Beejay4016

We found the food to be everywhere from fine to excellent. We had two meals in the Pinnacle - the Cirque dinner and the Sommelier. The Cirque was great, and as it was my husband's birthday they brought out a beautiful little cake for him and sang happy birthday. The Sommelier dinner, though, was worth every penny and is something we still talk about. Will definitely be looking for that on our Ryndam cruise next year, if they do them on a seven night cruise.QUOTE]

 

How much was the Sommelier dinner?

 

I have an idea it cost about $150 for the two of us, but believe me it was worth it - the food was beautiful, and having the sommelier describe why he chose each wine to accompany each dish was wonderful. Oh, and the wine waiters were more than willing to provide refills. So well worth it, and you get a lovely little scroll menu as a keepsake, although the memory is the best keepsake you could wish for. If you opt for it, enjoy.:)

I only tried the soft serve once. It was so soft, it had to be consumed immediately, as it was already dripping when it was handed to me. From then on I kept getting bowls, because they usually had crushed Butterfingers and chocolate sprinkles!

 

Sorry other's didn't find the cruise as grand as I did. About the honey butter tart dessert...I am sure they made at least 25 pies, maybe I got a better batch? Or maybe it's just that you can pretty much put honey on anything and I'll love it. It was rich and decadent and the crust, as was the case for all desserts I had with a crust, was devine! I really do wish I had not found the desserts on this ship to be so good. I've never tasted so many wonderful desserts on a cruise before. Dammit!

 

I always do my own research about ports, as on any ship I've ever been, I find them lacking in information. I do start here on CC with the Ports of Call Forums. They have been a huge help for me the past 3 cruises. I also research the ocean areas. If you've been on other roll calls with me, you know I normally do a video of the day and information in a simulated voyage (the first day is where the ship will be on day 1; second posting the next day is day 2 of the voyage, etc. It's a fun way to learn and get to know the roll call. I didn't do it on this voyage, as so many had already left [our roll call was a combination of 3 voyages] and I was so busy in the 11 days I had left after booking).

 

The Oasis area was very awesome. We had a total of 2 kids on this voyage...tots. So the Oasis went unused. That is until a group of us who enjoyed happy hour each evening decided to move it up there. We'd get our happy hour drinks from Crow's Nest, a plate of snacks, and meet up there. Great when the wind wasn't too strong, but then we just hung out in the empty pool, which had a wind block. Great fun!

 

On this voyage, the Adagio Strings were a piano player and a violinist. On my last HAL, they were a group of 4 women on various strings. I think it varies from ship to ship and certain contracts. I loved them very much and the addition of piano was great.

 

Grits are a wonderful dish made from corn that some may know as polenta. Being a southern boy, I loved them. Again, this is where the food opinions vary. But this is why I titled this as being "my" review. Cheese grits with shrimp is a very southern dish and one I've been familiar with almost all my life. Arriving into Tampa, I thought it was appropriate to have on the menu.

 

Great discussion. Glad this has been possible. Thank you all, once again.

Grits are polenta? Grits are an Italian standby? Who would have thought it. I love polenta - done soft with lots of butter, garlic and cream mixed through, or done firm and then cut into wedges and browned on the BBC (polenta chips are very cool). Grits are polenta. I'm staggered. Of course I serve meat on a bed of polenta. As long as it's cooked well it's great. Ah, I'm happy now. :)

What on earth are grits? I don't recall anything on our Volendam cruise which made us go "What is that?"; all vegetables were normal. I'm assuming grits are a vegetable. We found the food to be everywhere from fine to excellent. We had two meals in the Pinnacle - the Cirque dinner and the Sommelier. The Cirque was great, and as it was my husband's birthday they brought out a beautiful little cake for him and sang happy birthday. The Sommelier dinner, though, was worth every penny and is something we still talk about. Will definitely be looking for that on our Ryndam cruise next year, if they do them on a seven night cruise.

