RevNeal - LIVE from the Ryndam & Amsterdam

[innlady1]

Me three. :( I told him he couldn't take these cruises unless he had completed the pictures from the Noordam. See how well he listens to his other "mother". :rolleyes:

 

Greg...You might not listen to me...nor to Carol...but you really need to listen to your other mother, she's a very formidable lady...not to be taken lightly! ;)

[cant51]

Yes, I do know that one but I was actually asking about the "Adults Only" signs that you photographed on Noordam. Just wondering if those are spreading throughout the aft pool decks in the fleet.................but, it's really not that important in the grand scheme of things!

 

I also wanted to thank you, Rev, for taking us all along on two great Alaska cruises and a myriad of really awesome pics of that state! You mum can be proud of her son! Have a save journey home!

[/quot

 

He Copper,

 

(off topic) I will see a quick hello, from Rotterdam (Holland) hope you

doing well, Its fun for me to reed the review from the Rev, I still see the

cruise ships coming from my apartment in Rotterdam !!!

 

Groetjes van Rotterdam Holland Toos

[RevNeal]

I hope you gave a good evening in Victoria B.C, and have a safe trip home to Texas. What do you think of the new Terminal in Seattle?

 

Thanks. We didn't get off the ship in Victoria ... I've been here before and mother was feeling under the weather and wanted to be sure she was rested enough for traveling home tomorrow. I enjoyed the quiet ship, myself. :)

 

This was my first time in Seattle, and so I don't have anything to base an opinion on. :) I thought it was a nice set up, however the taxi dropped us off a LONG WAY AWAY from the terminal at the end of a covered walk way, and there were NO luggage guys to take our bags. NONE. So, I had to hook 'em all together and drag 'em all the way in and up to the scanners. Since I did my own longshormaning, I didn't tip. Why??? They just received our bags inside the building ... I was the one who had to tote them in from a long way out there.

 

Otherwise, it seems like a nice enough building.

[RevNeal]

Rev Neal, Thank you for taking us all along with you. Your photos are beautiful. Do you have any of the interior public areas of the Amsterdam (especially of the "Four Seasons" from the Niew Amsterdam of 1938)? We going on her in a month and your posts have whetted our appetites:)

 

I did my photographic tour of the ship tonight, but it was hard to do a good one because people were not turning in early, like they normally do on a last night. Still, I managed to get enough to put together a decent "ships tour" in my gallery for this ship. I'll have them up, along with lots of other photos, as the summer progresses.

[RevNeal]

Yes, I do know that one but I was actually asking about the "Adults Only" signs that you photographed on Noordam. Just wondering if those are spreading throughout the aft pool decks in the fleet.................but, it's really not that important in the grand scheme of things!

I also wanted to thank you, Rev, for taking us all along on two great Alaska cruises and a myriad of really awesome pics of that state! You mum can be proud of her son! Have a save journey home!

 

Sorry ... I tried to answer this one last night and got cut off before I could post. I'm ashore, now, and at SeaTac airport waiting for a 1:50 pm flight to DFW. For some reason, this airport isn't entirely stable. ;)

 

***

 

Regarding the signs out by the aft pool, no ... and I would doubt that such a restriction will spread much given that they don't really enforce it even on the Noordam, where the signs exist. Neither did they pay much attention to the altered signage on the Rydam ... youth and kids were still seen playing in that pool, even despite the cold weather. Indeed, on both the Ryndam and the Amsterdam such restrictions didn't seem to matter. There were not a lot of children aboard the Ryndam, but there were a few. There were far more (about 60, I was told by the SD) aboard the Amsterdam, and among them were quite a few youth ages 14 - 18. SEVERAL of those youth could be found, night after night, in a corner of the casino, playing slots. They would squeeze in behind adults, sit down, and start playing. Casino staff would come by and never stop them. since I'm not a cop (casino, dress code, or otherwise) I didn't say anything, however I did notice. And, I think it was with the parents complicity because one of the kids got a jackpot (about $400) and one of them ran to get Mom so she could sit at the machine and collect the cash from the attendant.

 

Thanks ... this has been a fun cruise. Originally I wasn't going to do a Thread report from either cruise, but then I changed my mind for the sake of my brother, several friends (like dear Ruth), several church members (who follow along on this board when I'm aboard ship). It's been fun, and it didn't cost all that much, either. Drafting posts off-line and getting online just long enough to upload photos and then post my posts saves quite a bit of money.

