Live from the Zaandam, New England to Florida and the Grand South America

[WriterOnDeck]

What is life like virtually living on a HAL ship? After seven months on the Zuiderdam earlier this year, I'm back at sea -- this time on the Zaandam -- and once again blogging. I'm going to try to update this thread with every post, unless the internet gods protest too much. My posts are always at http://www.WriterOnDeck.com, and if you subscribe to email there (top right of the page on a computer; bottom of the page on a phone), you'll get an email with each new post.

 

Today I include information about my inside cabin. And I always write a lot about long term cruising.

 

Once Again, Charlottetown is a Delightful Port

Posted on September 28, 2023 by Jo Johnston

Day 4, 2023 East Coast Voyage

Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023, Charlotteville, Prince Edward Island, Canada

 

Today we began retracing my steps from my July cruise through the Canadian Maritime Provinces. Our sail down the St. Lawrence River was mostly completed during Monday night, so yesterday while at sea there wasn’t much scenery or even land to see. We are too early in the season for the fall foliage. But after hearing of the Zaandam’s previous cruise with many rainy days, we’ve been blessed so far by the weather gods.

Ports 9 and 10 are in Florida

 

Capt. Ane Smit changed our original plan to sail around the southwest of Prince Edward Island and then under the Confederation Bridge to Charlottetown. Fog forecast near the bridge was the culprit. That route would have taken us through a protection zone for the North Atlantic right whales, requiring a speed limit of 10 knots to prevent collisions with the slower-moving creatures. Instead, we sailed around the northeast side of PEI, but still arrived on time this morning.

 

Joining us in port was Holland America’s Zuiderdam, my home for the first seven months of this year. Sadly, I was unable to connect with many friends who are crew and officers on the ship. When I wandered over to its berth just behind the Zaandam, the crew were in the midst of a safety drill. Some friends on the Zaandam planned ahead better and got to go aboard to visit Henk, Christel, Ian, Shiv and others. I’ll have to wait until December to see them.

 

I followed my walking route from July, including a walk along the waterfront and lunch at Peake’s Quay, this time a lobster roll, followed of course by an ice cream cone from the ubiquitous (in Canada) Cows. There were no sailing classes on the bay today, but I stopped to sketch the waterfront walk.

 

Those who want more Charlottetown information can reference my July port blog. This time there were no complimentary lobster rolls awaiting us on the pier, and despite the forecast the sun never quite burned through the overcast sky, but it was an altogether pleasant day in a wonderful port town.

 

 

 

Back on the ship, I’ve settled into my inside cabin and have learned I don’t mind the lack of a window if I leave one small light on for my return. The cabin has an amazing amount of storage compared to the Zuiderdam and other Vista class ships. In addition to three drawers at the desk, there is a two-shelf cabinet at the end of the love seat. I imagine more expensive staterooms have a refrigerator in the cabinet. I’d rather have the storage space.

 

 

 

The bathroom is bright and modern after a recent renovation. Some of my closet shelves are empty, but that is because I’m just one person and I haven’t unpacked one of my large suitcases. Another hasn’t even arrived yet.

 

 

I jokingly say I brought everything I own. That isn’t true. I have a small storage unit back on land. But I did need to pack for eight months away – four cruises including a South America circumnavigation and a world cruise. So I shipped one bag to Fort Lauderdale, where I will meet it at the end of this relatively short cruise. That bag includes some of my cold weather clothes, lots of extra watercolor supplies (mainly sketchbooks), and other items to make life on board more comfortable. I’ll have a wall map and a desk-top globe to chart my journey. Flocked coat hangers. My light hospital blanket (the ship’s duvet is too heavy for warm weather). Some plastic bins and a shoe hanger for toiletries, which will go on the bathroom door.

