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

[oakridger]

28 minutes ago, MisterMatthew said:

 

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

 

--Matthew

 

 

I'm not the OP, but the picture is Carpaccio.  A very thinly sliced raw beef.

 

~Nancy

[sallywallygal]

On 6/6/2023 at 2:39 PM, washiotter said:

Took the metro to Nyhavn, which is extremely touristy but that’s okay - we’re tourists. Had dinner at a dockside restaurant with outdoor seating under a canopy - everything was delicious. I had a smoked salmon plate and a Tuborg beer. 

Where did you eat dinner? We're staying in that area before we board Nieuw Statendam. Enjoying your review! 

[Cruising on a Sunday afte]

Thank you all for your input.  I will bring my own products. And lots of lotion.

[washiotter]

4 hours ago, oakridger said:

 

I'm not the OP, but the picture is Carpaccio.  A very thinly sliced raw beef.

 

~Nancy

Yes, beef carpaccio. It was delicious!

[washiotter]

7 hours ago, VMax1700 said:

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?

There was a shuttle bus for $10/person, round trip. If there are one or two of you, it’s a better deal than a taxi.

[washiotter]

3 hours ago, sallywallygal said:

Where did you eat dinner? We're staying in that area before we board Nieuw Statendam. Enjoying your review! 

Sorry, I don’t know! We pretty much picked the first place we came to. We were tired!

[MisterMatthew]

 

Enjoying this!

[washiotter]

Day 6: Helsinki.

 

So it turns out that five port days in a row in fascinating cities is a lot. 
 

Today we were in Helsinki, and we did it in a pretty minimalist way. We took public transport downtown and climbed the steps of Helsinki Cathedral for the views. We paid a ludicrously touristy but also super fun visit to the “Helsinki Flying Theater,” which is like a low-rent version of the Disney ride Soarin’ - you’re in front of a 3-D movie screen in a seat that banks and jolts to give the impression of movement, and there are special effects like snow. We browsed for souvenirs and ate Finnish food in Market Square.

 

And then we were done being intrepid. The family went back to the ship, and I spent a luxurious hour and a half at a beautiful public sauna that was just a ten-minute walk from the ship. I really wanted to have that classic Finnish experience, and I’m so glad I did! It was lovely, completely lovely.
 

Obviously I didn’t take my camera into the sauna, but here is the relaxation room and the ocean plunge. You might be interested to know that the Baltic is COLD in June.

 

Came back, napped for two hours, had an elaborate and delicious dinner at Tamarind. We were all just blown away by how good it was! I had citrus scallops, lobster potstickers, crispy duck, and the mango posset. 

Now I am sipping peppermint tea in a cozy lounger in the Crow’s Nest, overlooking the ocean. Life is pretty great.

 

 

Edited June 13, 2023 by washiotter

[QuattroRomeo]

Yes, sea days are pretty precious on a port-intensive cruise! The spa looks great. Not sure I'd want to plunge into the sea in June!  But you had the sauna to warm you up. Glad you are enjoying everything!

[djvand]

1 hour ago, washiotter said:

Day 6: Helsinki.

 

So it turns out that five port days in a row in fascinating cities is a lot. 
 

Today we were in Helsinki, and we did it in a pretty minimalist way. We took public transport downtown and climbed the steps of Helsinki Cathedral for the views. We paid a ludicrously touristy but also super fun visit to the “Helsinki Flying Theater,” which is like a low-rent version of the Disney ride Soarin’ - you’re in front of a 3-D movie screen in a seat that banks and jolts to give the impression of movement, and there are special effects like snow. We browsed for souvenirs and ate Finnish food in Market Square.

 

And then we were done being intrepid. The family went back to the ship, and I spent a luxurious hour and a half at a beautiful public sauna that was just a ten-minute walk from the ship. I really wanted to have that classic Finnish experience, and I’m so glad I did! It was lovely, completely lovely.
 

Obviously I didn’t take my camera into the sauna, but here is the relaxation room and the ocean plunge. You might be interested to know that the Baltic is COLD in June.

 

Came back, napped for two hours, had an elaborate and delicious dinner at Tamarind. We were all just blown away by how good it was! I had citrus scallops, lobster potstickers, crispy duck, and the mango posset. 

Now I am sipping peppermint tea in a cozy lounger in the Crow’s Nest, overlooking the ocean. Life is pretty great.

 

 

 

Do you happen to remember the name of the Sauna you visited here?  Or how to find it from the ship?

[Hezu]

2 hours ago, QuattroRomeo said:

Yes, sea days are pretty precious on a port-intensive cruise! The spa looks great. Not sure I'd want to plunge into the sea in June!  But you had the sauna to warm you up. Glad you are enjoying everything!

 

Swimming water temperatures in Helsinki region are already on rise and warmest waters are already above 20 °C.

