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

[bennybear]

11 hours ago, TiogaCruiser said:

It’s not the full moon- Boston drivers are their own class.

Agreed!  When we visited years ago, we were sure they had special cars they didn’t care about! 
 

oh my, the great cracker shortage! 
 

Your dinner sounds amazing, lobster dumplings,  best left to the imagination! 
 

I bought my collapsible hiking poles from the big box store.  I have two sets and they’re great.   So wonderful how HAL has looked after you!
 

Thanks for taking us along! 

Edited April 26 by bennybear

[TiogaCruiser]

Driving in Boston:

Many years ago my family visited grandparents in MA. (Grandmas family has long roots in the area). On entering Boston, and the airport specifically, my Dad- a normally cautious and polite driver -told us to hold on and suddenly became quite aggressive with lane changes and horn honking. You could almost see the horns sprout! 😈😈

 

We still laugh at that to this day.

Back to normally scheduled programming…

Edited April 26 by TiogaCruiser

[kazu]

3 hours ago, 1of4 said:

I was going to buy 2 folding canes for our recent overseas trip. DD put her foot down and said absolutely not as they just aren’t reliable. I tried to protest as flight attendants take them away and they cause issues in security too. Glad DH listed to her as I would have been up the proverbial creek with 4 fractures and no cane!  And yes, Air Canada took it away, but only for landing back in YYZ. 

I also have a folding cane.  It is very secure,  very.  My physio was impressed with it.  Much better than the drug store variety.

 

concierfe visited this morning.  Checked the other walking stick, seems the guy behind the scenes has figure d it out.  Showed her many she showed me.  Of course there was nothing in the manual about it.  Haven help anyon e on CC Who posts about removing the crew incentive in the next little bit.  Debbie’s luggage and my sticks show how much these guys behind the scenes do for us 😉

 

 

 

 

[grannyshell]

8 hours ago, kazu said:

So the night before we went to the Pinnacle Grill for dinner.

It was deb’s birthday on this cruise but on the 22nd.  she chose the 24th since it was 1/2 way between hers and her DD DH’s.

By the way, our old waiter never sang happy birthday to her nor gave her a cake.  She was happy not to be sung to though.  PG made sure she got a cake.

 

 

PG can be a mixed bag on some ships.  On this one, it was very good.

 

we really enjoyed our appetizers:

 

 

 

 

For the main I had the tenderloin with lobster dumplings - OMG.  

And here’s where Debbie fell down on her job.  She and I forgot about pics until it was toll late and not picture worthy.  It was that good.  Well worth it on this ship.

 

We smartened up for dessert.  I had the soufflé 

 

 

and Deb the cheese tray 

 

 

that’s right - no crackers on it but there were two bread sticks.

 

 

So what is one to do with this strange HAL cracker-less situation in every venue on every ship? Should women keep crackers in their purses and discreetly slip them onto their plates? 😜

[kazu]

11 minutes ago, grannyshell said:

So what is one to do with this strange HAL cracker-less situation in every venue on every ship? Should women keep crackers in their purses and discreetly slip them onto their plates? 😜

ive done it before 😉

 

or I ask them to leave bread or bun.

 

sometimes there are two cracker on the plate.  Deb did get two bread sticks.

[kazu]

1 hour ago, luvteaching said:

Good morning, 

 

@kazu so glad you are having a good trip and I really enjoyed seeing all the photos and reading about your trip to Boston. 

I've been debating about the filet with lobster dumplings for my next Pinnacle Grill dinner in July. Tell me more please! 

Have a wonderful trip!
 

Karen

it was a lovely piece of tenderloin ~ huge, way too much for me but I.t was as tender as can be. Nthe dumplings whew different - nearly a pasta like with a lobster auction & hint of lobster.  They were good.  It’s the David Burke special on the menu.  No surcharge

[1of4]

3 hours ago, Vict0riann said:

  @1of4, I found that my stick would slip to the very back of the overhead bin if I didn't hide it, then it becomes very difficult to retrieve.  I try to slip it down on the floor out of sight now, and have managed to get away with it usually.  Either that, or I hang onto it until the very last minute and try to stash it at the very front of the bin.

