hope you are happy, you got S7S in trouble! :rolleyes:

I find it amazing how people get so upset when something is off topic. It doesn't bother me in the least, I just move on and don't read it if it doesn't interest me.

[kelelmel]

WelL I hope you are happy, you got S7S in trouble! :rolleyes: Sorry S7S:(

I find it amazing how people get so upset when something is off topic. It doesn't bother me in the least, I just move on and don't read it if it doesn't interest me. I agree. Seems to me there are a lot more important things to worry about. Like whether to order a Margarita or a Martini. An absolutely daunting task! :p

[sail7seas]

It is a beautiful day here, Heather. :) DH and I enjoyed a wonderful walk and got out and enjoyed it. We know winter will be here all too soon. :(

And, yes, you are correct.

[HeatherInFlorida]

Gretchen (off topic;) ) 7 days!!!:D

Anyway, the poster wasn't concerned that Sail was off topic...some people (I'm convinced) just love to stir the pot on what otherwise might be (for them) a boring Sunday afternoon:rolleyes: . As Sail said, no one had to read her post ... she could not have been more clear.

I, too, had asked about the South Beach diet and was VERY interested in what she had to say. So! The "ayes" have it. And P.S. I never go to the "diet" forum either ... did not know there was one. This is the only forum I visit because I like the people:D .

[gliles]

Seems to me there are a lot more important things to worry about. Like whether to order a Margarita or a Martini. An absolutely daunting task! :p
Exactly! :D

[Robin7]

I agree that dining stewards are serving too many tables. They are working as hard as they can and pax know it. We should not have to be aware of how stressed stewards are trying to get us all fed.Sail, I enjoyed your review. I'm glad you went to see the shows. I really did think Joel Mason was incredible!

As far as the stewards serving too many, my husband is a numbers guy. He entertained himself by counting the number of covered dishes the stewards had on their trays as they passed our table. (We were at a table for two closest to the doors the stewards use to enter and exit the upper dining room.) The most he saw one guy carrying was 13, and I'm pretty sure that was not all an entire course for whoever he was serving. I'm larger than most of those little Indonesian men! That guy could hardly see over the top of the dish covers. I think we were even more aware of how hard they work, because we could so clearly see them scurrying in and out of those doors. I hope they are paid well. We certainly made sure to tip them well. They earn every penny!

We had a young French-Canadian couple across the hall from us with a baby. We never heard that baby fussing. I saw almost no children on the cruise. I was wowed by your report of seeing so many. Club HAL must have done a great job keeping them busy or they had exceptional parental supervision.

I did see a few kids at the early shows. I didn't see too many teenagers, either, and as the mom of four teens, my teen-goofiness tolerance was at a low ebb so I would have noticed.

We had a weird experience. We ran into one of my husband's old roommates he hadn't see in 24 years and found out that they live just two towns from us. How weird is that? Plus they WON the FREE CRUISE from the raffle. How lucky is that??? We figure the odds of running into them, plus knowing who won the cruise were astronomical. Did you buy a raffle ticket? (We didn't. In dh's words, "We never win anything.")

Robin

[gliles]

Gretchen (off topic;) ) 7 days!!!:D You got that right sista! I am almost all packed, trying to get the 18 year old to pack. She keeps telling me that she is going to wear all the clothes all this week so she can't pack but I know she is bringing her prom dress for formal night and I don't think she is going to be wearing that this week!

DH doesn't believe in packing in advance at all which could explain why he had to buy underwear once when we went to Vegas. However, I do make lists and pack in advance and on the last cruise, I packed 2 tops to go with black pants but didn't pack the black pants!

[OCruisers]

I wouldn't dream of TELLING someone else what they should order.


Especially since we went to Pinnacle that night. :) We have never, ever been out of the dining room on Dutch Night in the past but the last time we went to the dining room looking for our usual enjoyable dinner, we did not care for the remaining choices. They took away most of what we liked.

The deck barbeque was that night as well. We went up and 'looked at it' and it looked REALLY good. Way better than our long ago memory of many cruises ago on the one and only time we ever chose to eat at the barbeque. There were alot of choices and the steaks looked good IMO

s7s .... Natually, you would never tell anyone exactly what to order. That's the reason I made it very clear that we really WANTED to know your opinion on this! :p

Since it's likely our Dutch Night will be in Curacao, maybe your suggestion on the deck bar-b-q would work. Hopefully, there will be fireworks. We had rather do Pennacle on "At Sea" nights.

