Going LIVE on Nieuw Statendam roundtrip Rome ⛲🛵Oct 26-Nov 9: Planes Trains Vespas & Ships w/GOT!!

[Mary229]

8 minutes ago, Haljo1935 said:

Yummy!

So much food, so little time😁. Enjoy!

[cat shepard]

Bon Voyage! Have a wonderful time!

[IntrepidFromDC]

12 hours ago, Haljo1935 said:

We are staying at Hotel Cambridge http://www.hotelcambridge.it/location.php

A couple of these pictures are from their website as I couldn't get a decent angle in some places. I will try to get one from the front so you can see the steps required to get up into the hotel from street level and the elevator. No elevator at street level, so you do have to carry luggage up the first stairs to get to the lobby, then you can use the elevator to get luggage to your room. The elevator will not accommodate 2 people w/4 suitcases - we fit but we had to ride 1 person w/2 bags 🧳🧳to get it to move, lol.

They will hold luggage if you arrive before 1pm check-in time.🛎️ Passports required at check-in along w/the daily fee, which must be paid in cash. Luckily we had gotten a very small amount of euros as we planned on using cc card. We pre-paid the room and there were no issues with that. Booked through AA so we could get the miles.

Breakfast is included - it is the most basic of continental breakfasts, but has great fresh ground coffee ☕ It works for getting us out the door each morning to Termini to begin our days.

We use the HOHO from Big Bus to get around. Because we're playing tourist, the HOHO gets us close to the sites we want to see, then just walk from the stop. Hotel is centrally located, so you probably could walk from it to most sites. With but hips & feet, we choose to ride then walk. We bought a 3 day ticket (prepaid online) that includes a nighttime (not nightmare, lol) tour, walking tour, and bus pass. We also used the Big Bus FCO->Termini transfer when we arrived. It was under $14 for 2 people. More on the Big Bus later.

 

Clever location, near termini.

[Haljo1935]

50 minutes ago, IntrepidFromDC said:

Clever location, near termini.

We were hoping it would be a good Base Camp - think it was a good choice.

[Haljo1935]

6 hours ago, Mary229 said:

So much food, so little time😁. Enjoy!

Here's the problem w/enjoying the fabulous tomatoes - everything at home will now be tasteless. It took a lot to walk away w/o buying some of these from a stand near Trevi. They would not have made it to the bus stop!

[IntrepidFromDC]

47 minutes ago, Haljo1935 said:

Here's the problem w/enjoying the fabulous tomatoes - everything at home will now be tasteless. It took a lot to walk away w/o buying some of these from a stand near Trevi. They would not have made it to the bus stop!

I know what you mean.  I always ask myself why we can't have organic San Marzano tomatoes as good as the ones in Italy, not even at Wholepaycheck Foods.  Someone in Italy said it's the volcanic soil.

[Haljo1935]

19 minutes ago, IntrepidFromDC said:

I know what you mean.  I always ask myself why we can't have organic San Marzano tomatoes as good as the ones in Italy, not even at Wholepaycheck Foods.  Someone in Italy said it's the volcanic soil.

Hmm, maybe that's true. Next time you know someone who is here, have them smuggle you some out to use in your tomato garden and let us know how it turns out. For both your tomatoes and the smuggler, lol.

I just know they have amazing flavor- game changer for the bruschetta. 

[Haljo1935]

Less than a day to go - breakfast in the AM, checkout at 11 followed by 11:05 shuttle to the port.

[Haljo1935]

I wasn't able to screenshot quick enough to capture it, but the countdown clock had negative numbers: -0 hours, -10 min... it was cool - I've never seen that before.🤯🤔

This will have to do - it shows I'm onboard, lol, as I lay in the hotel room🛌🏼 looking at my packed suitcases🧳🧳 that just had luggage tags attached.

We'll walk to breakfast 🥯🥞🥚, come back to haul our bags downstairs, checkout 🛎️and meet our driver. Then head over to meet Captain Draper (not really, but he was nice enough to welcome us aboard, so it is the polite thing to say) and have lunch 🥙on the Nieuw Statendam!!🚢

Looks like we'll have good weather for sail away 🛳️unless that wind warning comes into play. Today was nice with just a slight breeze; tomorrow should be just a bit warmer.

Spent 3 days in Rome, heading out on a cruise and the Rangers took Game 1⚾ - could life be any better?! 😊

Nite💤 and caio for now.

 

Edited October 28, 2023 by Haljo1935
Remove pic

[BetsyS.]

Bon Voyage and congratulations on the Rangers win! 🥂😊

[Haljo1935]

5 hours ago, BetsyS. said:

Bon Voyage and congratulations on the Rangers win! 🥂😊

Thank you on both accounts. Sadly, I've learned Game 2 did not go so well. Come on Game 3!!

[Haljo1935]

Thank you, Mr Samsung, for the play-by-play.  No steps recorded at exactly the start of a new day?! 🤔🙄

We'll see what he has to say at EOD cuz we are getting on a ship in just a few hours!

