Venture to the Caribbean with Bill & Mary Ann on the Nieuw Statendam & Nieuw Amsterdam 12-18-21 to 4-26-22

[Hogladyrider]

Well Mary Ann that's a "fine how do you do" for sure.  So sorry you tested positive.  Praying your symptoms remain non existent.

 

How cute you got to see Bill when he was on his walk!  Hope you don't go stir crazy in that cabin all by yourself.

 

I was really beginning to worry about you both as I am an avid blog follower as well.  Thank you for touching base here and bringing us up to speed.

 

Praying for a fast recovery so you can continue on with your vacation.

[cunnorl]

So sorry this happened to you  Hope you are feeling better soon!

[bluesplayer]

I am sorry you have tested positive and are quarantined.  I hope your symptoms are mild and you can spend time on the veranda with nice weather.  I have followed your travels for many years.  I have also read CC posts from people in quarantine.. very isolating.   We will send good wishes and try to keep your spirits lifted.  Keep us posted on how you are feeling.  We had all our shots and booster and got Covid twice..   being careful.   Both times were mild symptoms.  Hope you are feeling well.  Laura & Mark from Seattle 

[cruzingnut]

Oh, Mary Ann, I'm so sorry to hear this!  Like many others, I wondered what was going on since you hadn't posted recently.  What rotten luck but dang, Omicron is so incredibly infectious!   As others are wondering, I'm hoping that you'll eventually be able to rejoin the ship since you have an extended time planned.  I just hope they don't make you wait too long onshore before you get to rejoin. 

 

I'm hoping you are not feeling too badly and that you recover quickly AND that Bill doesn't get it too.

 

Linda from "Ganville "

[jbhcw]

So so sorry this stupid virus has visited you!  Please stay well... hoping you can continue your cruises....and hope Bill stays virus free!  Hang in there!

[RICHARD@SEA]

So sorry to hear this about you & Bill......thankfully ypu both were vaccinated & got the booster....anyone I know here that came dowen w covid just had mild cold like symptoms.

far as wearing masks

I'm in Ft Lauderdale Beach - about a mile north of the port on the beach..I can hear the ships horns in my home  as they sail out...its quite cold this morning(45 degrees / sunny) so I hope you have something warm to wear.

Good news first is that you'll be able to order anything you need from stores & restaurants in the area.  Walgreens, CVS, Target, Publix grocery stores all deliver(even wine/ Liquor)

 

Bad news is that the covid spread here is crazy(Iknow it is decreasing ) and many people are anti vaccine - so be very careful as far as wearing masks & social distancing.  Over New Years a favorite bakery of mine  shut because everyone came down w covid - no one/ customers was wearing masks upon entering the small shop(masks are NOT mandated here).

 

If I can be of any help  - please reach out here & I'll get back to you asap - Its suppose to warm up to 70 degrees this week so at least you'll be able to get out & walk etc.

 

Seriously 0 if there is anything I can assist with please get in contact.

[WCB]

Report #36 Half Moon Cay, Bahamas Saturday January 22, 2022......Part #1 Of 1........57 Pictures

 

This should have been a fun and easy day, but it sure wasn’t for either of us.  Of course, I knew that I was banned from going onshore, but  Bill  was also denied.  The Bahamian government decided that anyone close to a positive-tested Covid person, was also not allowed off the ship.  You can bet that did not sit well with him.  Truthfully, all he would have done is walk the beach, then come back and eat lunch on the ship. 

 

Now in our way of thinking, 236 in transit guests were tested yesterday.  Not all passed as we found out.  Now that leaves the 800 or so guests that did not have to be tested.  As these folks will be going home tomorrow, so no one cares if they are positive or not.  And believe this, we have seen many passengers coughing and sneezing, some with masks, some not.  By the way, Barb got a call from the staff asking when she was vaccinated and boosted.  Why?  We think it is because we are tablemates.  Nothing came of this inquiry.  Both of us were also asked when our Moderna vaccines were given as well as the booster shot.  They never asked to see our cards.

 

Here is some more info we got about the hotel stay.  It will be at Coral Springs Marriott Hotel, about a 40 minute drive from the pier.   All of the charges will be put on our Am Ex card, then we collect from both our travel insurance and HAL  insurance.  We do have an option of going home after a 5 day quarantine at this point, but we really do not want to have so much future cruise credit on our Mariner account. We decided to do the 10 days at the hotel, where at least we can get out and take walks.  We promise to keep the masks on.  In fact, we have never stopped.

