Back from the Oosterdam 1-06-07

[gizmo]

Thanks for taking the time to write such a great review. I enjoyed it.

 

I love your comments on Anytime Dining. I agree with you 100%.

 

It IS time Hal uses what they have to market their product instead of trying to copy what someone else does.

[gizmo]

Thanks for taking the time to write such a great review. I enjoyed it.

 

I love your comments on Anytime Dining. I agree with you 100%.

 

It IS time Hal uses what they have to market their product instead of trying to copy what someone else does.

[gizmo]

Thanks for taking the time to write such a great review. I enjoyed it.

 

I love your comments on Anytime Dining. I agree with you 100%.

 

It IS time Hal uses what they have to market their product instead of trying to copy what someone else does.

[Omnium]

Woke up to a beautiful and glorious day. It was difficult to get out of that cozy bed. I wanted coffee and called room service. I did not bother to hang out the sign the night before. It is now about 9:30 AM. I ordered coffee and some danish. Within 5 minutes, it was delivered. Now here comes the moment of truth: X used to have great breads and pastries, then something happened about 2002. They suddenly became tastless. It was such a shock to the central nervouse system when I cruised in Alaska on the Infinity in 2003 and bit into this awful, bland pastry. That, and the coffee had been cheapened beyond comprehension.

 

Slowly I sink my teeth into a rasberry danish. Delicious! Awesome! And, great coffee! All right!

 

I will go on record now and say the HAL has the most amazing breads, pastries, and rolls. Their coffee is the best at sea. (more on this later). Celebrity on the other hand serves breads that the day old store would be too embarrassed to sell. And, their coffee is gross.

 

A few minutes later we get a phone call from room service asking if our order was delivered and is everything to our satisfaction? Now, that is good service.

 

About 10, we walked up two flights of stairs to the Lido for breakfast. I always love eating breakfast out. Boy, does the Lido serve one fine breakfast. My wife went to the omelette bar and I worked the regular line. Here is what impressed me a lot: on X if you want eggs cooked to order, you wait in the omelette line. On HAL, you get them if the regular line. It moves so fast, and of course they cover the food to keep it nice and hot. You served yourself fruit and other cold dishes, but they serve the hot food. Another interesting thing is that the "bulk" scrambled eggs are really scramlbed eggs! They are not that powdered chemical compost that is so disgusting you cannot even look at it. You see them grillin' 'em up on the ol' Lido. On X, they just bring out a big vat of that yellow matter custard from somewhere down below. Most impressive. Real eggs! What a concept!

 

Another impressive treat is that the OJ is fresh squeezed, not concentrate. Coffe is ground and made fresh. None of that tar paste that is used to make coffee on other lines. I loved breakfast in the Lido.

 

After breakfast was the CC meeting in the Piano Lounge. I was looking forward to seeing if James Deering would show. He did and spoke for about 45 minutes. It was a very nice get together. He was most generous with his time. Drinks were flowing, I might add!

 

OK. Reality check again. If you are on a Roll Call Board, and do not attend this meeting, shame on you! If you did not go, and post a complaint, how can we ever take you seriously? Go to the meeting! Meet James. If you have a problem, tell him. He will help. If you do not attend this meeting, and make complaints, I will say "just shut up". (to myself). He may not be able to fix it, but you will have an advocate to assist you. And, I must say, he is as rare a ships staff member as you will ever meet. Glib, articulate, well spoken and funny. Very worldy. Go!

 

I told him that one of our showers were broken. The next day it was repaired. Bravo James, and thanks for the Champagne. Good stuff!

 

This was my morning. Time to go lay out by the pool. Sadly, it would be the only time on this trip that I would get to do so. That is always my favorite part of a cruise.

 

Afternoon time coming up later today!

 

Kerry

[Omnium]

Forgot to say that coming up a long disertation on the Neptune Lounge, an excellent dinner, and Show Time!

