Live From Zaandam May 20 - 27, 2023

[lakedweller64]

There is a heads up Texas hold ‘em 

[semibeater]

3 minutes ago, lakedweller64 said:

There is a heads up Texas hold ‘em 

Thanks for that. Table gone? BJ minimums?

[Rubyfisch]

How were the tender lines getting back on the ship?

[Crazy For Cats]

2 minutes ago, Rubyfisch said:

How were the tender lines getting back on the ship?

It was a short wait. 

[RuthC]

I've noticed on the Daily Program that there has been no Catholic Mass at all this week. There has been a prayer service, led by the congregation instead, and I've wondered why.
Is it possible you know if there was no priest on board, and why not? 

Having a priest onboard is one of the things that endears HAL to me, and I am hoping there was just a problem with this cruise, and not a change in policy for the line. 

[Destiny0315]

The programs for the two cruises on May 6-13 and May 13-20 listed a Catholic Mass at 5pm on only the two days of that first weekend and after that it was just listed as evening prayers at 5pm. 

[RuthC]

40 minutes ago, Destiny0315 said:

The programs for the two cruises on May 6-13 and May 13-20 listed a Catholic Mass at 5pm on only the two days of that first weekend and after that it was just listed as evening prayers at 5pm. 

Thanks. That is strange, and I wonder what's going on. 
I have noted that Daily Programs from other recent cruises have had Mass celebrated, which is one reason I'm confused now. 

[lissie]

9 hours ago, Crazy For Cats said:

Immigration schedule. 

 

You've just saved this ESTA visa waiver country cruiser. I've NEVER seen a requirement to have a copy of the ESTA at the border - in fact all advise is that its electronically attached to your passport and the officer sees it when they swipe the passport. 

This letter suggests that the passport control doesn't have the equipment to do that - incredible. Will get a digital copy of our ESTAS 

[woodworker&knitter]

We were on the Zaandam April 4-29 and there was a Catholic priest on board the whole time.  

[lissie]

4 hours ago, Crazy For Cats said:

Today is Bar Harbor day.  It is a very brisk day and some shops aren't ready for the season.  I recommend bringing a bag along with you if you plan on shopping.  Some stores aren't giving out bags and others are charging a fee for a bag.

On our return trip to the ship HAL had hot chocolate in the waiting area and is was hot and very good.

Wow is that unusual in the US? Our supermarket stopped giving free bag well before the pandemic, no plastic bags have been allowed for years and now they are getting rid of the plastic ones for produce too. It's rare to get  a free bag in any shop now - most won't even offer. 

 

I  though NZ wa a late adoptor because I came across the supermarket pay for a bag thing at least 10 years ago in Ireland 

[RuthC]

11 minutes ago, woodworker&knitter said:

We were on the Zaandam April 4-29 and there was a Catholic priest on board the whole time.  

Thanks for that info. 

[Mary229]

6 minutes ago, lissie said:

Wow is that unusual in the US? Our supermarket stopped giving free bag well before the pandemic, no plastic bags have been allowed for years and now they are getting rid of the plastic ones for produce too. It's rare to get  a free bag in any shop now - most won't even offer. 

 

I  though NZ wa a late adoptor because I came across the supermarket pay for a bag thing at least 10 years ago in Ireland 

Most of us don’t consider bag or no bag a badge of honor😂

Edited May 26, 2023 by Mary229

[RuthC]

7 minutes ago, lissie said:

Wow is that unusual in the US? Our supermarket stopped giving free bag well before the pandemic, no plastic bags have been allowed for years and now they are getting rid of the plastic ones for produce too.

It's just starting in my area. I expect the practice will spread quickly.
My grocery store has both plastic and paper bags at no charge. 

The next city over banned plastic bags a while back, and within the last two weeks one store chain there has started charging for paper bags. I haven't been to that store since the change. 

I started using paper bags years ago. I double bag them, and bring them back with me every time I go to the store. When they are double bagged, they last a lot longer than the two bags would last if left single. 

[lissie]

5 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

Most of us don’t consider bag or no bag a badge of honor😂

You've never swam through the soup of plastic pollution on a remote Pacific island then - I have. 

[lissie]

2 minutes ago, RuthC said:

It's just starting in my area. I expect the practice will spread quickly.
My grocery store has both plastic and paper bags at no charge. 

The next city over banned plastic bags a while back, and within the last two weeks one store chain there has started charging for paper bags. I haven't been to that store since the change. 

I started using paper bags years ago. I double bag them, and bring them back with me every time I go to the store. When they are double bagged, they last a lot longer than the two bags would last if left single. 