 

Except for what we will need for the 10 day stay, the rest of our things can remain in our room on the ship.  After all, it’ s paid for until April 6^th.  So that was good news.

 

I woke up at 7:45am, with the sun peeking through the curtains.  I had the sunrise this morning.  The ship would be at anchor while in Half Moon Cay, but also held by the side thrusters to keep it from swaying.  Probably not the exact terminology, but close.

 

Breakfast for me was in room service -  continental.  It was yogurt, fresh fruit, a few pastries, juice and coffee.  Janine called and asked what I needed, which I asked for bottled water, meaning the aluminum bottles of water.  Turned out they delivered six liter bottles of water.  Later they returned with six of those bottles and another blue tote bag.   Bill also called and we caught up on shared news. 

 

Many of the guests had tendered over to the island, where there would be a skeleton crew.  There would be the boat drivers, lifeguards, and perhaps one wrangler to tend the horses.  The shops manned by the nearby Bahamians would be closed again.  We learned that all of this purchased merchandise on the island would be charged to our shipboard account.  Not included in this, were the hair braiders and massage ladies.  Those would be cash only.  All aboard was 2:30pm.  The Captain pulled out around 3pm or sooner.  

 

Lunch for me was a cobb salad, chicken noodle soup (Greg calls it Grandma’s chicken noodle soup) and a slice of NY cheesecake.  So far, all of my meals have arrived on regular plates, cutlery, and glasses of water.  Looking out in the hallway, I saw multiple trays with disposable plates and cups.  I am  not complaining. 

 

The rest of the afternoon was used watching a movie, Dog Days.  Mildly funny, but amusingly predictable.  It was then that we were presented with a dilemma.  If we decided to share one room at the hotel, we would both be quarantined for 3 nights.  Neither of us would be allowed to leave the room.  Or, we could have rented two rooms with me locked up, and Bill free to  come and go.  If we chose that route, we would have been charged for the use of two rooms.  Not sure HAL would have sanctioned that. 

 

Bill had a 4pm meeting with the IT fellow to restore his computer back to normal.   Took him 15 minutes to get it right.  Then he had a meeting with Janine, whom he informed we would share a room in Ft. Lauderdale.  He has been following a blog about a similar situation on another ship.  If we are not restricted so much, we prefer to do the 10 days.

 

Dinner for me was chicken noodle soup again,  along with a serving of prime rib.  There was supposed to be a baked potato, but it never came.   I had all of the toppings, so used them on the small potato finger.  The meat was as tender and tasty as the last time I ordered it.  A green apple finished the meal along with a glass of ice tea.  As for Bill, he had fallen asleep, missed the 8pm dinner, and slept until midnight.  All of this has finally caught up with both of us.  Hope Barb understands. 

 

Janine called again to check on me.  She has been very thoughtful, and has followed through with all of her promises.  Heaven knows, she has her hands full with other infected guests as well.

 

Tonight’s movie was “Judy”, all about Judy Garland and her life in show business.  Wasn’t so glamorous as they made it appear.  Renee Z did a marvelous job playing Judy’s part.

 

The clocks finally went back one hour last night.  That’s good, we will get more sleep that we both need.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

 

[dchip]

Great photos of HMC especially since you were still on the ship. Fabulous sunset too. Thinking of you both. D & H 

[NavArch64]

The six motions of the ship at sea are roll, pitch and yaw (3 rotation) and sway, heave and surge (3 translation). So, .... sway is exactly correct! All of your days at sea with HAL are good ... even in quarantine.

[Virgo61]

I'm so sorry about your positive test! The way I read your post, you will be back on board on 2/2, the same day we board. Sounds as if Holland is being very good which is encouraging.

[The Other Tom]

It was nice of HAL to keep your regular room intact as opposed to making you pack up everything.

[TiogaCruiser]

Adding my wishes for a quick recovery and isolation, and that Bill doesn’t get it, too.  Thank you for taking us on this, and so many previous journeys.

[rkacruiser]

6 hours ago, The Other Tom said:

It was nice of HAL to keep your regular room intact as opposed to making you pack up everything.