[Omnium]

Hi Kerry,

Sorry I confused you for your wife! I do have a hard time remembering names! Anyway, I am thoroughly enjoying reading your amazing writing of our cruise! And since I am in the VE category (5th floor), I am enjoying reading the differences. We had no pillow choice in our stateroom--just 4 pillows, but very fluffy. And only 2 complimentary bottles of champagne (TA and Mr. Deering (love him!). And I agree about the Lido--very good, and better than X from two years ago. But X gives you a choice of having shrimp cocktail and steak as an alternative every night at dinner--HAL does not offer this. Looking forward to reading the rest of your commentary!!

Chris (in snowy Iowa--have to shovel in the a.m.!)

 

Did you have a steak on the O? What they served in the Vista was certainly not the same one they served in the Pinnacle!

[lougee1043]

. Another interesting thing is that the "bulk" scrambled eggs are really scramlbed eggs! They are not that powdered chemical compost that is so disgusting you cannot even look at it. You see them grillin' 'em up on the ol' Lido. On X, they just bring out a big vat of that yellow matter custard from somewhere down below. Most impressive. Real eggs! What a oncept!>>

 

i saw them start another batch of scrambled eggs --- they took out a big plastic baggie with the eggs privously broken in it --- the bag was cut and the contents poured into the wok they were using to scramble the eggs in

[Omnium]

Day two afternoon was spent mostly by the pool. I chose to have a hamburger and fries from the mid-ship pool area. They have really good burgers and fries. I mean really good. My wife ate from the Lido, so I joined her there. A slice of pizza was calling to me, and I washed down my lunch with it.

 

Food is all relative and subjective. You taste what you want to taste. I liked it. You may not.

 

We got familiar with the Neptune Lounge. What a treat that was! The wonderous Concierge, Louise and her assistant Jun, were most helpful. Louise left for vacation and will return to the Westerdam. It was a privelage to meet her.

 

Convenience is the word for the Neptune. Want to book excursions, get cash, turn in paperwork, make reservations for the Pinnacle and much, much more? Go to Louise and Jun.

 

The Neptune is home to the magic coffee machine. We ended up going there each day for our morning coffee, latte, espresso or cappucino. Just press the button and a fresh ground drink is made instantly. For mornings there are cold breakfast items, and lots of pastries. I would get a danish and cinnamon roll each morning. I really miss this part of the cruise! Each day home I crave them when I wake up! Oh morning pastries, where is thy sting! There are cereals, bagels, lots anb lots of fresh fruit. They always replenish it and always keep it looking beautiful.

 

For lunch, small sandwiches and other delectibles were brought out. Mid-afternoon brought tea time and there were platters of candies, fudge, cookies and more! Plates of chocolate dipped strawberries! Plates and plates! The lovely Jane, my wife, even found these interesting.

 

Evening was appetizer time. Well done HAL.

 

I read a post before our cruise about someone saying suite users were snobs. To quote a former president, that is poppycock. Saying we are snobs is a form of snobbery itself. There are lots of people in this world who will not be happy until everything agrees with them. For me, life is short. When I travel, I want the best I can afford. It has nothing to do with anything else.

 

After pool time, I hit the gym again. Back to the room for some champagne and appetizers. Dinner featured Beef Wellington and also crab legs. Hmmm... what to get? How about both? How about a few extra platters of crab legs? Taguh was only too pleased to please us. A splendid time was had by all. This dinner was a good one. 1-2 now!

 

We went to the show. Usual cruise faire with the dancers doing some kind of music through the decades. Country music if you will. I have had enough of these in my lifetime. Although talented, I found the cast to be very annoying. We went because the oh so lovely Dr. Linda and Dr. Frank dragged us along.

 

Dreaming of the dream bed, we slept soundly to 9:30.

 

Next: Pinnacle for breakfast, Mazatlan, a show that made the cost of the cruise worthwhile, and power failure at sea! (too scary for the faint of heart!)