Good idea!  It’s never been questioned before but we were sitting in bulkhead seats and DH had the window. I should have hidden it under the blanket!  I just figured the strap attached to my wrist would mean it wasn’t a danger…wrong apparently 🤷🏻‍♀️

[ger_77]

1 hour ago, grannyshell said:

So what is one to do with this strange HAL cracker-less situation in every venue on every ship? Should women keep crackers in their purses and discreetly slip them onto their plates? 😜

As I recall, one night I wasn't even discreet about it, just whipped out my zip top bag and put them on my dessert plate to pass around with the cheese.  The waiters didn't even blink.  LOL  

[rafinmd]

11 hours ago, kazu said:

It was too risky to leave the walking cane like that.  I had gotten some packing tape from the hotel to lock it in place but I knew that would only hold so long.  

 

So, we went to the concierge to see if they had some duck tape or some such animal that we could use.  She asked if I could manage without it for one day and, since we were on board and it’s not a big ship, I certaily could.  

 

Deb mentioned her luggage handle to see if they could do something similar and the concierge was down to take a damage report.  We emphasized we did not think the crew did it - stevedores perhaps?  

She took deb’s luggage and said she would see what they could do.

early on day 2, she arrived at our room with my cane locking beautifully.  It won’t be properly foldable anymore but that’s ok, I’ll use it at the airport and scream at the manufacturer when I get home (they were brand new - bought for this trip).

Yesterday when I went in she asked if we would be in our cabin for a few minutes.  when I answered the affirmative she was down in about 15 minutes beaming.  Deb’s handle on her luggage had been replaced.  the new handle matched the luggage perfectly.  

 

We were both very impressed.  My walking cane works great and Deb’s luggage looks fine.  

 

I'm not totally surprised at this.  When something breaks at sea they can't just head to the local hardware store for a replacement so all the repair crew get very creative and innovative.  It is wonderful that they also do the same for the passengers when the need arises and they have done the same for me a couple of times.  They are truly talented and I certainly hope they are included generously in the pool.

 

Boston is certainly a special case.  I had to rent a car there once and it's the only time I ever took out the additional insurance.  I also had a very strange occurance there that was not really traffic, but yet it was.  I was driving into Boston with my parents for my late brother's college graduation and a dog came running up from my right rear and hit me.  It scampered off almost before I knew what happened.

 

Roy

[3rdGenCunarder]

I've heard that when a car is delivered to a Boston dealership, the wires to the turn signals are cut. DH drove in Boston once and swore never again!

[HELENPSL]

@kazu…all of your posts have made my heart happy.  I’m so glad that you’re having a great time.  BUT…I haven’t heard you mention the casino.  Maybe I shouldn’t ask!

Love ya,

Helen 😍

[RuthC]

14 minutes ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

I've heard that when a car is delivered to a Boston dealership, the wires to the turn signals are cut. DH drove in Boston once and swore never again!

I had to drive to Logan Airport on a Monday morning, back in (I think) 1976. It was four lanes of solid traffic, bumper to bumper, all doing about 65 MPH. 
I picked up my sister at the airport, got out of town, and vowed I would never drive in Boston again. I have been back many times, but never driven there since. 

I can't believe the traffic, or the drivers have gotten any better in the intervening years. 

[Sea Viewer]

34 minutes ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

I've heard that when a car is delivered to a Boston dealership, the wires to the turn signals are cut.

I think that happens in Miami also!

[TiogaCruiser]

1 hour ago, HELENPSL said:

@kazu…all of your posts have made my heart happy.  I’m so glad that you’re having a great time.  BUT…I haven’t heard you mention the casino.  Maybe I shouldn’t ask!

Love ya,

Helen 😍

What happens in the casino stays in the casino.😉

[kazu]

11 hours ago, HELENPSL said:

@kazu…all of your posts have made my heart happy.  I’m so glad that you’re having a great time.  BUT…I haven’t heard you mention the casino.  Maybe I shouldn’t ask!

Love ya,

Helen 😍

 

We;ve been in the casino, Helen 😉 

 

I think I have corrupted Debbie & she has turned into a Casino girl 😂 

 

She’s doing well so far.  still playing on the casino’s money 👍 

 

I can’t say the same right now LOL.

[cruising sister]

3 minutes ago, kazu said:

 

We;ve been in the casino, Helen 😉 

 

I think I have corrupted Debbie & she has turned into a Casino girl 😂 

 

She’s doing well so far.  still playing on the casino’s money 👍 

 

I can’t say the same right now LOL.

I found the casino boring on the Volendam.  The games were not fun with little play. It was probably a good thing since I was on it for 94 days. I am glad you are having fun on the cruise. I did like the Volendam. I was worried about it being a small ship for such a long trip. It was the perfect size. 

