Live from the VOLENDAM

[Himself]

Hey Gang:
The beautiful and m.s. Volendam cast her mooring lines from Ft. Lauderdale in the rain and we set sail for Nassau. We were due to leave at 5:00 PM but we were actually underway at 4:56 PM. The Century went out first, we were second, the "Jewel of the Seas" was behind us followed by Zuiderdam. The Princess ship was last and I don't know when they left. I take all the blame for the rain myself. You see, I flew in on Friday and stayed the night at the Sheraton at the airport. It was nice and sunny when I went down for breakfast and purchased some sun tan lotion--I am fair complected--and went up to my room, watched some TV and gathered my belongings and caught a ride to the ships. We were docked at Pier 25--the Zuiderdam had pier 29. By the time we took the ten minute ride there it had started to rain. It felt much like a typical day in Ketchikan Alaska, except it was warmer. While docked at Ft. Lauderdale, I heard a lady say that it felt like the ship was moving. ( I thought this might be a most interesting cruise. My question was, how will she react when we get off to sea?) I must say there were some swells the first hour and a half out but then things calmed down. They did put "barf bags" at the elevators but by 7:30PM things were calm.
When we arrived here in Nassau, things were much better. It is warm and the sun is shining. I took a walk through town and now I am at an internet station sending you this "pearl." We have the first of three formal nights tonight. It is now 10:05 and we sail in two hours. I will post ocassionally but I don't have the flair of a TOMC or a REV NEAL, but I will try. Hopefully we will not be trying!
Wish you all were here with me.
HIMSELF

[Ziggy7]

Hi Himself,
Glad to hear your having a good time, thanks for sharing with us who are left behind :) At least we can pretend we are with you :) Blue skies and clam seas for you for the rest of your cruise :)

[Sage]

Thank you so much for posting. I have to wait until December 6 to sail :( I'm glad things are going well, and I hope you continue to have a wonderful time. :D

[sail7seas]

Hi Himself. Thanks for posting. Nice of you to think of us and use your vacation time to tell us about your Volendam cruise. Hope you have a wonderful time and the weather/seas cooperate to provide sun and fun.

[localady]

Hope the skies clear!! I am counting the days here (23 to go!!!!!!)

Calm seas and clear skies!!:cool:

[tomc]

I don't have the flair of a TOMC or a REV NEAL, but I will try.
All give their own reports in their own styles. Thank goodness for variety.

[Himself]

We are now at sea for two and one half hours. So I am really now on the Volendam, heading for St. Thomas. It has been a delightful day. The seas are calm and a nice royal blue. Wish you were here with me. Have run into a couple from Long Island that I met in 2000 on a Mexican Rivera Cruise on the Statendam. I ran into someone from the Pacific NorthWest that I have dealt with by phone and on the internet. By the Way the ROSARIO Strings are playing in the EXPLORERS Lounge.

Wish you all were here..............................................
Himself

[Batinfla]

Thanks for posting. I read with interest as we leave on the 16th. We really like the Volendam - were on her just about a year ago this time. Take good care of her for us.

[josee]

thanks for posting. I truly enjoy hearing about everyone's experience. I will be on the Volendam on the Dec 16 and am looking forward to it. I hear the beds are quite comfortable and it"s a beautiful ship. I wish you perfect weather now that you have left the rain.
Josée

[RuthC]

Thank you for the "up close and personal" posts. This is as close to a cruise as I'll have for quite a while, so I do appreciate the vicarious thrill.
Like a drug addict---I'll take what I can get to feed my need (to cruise).

[sail7seas]

Happy to hear you were reacquainted with folks you have cruised with in the past. That is always such fun.

Looking forward to whatever posts you are generous to share with us. I love following along with a poster while they are curising.

Have a great time.

[jazzsea]

We love the Volendam and hope to sail on her in the Spring of 2005. Our next real cruise is January 5 on Rotterdam. Can't wait! Thanks for taking the time to keep us posted.

[doone]

Himself, thanks for posting from the beautiful Volendam. I hope you enjoy her as much as I have.

How did your hotel work out for you?

[Himself]

The hotel was fine but not as fine as it would have been had I gotten what you lucked out with. Out by the airport, one is kind of isolated. I was West of the airport. However, I slept like a baby. By the way it is cloudy at sea today. The Rosario Strings got a lot of applause in the Explorer's lounge last night. Glad to have them back on board. They are outstanding.

Himself signing off (for now)!

[tomc]

I assume that's not the same Rosario Strings as were assigned to the Rotterdam. I think they field a number of groups. I gave my group a newspaper clipping of the real girl from Ipanema, who still looks darned good, as that piece is part of their repertoire.

[DFD1]

Thanks, Himself. Reading your reports is great fun. We are sailing on the Volendam November 26. Can't wait. Thanks again. Have a great time.