 

Best,

 

Kerry

[Omnium]

Sorry for the double post. I am having trouble today~

[Cruising Boomer]

Hi Laffnvegas!

 

It's Cruising Boomer from the Veendam - Vancouver to Tampa in September! We are on this cruise 3/3 - it looks like we will miss you by a couple of cruises! Our son in Henderson tells us it is pretty cold there!! Even here in San Diego we had our fountain freeze two nights!

 

Stay warm!

 

Cruising Boomer

[Cruising Boomer]

...sorry - another computer hiccup or maybe the site! It keeps stalling and them doing multiple posts for me today!

 

 

Cruising Boomer

[Omnium]

My postings are like the show 24-they are as long as a full day.

 

We slept late again, and continued my new habit of going to the Neptune for coffee and danish. This time we had breakfast at The Pinnacle. If you have a suite, you can breakfast there. It is a very nice benefit. No crowds, nice ocean view. We had a striking view of the rocks that mark the entrance to Cabo San Lucas. The meals actually come from the Vista Dining Room, and the waitstaff has a long way to walk. It is the staff of the Pinnacle that serves you. It was a wonerful meal, but sadly it would be our first and only. They only serve to 9:30 and we could never get out of bed in time!

 

We took the tender to shore and ran into Frank and Linda. Normally I plan a cruise out well, with all the excursions booked well in advance, but not this one. We cancelled a cruise last April, and we were supposed to be on this one Nov. 25. We had to cancel that one. On Dec. 3, I suffered a heart attack. Now take it from me: 52, great health, exercises 4 times a week, has a treadmill and a physical every year. No signs of any problem, and I have a heart attack. Wazzup with that? I told Jane that things happen in threes and maybe we will cancel our third cruise! Needless to say, I feel great, and my doctors said by all means, GO!

 

With nothing planned, we just walked and walked. A glorious day. We found a bar and for $10 you get 5 beers, chips, salsa and guacomole. We went through a few orders. A marvelous way to while away the day. Even though you are inside, you still have to fend off the vendors. Frank had the odd numbered beer in case you were wondering. We later ran into fellow CC'ers Lou and Herb.

 

We made it back to the ship well after the Lido was closed. I had a great sandwich from the sandwich bar. Some kind of pork roast, and they grill it too. Much better than Quiznos! For some strange reason, the french fries outside and a slice of pizza were playing their siren songs in my head and I could not resist. I laid out by the pool for a little while and then hit the gym. I worked on the treadmill while watching the BCS game.

 

It would soon be time to get ready for dinner, and hey, what's this? An invite from James Deering to a VIP cocktail party with the Captain and personable Michelle! Me? A VIP? I am starting to feel like one, for sure.

 

I got out of the shower, started to get dressed, when all of a sudden, the power went out on the ship! 100% out or so it seemed. You could not hear the humm of the engines. We were in pitch blackness. Creepy. Adrift at sea. (not really)

 

More on this in my next installment, along with having Mr. Potato Head join us for dinner!

 

Best,

 

Kerry

[Omnium]

Really, we were not adrift! It just felt that way!

[scopewest]

Enjoying your comments. On the Noordam in November we had cloth towels in the restrooms, and on the O at Christmas it was paper towels. But the previous O cruise had the dreaded norovirus attack and we were on Code Red for a couple of days. Were there containers of heavy duty wet wipes in the O restrooms on your cruise? There weren't any on the Noordam but of course they were all over the O due to the virus problem.

[Omnium]

Enjoying your comments. On the Noordam in November we had cloth towels in the restrooms, and on the O at Christmas it was paper towels. But the previous O cruise had the dreaded norovirus attack and we were on Code Red for a couple of days. Were there containers of heavy duty wet wipes in the O restrooms on your cruise? There weren't any on the Noordam but of course they were all over the O due to the virus problem.

