tomc Posted October 21, 2004 #1 Share Posted October 21, 2004 We left NYC at the scheduled departure time of 8:00pm. HAL faxed our TA to note the later sailing, as a press event would be taking place. Check-in was the quickest and smoothest I've ever experienced. We were ushered to the Lido, as our cabins were not ready, but we had hardly reached the buffet line when we were allowed to move in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orcrone Posted October 21, 2004 #2 Share Posted October 21, 2004 Thanks for reporting in. Hope you have a great cruise.:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sail7seas Posted October 21, 2004 #3 Share Posted October 21, 2004 Happy to hear you are safely aboard. Have a great time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ziggy7 Posted October 21, 2004 #4 Share Posted October 21, 2004 Hey Tom !! Good to hear from you :) We watched the celebration in the big Lounge on the web, we were looking for you, did you get any of that champange ????? :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill S Posted October 21, 2004 #5 Share Posted October 21, 2004 Bon voyage, Tom! Hope you have a great cruise and looking forward to your on-scene reports! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sage Posted October 21, 2004 #6 Share Posted October 21, 2004 Tom, thanks for posting from the Rotterdam, one of my favorite ships. I hope that you have a wonderful cruise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debblue Posted October 21, 2004 #7 Share Posted October 21, 2004 bill have a great time its a beautiful ship and a great crew one of the best enjoy your cruise, and if possible keep us posted happy sailing. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doone Posted October 21, 2004 #8 Share Posted October 21, 2004 Tomc have a wonderful cruise on the beautiful Rotterdam. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LizB1 Posted October 21, 2004 #9 Share Posted October 21, 2004 Thanks for posting Tom. Hope you have a great relaxing cruise. Keep us posted when you have a chance. Love to hear directly from folks while they are sailing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuthC Posted October 21, 2004 #10 Share Posted October 21, 2004 We're all looking forward to your unique observations again, I'm sure. Do you see any damage left from the power failure in that trans-Atlantic storm? Here's to a relaxing vacation for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruisinNana Posted October 21, 2004 #11 Share Posted October 21, 2004 Have a wonderful vacation with smooth seas and just a little rocking at night to put you to sleep on those wonderful new mattresses and Oh So Soft sheets! Dee :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzsea Posted October 21, 2004 #12 Share Posted October 21, 2004 We had trouble with the webcast and only saw parts of it. Hope you are enjoying my wonderful Rotterdam. Wonder who got upgraded to my category "A" mini suite? How's the weather? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
localady Posted October 21, 2004 #13 Share Posted October 21, 2004 Tom C- Looking forward to reports of the Rotterdam and your impressions of her! Safe seas and blue skies!!:D :cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlorenceItaly Posted October 21, 2004 #14 Share Posted October 21, 2004 It's great to hear from you. Have a wonderful week, and I look forward to your live updates :). Marie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomc Posted October 21, 2004 Author #15 Share Posted October 21, 2004 At lunch yesterday, I was seated with two ladies; one pointed out the George Washington Bridge, identified it as the Verrazzano Narrows Bridge and said she spent 30 years working in a building right under it, saw it being built. Remind me not to ask her for directions when in NYC. There was a basket of fruit in my room (2547), as in the old days. On my last two or three trips, it was not there but available on request. The music onboard, so far, as been age appropriate: The American Standards Songbook. Sinatra, vintage recordings of other artists. This is in all the public rooms. By the two pools, it's been more like "Soft Rock 101.5 Non Repeat! Latest Hits! More Music on 101-Five!" At least the volume is down. They do the same thing at night in the Lido before the buffet. Speaking of the Lido, the spaghetti in the pasta bar is excellent! Partially cooked, it is then fully cooked in front of you with sauce added. I'd have to say I've probably not had anything like it. Speaking of food, at least the first night out, I thought it was quite good. Lady to my right sent hers back because of the sauce (she is not a sauce person), but failed to read the menu where it clearly states you can order it without sauce ("Note: If you don't want sauce, SAY SO! Don't order and then have your waiter bring it back. That's a freakin' insult to us in the kitchen, hey? Got it? Then get it!") Well, actually that's a paraphrase. I think it actually says, "All dishes may be ordered without sauces," but you know that's what they really mean. The lady to my left said the waiter got her drink order wrong, which he might