Do you have questions after the Oosterdam drydock and it's Med itinerary?

[rochelle_s]

I took my first HAL cruise almost a year ago and found such a wealth of information here on the HAL boards from a really great group of people. I thought perhaps I might be able to 'pay it back' a little when I board the Oosterdam on her first trip after her drydock (April 25) as she heads through the Mediterranean.

So if you have any questions or pictures you would like me to take in regards to the Oosterdam or her med itinerary just let me know and I will do my best to get the info and/or pic for you. The ports to visit are; Barcelona, Monte Carlo, Livorno, Civitavecchia, Messina, Navplion, Katakolon, Corfu, Dubrovnik, Venice, Split, Athens, Istanbul, Mykonos, Kusadasi and Santorini.

I will make an attempt at doing a 'live from' thread but as this is a very port intensive cruise (only 3 of 24 days are at sea) I make no promises, but I will post as soon as I can. :)
Please no requests for photos of particular cabins as I will definately not have time to go knocking on strangers doors and asking for a little peak inside. :eek:


Rochelle

[CTBob]

I took my first HAL cruise almost a year ago and found such a wealth of information here on the HAL boards from a really great group of people. I thought perhaps I might be able to 'pay it back' a little when I board the Oosterdam on her first trip after her drydock (April 25) as she heads through the Mediterranean.

So if you have any questions or pictures you would like me to take in regards to the Oosterdam or her med itinerary just let me know and I will do my best to get the info and/or pic for you. The ports to visit are; Barcelona, Monte Carlo, Livorno, Civitavecchia, Messina, Navplion, Katakolon, Corfu, Dubrovnik, Venice, Split, Athens, Istanbul, Mykonos, Kusadasi and Santorini.

I will make an attempt at doing a 'live from' thread but as this is a very port intensive cruise (only 3 of 24 days are at sea) I make no promises, but I will post as soon as I can. :)
Please no requests for photos of particular cabins as I will definately not have time to go knocking on strangers doors and asking for a little peak inside. :eek:


Rochelle
Thanks Rochelle. I am looking at a Mediterranean cruise for next year. So far I haven't been able to get the itinerary for the Oosterdam for then. I would be willing to book now if I could. I guess the drydock is to reconfigure the Crow's Nest with the Explorations Cafe like the other Vistas. I will be looking for your "Live From" thread as well as any photos that you wish to share. I have just started posting photos from our February cruise to the Panama Canal on the Zuiderdam. Check out the link in my signature.

Bob

[archimedes]

Thanks Rochelle, that's a great offer. We're on Oosterdam out of Venice when you disembark on 19 May so it would be great to hear what you think about post drydock improvements. We know about the stern reconfiguration, etc but it will be interesting to hear what you think about general smartening up of an already excellent ship. Have a great cruise.:)

[AZjohn]

Hi again Rochelle,
Are you planning to do a blog or daily report while on your cruise?
Being that I will be several months behind you I will be interested in any/all info you have regarding the ship and most ports you are visiting.
I have nothing specific right now to ask you but any photos you can post (ship or ports) would only add to our excitement.
Have great cruise and thanks for your generous offer!
John

[AZjohn]

IPlease no requests for photos of particular cabins as I will definately not have time to go knocking on strangers doors and asking for a little peak inside. :eek:
Rochelle
You just don't know the fun in doing that...:rolleyes:(lol).

[pipedreams62]

Please no requests for photos of particular cabins as I will definately not have time to go knocking on strangers doors and asking for a little peak inside. :eek:


Rochelle

Thanks Rochelle,have a wonderful cruise.

Please add these stupid questions to your list.

"Do They Serve Bacon In The Morning"?

"Is There Still A Guy Named John Working On There"?




http://home.planetcomm.net/ltaylor/web/web/web/Bowl-of-Stupid.jpeg

[RuthC]

What a generous offer! Thank you.

I'll be visiting some of those ports next fall, so I'm particularly interested in anything you have to say about Monte Carlo and Civitavecchia.
Again, thank you for this. :)

[san diego sue]

Just got off the Oosterdam, through the Canal and then the Mediteranian, 32 days of pure joy.
Ruth, the best thing to do for Monte Carlo is to get your cruise critic meet and greet together and book a private tour. we had 8 of us sharing a van , Dream Tours (our guide was Frederick).We paid 75 Euros a piece and had him all day (9 hours). He drove where the tour buses couldn't. Besides Monaco, we went to EZE (Medieval village), Nice (enjoyed the huge flea market), St. Paul(another unbelievable Medieval village with beautiful art galleries and other items). The ships tours dropped passengers at bottom of hills with huge climbs up. Our guide took us to the top and we walked down.He drove us all along the Riviera with the best stops for photos. He recommeded a reasonable priced place for lunch, great food. We were picked up and dropped off at the ship.
I could go on and on about this tour. It was the best. Also he spoke very well and easy to understand.
San Diego Sue

[chloes nana]

http://home.planetcomm.net/ltaylor/web/web/web/Bowl-of-Stupid.jpeg
thanks for the good laugh!!:D I love this one

[obriendan]

Looking forward to your cruise blog. We board the Oosterdam on October 5th for the 28 day transatlantic from Venice. Since we've booked an aft veranda, 8134, we would appreciate pictures of the stern after the aft lift.

Dan

[chloes nana]

I took my first HAL cruise almost a year ago and found such a wealth of information here on the HAL boards from a really great group of people. I thought perhaps I might be able to 'pay it back' a little when I board the Oosterdam on her first trip after her drydock (April 25) as she heads through the Mediterranean.

So if you have any questions or pictures you would like me to take in regards to the Oosterdam or her med itinerary just let me know and I will do my best to get the info and/or pic for you. The ports to visit are; Barcelona, Monte Carlo, Livorno, Civitavecchia, Messina, Navplion, Katakolon, Corfu, Dubrovnik, Venice, Split, Athens, Istanbul, Mykonos, Kusadasi and Santorini.

I will make an attempt at doing a 'live from' thread but as this is a very port intensive cruise (only 3 of 24 days are at sea) I make no promises, but I will post as soon as I can. :)
Please no requests for photos of particular cabins as I will definately not have time to go knocking on strangers doors and asking for a little peak inside. :eek:


Rochelle
just a reminder I still want a picture of the port building in Civitavecchia.:D

[PenelopeCorelli]

We'll be doing the same itinerary on the "O" in July (except for Split), so I'll be keeping track of you! Love to see and hear whatever you post. Are you doing tours? We're on our own, so public transportation is of interest, as well as ambiance, food, etc. and all things about the ship experience itself!:)Thanks!

[airhose]

Hi, Rochelle. Thanks for your offer of taking questions! We are also first timers on HAL, first Med. cruise ever, in October on the O. Also, we are from Ontario:)! So my big question is the currency situation. I had thought to bring travelers cheques, in euros, to cash on board. Will the ship exchange these, euro cheque for euro cash (1 to 1)??? A lot of people recommend using ATM's, but my bank (RBC) charges $5 per transaction. This could add up quickly. I don't want to bring US travelers cheques and pay for 2 currency exchanges. What do you plan to do?
Have an awesome trip when you do go!!
Sue