 

 

No wet wipes that I saw. There were the paper towels, and that seemed to be the only remaining vestige of the virus. I heard that there were 4 reports of sickness, but what it was, I can't say. As I mentioned, everyday there were salt & pepper shakers, staff shaking hands, and many other things to instill confidence that the coast was clear!

 

Kerry

[mjs125]

Just to let ya'll know (and yes, I'm from the south :D) I was on the Oosterdam cruise when the Norovirus hit (the 11/25 sailing). We had those wonderful cloth towels in the bathrooms, but as soon as large amounts of people started getting sick they disappeared right along with the salt shakers on the table. I guess they just decided to stick with the paper towels in the restrooms when they replaced everything else.

 

Great review, by the way!

 

Meg

[CPeters40]

Did you have a steak on the O? What they served in the Vista was certainly not the same one they served in the Pinnacle!

 

Hi Kerry,

No, I didn't have any steak on the Oosterdam, unless you count the Surf and Turf night. We have great beef here in the midwest, so I always try the foods that we don't get at home. And, since there were no complimentary invitations to the Pinnacle Grill, I missed that too. Hey, I'm really enjoying reading your commentary!

Chris (3 degrees right now in Cold Northeast Iowa!)

[CPeters40]

Day two afternoon was spent mostly by the pool. I chose to have a hamburger and fries from the mid-ship pool area. They have really good burgers and fries. I mean really good. My wife ate from the Lido, so I joined her there. A slice of pizza was calling to me, and I washed down my lunch with it.

 

Food is all relative and subjective. You taste what you want to taste. I liked it. You may not.

 

We got familiar with the Neptune Lounge. What a treat that was! The wonderous Concierge, Louise and her assistant Jun, were most helpful. Louise left for vacation and will return to the Westerdam. It was a privelage to meet her.

 

Convenience is the word for the Neptune. Want to book excursions, get cash, turn in paperwork, make reservations for the Pinnacle and much, much more? Go to Louise and Jun.

 

The Neptune is home to the magic coffee machine. We ended up going there each day for our morning coffee, latte, espresso or cappucino. Just press the button and a fresh ground drink is made instantly. For mornings there are cold breakfast items, and lots of pastries. I would get a danish and cinnamon roll each morning. I really miss this part of the cruise! Each day home I crave them when I wake up! Oh morning pastries, where is thy sting! There are cereals, bagels, lots anb lots of fresh fruit. They always replenish it and always keep it looking beautiful.

 

For lunch, small sandwiches and other delectibles were brought out. Mid-afternoon brought tea time and there were platters of candies, fudge, cookies and more! Plates of chocolate dipped strawberries! Plates and plates! The lovely Jane, my wife, even found these interesting.

 

Evening was appetizer time. Well done HAL.

 

I read a post before our cruise about someone saying suite users were snobs. To quote a former president, that is poppycock. Saying we are snobs is a form of snobbery itself. There are lots of people in this world who will not be happy until everything agrees with them. For me, life is short. When I travel, I want the best I can afford. It has nothing to do with anything else.

 

After pool time, I hit the gym again. Back to the room for some champagne and appetizers. Dinner featured Beef Wellington and also crab legs. Hmmm... what to get? How about both? How about a few extra platters of crab legs? Taguh was only too pleased to please us. A splendid time was had by all. This dinner was a good one. 1-2 now!

 

We went to the show. Usual cruise faire with the dancers doing some kind of music through the decades. Country music if you will. I have had enough of these in my lifetime. Although talented, I found the cast to be very annoying. We went because the oh so lovely Dr. Linda and Dr. Frank dragged us along.

 

Dreaming of the dream bed, we slept soundly to 9:30.

 

Next: Pinnacle for breakfast, Mazatlan, a show that made the cost of the cruise worthwhile, and power failure at sea! (too scary for the faint of heart!)

 

Best,

 

Kerry

 

Thanks for the great description of the Neptune Lounge. I finally took a little peek up there and looked in, on this trip. Looked like a great place to hang out! Maybe "someday" we will book a suite.

