The day began for us at different times. Kevin was awake at 5 and found the internet to be much better at that time for uploading notes and pictures. Janice slept until after 6. We both exercised and watched the sun rise.
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After we headed to breakfast and then joined friends by the pool. We played cornhole and enjoyed the beautiful view of the calm seas all morning. Around 1 we had a lunch before heading back to begin packing. The end is near! We are also ready to be home and to pick up Nela.
Here is picture of us headed East, on the North side of Cuba
We spent some time reading and the joined friends for a final dinner in the Pinnacle Grill.
The day began with a lazy and late start. Part of the reason we love sea days. To be honest, today will be slightly boring with little to report and that is fine in terms of R&R before the end of vacation.
We enjoyed some coffee before walking around the Promenade deck before getting ready and heading to breakfast. In the MDR we again asked to be seated a little bit away from other passengers. (Reminder we are only 25% of capacity). It seems wise to not sit in close proximity with others with none wearing masks when not necessary.
Eggs and corned beef hash
After breakfast we met friends up around the Lido pool and had a lazy morning reading and enjoying the breeze and the views.
Lunch was a salad for each of us. (For those who have not cruised, HAL has a great salad bar that is crew made where you direct what you want. There isn’t a restaurant on land that can compete with quality and options.) We split a small pizza as well.
The afternoon included more reading and relaxing. Janice went for swim, but Kevin decided the pool had cooled off a little much for comfort.
It would be our last Gala night for dinner, so we dressed up a little bit more. We met friends and were again seated in our favorite waiter’s section with some distance from others. I would share pictures, but my camera died and it is hard to get pictures off the iphone with poor internet.
First course was baked brie for 3 and a seafood cioppino for Kevin. 1 of us had udon noodles for main, 2 had Sumac chicken and kevin had “surf and turf” – tenderloin served with 2 huge shrimp.
For dessert we ordered all three and shared them tasting each.
After dinner Kevin returned the cabin while the rest went to see the main show including the dancers and singers before watching the first set of the BB Kings All Star band.
The ocean is like glass and is so blue.
For those into cruising that are following:
While the ship doesn’t share information about who is contracting Covid we believe that the Cruise Director, a comedian, and one of the dancers may well have contracted it as they have suddenly disappeared. Covid protocols remain fantastic and we feel very safe.
The day began early after gaining an hour overnight to reflect the time in Costa Rica. The last time Janice and I were in Costa Rica was on a Sunday – Easter Sunday while on Sabbatical, on an MSC cruise with Tom & Rachel. Our Agenda for the day was amazing similar and the what we did reflected that great experience.
We set our alarms for 5 AM as we were to be docked at 6:30 and were to meet our private tour guide Jorge 30 minutes after the ship was cleared. We ordered room service for 5:45 which is 15 minutes before breakfast room service was to be available, but as before, it was delivered promptly at the requested time. This time wisely requested to pots of coffee rather than 1.
We were finally cleared at 7:15 after officials were in place to confirm our vaccination status and have our cards photographed. We walked off in “liquid sunshine” as they call it in Alaska. It would be the only showers we would encounter the entire day. We walked through the gauntlet of tour operators,out the port gate, where we found Jorge. The four of us had a private bus that held 15 with a driver and our guide Jorge. We made our way to the rainforest and started the day zip lining through the forest. Two brothers who are sons of the owners were our guides and safety personnel. We ziplined the same place last time we were here.
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There were 11 towers with 9 lines down the rainforest. It was spectacular. After we were served complimentary fresh local fruit which was amazing.
Jorge then took us to a private canal tour to view wildlife. On the way we saw howler monkeys. Once on the canal we met a local crab fisherman who showed us his catch. The people are quite friendly. We then saw iguanas, 2 toed sloths, 3 toed sloths and plenty of birds.
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After our tour we headed to Bonita beach for lunch. This ironically was the same beach we had lunch at before. The meal was a feast we couldn’t come close to consuming so we sent it home with our guide and driver.
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After we returned for some shopping with local artisans before returning to the ship. We swam before dinner in the Tamarind.
