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

[bjarrett7]

Thanks for all of the wonderful information that you are sharing! We will be on our first HAL cruise January 25th and thanks to you we will also be enjoying our first cabana experience. 😎 I have one question... Is the Dive in open on embarkation day? I think I asked this question somewhere else but as I recall people were uncertain. I think I have understood from reading that the MDR only serves lunch to return guests on embarkation day, correct? Also, do you recall how early you can get into your cabana? Do you recommend a sail away there? Sorry for the MANY questions. 😯 and thanks for your help!

 

 

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[nana51]

Wouldn't have been the Amish ones from Lancaster County in PA would they? If not, if you are ever in the area you have to try them. I've never had better! :D

 

My downfall is cinnamon buns. where in the lido are these located? Someone said the ones in the explorer lounge were good too but were only available in the morning. After 4 cruises why have I not found these???

[cruz chic]

My downfall is cinnamon buns. where in the lido are these located? Someone said the ones in the explorer lounge were good too but were only available in the morning. After 4 cruises why have I not found these???

 

Maybe it's because you are looking in the explorers lounge ;). You shoukd be looking in the explosions Cafe :). I've never tasted one but they do look good.

[cruz chic]

Thanks for all of the wonderful information that you are sharing! We will be on our first HAL cruise January 25th and thanks to you we will also be enjoying our first cabana experience. I have one question... Is the Dive in open on embarkation day? I think I asked this question somewhere else but as I recall people were uncertain. I think I have understood from reading that the MDR only serves lunch to return guests on embarkation day, correct? Also, do you recall how early you can get into your cabana? Do you recommend a sail away there? Sorry for the MANY questions. and thanks for your help!

 

 

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I'm not POA but yes the dive in is open on embarkation. Yes, the MDR is open for repeat pax. You may want to try. You might be able to come in. I think you can go to your cabana when you embark but I don't know what service will be like. No problem going there for sailaway.

Edited January 10, 2015 by cruz chic

[POA1]

Thanks for all of the wonderful information that you are sharing! We will be on our first HAL cruise January 25th and thanks to you we will also be enjoying our first cabana experience. 😎 I have one question... Is the Dive in open on embarkation day? I think I asked this question somewhere else but as I recall people were uncertain. I think I have understood from reading that the MDR only serves lunch to return guests on embarkation day, correct? Also, do you recall how early you can get into your cabana? Do you recommend a sail away there? Sorry for the MANY questions. 😯 and thanks for your help!

 

Yes, the Dive-In is open on embarkation day. The hours were 11:30 AM - 2:45 PM and 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM. The break in service coincides with the lifeboat muster drill.

 

You can get into your cabana right away. When you get to your room, there will be a card waiting for you that tells you which cabana has been assigned to you. In fact, all the photos for "Poohby Joe's Guide to Cabana Living" were taken on turnaround day at the start of our second week, before any of the new, embarking passengers got on board. After we did our through passenger thing in the show lounge, we headed back to the room, changed, grabbed the camera, took the little guy by the hand, and high-tailed it up to Deck 11 forward and Palma de Mallorca / Mr. SAИDERƧ in the the Cabana Club.

 

We really didn't want the people around us to see us with a small, cuddly, and loveable stuffed bear. We were worried that they might think we were strange. So we shot the pix with stealth and quickness. (Of course, we posted the photos on the interwebs, where thousands of people could see them. But we figured y'all already knew we weren't quite right.) Also, the bear didn't want to spend his valuable vacation time signing autographs and posing for pictures with fans. :cool:

[POA1]

I think I have understood from reading that the MDR only serves lunch to return guests on embarkation day, correct?

 

Sorry for the MANY questions. 😯 and thanks for your help!

 

There's a Mariners' Embarkation Luncheon on the day you board. They may or may not be checking room keys for Mariner stars. If you have sailed on any of the other lines in the Carnival family, you'll have one star and will be able to attend without problem. Just check your room card. If you aren't at least a one star Mariner, you can try to enter the dining room. If they're not checking or turning people away, you can get in. I wouldn't sweat it, though. The other lunch options are equally good.