 

I assume their stateroom will be thoroughly disinfected before they return.  It may be the most germ free stateroom on the Nieuw Statendam.  

[KirkNC]

6 hours ago, The Other Tom said:

It was nice of HAL to keep your regular room intact as opposed to making you pack up everything.

Why, they are still paying for it.  I would have been shocked if HAL asked them to pack it up.

[KAKcruiser]

I thought HAL gave you future cruise credit if you can't sail because of covid.

[BellKat]

We are on Nieuw Statendam right now. We missed Half Moon Cay yesterday due to winds. The staff was amazing about jumping in & revising the days activities within 2 hours. The captain came on at 8:00 am with the announcement that we would not be stopping. Everything (except a group of very rude people in BB King - no masks, would not shut up so we could hear the ban d) has been excellent. We are with a group called Sail with Seth (He’s their brand ambassador and a friend) so we are getting a few extras but even without that we can’t say enough good things about the ship and the crew. We had dinner at Rudi’s last night and it was amazing. They are getting very few patrons & we don’t understand why. I guess some of that is that there are less than 750 people on board. Which we are loving. Today we are in Grand Turks and so far the weather is lovely. Getting off soon to explore & do a tour. 

[WCB]

Report #37 Fort Lauderdale, Florida .........Transfer To Marriott Hotel..... Sunday-January 23,2022...... Part #1 Of 1.........36 Pictures

 

The view from my room was the best early this morning, as the Nieuw Statendam approached the coast of Ft. Lauderdale.  It was still dark at 5:30am, and the lights of the city sparkled the closer we got.  Looking at the aft TV camera, I could see a line of ships following us, like homing pigeons coming back to roost.  Only one ship was not moving off shore, as it was the Nieuw Amsterdam that is being used as a crew quarantining ship. 

 

The Caribbean Princess was already in her spot at pier two, we took pier 26, and the Celebrity Edge was right in front of us at pier 25.  The Celebrity Summit was also docked, followed by RCI Odyssey of the Seas, and last to arrive was the Rotterdam.

 

It was nice watching the ships coming in, but it was really cold….not like Florida this time of year.

 

Breakfast would need to be early because I would have to be ready to go at any moment.  Keeping it light, a continental meal would do.  There was a short wait for the delivery, because no one else on the ship got to get in room service this morning.  Just us shut-ins.

 

I had already packed up my few items yesterday, so when the call to leave came at 8:45am, I was ready.  Janine said that Bill would be taken off first, then I would join him.  The 4 or 5 person hazmat team showed up, took my two plastic HAL bags, put them on a rack, and then we proceeded up the hallway to the forward elevator.  The last hazmat guy sprayed everything all of the way out.  The elevator lobby was cleared out, then we entered and went down to deck A.  From there, my room card was scanned, and we came out on the ground level. 

 

Jonah, Bill, and the driver were waiting on the other side of the cyclone fence.  Jonah said goodbye and promised me a fun birthday celebration upon coming back.  Told her I would hold her to it.  By the way, Bill was able to leave everything in our stateroom until we come back.  Happy for that.  He took only one suitcase of stuff for 10 days.

 

By 9:15am, we were on our way to the Ft. Lauderdale Coral Springs Marriott Hotel, located about a 30 – 40 minute drive from Port Everglades.  There was little traffic, since today was a Sunday.  Now here comes the funny part.  The young masked, and gloved driver opened all of the windows to let in fresh air.  Obviously he knew he was transporting a positive Covid person.  He apologized for doing this, but said it was the law here in Florida.  Remember it was cold this morning?  Like in the 40’s?  In minutes we were freezing, having left the jackets in the suitcase.  Seeing this, the driver turned up his radio very high as he sped at 75mph all the way to the hotel.  The bad news was that this ice cold wind triggered a coughing attack, which did not stop until I got into the hotel lobby.  I felt like I needed to hang my head out of the window like a dog.  Oh what fun we have….

 

We worried that arriving so early at 10am, we might have to wait to check in.  Nope, they were ready for us.  The process was the same as every other place we have gone to, with the exception that we were handed a list of instructions with what we were allowed to do or not to do.  This will apply for the five day Florida-mandated quarantine we have.  And this applies to both of us, even though Bill is negative.

 

 We are not allowed to visit public hotel spaces like meeting rooms, fitness center, pool, lounges, restaurant, or bar.