 

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I had to laugh at your question re grits. Obviously you are not from the South. Here is Wikipedia's description:

 

"Grits refers to a ground-corn food of Native American origin, that is common in the Southern United States and eaten mainly at breakfast. Modern grits are commonly made of alkali-treated corn known as hominy." Wikipedia

 

Being a northern gal myself, and also not liking corn, I never have cultivated a taste for this dish, although cheese and grits is quite good. One of the dishes on the Ryndam cruise was a shrimp and cheese grits plate for dinner. I found that a little strange since one normally does not associate grits with shrimp. The grits were actually good, but my low carb diet does not allow such indulgences.

 

Tampa Girl, I had to laugh at your comment about me being "obviously not from the south". I'm really from the south, from the Great South Land otherwise known as Australia. The previous poster described grits as some sort of oatmealy thing. Hm, wondering if I should save some of our breakfast porridge (oatmeal) for dinner now - how would it go with lamb chops I wonder ;) I have heard of grits and hominy grits on television shows and movies but they always sound like something which people would have eaten back in the days of Scarlet O'Hara. I might be tempted to try them on our cruise if they are on the menu, just to know what I've been "missing". :D

Last cruise was a first for us when our luggage did not arrive prior to our reservation time in the PG. We went a half hour early to explain to the manager there that our luggage hadn't arrived and could we enter dressed as we were. DH had on cargo shorts and I was wearing capris.

He said under the circumstances no problem. However, when we arrived for our dinner we were turned away. Turned out the person we talked to wasn't the manager but a waiter. Still. It was a bit embarrassing as we had asked first.

Ouch.

Riversedge - you are making me feel better about declining the ice cream and most of the desserts, even including the creme brulee. I agree about the grits, but I try not to eat many carbs, anyway. Have you found that the desserts are not one of HAL's better offerings? I have never been too impressed with them. The cookies, on the other hand, and the delicacies in the Neptune Lounge were very good. Must be where my 7 pounds came from!

 

BTW, although our Alhambra tour (HAL's) was much more expense than your private tour, it was very good, namely because it included a wonderful lunch buffet with wine. Be thankful,by the way, you did not take the HAL tour and end up on the bus with the two toddlers. That was an interesting little group.

What on earth are grits? I don't recall anything on our Volendam cruise which made us go "What is that?"; all vegetables were normal. I'm assuming grits are a vegetable. We found the food to be everywhere from fine to excellent. We had two meals in the Pinnacle - the Cirque dinner and the Sommelier. The Cirque was great, and as it was my husband's birthday they brought out a beautiful little cake for him and sang happy birthday. The Sommelier dinner, though, was worth every penny and is something we still talk about. Will definitely be looking for that on our Ryndam cruise next year, if they do them on a seven night cruise.

Re the quality of the food, though, everybody is different. I have read reviews which say that the food on HAL is too bland, and I have read reviews which say that the food on HAL is too spicy. We're all different, and I like the title of this thread "My Review". Good not to generalise too much.

Top review. Thank you so much for such detail. We are sailing on her in August next year and your fantastic review just whets the appetite. :)

We kneel at the head of the bed, elbows on the window sill, noses against the windows :) Will definitely try sitting in the window next cruise we take! I love that idea.

 

Best "view" I ever got from an OV was seeing sea lions, right by the ship, so close I could see their toes. :D

But could you hear them roar? ;)

We had a balcony on the Volendam in January, but for our Norwegian fjords cruise on Ryndam we have opted for an oceanview and have booked an F grade stateroom, which I am very much looking forward to. I think that it will be lovely to be able to look out of a window, even if at times all we see is the sea, as they say, and the sky, but for the magnificence of the scenary we anticipate we will want to be up on deck sharing the thrill with other passengers.

I think the beauty of a window is not so much the view but simply that it is a window and you are not in a windowless box. The view is always going to be worth being up on deck for, even if you have a balcony, but I think some people would feel a tad claustrophobic in an inside cabin.

