Poolside is the 'in' place to be.
What a fabulous room! Having our own deck was a real treat!
Day One
We woke up on our own to a sunny day. I showered and changed into something comfortable but my feet still hurt from the shoes I was wearing. Alan suggested we try to find a Wal-mart and see if I could find a different pair of shoes. We had breakfast at the restaurant next door to the hotel and enjoyed a nice satisfying breakfast at their buffet. It was a lot better than the place we’d stopped for dinner the previous night. After eating we were on our way to find Wal-mart. The lady who worked at the hotel told us it was just down the road but we drove and drove for miles and never saw it. Finally, we decided to get off the road and turn back towards the freeway. In New Jersey it’s kind of different how you go about turning around. We got off, drove back over the freeway, had to go and turnaround down the road. When we did this we saw a large mall so we drove down to see if there were any shoe stores but everything was closed. There was a man walking in the parking lot so I rolled down my window and asked him if he knew where a Wal-mart was and he gave us the directions. We weren’t far from it and the street we’d just gotten off of would lead us there. It was quite chilly that morning and I was glad I had decided to bring Yogi, my big fur coat. I was able to find a good pair of shoes and my feet felt such a relief. Alan found himself a nice warm jacket. He hadn’t brought one with him since we were going to a warm climate. Guess he didn’t think New York City in December would be that cold, silly boy. After shopping we were back on track and headed back to the freeway and on up to New York City. It was easy to find, especially since I had printed out the directions from mapquest.com. Of course Alan had his GPS hooked up too so we couldn’t go wrong. Soon we were on the road the terminal was located on. We passed by the Empire State Building so we made a note of it in our mind so we could try finding it on our way back from the cruise.
Traffic wasn’t bad at all and we were at the terminal by 11:00. Alan checked our bags at the front and I waited inside while he went to park our truck. That ended up being perfect. We had enough time to sit and catch our breath before we were called to check in. Since I preregistered us online we didn’t even need our tickets. They took our pre-board photos and we walked up the gangplank to the ship. We were now officially on our cruise! We left out of NYC on Dec. 1st and the skies were clear. We heard that it snowed the next day so we got out just in time. We sailed down the Hudson River passing by the Statue of Liberty and onto the Atlantic Ocean.
The captain of the ms Noordam was Capt. Hans Mateboer. He was born in the small town of Genemuiden in the eastern part of the Netherlands. Living on a river and seeing an occasional seagoing ship pass by, he decided from early age not to join the family business, but to become a sea captain. After leaving the Merchant Marine Academy in 1975, he spent his first 5 years at sea on virtually every type of cargo ship, sailing to every corner of the world under the Dutch, Danish, and British flags. In 1980, he joined Holland America Line and shortly thereafter was appointed Safety Officer during the construction of the Noordam and subsequently involved in four new builds. He became Captain in 1993 on the brand new ms Statendam, where he also met his future wife during a cruise in the Baltic. They now make their home in beautiful Charlotte, North Carolina. The captain is also a published author. He’s written a book entitled The Captain’s Log, which tells about his life and a children’s book as well.
We were able to go directly to our cabin, number 5133 (VF). Our bags were actually waiting inside our cabin for us, talk about efficiency. We checked out everything in our cabin and loved it. There was even a nice flower arrangement from our agent. That was a nice touch and the flowers lasted throughout the entire 12-day cruise! We had a balcony room and a king size bed that was so comfy. There were times I had a hard time finding Alan in bed it was so big. There were lots of closets and huge drawers under the bed plus the ottoman at the desk opened up so it could be used for storage. We used it to store our dirty laundry in. There was even enough empty space under the bed to for our entire luggage! The bathroom was large too and even had a bathtub! We had a couch in our room that made out to a bed but Alan behaved himself so he didn't end up sleeping on it...ha, ha.
There were times I’d be sitting on it late in the evening while watching TV and nod off. The bathroom was stocked with the usual complimentary items like shampoo, conditioner, lotions, bath soap as well as facial soap.
I didn’t have to take my hair dryer since that was provided as well as a shoeshine kit and snuggly robes. The deck had two comfy wooden deck chairs with lush cushions and a table for us to enjoy while relaxing in the fresh air.