 

As I will be changing cabins in just over a week, I packed just one suitcase with what I need for this cruise and left another with more clothes for later. I’ll unpack it when I move to a different cabin for the 73-day South America cruise. The end result is that I don’t feel I have really moved into this cabin, but I am learning what “extras” I can easily do without and which I prefer to have regardless of the length of the cruise.

[canadianbear]

Love reading about your very long cruises and your blog!  Thanks again for sharing.  
 

Your inside cabin looks great.  

[sunviking90]

Glad to see you’re posting on here. We follow your adventures on your blog and really enjoy it. It’s very well written and laid out with great photos!

[Banditswife]

Thanks for this live review, looking forward to more.  Have a safe & memorable cruise(s.)

[SUESEABE]

Thank you for posting live thread. Looking forward to following along.

Fair winds & calm seas!

[Ellencruise]

Enjoying your writing and so discovered your blog. Oh I am hooked!

[cruisin'teach]

Looking forward to following your adventures! Brother and sister-in-law are traveling with you so will be following their Zaandam adventures too! Thanks for sharing

[cunnorl]

 Thanks for taking us along. Have a wonderful journey

[EatonDoolittle]

Following - especially looking forward to reading about your time going up the Amazon. I'll be on the Zaandam in 2025 for the Amazon Explorer.

 

Enjoy ! 

[Sea42]

It looks like the table in front of the loveseat is adjustable. That's nice!

[RuthC]

1 hour ago, Sea42 said:

It looks like the table in front of the loveseat is adjustable. That's nice!

It is (table adjustable), and it is (nice feature). 

[REOVA]

Jo, when you arrive Tuesday, let me know if you have plans. We live 2 blocks from cruise terminal and can offer suggestions for walking around town. HAL probably has a Williamsburg excursion which is about an hour bus ride (without traffic) and may be expensive but the tunnel traffic is horrendous so wouldn't recommend doing private tour up there.  Plenty to see in town. 

[WriterOnDeck]

Peggy’s Cove: The Most Picturesque Coastal Village in Canada

Day 6, 2023 East Coast Voyage

Friday, Sept. 29, 2023, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

 

Halifax is a great port for just walking the waterfront right from the ship. You can go along almost two miles of shops, pop-up and permanent restaurants, playgrounds, statues and museums. That’s just what I did two months ago and in 2019.

 

This time I decided I should see something beyond that narrow strip, and of course the place to go is Peggy’s Cove, a quintessentially picturesque coastal Canadian village. With a bajillion tourists.

OK, that is an exaggeration, although not too far off in the busy summer according to some reviews I read. Today we got in early and never saw big crowds. It was a hazy day, with little if any wind so the water of these many inlets and bays was like a mirror.

 

I hear it is easy to rent a car right by the dock in Halifax and drive to Peggy’s Cove on your own. But as I am traveling alone, it was just easier to take the ship’s excursion. Besides, I have shipboard credit to burn, what with credit for holding Carnival Corporation stock, for being a member of AARP and for booking this cruise while on another cruise. There were a few tour options that included Peggy’s Cove, and I picked the one that offered an extended visit.

 

We had two and half hours on our own, and it was just about the right amount of time for me. I enjoyed walking the few blocks to the lighthouse – the star of the show.

 

 The best views are probably from the water, and at least one enterprise offered a short trip out for just such a photograph. I settled on a bench and sketched the simple white edifice, sitting on large boulders with the water behind it.

 

 

Our guide warned us not to climb on the rocks – especially the black ones that are slick with algae. As if sliding into the water wasn’t enough, she said rogue waves are not uncommon, and I heard there is at least one fatality on average a year. If the verbal warnings weren’t enough, a sign would get your attention.

 

After sketching, I stopped for an early lunch in the Sou’Wester, the combination gift shop and restaurant next to the lighthouse. I was disappointed in the lobster roll – not very big, a soft not toasted bun, and what might have been “fake” crabmeat as filler. Later walking by Tom’s Lobster Shack, I thought that might have been the better choice. Oh well – there’s always Bar Harbor tomorrow!