Thanks so much with your help on this!!!!!

Happy Sailing! OCruisers :)

[sail7seas]

Kelly.....No problem. Be Happy. I could have been rude ;) and not responded to your question but I wanted to. Ask anytime you wish; I and most everyone else here are happy for all participation.

A big thank you to those who noted that I made it clear anyone who was not interested 'could cruise on by'...and for sure, those who thought what I wrote was helpful

So....let's not let anyone wreck our day with trying to make trouble.

I think I'll go steam a bunch of veggies. :D

To make this 'on topic'......... HAL is excellent IMO at providing so many choices for just about everyone's special needs and desires. We have cruised other lines and I did not ever see the same variety and quality of all the choices (particularly in Lido) on Princess, Celebrity, RCI or Carnival. There is no comparison IMO and I think HAL to be the absolute leader in that regard.

[sail7seas]

We had a weird experience. We ran into one of my husband's old roommates he hadn't see in 24 years and found out that they live just two towns from us. How weird is that? Plus they WON the FREE CRUISE from the raffle. How lucky is that??? We figure the odds of running into them, plus knowing who won the cruise were astronomical. Did you buy a raffle ticket? (We didn't. In dh's words, "We never win anything.")



We also had a really weird experience. We were sitting at our table in the dining room and DH looked to his right and said.....'see that woman at the next table'. Yah...do you know her? He replied that he knows her from a professional office he deals with all the time. That he has known her for 20 years. Me....."Oh, you just think it's her". Him....Nope, it's her. Me: Go say hello. He does...He's right!!! He ends up buying them drinks and wine and everyone is happy. :) How unlikely someone he deals with all the time at home would not only be on our cruise but seated right beside us.

We, too, were shocked when we saw how many kids were aboard. We saw just about none out and about or at the aft pool all week. When we saw the little cuties walking with the HAL counselors, we were impressed what a wonderful job they must have done to have kept all these kids happy and occupied and away from bothering anyone. Their Moms and Dads had to have been delighted and able to spend a few hours each day enjoying eachother...sans the kids.

[Peggy Sue]

S7S - thanks for the informative report. Glad you had a great time! You've now done 2 seven day cruises...did you miss remaining on board for another week? Don't you have a holiday cruise coming up later this year?

We really enjoyed the Zuiderdam last year..if we didn't have so many other places we wish to see..and limited vacation time..we wouldn't hesitate to book another cruise. We found the suite and service to be outstanding.

Agree..it is a beautiful fall day here. We met family at Hampton, NH today and had a nice dinner and enjoyed the beautiful ocean. Very cool by the water..we kept thinking about the warm breezes we'd be enjoying in a few weeks on the Volendam.

Welcome home..and thanks for sharing your experiences!

Peggy Sue

[Roadwork]

Gretchen (off topic;) ) 7 days!!!:D

Anyway, the poster wasn't concerned that Sail was off topic...some people (I'm convinced) just love to stir the pot on what otherwise might be (for them) a boring Sunday afternoon:rolleyes: . As Sail said, no one had to read her post ... she could not have been more clear.

I, too, had asked about the South Beach diet and was VERY interested in what she had to say. So! The "ayes" have it. And P.S. I never go to the "diet" forum either ... did not know there was one. This is the only forum I visit because I like the people:D .

Heather how wrong you are. You are jumping to conclusions that are way off base. You have no idea what my concerns were. I had no intention of stirring the pot as you accuse me of, I voiced an opinion. There was nothing wrong with the oringinal question about the diet, my objection was to the elaboration of the answer, since this is not a diet board.

P.S. My Sundays are by no means boring.

[sail7seas]

S7S - thanks for the informative report. Glad you had a great time! You've now done 2 seven day cruises...did you miss remaining on board for another week? Don't you have a holiday cruise coming up later this year?

We really enjoyed the Zuiderdam last year..if we didn't have so many other places we wish to see..and limited vacation time..we wouldn't hesitate to book another cruise. We found the suite and service to be outstanding.

Agree..it is a beautiful fall day here. We met family at Hampton, NH today and had a nice dinner and enjoyed the beautiful ocean. Very cool by the water..we kept thinking about the warm breezes we'd be enjoying in a few weeks on the Volendam.

Welcome home..and thanks for sharing your experiences! Peggu Sue

Right you are, Peggy Sue. We only did a seven dayer on "MY" Maasdam :) this summer and now again on Zudm. We are booked for 12 days on Veendam in January and for back-to-backs to return to "MY" ;) Maasdam next June. DH wants to book something for March.

