Slinkie & Grumpy Live from Prinsendam Mar 09

[SweetpeaOne]

I am really glad you were able to go on this cruise. Grumpy needs to get better every day. I have enjoyed reading your reviews in the past and was very happy to see this one get started. Your reviews are the best I have read...

[Copper10-8]

Awesome stuff, Grumpy! Really enjoying it! Happy 79th Anniversary!;)

[jhannah]

Speaking of old traditions that have disappeared, Grumpy is glad to report that there is one he won’t miss at all. Park West is not on the ship, cluttering the Ocean Bar and adjacent hallways with endless displays of art to be auctioned. There was a brief announcement at the start of the cruise that Park West would not be on board but nothing was said about whether this is a permanent situation or whether there will be another company taking their place.

Oh, could we get so lucky??? That's one change I'd LOVE to see.

[ger_77]

Happy belated 79'th Anniversary!!!!! I love your idea of celebrating an anniversary every month; I'd forgotten your ritual, but I love it.

Smooth Sailing! :):):)

[cle1]

Will the Prinsendam really be doing away with trays in the Lido by May 1? We were on the Prinsendam in Nov. and will board again Apr.30. Wonderful ship and crew! So glad to read about your cruise...very enjoyable....thanks for the posts......Carol

[LindyLou2]

Oh my gosh, counting that way means we're about to celebrate our 547th Anniversary! I think at this point we'll definitely stay with years! :D Your cruise sounds great, and I love the humor both of you inject into your posts! :)

 

Until next time,

Linda

[HeatherInFlorida]

Have to post to mark my place!!!:)

 

Hi, Grumpy & Slinkie ... so good to have you posting your tales from the sea. After all you've been through these last months, there's nothing better than a cruise on the Prinsendam to remind you why you worked so hard to make it on board. I'm so envious I literally have 4 friends in the middle of the Atlantic right now!

 

I'm so looking forward to the rest of your cruise!

[mariner]

Grumpy,

 

What, no Riverdance on St. Paddy's Day?

 

Enjoy the voyage.

[halcruiser]

Grumpy & Slinky, so happy to hear you were able to make this cruise. I am anxious to hear about all your adventures coming up and also about all the friends and crew we shared on the 2008 Grand South America. We will be sailing on the Prinsendam in June from Amsterdam. I knew Slinky was a good nurse. Take care of yourselves.

Marion

[SacDr]

We were on the Grand SA '09 and we benefitted from your past postings. Thank you so much. We are booked for next years Grand

Med so will really watch for your postings.

Hope your injuries continue to heal.

Sacdr

Sue and Ben

[jig]

Hi,

 

I have read your posts from your world cruise several years ago. Weare going on the June 12 Eurodam as I think you are too. I was on the Princendam in Sept 2002 from Lisbon to Cape Town. And Feb 2003 Aucland to Singapore, where I met my girlfriend. Hope to one day be back on the ship. Till then will read your posts. Maybe we will meet on the Eurodam. I have been to Many of the places that you are going. Hit my 100th country last Dec in Peru on the Amsterdam

 

Jeffrey

[SacDr]

Boy, are we glad that you are on this cruise. Now we will know what to do next year when we take the same cruise. We have learned so much from you, two.

We have friends who are on your cruise who are in cabin 381, names, Carla and John Cribbs. Carla and I attend high school in Tennessee.

Hope you run into them and explain to them about the thread.

Cheers, Sue and Ben

[KathieKata]

Yippee........I found where you're posting!!

Have a GRAND trip Grumpy and SlinkieCat!!

Looking forward to reading all about it here!

"Grumpy" be very careful not to OVER DUE the sight-seeing on this cruise. Take it slow with that walker.:D

[bepsf]

SNG--

 

Glad you're having a swell time aboard Prinsendam - Looking forward to hearing more about this Grand Voyage!

 

Ding-Dong, ParkWest is Gone

;)

[DFD1]

Glad to hear from you... from way, way out at sea. Great fun to read. Hope you're both feeling fit and having a great time.

 

I understand Park West is leaving, or is being thrown off, HAL ships for the forseeable future. It may be gradual, but apparantly the exit is underway.

 

Stay safe and keep us posted.

