Sharon in AZ

Carolyn, no reason was given, however my thoughts are twofold. Originally I thought it was due to the low number of passengers. I never heard an actual passenger count, I was told 1200 from a server and another guest, but it feels like less than that, more like half full. Then, after we took on the new crew members while in the Bay of Kotor, I found out that they were kitchen crew. So I wonder if they just didn’t have the staff to have PG & MDR lunch. One or both or neither could be the reason, just my speculation.

Passengers asked their own questions. Two Crew members walked around and then waited turns with questions. It wasn’t dull. However, I’m still irritated that I missed the first half because this Captain is so fun and entertaining and interesting.

Good afternoon everyone from the Oosterdam at sea today in the Adriatic. We are on our way to Trieste early tomorrow morning. We will be disembarking and there will be passengers embarking and there will be some staying on. Sushi and salad for lunch today! But we are really missing the MDR and Pinnacle Grill for lunch on sea days. This morning was “Ask the Captain” and I totally forgot. I was packing and suddenly realized how late it was, so I rushed to the Main Stage. Turns out that the vessel that sent out the May Day the other day was a yacht with about 18 refugees (not sure from where). Someone asked about the safety of the crew sent over in the zodiac (he called it something else, like a fast rescue boat, but it I don’t remember). He said he told them to return immediately if they didn’t feel safe. Very interesting. Craig attainted his 4* status yesterday. I hadn’t realized that it would happen during this cruise. In just a bit we are going to the wine tasting. Should be fun. But Craig still has a horrible cough and fatigue lingering and no desire to taste wine. But we are trying to do as much as we possibly can together after missing so much. We also booked a future cruise on board for April 2023, but I’m not ready to share that yet. We have too much to think about and figure out. Have a great day everyone!

Actually Rich we are at sea today. Tomorrow we will be in Trieste.

Colin @VMax1700 — I have something for you and your DW that we were unable to use since DH was in isolation for half of the cruise. If possible please email me with your cabin number. My email address is in my signature. Thank you! Sharon

Fantastic @VMax1700! Also thank you for sharing all of the information, very helpful for future passengers.

Sunset tonight in the Adriatic.

@StLouisCruisers Ann — just like @aliaschief said, HAL quarantine is actually isolated, the fire doors are closed separating the positive passengers. Craig said when he left it took a huge effort to open that door and was like a gust of wind blew. Also, the cabin was cooler than ours with no way to lower it and when he asked about making it warmer all that could be done was to bring him a robe. On the Oosterdam isolation was deck 6 forward of the forward elevators.

Sailing away from Montenegro

Good afternoon everyone from Montenegro! We are departing now, the new crew members have arrived and there was a medical transport for a crew member. We are sailing through the bay, looks like a fjord although it isn’t according to the Captain. Just gorgeous! Can’t seem to post pictures now so I’ll do that later.

The Captain has now said that there are 31 crew members. Not sure which is correct. Anyway, they are coming into Montenegro because Visas are not required here.

Good morning from the Oosterdam in the Bay of Kotor! Unfortunately, per the Captain we will not be able to anchor due to high winds. However, we will be staying in the bay holding position waiting for the arrival of 48 crew members. The Captain said it was very important to get these crew members aboard because they have been waiting for 3 months due to Visa issues. Not sure what airport they flew into, the Dubrovnik airport is very close—we drove by it yesterday on our tour. It was a fantastic tour and our guide was excellent. We went to a winery, a farm, and the old city. We were pleasantly surprised by Dubrovnik. Very clean, beautiful, and scenic. Sadly, this marks the ending of our cruise. We are at sea tomorrow, getting into Trieste early Monday morning. After all, @VMax1700 & DW need to board. Bon Voyage you two! I will post later when today’s Daily starts. Have a great day everyone!

It was a disappointment for us, but we only have two sea days so we got over that quickly. Have a great cruise and enjoy!

Hi Colin and @sailingdutchy — as you know we are on the Oosterdam right now. For our sailing the pop up Rudi’s was canceled and the Pinnacle Grill has not been open for sea day lunch, nor has the MDR been open for sea day lunch. I believe it has to do with the amount of passengers on board. I’m guessing we are half full. I’m not sure about a Pinnacle Gala Dinner yet. I’ve not seen any notices for one. There was an Orange Party last night but we didn’t go.

Good afternoon from the island of Corfu!

Good morning from the Oosterdam at sea! Thank you for the Daily Rich. Craig says hi and thank goodness he is out of quarantine. Yeah! I have several posts on yesterday’s Daily about a rescue if anyone is interested. Have a great day everyone!

Bon Voyage! ⛴⛴⛴

Well I guess the sailboat wasn’t sinking but the Italian Air Force and Coast Guard arrived about 30 minutes after the Oosterdam did. The orange zodiac is us with the Italian coastguard above. If you look closely you can see a black dot to the right of the sailboat—that’s one of the provisions the Oosterdam sent. The Captain just announced that the Oosterdam has been cleared to leave the rescue. The coast guard is taking the passengers aboard and towing the sailboat. Such excitement for a sea day. The Crow’s Nest was packed. We are now 10 hours ahead of Arizona time so it’s even harder to contact family.

Good morning from the Oosterdam at sea. Great news! Craig is out of quarantine! He is feeling better but is fatigued. Right now the Oosterdam is going to a yacht, which really looks like a sail boat, that is in distress. The Captain said that they were out of water and food but it actually looks like it’s sinking. Time will tell. I’ll keep the Daily posted. Have a great day!

Everyone has their own experience. However, I am on the sailing @Seasick Sailor mentioned. The food has been excellent and plenty of choices. The window problem is always an ongoing issue due to sea water. Give them a chance to fix things. There are always things that pop up after a ship has been out of service. That happened to us once and we try not to book after a dry dock, or in this case, after going back in service. Again, I will say, everyone has their own experience. Mine has been excellent. I have a view of Mt Etna, I’m on a ship, I’m in the Mediterranean. Things are wonderful!

Good evening from the Oosterdam anchored at Giardini Naxos. What a lovely area. And Mt Etna is my view I went on a wine tour today and it was wonderful. A mega yacht is here, the Scenic Eclipse. A crew member told me it has a helicopter. I love carnitas, it’s probably one of my top favorite Mexican dishes. However, the name for today’s menu suggestion is an oxymoron. Carnitas is always pork. I’m sure someone was just trying to be creative with recipe titles. Have a great day everyone!

Currently there are no random tests. If you are on a B2B you will probably tested for the next leg. If positive you are not booted off the ship, you are placed in a quarantine cabin. If you feel ill during your cruise you need to contact the medical center and you will be tested. Currently quarantine is 6 days but the day you are diagnosed is Day 0. However, who knows what will be the protocol for next year. Enjoy your cruise, the Panama Canal is a great sailing.

I’m not sure about your sailing but I was told about 1200 for this one. Not sure if that’s correct though. It’s mostly evident in the MDR. On both levels half of the dining room is closed off. Yes, DH is feeling much better and should be released tomorrow. He’s so disappointed about missing the Uffizi.

Good morning from the Oosterdam at anchor near Mt Etna and Taormina. My view: Another toasty day is in store.

@ger_77 Gerry, what a kind, thoughtful thing you are doing for the stillborn babies and families. My DM had a stillborn baby, my older sister, so this brought tears to my eyes. God bless you. I have been to Sitka twice. We tendered in 2012 and docked and shuttled in 2019. I actually worked for the son of the inventor of the Duncan yo-yo back in the 70’s. I never could get one going though.