CSI: NA Reloaded (Nieuw Amsterdam 11/30 to 12/14/14)

[Cruzin Terri]

I managed to avoid the bread pudding for not one, but two cruises - a grand total of three weeks.

 

However, there's still something wrong with our scale. We weren't keeping up with the news. Did the force of the Earth's gravity get stronger while we were away?

 

I can only imagine how wrong my scale will be after being away for 45 days. You only have a two week adjustment to make. But then again eating those chocolate balls (or is it bowls?) really doesn't help.

 

Thanks for all the entertainment.

Terri

[cruz chic]

I managed to avoid the bread pudding for not one, but two cruises - a grand total of three weeks.

 

However, there's still something wrong with our scale. We weren't keeping up with the news. Did the force of the Earth's gravity get stronger while we were away?

 

I didn't touch it either but it's not a struggle for me. I think bread pudding is a waste of good bread. Now chocolate is a different story:D.

[cruz chic]

I can only imagine how wrong my scale will be after being away for 45 days. You only have a two week adjustment to make. But then again eating those chocolate balls (or is it bowls?) really doesn't help.

 

Thanks for all the entertainment.

Terri

 

I think you'll be surprised. I've gained 8 to 10 lbs on most of my cruises. Those vary from 14 days to 26. After a while I truly get sick of eating and return to normal. I generally do go to the gym a fair bit. That said, my last cruise was an anomaly. I think I got to the gym once and walked just a bit. I gained 3.5 lbs. I didn't feel the best on this cruise but my stomach didn't seem to notice. I know 26 days is a lot shorter but it's still lengthy.

[dot73]

On the ship, I tend to eat foods that I am usually too lazy to make at home. I eat a lot of meat, pastries, etc. When I get home, I refuse to get on a scale for about a month. After a month of regular eating, I usually weigh about the same as before the cruise. I find that for the first two weeks after a cruise, I cannot even bear to look at meat. I don't have any health issues, so two weeks of gluttony isn't going to kill me.:D

[SilvertoGold]

I am seriously considering a "live from" for the Grand South America" on the Prinsendam beginning jan. 3. I'm nervous for two reasons:

1) never did one before

2) promised one from the Noordam last August and DH ended up in the hospital in Rome and had surgery.

 

Maybe I should leave well enough alone. Besides POA1 is a hard act to follow.

Terri

 

A tricky decision, especially considering the hospital bit!

 

But, please, we beg you, do give it seriously serious consideration. This is an outstanding cruise and we would love to read your thoughts.

 

Have a great time!!

[4friends]

I would like to join everyone in thanking you for the chance to cruise vicariously along with you. I looked forward to reading this thread every day for all the valuable information, awesome photos and most of all the humour. I look forward to your next cruise and reports, but even more than that, I am looking forward to our Mediterranean / European cruise in April.

 

Cruising Terri, I would love to read your "Live From" South America. That will be an amazing cruise.

Edited December 15, 2014 by 4friends

[POA1]

If you are considering writing a "Live From," by all means, please do. It benefits not only your readers, but it also helps you. Doing a sort-of-live report helped us to take in some shows and do some activities that we would not normally have done - just so we could write more balanced reports.

 

Left to our own devices, most days' accounts would have read:

 

1. Ordered room service breakfast.
   
2. Showered.
   
3. Went to the cabana.
   
4. Happy hour..
   
5. Nap.
   
6. Dinner.
   
7. B.B. King X 3
   
8. Bed.
   

Not that there's anything wrong with that, but it would make for some pretty dull coverage. Doing the "live from" forced us to mix things up a bit and live on the edge*. It helped us to broaden our horizons and have a more fulfilling cruise experience.

 

*For example, sometimes we flipped numbers four and five above, napping before happy hour. We're just crazy and impulsive kids.

 

I can honestly say that I have benefited from just about every on-board narrative I've read. There's always some nugget of wisdom to be gleaned. About the only time we don't get much out of a write-up is when it is an agenda-driven, non-stop kvetch** fest. You can't have the "worst meal in the history of food" six times in the course of a week. People have eaten poisonous plants. Or rocks. Unless you have had an uninterrupted diet of stones covered in wolfsbane, you probably didn't have the "worst meal ever."

**Yiddish: To complain incessantly, or non-strop complaining.

 

Write what you know. "Outsource" what you don't. Talk to your fellow travelers. For instance, we met a nice gentleman from Ontario who played the bass in college. He's the one who told us how good the solo guitarist was. A woman on our Noordam cruise helped alert us to the Bloody Mary Bar in the Lido.