 

I found the little creek in town, with its stilted buildings and colorful boats reflected in the water to be more picturesque than the lighthouse. I wished I had brought watercolors to paint on site, but there probably wasn’t time. I made do by taking photographs I will use as references later.

 

 

I also ducked into a small art gallery and managed to purchase a small matted watercolor print. For now I will enjoy having it on display in my cabin as an inspiration.

 

On our way back, we passed by – according to our guide – homes owned by Sandra Bullock and Tom Selleck on nearby St. Margaret’s Bay.

Sandra Bullock’s house on left, Tom Selleck’s on right

 

Back in Halifax we took a short stroll through the public gardens, a delightful refuge in the center of town. It’s obvious that residents find it a relaxing place to pass the afternoon.

 

Yesterday we stopped in Sydney on Cape Breton Island. I enjoyed a ship day – which is what I have deemed port days when I stay on the ship. I was here in July and found there was very little to do in town, where the main street is under major construction. The island is beautiful, but I had explored it in 2019, So other than taking a brief walk through the pier shops, I spent the day on the ship reading, relaxing and playing with some new paints I brought.

 

Last night I had the first of my two complementary dinners in the Pinnacle Grill, a Mariner five-star perk. It’s always too much food, but the service is a treat. I missed the cranberry rolls they apparently have taken off the menu, but I did break my “no-dessert-at-night” rule for the key lime pie.

[WriterOnDeck]

8 hours ago, REOVA said:

Jo, when you arrive Tuesday, let me know if you have plans. We live 2 blocks from cruise terminal and can offer suggestions for walking around town. HAL probably has a Williamsburg excursion which is about an hour bus ride (without traffic) and may be expensive but the tunnel traffic is horrendous so wouldn't recommend doing private tour up there.  Plenty to see in town. 

I would love your suggestions! I've been to Norfolk before to board a ship to Bermuda, but we didn't do a lot of sightseeing. At this point my plan is to visit the maritime museum, which I understand is near the port. Thanks!

[WriterOnDeck]

Please note that I am not including here most of the photographs posted on the blog. It was just too much, imho. I'll keep just a few. If you want to see them all, just go to the blog listed in the first post.

 

Thanks for all the comments! I think I would write even if no one read it (it's in my blood), but it's nice to have friends following along.

[Ellencruise]

2 hours ago, WriterOnDeck said:

Peggy’s Cove: The Most Picturesque Coastal Village in Canada

Day 6, 2023 East Coast Voyage

Friday, Sept. 29, 2023, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

 

Halifax is a great port for just walking the waterfront right from the ship. You can go along almost two miles of shops, pop-up and permanent restaurants, playgrounds, statues and museums. That’s just what I did two months ago and in 2019.

 

This time I decided I should see something beyond that narrow strip, and of course the place to go is Peggy’s Cove, a quintessentially picturesque coastal Canadian village. With a bajillion tourists.

OK, that is an exaggeration, although not too far off in the busy summer according to some reviews I read. Today we got in early and never saw big crowds. It was a hazy day, with little if any wind so the water of these many inlets and bays was like a mirror.

 

I hear it is easy to rent a car right by the dock in Halifax and drive to Peggy’s Cove on your own. But as I am traveling alone, it was just easier to take the ship’s excursion. Besides, I have shipboard credit to burn, what with credit for holding Carnival Corporation stock, for being a member of AARP and for booking this cruise while on another cruise. There were a few tour options that included Peggy’s Cove, and I picked the one that offered an extended visit.

 

We had two and half hours on our own, and it was just about the right amount of time for me. I enjoyed walking the few blocks to the lighthouse – the star of the show.

 

 The best views are probably from the water, and at least one enterprise offered a short trip out for just such a photograph. I settled on a bench and sketched the simple white edifice, sitting on large boulders with the water behind it.

