My First “Live”- Zuiderdam May 11, 2024 TA

[seattleslew]

Hi!  I'm enjoying your thread because I got off the Z World Cruise the day you embarked.  I know which room you have because I have it booked on the Westerdam in September.  I had my room stewards show it to me --- does your stateroom number begin with a 4 and end with a 2?  If so, say hi to your room stewards Dwi and Rizal from me (Miss Martha) and tell them I miss them very much. They do such an excellent job --- I don't think I remember a single goof.  BTW, I also had an awful oily spool of cable outside my ObsOV cabin and since I had checked my WC room out on the Z last summer, I brought along a box of Frosted Privacy Film from Home Depot and it was well worth the investment because that thing is UGLY!  Oh, and I had Harry the Supervisor come check it and he was impressed and let me leave it in 4088, saying the next pax might enjoy it.

[mawvkysc]

16 hours ago, seattleslew said:

Hi!  I'm enjoying your thread because I got off the Z World Cruise the day you embarked.  I know which room you have because I have it booked on the Westerdam in September.  I had my room stewards show it to me --- does your stateroom number begin with a 4 and end with a 2?  If so, say hi to your room stewards Dwi and Rizal from me (Miss Martha) and tell them I miss them very much. They do such an excellent job --- I don't think I remember a single goof.  BTW, I also had an awful oily spool of cable outside my ObsOV cabin and since I had checked my WC room out on the Z last summer, I brought along a box of Frosted Privacy Film from Home Depot and it was well worth the investment because that thing is UGLY!  Oh, and I had Harry the Supervisor come check it and he was impressed and let me leave it in 4088, saying the next pax might enjoy it.

Yes that is my room and those are our lovely stewards. I’ll let them know! They saved us this morning. My husband got confused and put the room service breakfast tag in the “mailbox” not on the door handle. They noticed and let us know to either call it in or head to a restaurant. 

Edited May 18 by mawvkysc

[mawvkysc]

Look what my phone told me! Too bad I also averaged eating more calories 

Edited May 18 by mawvkysc

[mawvkysc]

I think I’ve magically been transported to a Fantasy Class Carnival Ship 😜 

This bench totally doesn’t match Zuiderdam. 

[mawvkysc]

Day 8- Praia da Vitoria, Terceira

Overcast to start but then it cleared up. Very comfortable weather. Calm waters 

 

Walking off the ship we turned right and followed the path to the taxi area. It was a bit of a walk and not super busy with taxis, but there were two vans. Perfect as we had 11 of us from the rollcall going on a whale watch out of Angra. (Thanks @JodiCruise)It was $30 per cab and a beautiful  20-30 minute drive. The company was OceanEmotion. They were great! Our guide was so nice and informative. The captain was excellent too. We had perfect conditions because of no wind or waves. Because of that we were allowed to listen on their underwater microphone and hear the whales. We saw sperm wales coming up to breath. The highlight really was the Common dolphins that we saw. They were so playful, cute and prolific. We also saw Risso’s dolphins. Both types look different from  the dolphins in Florida. Seeing the island for the water is beautiful too. 

[mawvkysc]

The path to the taxis:

 

[mawvkysc]

[mawvkysc]

FYI 

We will dine at Canaletto tonight 

Edited May 18 by mawvkysc

[mawvkysc]

The group took taxis back to Praia. We walked around and ate some fresh cheese and cod fritters. Had a nice chat with one of the Zuiderdam dancers and the musician. Went to a supermarket and bought some wine and goodies to take to my sister in Germany post cruise and then to a bakery and had goodies. The local specialties of Donna Amelia cakes and traditional egg tarts were sold out. It was just over 6€ for two pastries a coffee and cappuccino. 🤯 
 

Being Saturday some stores were closed. 
 

Took the free shuttle back to the ship. 
 

The island is beautiful. So green. I love all of the stone fences and cows. 

[mawvkysc]

[mawvkysc]

[mawvkysc]

Canaletto was good. The service is excellent. The Burrata salad was very good but it is not burrata. I asked if it was creamy inside and the waitress said no, it is mozzarella. I even heard her explain to someone else before they ordered it without them asking. The shrimp starter also was very tasty and light. 
 

Spaghetti with clams and shrimp was a pasty sauce. The shrimp and clams were good though. 
 

The Ossobucco was a quite good and huge. I must say MSC MDR’s is even better. In fact it was  my favorite cruise meal ever. 
 

Gelato for dessert as we wanted something lighter. 👍 

 

We are MDR lovers. This is only the third time that we’ve done specialty dining and only ever  because it was part of a promo. 

Edited May 18 by mawvkysc

[Claire5]

I’m on this fabulous TA cruise too-thanks for writing up your live report-that’s a lot of work for you on vacay but fun to read!

[mawvkysc]

On 5/12/2024 at 3:15 PM, FlorenceItaly said:

We do not have HIA and am disappointed in the current happy hour offering of only 25%.  I am hoping it is a misprint, LOL,

Starting tomorrow Happy Hour changes to 50% off

[mawvkysc]

Random thoughts:

The Elemis product’s scent is a bit strong. More of a cologne smell than floral. If you are sensitive to perfumes beware. 
 