 

Know yourself. If you're like us, chances are that you have a pretty well-defined set of preferences. Just because we like things a certain way, it doesn't mean that it's the only way - or the best way - things should be. For example, I prefer a certain type of liquor. If a bar has Maker's Mark Bourbon, ice, and a glass***, I'll call it a good watering hole. However, a lot of people want to know about craft cocktails, wines by the glass, cider, and other drinks. A good "live from" will cover all the bases, not just what we like.

 

***Safety Tip: While a clean glass is preferred, a 90 proof whiskey will more or less sanitize just about anything.

 

Know your audience. Before you go, read Cruise Critic to get a sense of what people would like to know. Based on our extensive research, we knew, ahead of time, that coverage of the Piano Bar and Chocolate would help to lock in the demographic that is RuthC. We also learned that some people would like to know if there was a difference between early season cruises and sailings a few weeks in. There was interest in holiday decorations, daily activities, and menus. We tried to address as many informational needs as possible.

 

It's time to call it a night. In the next installment, I'll cover some more, including such riveting topics as:

 

• How to minimize your internet costs while doing a "live from."
  
• Using a small notebook to record inspiration when it strikes.
  
• What to do when inspiration strikes and your notebook is in your other pants.
  
• How to tie a bow tie on a beloved, plush bear from early 20th century English literature.
  
• Prunes.
  

It's just past 1:00 AM, and I should get to bed in case the front office sends the requested stationery and envelopes to our home in the morning. It's only been ten days and three requests since I asked for the extra stationery. I'll probably trip over a ream of letterhead when I walk out the front door tomorrow.

[Lizzie68]

Can't wait for the prunes report. All else is superfluous, of course.:D:D

[POA1]

Can't wait for the prunes report. All else is superfluous, of course.:D:D

Yes. You know what they say: "Prunes make everything come out right."

 

Sorry. Couldn't resist.

[kazu]

Looking forward to your riveting topics :D

 

Love this thread. Thank you AGAIN:D

[POA1]

If you are trying to limit the amount of time you spend online when doing your "live from" thread, here are a few tips:

 

• If there are graphics or other image content* you can "stage" before you leave home, put it on the interwebs before you leave depart for your trip. In my case, I made up all of the bumper images that were used to begin each day's posts, and put them up on the Institute's server. I copied down all of the image URLs and kept them in a file, so I could refer to it as needed.
  
• If you plan to post photos as part of your thread, you should resize them before you go online. Don't waste minutes online while you are frittering around with pictures.
  
• A good way to get images online and posted is to use an image hosting service. There are a number of them available. If you want one that doesn't cost you anything, try http://postimage.org/ - Again, learn to use it before you leave home.
  
• Write your posts offline. Then jump online to post to your thread. This is a huge time saver. I prefer to compose my posts in either a text editor, like Notepad or Textpad -- or, I will use Evernote, which syncs between our phones, tablets, and computers.
  
• A program like Tapatalk or the Cruise Critic app works quite a bit faster than the browser-based version of the CC website. The browser version uses a lot of bandwith because of the ads, the countdown clocks, signatures, etc. When the ship's internet connection is slow**, the web version of Cruise Critic can be really sluggish. One day two weeks ago, I was able to get up and shave while waiting for a message to post.
  
• If you are going to use a new app or service, test it out before you leave home. You don't want to be learning things at $0.75 per minute. Evernote and Evernote Food each have some excellent tutorial videos. You want to watch them at home and master the programs before you leave your humble abode.
  
• I carried a little mini notebook and a Fisher Bullet Space Pen in my pocket, so I could write things down when inspiration struck. I had the silver pen, but it's also available in matte black. The pen is really compact, and it writes at any angle. Carrying the pen is really helpful, if for example, you absolutely suck at remembering names.***
  

*Not graphic content images. That's a whole different thing. :eek:

**Holland America is supposed to be rolling out faster Internet in the near future. It definitely got faster the week that the HAL management was onboard. I'm sure that this was merely a coincidence.

***It's also handy for filling out the room service breakfast card, laundry sheet, or exciting and exotic government forms.

Edited December 15, 2014 by POA1

[regnig]

114AM to 637am... by my calculation that is only 5hrs & 23min between posts! :eek: Much as we look forward to each new posting you do need to sleep sometime.

[cruz chic]

Holy cow, after reading that I'd be afraid to do a live from:D.

Edited December 15, 2014 by cruz chic

[POA1]

114AM to 637am... by my calculation that is only 5hrs & 23min between posts! :eek: Much as we look forward to each new posting you do need to sleep sometime.

It's worse than you think. It took a while to write the last post. I started about 15 to 20 minutes before the time stamp.

 

Not to worry. I keep weird hours, but I nap. :)

[superoma]

Ah, thanks for being here again this morning, POA. I really don't know what I will do when you stop posting to this thread! You are my go to while I eat my Cheerios.