Thank you to everyone for your comments. Booked yesterday to go on the MS Ryndam next August :)

 

 

 

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Have a wonderful time. For us it was a toss up between Viking Sagas and Norse Legends. We went with Viking Sagas but I'm sure they will both be fantastic cruises, and am sure you will enjoy the ambience on HAL.:)

We love to cruise--sometimes just the 2 of us, and sometimes with our 2 kids--twice in 2007, when they were 10 (DS), and 8 (DD)--Princess, and Carnival (Christmas); again in Aug 2010 (they were 13 and 11), and soon, on Nov 30, on HAL--so far, they have accompanied us on 2 Caribbean cruises, and, soon, on their second European (Med) cruise.

 

I always wonder why so many coddle and cater to the younger ones in the family or group.

 

We have never catered to them when travelling--well, not much, anyway. They come with us, and do what we do, and go where we go. They are old enough now, that we do let them go off on their own sometimes, but that they always represent the family, and must always behave as such.. They are well aware that the alternative is that they stay home---I (we--my DW and I) are travelling anyway--the only question is whether the kids come along with us, or not. I know some may think it harsh, but it's my money, and my cruise--and if the kids come--my rules.

 

But, nonetheless, they love the ships and the sea, and love trying new and different things in the Main Dining room--they are really looking forward to the Dutch High Tea on the Rotterdam, and they especially love dressing up for formal nights (I know--wierd, huh?). They never really cared for the kids' clubs, but really enjoy the shows and entertainment and activities on the ship. They are reasonably sociable, but also realize that whether they make or find friends on the ship has little bearing on their cruise experience. They love travelling and exploring along with us--museums, churches, archeological sites, shopping, exploring, villages, beaches, the great cities of Europe, the local culture, the local people, et cetera.

 

I see my role as parent as trying to educate them and to challenge them; in the case of travel and cruising, by exposing them to the joys of travel-- by giving them the opportunity to explore the world. I do not see my role as facilitating trips to European water parks, or to pick a kid-centric cruise line, vacation, or itinerary to suit them. I try to instill in them that travel is a gift--and our time here is short--I think they have figured out that it's a shame to waste precious travel time by doing things they can do at home (video games/hanging out, et cetera)--isn't the point of travel precisely to do things that we can't do at home?

 

I think that, especially here in North America, we sell our kids short by catering to them, and coddling them. We should give them more credit than that...and they might just surprise us by how resourceful, mature, and grownup they can be...given half a chance.

 

To the OP--personally, I think your 15-year old will love a European Cruise, and Holland America will be a fine way to go.

 

You'll have a great time!

One of those times when I wish there was a "like" button. Well done, you.

Thanks Beejay4016. We're looking at the Norse Legends itinery on 23/08. :)

 

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We're on Viking Sagas on 2 August, mixing it with some time in London, so very excited about the trip. We loved the cruise this year on HAL and so are really looking forward to that, but we are so used to independent holidays that the time in London pre-cruise is equally exciting for us.

Thanks again Boulders. Slightly off topic, what would you say the typical age range will be? DH and I are each side of 50 and enjoy an active social life going to see bands etc. We do appreciate being able to kick back and relax on holiday though. :)

 

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I think that, as someone has mentioned, there are huge variances depending on the time of year and also the location. We were on the Volendam for a 14 night cruise from Singapore to Hong Kong in January. Now, I believe that in the US if you go on a 14 night cruise the demographic is an older one as younger people have only a couple of weeks annual leave per year and so it's mostly the retirees who can swan off for two weeks or more. In Australia, and many other countries, annual leave is at least four weeks and so a two or three week cruise is nothing. On that cruise I would say that most people were aged 40 to 60, with a few older ones (only saw one person in a gopher and one on a zimmer frame) and a few younger one with young kids. We are on the Ryndam out of Dover in August next year and I expect a good spread of ages as it's summer and there should be a lot of Europeans, not just Americans.

We are a similar age to you, 50/60. It's not party central, but that's why we enjoyed it so much. I'm sure you will have a great time.:)

My brother and his wife are stuck up there. They were so excited to go on this cruise after we raved about our HAL cruise from Singapore to Hong Kong. I feel so terribly sorry for them and for all affected; just a terrible, terrible thing to happen. As someone said, though, you would have to wonder why Princess Help staff flew up there from Sydney before the event.

