Almost live: First cruise EVER, Nieuw Statendam Baltic Jewels June 8-18

[washiotter]

Day 2: at sea. 
 

At 2:30am the ship went under the Great Belt Bridge, which separates Zealand from the rest of Denmark. Inexplicably, Mr. Otter and Mr. 14 stayed up to watch?! The pictures are cool, but I’m still dubious. 
 

I woke up and read the newspaper with great interest over breakfast in the Lido. Spent some time staring aimlessly at the ocean, as I gather is proper for a sea day. 
 

I appreciated that there were two separate port talks this morning, one by the excursions dept (we skipped it) and the other by the cruise director. Claire gave an overview of each port, with a focus on Visby because there’s not an intro video for that one on the TVs. She gave practical details, interesting facts, and some of the major sights we might want to visit. 
 

The motion of the ship picked up quite a bit this afternoon, and I spent some time tending to Ms. 18, who was having dizzy spells. Meclizine eventually sorted her out. Mr. 14 and I played games in the Crow’s Nest for a while - it was very active up there, in a “pleasant hum” way. 
 

The kids and I went to afternoon tea. I asked if there were peanuts in any of the unlabeled treats. The waiter went to check. Two or three people came by to assure us that they were trying to find out. Much time passed. Eventually, a chef came out with two entirely different nut-free desserts?? “But do any of THESE have nuts?” He glanced casually at the tray. “No, those are all fine.” I think something must have gotten lost in translation! But we enjoyed the tea and treats. Mr. Otter and I attended a very popular round of Lightning Trivia and came in second. 

 

Tonight was the 150th anniversary gala. The food was excellent! Mr. Otter and I loved the lamb chops and the kids were very enthusiastic about the braised sole. I thought the service was disappointing - brusque and indifferent, a real contrast to how we’ve been treated by everyone else. But I forgive everything when I meditate on my Dutch 75, chaudfroid of duckling, glass of Malbec, rack of lamb ambassador, and warm flourless chocolate cake with coffee ice cream. 

 

Finished up the evening at BB King - the saxophonist was out, but that gave the trumpeter more of a chance to really strut his stuff. The woman singer has exceptional charisma! Really enjoyed her. I also had a wonderful cocktail with bourbon, pineapple juice, honey syrup, and cinnamon. 
 

Tomorrow: Visby!

[OlsSalt]

22 hours ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

Have a wonderful time. Loved the comment about the ship overhaul.

 

Instant dry dock. Just add water.  And a pinch of salt. 

[pirate cruiser]

Enjoying your narrative especially since we were on NS in Jan-loved the ship and crew and BB Kings were awesome. Also enjoyed Rolling Stone Room even though it was a bit loud. If you run into Jamela in Rolling Stone or Emry at Ocean Bar tell them Robert the beer drinker said hi- cheers !

[Lazonia]

On 5/31/2023 at 12:27 PM, SusieKIslandGirl said:

Just got off the Nieuw Statendam Sunday. Dutch Cafe on Deck 3 was our favorite place for morning coffee. There is a charge for the coffees and bar drinks (if you don't have a package) but all the tasty goodies are included in your fare. Yummy pea soup and pastries. The Dive-In burger and hot dog location on Deck 9 by the Lido pool has great French fries as well as the main items. On Deck 10 above the Lido pool you can get good pizza and salads and panna cotta. One other trick that our table mates didn't know about-take an old hotel or similar card to use in the slot that turns the power on in the cabin. Your devices won't charge if you take the card out while you're out of the cabin. Just be sure to turn the lights out when you leave. And having a European adaptor will give you additional plug-ins if the device has a built-in transformer (just be sure it can handle 220v).

Have a great time. The crew is wonderful and I hope Captain O'Driscoll is still running the ship.

 

On 6/2/2023 at 8:07 PM, QuattroRomeo said:

Magnets and adapters mentioned earlier are definitely good suggestions.

Also, drug store items tend to be either scarce or extremely expensive onboard. So bring a few bandaids, analgesics, allergy meds, tums, sunscreen, eye drops and the like. And whatever anti-nauseants you prefer.

 

You may have booked some specialty meals already, but if you haven't, book them now- especially for sea days- they are very popular on sea days. Same for spa stuff. 