[RevNeal]

While in Sitka did you make it to the Bishop's House? It's a quick walk from the Russian Dancers, and very near the tender dock. It's worth a look-see.

Anyway, this has all been so nice, and yet over all too quickly. Safe journey home to you and your Mom.

 

No ... that will have to be on my next trip up. We had a limited amount of time in town ... after the Church we had 15 minutes to get back to the tenders before "last tender" ran. As it was, there were still passengers coming aboard a good 45 minutes later (some tours were late ending).

[RevNeal]

Ditto from me, too, Greg...I check weekly to see if you've posted your photos from the Good Nuts Cruise!

 

Me three. :( I told him he couldn't take these cruises unless he had completed the pictures from the Noordam. See how well he listens to his other "mother". :rolleyes:

 

Greg...You might not listen to me...nor to Carol...but you really need to listen to your other mother, she's a very formidable lady...not to be taken lightly! ;)

 

Yes, ladies, I'll do my best. I have them more or less selected, I just need to run them through a processor and get them up. I'll try to do them before I do the ones from this cruise. We're moving into the summer, now, with no big religious high-holy-days, so it should be do-able.

[innlady1]

Thanks! ;) :) :D :cool:

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Greg, I hope you and Mom have a safe flight home :) I have enjoyed your two weeks ;)

[RevNeal]

Greg, I hope you and Mom have a safe flight home :) I have enjoyed your two weeks ;)

 

LOL! Not half as much as WE have enjoyed them!!!! :D

Thanks, Lisa!

[Travelrd]

Rev Neal....

Could you please post your disembarkation experience? Were you late gatting off the ship due to non US passport holders not showing up when they were supposed to? Which type of transportation did you take to SeaTac? Was it easy?

[mamaofami]

Yes, ladies, I'll do my best. I have them more or less selected, I just need to run them through a processor and get them up. I'll try to do them before I do the ones from this cruise. We're moving into the summer, now, with no big religious high-holy-days, so it should be do-able.

 

Great, Greg. I can't wait to see those pictures.:D:D

[RuthC]

Originally I wasn't going to do a Thread report from either cruise, but then I changed my mind for the sake of my brother, several friends (like dear Ruth), several church members (who follow along on this board when I'm aboard ship).

Aw, shucks. You just made my day, Greg.

 

Your thread, and especially all the pictures, have been appreciated. Whenever I looked at those snow-covered mountains, or deep blue glaciers, my heart went pitty-pat. I want so much to go back again.

[Susie51]

Thank you for taking us on your cruise via your lovely pics. Hope you and your mom are safely home now. I appreciate the time and money you spend keeping us posted.

[RevNeal]

Could you please post your disembarkation experience? Were you late gatting off the ship due to non US passport holders not showing up when they were supposed to? Which type of transportation did you take to SeaTac? Was it easy?

 

I'm home safe and sound.

Disembarkation was, indeed, delayed due to non-US passport holders not showing up when called. Indeed, we were delayed nearly 40 minutes in beginning the process this morning, however from there it went quickly and we ended up disembarking the ship precisely at the projected time.

 

Mom and I had HAL transfer vouchers for a bus trip to SeaTac. It was very easy. We disembarked the ship, gathered our luggage, had a porter take us out to the bus, boarded, and road to the airport. EASY. A Taxi might have been just as easy and probably about the same price. As it was, it was nice knowing we would be taken care of by HAL all the way to the airport.

[Sleepladypalmdesert]

Wow..I have been following along....did 2 weeks really pass that quickly?

 

Sounds like a wonderful trip.

[Travelrd]

Rev Neal...

Thanks for your description of disembarkation. Glad everything worked good you. My flight leaves SeaTac at 11:45AM for Phoenix and HAL assured me I would have plenty of time to make that flight. Sounds like it should be ok.

 

Yes, where did the two weeks go? Seems like you were away for a long time and now that you're back home, it seems like it just flew by. But you have wonderful memories of two fabulous cruises with your mother and those wonderful pictures to remind you of this summer. Thanks again for all you postings and pictues.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Welcome Home Mom and Greg :)

Greg I have a couple of questions not that it will apply to the Westerdam. (Oh Yes while you were gone we booked the Westerdam and leave next Sunday :D Can we blame this one on you too? ;) )

Anyway my questions. What time were the shows on the Amsterdam? & Did they do the Master Chef's Dinner with the silly dancing? I am thinking that they are not doing that in Alaska.

