Jump to content
Cruise Critic Community

A Quick-Trip for us, Bill & Mary Ann - Hawaii/Mexico for 21 days on the Zaandam

WCB

By WCB,
in Holland America Line

Recommended Posts

WCB "Live from...." Rare

WCB

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Report # 4 Day at Sea # 3 Tuesday October 30, 2012

 

The breakfast line was smaller today when we went up to the dining room at 9am. Finally, the staff appears to have been dispersed to the areas that needed help. This group of passengers seem to prefer to be served instead of self-served. It's no wonder, since they really spoil us at this time of day. Our coffee cups are never empty.

 

The weather was a little disappointing when we went outside since it was still cloudy. A bit warmer than yesterday, we could see patches of blue sky on the horizon. There was hope yet. By 1pm, we went to the aft pool, and discovered the sun had peeked out. But so had a lot of guests. We were lucky to find a couple of lounges together to soak up the rays. There were three brave souls that went into the pool. But judging by the pained look on their faces when they got in the water, we knew it was cold.....really cold. Sometimes warm water is used to fill the pool, but not today so it seems.

 

Not by choice, but by sitting so close to other sun lovers, we learned something we already suspected..........gambling on the ship, especially playing the slots, is not lucrative. Two couples were comparing how much they had all lost in one evening. Needless to say, they were not going back tonight. A few years ago, one of our friends on the Amsterdam struck it lucky, and won some sizable jackpots on the first couple of days. He was so excited he showed us his winning receipts. Now whether or not he put it all back, and then some, we never asked. Since the cruise was over 100 days, we think he did.

 

The only work we see being done here is on the lower promenade deck with painting railings, sanding, drilling, the usual busywork. And another thing we noticed is that the teak decking is in really good shape everywhere. The most important area that looks great is the aft pool decking. That is still real teak, not the plastic look-a-like wood that was installed on the Amsterdam. Guests are able to walk on these decks barefoot without burning the soles of their feet off. And for those of you who asked about our room, it is on the Dolphin deck, 1853. The only thing quirkey about this room is the toilet, which sometimes has a mind of its own. It only happens during peak using times, like in the morning. You know that strange feeling when you push the button and nothing happens. It works eventually, perhaps in 2 to 3 minutes. Hey, better late than never. Other than that, there is little movement, no noise, and it has been comfortably cool so far.

 

All six of us showed up for dinner tonight, a formal one again. We did our usual run to the Lido to check out the entrees. There were only half of them offered there, so that wasn't a big help. Noticing the Lido dinner menu, it said Casual Dining. And that was how everyone there was dressed.....very casual. Now with the rest of the dining venues, the dress code was formal. Trust us, if you walk the public areas not dressed formally or close to it, you get dirty looks. Does that mean the folks that chose to eat in the Lido have to change their clothes to go to the bars, lounges, and show later on? We searched for the request to remain formally dressed in all public areas for the evening, but could not find that printed anywhere. This leads us to wonder if cruises will become totally casual in the future. Some have already we hear.

 

The dinner service was not altogether satisfactory for us tonight. Somehow our orders for grilled lamb chops got lost in the mix. So we encouraged our tablemates not to wait for us. Good thing they didn't. Our meals came when they were almost done. One of the nicer main waiters came over and apologized profusely. Things happen sometimes, and believe us, we won't starve. The bad thing was that our friends had to wait for us to finish before the dessert menu came. The lamb chops were good, but came warm, not hot. We finished in time for the showtime in the lounge, a comedian and juggler. We were told that the singer, Finis, was fairly good last night.

 

One more day and a half, and we will be in Hilo!

 

Bill & Mary Ann

Link to comment
Share on other sites
WCB "Live from...." Rare

WCB

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Report # 5 Day at Sea # 4 Halloween October 31, 2012

 

Things were back to the first morning we joined the dining room for breakfast. The line was backed up to the stairs. Guess that is the way it is on this ship, so there is no sense in trying to figure it out. The service is excellent as is the food, so we can deal with the line.