And those burgers and fries by the pool were wonderful! I agree about realy enjoying the food on this ship way too much!

Chris (Iowa)

[Omnium]

You are probably wondering if this guy will ever be finished.

 

So, all of a sudden, the power on the ship turns off. It was like you could hear each part of the electrical system turning off one by one. We are in our room, and it is in total darkness. You could not even hear or feel the vibrations of the engines. Are we adrift at sea? Time to man the lifeboats? We open the door and the lights in the hall are on full blast. Our door key still works. I went to the balcony, and you can see that the ship is still moving. Maybe things are not that bad after all! Jane says that she guesses the captain will not be at the party tonight.

 

After aboout 20 minutes or so, the power comes back on. In a little while, so will the AC. We stroll to the party, figuring that no one will be there, but it is in full swing. Greeted by James Deering and personable Michelle, we stumble upon an open bar. Open and full. Pouring the good stuff. I thought the party was for suite holders, but to my delight, our fellow CC'rs were also there. Had a long talk with James. We are now on a first name basis. A wonderful party and thanks to HAL for inviting me. The captain was a no-show, but we forgive him.

 

Dinner was interesting to say the least. Prime Rib night. On a scale of 1-10, 10 being prime rib and one being something else, it was a 3. The most interesting thing was the potato. A baked potato was advertised, but what was served was a sort of stuffed potato. The half of potato was pincushioned with several green beans, carrots and broccoli. It looked like something that your pre-K class would serve at grandparents day. Weird. The chef gets no props for presentation. One of our tablemates asked if it was Mr. Potato Head. As a great comedian says, " now I don't care who you are, that's funny!" (Larry the Cable Guy). We then decorated each of ours. What else could you do? You certainly would not want to eat it! Dinner score: 1-3.

 

OK, now after dinner we went to see Bob Cates, the Juggler. I bull you not people; he is amazing. This was the best show I have ever seen on a ship and practically anywhere else. Worth the price of the whole trip! He out Cirqued the Cirque du Soleil. Breathtaking. I ran into him a couple of times in the computer room, and he is also a very nice man.

 

Day 4 tomorrow. Mazatlan, breakfast burritos, and we are having some fun now!

 

Best,

 

Kerry

[mfeenker]

Kerry,

I am enjoying your review very much, as I leave tomorrow for San Diego to meet up with 255 singles for the 20 Jan sailing. Looking forward to the next installment before I leave.

[CPeters40]

You are probably wondering if this guy will ever be finished.

 

So, all of a sudden, the power on the ship turns off. It was like you could hear each part of the electrical system turning off one by one. We are in our room, and it is in total darkness. You could not even hear or feel the vibrations of the engines. Are we adrift at sea? Time to man the lifeboats? We open the door and the lights in the hall are on full blast. Our door key still works. I went to the balcony, and you can see that the ship is still moving. Maybe things are not that bad after all! Jane says that she guesses the captain will not be at the party tonight.

 

After aboout 20 minutes or so, the power comes back on. In a little while, so will the AC. We stroll to the party, figuring that no one will be there, but it is in full swing. Greeted by James Deering and personable Michelle, we stumble upon an open bar. Open and full. Pouring the good stuff. I thought the party was for suite holders, but to my delight, our fellow CC'rs were also there. Had a long talk with James. We are now on a first name basis. A wonderful party and thanks to HAL for inviting me. The captain was a no-show, but we forgive him.

 

Dinner was interesting to say the least. Prime Rib night. On a scale of 1-10, 10 being prime rib and one being something else, it was a 3. The most interesting thing was the potato. A baked potato was advertised, but what was served was a sort of stuffed potato. The half of potato was pincushioned with several green beans, carrots and broccoli. It looked like something that your pre-K class would serve at grandparents day. Weird. The chef gets no props for presentation. One of our tablemates asked if it was Mr. Potato Head. As a great comedian says, " now I don't care who you are, that's funny!" (Larry the Cable Guy). We then decorated each of ours. What else could you do? You certainly would not want to eat it! Dinner score: 1-3.