[doone]

Himself, next time you use priceline for your hotel, strictly bid downtown 3 stars and you should end up with the Marriott.

[Himself]

It is a warm day here on the Island of St. Thomas in the USVI. It is also crowded. There are three ships at the usual dock (Royal Caribbean ship--something of the Seas--The Carnival Triumph and the Caribbean Princess and the Zuiderdam anchored out in the harbor. The Volendam is docked over in Crown Bay about a half hour ride from Soapy's station where I write these lines. Yesterday at Sea was mostly cloudy and cool with a tad of rain in the afternoon. Sunny and hot today.
DOONE: I WILL take your advice!
TOMC: "Rosario Strings" are a group of violinists etc. out of the Phillipine
Islands. The performers you had are not the ones I have.
However, they do belong to the same organization. At one time
they were on all the HAL ships and something happened and HAL
dropped them. They are back and the three on this ship have been
outstanding. They get a crowd every night and they get a lot of
applause.

Am going into town and then back to the beatiful and m.s. VOLENDAM.
I might come back in when the sun goes down and the town cools off a bit.
Best wishes to all.
HIMSELF

[Tatka]

It is a warm day here on the Island of St. Thomas in the USVI. It is also crowded. There are three ships at the usual dock (Royal Caribbean ship--something of the Seas--The Carnival Triumph and the Caribbean Princess and the Zuiderdam anchored out in the harbor. The Volendam is docked over in Crown Bay about a half hour ride from Soapy's station where I write these lines. Yesterday at Sea was mostly cloudy and cool with a tad of rain in the afternoon. Sunny and hot today.

Thank you for interesting reports... With so many big ships it can be very crowded.

During our West. Carib cruise on Zuiderdam in Grand Caymans we were in port with Carib Princess, Carnival Triumph and Navigator of the Seas.

Zui was actually the smallest ship compare to 100,000t+ Triumph and Car. Princess and 142,000t Navigator.

Even our tour guide said that 2 ships in one day would be enough for all their $$ needs.

[Himself]

Here we are in Grnad Turk, Tortola. Zuiderdam was supposed to go in ahead of us and she seemed to be heading out as we went in. Must have been given the "heave-ho" by the Harbor Master until we docked. About 45 minutes after we docked, what ship showed up on the otherside of our dock?
The mega-ship, first "Vista-Class Ship"--THe Zuiderdam. It would be interesting to hear offically why that ship headed out until we were in when it was here before us.

By the way, I took a walk into Road Town Tortola this morning--I am not ready to throw my passport away!

Afew weeks ago, someone claimed that the FOX NEWS CHANNEL was being broadcast into Staterooms on the HAL ships. Not true, we still get CNN

All the Best!
HIMSELF

[photonut4]

I am enjoying reading your posts especially since my mom and sister are on the Zuirerdam <sp>. How is the weather in Tortola today? Enjoy the rest of your cruise.

[DFD1]

Thanks, Himself. It is amazing how much more valuable your US passport becomes once you see how much of the rest of the world lives!

I will never forget, many years ago when I first traveled abroad, how shocked I was at the differences in the standards of living in various places around the world. As an unsophisticated lad, I just supposed that everyone lived the way we lived.

[Himself]

The weather was cloudy in Tortola this morning and rainy this afternoon. When we left Tortola two hours ago it was raining. The Zuiderdam was due to leave an hour after us at 6:00 PM We are heading South to Rosseau Dominica and then to Bridgetown, Barbados while the Zuiderdam is heading up to Nassau and then on to Fort Lauderdale. We are supposed to be in Half Moon Cay on Monday with the OOSERDAM. Half Moon Cay will be like "State and Madison" in Chicago with two ships in port at once--especially since on is a "mega-ship."
Himself

[Himself]

The day was pretty nice today in Rosseau Dominica. Started to rain as we were preparing to leave 90 minutes ago. It is still raining.
HIMSELF

[Himself]

The weather on the Volendam has been stormy. When we sailed into Barbados it was miserable, pouring rain. A lot of the tours were cancelled. In the afternoon the Sun came out and things were a little nicer. At Sea on Saturday we had many swells to deal with and the voyage was one of the roughest I have been on. Sunday things were better but we ran into a storm during the night. We were in Half Moon Cay this morning and both us and the OOSTERDAM decided not to chance going ashore with the winds and the swells. We are now heading to Fort Lauderdale and so far it is rough sailing.
Himself

[localady]

Himself-

Sorry to hear of the bad weather and your inablity to tender to HMC.:(
Safe seas and blue skies into Ft. Lauderdale!

[RevNeal]

It's a Bummer ... a REAL bummer ... that you didn't get to go ashore at HMC. But ... absolutely, safety comes first.