 

There was a little excitement on the lower promenade deck during our walk. While passing by the CO2 closet, we noticed there was smoke barreling out from under the door. That didn't look good. As we were considering reporting it, we heard a public announcement made that there would be a crew drill momentarily. Yep, that was the smoke we saw. In no time, the crew was busily stretching out the nearby firehose and dealing with the suspect fire. Good to see the team is well prepared.

 

Deck work continued with scraping and painting of the windows and railings. Carpeting was being installed on the deck two entrance. HAL must purchase millions of square miles of this carpeting, since we have seen the same print and color on the Amsterdam.

 

It sure has warmed up, not quite Hawaiian temps, but close to it. It turned out to be the perfect day at the aft pool. Slathered with sunscreen, we enjoyed relaxing for a few hours. Not many people were in the pool as the water was still too cold. They play music in this area, not live music, but tapes or whatever. Because of where we are headed, the current music is Hawaiian. But it is very old Hawaiian tunes, like from the 30's or so. Pearly Shells by Don Ho would be a huge improvement.

 

We had expected there to be more decorations for the holiday of Halloween, but the only places we spotted that was in the casino and the Lido Restaurant. Up there, they had the neatest carved pumpkins of pirates, ghosts, and ghouls. The culinary staff always has the most talented fellows that do these carvings.

 

Dinner was good tonight and actually served on time for all of us. Four of our tablemates had pre-ordered lamb curry with sticky rice. We had the breaded veal cutlets with a side of tasty lasagne. All were happy campers. Few guests wore costumes to the dining room, but we suspect the partygoers would be up in the Crows Nest from 9pm onward for the "Monster Mash" dance party.

 

There was a beautiful almost full moon shining this evening, so we strolled around the deck to check it out. As we came inside, we spotted several guests dressed in make-shift costumes created with plastic garbage bags, and silly paper mache hats. One gal had lighted devil horns on her head, while a group of elderly women wore bunny ears with little cottonball tails on their backsides. How fun is that?

 

The night ended with another change of the clock back one hour. Hawaii stays on standard time year round, so now we are three hours ahead of Pacific time instead of the usual two. That is at least until November 4th when daylight savings time ends.

 

Tomorrow we should be in Hilo around noon. Be nice to be on land for a change.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

Link to comment
Share on other sites
WCB "Live from...." Rare

WCB

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Report # 6 Hilo, Hawaii November 1, 2012 Thursday Part Two

 

The Zaandam sailed into the harbor of Hilo earlier than scheduled....always a good sign. Despite warnings of rain at times, the weather looked promising with the sun shining warm. The last time we were here, it was in the month of January. At that time, we had spotted numerous humpbackwhale spouting in the distance. Captain Andre announced that he would slow the ship down, pull in the stabilizers, and proceed slowly in case there were some whales in the outlying waters. As hard as we looked, we saw none.

 

We should be able to get off the ship before noon, but not before joining the long line that had formed on deck one forward

 

Hilo, on the largest island of Hawaii, was our very first port of call. We did not arrive until late morning, but we stayed until around 8pm. This island was created from five major volcanoes, one of which is the famous Kilauea, the world's most active volcano. The most visible one from Hilo is Mauna Kea, last erupting about 120,000 years ago. Here's an interesting fact we did not know....if you measure from the ocean floor to the summit of Mauna Kea, it becomes the tallest mountain mass in the world.

 

There are many things to do and see here, with most of them out of the city. They include a day in Hawaii's Volcanoes National Park to see the Kilauea Caldera and the lava fields, trips to view the numerous waterfalls, and hiking or ziplining tours. But one of our favorite places to stop is at the Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Farm....best chocolate candies in Hawaii.

 

Since we have toured all of the island on previous trips, we decided to stay in town and see what was here. Three different shuttles or buses from the pier were offered for trips to downtown Hilo, Hilo Hatties , or Walmart and the outdoor shopping mall. This doesn't happen too often, so it was nice to take advantage of the rides.