 

1 hour ago, djvand said:

 

Do you happen to remember the name of the Sauna you visited here?  Or how to find it from the ship?

 

...although if I guess correctly that sauna was Löyly and since the nearest water temperature metering point on the website linked above is Eiranranta and that sadly means that particular area might have one of the cooler waters, 15 °C just now. And assuming your cruise ship docks at Hernesaari, it is really easy to find Löyly, just head to Hernesaarenranta road on the eastern side of this headland and move towards north east and it is about only building on the eastern side of that road, so hard to miss.

[OlsSalt]

Helsinki, Finland - Löyly spa, near the port  https://www.loylyhelsinki.fi/en/

Great find, thanks.

[washiotter]

Yes, the sauna is called Loyly, and you can see the ship from there! If you walk out of the port, you go right past it. It’s right next to the Eiranranta tram stop, where we caught a train downtown.

[washiotter]

Surely we can all agree that every trip or vacation includes a Meltdown Day, right? It’s part of the circle of life? Well, my meltdown day was

 

Day 7, Stockholm. 
 

Today was ROUGH. I had thought that we could get where we were going by public transit, but we got massively confused and lost and turned around. I may have done some crying at a bus stop. (May have, hell. I did.) It took us more than an hour and a half, and a lot of extra walking, to get to the Vasa Museum. We were already so tired!

 

The Vasa is amazing, utterly amazing. It’s a 17th century warship, built, decorated, and over-decorated at astounding expense, that made it a full 1500 meters on its maiden voyage before sinking. They pulled it up 333 years later and restored it. We all really enjoyed the museum. I was afraid that it would be way too crowded, getting there at 10, but it was totally fine! As long as you maneuvered around big tour groups, it was no problem. 
 

The morning’s debacle took a lot out of us, and we decided to take a rideshare back to the ship. But we had a hard time setting our destination and communicating with our driver. We wound up with more than a mile walk back to the ship, on a hot, dirty pier, when we were already exhausted. I was worn out, limping, worried about Ms. 18 who walks with a cane, and feeling pretty terrible about getting things so wrong after I worked so hard to figure out all our plans in advance.

 

We finally made it back onboard. I decided that the one thing that would redeem my day was watching the sailaway through the Stockholm archipelago, so I went right up to the Crow’s Nest with my book and STAYED there. I got a great lounger space. Started with a fortifying cup of tea and a few more discreet tears, then switched to Aperol spritzes. Got my composure back. Really enjoyed the sail out of Stockholm. 

 

We had another excellent dinner in the MDR, which started with a close shave: we all ordered the Thai beef with pickled papaya appetizer, and none of us thought about Mr. 14’s peanut allergy until I looked down at my plate and said “DON’T EAT IT.” Fortunately, he hadn’t taken a bite yet! Our waiter was an absolute gem - took away the beef, brought him some soup, had his entree and dessert marked for special handling, and finally brought Mr. 14 tomorrow’s gala menu and had him select his meal. It will all be handled specially. The whole time he was really kind and didn’t make Mr. 14 feel embarrassed or singled out. 
 

We finished up the evening at the Cantare show, which had ups and downs but was generally enjoyable. 
 

Tomorrow is a sea day. Whew. 

Edited June 14, 2023 by washiotter

[washiotter]

(Yes, I submitted a glowing “Let Us Know” about the waiter.)

[Alberta Quilter]

I'm glad you enjoyed the Vasa.  I didn't think I would enjoy it and it is one of the best museums I've ever been to.  Sorry that the getting there was so bad for you.  But relaxing while watching the sail through the archipelago was a good way to recover.

 

Thanks for your live from!  It's bring back some very wonderful memories.

[Florida_gal_50]

I hope tomorrow is better for you.  I would have been crying for sure.

[QuattroRomeo]

Cheers to the sea day!! It can be quite unnerving and exhausting to get turned around in a foreign place, especially if English is not the primary language. ( I'm sure they feel the same in reverse..) We have been in that situation a couple of times, too. Chalk it up to experience, I guess is all one can say! 

Your review is very interesting and enjoyable to read. Here's wishing you and your family fully enjoy the rest of your cruise!  

Edited June 15, 2023 by QuattroRomeo

[MisterMatthew]

 

It sounds like you are a heck of a trooper.  I am glad you managed to salvage the day!

 

By the way, that historic ship sounds amazing.

 

----matthew

[*Miss G*]

Sometimes the only way to learn what not to do is to do it.  😂  We’ve all had one of “those” days, so we feel your pain.  I’m happy to read that everyone survived the ordeal and the peanuts!  It could have been so much worse, so I am sure you are all grateful for that… as well as the Aperol Spritzes.  🤭  The Vasa Museum looks amazing!  Now I want to go there.  Congratulations on making it back to the ship!

[OlsSalt]

Don't be too hard on yourself. Many travelers hit a wall - used to call it culture shock and museumed-out, jet-lagged, etc. even with the best intentions and pre-planning. Was very much a known part of early travel days . Along with almost requisite bouts of "tourista" - GI ailments. 