The day began early at 5 AM as we had been assigned at 7 AM time slot to begin our journey into the Panama Canal. When we got up we were struck by the number of ships at anchor. It turns out it is 35K for a reservation for the canal so most cargo ships show up and wait for a time to go through.
Here we are transiting under the bridge headed to the canal
We grabbed coffee and a quick breakfast sandwich before heading with friends to the 7 floor outside deck. Both the bow on 5 and the balcony on 7 were open. 7 definitely provided better views and was less crowded.
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After passing through the canal we turned in Gatun lake and anchored so that those with excursions could be tendered ashore. During this time we “swam across the Panama canal and got some exercise. We had lunch (Singapore for Kevin and Dive in for Janice). We then began the transit back through the canal. We learned the views coming down are much better when made us glad we chose to remain on the ship and not participate in an excursion. From this vantage point you can see how short the locks really are.
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While awaiting transit we saw a croc swimming in the lake
We grabbed dinner in the Lido. (something we don’t tend to do) They were having a special seafood buffet including ceviche, suckling pig and other local specialties.
After dinner Janice and friends headed ashore in search of shopping and internet. They returned soon having found nothing to buy and no free internet.
It was an early night as we knew we would be up early for our private tour.
The clocks were turned back an hour overnight in anticipation of our visit to Panama. We slept in and had a lazy morning.
We grabbed breakfast in the lido. (something we rarely do) We joined friends who were already up. We then headed to the port to table cooking show before the talk on the history of the Panama Canal and the estimated 37K that died constructing it.
After we grabbed a light lunch. The afternoon consisted of exercise, swimming, reading and relaxing. The winds were reduced by the waves were a little higher. The stabilizers did their thing and we hardly noticed it
We met friends for dinner at 5:30 in the MDR.
Some interesting meals to share.
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We then headed to the main stage to hear comedy by Mike Paramore which was quite funny. I really appreciate the edge he has brought. We then headed back to the cabin and watched a movie before turning in. Saturday will have us up at 5 AM as we approach the Panama Canal.
I know not many pictures but know that this was the refreshing relaxing day that led us to this cruise.
The day began early as we would be docking between 6:30 and 7:00 and our plan was to get off first thing in search of a tour for the day. We set the alarm for 5:00 AM and room service for 5:45. There are no pictures but it included the now familiar fruit plate, frittata Janice has ordered before and I chose smoked salmon with a bagel and cream cheese. We of course had a pot of good coffee to wash it all down.
Ready for the day meant Kevin could walk the Promenade deck and watch our arrival and docking.
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We had tried in advance to schedule several different boat rides with snorkeling, but all thought we would be cleared too late to make scheduled trips. It turns out they were wrong. We were some of the first off before 7:30 and walked to the Odyssey of the Seas and the Rotterdam at the Mega piers. Most of the tour operators were within the port gates which we could not enter. We found one tour operator on the way back but settled on one outside the Eurodam. for $25 each we would get a tour of the city, tasting and tour of the distillery and see the iguanas and the flamingos.
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We were then dropped off at a snorkel beach for 2 hours before being picked and shuttled back to the port.
It was a great day and a value compared to the ship’s offerings. Included in the tour was crossing the highest bridge in the Caribbean twice.
Snorkeling at Kokomo beach was amazing. The sun was extremely strong. An hour or so was plenty.
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After returning to the ship we returned to the ship to drop of gear and towels. Janice and our friends then ventured back into town for shopping and to walk the floating bridge. Kevin grabbed a light lunch and a beer.
When everyone returned there was showers to remove the salt and some down time while the ship sailed back out to sea headed to Panama and entry into the canal. One of the cool aspects of our birth was floating pedestrian bridge that swung open for ships.
We had reservations for dinner at 6 PM in the Pinnacle Grill for Ruddi’s Sol de Mer (salt of the sea) dinner. It is a pop up restaurant on the ship that focusses on seafood, though there is amazing beef and lamb available as well.