[Grumpy1]

[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]Thursday, March 19, Day 9, At Sea[/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]Slinkie and Grumpy have this sea day routine down pretty good… wake up when the sun streams through the windows, enjoy a leisurely breakfast on the Lido aft deck, pick up the daily Sudoku puzzle, check to see what’s new in the jewelry shop, check the program to see if there are any lectures of interest or previous ones to catch on TV… change the clocks at noon… Oh yeah, one other part of Grumpy’s routine… think about writing something for the thread… don’t actually write anything, just think about it… in other words… Grumpy is really getting LAZY![/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]The seas have been very calm and Prinsendam is clipping along at close to 20 knots. Grumpy’s GPS says that the ship is now slightly ahead of schedule for arrival in Tenerife. Captain Gundersen would like to build a little more cushion time in case the seas get rougher. [/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]Tonight was the first informal night (yes, there are still nights designated as informal mixed in among the resort casual and formal nights. There was an invitation for Slinkie and Grumpy to join the captain and Hotel Manager for cocktails in the Crow’s Nest. Approximately half of the passengers must have received the same invitation as the Crow’s Nest quickly became very crowded. Captain Gundersen mentioned that his lovely wife, Lisa, and daughter, Isabelle, will be coming on board in Barcelona and will depart in Piraeus. Slinkie and Grumpy last saw them in 2005. Isabelle will be coming home to her extended family of 400 aunts and uncles (the crew) and 620 Grandparents.[/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]Speaking of family, Copper John, Grumpy delivered your message to the Captain. He said he remembers you and commented that we are all one big family.[/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]Captain Gundersen also mentioned that Captain Albert will be coming on board in Barcelona to get a little practice on docking before taking command of Prinsendam on May 1. Although Prinsendam is quite a bit smaller than Veendam, docking can sometimes be more challenging since there are no stern thrusters. Captain Gundersen mentioned that those that know Captain Albert will see him out and about the ship but he would not be in uniform… only one captain at a time. Grumpy has never sailed Veendam so hasn’t had the pleasure of meeting Captain Albert. He has read his blog, though and finds it quite interesting.[/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]Friday, March 20, Day 10, At Sea[/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]Different day, same routine… Today is the first day of spring but Grumpy didn’t see any crocuses or daffodils pushing up through the snow. No robins in sight either. Just water and sky….[/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]Saturday, March 21, Day 11, At Sea[/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]One more sea day before the Canary Islands. Grumpy actually started to write, got part way through Thursday, day 9, before deciding that he had other things to do. Frank had an interesting talk about the Canary Islands. After that, Grumpy just got lazy again and didn’t get back to the thread.[/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]After dinner Slinkie and Grumpy wandered up to the Crows Nest. Buddy was at the piano as usual and had just finished a “name that tune” contest. A bit later, Grumpy noticed Buddy staring intently ahead and to the port side. “There’s a light out there!” he exclaimed. Sure enough, Prinsendam was approaching the most southwest of the Canary Islands. The Atlantic Crossing phase of the cruise was about to end. Slinkie and Grumpy are looking forward to their first visit to the Canary Islands.[/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]Sunday, March 22, Day 12, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands[/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]Captain Gundersen docked on schedule and the mad dash to get off the ship was underway. It was a Sunday so there weren’t a lot of stores open. Costa Serena came in right behind Prinsendam. Slinkie and Grumpy had a tour into the wine country scheduled. The first stop was a museum in the town of La LaGuna. The tour wasn’t quite as described in the brochure, though. What was described as a “walk to the church, market, Cathedral and along Cale San Augustine to see rows of beautiful balconies and convents” turned out to be a walk across the town square and down the street to a museum. The museum was interesting and fortunately did have an elevator as all of the displays were on the second floor. The tour guide led the group back to the bus stop but the bus wasn’t there yet. The guide then offered to lead those that were interested on a walk to the cathedral. Grumpy decided to sit that one out, along with about half of the other tour participants. Once the group returned, the group boarded the bus and headed for Tacoronte, the major wine producing region of the island.[/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]The bus stopped at Bodega Alvero to sample their wines and enjoy an aperitif. There was a movie about the wine making and then the group went into the tasting room/cellar. The walls were lined with floor to ceiling shelves holding thousands of dusty old bottles of wine… well, probably vinegar by now… many with the labels peeling off. There were quite a few barrels holding wines from a few weeks old to several years old. The older ones were all Muscatel. The tables were set up buffet style and there were several bottles of young red, white, rose and muscatel were opened and trays of tall slender glasses were set out. The staff brought out trays with small slices of bread with several different toppings. There were three different cheeses, ham, prosciutto and salami along with a dipping sauce and crackers. There was no limit on the amount of wine or treats that one could consume. Unfortunately, the wines were not at all remarkable. The sandwich treats were better. On the way out Grumpy say the wines they had sampled on the table for sale. Even at the low price of 4 or 5 Euro, they still did not seduce Grumpy into buying any.[/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]After the winery tour, the bus continued on to the La Barunda wine museum in El Sauzel. The museum tour was interesting enough. There were several areas with a few steps up or down that Grumpy had to negotiate with his walker but it wasn’t too difficult. After touring the museum the tour returned to the ship.