 

Downtown Hilo is compact and about a five minute ride from the industrial pier area. Hilo's Farmers Market is one of the highlights there. Locals offer an array of fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as souvenier items of shell jewelry and monkey pod bowls. Kona Coffee and macadamia nuts are big items here too. Tropical flowers brightened the stands up with brilliant colors.

 

We walked the part of town that had been impacted by tsunamis in 1946 and 1960. A museum located here shows the devastation and loss of life that was experienced back then. With modern technology, these giant waves are detected much earlier now, giving locals the chance to evacuate sooner.

 

Looking for a local restaurant, we did not come upon anything that interested us except a McDonalds. Closeby were the Vietnam Memorial, the postoffice, a Catholic Church, old-fashioned grocery stores, and a hardware store. Many super large banyan trees offered shade along the way. The sun had been out, but dark clouds began filling the sky. It sure felt like rain, so instead of walking towards the mall, which looked close on the ship's map, we caught the shuttle back to the pier.

 

Good thing we didn't attempt the walk. The outdoor mall was much further away from old downtown. The bus we took was actually to Walmart. Isn't it funny to come all this way, then go to Walmart? That was what the humorous bus driver teased us all with. He said the locals are happy with the cruisers because they spend a lot of money here in the mall.

 

The first thing we did was locate a nice -looking cafe to have lunch and a cool drink. The name of the small establishment was Hilo Bay Cafe, Their menu was limited, but they did have a special hamburger of the day which included a tangy avocado guacamole. They were huge and served with a pile of freshly fried French fries. Had we known they would have been so big, we would have split the order. Needless to say, they were delicious.

 

Hilo Hatties was close by, and we did need to get walking and burn some calories. They must have run out of their usual shell necklaces, because they gifted us with a bigger shell version. Knowing we needed to shop for some stuff at Walmart, we resisted any urge to buy anything here.

 

In a short time,we had completed the shopping at Walmart, rushed outside, and missed the bus, of course. He motioned that he would be back, but that was in a half hour. No problem. It was a good time to chat with our fellow passengers, who also missed the bus. One couple were complaining that they had made some purchases at Hilo Hatties, only to find the same items for half price at Walmart. Their strategy was to buy again at Walmart, then return the pricey items tomorrow while in Honolulu. Rule number one - shop the big box store first.

 

As always, we made a sweep by the Lido to check out the entrees. As we exited the elevator area, two ladies were placing beautiful fresh-flower leis on everyone's necks. We got the last two. Just lucky, we guess. However, there were many grumpy people behind us that did not get one.

 

The ship left a bit before 8pm, just as we went to dinner in the dining room. Our tablemates were not happy campers about missing the leis. With a lot of complaining, our head dining room waiter found one for Nancy. She was happy, but embarrassed thato one else got one. Oh well, the squeaky wheel gets the grease! The entrees of short ribs and BBQ prok, chicken, and beef were good, not quite as elaborate as on the world cruise, but OK.

 

Tomorrow's port is Honolulu, and the longest day also.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

Link to comment
Share on other sites
WCB "Live from...." Rare

WCB

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Report # 7 Honolulu, Hawaii November 2, 2012 Friday Part One

 

The Zaandam arrived earlier than expected to the port of Honolulu this fine sunny morning. And we were not alone. Celebrity's Millenium was docked on the other side of the Aloha Tower Marketplace. We're not sure if they were ending or beginning their cruise here, or were enroute like us. Possibly we will run into some Celebrity folks in town and ask them, since most fellow cruisers are the friendly sort.

 

We started the day with a fairly light breakfast, because our destination today was a long walk to town and a late lunch. The weather was sure cooperating. There was a slight, but constant breeze that kept us comfortable on our long hike to town. Of course, Hawaii is well known to have sudden showers, so we always pack umbrellas. Today we never used them.