 

 

Our guide warned us not to climb on the rocks – especially the black ones that are slick with algae. As if sliding into the water wasn’t enough, she said rogue waves are not uncommon, and I heard there is at least one fatality on average a year. If the verbal warnings weren’t enough, a sign would get your attention.

 

After sketching, I stopped for an early lunch in the Sou’Wester, the combination gift shop and restaurant next to the lighthouse. I was disappointed in the lobster roll – not very big, a soft not toasted bun, and what might have been “fake” crabmeat as filler. Later walking by Tom’s Lobster Shack, I thought that might have been the better choice. Oh well – there’s always Bar Harbor tomorrow!

 

I found the little creek in town, with its stilted buildings and colorful boats reflected in the water to be more picturesque than the lighthouse. I wished I had brought watercolors to paint on site, but there probably wasn’t time. I made do by taking photographs I will use as references later.

 

 

I also ducked into a small art gallery and managed to purchase a small matted watercolor print. For now I will enjoy having it on display in my cabin as an inspiration.

 

On our way back, we passed by – according to our guide – homes owned by Sandra Bullock and Tom Selleck on nearby St. Margaret’s Bay.

Sandra Bullock’s house on left, Tom Selleck’s on right

 

Back in Halifax we took a short stroll through the public gardens, a delightful refuge in the center of town. It’s obvious that residents find it a relaxing place to pass the afternoon.

 

Yesterday we stopped in Sydney on Cape Breton Island. I enjoyed a ship day – which is what I have deemed port days when I stay on the ship. I was here in July and found there was very little to do in town, where the main street is under major construction. The island is beautiful, but I had explored it in 2019, So other than taking a brief walk through the pier shops, I spent the day on the ship reading, relaxing and playing with some new paints I brought.

 

Last night I had the first of my two complementary dinners in the Pinnacle Grill, a Mariner five-star perk. It’s always too much food, but the service is a treat. I missed the cranberry rolls they apparently have taken off the menu, but I did break my “no-dessert-at-night” rule for the key lime pie.

Stunning scenery. Will be there June 24, I will remember all you tour and food suggestions 

[REOVA]

3 hours ago, WriterOnDeck said:

I would love your suggestions! I've been to Norfolk before to board a ship to Bermuda, but we didn't do a lot of sightseeing. At this point my plan is to visit the maritime museum, which I understand is near the port. Thanks!

Yes Nauticus Museum is next door open 10am-5pm. I will email you at *****93@****.com (from the 2020 GWC book) and fill you in. Tuesday will be sunny, 75' and slight wind, unlike rainy today for Carnival cruisers leaving out. 

[WriterOnDeck]

 

Lighthouses and Lobsters – What’s Not to Love About Bar Harbor

 

Day 7, 2023 East Coast Voyage

Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023, Bar Harbor, Maine, USA

 

Today’s highlight was seeing the Big Five. No, not the big five safari animals. The big five lighthouses. Okay, it’s true — no actually names a big five lighthouses as far as I know. But this was a morning for lighthouses, and we even bagged a bonus to make up for one hidden in the fog.

 

My ship excursion was on a boat – a catamaran that holds approximately 250 people. We sped across the water through Frenchman Bay and into the Gulf of Maine to get a prime view of just a handful of the 65 historic lighthouses along Maine’s 5,000 miles of coast, inlets and islands.

 

I had dressed for the chilly morning (45 degrees) on the water in a speeding boat, and sat on the upper deck. I still got cold. I also had read in the comments for this excursion that the boat might not get as close to the lighthouses as some wanted, so I brought along my Panasonic Lumix FZ80 camera with its 60x optical zoom. (I wrote about it in March while on a safari.)

 

Along our route we saw Bear Island Light, Bass Harbor Light, Bakers Island Light (almost hidden by the trees), Winter Harbor Light and Egg Rock Light.

 

The Great Duck Island Light was hidden in the fog that suddenly dropped as we approached (and lifted as we left).

