'Twas the Cruise During Christmas - Zuiderdam 2018

[Krazy Kruizers]

Great reports. Great pictures.

 

We started sailing on HAL in 1996 but our first visit to HMC was to be in 1998 -- missed it due to high winds.  A couple of more cruises -- missed her again.  We had bad luck for about 5 times before we actually made the island -- it was so nice and quaint back then.

 

HM -- jumbo beef hot dogs -- they weren't offered on any of our cruises.  Is this a new item?

[kazu]

14 minutes ago, Krazy Kruizers said:

HM -- jumbo beef hot dogs -- they weren't offered on any of our cruises.  Is this a new item?

 

Definitely not a new item I don't think KK.  They were offered on our cruises over the last couple of years IIRC 🙂 

[Stratheden]

Are they from the Dive -In?

[kazu]

15 minutes ago, Stratheden said:

Are they from the Dive -In?

The hot dog and fries?

 

Yes, I'm sure they are.  We had it available on our cruise in May and prior 😉. I never eat hot dogs except on a cruise when I splurge 😉 

[terrydtx]

4 hours ago, POA1 said:

For our non-traditional cabana drink, Michelle picked the Premium Bloody Mary, made with Grey Goose Citron. It's as if a Bloody Mary ran wildly through the garden. There are olives stuffed three ways: Blue cheese, gherkin, and hot pepper. There is also a cherry pepper, and a cocktail onion. There's a smoked sea salt rim, two lemons and two limes. There's also one of those illegal-in-California plastic straws. 

 

Is this under the $9 SBP price? That's my kind of Bloody Mary, a full meal if you add some bacon strips.

[Stratheden]

3 minutes ago, kazu said:

The hot dog and fries?

 

Yes, I'm sure they are.  We had it available on our cruise in May and prior 😉. I never eat hot dogs except on a cruise when I splurge 😉 

 

I am not a hot dog person either but they did look tasty.  I may try one next week on the Noordam. 

 

[POA1]

1 hour ago, Krazy Kruizers said:

 

HM -- jumbo beef hot dogs -- they weren't offered on any of our cruises.  Is this a new item?

 

They're from the Dive In, which replaced the Terrace Grill in 2014. The Noordam was in the process of changing over in 2014 when we were on her. They were sampling some of the menu items from what was going to be the Dive In menu. They swapped out the signage just as we were getting off. 

[lastlook]

Yes - those hotdogs are from the Dive-In (named "The Dog Paddle" on the Dive In menu) and they are quite good!

[POA1]

1 hour ago, kazu said:

Shoot Nobilo is no longer listed 😞

 

I'll double check the wines tonight. I'm hoping my little chat with the wine steward turned things around. The hand out isn't 100% correct. We noticed that the beers were missing, yet covered. I haven't reviewed the whole thing for accuracy yet. Rest assured, we'll get to it. 

[lastlook]

Sorry - Brian replied as I was typing my comment about the Dive In hotdogs!!  OK - now I am craving one - and the fries (all to myself!)

[POA1]

21 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

Is this under the $9 SBP price? That's my kind of Bloody Mary, a full meal if you add some bacon strips.

 

Yes, it would be covered. Also look for a Build Your Own Bloody Mary bar in the Lido some mornings. That liquid salad was $8.25, but might have been a little bit more because DW deluxed the vodka. You'd really never notice the difference, IMO, but she swears that the citrus flavored Grey Goose makes it better. 

[Copper10-8]

13 minutes ago, POA1 said:

 

They're from the Dive In, which replaced the Terrace Grill in 2014. The Noordam was in the process of changing over in 2014 when we were on her. They were sampling some of the menu items from what was going to be the Dive In menu. They swapped out the signage just as we were getting off. 

 

When the Dive-In initially came out on Eurodam in January 2014, they had kroketten on the menu on a trial basis but unfortunately, those went by the wayside

[POA1]

4 minutes ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

When the Dive-In initially came out on Eurodam in January 2014, they had kroketten on the menu on a trial basis but unfortunately, those went by the wayside

Yes, very sad. Thank goodness you hooked me up for Bonaire. 

[terrydtx]

13 minutes ago, POA1 said:

 

Yes, it would be covered. Also look for a Build Your Own Bloody Mary bar in the Lido some mornings. That liquid salad was $8.25, but might have been a little bit more because DW deluxed the vodka. You'd really never notice the difference, IMO, but she swears that the citrus flavored Grey Goose makes it better. 

Your DW is a smart women, the citrus vodka does enhance the BM and I use it all the time at home. A local breakfast restaurant makes a similar BM as the one in your picture but adds a couple of bacon strips, yum yum. They call it the Pork Belly Bloody Mary.

[fatcat04]

5 hours ago, POA1 said:

She swore the Bloody would pair perfectly with the Dive In's Dog Paddle - a jumbo beef hot dog with fried onions, bacon bits, sauerkraut, mustard, and Dive-In sauce. 

 

 

In the interest of healthy living, we split an order of fries. And our drinks were basically salad. 

 

I am not sure that the drink was a perfect pairing. It was good, but I'd have leaned toward a beer. It's only fair though. I occasionally select a wine just because I want to try it. 

I too would have chosen beer with a dog.

We once had a deluxe Bloody Mary with everything but the kitchen sink in it. was pretty good but the kicker was the drink stirrer was a Slim Jim. 