Can you tell I'm excited?! Like a kid getting a box of puppies!!🤭🥴

No idea what to expect for sail away - I haven't searched for pictures so I could be surprised. 

Breakfast in an hour - Samsung should be happy - it's about halfway to Termini, so I'll get in a few steps.🙄

[Mary229]

45 minutes ago, Haljo1935 said:

Thank you, Mr Samsung, for the play-by-play.  No steps recorded at exactly the start of a new day?! 🤔🙄

We'll see what he has to say at EOD cuz we are getting on a ship in just a few hours!

Can you tell I'm excited?! Like a kid getting a box of puppies!!🤭🥴

No idea what to expect for sail away - I haven't searched for pictures so I could be surprised. 

Breakfast in an hour - Samsung should be happy - it's about halfway to Termini, so I'll get in a few steps.🙄

You know what I am going to say…..

 

Apple

sounds like a wonderful trip so far.  I do like the N Statendam 

[Haljo1935]

1 hour ago, Mary229 said:

You know what I am going to say…..

 

Apple

Yes, ma'am 

[Haljo1935]

Cappuccinos and Americano plus fresh juice and omlettes and croissants (plain and chocolate) aka cornetto from the convenience store diner. Not sure why that picture is upside down - maybe it had the lucky danish...

Wine for sail away has it's own seat in the shuttle - it has more room than I do, lol.

 

Edited October 29, 2023 by Haljo1935
Typo

[LouChamp]

15 hours ago, IntrepidFromDC said:

I know what you mean.  I always ask myself why we can't have organic San Marzano tomatoes as good as the ones in Italy, not even at Wholepaycheck Foods.  Someone in Italy said it's the volcanic soil.

Aloha.  Thank you for your posts and pictures. As an italian, the proper sauce/gravy is the highlight of every Sunday dinner and I do believe that San Marzano tomatoes are so above the rest because of the volcanic soil. My grandparents grew tomatoes on Long Island and their sauce was so delicious I can still taste it. Most store bought cans of tomatoes in the US say San Marzano style or sometimes they gror them the US using seeds from Italy but sad to say not the same. Now I am hungry!

[Haljo1935]

Look - can you guess where we are?

Took the avocado 🥑 off the tacos before I remembered to take the picture, so you'll see them beside DH burger.

The chocolate tart is like fudge on a plate.

[skatelady]

15 hours ago, Haljo1935 said:

Less than a day to go - breakfast in the AM, checkout at 11 followed by 11:05 shuttle to the port.

When I saw this post - 6 hrs 20 min - I was in my living room west of Toronto and thought that's odd.  During the flight that left Toronto at 7:30 pm it came to mind and I  didn't sleep a wink thinking Flight Ease had booked wrong flights and I hadn't noticed.  I was really happy to see the HAL reps at the airport and our names on the shuttle list. Even happier to be on board!

[Haljo1935]

So nice to have your cabin number listed on the sign so you don't even have to think which way to go.😉

The Daily and HIA offer, which we will decline as it is $10/day more than if we bought in advance.

Vivian at Shore Exc has moved our excursions from CC to OBC so that we don't have to find ways to use that non-refundable OBC - thanks, Vivian!!

Sneek peek of our cabin.

Our TV already mustered; we'll go before the Mariners reception.

Raka has already brought both buckets (we always get 2) of ice and all our 🧳!! I already love him!!

 

[TAW1963]

41 minutes ago, Haljo1935 said:

So nice to have your cabin number listed on the sign so you don't even have to think which way to go.😉

The Daily and HIA offer, which we will decline as it is $10/day more than if we bought in advance.

Vivian at Shore Exc has moved our excursions from CC to OBC so that we don't have to find ways to use that non-refundable OBC - thanks, Vivian!!

Sneek peek of our cabin.

Our TV already mustered; we'll go before the Mariners reception.

Raka has already brought both buckets (we always get 2) of ice and all our 🧳!! I already love him!!

 

I am assuming that your are in a beautiful aft-facing cabin!    Bon Voyage and have a great cruise!

 

Edited October 29, 2023 by TAW1963

[Haljo1935]

6 minutes ago, TAW1963 said:

I am assuming that your are in a beautiful aft-facing cabin!    Bon Voyage and have a great cruise!

 

Yes @TAW1963 we LOVE true aft cabins. I'm sure I'll have some nice pix as we sail away.

[ger_77]

Bon Voyage; I'm excited for you!!!!

[TAW1963]

11 minutes ago, Haljo1935 said:

Yes @TAW1963 we LOVE true aft cabins. I'm sure I'll have some nice pix as we sail away.

That’s awesome! Can’t wait to see the sail away pics!

[Haljo1935]

1 hour ago, ger_77 said:

Bon Voyage; I'm excited for you!!!!

Thank you! We are moving!!

[Haljo1935]

1 hour ago, TAW1963 said:

That’s awesome! Can’t wait to see the sail away pics!

Here we are letting go of our lines - we're so close to saying "Adios, Rome." Oh, wait - wrong country, wrong language, lol.