 

We usually book a specialty restaurant on embarkation night, when they tend to be quiet. The MDR (main dining room) can be hectic that first night!

 

 

 

On 5/31/2023 at 12:27 PM, SusieKIslandGirl said:

Just got off the Nieuw Statendam Sunday. Dutch Cafe on Deck 3 was our favorite place for morning coffee. There is a charge for the coffees and bar drinks (if you don't have a package) but all the tasty goodies are included in your fare. Yummy pea soup and pastries. The Dive-In burger and hot dog location on Deck 9 by the Lido pool has great French fries as well as the main items. On Deck 10 above the Lido pool you can get good pizza and salads and panna cotta. One other trick that our table mates didn't know about-take an old hotel or similar card to use in the slot that turns the power on in the cabin. Your devices won't charge if you take the card out while you're out of the cabin. Just be sure to turn the lights out when you leave. And having a European adaptor will give you additional plug-ins if the device has a built-in transformer (just be sure it can handle 220v).

Have a great time. The crew is wonderful and I hope Captain O'Driscoll is still running the ship.

Captain O'Driscoll is wonderful!!!

 

[consmarci]

Enjoying your review! We will be on this ship in August. Can you share what kind of games you found in the Crow's Nest? Puzzles too? (trying to figure out if we need to waste precious lbs to pack a few of our favorites) 

 

[washiotter]

1 hour ago, consmarci said:

Enjoying your review! We will be on this ship in August. Can you share what kind of games you found in the Crow's Nest? Puzzles too? (trying to figure out if we need to waste precious lbs to pack a few of our favorites) 

 

Plenty of puzzles. The games are your typical mass-market stuff like Scrabble, Pictionary, Blockus, Monopoly, Apples to Apples, Risk. If you’re a board game hobbyist you will want to pack your own. 

[washiotter]

Day 3: Visby, Sweden. 
 

okay, before I post about our first port of call, I have to announce that the BLOOM IS OFF THE ROSE, because I ordered a drink tonight that I hated. Clearly HAL went downhill right after my first drink of the evening. 😭 (In BB King’s, I recommend the Hoochie Coochie, which is bourbon, pineapple juice, honey syrup, and cinnamon. I do not recommend the Blues Rita, which is cloyingly sweet.)

 

 

We had our first port of call today: Visby, Sweden, on the island of Gotland. It’s an impossibly quaint and pretty town with cobblestone streets and ancient buildings everywhere you look. It was a major Viking center, and later, a Hanseatic city. The medieval town wall is still intact. 

 

The Gotland Museum is one of the very best history museums I’ve ever seen. They have a remarkable collection of prehistoric “picture stones” and vast heaps of Viking silver. They trace the history of the island from the Stone Age to the Reformation, with exceptionally well-thought-out presentation and interpretation. Apparently, people still find Viking hoards on the island to this day, and you can trace the history of the island’s trade routes by looking at where the coins in the hoards come from. This picture is a hoard that a group of schoolchildren found in a rabbit burrow. 

 

Visby also has thirteen ruined churches inside the town walls! After a very Swedish lunch, we visited one that was spectacular, Saint Karin’s. Then we walked around the town until we were all exhausted. 

 

NB: it was a lot harder to find a taxi BACK to the ship, which we did not realize until we were already all dragging. But we triumphed. 
 

Tonight was the culinary council dinner, which didn’t look that appealing. As a family of Marylanders, we resisted with difficulty the urge to go sneer at the “Baltimore spiced crab cakes.” Instead we had Mongolian barbecue in the Lido. 
 

In the evening, Ms. 18 finished her book over gelato and the rest of us had fun watching the Secret Identities game show. There was a big, lively crowd. Then we turned in early because the clocks are moving an hour ahead tonight and we’re pretty tired. 

[57redbird]

On 6/1/2023 at 4:18 PM, 3rdGenCunarder said:

Cocktail suggestion--try the Tamarind Bar. Tamarind is HAL's Asian restaurant. (I love the crispy duck!!!) The bar for this restaurant has some special cocktails. I don't know if they're available in other bars. The cucumber mojito is wonderful as is the drink with the lychee in it (forgot the name). 