Did the priest turn green saying mass yesterday???? ;) It's hard enough to preach and pray while the ship is in heavy motion ... celebrating the Eucharist with some strong swells takes good dancing shoes. :D

I've been away for a couple of weeks due to a heavy work-load, or so, and wasn't able to catch most of your reports while they were being posted, but I DO want to thank you for taking your time to post!

[the2ofus]

So sorry you did not get to enjoy HMC. We had the same experience last November. It is a bitter disappointment when you have been anticipating a day on that beautiful beach. Best reason in the world to book another cruise ASAP!

Thank you for taking time to "check in" on the CC board during your cruise.

[tomc]

Celebrating the Eucharist with some strong swells takes good dancing shoes. I'm thinking of references to Jesus and the water. One that comes to mind is when He is sleeping in the back of the boat and the waves are high. The disciples wake Him up and He calms the waters. So, may the Divine Stabilizer be with you on your trip. (How does that sound? Pious or irreverent? The latter, I hope; I don't do pious very well.)

[Himself]

It wasn't too bad yesterday. It was a bit stomy during the Mass on Saturday evening. It didn't stop Father Phinnius T. Buster though. He still talked too long.

On of the PAX asked the priest if he could put in a word to calm the seas.
He said his connections were not that good.
Himself.

[tomc]

We had a chaplain in Alaska once who tended to get a bit breezy. The day we were cruising College Fjord (or whatever it's called), I told him, "I really appreciate the availability of Mass, but we're on a cruise and can you keep it short today?" He got the hint, if you can call that a hint.

We also had a nun who thought it would be neat to have at least two verses of an opening hymn, a couple of hymns during Mass, and a closing hymn. I think somebody finally shut her down, as she was getting too close to supper.

[Host Tink]

I am *so* enjoying reading your posts. I will be sailing on the Volendam in March for the first time. It appears you are on the same itinerary that we will be all with a small adjustment. You went to Tortola where I believe we are going to St. Maarten. This is our itinerary:

FLL
Nassau
Full Day at Sea
St. Thomas
St. Maarten
Dominica
Barbados
Full Day at Sea
Full Day at Sea
Half Moon Cay
FLL

[RevNeal]

So, may the Divine Stabilizer be with you on your trip.

AMEN!

[RevNeal]

We had a chaplain in Alaska once who tended to get a bit breezy. The day we were cruising College Fjord (or whatever it's called), I told him, "I really appreciate the availability of Mass, but we're on a cruise and can you keep it short today?" He got the hint, if you can call that a hint.

Like an anvil on the head. :D Good for you!!!!!! Besides, the best sermon on God's glory was visible to the eyes from any number of lounges, verandahs, or decks! No exegesis needed!

[Himself]

Father Phinnius T. Buster had quite a crowd at Mass on the first Sunday.
There were 56 standing and 150 seated. The next week, he did an "Anticipated Mass" on Saturday at 5 PM with 110 there and another 70 at the Mass on Sunday Morning. Father preached about sin and said he was against it.
Himself

[obriendan]

RevNeal,

Did the chaplain on the Alaska cruise use the following Bible quote when you were near the glacier: "Many are cold but few are frozen"?

[Himself]

I got home here about 3:15 PM Central Standard Time. The Volendam is back out to sea and on her way to Nassau. She will return the day after THANKSGIVING. (If I pulled that shot again, my sister would have a fit.)

Host TINK:

I have been to St. Marteen and it is a much better port, in my humble opinion, than is Road Town Tortola.

Nice Lady who recognized me.

A nice lady came up to Me on the Cruise and said "HIMSELF". She is on these boards and I have a mental block. She also invited me to have a drink with a group of the posters. I never connected. Sorry I didn't see you gang and to the lady who came up to me, I am sorry I didn't run into you again. It takes me a while to make "connections" but once I get it down I will always know you.

To readers of the MeatLoaf Thread:
I saw the meatloaf and was glad I didn't try it. I am tired now and have to unpack!

Regards,
HIMSELF

[RuthC]

Good grief that was a long cruise! Or so it seems.

Welcome home. And thanks for the opportunity to "sail" with you---if only virtually.

[Himself]

O Danny Boy, the pipes the pipes are calling"---with that pun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Last year I was on the VOLENDAM (No, I don't live there) and Patrick Murray the Ventriloquist and Matilda were performing. Matilda asked the audience, "How many of you went out to watch the glaciers??" Many, many hands went up and Matilda said : "Grown people spending money go out and watch ice melt."

Himself

[gizmo]

.
To readers of the MeatLoaf Thread:
I saw the meatloaf and was glad I didn't try it.
Thanks for all your posts I enjoyed reading them.

The meatloaf update is appreciated!! :D