[/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]There was a shuttle bus available (no charge) from the ship to the edge of the business district outside the port. On the way out in the morning, Slinkie and Grumpy had seen tents and stalls of a flea market in that area. It was after 2:00pm when they got into town and found that the market had disappeared and very few stores were open. There were electronic/camera stores open and places selling watches and sunglasses but little else. Slinkie and Grumpy wandered around for a bit and then returned to the ship. Sailaway was changed from 4:30 to 5:30 and was actually a little later than that. Costa Serena left just before Prinsendam. [/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]Tenerife has a lot of nice scenery and has the tallest mountain in Spain, Mt. Teide. Yes, Tenerife and the Canary islands are a part of Spain even if they are off the coast of Africa and several hundred miles from the Spanish Mainland. There are arid deserts, lush banana plantations and beautiful beaches. There are lovely botanical gardens and a parrot park with over 300 species of parrots. Something for everyone…[/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]Monday, March 23, Day 13, Arrecife, Lanzarote, Canary Islands[/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]Prinsendam had the island to herself as there were no other cruise ships in port. Slinkie and Grumpy had another… would you believe… wine tour. They had breakfast and were off the ship by 8:30 or so. CD Thom asked Grumpy what tour he was on. Grumpy replied that he was signed up for the wine chugging tour. Thom said he didn’t recall a tour that was described in those terms. It turns out that Thom was right. Although the tour visited two different wineries, the tasting was limited to making a choice between a small sample of a dry white OR a young red OR a semisweet at each. Having a guide that spoke very good English and that was very good at explaining the unique agricultural practices that were observed made it a very good tour.[/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]Lanzarote is a young island, geologically speaking, and the last eruption, several hundred years ago, lasted six years. A quarter of the island was buried in volcanic ash. As people returned and considered scraping away the ash to recover their farmlands, they discovered that the ash was trapping moisture and the underlying soil was very damp. The developed a very unique way of planting grapes and other plants. Volcanic rocks were piled in a semicircle, open to the north. A hole was scooped in the center and a vine was planted. The stone wall protected the vine from the strong winds coming from the south and trapped the evening sea breezes that were laden with moisture coming from the north. A typical ash coated hillside looks like a donkey with 20 foot hooves had wandered all over the hillside. In each hoof print grows a grapevine. All labor is done by hand as it would be difficult to move machinery around among the semicircles. This method of farming is recognized by UNESCO as being unique in the world of vineyards.[/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]There is a more modern variation where there are long straight walls going east-west with fingers pointing north. The vines are planted in the 3 sided boxes. There is enough space between the rows to move machinery on the south side of the walls. Still another variation, where the vines can get roots deeper into the underlying soil, has the vines planted in a row parallel to a windbreak wall.[/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]The white wine that Slinkie and Grumpy sampled was good enough that two bottles were purchased for 6.7 Euro each. They found the Lanzarote wines to be much more full bodied and aromatic than the Tenerife wines.[/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]Throughout the tour the guide pointed out examples of the architecture and art of Cesar Manrique, a native of the island that was persuaded to return after achieving some degree of fame abroad. It appears that Gaudi inspired much of his work. The last stop on the tour was a large Manrigue sculpture made of recycled metal. Impressive in size, but Grumpy had a hard time figuring out the Dog, the Goat and the Camel that are the defining figures in the sculpture.[/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]OK, you may have noticed that Grumpy hasn’t mentioned the Canaries. That’s because there aren’t any. The Canary Islands are named for the Canarias or Canines… wild dogs that were once prevalent on the islands and were somewhat akin to a greyhound. Grumpy didn’t see any of those either. After returning to the ship, Slinkie and Grumpy headed to the Lido for lunch.[/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]Fueled and rested, Slinkie and Grumpy took the free shuttle to town. It was a pretty good walk from the bus stop, around a large lagoon to the shopping area. Some of the stores were closed for afternoon Siesta but there were a few stores that remained open including the pharmacy and grocery store. Oh, the women’s lingerie shop was open too… Slinkie and Grumpy sat across the street for a short rest but Grumpy didn’t observe any of the Prinsendam ladies entering the store. Slinkie and Grumpy picked up a few items in the grocery store and wandered through a few souvenir shops. Grumpy saw Slinkie and her friend Connie observing a rather explicit figurine of the Spanish version of the Greek god Priapus and giggling… he was still in his display case when they left though… [/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]Although there was one shop that had a fairly decent display of Peridot jewelry , it didn’t entice Slinkie to make a purchase. The tour tail gunner was Kelly from the ship jewelry shop. She examined several pieces but said she was not impressed with the color. Slinkie says she isn’t impressed with the color of the Peridot offerings in the ship shop either.[/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]There was a local folkloric dance group on board to perform for the passengers. Slinkie and Grumpy didn’t see them, but reviews by other passengers were mixed. After they left, the Prinsendam cast off and headed for the Rock of Gibralter, about 600 miles away. Slinkie and Grumpy joined buddy in the Crow’s Nest for a while before turning in. There was another time change but this one occurred in the middle of the night instead of high noon. [/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]RuthC, Grumpy doesn’t like the idea of half hour changes twice a day. Either noon or night, just do it and get it over with.[/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]Tuesday, March 24, Day 14, At Sea[/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]Slinkie and Grumpy awoke bright and early at 7:30am… Ooops, with the time change it was already 8:30. By the time they finished breakfast it was almost time for another CruiseCritic meeting. There were about 30 in attendance. The event was billed as “sharing your experiences on the cruise.” Somehow, it degenerated into the CruiseCritic version of “best joke/ worst joke”. There wasn’t much original material but some were good. A few were real groaners… There was also a talk by one of the CruiseCritic members on senior issues, primarily Medicare. Of course, by the time any of this group get to be seniors, they will have forgotten all of the information… or the rules will have changed… again. It’s always good to get together with the CruiseCritic group, though. Bra1nchild is planning a few more over the course of the cruise. His efforts are much appreciated.[/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]Tonight is another formal night. The cruise will be very port intensive for a while but Grumpy will try not to shirk his responsibilities… Why does that last statement conjure up a picture of Buddy in the Crow’s Nest belting out “Call me Irresponsible…”?[/SIZE][/FONT]