 

You did an exceptional job exploring upfront the places you later visited. And you will have wonderful travel stories to bring back home. Loved hearing how well your kids took to the cruise experiences too. What joy it will be when you hear them relate their tales to their friends later. 

 

Your "meltdown" day is also a reminder of one of the intangible joys of the cruise option for travel - coming back to a safe, predictable little nest onboard and having a good night's sleep in your "own bed".   Thanks so much for taking us along on your "first ever" cruise travel adventure.

 

Our own first HAL cruise in 2008 included getting robbed in Antigua, so there are sobering incidents lurking out there but they did not deter us from adding more than 650 more days to the joys of HAL cruise travel. They were exceptionally helpful once we got back on board after than initial trauma. 

[washiotter]

Day 8, at sea. 
 

Today I did VERY LITTLE and enjoyed every minute of it. 
 

We went to the presentation “A City on the Sea,” and found it fascinating. For those who haven’t seen it, it uses interviews, video clips, and animations to explain behind-the-scenes information about how the ship operates. It was really enjoyable! Three facts that surprised me:

 

1) The ship makes its own drinking water using energy from waste heat from the engines. 
2) All the bread, rolls, and pastries are made onboard - none of it is frozen. 
3) When they built the ship, the staterooms were made in a factory as prefab boxes, and slotted into place whole. 

 

The rest of the day, I hung out: in a big comfy armchair under the roof by the Sea View pool, reading; on my bed playing card games with Mr. 14; at afternoon tea with both kids; at trivia with Mr. Otter (we tied for first); in a lounger on the Panorama deck, napping.

 

Tonight was the Gold Gala, and one thing we have learned for the future is to make an MDR reservation for gala nights. We waited for a table in the Ocean Bar for a good half-hour. The food was excellent, the service a little slow and a little uninformed - for example, our waiter balked at serving Ms. 18 a cocktail and told us he would have to check because the drinking age is 21. (In fact, it is 18 on cruises that leave from Europe, and she did get her Lemon Drop.) But again, fantastic food: I had escargot and grilled asparagus and artichokes, filet mignon with shrimp, and chocolate lava cake. We all agreed, however, that Mr. 14’s arctic char was the best dish on the table. 
 

Watched the Step One Musicology show and went to bed early, because tomorrow will be a long day in Berlin. 
 

[Florida_gal_50]

I had no idea the drinking age is 18 on cruises leaving from Europe.  I'm glad you had a relaxing day after yesterday.

[Mike07]

15 hours ago, washiotter said:

Day 8, at sea. 
 

Today I did VERY LITTLE and enjoyed every minute of it. 
 

We went to the presentation “A City on the Sea,” and found it fascinating. For those who haven’t seen it, it uses interviews, video clips, and animations to explain behind-the-scenes information about how the ship operates. It was really enjoyable! Three facts that surprised me:

 

1) The ship makes its own drinking water using energy from waste heat from the engines. 
2) All the bread, rolls, and pastries are made onboard - none of it is frozen. 
3) When they built the ship, the staterooms were made in a factory as prefab boxes, and slotted into place whole. 

 

 

 

This is not meant to be an insulting comment, but if you were fascinated by that presentation and you want to learn more, there are many youtube matters that go more in depth on how these ships function. There's also the Smithsonian show "Mighty Ships". Roughly all of the cruise ships work the same way.

 

A couple of the disingenuous parts of the presentation related to the fuel used. I think they just said diesel when the reality is they're likely running MDO (Maritime Diesel Oil) and it's pretty nasty stuff. For example MDO is allowed to have 5,000 ppm of sulfur whereas the diesel we buy at the gas station in America is allowed 15 ppm.

 

The other part is Clare is merely reading the entire thing from a teleprompter. When she asks the chef "Who the most difficult person he's ever had to cook for?" he's supposed to answer somebody related to him through blood or marriage.

[washiotter]

7 hours ago, Mike07 said:

 

 

This is not meant to be an insulting comment, but if you were fascinated by that presentation and you want to learn more, there are many youtube matters that go more in depth on how these ships function. There's also the Smithsonian show "Mighty Ships". Roughly all of the cruise ships work the same way.

 

A couple of the disingenuous parts of the presentation related to the fuel used. I think they just said diesel when the reality is they're likely running MDO (Maritime Diesel Oil) and it's pretty nasty stuff. For example MDO is allowed to have 5,000 ppm of sulfur whereas the diesel we buy at the gas station in America is allowed 15 ppm.

 

The other part is Clare is merely reading the entire thing from a teleprompter. When she asks the chef "Who the most difficult person he's ever had to cook for?" he's supposed to answer somebody related to him through blood or marriage.

Thanks for explaining why I shouldn’t have liked it! I’m glad I did enjoy it, though.