Navybikermom

You can take it with you. They are set up like the airport security. If you can fit it in their security scanners, there will be no problems taking it through the cruise terminal. I always take my carry-on wheeled luggage on and off myself.

On the Zaandam, it was in the Crow’s Nest. Quite lively, but the cocktails on “special” were quite potent. When your cruise gets close enough, it will be posted in the When & Where section in the Navigator (tap the ship icon at the bottom labeled “Experiences” and then tap When & Where. Keep selecting the days at the top and then scroll through the listed events to see on which day it will be held. My cruise leaves January 5 and the schedule has been posted for a week or so already.

I also have only carry-on when I travel these days, even for cruises two weeks or so. I manage to stuff three dressy outfits and plenty of “dinner” clothes, along with casual things into a regular suitcase that fits in the overhead bins of the standard planes. I have a big tote for things like toiletries, jewelry, shoes, and reading material. I have checked plenty of bags in the past and so far, only one went astray. The airline had it delivered to our home three days later. Whew!

The Canal has been a bucket list item for me, so I’m really looking forward to this! My dad calls it the “big ditch” cruise 😂.

Seems like the direction the world is going in general. It’s “all about me” with not much consideration for their fellow humans. I avoid the smoking section since I don’t smoke, but on one cruise I occasionally hung out with my adult son there (he smokes). Some people seemed quite cranky but most were very nice. My son made a few new friends there. The folks reading a book and not smoking for a long time should move and make room for others, since the area is so small.

Did I see a fruit(-ish) soup on the MDR menu? 😁 It looks tasty. Hope they have it on the Zaandam next week or thereafter!

I’ve had my room changed on me a few times between initial check-in and arriving at the terminal. No explanation from them as to why and so far they haven’t been a downgrade 😁

I have done the Canada/NE cruise on the Zaandam twice and loved it both times. All the ports were so interesting and the scenic cruise down the St Lawrence is very picturesque. Yes, the ship is “small”, but to me it’s laid out better than the bigger ships. There will be some children onboard if you cruise during the summer, but I didn’t notice any during the Sept one.

I have one, along with several other types of computer devices. But then, I had a long IT career 😉. Some things just need to be seen on a big screen. 😁

I can answer the music question. I was on the Zaandam in September and there was a nice classical duo in the Explorer’s Lounge most evenings. The Ocean Bar had a pretty good band also. At that time, it was a bit jazzy. I really enjoyed listening to them in the evenings.

I saw the 14-day Britain, Scotland, and Ireland on the Rotterdam, so I emailed my TA and asked if she could get me one of those solo cabins. I’ve always wanted to cruise that area, and really enjoyed the solo cabin on the Prinsendam, so maybe I will get lucky!

I also prefer to eat in the MDR. I always get early fixed seating at a large table. Sometimes service is slow and sometimes they are very quick to bring out each course. Sometimes both situations occur on the same cruise, so I can’t say that it’s particular to any one ship. However, I am usually chatting with my table mates and don’t really care how long they take. I do like to have the coffee at the same time as dessert, and sometimes that doesn’t happen. Annoying, but I usually let my dessert sit until the coffee arrives. I’d say that it’s been sometimes as short as an hour, sometimes as long as two hours.

I did quite clearly!

I did the Mexican Riviera cruise once, I think on the Westerdam. Enjoyed it very much. Riding the camels in Cabo was a blast! Enjoy the warmth. I look forward to your reports.

Agreed! I love sitting at a large table and meeting new people. I took my 30-something son on a cruise earlier this year and he was weirded out at the thought of sitting by people and having to actually converse 😳 but he soon loosened up and enjoyed himself. Covid (or any other cooties) never stopped me from enjoying the company of others, even on a cruise ship.

My 2-star was delivered to my cabin but I had to chase down my 3-star. Front desk was happy to oblige, since they had a drawer full.

Thank you - good to know! My TA does a great job but I never wanted to ask details such as that ☺️

Does the travel agent get the same commission regardless of the cruise price?

Gosh, that’s too bad. Bar Harbor is a vey pretty, walkable little town. I shall miss it.

Lavazza and Illy are my favorite coffees. Thanks to your detailed explanation, I now know why! Of course Lavazza is impossible to find in my part of rural Tennessee, but sometimes Wally World has Illy. Thank goodness for online shopping. I enjoy the Lido coffee, but then being a sailor I am used to some pretty savage brews. I once used a dirty T-shirt as a filter out in the field…

On the Zaandam, in “steerage”, I haven’t seen any fridges. Maybe in the higher class of cabins? That’s my next cruise, so I guess I’ll have to wait until I’m on a different ship or can afford the steep prices that Zaandam charges for the cabins with fridges. I don’t want to rent one just for the leftovers - lol.

Quite often, on embarkation day, they set up tables in the Lido pool area where you can sign up for the wine/beer tastings.

People keep mentioning how yummy the burger is. The description sounds delicious but it also sounds HUGE. Is it? It’s not like I can take the rest home in a doggy bag, since I won’t have a fridge.

No. Everyone gets one, assuming they have them in stock.

I will be a few doors down from yours next month. The dining room is above so maybe it’s dish carts? Is it loud at night?