& no other bar can make the cucumber mojito like the Tamarind Bar.

 

[LSEA]

This is a fun thread to follow!  Thanks for sharing.

[washiotter]

Day 4: Riga, Latvia. 
 

Wow, we had a perfect day in Riga today! We started out by wandering through Vecriga, the old city, getting somewhat lost but admiring the architecture. 
 

We had two activities planned for today. First was a trip to the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia. Although  the people of Latvia have a long history, they were first made an independent country in 1918. That lasted only until 1940, and was followed by fifty years of brutal N*zi and Russian domination. 

 

The museum tells that story in broad strokes, but also in intensely personal detail, with artifacts and individual stories - like the woman who reached down while she was being forcibly deported and snatched up a handful of Latvian soil, which she managed to keep hidden during 16 years of exile. They had the little cloth bag of soil on display.
 

It was fascinating and affecting - highly, highly recommended.

 

Our second activity was a tasting tour of the Riga Central Market. 

“The tasting amount will be sufficient for you to feel as if you have had a light lunch,” said the tour website untruthfully. 

We spent a little over two hours in the market, which is located in several old German zeppelin hangars and is the place where ordinary Rigans do their shopping. Our guide led us through the various sections talking food, cooking, household budgets, cultural traditions, and small business practicalities. 
 

On the way, we tasted TWENTY-THREE different Latvian foods and four drinks, not counting bottled water and the tea/coffee we had at the end with our fresh homemade donuts. Here’s my list of everything we tried:

 

. 

The only things I didn’t like were the smoked pigs ear (like chewing on a rubber band) and a chocolate-mint liqueur. The best things: the donuts, the smoked chicken leg, the fresh mackerel, “herring in a fur coat,” the dark rye bread with fresh butter.

 

We wondered before the tour what the weirdest offering would be. In retrospect, I’d say the cheese made with nettles was the weirdest idea, and the weirdest experience was the bread soup - a Latvian delicacy where they boil dark bread into a sort of pudding, with warm spices like cinnamon and bits of dried fruit. 
 

When we got back onboard, Mr. 14 and I were lucky enough to grab a couple of loungers on the promenade deck, in front of the window. We watched as the ship traveled back down the river to the sea.

 

 

I’m a little surprised by how much my teens are into dinner in the MDR! I thought they wouldn’t want to spend the time. Tonight I had fresh Norwegian sea bream, and it was exquisite. The service was 100% different from the treatment we got on the gala night - warm, friendly, and attentive. 
 

After dinner, another BB King set - I really enjoy them - and the World Stage performance, the same classical pianist we heard on embarkation day. This was a pretty perfect day!

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 11, 2023 by washiotter
Did not realize the forum software wouldn’t let me say N a z i

[QuattroRomeo]

It does sound like you had a perfect day! The food tour sounds quite interesting. Light lunch, indeed!.. It is great that your teens are liking the onboard experiences. Is there something on the ship they tend to gravitate to? I assume they are exploring quite a bit!?!

[washiotter]

6 hours ago, QuattroRomeo said:

It does sound like you had a perfect day! The food tour sounds quite interesting. Light lunch, indeed!.. It is great that your teens are liking the onboard experiences. Is there something on the ship they tend to gravitate to? I assume they are exploring quite a bit!?!

Ms. 18 has a quiet nature. She likes the Dutch Cafe and the Crow’s Nest. Mr. 14 is loving the entertainment, games, and trivia.

[Lido deck main]

I am enjoying this review.  Love your writing style, the pictures, port information.  Great to hear the family is enjoying the trip.  

[*Miss G*]

17 hours ago, washiotter said:

On the way, we tasted TWENTY-THREE different Latvian foods and four drinks, not counting bottled water and the tea/coffee we had at the end with our fresh homemade donuts. Here’s my list of everything we tried:

 

. 

The only things I didn’t like were the smoked pigs ear (like chewing on a rubber band) and a chocolate-mint liqueur. The best things: the donuts, the smoked chicken leg, the fresh mackerel, “herring in a fur coat,” the dark rye bread with fresh butter.