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After dinner we headed to the music walk to hear the comedians who performed earlier perform again, though reversing their order. For those who are HAL fans there was a notice at the entrance warning that it was not a family friendly show and that good comedy might make you uncomfortable like our seats. (they had folding chairs added to make room for more people). The shows were better but we again preferred the earlier show. It might be that we and the audience were more sleepy after 9. (It had been a long day) I will say that most of the comics on the HAL ships were so tame that they were boring for me. We don’t like raunchy but if you have to avoid anything that might offend there is little opportunity for real comedy.
We were all exhausted and fell into bed and asleep after returning.
We set our clocks back an hour gaining the hour we lost earlier in the week.
Today’s post will be the least exciting so far, but also the reason we have chosen this cruise – to relax and enjoy warm weather.
The day began with exercise, getting ready for the day and breakfast. The morning was spent reading and relaxing by as the sea went by.
At noon we grabbed a light lunch of a salad for Janice and some delicious Asian cuisine for Kevin. (Vietnamese Lamb and a seafood stir fry with rice.) After we went swimming in the Lido pool and related for a while.
We met friends for dinner.
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After we played some games, listened to the BB Kings All Star Band before attending the BBC “One planet, 7 worlds” movie with live music from ship musicians. Absolutely amazing. We then headed for bed as we have an early call at Willemstad, Curacao.
The clocks moved forward an hour overnight so we slept a little later and I got up at 6:30 for coffee and to walk around the promenade deck. I was blessed to watch the sunrise, if even behind the clouds.
After getting ready for the day we headed to the dining room for a quick breakfast.
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After breakfast was some walking and then attending the port to table cooking show that taught us how to make ceviche.
We gathered with friends for lunch in the Pinnacle. Some pictures from lunch
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In the afternoon we were invited to a wine tasting and spent some time on the veranda.
Dinner was the first Gala night and the food was quite good.
escargot
Crab deviled eggs
Squash artichoke soup
swordfish
Lamb Chops
We all skipped dessert.
We then headed to the main stage for a classical performance by a steel drum band
Then it was Billboard online and the BB King before heading to bed.
I know that the day doesn’t sound exciting – that is exactly how we planned it. A perfect Sea Day
The overnight transit from Port Everglades was quick. After leaving port over 2 hours late the captain had us arriving on time at HMC. The high winds overnight meant some gentle rocking and that made for some sound sleep. We awoke at 7 AM and realized there was little time for exercise before breakfast and tendering began. Not a problem because we planned to get our steps in exploring HMC.
After some time posting this morning we got ready for the day. We headed to breakfast at 8:30. Breakfast included fruit plates, Dungeness crab Benedict, and Buckwheat pancakes. One thing we noted was that everyone was seated quite close together which was totally unnecessary given the small number eating in the dining room. They haven’t asked us about sharing a table with other guests we aren’t traveling with which is no doubt a Covid protocol/precaution.
Just after Breakfast they announced that we had been cleared and could begin tendering. The Rotterdam was also at HMC and while leaving port after us, had arrived before us or the number 1 “anchorage.” Historically the larger ship would utilize the 2 Island tenders and the other ship would use it’s own smaller tenders. Our friends had an excursion and were waiting in line and overhead much conversation. Because of lower numbers the plan was for 1 tender to be used for each ship and no ship’s tenders. One of the tenders wasn’t working initially which put a wrench in things as they had been preparing the ship’s tenders for use. The second issue was that the high winds would have made for a rougher ride in a smaller tender. At the last minute they were able to use the 2 tenders with one for each ship.
When the cruise director announced the tendering she also announced that because of the winds the employees that work many things on the island could not ferry to HMC from their home islands and so all cabanas, excursions and shops were closed and cancelled. Later the captain shared that both captains had really pushed for this stop to happen with others ports being cancelled or at risk for cancellation. The ride wasn’t bad and we didn’t visit to shop. It was a gray day to begin with but 73 degrees.
We walked to where the horses and goats live.
We then walked the beach to end of the cove and got great shots of the ships.
We walked back and enjoyed complimentary clam shells while grabbing lunch and beer. Lunch was grilled short ribs (flanken), ceviche, fish tacos with many more options.