Except for embarkation day they haven’t had any spa specials. Not even port day specials.

[mawvkysc]

Day 9: Happy Hour prices changed 

[mawvkysc]

Lido breakfast. Discovered French toast. It was good. Normally it’s premade on other lines I’ve been on. 
 

Attended the coffee chat because the Security Officer was from Cornwall and he did a presentation on Cornwall. If you missed it and are on board here are his beer recommendations  I was amazed at his qualifications. His wife will join him in Cornwall for a good number of days. The bicycle presentation by Daniel followed. It was interesting. Daniel really is excellent. I’ve been able to ask him and Brandon questions as they are out and about 
 

It’s 58 degrees F so it’s definitely cooler on deck. We were tired after yesterday and both said, “I’m so glad tomorrow is a sea day!” 😆 

 

We didn’t walk today. Some people saw whales today.
 

We tried the noodle soups from the lido. The broth was tasty but not hot. 
 

The aft pool had loungers open. Big surprise 😀 . I huddled down for a bit and then got in a hot tub and then pool for one lap. Trotted over to the sauna by the ping pong tables. I’m not sure if I mentioned it, but it’s  free. I see no need for the thermal pass as it’s a somewhat limited thermal area. 
 

My husband was relaxing in the room and was excited to text me that our windows were being cleaned. We were professional window cleaners for 20 years. I guess that’s a benefit of the obstructed view rooms. I’m sure the windows can be  more often and a better job can be done. What do you think @seattleslew? (Rizal says hello. He was happy to hear your salutations. I’ll see Dwi soon I’m sure)

 

I talked to a RS band member. He said they really appreciate this crowd. It makes them feel so good when people enjoy and participate. 

 

Next up-read a book!

[mawvkysc]

I am really struck by how polite the passengers are. It’s very nice. Also, there are no room service trays left in the hallways. 

[BetsyS.]

I'm glad there are no room service trays in the hallways now. In the past, the trays were in the hallways morning, noon and night.

          Thanks for all your updates, pictures and menus. 😊

Have a great sea day!

[mawvkysc]

 

We got tiles this morning. Do you normally get them on your first cruise?

 

I decided to shower in the gym changing room post pool. Sometimes the showers are nicer and roomier so I thought I’d give it a try. It was roomy but no privacy to speak of. Just a few greyed out blocks on the clear glass shower door. I would’ve taken a picture of the shower but I wasn’t alone. Water pressure was better in my cabin. Also no hairdryers. They were removed last dry dock. If you want a wash rag remember to grab one from the sink area. 
 

I did something I’ve never done on a cruise. An “exercise” class. Well it was stretching. I really enjoyed it. The gym was well used. 
 

View from the deck in front of gym. Look how flat the water is. 

[mawvkysc]

Gala NightWe both really enjoyed the asparagus salad. It was very refreshing.  The escargot was very good too. 
 

I had the salmon. It was fine. Nothing wrong with it but not outstanding. Hubby’s tenderloin didn’t disappoint. 
 

The lava cake was good. I added a scoop of ice cream.  I tried a bite of the coconut tart. It had a nice crumb texture and just a touch of sweetness. It reminded me of a European dessert. 
 

Our servers were excited for a crew party tonight. 
 

Hubby isn’t feeling 100% so we went back to the cabin and watched a movie. It was actually nice to just come back. So we missed the Zuiderdam Ball and Chocolate Suprise but still got chocolate !

[mawvkysc]

And this 

 

Edited May 19 by mawvkysc

[oakridger]

I came on to your review to report that the Happy Hour went from 25% off to 50% off day before yesterday, but you have reported that!  Good news. I'm still going to try and find out what's going off with the discounts!

 

I had a fabulous meal at Canaletto tonight!  Canaletto salad with Feta substituted for Gorgonzola cheese and then Ossobuco with saffron risotto.  It was so good! Service all over the ship has been great with the exception of table service for drinks at the pools.  They need a few more staff there but the ones working are good.

 

I am having a wonderful time so far.

Edited May 19 by oakridger

[VMax1700]

19 hours ago, scubacruiserx2 said:

 

 

 Saint Fin Barre's Cathedral from JFK Park on the waterfront

 

 

Thanks for spelling it correctly, but unfortunately it is the incorrect name!  It is St Colman's Cathedral that you can see in Cobh, but if you go to Cork City you can see St Fin Barre's Cathedral.  St Colman's is Roman Catholic and St Fin Barre's is Church of Ireland. 

[scubacruiserx2]

10 hours ago, oakridger said:

I came on to your review to report that the Happy Hour went from 25% off to 50% off day before yesterday, but you have reported that!  Good news. I'm still going to try and find out what's going off with the discounts!

 

I had a fabulous meal at Canaletto tonight!  Canaletto salad with Feta substituted for Gorgonzola cheese and then Ossobuco with saffron risotto.  It was so good! Service all over the ship has been great with the exception of table service for drinks at the pools.  They need a few more staff there but the ones working are good.

 

I am having a wonderful time so far.

 

 Hello Nancy , we hope that you are well .