And, yes.....we very much missed not staying aboard for another week. We are so used to b-to-b's that it felt very odd (and pretty crummy :) ) to have to leave after one week. I don't mean to sound like a spoiled brat....it's just a matter of a habit we had formed and now deviated from that felt like a whole big something was missing. It was.....another whole week aboard!!!

Each time I have read your profile and Beverly, I have always wondered if it you lived in the North Shore Beverly near where we live but I didn't feel it right to ask you. But....happily you answered. We often go to Beverly for dinner with good friends who live there. Sounds like you had a lovely day with your family. That's great!!

[ekerr19]

Heather how wrong you are. You are jumping to conclusions that are way off base. You have no idea what my concerns were. I had no intention of stirring the pot as you accuse me of, I voiced an opinion. There was nothing wrong with the oringinal question about the diet, my objection was to the elaboration of the answer, since this is not a diet board.

P.S. My Sundays are by no means boring.
Roadwork-

I can sympathize, but I disagree that Heather is the problem...

Voicing an honest opinion on these boards can be the "kiss of death" when it comes to certain posters. They feel totally justified in being rude themselves, yet if they even think someone else has been so - they are either considered "ignored" or that persons opinions, thoughts, observations constantly ridiculed.

If someone chooses to ignore your question - simply ask another poster. There are plenty of other veteran cruisers who would happily answer it. :)

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Sail, I think you review was great and Oh How nice it was that you and DH had dinner with the Captain. The Captain's name you mentioned does not sound familiar. Is he a new Captain to the Zuirderdam? I am sure he is not the Captain we had in April 2003. I know you have been on the Zuirderdam several times so there may have been several Captains.

I also noticed you mentioned DH would like to go aagain in March, why don't you join us on the Westerdam on March 13th?

Thanks again for sharing all your information.

[localady]

S7S-

Just got back from a weekend away, and enjoyed reading your post.:D I think you did a great and objective job about the strengths (and weaknesses) on the Z and I really appreciate it. You are right about the crew, they are fabulous! They are what make the experience! Thanks for posting! :cool:

[sail7seas]

Lisa...


We also sailed on Zuiderdam in April 2003 and Captain Jack was there. Then Captain Hans van Biljouw was Master when we returned in August/September.

Captain Scott had just joined Zuiderdam the week before we arrived.
We had sailed with him previously a number of years ago and it was nice to see him again.

[sail7seas]

Sail-

Thank you for taking the time to post a review of your cruise! Glad to hear it was as good as always on board the Zui...

In your opinion, was the Pinnacle service/food on the Zui better than your recent Maasdam cruise? I sounds like it was wonderful. We enjoyed the Pinnacle on Maasdam so much, I can't imagine it getting any better. :)

Thanks again for posting your thoughts and observations, they are most insightful - I'm glad you had a good cruise. :)


ekerr....

Sorry, I originally missed this post when I was reading the thread earlier. (Somehow South Beach always catches my eye and grabs it.)

I think that Maasdam and Zuiderdam's Odyssey/Pinnacles are about the same but I might give an edge to Zuiderdam. The primary advantages IMO of ZUDM's over Maasdam's is it has its own galley and does not have to share with the main dining room. Also....I, personally, think that ZUDM's design and decorating is more attractive than Maasdam's. I find Zudm's to be a very romantic room, with beautiful appointments and the chairs are amazing. When I first saw them, they looked like they would be very uncomfortable but the reality is exactly the opposite. Also, Zudm's Odyssey at Pinnacle has its own bar ....really nice, actually.

We enjoy dining in both of these fine restaurants.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Lisa...


We also sailed on Zuiderdam in April 2003 and Captain Jack was there. Then Captain Hans van Biljouw was Master when we returned in August/September.

Captain Scott had just joined Zuiderdam the week before we arrived.
We had sailed with him previously a number of years ago and it was nice to see him again.
Sail, Yes it was Captain Jack on our Zuirderdam cruise in 2003.

Does anyone know who will be the Captain on the Ryndam for our upcoming cruise next month? I am guessing it will be the same one that will be present for the Unveiling of the Enhanced Ryndam on Wednesday.

[Esme]

Sail, Yes it was Captain Jack on our Zuirderdam cruise in 2003.

Does anyone know who will be the Captain on the Ryndam for our upcoming cruise next month? I am guessing it will be the same one that will be present for the Unveiling of the Enhanced Ryndam on Wednesday.