1.       We may walk outside to get fresh air (wearing masks through the hotel lobby)

2.       All requests to be made at Front Desk (dial 0)

3.       No housekeeping services, but will deliver anything

              No visitors

4.       Room service meals are available with disposable trays and cutlery

5.       All deliveries (including restaurant take-out) will be left at our door – have to wait 10 seconds to open the door

6.       Complimentary items for the coffee and tea maker will be refilled

7.       Trash bags will be given upon request

8.       All outside food deliverers need to  stop at the front desk first.

9.       Any emergencies – dial 911.

       Finally, they were sorry we were ill, and they promised to take care of us.

 

Once situated in our room (no balcony), it took a long time to catch up on emails and getting back reports written.  At least the internet is working well here and it is fast.  We were also given a list of local restaurants and cafes that will deliver food here.  And we got a modified menu for breakfast, lunch, and dinner items from the hotel’s kitchen.  Desserts too.  Don’t know if this was mentioned, but we are allowed $100 per person per day for food.  That seems like a lot, but with the hotel prices, it might be tight eating three meals a day.  Not that it matters, as the insurance will cover it.

 

Bill took a walk and found a Publix, a local supermarket.  He came back with some groceries, and some fixings for breakfast, lunch, and snacks.  Although we do not have a microwave, there is a nice refrigerator that also works well.  A few years ago, we spent about 12 days at a Sheraton Hotel, while waiting for the Amsterdam to go into a dry docking after a world cruise.  Then we  re-boarded and sailed through the Panama Canal to San Diego.  Of course, we were not under lock up then, but spent the day eating out, walking a lot, and going to different malls. Many days, we stayed in and fixed our own mini meals, and  visited the hotel’s pool.  The time flew by.  So we can do this here.

 

There was a printed note in the room stating that it is normal practice for hotels to have a 5 day housekeeping policy.  They claim that it meets their mandated sanitation and safety measures.  Never knew that.  As expected, we only had one each of the toiletries and two sets of towels.  So we called and asked for more, and they brought it within minutes.  A bag full of lotions, shampoos, soaps, etc. and six days-worth of towel sets.  Anything else we needed, we just had to call. 

 

Later in the afternoon, we were contacted by Linda, a rep from HAL’s Family Assistance Team.  She went over most all of the info we had already been told, leaving us reassured that all would be taken care of during our stay.  In addition, she added that after our mandated stay here, we had the option of moving to a different hotel.  HAL would only cover the charges for the same amount as they pay here.  The difference would be on us.  We told her we would think about it, and decide later.

 

Then we took a walk around the outside of the hotel, and located the pool.  As nice as the pool area was, there wasn’t a soul around.  Of course, it was cool today.  If it warms up in a few days, this will be a nice spot to get some sun.

 

It had been a long day, so we ordered dinner from room service.  We had one chicken Caesar salad, and a cheeseburger (no fries), with a side salad.  All was good, but expensive at about $50.  That did not include any beverages or dessert.

 

Turned in early while watching old reruns of the Big Bang Theory.  Loved it then….love it now.

 

One day down, and about 9 to go.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

 

[dchip]

We hope your birthday was as good as you could possible make it!! Hopefully the weather warmed up and you could get out for a walk. Sending lots of good vibes. 
D&H

[scubacruiserx2]

39 minutes ago, WCB said:

 

 

It was nice watching the ships coming in, but it was really cold….not like Florida this time of year.

 

 

 

 

 

As a native Floridian I have to stay that it does get cold here . When I was in Fire College in Miami in 1977 it snowed . It meant a morning without PT . This Saturday the high will be 55 F and the low 35 F where we live an hour and 15 minutes away .

 

Edited January 25, 2022 by scubacruiserx2

[cunnorl]

 Hope you have a wonderful Birthday. Not what you planned but...

 Really hope you are feeling OK.

Florida does get cold but luckily not too often. 

 Take care, rest and get well soon!

 

[CHK]

5 hours ago, WCB said:

Report #37 Fort Lauderdale, Florida .........Transfer To Marriott Hotel..... Sunday-January 23,2022...... Part #1 Of 1.........36 Pictures

 

The view from my room was the best early this morning, as the Nieuw Statendam approached the coast of Ft. Lauderdale.  It was still dark at 5:30am, and the lights of the city sparkled the closer we got.  Looking at the aft TV camera, I could see a line of ships following us, like homing pigeons coming back to roost.  Only one ship was not moving off shore, as it was the Nieuw Amsterdam that is being used as a crew quarantining ship. 