 

Once we exited the terminal building, there were numerous trolleys, buses, taxis and the Hop On Hop Off (HoHo) bus to take folks in many different directions. Many vans took guests to the nearby Hilo Hatties, which happened to be the one closer to the airport. For us, that was the wrong direction.

 

The walk towards Waikiki Beach led us past the waterfront, where a bridge crosses over the water. Under this bridge are many tropical fish such as yellow tangs, Moorish idols, and the Humahuma. The waters are clear despite the busy harbor.

 

Passing through Ala Moana Park, a canal connects to the ocean, where millions of fish come in and out with the tide. It is the perfect place for bird watching, as well as people watching. There is always a variety of characters in this park that include some homeless people, runners, and picnickers. BBQ pits line the beach and it is not unusual to see dozens of families spending an afternoon here.

 

Continuing onward, we passed the Ala Moana Mall where we would come back for lunch. Another nice place to stroll through is the Hilton Hawaiian Village a bit further up the road. Several years ago, we flew here and stayed in this hotel a couple of days prior to a cruise. It was the perfect location to access Waikiki Beach and downtown Honolulu. It has not changed much....only getting even better.

 

Waikiki Beach was not too crowded today. Wish we had more time to walk barefoot in the white sand and surf, but no matter how hard you try, you can't get all the sticky sand off. We just enjoyed walking the beachfront until it ended. It's always fun watching the kids with their beach toys, and the older folks pedaling the water bikes.

 

Cutting up the side of a hotel, we found our way back to the main boulevard and the high-end stores. Now this area was very busy with shoppers...especially the International Market Place, our next stop. One of us was looking for a Hawaiian visor, a simple, useful item that we could not find anywhere. There were scores of baseball caps, no visors. The last resort was to look in the ABC store, where we found the perfect one.

 

An amusing item being sold at a small stand in the marketplace was a cleverly-made silk skirt/dress. The young salesgal demonstrated how many ways one could wear this piece of clothing. Had to be at least a dozen and you would require directions to do it. Never did see the price, but we did spot more of these stands on our way back to the ship.

 

Wanting to locate the local Hard Rock Cafe, we followed the map right there. Built in 2010, this new restaurant was a nice retreat....good place to cool our heels with ice cold sodas.

 

Lunch was sounding good by now, so we walked to the Ala Moana shopping mall and found ourselves at Bubba Gumps. They serve a particularly good frizzled onion cheeseburger with hot french fries. It's on the fourth level and is open-air with constant tropical breezes floating through it. We do belong to the Landry Club, which gives you points towards a future meal. Did we remember to bring the card? No, but with a little info, our kind waitress accessed our number and made the credit.

 

We got back to the ship by 6pm, actually beating the traffic that had gotten bad during the commute hour. The Millenium pulled out after 5pm, as well as several ferries and the dinner catamarans.

 

There were only four of us for dinner, and many other passengers had gone to the deck BBQ. The service was quick and the food good. The ship left the pier shortly before 11pm, slipping out quietly, heading to the next port of Nawiliwili, Kauai.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

Link to comment
Share on other sites
WCB "Live from...." Rare

WCB

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Report # 8 Nawiliwili, Kauai November 3, 2012 Saturday Part One

 

Did you all know that Kauai is the wettest place on earth with rainfall totaling over 400 inches a year? Well, you would never know it today.....the sun was shining bright with just a few clouds hovering over the mountaintops in the distance. Once again, packing the umbrellas was not necessary. Lucky!

 

The Zaandam eased its way into the small harbor with the help of a powerful tugboat and probably a very experienced pilot. We have been here twice in past years, but really could not remember much of this pier or the nearby town of Lihue. Both times we had taken all day tours to see the Grand Canyon of the Pacific, Waimea Canyon. One of those tours involved a long hike through the cow pastures to repelling down a steep, rocky waterfall. Like they had to be kidding, right? A picnic lunch was held at the bottom of the falls, and there was only one way down and back up again. So today, we chose to stay close to the ship and see what's here to see.