Surely he had travel insurance to cover medical issues, such as this?

He would have to pay up front and then claim it back from his health insurers probably. There are plenty of hospitals which expect cash or credit card up front before commencing treatment. At least the medical care would be superb, probably much better than we get back home.

Hi Roger,

I second the previous comments: a really well thought out and informative review. We are doing a cruise in July which takes in Isle of Pines and Lifou, and so your comments there were really helpful - we will be sure to look out for the old prison ruins and the Swiss/NZ couple on IoP.

Cheers ..

i agree with you on this, Except that I think it makes the food even taste better. LOL :D Bill

Actually, Bill, you are probably right - it's like serving up a meal on fine dinnerware and wine in a lovely crystal glass; it's bound to taste better than having the same meal served up on a paper plate and the wine in a plastic mug. There is no way they will taste the same.

On the Volendam in January we certainly saw jackets being handed out at the entrance to the MDR on formal nights. And, oh, it is so nice to sit in a room where people are all nicely dressed. It doesn't make the food taste better, but it does give a really nice sense of something a little special. What's the big deal with carrying a jacket? It's not a load of bricks or a ton of lead; it's a jacket.

Here are my new dresses.

 

 

 

Love that brown one, and the shoes. You have really nicely shaped feet (mine are more square and Hobbit-like). Looks great.

Cheers .. :)

These are from my last cruise (Dec 9-16, 2012)

 

This dress I have in black, fushia(sp), teal and red

 

This dress I have in this royal blue, navy and silver

 

 

My signature pose in my "Caribbean" dress

 

Love the red dress, and that shade of blue one is fabulous on you. And my, you look so happy. Have a great Christmas.

Certainly nice. But how much luggage space will it occupy?

Who cares?

being that its my first cruise I am so excited for the formal dinner!! Just got a dress for an upcoming formal and I plan on wearing it on the cruise (b/f wanted to be super fancy for the formal dinner). Its for a military ball but I figured since its so pretty its too good to pass up!

 

 

Here it is! What do you guys think?

What do we think? Well, if I was 20 years younger I would say OMG that's amazing!!!! But as I'm not I will instead say that your dress is just beautiful, and the smile on your face shows that you feel beautiful in it as well. I'm sure your man will be so proud to have you on his arm at the ball and then onboard the vessel. Gorgeous, gorgeous dress.

Please excuse the "slightly edited" version of me in my recycled dress.:D I do not like to post my photo online.

 

I have never asked for a recycled dress because, well, I am built funny. At a mere 5'1", it is difficult for me to find a dress that fits well. Designers of petite dresses sometimes do funny things like just shortening the sleeves and length. So it is with great pride that I post a dress donated to me by the lovely C. I only had to shorten the straps and lop and inch off the hem to take it to mid knee.

 

This will be a great dress to take on our cruise. There is little material and it does not wrinkle easily, so it will pack well. Best of all, I don't need to wear either bra or Spanx. The bust fits securely but comfortably and the skirt fits loosely enough that I don't have to suck in my stomach. As a result, it feels like I am wearing nothing!

 

That, to me, is the perfect cruise dress! Thanks, C.

 

 

 

 

 

Gee, I don't know why you hide your face - it's gorgeous. I have a little four legged friend who looks very much like you, so perhaps you're related.

Anyway, all joking aside, that dress is a stunner. The colour is just lovelly and it's really elegant. You should have a wonderful time as you obviously feel great in it. :)

Here's a pic of my newish formal-worn recently on the Q Victoria. Some lovely gowns here on this forum. I am a petite so finding something can be a challenge. Also need more 'sedate' option for my age.

 

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Forget your age - you look elegant and stylish. Just a really lovely, classic and classy outfit. Beautiful.

I went to the spa then to shopping with my daughters today. Oh my goodness, it was crazy out there. I was not going to buy anymore dress, but when I saw these I could not resist.

 

Badgley Mischka gown & Jean Paul Gaultier dress. That it! I am done shopping :D.

 

 

 

Resistance is useless, as they say - and why would you. Gorgeous.