 

The Caribbean Princess was already in her spot at pier two, we took pier 26, and the Celebrity Edge was right in front of us at pier 25.  The Celebrity Summit was also docked, followed by RCI Odyssey of the Seas, and last to arrive was the Rotterdam.

 

It was nice watching the ships coming in, but it was really cold….not like Florida this time of year.

 

Breakfast would need to be early because I would have to be ready to go at any moment.  Keeping it light, a continental meal would do.  There was a short wait for the delivery, because no one else on the ship got to get in room service this morning.  Just us shut-ins.

 

I had already packed up my few items yesterday, so when the call to leave came at 8:45am, I was ready.  Janine said that Bill would be taken off first, then I would join him.  The 4 or 5 person hazmat team showed up, took my two plastic HAL bags, put them on a rack, and then we proceeded up the hallway to the forward elevator.  The last hazmat guy sprayed everything all of the way out.  The elevator lobby was cleared out, then we entered and went down to deck A.  From there, my room card was scanned, and we came out on the ground level. 

 

Jonah, Bill, and the driver were waiting on the other side of the cyclone fence.  Jonah said goodbye and promised me a fun birthday celebration upon coming back.  Told her I would hold her to it.  By the way, Bill was able to leave everything in our stateroom until we come back.  Happy for that.  He took only one suitcase of stuff for 10 days.

 

By 9:15am, we were on our way to the Ft. Lauderdale Coral Springs Marriott Hotel, located about a 30 – 40 minute drive from Port Everglades.  There was little traffic, since today was a Sunday.  Now here comes the funny part.  The young masked, and gloved driver opened all of the windows to let in fresh air.  Obviously he knew he was transporting a positive Covid person.  He apologized for doing this, but said it was the law here in Florida.  Remember it was cold this morning?  Like in the 40’s?  In minutes we were freezing, having left the jackets in the suitcase.  Seeing this, the driver turned up his radio very high as he sped at 75mph all the way to the hotel.  The bad news was that this ice cold wind triggered a coughing attack, which did not stop until I got into the hotel lobby.  I felt like I needed to hang my head out of the window like a dog.  Oh what fun we have….

 

We worried that arriving so early at 10am, we might have to wait to check in.  Nope, they were ready for us.  The process was the same as every other place we have gone to, with the exception that we were handed a list of instructions with what we were allowed to do or not to do.  This will apply for the five day Florida-mandated quarantine we have.  And this applies to both of us, even though Bill is negative.

 

 We are not allowed to visit public hotel spaces like meeting rooms, fitness center, pool, lounges, restaurant, or bar.

1.       We may walk outside to get fresh air (wearing masks through the hotel lobby)

2.       All requests to be made at Front Desk (dial 0)

3.       No housekeeping services, but will deliver anything

              No visitors

4.       Room service meals are available with disposable trays and cutlery

5.       All deliveries (including restaurant take-out) will be left at our door – have to wait 10 seconds to open the door

6.       Complimentary items for the coffee and tea maker will be refilled

7.       Trash bags will be given upon request

8.       All outside food deliverers need to  stop at the front desk first.

9.       Any emergencies – dial 911.

       Finally, they were sorry we were ill, and they promised to take care of us.

 

Once situated in our room (no balcony), it took a long time to catch up on emails and getting back reports written.  At least the internet is working well here and it is fast.  We were also given a list of local restaurants and cafes that will deliver food here.  And we got a modified menu for breakfast, lunch, and dinner items from the hotel’s kitchen.  Desserts too.  Don’t know if this was mentioned, but we are allowed $100 per person per day for food.  That seems like a lot, but with the hotel prices, it might be tight eating three meals a day.  Not that it matters, as the insurance will cover it.

 

Bill took a walk and found a Publix, a local supermarket.  He came back with some groceries, and some fixings for breakfast, lunch, and snacks.  Although we do not have a microwave, there is a nice refrigerator that also works well.  A few years ago, we spent about 12 days at a Sheraton Hotel, while waiting for the Amsterdam to go into a dry docking after a world cruise.  Then we  re-boarded and sailed through the Panama Canal to San Diego.  Of course, we were not under lock up then, but spent the day eating out, walking a lot, and going to different malls. Many days, we stayed in and fixed our own mini meals, and  visited the hotel’s pool.  The time flew by.  So we can do this here.