 

In the late 1980s, I sailed with friends in the nearby Penobscot Bay, and we visited the southern coast of Mount Desert Island, including Southwest Harbor where they build classic Hinkley yachts and the ritzy Northeast Harbor.

 

Thirty-five years later, there are many more cottages along the coast of the islands. And by cottages, I mean mansions. Only those who live in even larger mansions elsewhere would call them cottages.

 

Perhaps the most famous is Martha Stewart’s house near the top of one hill, but even with my zoom lens I could only capture the roof hidden among the trees.

 

We saw birds but very little other sea life, other than the occasional harbor porpoise (which surface very briefly). The whales are much farther out in the Gulf of Maine.

 

The water’s surface is covered with buoys marking lobster pots, but the nature of the catamaran’s design made it slide right over them – something our sailboats couldn’t do long ago. We kept a constant lookout for the buoys in order to avoid wrapping their lines around our prop.

 

I also spent a few vacations in the 1990s on an island in Penobscot Bay in a cottage (a real small cottage) owned by a friend. It’s always been one of my favorite destinations, and remains on the list of places I would like to live – in the summer and early fall.

 

After the tour I browsed through the tourist shops and had (another) lobster roll for lunch. They keep getting more expensive – this one was a whopping $39. I made up for it by passing on any other purchases.

 

Many passengers — and those on the Norwegian Pearl anchored nearby — probably went into Acadia National Park, which occupies most of Mount Desert Island. I’m sure they felt fortunate that we visited the day before the possible shutdown of the government and thus the parks. I’ve toured the park before on the complementary shuttles, and it’s a great way to see the island.

 

I don’t write a lot about the evening entertainment, as I seldom go. But tonight I enjoyed Cantaré’s second show. The four-man singing group is leaving the ship tomorrow in Boston. Holland America has multiple groups doing the same three routines, moving from ship to ship around the world. I frequently recognize singers as they rejiggle the groups, and tonight was no exception. I always find them entertaining.

 

[CruisingGrandmaW]

Hi Jo!

Always a pleasure to follow your Blog & CC Postings.

TY for doing them.

 

Question as I prepare for my cruise leaving in 10 days:

Is HAL providing KN95 masks or any face masks for passengers wanting them?

[WriterOnDeck]

18 hours ago, CruisingGrandmaW said:

Hi Jo!

Always a pleasure to follow your Blog & CC Postings.

TY for doing them.

 

Question as I prepare for my cruise leaving in 10 days:

Is HAL providing KN95 masks or any face masks for passengers wanting them?

None were provided in the cabin. But I'm guessing that if you asked your room steward, he/she would bring you some. I brought my own because I like the fit of them better than the ones the ship provides. I also brought a box of Covid tests, just in case. So often now it presents as a cold, so sometimes it is good to check first yourself.

[WriterOnDeck]

Historic and Modern Boston as Seen from the Bus

 

Day 8, 2023 East Coast Voyage

Sunday, Oct. 1, 2023, Boston, USA

 

Today, I paid $60 for the honor of creeping through traffic on Boston’s streets for two hours.

 

In other words, I took the hop-on, hop-off bus, frequently called the HOHO. It circled through Boston’s city center, stopping about 20 times to let passengers on and off at the most popular tourist attractions. The driver provided a running commentary.

 

The sky was blue, the sun bright and the temperature in the 70s. It seemed everyone in Boston was out enjoying a beautiful Sunday afternoon before fall seriously sets in.

 

HOHO buses are great in theory, but my experience is that they are best for riding the entire circuit for an overview rather than as transportation from one place to another. For one thing, they aren’t cheap. In this case, an online ticket for Sunday was $60 ($80 if you purchased through the ship), with the price varying by season and day of the week.

 

But my biggest complaint is that you can wait quite a while at each stop for a shuttle with room for you. Most people on our bus were on for the duration, so we frequently had no seats for waiting customers.