 

Holy smokes.  That is one heck of a tasting menu!!  The “herring in a fur coat” gave me a nasty flashback to the time I left a Cornish pasty in England during a 3 week tour on the continent.  When I got back to the UK, I discovered the Cornish pasty in its own fur coat. 🤮 Please tell me this wasn’t the same thing.  😂

 

17 hours ago, washiotter said:

When we got back onboard, Mr. 14 and I were lucky enough to grab a couple of loungers on the promenade deck, in front of the window. We watched as the ship traveled back down the river to the sea.

 

 

 

It looks to me like you’re on the Panorama Deck.  Probably a slip of the “P’s”.

 

I find some of the bartenders don’t know when to stop pouring the simple syrup.  I now request that they not make my cocktails too sweet.  So far, so good.  👍

 

I am so happy you also enjoyed The Pianist With the Hair!  We just loved him.

 

Edited June 12, 2023 by *Miss G*

[MisterMatthew]

 

Very enjoyable to read of your adventure... it sounds like things are going especially well. 

 

I think when teens (and, young adults) are in a more formal dining venue... they tend to gain an appreciation for great food, great service, and the ambiance.  Lovely to hear of their enjoyment of the MDR!!

 

---- MisterMatthew

[washiotter]

2 hours ago, *Miss G* said:

 

Holy smokes.  That is one heck of a tasting menu!!  The “herring in a fur coat” gave me a nasty flashback to the time I left a Cornish pasty in England during a 3 week tour on the continent.  When I got back to the UK, I discovered the Cornish pasty in its own fur coat. 🤮 Please tell me this wasn’t the same thing.  😂

 

 

It looks to me like you’re on the Panorama Deck.  Probably a slip of the “P’s”.

 

I find some of the bartenders don’t know when to stop pouring the simple syrup.  I now request that they not make my cocktails too sweet.  So far, so good.  👍

 

I am so happy you also enjoyed The Pianist With the Hair!  We just loved him.

 

🤣😂 The “fur coat” for the herring was vegetables and sour cream, fortunately not mold - although the colors were weird enough that no one else in my family would try it!

 

You’re 100% right, that was the panorama deck. My family has been ruthlessly mocking my inability to understand where I am on the ship. “WHICH way is forward?”

[washiotter]

2 hours ago, MisterMatthew said:

 

Very enjoyable to read of your adventure... it sounds like things are going especially well. 

 

I think when teens (and, young adults) are in a more formal dining venue... they tend to gain an appreciation for great food, great service, and the ambiance.  Lovely to hear of their enjoyment of the MDR!!

 

---- MisterMatthew

Mr. 14 tells me not to be surprised, that this is just what I get for 18 years of serving family dinner every night. “Grab and go” doesn’t feel right to him at dinnertime. 

Edited June 12, 2023 by washiotter

[washiotter]

Day 5, Tallinn, Estonia. 
 

Okay, you know how you see ridiculously beautiful tourist brochures, and you know the real place can’t possibly look like that?

 

Tallinn looks like that for real. It’s a fairy tale fantasy.

 

 

We did two activities today. First, a tour of the Hotel Viru KGB Museum. The Viru was the only place in Tallinn where foreigners were allowed to stay, because it was crawling with KGB agents and littered with microphones. The KGB left in a big hurry when Estonian independence happened - most of their things were left in place, and those things are STILL in place, right down to the overflowing wastebaskets and what our tour guide referred to as “the Soviet smell.” We were super lucky and got a guide who actually worked at the hotel in the late Soviet era. His stories were detailed and fascinating. 
 

 

Then we took a two-hour walking tour of medieval Tallinn with a private guide for just our family. She was amazing! She mixed together medieval legends, ghost stories, Estonian history, personal stories (she was present at the Singing Revolution as a little girl), and details of everyday life. She spent half an hour longer with us than we’d booked, and even negotiated our cab fare back to the ship so we wouldn’t get ripped off. She was a treasure!

 

And the city was just ludicrously, ridiculously, perfectly fairy-tale pretty.
 

 

All-aboard was at 7:30, and unsurprisingly, the MDR was pretty busy right after that. I was given a pager but only had to wait about 5 minutes. We had a lovely, personable, very attentive waiter - I think our experience our first MDR night must have been an anomaly. I had an excellent lamb dish, with two appetizers because I couldn’t decide. 

Another perfect day!