 

There was a printed note in the room stating that it is normal practice for hotels to have a 5 day housekeeping policy.  They claim that it meets their mandated sanitation and safety measures.  Never knew that.  As expected, we only had one each of the toiletries and two sets of towels.  So we called and asked for more, and they brought it within minutes.  A bag full of lotions, shampoos, soaps, etc. and six days-worth of towel sets.  Anything else we needed, we just had to call. 

 

Later in the afternoon, we were contacted by Linda, a rep from HAL’s Family Assistance Team.  She went over most all of the info we had already been told, leaving us reassured that all would be taken care of during our stay.  In addition, she added that after our mandated stay here, we had the option of moving to a different hotel.  HAL would only cover the charges for the same amount as they pay here.  The difference would be on us.  We told her we would think about it, and decide later.

 

Then we took a walk around the outside of the hotel, and located the pool.  As nice as the pool area was, there wasn’t a soul around.  Of course, it was cool today.  If it warms up in a few days, this will be a nice spot to get some sun.

 

It had been a long day, so we ordered dinner from room service.  We had one chicken Caesar salad, and a cheeseburger (no fries), with a side salad.  All was good, but expensive at about $50.  That did not include any beverages or dessert.

 

Turned in early while watching old reruns of the Big Bang Theory.  Loved it then….love it now.

 

One day down, and about 9 to go.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

 

Thank you for keeping us updated on your situation. My DH and I are booked on the Nieuw Statendam for a back to back starting February 23rd so everything you are going through is very relevant to us--since who knows if we may end up in the same situation.

 

One question, will you both need to be tested for Covid before getting back on the ship at the end of the 10 days? And if so, how is that arranged? I would hope that HAL would send someone out to wherever you are staying and do the test without you having to arrange for it elsewhere. But it would be good to know.  I'm thinking that there is always the possibility, God forbid, that Bill may test positive--or that you may still test positive. The reason I ask is because I have a friend who got the Omicron virus and after 10 days still was testing positive...

[nooligans]

6 hours ago, BellKat said:

We are on Nieuw Statendam right now. We missed Half Moon Cay yesterday due to winds. The staff was amazing about jumping in & revising the days activities within 2 hours. The captain came on at 8:00 am with the announcement that we would not be stopping. Everything (except a group of very rude people in BB King - no masks, would not shut up so we could hear the ban d) has been excellent. We are with a group called Sail with Seth (He’s their brand ambassador and a friend) so we are getting a few extras but even without that we can’t say enough good things about the ship and the crew. We had dinner at Rudi’s last night and it was amazing. They are getting very few patrons & we don’t understand why. I guess some of that is that there are less than 750 people on board. Which we are loving. Today we are in Grand Turks and so far the weather is lovely. Getting off soon to explore & do a tour. 

Sorry to hijack this thread but we are also on the NS. PLEASE let guest services know how you feel about the maskless. We speak to them every day but nothing seems to change. 

[BellKat]

10 minutes ago, nooligans said:

Sorry to hijack this thread but we are also on the NS. PLEASE let guest services know how you feel about the maskless. We speak to them every day but nothing seems to change. 

I will speak to our friend who works for Holland corporate about this. He’s adamant about people wearing masks.I’m sure he will speak to the appropriate people. Thanks for the heads up.

[nooligans]

2 minutes ago, BellKat said:

I will speak to our friend who works for Holland corporate about this. He’s adamant about people wearing masks.I’m sure he will speak to the appropriate people. Thanks for the heads up.

Thank you so much! I was on the Rotterdam last week- compliance worked well and conditions improved enough that the crew could get off the ship. It would be wonderful  see that on NS as well. 

[LocoLoco1]

QUESTION/Favor Plz: Re :A Cabin I have booked for next month. NIEUW AMSTERDAM (and EURODAM) appears quirky. On Deck 10 just ahead of Retractable Roof is Rm #10043.  It is sorta Inside-sorta Outside, as the window faces REARWARD towards the retractable roof. My curiosity is killin’ me.  What the heck??