Dave’s Trip To, Around and Into Australia, Sept. 26 – Nov. 23, 2016

[Lovely other]

Lovely Other - so what would they bring you, nothing? or something you did not order?

 

They only brought the things that were actually on the menu ... So just coffee for me and hubbys breakfast choices. I wasn't impressed as we had previously really enjoyed our ritual of room service on port days to get us up and about in the most civilised of ways ...

[RetiredMustang]

Oct. 7, at sea (Cont.)

 

 

Well, the internet seems to be working, so I will try to post the Mix menu – it is a bit different from the regular bar menu. It will take several posts to get it all. Here are the first four pages (of 23):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More in the next post,

Dave

[RetiredMustang]

Oct. 7, at sea (Cont.)

 

Here are Mix menu pages 5-8:

 

 

 

 

 

More in the next post,

Dave

[RetiredMustang]

Oct. 7, at sea (Cont.)

 

 

Here are Mix menu pages 9-12:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More in the next post,

Dave

[RetiredMustang]

Oct. 7, at sea (Cont.)

 

 

Here are Mix menu pages 13-16:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More in the next post,

Dave

[RetiredMustang]

Oct. 7, at sea (Cont.)

 

 

Here are Mix menu pages 17-20:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More in the next post,

Dave

[RetiredMustang]

Oct. 7, at sea (Cont.)

 

 

Here are Mix menu pages 21-23 (final post for the Mix menu):

 

 

 

 

 

 

More later,

Dave

[erewhon]

Thanks for posting all the list of drinks.

[RetiredMustang]

Oct. 7, at sea (Cont.)

 

 

At happy hour in the Ocean Bar this evening, we ran across fellow CC’er Ladybags (if I caught the handle correctly). She said she and her DH had joined the ship in Honolulu, after having spent five days on an itinerary assisted by another CC’er. One point she said they had rented a car from Dollar, which came with built-in GPS tour routes. For example, she said, if you took the South Shore tour, it would direct you to the various places and even give commentary on the GPS: “You are now looking at something way cool and amazing.” Sounds totally cool (and waaayyy beyond my technical attainments; I just today remembered how to turn off the flash from my camera – I got some snickers when I took flash shots of sunrise a couple of days ago). At any rate, a shout-out here to Ladybags, and whoever from CC who helped her with her itinerary (it was loud in the bar, and neither DW nor I caught the handle).

 

Afterwards, we went in to dinner in the MDR. Here are the dinner and dessert menus:

 

 

 

 

 

DW and I both started with the pasta fagioli (the dish know as pasta fazoo to Bugs Bunny fans). I enlisted the indulgent assistance of Ayep to let me take three photos of the process. First, the bowl with stuff in it:

 

 

 

Then, the pouring of the broth:

 

 

 

Then, hey whoa! Soup!

 

 

 

For main, we both had a rare piece of prime rib. For dessert, DW had the Heath bar froyo and I had the blueberry sundae.

 

 

More later,

Dave

Edited October 8, 2016 by RetiredMustang

[erewhon]

Interesting to read the menus, thank you.

[RetiredMustang]

Oct.8, at sea

 

 

We have crossed the equator overnight – according to the scan chart channel, we are about 1 degree south latitude. There is a King Neptune ceremony scheduled for this morning to “celebrate” those crew members who are crossing for the first time, We plan to be there and I hope to get some good photos.

 

Here are the first four pages of the On Location:

 

 

 

 

 

 

More in the next post,

Dave

[RetiredMustang]

Oct.8, at sea (Cont.)

 

 

Here are the other two pages of the On Location:

 

 

 

 

More later,

Dave

[kazu]

Oct. 4, Kona (Cont.)

 

In-room breakfast

 

 

There has been the usual card available each night if we wanted to order breakfast in our room for the next morning. Last night, we noticed that it had changed, into a folded card, with a design on the front page (blank back page):

 

 

 

 

 

But, the inside pages containing what can be ordered has changed a bit, and now also includes items that you can get if you pay for them:

 

 

 

More later,

Dave

 

Thanks for posting the new room service breakfast menu.

 

Very strange and unappetizing for me.

 

I'm trying to figure out why they are charging for the salmon eggs benedict when they are available in the Lido, MDR & Pinnacle Grill at no charge?

 

Very strange.

 

Hope this is just a trial and not going fleet wide.

[kftw]

Oct. 7, at sea (Cont.)

 

 

DW and I both started with the pasta fagioli (the dish know as pasta fazoo to Bugs Bunny fans). I enlisted the indulgent assistance of Ayep to let me take three photos of the process. First, the bowl with stuff in it:

 

 

More later,

Dave

 

Ayep was our waiter on the August 29th Alaska cruise. Please tell him hello from Karen & Craig (who we had the fake birthday for).

 

Really enjoying your thread. Learning more about the Maasdam than when we were on her. :o

[RetiredMustang]

Oct.8, at sea (Cont.)