[VMax1700]

1 hour ago, washiotter said:

Day 5, Tallinn, Estonia. 

I read that it is only a short walk to the City Centre and slightly longer to the old town, but I have read mention of a shuttle bus from the pier.  Did you see one?

[MisterMatthew]

6 hours ago, washiotter said:

Mr. 14 tells me not to be surprised, that this is just what I get for 18 years of serving family dinner every night. “Grab and go” doesn’t feel right to him at dinnertime. 

 

Wel, mr14 sounds like an righteous fella.

 

---MisterMatthew

[Cruising on a Sunday afte]

Please advise whether in room Elemis toiletries are scented.  I am very allergic to fragrances, so will ask housekeeping to remove them if so.  Thanks!

[*Miss G*]

6 minutes ago, Cruising on a Sunday afte said:

Please advise whether in room Elemis toiletries are scented.  I am very allergic to fragrances, so will ask housekeeping to remove them if so.  Thanks!

 

Just disembarked the Nieuw Statendam on the day the OP embarked.  The Elemis toiletries are highly scented and drying to the skin and hair.  They are inside dispensers attached to the walls so there is no point in asking for them to be removed.  You won’t be able to smell them because the dispensers are sealed.  As long as you don’t push the dispenser you won’t smell them.  I bring my own unscented products as HAL does not provide an alternative.

[MisterMatthew]

3 hours ago, washiotter said:

Day 5, Tallinn, Estonia. 
 

Okay, you know how you see ridiculously beautiful tourist brochures, and you know the real place can’t possibly look like that?

 

Tallinn looks like that for real. It’s a fairy tale fantasy.

 

 

We did two activities today. First, a tour of the Hotel Viru KGB Museum. The Viru was the only place in Tallinn where foreigners were allowed to stay, because it was crawling with KGB agents and littered with microphones. The KGB left in a big hurry when Estonian independence happened - most of their things were left in place, and those things are STILL in place, right down to the overflowing wastebaskets and what our tour guide referred to as “the Soviet smell.” We were super lucky and got a guide who actually worked at the hotel in the late Soviet era. His stories were detailed and fascinating. 
 

 

Then we took a two-hour walking tour of medieval Tallinn with a private guide for just our family. She was amazing! She mixed together medieval legends, ghost stories, Estonian history, personal stories (she was present at the Singing Revolution as a little girl), and details of everyday life. She spent half an hour longer with us than we’d booked, and even negotiated our cab fare back to the ship so we wouldn’t get ripped off. She was a treasure!

 

And the city was just ludicrously, ridiculously, perfectly fairy-tale pretty.
 

 

All-aboard was at 7:30, and unsurprisingly, the MDR was pretty busy right after that. I was given a pager but only had to wait about 5 minutes. We had a lovely, personable, very attentive waiter - I think our experience our first MDR night must have been an anomaly. I had an excellent lamb dish, with two appetizers because I couldn’t decide. 

Another perfect day!

 

Please correct me if i am wrong.  I see the lamb entree.  The lower photo, hmm.  Is that proscuitto ?

 

--Matthew

 

[Mike07]

1 hour ago, Cruising on a Sunday afte said:

Please advise whether in room Elemis toiletries are scented.  I am very allergic to fragrances, so will ask housekeeping to remove them if so.  Thanks!

 

I have no known allergies, but straight up was getting contact dermatitis in some spots because of that elemis junk.

 

Also, between the ship and Norway cold, my skin was getting dried out. Generally, a day or two of lotion will resolve all issues. I used this elemis stuff daily towards the end of my trip.... And it did sort of help, but could never resolve my dry hands.

 

That elemis brand was awful for my skin.

[Florida_gal_50]

7 minutes ago, Mike07 said:

 

I have no known allergies, but straight up was getting contact dermatitis in some spots because of that elemis junk.

 

Also, between the ship and Norway cold, my skin was getting dried out. Generally, a day or two of lotion will resolve all issues. I used this elemis stuff daily towards the end of my trip.... And it did sort of help, but could never resolve my dry hands.

 

That elemis brand was awful for my skin.

I know people seem to rave about it but I don’t get why.  I bring all my own soaps, body lotion and hair products.  I use good quality products not drug store brand so maybe that’s why.