The advantage of doing in country-wide I guess. I must admit I wasn't best pleased when it happened and I hoarded the plastic bags before they stopped - I use them for rubbish bags at home. But the improvement in plastic pollution is pretty noticeable around the country- and I now notice when I go overseas and see them. I have a tiny foldable bag which goes into a carrier which hooks on the outside of my purse - its incredibly useful to have when travelling - I use it for things like wet clothing/swimsuits too.  I grew up with paperbags (before plastic) - but modern paperbags are really durable and carry a lot more I agree 

[Destiny0315]

34 minutes ago, woodworker&knitter said:

We were on the Zaandam April 4-29 and there was a Catholic priest on board the whole time.

I am not sure if he was on that first cruise down to Boston from April 29-May 6, but for some reason he seemed to have jumped ship after the Zaandam re-entered Canada on May 8.

Edited May 26, 2023 by Destiny0315

[CGinMTL]

No plastic bags in montreal

[WhereOWhere]

Jake, thanks again. I hope you will have time to offer a summary of thoughts tomorrow as the cruise ends (good/bad, do’s/don’ts, value/avoid, crowds/none, best foods/not so, etc) and maybe advice on dining times. Did anyone use pools or too cold?
 

i think we make four-star next trip, so we are only several hundred days behind you on HAL, our first cruise line, but not the only. 

Cheers! 
Dave, aka WhereOWhere
 

 

[3rdGenCunarder]

3 hours ago, lissie said:

Wow is that unusual in the US? Our supermarket stopped giving free bag well before the pandemic, no plastic bags have been allowed for years and now they are getting rid of the plastic ones for produce too. It's rare to get  a free bag in any shop now - most won't even offer. 

 

I  though NZ wa a late adoptor because I came across the supermarket pay for a bag thing at least 10 years ago in Ireland 

 

I first saw paying for a supermarket bag in England, probably as much as 10 years ago. I have carried sturdy reusable bags for groceries for years (I often buy them at supermarkets or farmers markets when I travel), but often got a plastic bag at other stores. Now my state has banned single-use plastic bags (except for the produce bags). I had to laugh at your comment about hoarding the plastic bags to use for rubbish. I'm about at the end of my stash, and I'll have to start buying bags. 

 

I'll have to remember to add folding shopping bag to my travel packing list.

[woodworker&knitter]

Plastic grocery bags were banned in Canada as of December 2022

[albingirl]

This subject of bags given out in grocery stores interests me. Years ago, in Portugal, you did have to pay for a bag, small money but enough to make you think about it. Our habits in the US are slow to change, but they are changing. Excessive use of plastics ruining our wildlife was enough of a wake up for me. I am so against excessive and needless laws but this is straight to my heart.

[lissie]

26 minutes ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

I first saw paying for a supermarket bag in England, probably as much as 10 years ago. I have carried sturdy reusable bags for groceries for years (I often buy them at supermarkets or farmers markets when I travel), but often got a plastic bag at other stores. Now my state has banned single-use plastic bags (except for the produce bags). I had to laugh at your comment about hoarding the plastic bags to use for rubbish. I'm about at the end of my stash, and I'll have to start buying bags. 

 

I'll have to remember to add folding shopping bag to my travel packing list.

I use something similar to this - it clips to a ring on my daily carry purse and I forget its there until I need it! Amazon.com: Kaxich Foldable Reusable Grocery Shopping Tote Bags, 6 Pack Eco-friendly Travel Recycle Shopping Bags Folding to fits in Pocket, Waterproof and Machine Washable: Home & Kitchen

Edited May 27, 2023 by lissie

[oakridger]

I'll jump in here to say that California has banned plastic bags for quite a few years now and charges if you want a paper or reusable one.  Where I live it has vastly reduced the plastic trash that used to blow around sticking in chain link fences by the freeways and road medians!  It's not all going into the river/delta and bay waters either.  😁

 

Thanks for listening and now back to the Zaandam report......

~Nancy

[albingirl]

2 minutes ago, oakridger said:

I'll jump in here to say that California has banned plastic bags for quite a few years now and charges if you want a paper or reusable one.  Where I live it has vastly reduced the plastic trash that used to blow around sticking in chain link fences by the freeways and road medians!  It's not all going into the river/delta and bay waters either.  😁

 

Thanks for listening and now back to the Zaandam report......

~Nancy

We do get sidetracked a bit, but sometimes it can be informative. 

[3rdGenCunarder]

9 minutes ago, lissie said:

I use something similar to this - it clips to a ring on my daily carry purse and I forget its there until I need it! Amazon.com: Kaxich Foldable Reusable Grocery Shopping Tote Bags, 6 Pack Eco-friendly Travel Recycle Shopping Bags Folding to fits in Pocket, Waterproof and Machine Washable: Home & Kitchen

 

I have something similar that folds itself into a strawberry. It lives in my purse.

Amazon.com: YUYIKES 10PCS Fruits Reusable Grocery Shopping Tote Bags Folding Pouch Storage Bags Convenient Grocery Bags for Shopping Travel: Home & Kitchen

Edited May 27, 2023 by 3rdGenCunarder