 

We were pleasantly surprised to find several complimentary shuttles and trolleys to take us passengers shopping. We hopped on the one going to the Kukui Grove Shopping Mall, which housed Macys, Sears, a grocery store, Longs, and numerous small shops and cafes. Across the street were Home Depot, Kmart, and Costco. We had our Costco membership card with us, so we strolled inside to check it out. It looked much like ours at home, only the food court section was placed outside. We both agreed that the prices were slightly higher than those in California, but not a whole lot higher. And of course, the vendors were handing out samples, the best being tasty breaded chicken and chocolate covered almonds. We would have liked to purchase some of those almonds, but the ship chefs have been feeding us too well on this trip, so we passed. Another thing we discovered was that this store carried frozen fish that has long been gone at our Costco. In particular, ahi tuna and ono or wahoo has been absent from our shelves for over a year.

 

The shuttle came back to this mall every fifteen minutes, so we headed back to the ship to catch a different one. This time we went to the nearby Kalapaki Beach and local shops and restaurants. Yes, we could have walked, but the ride was a trolley and was easy to get inside. Reminded us of the cable cars in San Francisco.

 

The dropoff spot was at a small mall where we could walk across the road to access the beach. From what we read in the AAA book, Kauai's beaches are few. There was a warning about strong currents and riptides, so this protected beach inside the harbor looked very safe.

 

Lining the length of this beach was the Marriott Resort and Beach Club, along with a few souvenier shops and the Duke Restaurant. The hotel appeared to be older, but on closer inspection, it was surprisingly beautiful once inside the grounds. The trolley driver had mentioned to us to check out the huge koi pond and fountain at the hotel. He was right, the koi in this large pond were huge and numerous. Mixed with them were pinioned Nene geese, the Hawaiian state bird. At one point in recent history, these birds were almost extinct. Now they are protected.

 

The hotel also boasted a huge swimming pool right off of the sandy shoreline. It wasn't too crowded, but it sure looked inviting. Instead, we took off our shoes and walked in the gentle surf. Some local families were setting up tables for a picnic with pizza, sodas, and chips. Hmmmm, right up our alley.......

 

A strip of short-leaf grass separated the walkway from the sand for the length of the beach. It almost looked like astro turf, and felt like artificial grass when we sat down on it. However, we did see tiny mounds of soil, like some type of insects burrowed in it. The "no-no" insects came to mind....you know, the "no see ums", that you cannot see, but you are bit up all over afterwards. So we did not linger here too long. Besides, it was getting close to lunchtime, and we did need to be back onboard by 4:30pm. Time to leave.

 

Have you ever wondered how coconuts can give you the weather forecast? A funny sign at the hotel explained the theory. In a nutshell, it goes like this. If the coconut is wet, it's raining, coconuts swaying, it's windy, hot coconuts, it's sunny, or blue coconuts, it's cold. Cool coconuts means it's overcast, but shaking ones, it's an earthquake. But the best was coconuts are gone? Means a hurricane!

 

We crossed the road to have lunch at the Mariachi's Mexican Cuisine upstairs at the mini-mall at the beach. We sat on the balcony where a strong tropical breeze blew all through our meal. Gosh, it was nice. So were the entrees of chicken and beef taco salads. They also served one of our favorite treats of salsa and tortilla chips. We noticed other guests were sipping on large margaritas, beers, and glasses of wine. Before we left, a happy group donned big sombreros to have their pictures taken by the owner. Such fun.

 

The trolley had come back, but we missed it, which was just as well. Felt good to walk and work off a few of those crispy chips. It was only about a mile to reach the pier and waiting ship. We passed one souvenier shop, where the owner greeted us as we checked out the sarongs and t-shirts. She sounded frustrated when she complained that few passengers had visited her shop today. Perhaps they would when they returned from their tours. Or not. We are not noticing too many packages coming back on the ship like we usually do.