have, but she was a little snappy when he brought the right one back; I would have poured it on her head. "Happy now, ma'am?" Speaking of dining rooms: The service is good and I see no problems with staffing. Again, that's based on only one meal's experience. By next week, we may be going into the kitchen ourselves to get extra vegetables and the dessert tray. You just never know. Seas this morning are a bit rough. Not really bad at all --no pianos are flying around the rooms-- but the midwesterners are lining up for the motion sickness patches. I think they better get directions. Wouldn't it be just a scream if they accidentally put their birth control patches behind their ears, and their motion sickness pills "below the waterline"? And to think that they took this cruise to get away from the kids! No meatloaf sighted so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlorenceItaly Posted October 21, 2004 #16 Share Posted October 21, 2004 to order the meatloaf until your very last night in the dining room, LOL,LOL. Keep the live updates coming :). Marie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orcrone Posted October 21, 2004 #17 Share Posted October 21, 2004 Tom, Love hearing about cruises while underway. As opposed to a review, it feels more like you're living it. Of course, I'd rather be cruising and telling you how it feels.:D Just an observation about the G. Washington, Verrazano Narrows bridge question. From NYC the ship would head south, underneath the Verrazano Narrows bridge, though NY harbor and out to sea. Northbound would take it under the G. Washington and up the Hudson River. I grew up about 4 miles from the Verrazano Bridge and watched it being built. It was actually 40 years ago, as it was opened in 1964. When it was first opened my family drove across it just for the fun of it. It's now about an $8.00 round-trip toll. Don't think we'd do that again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DFD1 Posted October 21, 2004 #18 Share Posted October 21, 2004 Thanks, tomc; Your reviews are a hoot and fun to read. Hope you find the time to keep them coming. Have a great cruise. Wish we were there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ekerr19 Posted October 21, 2004 #19 Share Posted October 21, 2004 Hey tomc! Glad to hear all is well so far - keep us posted. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elmorejj Posted October 21, 2004 #20 Share Posted October 21, 2004 Thanks Tom for posting. Your wonderful wit is, as always, great to read. ;) Have a cuppa on the lido for me....jean :cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ziggy7 Posted October 21, 2004 #21 Share Posted October 21, 2004 At lunch yesterday, I was seated with two ladies; one pointed out the George Washington Bridge, identified it as the Verrazzano Narrows Bridge and said she spent 30 years working in a building right under it, saw it being built. Remind me not to ask her for directions when in NYC. There was a basket of fruit in my room (2547), as in the old days. On my last two or three trips, it was not there but available on request. The music onboard, so far, as been age appropriate: The American Standards Songbook. Sinatra, vintage recordings of other artists. This is in all the public rooms. By the two pools, it's been more like "Soft Rock 101.5 Non Repeat! Latest Hits! More Music on 101-Five!" At least the volume is down. They do the same thing at night in the Lido before the buffet. Speaking of the Lido, the spaghetti in the pasta bar is excellent! Partially cooked, it is then fully cooked in front of you with sauce added. I'd have to say I've probably not had anything like it. Speaking of food, at least the first night out, I thought it was quite good. Lady to my right sent hers back because of the sauce (she is not a sauce person), but failed to read the menu where it clearly states you can order it without sauce ("Note: If you don't want sauce, SAY SO! Don't order and then have your waiter bring it back. That's a freakin' insult to us in the kitchen, hey? Got it? Then get it!") Well, actually that's a paraphrase. I think it actually says, "All dishes may be ordered without sauces," but you know that's what they really mean. The lady to my left said the waiter got her drink order wrong, which he might have, but she was a little snappy when he brought the right one back; I would have poured it on her head. "Happy now, ma'am?" Speaking of dining rooms: The service is good and I see no problems with staffing. Again, that's based on only one meal's experience. By next week, we may be going into the kitchen ourselves to get extra vegetables and the dessert tray. You just never know. Seas this morning are a bit rough. Not really bad at all --no pianos are flying around the rooms-- but the midwesterners are lining up for the motion sickness patches. I think they better get directions. Wouldn't it be just a scream if they accidentally put their birth control patches behind their ears, and their motion sickness pills "below the waterline"? And to think that they took this cruise to get away from the kids! No meatloaf sighted so far. Thanks for the good laugh this morning :) Glad your having a good time :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobpatj Posted October 21, 2004 #22 Share Posted October 21, 2004 It's so nice to read your posts from my favorite ship. Have you noticed anything that might still be damaged? Any conversations with staff about their experiences or maybe they just want to forget it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomc Posted October 22, 2004 Author #23 Share Posted October 22, 2004 I don't really go fishing around the crew for info, but the general drift I get is that they'd just as soon forget the "storm" incident and get on with their lives. The ship looks lovely as ever and one person said they put a lot of work into fixing it up overnight after the incident so that it would look pretty much the same as usual the next morning. We're in fairly good seas now, probably off Boston, or maybe southwest of Boston. The ship has been pitching fore and aft, stem to stern, front to back, or you-know-what to teakettle all day. There is a noticeable creaking near the front of the ship; I guess that's just an expansion joint. At least, I hope that's all it is. Never heard it before. I'm thinking of having my cabin moved to the aft part because, as we all know from Titanic, that's the part that stayed afloat longest after the ship broke in two. So, I figure I have a better chance of survival when this thing wrenches itself in two. Also, the dining room is in the back and I can stuff myself while waiting for the inevitable. I just have to find a cute chick to share a piece of floatsam & jetsam and, no offense to the HAL clientele, finding anybody under 60 on this ship is gonna be a good trick. Note to the queasy: I saw a dispenser of barf bags on the railing just outside the Lido deck elevator, where you ring. Probably the only thing on the ship that does not have the HAL logo. Rumor Control To The Rescue: I was told quite authoritatively by a passenger that the Rotterdam just came out of a 2-week drydock in Bayonne NJ, following severe damage caused by the hurricane incident. Not only that, but we were late sailing by four hours because it just arrived at the pax ship terminal from Bayonne. I said, "I really don't think so; I know we were scheduled for a late departure because of a media event and I'm sure I would have heard that the Rotterdam had been in drydock for two weeks, especially if it were in Bayonne." He said to check with any crew member, as his source said it was great, having two weeks with nothing to do. I think I know the crew source and I, personally, think that source is an idiot; I've sailed with him before. I asked the crew how the last couple of trips have been and they said, "Fine; we've been doing NE/C." Any delays due to the hurricane? "No; just had to clean up the ship, but we kept on schedule." The ship's map, where the colored lights show our itinerary, has several glaring mistakes. "New Bredford" for New Bedford. "Nova Socotia" for Nova Scotia. The ship cost $315 million to build; for another $1.25, they could have bought a roadmap that would have given them the correct spellings of those cities' names. Gerry Valero (hope I have that right) is in the piano bar and he is very good. He's doing age-appropriate music and puts the songs across quite well. Gerry told me that his "book" is 70's onward and, when he joined the ship in June, he realized that he'd have to learn a lot of older pieces. I think he's done a good job. He recorded rhythm and bass accompaniment and plays the piano to it, sings along as appropriate for what the audience seems to want. That's it from the rocky Atlantic, where you can get drunk, stagger and get away with it because even the teetotalers are banging into walls tonight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dakrewser Posted October 22, 2004 #24 Share Posted October 22, 2004 Rumor Control To The Rescue: I was told quite authoritatively by a passenger that the Rotterdam just came out of a 2-week drydock in Bayonne NJ, following severe damage caused by the hurricane incident. Not only that, but we were late sailing by four hours because it just arrived at the pax ship terminal from Bayonne. How could you doubt? The passenger got it from a crew member, and they never bend the truth, do they?:rolleyes: If the seas are rough, a bit of brandy after dinner will help settle your tummy. I can recommend the Remy Martin VSOP in the lounge, or the XO if you're feeling like a splurge (or feel so bad you don't think you'll survive to the end of the cruise, so they won't be able to change you!) -dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
localady Posted October 22, 2004 #25 Share Posted October 22, 2004 That's it from the rocky Atlantic, where you can get drunk, stagger and get away with it because even the teetotalers are banging into walls tonight. ROFL:D -I would think that getting drunk when the ship is rolling would be like a double whammy, or. then again, maybe it's the drunk ones who appear to be walking straight?:p I hope there is a bit less rocking and rolling when you awaken tomorrow!!!!!:D Safe seas and blue skies!:cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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