[POA1]

On 4/24/2024 at 3:37 PM, kazu said:

Strawberry crisp for me.  when a crisp is on the menu you have to take advantage 😉 

 

 

Just getting caught up, but I concur 100% on the fruit crisps. We had almost exclusively bread puddings. They were tasty - don't get me wrong - but they are nap-inducing for me.

 

Maybe if enough I people give a shout out to the fruit crisps in the Navigator app, we'll see the triumphant return of the fruit cobbler (by mid-March 2025, pretty please.)

 

#TeamFruitCrisp

[POA1]

A great friend of ours is from Milan. (We met him in Maine when we lived there.)

 

On his first trip, driving to Boston, he had a huge smile on his face. He said, and I quote, "They say that driving in Boston is like driving in Italy. It's not. It's like driving in ROME."

[Sharon in AZ]

Jacqui @kazu, just catching up with your Live From. Sounds like the Merry Widows are having fun!  
 

I use hiking poles as walking sticks. They collapse into themselves which is nice when traveling. I bought them on Amazon. 
 

Ann @Vict0riann, I’ve never taken my hiking poles on a plane. I collapse them and they fit in my largest suitcase. However, I have had problems with them sliding and falling on tours and buses and also worry about forgetting them so now I use a carabiner and hook it to my bag. 
 

 

[kazu]

1 hour ago, Sharon in AZ said:

Jacqui @kazu, just catching up with your Live From. Sounds like the Merry Widows are having fun!  

 

We’re doing our best 😂 😉 

 

 

1 hour ago, Sharon in AZ said:

 

 

I use hiking poles as walking sticks. They collapse into themselves which is nice when traveling. I bought them on Amazon. 

 

Got mine there too.  

 

 

1 hour ago, Sharon in AZ said:

 

Ann @Vict0riann, I’ve never taken my hiking poles on a plane. I collapse them and they fit in my largest suitcase. However, I have had problems with them sliding and falling on tours and buses and also worry about forgetting them so now I use a carabiner and hook it to my bag. 
 

 

 

I took my cane on the plane last time.  It folds like the poles.  this time I will use one of the poles since my back stays straighter.  I fold them up and stick them in the pocket of my personal item.  fits just tine.

[roupa]

Do you know what “table” games ( not video games) they have in the casino?

[Dismomx5]

1 hour ago, kazu said:

I took my cane on the plane last time.  It folds like the poles.  this time I will use one of the poles since my back stays straighter.  I fold them up and stick them in the pocket of my personal item.  fits just tine.

I use a folding cane for support when I anticipate that my knees will start to act up. Do you find the walking sticks as sturdy? That is probably my worry. Are they strong enough to support me? If so, maybe I should give them a try. I think that walking sticks would be less stress on my hands/wrist and shoulders.

[kazu]

Peter and Paula got great shots of the Volendam coming into Boston and were kind enough to share with me

 

 

[kazu]

So yesterday we were in Portland.  It was a very short visit again due to slowing down for whale migration.

7 - 12:30.  This is a “sloth” cruise so we are in no rush and had a leisurely breakfast in the PG.

 

I told Deb that the ham and cheese skillet was good but she said she didn’t

t like poached eggs.  I told her to ask for scrambled and she got it.

 

 

She liked it.  

 

I had my on occasion favourite eggs Benedict - without sauce.

 

 

oh and of course, we had mimosas.  I told you it was a sloth cruise 😂 

 

I had found a trolly tour that I thought would be perfect for our short day and my foot and legs but sadly. It doesn’t start until May 1st.  WTH?  I  live near a port city and season or not, I guarantee you if a cruise ship is in town everything is up and running.

 

But we found a fire truck trolly tour - an old fire truck - quite historic - that does the same thing and goes around Portland to the sites.  Very good.  One hour so enough time NOT to be late for the all on board time 😉 

 

On the walk there it appeared that all the buildings in one area were originally warehouses and were converted to shops and apartments.  They were quite interesting.

 

 

 

 

 

[kazu]

Back on the ship sailing out of Portland.

 

 

It’s a pretty sail away.

 

 

Captain Van Eerten told us to keep our eye out for the most photographed lighthouse in America.  And, of course asked us to take pics of it so it would continue to be the most photographed  😉 

 

No, it wasn’t this one although I liked it better - so cute.

 

 

It was this one.

 

 

Coming from lighthouse country, I confess I liked the little one better - different 😉