 

OK, now after dinner we went to see Bob Cates, the Juggler. I bull you not people; he is amazing. This was the best show I have ever seen on a ship and practically anywhere else. Worth the price of the whole trip! He out Cirqued the Cirque du Soleil. Breathtaking. I ran into him a couple of times in the computer room, and he is also a very nice man.

 

Day 4 tomorrow. Mazatlan, breakfast burritos, and we are having some fun now!

 

Best,

 

Kerry

 

Hi Kerry,

I believe we met the Captain at the reception--we went right away, when the electricity went out. Why stay in the room with no electricity?

Anyway, there was a very nice gentleman next to Michelle and Mr Deering, when we arrived, dressed in those whites--I believe it was the Captain. We were pretty much the first to arrive. Maybe he left before you got there. I know we just stayed for one drink, and then left for dinner, and I can't even remember what we had that night, but it wasn't the prime rib. Really enjoying reading your log!

Chris (still very cold and overcast today in Iowa)

[Omnium]

Hi Kerry,

I believe we met the Captain at the reception--we went right away, when the electricity went out. Why stay in the room with no electricity?

Anyway, there was a very nice gentleman next to Michelle and Mr Deering, when we arrived, dressed in those whites--I believe it was the Captain. We were pretty much the first to arrive. Maybe he left before you got there. I know we just stayed for one drink, and then left for dinner, and I can't even remember what we had that night, but it wasn't the prime rib. Really enjoying reading your log!

Chris (still very cold and overcast today in Iowa)

 

Hi Chris,

 

It is still cold in Hunt. Beach. Low 30's at night. I am chilled down to my very soul! We didn't leave the room for fear of what may happen. I did not want to be lost on the ship in case all power went out. I case that would not happen with all the backups they have.

 

Kerry

[lougee1043]

 

It is still cold in Hunt. Beach. Low 30's at night. I am chilled down to my very soul!

 

we havent left the house since monday -- we live on a hill and its tough getting down- the severity of the snow storm caught portland by surprise- jan cancelled her class start for the entire week

[lougee1043]

cold here in portland too---------severtiy of the snow caught everyone by surprise- havent left the house since monday

[Omnium]

Time for a little housekeeping. Here are a few things I have not commented on:

 

Desserts: The desserts were fair. My wife says that they are close to being great, but were not. They needed more sugar. We were all in agreement on that. The famed cookies I have read so much about were awful. Dry as a bone. No person would do a "Got Milk" commercial if this is what they had to eat first. As chocolate chip goes, these are a no-go.

 

Wine: Scored on this one! We brought our own this time. Madame loves to have her evening wine and I get crabby paying all that money for a glass half-full. Plus, Charles Shaw is good enough for her. We brought 8 bottles in a wine carrier. Some were brought to dinner where we were charged $15.00 for corkage. The O does have some bottles as low as $17.00. Overall, they have a very small and unimpressive wine list. A ship that large should be able to handle a few extra bottles. We also carried on a 6-pack of Diet Coke. Thanks to all the CC posters for inspiring me to do this.

 

Wine Card: I also bought a wine card from HAL on-line. 20 glasses for $78.00. $3.90 a glass. Deal! I figure that HAL will owe me after this cruise with all that I will save on wine. I should come out in the black. Trouble is, no one on the ship knew anything about it. I inquired about it at our opening night party to James Deering and Louise. They knew nothing either. HAL was very eager to take our money for it. I was quickly given a credit for the card. Apparently, it is ready on some ships, but not the "O".

 

Martinis: Much better on X ships. They even put alchohol in theirs. The Martini Bar (Olive Pit) had about two different versions. It was no different than any other bar on the ship. On Celebrity, the shake it up for you and make a production of it. (unless you want yours stirred).

 

General attitude of all staff: Superb. Helpful, friendly, courteous. Always.

 

Kerry