 

Our second week's attendants were really good and were asking if they could bring lunch on the first day. The first weeks attendants, while good, weren't in the same league as Ed & John. They were around, but we were not in the cabana at lunch time, so I don't know if they were offering to bring lunch. (We ate in the MDR at the Mariner's Embarkation Lunch our first day.)

 

You can easily do sail away from your cabana. You'll have to look and see if you like the view enough.

[POA1]

My downfall is cinnamon buns. where in the lido are these located? Someone said the ones in the explorer lounge were good too but were only available in the morning. After 4 cruises why have I not found these???

 

They were in the Lido, on the left end of one of the stations (as you faced it.) I think it was the middle station that serves eggs. I've also seen them in the Explorations Cafe, in the display case by where the barrista makes the coffees. I think the Lido would be a better bet. I know they refilled those several times a day. (I just put my head down and kept walking... even though they were calling out to me.)

[bjarrett7]

This is great! I was hoping I could avoid the crowds in the Lido on day 1. :-)

 

 

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[cruz chic]

Maybe it's because you are looking in the explorers lounge ;). You shoukd be looking in the explosions Cafe :). I've never tasted one but they do look good.

 

This should say explorations Cafe :D.

[superoma]

I kinda liked explosions Cafe. LOL

 

 

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[wldflr]

Thanks for the fabulous "live" review POA1! We will be on the NA on Jan 25 for the first time and like you, we've done this itinerary several times so I was really booking this cruise for the ship and the chance to dine in the Tamerind again. DH and I love sailing on HAL and meet wonderful folks there - we only wish we could sail with you someday, you're about the same ages as us and frankly, you sound like a blast to hang out with ;)

[bjarrett7]

Thanks again for your review! Thanks to you, we had a delightful experience in our Cabana on the NA! Curious to know if you have written a review on the Westerdam? We're booked for an Alaskan cruise this summer in an SZ. Would love to read about your experience. Could you share the Lunk? Thanks! 😎

 

 

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[POA1]

Thanks again for your review! Thanks to you, we had a delightful experience in our Cabana on the NA! Curious to know if you have written a review on the Westerdam? We're booked for an Alaskan cruise this summer in an SZ. Would love to read about your experience. Could you share the Lunk? Thanks! 😎

 

 

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Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed your cabana. We were last on the Westerdam, in 2009. I didn't write a review at the time. We did enjoy ourselves though.

 

I suppose I should post the rest of this report. The holidays got in the way, and then the enthusiasm just wasn't there.

[Vict0riann]

Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed your cabana. We were last on the Westerdam, in 2009. I didn't write a review at the time. We did enjoy ourselves though.

 

I suppose I should post the rest of this report. The holidays got in the way, and then the enthusiasm just wasn't there.

 

 

You should!:)

[freestyling]

Enthusiastic reader is ready for more :D

[nanlaur]

Your review certainly added to our enjoyment of the NA. Every time we wandered past the cabanas we looked to see if Poohby Joe snuck back on board. One of our table mates in the MDR ordered a cheese plate one evening...and we were not surprised to see a helpful little prune served with the cheese :D

[POA1]

One of our table mates in the MDR ordered a cheese plate one evening...and we were not surprised to see a helpful little prune served with the cheese :D

 

It's funny that you mention that. In Whogo's reports from the Veendam to Hawaii, he mentioned that they ran out of prunes. The first thing DW and I thought when we read that was, "Well, that's because the prunes are all on the Nieuw Amsterdam!"

[OVgirl]

It's funny that you mention that. In Whogo's reports from the Veendam to Hawaii, he mentioned that they ran out of prunes. The first thing DW and I thought when we read that was, "Well, that's because the prunes are all on the Nieuw Amsterdam!"