 

In all of the ports so far, the xray machines have been in the terminal building. We have to admit they have been pretty thorough with their inspections. In fact, in Hilo, the security guard upon checking our drivers licenses noticed they were expired, and advised us to carry our current ones. Since they are only used as a government ID, the old expired ones always worked fine. The photos are the same. Good to know the homeland security folks are doing their job well.

 

Everyone must have made it back onboard well before 5pm, since we were leaving before that. Once the tugboat pushed the ship away from the pier, the Zaandam slipped out of the narrow opening of the harbor, and headed in a southerly direction towards the island of Maui. If all goes well, we should be there tomorrow around 7am.

 

There was a cocktail party held in the Crows Nest for a small group of Mariners with lots of days, we assume. The Captain and his officers were present to greet everyone, no shaking of hands of course. We spent some time talking with the purser and the culinary manager, and soon realized we all knew many officers from the Amsterdam. Gary, the guest relations manager strolled over, and seemed quite surprised to see us. He admitted he remembered us from the Prinsendam while we all sailed on the Grand South America Voyage in 2010. The main reason he recalled that was that the ship was disrupted by a continuing retrofit that should have been completed in time for the first day of the voyage. Gary had been inundated with unhappy guests, and said he had his hands full with that trip. He also informed us that he left the Prinsendam a short time after that cruise, finally finding a home on the Zaandam. We thanked him for treating us well back then, and told him that we had no big complaints here.

 

The party wrapped up at 8pm and we headed for dinner. By the way, we requested call drinks at this reception, and were pleased to receive them, no questions asked.

 

Most of the entrees for dinner were not to or liking, so we both ordered the alternate steak. They were actually pretty good, because they were seasoned well before grilling. At times, salt and seasoning are held back, leaving the entrees a bit lacking in taste. Of course, that is one good reason to make reservations in the Pinnacle Grill Restaurant. Their steaks and chops are always extremely flavorful, seasoned to the max.

 

All six of us were tired after a long day onshore, so none of us went to the show. The entertainer was Jeff Moche, a comedian we believe.

 

Our last port in Hawaii, Lahaina, Maui is tomorrow.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Bellair

Bellair

Posted
Posted

Bill you missed your calling...you should have been a travel writer in a major daily!!!

 

Many thanks indeed as we prepare for our sailing in 2 weeks on a 31 day boarding here in Melbourne bound for Tassie, Great Barrier Reef, Singapore & Honkers, all of which have crossed your path many times before.

 

PS Costco here in Melbourne sell fresh & frozen fish including flown in Alaska Crab (long way to fly) & our favourite Alaskan wild salmon steaks.

 

Regards

 

noel

Link to comment
Share on other sites
WCB "Live from...." Rare

WCB

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Report # 9 Lahaina, Maui November 4, 2012 Sunday Part One

 

Lahaina, Maui was our last Hawaiian port for this leg of our journey. We arrived very early around 7am, but today, the ship dropped anchor instead. There is no pier terminal here, so it was necessary to use the tenderboats to get onshore. Sometimes that can pose a problem here. On a few previous visits to Lahaina, we had the port cancelled due to rough seas and high waves. That can create conditions far too dangerous to even attempt transferring to the tenderboats. Today we got lucky......the seas were flat with no waves at all. The locals even sent out a luxury catamaran to help take a larger number of passengers to shore. Most of the tours left right after 7am, since we were scheduled to leave at 1pm. Way too short of a visit here, but still better than no visit.

 

As four star Mariners, we had received a note that we could debark without getting the required tender tickets in the showlounge. It made no sense to go over too early. Remember, today was Sunday, and nothing would be open for business until later in the morning. By 8am, we walked right down to A deck and had no wait in line at all. The ride over took 15 minutes at the most.