Waiting for a HOHO bus in front of Cheers bar (under renovation)

 

I last took a HOHO in Oslo, Norway, last April, where I was recovering from my fractured kneecap and could just get around on crutches for short distances. It is a great way to see a city without walking, although not particularly conducive to taking great photographs.

 

Because I visited most of Boston’s historic sites decades ago, rather than walk the mile and a half to downtown I opted for the bus that picked me up at the cruise port. I jumped off at the first stop by the Boston Harbor waterfront to have lunch. This is the main HOHO stop, where the buses start empty, so I knew after eating I could get on a bus for the entire circuit with just a short wait.

 

Even I have a limit for lobster roll prices, and the $43 on the menu exceeded it. Instead I had a great bowl of chowder and P.E.I. mussels. This will probably be my last on-shore lunch for a while, and that’s a good thing. The Lido has a great salad bar, and it’s time to get back to eating more sensibly and cheaply.

 

 

After the two-hour tour, I disembarked at the ship about 45 minutes before all-aboard time, only to discover it had been extended for a couple of hours to accommodate bunkering fuel. I watched the sail-away from a table by the dining room windows, eating delicious fresh cod. Tomorrow is a welcome sea day after five busy ports in a row.

[Curlingwhiz]

Hello Jo - this is my first time seeing your posts - I will definitely head over to your blog.  I appreciate all the detail you give on ports and the "just walking around" sites.  I am currently looking at booking an East Coast cruise for 2025 and have a quick question.  In checking out our options, it appears that the Zuiderdam and the Zaandam are both doing the route in 2025.  We have sailed on the Zuiderdam in the past and quite like it.  However, we have never sailed on the Zaandam and I would appreciate your take on any major/minor differences that you noticed?  One thing that is having me lean to the Zuiderdam is the amount of verandah cabins versus the Zaandam with it's "lanai" cabins.   

[seaoma]

1 hour ago, Curlingwhiz said:

One thing that is having me lean to the Zuiderdam is the amount of verandah cabins versus the Zaandam with it's "lanai" cabins

 

The Zaandam doesn't have Lanai cabins. The biggest downer on that ship is that it doesn't have regular verandah cabins. Cabins with balconies are priced as Suites.

 

Otherwise, were you thinking about the Oceanview cabins that are along the Promenade?

 

 

Edited October 2, 2023 by seaoma

[sunviking90]

1 hour ago, Curlingwhiz said:

Hello Jo - this is my first time seeing your posts - I will definitely head over to your blog.  I appreciate all the detail you give on ports and the "just walking around" sites.  I am currently looking at booking an East Coast cruise for 2025 and have a quick question.  In checking out our options, it appears that the Zuiderdam and the Zaandam are both doing the route in 2025.  We have sailed on the Zuiderdam in the past and quite like it.  However, we have never sailed on the Zaandam and I would appreciate your take on any major/minor differences that you noticed?  One thing that is having me lean to the Zuiderdam is the amount of verandah cabins versus the Zaandam with its "lanai" cabins.   

We like the smaller ship, but as @seaoma says the balconies will come at a premium. An advantage for the Zaandam is that she is small enough to leave from Montreal instead of Quebec City. Much easier to fly into, and you still get a stop in Quebec City. 

[Curlingwhiz]

I can see I will need to do a little more research.  Turns out that I can't get a non stop flight back from Boston to Vancouver for the dates I was looking at.  I can get nonstop "to" Boston not return, thus I need to look at only those journeys.  ( With the air situation it current is, I am a big fan of non-stop)   In the past we have been fortunate enough to go with Signatures or Neptunes.  However, the new reality of pricing has made those cabins - in our opinion - too overpriced.  But I would still like to get a balcony if possible.  Thanks for the point about flying in/out Montreal.......I have looked at the train between Montreal and Quebec City and it appears quite doable......choices, choices!