There was also a flat screen TV that had a built in DVD player and radio. There were movies shown throughout the cruise so we were able to see some that we had missed in the theater. The list of movies shown included: No Reservations, Transformers, Evening, 1408, Rescue Dawn, Pirates of the Caribbean 3, The Ultimate Gift, License to Wed, Mr. Brooks, Opal Dream, Shrek 3, Nancy Drew, The Astronaut Farmer, Ratatouille, The Hoax, The Invincible, Artic Tales, Spiderman 3, Fantastic 4, The Simpson’s Movie, Ocean’s 13, The Wendell Baker Story, Surf’s Up, Lucky You, Evan Almighty, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and Live Free or Die Hard. As you can see there was a wide range of movies. One could actually just spend their cruise in their room or at the theater on the ship watching movies. Not all these movies were shown in the theater but every night there was a special feature. We never watched any of the movies in its entirety, as we were busy doing other things. There were also shows on TV and lots of cartoons.
It was lunchtime so we headed up to the Lido Deck for some lunch and noticed places to sit near the elevators. This was a great idea! I took advantage of them as much as possible! So far, everything we saw we liked about the ship. The bathrooms were furnished with individual washcloths to dry your hands on in case you didn’t want to use the hand dryer. There was hand lotion in the bathrooms too. The Lido Restaurant was clean and there weren’t any tables waiting to be cleared, and the staff was courteous and helpful in carrying my tray and finding us a table. The food was very good. At the Lido Buffet there were separate bars that included: Asian-Cantonese, Deli, Salads, Pizza, Pasta, Burgers Hotdogs & Tacos, Daily Selections, Ice Cream, and of course lots of Desserts. The peach ice cream was really yummy! During breakfast there was also an omelet bar and waffle/French toast bar. Whenever we ate at the Lido for breakfast Alan would get 2 omelets and waffles with strawberries on them. If we went there for lunch he would sometimes get a Rueben sandwich. I created a new sandwich one day and I named it the Valentino, as the server’s name was Valentino. It’s a Rueben sandwich with a slice of tomato added. For lunch we had prime rib with mashed potatoes and carrots. I had bread pudding for dessert and it was some of the best I’ve ever had! Alan had peach ice cream and a cookie. Most of the cookies were too hard for Alan to eat without his teeth but the server went out of his way to find Alan one that was soft. Now that’s service!
After lunch we checked to see where we needed to be for the Lifeboat Drill. This was a mandatory exercise for all guests. A safety video was also shown in our stateroom TV with important safety information. It was funny seeing me in the life vest. My face was almost hidden. I kept Yogi, my fur coat, on under the vest. I should’ve had Alan take a picture of me, as it was quite a sight. This was the first time we ever that it was cold during a lifeboat drill, usually it’s so hot that everyone wanted to get inside where into the air-conditioned ship. This time everyone wanted to get inside where it was warm.
After the lifeboat drill we went up to the Greenhouse Spa to see what they had to offer as far as massages. I signed up for a mini massage, which included a scalp, neck, shoulder and foot massage along with a facial for the following morning. It was WONDERFUL! The lotion that the girl used was Elemis Body Milk Lotion and I did end up buying a large bottle as it made my hair so luxurious. Alan thought I was crazy for spending $60 on it. It was actually a bargain since it would last me a year. Alan remembered the body soap I had bought during another cruise and how it lasted a year. We signed up for the Thermal Spa Package, which included access to all the Spa areas. One area had a thermal pool kept at body temperature and treated with special therapeutic minerals. The pool had jets on two sides and contoured seats, which you laid back in were on another side. This could be a bit challenging to maneuver if you were short but I managed to figure out a way to slide on down. The center of the pool had a small area with lots of strong jets coming up from the bottom where you could stand. The pool was quite relaxing.
There was another room with 3 steam areas varying in temperature from mild to hot. In the center of that room were contoured tiled heated beds that overlooked the ocean. And of course there was relaxing music to listen to while relaxed. There was also a dry spa room but I didn't go in that one. As it was I made the mistake of going into the hot spa room, thinking it would sweat the impurities from my body and make me feel better.... wrong! I broke out all over with a horrible rash. I know to stay away from not only hot tubs but steam rooms too. Ever since I got heat poisoning 4 years ago my skin is super sensitive to heat...I'm just a sensitive person I guess, ha, ha. At least I was able to enjoy the mineral pool and heated lounge, as it wasn't hot. Since I itched all over I didn't get a full body massage like I always do. I did sign up for foot massage and pedicure so now my toes are all pretty, too bad it’s winter and I can’t show them off in sandals. I can enjoy looking at them at home while barefoot though. I had acrylic nails put on just before we left and had them done in the French style with white tips. I'd never had them done that way and I like it. Alan enjoyed relaxing in the thermal pool. In fact, he never went in the hot tubs out by the pool area during our entire cruise. He found he could relax just as much in the Spa and since we paid for the package he might as well use it. The package also gave us access to the
We didn’t attend the Farewell New York Bon Voyage Party at 4:30pm, as it was still too cold up on the Lido Deck even though the top was covered. They’re usually a lot of fun to go. The DJ was Dutchie and the party band, HALCats kicked off the cruise in style as we departed from New York. The drink of the day was the Cuban Mojito for only $6.95.