Somewhere I heard it was to be Captain Jack, but I'm not sure

[JohnR49er]

Thanks for the review. Glad you had a good time. :D :D :D

[sail7seas]

Thank you, John. :)



- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


Captain Jack will be (or may already be) Master of Ryndam, we were told.

[dakrewser]

Sorry, but I don't agree with this. I think it is rude. To post something you do not wish to discuss should not be posted in the first place. If not brought up it would not prompt people to ask questions on it and feel ignored when their question was not answered and other questions were.
No one is obligated to even acknowledge a question, never mind answer it. Sometimes the number of questions to one person is simply overwhelming, sometimes the questions are too personal in nature, and sometimes the questions simply elecit a response of "huh?".

If the question isn't ansered when first asked, a gentle re-asking (rather than a pouting "you ignored ME!") respone might work. If there's still no anser, consider the 2nd and 3rd possibilities I mentioned.

-dave

[DFD1]

Thank you, Sail. Glad to hear that you don't think HAL is going to hell in a handbasket. I don't either.

[ekerr19]

ekerr....

Sorry, I originally missed this post when I was reading the thread earlier. (Somehow South Beach always catches my eye and grabs it.)

I think that Maasdam and Zuiderdam's Odyssey/Pinnacles are about the same but I might give an edge to Zuiderdam. The primary advantages IMO of ZUDM's over Maasdam's is it has its own galley and does not have to share with the main dining room. Also....I, personally, think that ZUDM's design and decorating is more attractive than Maasdam's. I find Zudm's to be a very romantic room, with beautiful appointments and the chairs are amazing. When I first saw them, they looked like they would be very uncomfortable but the reality is exactly the opposite. Also, Zudm's Odyssey at Pinnacle has its own bar ....really nice, actually.

We enjoy dining in both of these fine restaurants.

Sail-

Thank you - I was curious as to how you felt they compared against each other. The bar in the Zui is a big plus in my opinion. Any lobster on the Pinnacle menu?

[sail7seas]

We did not see lobster on the menu but we did not ask. Remember we're from Boston. :) ...we're "lobster snobs" and never eat lobster on the ships. We are way too accustomed to 3-4 pound Maine hardshells we pick from a live tank and cook/eat within an hour of bringing them home.

[sail7seas]

No one is obligated to even acknowledge a question, never mind answer it. Sometimes the number of questions to one person is simply overwhelming, sometimes the questions are too personal in nature, and sometimes the questions simply elecit a response of "huh?".

If the question isn't ansered when first asked, a gentle re-asking (rather than a pouting "you ignored ME!") respone might work. If there's still no anser, consider the 2nd and 3rd possibilities I mentioned.

-dave


SO WISE, COURTEOUS AND RATIONAL, Dave, AS ALWAYS.

[bookworm0911]

With all the talk of diet and healthy eating here on this thread, and others, and now mention of lobster- I have never read any poster mentioning that lobster and all shellfish are high in cholestrol, which we all need to watch in our diets.

Lobster and the other shellfish that most of us love are not substitutes for fish in a healthy eating plan and should be eaten in limited quantities, and without the drawn butter of course.:( .

[Esme]

DH has had 2 heart attacks and a by-pass and we never, never eat shell fish or lobster as much as we would like to. Doc says "no way - bad for the cholesterol" - so we have broiled fish - no butter - I just serve it with lemon. Sure we miss the lobster and shell fish, but his health is more important.

[dakrewser]

With all the talk of diet and healthy eating here on this thread, and others, and now mention of lobster- I have never read any poster mentioning that lobster and all shellfish are high in cholestrol, which we all need to watch in our diets.
Actually we don't ALL need to watch cholesterol intake. There's also growing evidence that, in fact, very few of us do. Still, I'd never try to dictate to you what you should, and should not, eat.

[bookworm0911]

Certainly we all are responsible for our own health. What you choose to do is not my affair, but until the AHA changes its guidelines and dietary recommendations, we will continue to follow our cardiologist's advice re cholesterol. :)

[HeatherInFlorida]

Actually we don't ALL need to watch cholesterol intake. There's also growing evidence that, in fact, very few of us do.
Huh??? Are you sure??? I'm a news junkie, political, medical, you name it.....and this is news to me.

[dakrewser]

Huh??? Are you sure??? I'm a news junkie, political, medical, you name it.....and this is news to me.
I'm not sure any studies have been published as yet, but there's a school of thought that any cholesterol problems are genetically linked...