 

 

At about 10 a.m., most of the passengers assembled at the Seaview Pool and the aft Lido deck to await the arrival of royalty – King Neptune. The area was set up for a court of judgement, on those of the crew who had never crossed the equator before but had dared to enter King Neptune’s domain, persons known as pollywogs. The setting included thrones for the royalty, a podium for the prosecutor, and tables for the judges:

 

 

 

 

The king, his queen and a mermaid with dolphin arrived about 10:20 and acknowledged the crowd:

 

 

 

 

The spectators waited for the proceedings to begin:

 

 

 

At 10;30, the ship’s horn was sounded, and royalty took their places:

 

 

 

 

Followed by the arrival of the judges – the Maasdam captain and some of his senior officers:

 

 

 

 

More in the next post,

Dave

[RetiredMustang]

Oct.8, at sea (Cont.)

 

 

The accused pollywogs were brought down from upper decks, under armed pirate escort:

 

 

 

They were paraded past the court:

 

 

 

to their holding cage behind the judges:

 

 

The accused were brought out in groups, and stood before the judges while the prosecutor recited their offenses. The first group, young officers from the deck department, were accused of such affronts as thing a compass rose was a flower. They stood impassively while the charges were read, with great relish, but the prosecutor:

 

 

 

King Neptune pronounced his judgement first – they must all kiss the fish (I muffed that shot, but got the next group). Afterwards, they were anointed to await judgement:

 

 

 

That stuff looked like colored whipped cream, but DW, who was in another area than I was, said she heard it was beaten egg whites.

 

 

More in the next post,

Dave

Edited October 8, 2016 by RetiredMustang

[RetiredMustang]

Oct.8, at sea (Cont.)

 

 

The judges conferred and announced their verdict in the approved Roman fashion – the prisoners would survive and not be forced to jump into the briny sea:

 

 

 

 

Instead, they were placed under armed guard to witness the judgements of their fellow pollywogs:

 

 

 

 

The second group was mostly from the hotel staff, including a wine steward accused of the heinous crime of spiking a wine bottle with ****** and a laxative. King Neptune ordered them to kiss the fish:

 

 

 

The verdict of the judges this time was not so lenient:

 

 

 

 

So, it was time for the sea:

 

 

 

Actually, DW and I agreed later that we probably would have preferred the dunking to sitting in the sun with egg whites all over us like the “survivors” did.

 

 

At that point, as the third group was brought out to face the judges, I relinquished my spot at the upper rail so others could get shots easier than shooting over my head, and I repaired to the Lido bar for a cold Grolsch to ease the very hot time spent in equatorial sun. DW said there were about three more groups, with such charges as a member of the engineering department putting plastic wrap over the toilets, and similar transgressions keyed to the accused’s positions.

 

 

O.K., it was very cheesy, but everyone seemed to have had a great time … I and DW included.

 

 

More later,

Dave

[GUT2407]

Thanks for all the effort.

[RuthC]

I have always loved the King Neptune/Crossing the Equator ceremony. Even kissed the fish myself my first time across.

I never miss going, even willing to stay out in the hot sun for it. :eek: (I much prefer the shade.)

 

Thanks for the great pics and narrative of what is a guaranteed fun time.

[erewhon]

Your details of the King Neptune Ceremony bring back lots of fun memories.

[dmcfad2]

Ayep was our waiter on the August 29th Alaska cruise. Please tell him hello from Karen & Craig (who we had the fake birthday for).

 

 

 

Really enjoying your thread. Learning more about the Maasdam than when we were on her. :o

 

 

Ayep was also our waiter on the August 29th Alaska cruise. (Karen and Craig must have had late seating. We had early.) Please also tell him hello from Debbie and Kurt! :)

 

I am enjoying your report.

 

Oh, and by the way. I was on the Koningsdam on the second cruise and was able to write in what I wanted on the new breakfast room service menu with no problem. They brought us everything we wrote down.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[RetiredMustang]

Oct.8, at sea (Cont.)

 

 

After a relatively quiet happy hour in the Ocean Bar, we went in to dinner. Many had other plans, as there were empty tables about. Here are the MDR dinner and dessert menus:

 

 

 

 

 

 

For starter, DW had the cockie-leekie soup (they called it something else, but that’s what it was) while I had the cream of asparagus soup. For main dish, DW had the chicken, and I had the pork bucco. For dessert, we both went with the chocolate mousse:

 

 

 

 

After dinner, we listened to the Adagio duo in the Explorer’s Lounge for a while. Sorry, I still don’t know their names, but they are good. But, I miss the full experience of the string quartet (… and they don’t make good music like they used to, and nothing tastes as good as it did, and you kids get off my lawn … harrumph!)

 

… O.K., I’m over the geezer nostalgia fit. The duo went on break, and I was able to take a photo of the chocolates and drinks cart (and take a couple of chocolates while I was at it):

 

 

 

 

More later,

Dave

Edited October 9, 2016 by RetiredMustang

[erewhon]

Was the chocolate mousse as tasty as it looks?

[Krazy Kruizers]

Just catching up.

Great reporting and wonderful pictures.

The first time we crossed the equator (many years ago on the old Nieuw Amsterdam) we did kiss the fish. Now we just watch the ceremony.

[bluesplayer]

Great pictures and much thanks for your posts as i have enjoyed ordering m virtual dinner every time. I was wondering if yo would be able to post the 24 hour room service menu?