 

Even at that hour, it was hot and humid. We read somewhere that the name Lahaina means "cruel sun", named by a balding Hawaiian chief who constantly had his head sunburned going from village to village. We found the difference in temperature from here to the Kaanapali Beach area, where we ran into fog and drizzle, even though it was just a few miles away.

 

The streets were vacant of locals at this time of the morning. Most of the shops were shuttered until at least 10am. So we hiked up one end of the beach front area to the opposite end. One interesting block houses Banyan Tree Park. In the center is a banyan tree that was planted in 1873. It has branched out, re-rooting so many times, that the circumference around this tree's dripline measures 1/4 of a mile. It is the largest tree of its type in all of Hawaii. Locals set up their arts and crafts under this 60 foot tall tree on most weekends.

 

We made our way to Hilo Hatties located in the Whalers Village Mall. Many stores and restaurants are located there, but few were opened. The local shuttle was driving folks from the boat landing, so we figured they were open for business. When you enter the store, the first thing they do it give you a lei of tiny seashells. We have a growing collection of these over the years.

 

Within the store, is Maui Divers Jewelry, where they sell real oysters with pearls inside. Coupons are freely handed to customers, which gives them a discount. Of course, the pearls are not set in anything, so one has to pay for them or someone at home to do that. That is where the real money adds up. Anyway, these stores are ubiquitous, as in they are everywhere in Hawaii. Each time a guest buys one, they ring a bell, which we heard often in every port we stopped.

 

The best buy we made was purchasing 2013 calendars with gorgeous Hawaiian scenery. Actually, an even better deal were the free koozies we got with coupons at the Hard Rock Cafe.

 

And that was where we ended up for lunch once again......the Hard Rock Cafe. Figuring if we got in there at opening time, we would have just enough time to eat and get back to the boat landing by 12:30pm or sooner. The chicken salads we ordered were great, and so was the live band that began playing right before we left.

 

At the landing, we lined up and waited to board two boats that were there. One of the boats was off-loading an elderly man that we had seen with the ship's doctor yesterday. It was obvious to us that he was having a problem of some sort, but denying that anything was wrong with him. With help from the doctor and a deck hand, they got him back to his room. Looks like it was necessary to send him to the hospital today with his wife and all of their luggage. It is too bad, but these things happen on every cruise.

 

The ship left late, perhaps because some people were missing. The only way we knew that was the TV screen in our room went blank, while an announcement was being delivered out in the hallway. We have not heard any announcements in our room, which we think is strange. Our tablemates told us at dinner this evening that two passengers had been brought back on the local catamaran close to 2pm. They were lucky that the Captain had waited for them. Usually, they do not.

 

Tablemates Nancy and Patty went to the Pinnacle this evening, so there was only the four of us at our table. Sometimes that is nice, especially when you all get along well. Teddie and Colin have been very interesting tablemates....we've enjoyed their company.

 

The clocks went ahead one hour tonight, and it is already 12:30am and time to sign off.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

Link to comment
Share on other sites
WCB "Live from...." Rare

WCB

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Report # 10 Day at Sea November 5, 2012 Monday

 

We remembered after we had eaten a dining room breakfast at 9am, that today was the Mariner Society Reception. We were invited to the Explorer's Lounge at 11am for a medal ceremony. While there, we were offered mimosas, bloody Marys, or orange juice. Captain Andre and hotel director Edwin Brunink greeted each of us as briefly we entered the lounge. No hand-shaking anymore due to germ control.

 

The awardees were called according to their level of days......bronze and silver were only rewarded this time. There were no gold or platinum inductees. With every medal awarded, their photo was taken with the Captain and hotel manager. We found it a bit inappropriate that both gentlemen did not wear their jackets, just shortsleeved shirts. We had been advised that the dress code was smart casual, which most folks complied. That is except for one fellow who wore a flowered pair of swim trunks with sandals. He did catch everyone's attention when he went up for his bronze medal. Maybe we are a little old-fashioned in our way of thinking, but we feel the staff should set the example, especially when the occassion is captured with individual photos for this special event.

