Live from the Zuiderdam - August 26 to September 2 - Maine and Canada

[Rubyfisch]

I then went to the adult coloring session, which I quite enjoyed while my partner kept working on the puzzle.

 

Coloring - in progress:

 

 

 

 

And the final product:

 

 

[Rubyfisch]

The lighthouses of Nova Scotia:

 

 

[Rubyfisch]

Celebrity Summit was in port with us. The captain referred to it as "that big blue box" - which is a fair description ...

 

From the Crow's Nest:

 

 

Once we both sailed away:

 

[Rubyfisch]

Oh - we also got tote bags on our bed today:

 

[oakridger]

You got the canvas tote bag version!  Nice! I had one from my first HAL cruise and gave it to my friend.  My next cruises they stopped giving the canvas ones out and gave the grocery type fabric bags and now the plastic ones.  I use them but the canvas just seems nicer to me!

 

Have you gone to any of the evening entertainment?

 

~Nancy

[Rubyfisch]

2 hours ago, oakridger said:

You got the canvas tote bag version!  Nice! I had one from my first HAL cruise and gave it to my friend.  My next cruises they stopped giving the canvas ones out and gave the grocery type fabric bags and now the plastic ones.  I use them but the canvas just seems nicer to me!

 

Have you gone to any of the evening entertainment?

 

~Nancy

No. I'm definitely used to Royal where you can go to the early show and then the late traditional seating for dinner, but that doesn't work out on Holland. And by 9:00 pm I don't really have the interest in going to the main show. I've walked through the live music, and they are quite good, we haven't stayed and listened.

[Rubyfisch]

So, after coloring and puzzling, we went swimming in the covered pool and then to the thermal pool. It's growing on us.

 

After that, my partner grabbed a chicken sandwich at Dive In, and we got ready for the even. We met some folks for a drink in the Gallery Bar before doing some promenade loops and heading to dinner.

[Rubyfisch]

Dinner menus:

 

 

 

[Seasick Sailor]

@Rubyfisch if you see this young man, Bobby Fajaro, please tell him hello from Joy and Allen. After 2 years, he still writes to us every week. He works in MDR and Lido pool. Thanks!

 

[Rubyfisch]

13 minutes ago, Seasick Sailor said:

@Rubyfisch if you see this young man, Bobby Fajaro, please tell him hello from Joy and Allen. After 2 years, he still writes to us every week. He works in MDR and Lido pool. Thanks!

 

If I see him, will do!

[Rubyfisch]

Dinner was good, but the appetizer and entree portions were a bit small:

 

 

[Rubyfisch]

This morning, I woke up and went to sunrise stretching. It was a lovely way to start the day. And then I grabbed a couple of pastries from the lido before getting ready for the day, and another breakfast in the dining room:

 

[Rubyfisch]

Sail into Sydney, complete with the sweet buns (do they call them Panama rolls?).

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Rubyfisch]

Sydney!

 

 

[Rubyfisch]

Off on a shore excursion to Louisbourg ... Not sure about this one, but I'll report back.

[madera1]

Did the open the forward deck upon entering Sydney? Where were they serving the sweet rolls?

[Rubyfisch]

33 minutes ago, madera1 said:

Did the open the forward deck upon entering Sydney? Where were they serving the sweet rolls?

Yes - the bow was open - it was super windy, though. They had sweet rolls and coffee midship on both sides. It was lovely.

[Rubyfisch]

Louisbourg was super, super cool. Here are some photos:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Rubyfisch]

More pictures:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Rubyfisch]

And one more set:

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Rubyfisch]

The amount of damage to the trees from Hurricane Fiona is unreal.

[neeuqdrazil]

1 hour ago, Rubyfisch said:

Louisbourg was super, super cool. Here are some photos:

 

 

I'll be on this excursion in two weeks, and I was wondering how long between disembarkation opening and boarding the coach for Louisbourg? (Presuming you did the main Louisbourg excursion, that is.) I spy Tracy's Rolling Yarn Shop there on the dock, and I'm hoping to have some time to swing by (alternately, was she still there when you got back from Louisbourg?)

[Cruise NH]

4 hours ago, Rubyfisch said:

Off on a shore excursion to Louisbourg ... Not sure about this one, but I'll report back.

We did that excursion on the VOV.  We loved it but if they told you that New Englanders attacked remember here in NE we like to think of it as the British attacking.🤔

[Rubyfisch]

25 minutes ago, neeuqdrazil said:

 

I'll be on this excursion in two weeks, and I was wondering how long between disembarkation opening and boarding the coach for Louisbourg? (Presuming you did the main Louisbourg excursion, that is.) I spy Tracy's Rolling Yarn Shop there on the dock, and I'm hoping to have some time to swing by (alternately, was she still there when you got back from Louisbourg?)

 

The gangway opened at a minute or two before 11, and the meeting time was on the pier at 11:15, so you have only a couple of minutes. The excursion was very prompt, and we left the fort at 2:45, which put us back at the pier before 3:30. Which gave us plenty of time to look in the little shops, all of which were still open, including the yarn store:

 

[Rubyfisch]

Now that we are sadly halfway through the cruise, some initial thoughts.

 

We are having a great time. I would definitely book another Holland Cruise. There are definitely things that take some getting used to, like the random periods during the day were there is effectively nowhere to get food (particularly as everyone is getting back on board). I love how friendly the staff and most of the passengers are, which really makes up for the limited amount of scheduled programming.