 

They must have left them all on Nieuw Amsterdam because the cheese plates on Westerdam had not a prune in sight.:)

[nana51]

They were in the Lido, on the left end of one of the stations (as you faced it.) I think it was the middle station that serves eggs. I've also seen them in the Explorations Cafe, in the display case by where the barrista makes the coffees. I think the Lido would be a better bet. I know they refilled those several times a day. (I just put my head down and kept walking... even though they were calling out to me.)

 

Thanks, I'll be checking.

[nanlaur]

Thanks, I'll be checking.

 

Just got off the NA last week. The sticky buns were at the end of the station where they make waffles.

[hcij2015]

There are always questions about turnaround day at Port Everglades, when your first 7 day segment ends and your second week is about to begin. I know we had questions, and if you're doing a back to back or Collector's Cruise out of Fort Lauderdale, this might help.

 

A few days before your sailing ends, you should receive an envelope that contains your in-transit passes as well as written instructions about what to do on the day you return to Port Everglades.

 

Our dear friend, Poohby Joe (who guards our wine when we're out and about) is shown here, holding our in-transit cards.*

 

 

*I know someone's going to ask the question, so here's the answer. Poohby's in-transit card is very small and it's in his pocket. He has to report to a different room for immigration purposes. Huskerchick and I are American citizens, while Poohby Joe is a citizen of the Hundred Acre Wood. As such, he holds a UK passport.

 

Speaking of locations for immigration -- Here's a link to a scan of the procedure. We're staying on the ship, so we don't have to get off. This is a but different than I've seen reported here before. Bear in mind that the process could change as it is subject to modification by the US authorities.

 

http://www.evernote.com/l/AFg14MS4uZ1MV5tgQME559W2U8j8rlE35YE/

 

This is great information, thank you 4 posting it.

I also see clarification of the fuel bunkering policy and

smoking on outside decks - I only mention it because I recall a heated exchange on here a while ago about smoking areas during bunkering. Your

notice said no smoking outside during the entire stay in FLL, which

I am guessing is a whole day?

I wonder why some passengers at other times had to go through immigration and customs when they were only going back on the ship.

Is it the same system in all ports when you are doing a back to back?

Or just FLL. Thanx.

[POA1]

This is great information, thank you 4 posting it.

I also see clarification of the fuel bunkering policy and

smoking on outside decks - I only mention it because I recall a heated exchange on here a while ago about smoking areas during bunkering. Your

notice said no smoking outside during the entire stay in FLL, which

I am guessing is a whole day?

I wonder why some passengers at other times had to go through immigration and customs when they were only going back on the ship.

Is it the same system in all ports when you are doing a back to back?

Or just FLL. Thanx.

The only place I saw the fuel notice was Port Everglades, but that's just because I was looking for it. Neither of us are smokers, so we really don't pay attention to where you can smoke in which ports. You might want to ask on the smoking thread, because I'm sure that somebody who smokes will have a better idea.

[RuthC]

Is it the same system in all ports when you are doing a back to back?

Not in most non-US ports. In most non-US ports, turn-around day looks like any other port day as far as the in-transit passengers are concerned.

[hcij2015]

Not in most non-US ports. In most non-US ports, turn-around day looks like any other port day as far as the in-transit passengers are concerned.

 

Thank you Ruth.

So to make sure I have this right - that means

you can stay in your cabin or go ashore, without having

to check in to whatever location they assign for in transit people?

You get an in transit card, right?

[RuthC]

Thank you Ruth.

So to make sure I have this right - that means

you can stay in your cabin or go ashore, without having

to check in to whatever location they assign for in transit people?

You get an in transit card, right?

In Europe, every turn-around port I have been in (several), the day looked exactly like any other port day. That is, I could get up (or not) as I pleased, and leave the ship (or not). There was no in-transit card, nor a need to report to anyone.

 

I did have an in-transit card in Sydney, Australia, although I was not required to leave the ship, nor report to anyone/anyplace.

 

I don't recall any in-transit card in Kobe, Japan on my recent visit, either, nor a requirement to report. I had been told that two years ago there was such a requirement.

There was a "zero down" requirement in the first Japan port, however, when the ship first entered the country. This was not a turn-around port, however.