 

The remainder of the four star Mariners were asked to line up against the wall for a group photo. We estimated that was about 40 people. We did not participate, as did some others sitting around us. This whole process of awards and photos was done in less than 20 minutes, so they did have time to do it properly.

 

We were then led to the upper dining room where we were seated as we came in....that is in no particular order or at assigned tables. No officers shared any of the tables with the guests. Lunch was good with a choice of two appetizers, and three entrees. We chose the braised beef ribs and they were excellent. Only a glass of champagne was offered to each guest, no wine. The dessert was the best. It was a key lime tart with a splash of berry compote.

 

During the lunch service, individual names were announced with their days sailed. Everyone was asked to raise their hand when they heard their names. Guess we had the highest number since we were announced last. Our newly-aquainted tablemates jokingly asked if we lived on the HAL ships. Yes, sometimes it feels that way. After the meal, we were handed two tiles with pictures of the Volendam and Zaandam on them to add to our collection.

 

We did hear some unfavorable news from our lunchmates today. Two ladies traveling together had flooding problems in the room upon arrival. They are on the main deck (2) and told us that the carpets were flooded when they entered their room on day one. They had to endure a major cleaning and put up with a de-humidity fan running for days. Their luggage had to remain on the couch, because it was wet under the bed. Guess the reports of cabin leaks was not exaggerated on the previous cruise.

 

Knowing that the sun may be gone by tomorrow, we went to the aft deck to relax. Must have been the champagne, because we relaxed a little too well, and got a lot more sun that we planned on, although not burned. It was quite windy, so we thought we were safe from burning. Many sunbathers already were glowing and will feel that burn later for sure.

 

While we're thinking about it, we have to mention the laundry service, which is complimentary for us. It has been coming back the same day we send it, perfectly folded or on hangars. That is definitely one Mariner perk we appreciate.

 

Finding a good time to email has panned out well. We go to the library after 5pm when most passengers are going to dinner. It helps a lot when few people are using the system. There is only one drawback....the temperature in the library is close to freezing. Don't know why, but it has been a pattern for the entire trip so far.

 

Tonight was formal, and we had a surprise guest join us......one of the assistants to Gary, the Guest Relations Manager. We were pleased to have her join us, however, it was not to her credit when she admitted she got the short stick for hosting our table. What can we say......she is new to HAL and young as well. We did not get her name, but she sure was in the right place when two wine stewards stopped at our tables to deliver a pitch for selling lottery tickets to win a 7 day Mexican cruise. What the heck is that? We were shocked to see this happen and told our guest officer that we have never seen that happen before on an HAL cruise....ever. When asked if we objected to the intrusion, we said a definite YES. We are already entered into the same contest by booking a future cruise in 2014. We felt that this pitch was an unneeded interruption of our meal and conversation, not appropriate to intimidate folks into spending money. Surely there is a better time and place for this. If we want to gamble, we would attend bingo or go to the casino.

 

We have one more hour to set the clocks ahead, but lucky for us, it is not tonight.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

Link to comment
Share on other sites
maysdot

maysdot

Posted
Posted

Thanks so much for posting your experiences on the Zaandam each day. I do have a few questions for you which I hope that you will find the time to answer. I am taking a group of 68 on the Jan 26th departure from San Diego to Hawaii. Do you know if the same Captain and Hotel Manager you have will still be onboard then? Who is your CD? Do you know which cabins are still having flooding problems? How many formal nights have been scheduled? Did you ever have local entertainment come onboard? The last time I took this cruise (2006) we had hula dancers, fire eaters, etc. come on in Honolulu and put on a great Hawaiian show.

 

The last HAL cruise I was on (Rotterdam/Norway) did not have a Mariner's medal ceremony and I know that at least 2 of our group were very disappointed.....these same people are coming on this cruise, so hope that they will be recognized.....think it all depends on the Captain how these events are held.

 

Many thanks for answering my many questions

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Cruise Critic News & Features
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...