[canadarocks]

Thanks so much for your excellent reviews and gorgeous photography!:D

 

Could you please tell me, on the Ryndam, what movies were shown?

[RevNeal]

Rev Neal...

Thanks for your description of disembarkation. Glad everything worked good you. My flight leaves SeaTac at 11:45AM for Phoenix and HAL assured me I would have plenty of time to make that flight. Sounds like it should be ok.

 

An 11:45 am flight should be ok. We were checked in, through security, and sitting down with a bit of coffee and I was signing onto the internet by 11 am, and our flight wasn't until 1:50 am. You shouldn't have a problem.

 

Yes, where did the two weeks go? Seems like you were away for a long time and now that you're back home, it seems like it just flew by. But you have wonderful memories of two fabulous cruises with your mother and those wonderful pictures to remind you of this summer. Thanks again for all you postings and pictues.

 

You're right, and you're welcome. :) It was a great, speedy 2 weeks. I'm exhausted, but feeling ok. I've got a lot to do -- one gets ready for a cruise with 2 weeks of hectic activity, and then recovers by spending another 2 weeks to "catch back up." That doesn't seem possible!!!!!

[RevNeal]

Welcome Home Mom and Greg :)

Greg I have a couple of questions not that it will apply to the Westerdam. (Oh Yes while you were gone we booked the Westerdam and leave next Sunday :D Can we blame this one on you too? ;) )

 

Lisa, you are a NAUGHTY girl! :D And I don't blame you a bit!!!!!

 

Anyway my questions. What time were the shows on the Amsterdam? & Did they do the Master Chef's Dinner with the silly dancing? I am thinking that they are not doing that in Alaska.

 

The shows on both the Ryndam and the Amsterdam tended to be 7 pm and 9 pm, which meant that if I wanted to see a show I had to go to the 7am showing BEFORE dinner and miss out on cocktail hour. :( I miss the socializing.

 

As for the Master Chef Disaster ... yes, the full treatment with the hats, the song and dance. On the Ryndam it was the evening of our last sea day; on the Amsterdam it wast day before ... evening we left Ketchikan to head to Victoria.

[Himself]

Perhaps the Master Chef Show is a good night to eat in the Lido. Glad you had a good trip on both ships and that you are home safe and sound. What was your sermon on this morning?

[RevNeal]

Perhaps the Master Chef Show is a good night to eat in the Lido. Glad you had a good trip on both ships and that you are home safe and sound. What was your sermon on this morning?

 

We ate in the Main Dining Room both cruises for the Master Chef Dinner Show because it was, effectively, the last night of the cruise and I loath "skipping out" on that evening. On the Ryndam it was the last night, and on the Amsterdam it was the second to the last night but there was NO 8 pm upper dining time on our last night ... yes, that's right, Mom and I had to eat Open Seating and were NOT happy. I'll detail more about that later because I don't want to ruin my Sunday with being mad about that.

 

Today my sermon was on the Ascension of the Lord. :)

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Greg, so on the Amsterdam they held this on Thursday. Was this also a Formal night? Which normally for this itinerary it is. If it was what a terrible way to ruin Formal Night.

 

Sorry I absolutely hate this Master Chef fiasco.

 

I don't want to say this too loud but I think HAL needs to fire Chef Rudi. All his specialties stink in my personal opinion and I always find things I enjoy eating on the HAL menu but this Master Chef dinner night is far more limited to my liking and especially Tom's liking. We had not planned to go to the Pinnacle for this cruise at least for dinner we were planning lunch Glacier Bay Day. But if there is a Chef's Dinner you can bet we will be at the Pinnacle. ;)

[RuthC]

I don't want to say this too loud but I think HAL needs to fire Chef Rudi. All his specialties stink in my personal opinion and I always find things I enjoy eating on the HAL menu but this Master Chef dinner night is far more limited to my liking and especially Tom's liking. We had not planned to go to the Pinnacle for this cruise at least for dinner we were planning lunch Glacier Bay Day. But if there is a Chef's Dinner you can bet we will be at the Pinnacle. ;)

Louder is better, Lisa. They need to hear you in Seattle, and obviously, that isn't happening yet. :rolleyes:

 

The last two cruises I have ordered from the "Always Available" menu several times. In the past there have been many, many long cruises where I have not once ordered from those selections.