-dave

[sail7seas]

Does anyone really want to get into a conversation of LDL vs HDL? You know...the good cholesterol vs. the bad cholesterol? How we should be RAISING our HDL's. Shall we put triglycerides into the conversation? This would drive some of our readers over the edge, I fear. :)

We NEVER use butter with our lobster ......

I really, really am not going to get into what the Nutritionists and Dieticians and Cardiologists at Massachusetts General Hospital discussed with me re: steamed lobster. Let's leave it at I am allowed to enjoy it seeing as I never use butter with it. I shiver that we will now get into a contest of his cardiologists, hers, ours, theirs.....who has the best cardiologist and who knows best. Let's each trust our own docs know what is best for each of us.

[HeatherInFlorida]

Sail, I couldn't agree more. Understand that I started to do exactly that (HDL, LDL, tryglycerides) and thought better of it. I just couldn't let the statement go unquestioned.

Everyone can head on over to the Medical Boards (if there is such a thing:D ) for that battle.

[JohnR49er]

Just wondering how many twists, turns, and changes of direction this thread might have taken if Sail was on a 14 day jaunt. LOL:D :D :D :D :D

[sail7seas]

:D They're right in line with the Diet Board but before the snow skiing board. I think they are both jammed in the middle of Line Dancing but no where near the Bartending/Drinking Board.

[sail7seas]

Just wondering how many twists, turns, and changes of direction this thread might have taken if Sail was on a 14 day jaunt. LOL:D

:) ;) :cool: Good thing it was only a seven day sun and fun, down and dirty. Wait 'til it's 14 days next June on "MY" ;) Maasdam. That could turn into a general free for all.

[crusing plantlady]

Thanks for the review S7S. Could you tell me more about lunch with the captain. What was on the buffet? Were drinks served? Are children ever there? We have a S booked over spring break with our 11 and 14 year old daughters. I've read the Crow's Nest is beautiful and would love them to see. I'm a newbe to the the Hal boards but surfed cc alot before we sailed in a Vista Suite on the Grand Princess. On that cruise, with the huge aft cabin, it was hard to get my family to leave the room on sea days. Thanks

[sail7seas]

:) I'm the wrong one to ask that question. We've been in an "S" for about 45 cruises and have a perfect record of non-attendance at the lunch (now brunch) with the Captain and Hotel Manager. We always attend Suite dinners when they still have them but never the brunch.


You most certainly can bring your children and they will be welcome in the Crowsnest at any time throughout the cruise except sometimes later in the evening, they ask all under 21 to leave....but you probably would have had them out of there by then anyway.

Yes....liquor will be served at the Captain/Hotel Manager's Brunch.

We had the huge aft Suite on Ocean Princess a few years ago and that cabin was fabulous. If you have booked an aft Suite on Zuiderdam, you will find a smaller cabin (even smaller than the "S" which are up both sides of the ship) but it has a massively huge verandah. All of the "S" on the Vista ships are smaller than on all of the other HAL ships but they are very comfortable and there are a few features I like better about them.....but, also some I like less.

[SANDY BEACH]

Cruising Plantlady, We attended the Captain's brunch in the Crows Nest in July. An elaborate display of hors d'oeuvres that were very tasty. Champagne, bloody marys, screwdrivers and other drinks were served by the Pinnacle staff as soon as you entered and throughout your brunch free of charge. We saw two children attend the brunch. They were perfect angels with manners better than some adults. A pleasure to watch them. If you have no other plans at that time, I would suggest you go and enjoy.

[peaches from georgia]

As Sandy Beach said, the brunch is a lovely event for suite pax and you should attend. The crew obviously goes to a great deal of trouble to make it special. It is held near the end of the cruise, usually on a sea day, and at a time there aren't many other activities, so an hour or so at the brunch won't interrupt anything. We especially like getting to say goodbye to new friends we have made on the cruise in such a lovely setting.

[sail7seas]

[QUOTE]
As Sandy Beach said, the brunch is a lovely event for suite pax and you should attend[QUOTE]


To date, we have not wished to attend.

We always have/find the opportunity to say goodbye and thank you to our wonderful HAL friends. We would never dream of leaving without proper goodbyes.

[gizmo]

Plantlady,

As Peaches and Sandy said, it is a very nice affair. I have seen different food served on different ships but I will list a few items. Shrimp, filet mignon, cavier, Idonesion dishes, cheeses and some good desserts. I have seen children attend these lunches. Go, you will all enjoy it. :)