[KathieKata]

[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][COLOR=red]Grumpy: Thanks for another wonderful UPDATE. Hope you're getting around okay with and without the "walker". Take is easy........it's a long cruise!! ;)[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[jtl513]

[quote name='RuthC'][FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][COLOR=royalblue]It's great that the "resetting of the clocks" hasn't been restricted to sleeping hours! :)I bet that some folks are disappointed to lose some daytime, though[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][COLOR=#4169e1]. [/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][/quote][B]I'll bet the crew loves not losing an hour's sleep four times!

But if you have an activity that runs from 11:00a to 12:00n and another at 1:00p, you don't get to eat lunch though! [/B]

[RuthC]

[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][COLOR=royalblue]Loved reading your report, Grumpy. I paid particular attention as I'll be in the Canary Islands for the first time next cruise. :) [/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][COLOR=#4169e1]Glad to read that Buddy is back aboard---and as sharp as ever. He has a very good eye for spotting things out at sea. [/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[arzz]

Thank you so much for taking the time to share -- I enjoy a virtual cruise almost as much as a real cruise -- well not quite as much as a real cruise, but I do enjoy.

Glad you enjoyed your visit to Lanzarote -- a rather spectacular and unique island. Keep having a great cruise.

[Copper10-8]

[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][COLOR=navy]Have a great time in Barcelona and in the Med, Grumpy and Slinkie!:) They have a very nice "hop on, hop off" bus in Barca that will take you around all the sights of the city[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[Copper10-8]

[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][COLOR=navy]A pic of Prinsendam berthed at Santa Cruz de Tenerife three days ago on Sunday, 22 March 2009. [/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]
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[GarySuzy]

Grumpy and Slinkie,

Thanks for posting a live blog from the Prinsendam. We will be on her in December and can't wait. Reading your account of what is going on is making our wait easier to take.

Thanks

[KathieKata]

Fantastic picture of the ship Copper!! Thanks for sharing.

[Copper10-8]

[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][COLOR=navy]One more of Prinsendam at [/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][COLOR=#000080]Santa Cruz de Tenerife taken on Sunday, 22 MAR 09. Haven't heard from Grumpy and Slinkie for a while. Sure they're having a great time:)[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][COLOR=#000080][URL="http://boards.cruisecritic.com/"http://media.shipspotting.com/uploads/photos/rw/861828/Ship+Photo+PRINSENDAM.jpg""][IMG]http://media.shipspotting.com/uploads/thumbs/rw/861828_800/Ship+Photo+PRINSENDAM.jpg[/IMG][/URL][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]
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