[kazu]

1 hour ago, POA1 said:

 

I'll double check the wines tonight. I'm hoping my little chat with the wine steward turned things around. The hand out isn't 100% correct. We noticed that the beers were missing, yet covered. I haven't reviewed the whole thing for accuracy yet. Rest assured, we'll get to it. 

 

 

Oh now worries at all, Brian.  Please don't spend too much time on "scientific research" and take time to enjoy your cruise 😄. 

 

Enjoying all your posts. 🙂 

[POA1]

I happened to be flipping through the TV movies and happened to see this. Poohv Joe is all a twitter. He wasn't allowed to see Christopher Robin in the theater, because we're strange, not weird. 

 

 

[wdw1972]

20 hours ago, POA1 said:

Schedule Change:

 

Despite the assurances of a group of really well meaning and trustworthy people, we are not having our first gala night on Monday, December 17th. When we returned to our room tonight, the When & Where for tomorrow says that we're "Smart Casual" on Monday night. 

***********************

In the old days, when there used to be 3 "Formal" nights on this itinerary, the first one was on Half Moon Cay night (day 2, or 1st full day of cruising).  However, when HAL cut back to 2, and subsequently went to "Gala", that first one was dropped.  Your 1st gala night will be your 1st sea day, and the 2nd one should be your 2nd sea day.  

 

Thanks for sharing your voyage with us!

Sue/WDW1972

 

20 hours ago, POA1 said:

 

 

[POA1]

5 hours ago, kazu said:

 

 

Oh now worries at all, Brian.  Please don't spend too much time on "scientific research" and take time to enjoy your cruise 😄. 

 

Enjoying all your posts. 🙂 

 

The MDR wine list and the wine lists in the bars and lounges aren't in sync. Nobilo Sauv Blanc is on the wine list in the Ocean Bar and the Crow's Nest. Our wine steward, Mario, assured me that we can get bar wines in the MDR and vice versa. In olden times, the MDR wine list was the bar list plus (hope that makes sense.) Now there are portions of the wine list without overlap. I'll try to figure it out.

[POA1]

Dinner tonight was excellent. DW had the prime rib & baked potato. I had the lamb chops. DFIL had the cornflake crusted hake. Our waiters were excellent again and the pacing was much better in the MDR. (This is par for the course once you're past the first night.)

 

I'm happy to report that our wine steward, Mario stepped up his game tonight. The wine list was on the table waiting when we arrived. Our wines arrived in plenty of time for pairing. All in all, a winning experience. We're at Table 1 on the upper level of the dining room. If you look up the seating plan on one of those sites, like umm... Halfacts, you'll see we're in the left hand corner as you enter the MDR.  Michelle sits on the banquette/booth side with her father. This allows her to face the room. We, and our friends, refer to this as "the spy seat." You can take in the room from this vantage point. I sit across from her (so as to gaze upon her beauty) and I need to be told what's going on behind me.

Edited December 18, 2018 by POA1

[kazu]

4 hours ago, POA1 said:

 

The MDR wine list and the wine lists in the bars and lounges aren't in sync. Nobilo Sauv Blanc is on the wine list in the Ocean Bar and the Crow's Nest. Our wine steward, Mario, assured me that we can get bar wines in the MDR and vice versa. In olden times, the MDR wine list was the bar list plus (hope that makes sense.) Now there are portions of the wine list without overlap. I'll try to figure it out.

 

Thanks POA1 - good news and yes, you make total sense. 🙂 

 

4 hours ago, POA1 said:

I'm happy to report that our wine steward, Mario stepped up his game tonight. The wine list was on the table waiting when we arrived. Our wines arrived in plenty of time for pairing. All in all, a winning experience. We're at Table 1 on the upper level of the dining room.   Michelle sits on the banquette/booth side with her father. This allows her to face the room. We, and our friends, refer to this as "the spy seat." You can take in the room from this vantage point. I sit across from her (so as to gaze upon her beauty) and I need to be told what's going on behind me.

 

Love thd "spy seat" 🙂. Did you request this table in advance?

[POA1]

15 minutes ago, kazu said:

Love thd "spy seat" 🙂. Did you request this table in advance?

 

No, I skipped the table request this trip. It was just luck of the draw. 

[POA1]

The first two days worth of When & Where's have been scanned. I'll get those posted later this morning. We'll have to get out and about to snap some photos of the ship's Christmas decorations. 

 

We have been pretty good about taking dinner photos. I'm on the fence about whether to put them in this thread or to make a side thread for them. I know that there are people who hate the food p0rn, so maybe a "side car" thread makes sense. 

 

We're making our first foray to the Lido for breakfast this morning. This is more by necessity than by choice. Our room stewards forgot to leave our breakfast card last night. I suppose that this can be the replacement for the one day I inevitably fill out the card but forget to hang it out on the door handle. 

[Krazy Kruizers]

13 hours ago, POA1 said:

 

They're from the Dive In, which replaced the Terrace Grill in 2014. The Noordam was in the process of changing over in 2014 when we were on her. They were sampling some of the menu items from what was going to be the Dive In menu. They swapped out the signage just as we were getting off. 

 

Strange -- those jumbo beef hot dogs were not available on our Westerdam cruise 2 years ago.  That is the only time DH orders a hot dog -- I never get them.  They only had the tiny Nathan's ones.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Enjoying your reports.

 

I am one of those people who like to see the food porn pictures as the reports are made.  Just saying.