 

Some really good pointers in this and your previous post. I have some new ideas to add to my arsenal that will serve me well for my Canadian east coast land excursion next summer. That and getting more comfortable with my iPad since it will be the electronic of choice going along, dongles and all.

 

Waiting with baited breath for the prune instalment!!

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[superoma]

I am seriously considering a "live from" for the Grand South America" on the Prinsendam beginning jan. 3. I'm nervous for two reasons:

 

1) never did one before

 

2) promised one from the Noordam last August and DH ended up in the hospital in Rome and had surgery.

 

 

 

Maybe I should leave well enough alone. Besides POA1 is a hard act to follow.

 

Terri

 

 

Terri, please do one. I can't get my husband on a South America cruise so it will be my chance to travel vicariously through your cruise.

 

I followed you home from Europe as you struggled with your husband's health and would love to follow you on a happier journey. Glad he is well enough to go, by the way.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[Cruzin Terri]

Thank you for all that information. It is helpful. As for new programs i don't have much learning time with my 37 day cruise coming up in less than three weeks and we have to throw Christmas into that mix and an 8 hour drive to Fort Lauderdale.

 

I am going to print our your guidelines and do the best I can.

 

Terri

[sapper1]

We didn't know if you were watching Sailaway yesterday from your condo or not, but we waved like mad from the aft pool deck just in case you were.

I have enjoyed your live thread immensely. You will be a hard act to follow.

 

We also enjoyed our chats and hope to "see" you on CC when we get home.

[POA1]

Thank you for all that information. It is helpful. As for new programs i don't have much learning time with my 37 day cruise coming up in less than three weeks and we have to throw Christmas into that mix and an 8 hour drive to Fort Lauderdale.

 

I am going to print our your guidelines and do the best I can.

 

Terri

Don't worry about new apps if you don't have time. Just make the best of it. I'm sure we'll appreciate whatever you do.:)

[POA1]

We didn't know if you were watching Sailaway yesterday from your condo or not, but we waved like mad from the aft pool deck just in case you were.

I have enjoyed your live thread immensely. You will be a hard act to follow.

 

We also enjoyed our chats and hope to "see" you on CC when we get home.

I got a bunch of photos of the aft pool. It was a little crowded, but I'm sure that you are in there somewhere. I have the photos loaded up to a network share so you can get them when you return.

[RuthC]

Know your audience. Before you go, read Cruise Critic to get a sense of what people would like to know. Based on our extensive research, we knew, ahead of time, that coverage of the Piano Bar and Chocolate would help to lock in the demographic that is RuthC.

Aw, shucks :o. Thanks for the honorable mention.

 

There's another good reason for those who are considering doing a report from the ship. Add it to your list:

You get more out of your cruise.

 

When I did "Live from ..." reports I found I paid a lot more attention to what I was doing, seeing, and learning about the ports so I could write a better post.

It helped me remember so much better! I have more complete memories of those cruises than ones I have taken more recently.

[POA1]

Aw, shucks :o. Thanks for the honorable mention.

 

There's another good reason for those who are considering doing a report from the ship. Add it to your list:

You get more out of your cruise.

 

Excellent point!

[POA1]

In a follow-up to our Cozumel post, we began rigorously testing our chocolate from the Kaokao / Chocolates Damarsicheli micro factory. We tried the Dark Chocolate with Coconut Bits yesterday, and the Milk Chocolate this morning. The milk chocolate bar was excellent. It's 31% cocoa, and cocoa is the first ingredient. A Hershey Milk Chocolate bar, in contrast is only 11% chocolate, and the first ingredient is sugar. It's not inexpensive, but it's very good, and the tour was an unexpected pleasure. They run the tour at 11:00 AM, and you should probably make reservations. We didn't, but our tour guide knew the family and was able to secure a tour for us.

 

We'll keep you posted as we perform more of this vital research. If you are looking for something new to do in Cozumel, try the chocolate factory. It's a small, intimate family operation - nothing flashy. But you'll learn something, and you get to make your own Mayan style drinking chocolate. There are definitely worse ways to spend $10 in Cozumel. There's a very good restaurant, Casa Mission, nearby if you want to grab breakfast or lunch. We're definitely keeping Casa Mission on our short list should we find ourselves in Cozumel again. It's the anti Senor Frog's.

 

If you want to learn more about the chocolate company, their English language website is here:

 

http://www.chocolateskaokao.com/DefaultEng.aspx

[sapper1]

I got a bunch of photos of the aft pool. It was a little crowded, but I'm sure that you are in there somewhere. I have the photos loaded up to a network share so you can get them when you return.

 

Oh good--- I would love to see the photos. When I get home maybe you could email the link to me. That would be super.

[POA1]

Oh good--- I would love to see the photos. When I get home maybe you could email the link to me. That would be super.

My pleasure.