Live from the Volendam - please join the Merry Widows on their cruise 😊

[grannyshell]

Safe travels Jacqui! Thanks for taking us along! Looking forward to your wrap up 😉 

[Cruising-along]

Jacqui, thanks for bringing us along!  It was fun reading your take on the cruise and the Volendam.  Safe travels home!

[jabcruiser]

Thanks Jacqui. Just saw this thread and read thru it with interest.  We are taking this cruise in 2025  but doesn't go until June 7 so should be warmer.  Not sure why but over month later next year.  Will be our first on the Volendam so thanks for your insights on that ship also. 

Jane

[AV8rix]

Thanks for a great "live from", Jacqui.  Hope that some day we will sail together again.  BTW, that's great to know about being able to use the Mariner drink cards for something other than a "Mariner cocktail".  I don't really like mixed drinks so I always give my cards to friends.  But nice to know that it can be used for a glass of wine.  So thanks for that too.  Safe travel home.  Bet Ivan will be overjoyed when you arrive.

 

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Have a safe trip home Jacqui!! Thanks for all your posting on the Live From

[seagarsmoker]

Safe journey back home Jacqui.

[luvteaching]

@kazu and Deb - have a safe trip home! I'll look forward to reading your wrap-up of the cruise. 
 

Karen

[albingirl]

Thank you for this thread.  It takes a certain amount of effort, and money, to post and I am one of many who appreciate it.

[ger_77]

I enjoyed tagging along with you through this live thread.  I hope you have an uneventful trip home and I'm sure Ivan will be delighted to see you again!

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

Jacqui, i enjoyed your live from very much.  By now, I hope you are safely home.

[ski ww]

Safe travels home.

[kazu]

I am home, tired but home and now will try to catch up a bit.

 

Cursing on the St. Lawrence River is so nice with lots of scenery.  

 

 

No real whale sightings there for us, at least and no announcement by the captain so I don’t think there were any sightings.

 

 

It’s slow going as the captain has to follow the law hold his speed to no more than 10 knots.  In some places her was slower.  Since we missed Cap aux Meules, we had lots of time to get to Quebec City 😘 

 

 

 

[kazu]

I THINK I have figured out where I left off…

 

dinner in the MDR a few short nights ago:

 

 

 

 

 

 

We both started with the Beet & Steak Tartare.  Mine (the pic) was about double the size of Deb’s and way too much to eat.  I did my best thought 😉 

 

 

I had the rockfish

 

 

and Deb the turkey.  Both were good but the turkey sure smelled delicious.

 

 

For dessert, Deb had the carrot cake which she said was very tasty.

 

 

and I had the cheese plate.  Fearing that the great cracker shortage of 2024 would continue, I kept my bread to have with the cheese.

 

 

As you can see there were no crackers.

 

[seagarsmoker]

Glad you are back home safely and thanks again for taking us along with you on your cruise!

[kazu]

The Arctic wind continued to follow us when we arrived in Quebec City.  It was raining and cold - very cold.  People that went out were back on the ship quite quickly.  Deb and I nixed getting off since we were overnighting and hoped the next day’s forecast was true for our tour.  I was just glad it wasn’t on day one.  😱 

 

Interestingly, when you are in Canadian ports (or at least in Quebec), the ship is only allowed to have 2 or 3 bars open depending on the time of day.  Usually it was the Ocean Bar & mid Lido bar.

 

Day 2 I had a private tour booked with Gilbert Garcia.  Debbie told me I chose wisely. 😊

 

If you are in Quebec, I highly recommend you book with him.  You see so much more than on a walking tour and he takes you to places the other tours don’t.  I asked him why and he laughed and said he was a visionary.

 

 

It’s an easy way to see some of the sights.  They bike - you ride and get out at the pertinent sites.  Perfect for kazu’s foot 😜 

 

 

Since the wind was still with us, I emailed him to ask if he had blankets or if we should bring some from the ship.  Of course, he had blankets.  Two big ones that covered us both.

 

It was a fabulous day.  if it’s not boring, I will show you some of what we saw in the next few posts.

 

 

[richwmn]

4 minutes ago, kazu said:

Interestingly, when you are in Canadian ports (or at least in Quebec), the ship is only allowed to have 2 or 3 bars open depending on the time of day.  Usually it was the Ocean Bar & mid Lido bar.

 

What I was told several years ago it is every Canadian Port and the rule is only one bar per deck that has bars.

 

[puppycanducruise]

9 minutes ago, kazu said:

 

 

It was a fabulous day.  if it’s not boring, I will show you some of what we saw in the next few posts.

 

 

Looking forward to seeing more please!🙂

[kazu]

5 minutes ago, richwmn said:

What I was told several years ago it is every Canadian Port and the rule is only one bar per deck that has bars.

 

Thanks.  The crew member I was talking to didn’t tell me that part.  Appreciate the added information.

[Haljo1935]

11 minutes ago, puppycanducruise said:

Looking forward to seeing more please!🙂

+1 (or more if it helps us get pictures 😉)

[kazu]

1 hour ago, puppycanducruise said:

Looking forward to seeing more please!🙂

 

48 minutes ago, Haljo1935 said:

+1 (or more if it helps us get pictures 😉)

 

Thanks. They will be coming.  Nurse coming to check my foot so I will get at it a bit later.

[rafinmd]

22 minutes ago, kazu said:

 

 

Thanks. They will be coming.  Nurse coming to check my foot so I will get at it a bit later.

At least you have your priorities right.

 

Roy

[Haljo1935]

1 hour ago, kazu said:

 

 

Thanks. They will be coming.  Nurse coming to check my foot so I will get at it a bit later.

Hope the nurse is able to bring you some comfort. 

No rush - we'll be here 😊

[AV8rix]

3 hours ago, kazu said:

I THINK I have figured out where I left off…

 

dinner in the MDR a few short nights ago:

 

 

 

We both started with the Beet & Steak Tartare.  Mine (the pic) was about double the size of Deb’s and way too much to eat.  I did my best thought 😉 

 

 

 

 

!!!WOW!!!

First time I've EVER seen steak tartare in the MDR!!  I've always had to pay extra for it since it's generally only available in PG or Rudi's <-- where they actually put a quail egg on top.  I'll watch for that MDR offering in the future.  Thanks!

[cuagrad90]

On 5/3/2024 at 4:03 PM, trickylibrarian said:

We'll be on her next Saturday and hope the weather is improved.  Going to pack

for the cold.  Enjoying this thread a lot,  

Trickylibrarian, I, too will be on next week's cruise. I am a retired librarian and am going with a librarian who is almost retired.

[ski ww]

Looks like the weather was not the greatest for a good part of the cruise.