We returned to the ship at 2 PM and kept ourselves busy until dinner in the Canaletto at 5:30. This is an Italian restaurant in a corner of the Lido that pops up for dinner. It is a shared plate with small plates and large plates. I forgot pictures of the small plates but they included: Salads, veal meatballs and carpaccio. As always the service was great. During dinner the sommelier stopped by to invite Janice and Kevin to a complimentary wine tasting on Tuesday. Our waitress presented us with origami butterflies and flowers at the end of our meal. (several staff shared how glad they were to be working and for HAL getting them vaccinated.)
Main course was osso buco and short ribs with gnocchi
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Desserts were fantastic as well
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We made it to end of the captains toast in the main stage. The crew toasted and the passengers were given coupons for sparkling wine later as a matter of Covid precautions.
We then enjoyed two sets of the B.B. King All Star Band before turning in. This band is great and the music was blues and not as much 50’s and 60’s music that we heard on the previous two cruises.
A couple of other notes for those that cruise. On deck 4 from midship forward the fire doors are closed and have large no entry crew only signs. This is clearly the isolation/quarantine section of the ship.
We were able to confirm that you can no longer get San Pellegrino with any of the beverage packages. They have added language that drinks must be under 500 ML. Seems really dumb when a bottle is less than half of the cap but the are hoping you will opt for more smaller bottles of Perrier. We never drink all of the beverages allotted but it does engender ill feelings. If I was more passive aggressive I would order all 15 drinks and dump the extras. As a shareholder I get it but as a passenger it feels like nickel and diming.
We also heard from a crew member that the New Amsterdam is being used as a ship for those crew testing positive from both HAL and Princess. (remember they both fall under the same umbrella under the CCL structure.) The number cited was 400 crew in quarantine or isolation right now.
The day began for Kevin a little earlier than anticipated as he was awake and his mind going too early for vacation. It is the excitement of what’s ahead. Kevin watched the MS Eurodam pull into port just before 6 AM on the Port web cam and also the marine tracking website.
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After caffeinating we headed to the gym, cleaned up and then grabbed breakfast. As a covid precaution all food was being served. I am not convinced that is a valid Covid precaution but it is a definite Norovirus precaution and we don’t want to catch Covid and we certainly do want Norovirus.
After breakfast we headed back to our room and can see all the ships sitting in port. It is hazy day and strong storms are expected between Noon- 2 PM. Hopefully they will pass for a 4 PM sail away.
At 11 we met our friends in the lobby to check out and summon an Uber to Pier 26. The hotel offered a shuttle for 24 per person but that involves a small bus pulling a trailer and people in a small space. The four of us should be able to get the UBER XL for under $15 before tip. With the ship reported to be at 25% of capacity, embarkation shall go quickly. We will have to provide our passport, proof of vaccination, negative covid results and use facial recognition software to board. We should be on board before 12:30
We arrived at the port at 11;45 and by noon we were on the ship and our cabins were ready. We dropped off our carry ons and headed to the dining room for lunch. After was a tour of the ship to orient ourselves. We stopped by our muster station to have our cards scanned and returned to find our luggage waiting so we unpacked. Our sail away was scheduled for 4 but we needed additional fuel which kept us in port until 6:30. The sail away party was at 4 and we watched a bartending show and ended being gifted a drink from the demo – a blue Florida.
We stopped for wine before dinner and had dinner in the main dining room. The room was quite empty. On most voyages, the breakfast crowd was larger than dinner. Dinner was great. We had ceviche, salad and for Janice red snapper over saffron risotto. I had short rib stroganoff. We shared a tart.
After dinner we went and saw two comedy shows. Both were quite good but we really loved the first one: Jose Sarduy. The second comedian was Mike Paramore.
We then headed back and called it a day.
Back to the question of passengers. The Eurodam can carry just over 2100 passengers. We have between 500 -600 and we think closer to 500. The comedian joked that it is 1 passenger for every 1.5 crew. This feels accurate.
Tomorrow is Half Moon Cay. Since we are all vaccinated and tested we will be allowed to stop. Saturday the Zuiderdam was not allowed as they had too many positive cases on board.
kevinmaxey 