There were two different types of dining; As You Wish and Assigned Seating. As you wish dining meant not always having to dine at a specific time. Instead, open seating was created so guests could use as they pleased. The Vista Dinging Room 2 was open between 5:15 and 9:00pm for open seating. This was on the lower deck of the restaurant. On embarkation day, reservations for Open Seating Dining could be made in person at the entrance of the Vista Dining Room between 11:30am-5:00pm or by dialing 88 until 7:00pm. Guests with confirmed assigned or fixed seating dined on deck 3 at either 5:45pm or 7:00pm. We chose to have assigned seating as we enjoy meeting people and getting to know our waiter.
We dined with eight other people at our table and it was fun getting to know them. Stuart even dressed in his Scottish kilts during all three formal nights. His family is of Scottish heritage so he wore his family's pattern. He even played his junior bagpipes for us! What a treat that was! Stuart and his wife Nancy live in New Jersey. Nancy and I got to know each other a lot while chatting at dinner or at the craft classes. She's a very talented person. Nancy makes her own lace even. She's won all kinds of awards with her tatting. They are both seriously involved in the Renaissance Reenactment Events. They are members to a group and it's amazing everything we learned from them. They aren't just spectators but their group is for members only and do several events throughout the midatlantic region. Their events aren’t for spectators but for members. I could get into becoming a member but only if I was retired as there is a lot of work in belonging to the group. Maybe after we move to the west coast I could find a group like that to join. Alan and I told Stu and Nancy that we go to the Maryland Renaissance Festival and they said it’s one of the best festivals in the country.
Another couple at our table was an older African American couple, Cash and Helen. They were so funny, especially Helen. She’d make these funny faces all the time. They participated in the Marriage Game on the ship and even though they didn’t win they became quite the celebrities. They've been married a long time. Another couple at our table was also an older couple; Rudy and Josephine, celebrating 50 years of marriage and Josephine celebrated her birthday with us also. They were given the cruise tickets only 2 days before the sailed by their nephew. Wasn't that sweet? There were two retired schoolteachers at our table, Carla and Maryann but they didn't join us all the time. One of them wasn't feeling well plus I think they may not have had anything special to wear during the three formal nights.
Alan rented a tuxedo and looked quite dapper as he always does! I took two evening gowns plus a long black velvet skirt with a delicate sheer tan blouse.
I found having my hair in braids looked kind of different wearing on formal nights so I took one of my silver-black shawls and draped it around my head, and tied in the back. It worked.
For dinner on our first night we had the crab tower to start with. Alan ordered the onion soup and I ordered cold peach soup, which was scrumptious! We both had the prime rib with carrots and baked potato. For dessert we had mango sundaes served with a cookie. To finish off our dinner we ordered cappuccinos and every night after that. This was a great meal!
Since the Showtime performance wasn’t scheduled until 10:15pm we had plenty of time to unpack our luggage and get our cabin organized. I was surprised at how much room there was. I brought hangers from home in case there wouldn’t be enough but there was. The luggage I bought Alan was so handy. One suitcase held drawers in different sizes and had a neat attachment that could be hung up that held all our personal items. All I had to do was hang it on the bathroom door. It held things like batteries, Alan’s carton of cigars, first aid items, and so forth. Alan’s tuxedo arrived and fit nicely in the closet. We had a safe in the closet too, which held our passports and cash we’d brought with us and any other valuables. The desk held my laptop and I could sit on the ottoman when using it. I couldn’t believe all the extras like extra pillows and blankets in the bins above the couch. There was enough room to store Yogi and Alan’s bulky NY jacket. We liked having all this room. At first I was kind of bummed not to get the upgrade to a suite but after seeing our room I wasn’t. Our cabin steward, Koes kept us in clean towels and those nice little chocolates on our pillows. I actually saved all of mine and brought them home. He did his best in creating towel animals but only was able to get the monkey one right. Sometimes we couldn’t figure out what he was trying to make but he did try. He always greeted us with a smile and if there was anything we needed he’d be sure to do it for us. I noticed there weren’t any door signs reading, Clean Room like other ships have. There was only once Koes came in while we were there but we had been out on the balcony and told him to go on and pretend we weren’t there.
We read the Daily Program for the next day to see what there was that looked interesting. I noticed craft classes being held twice so marked it down to attend. Alan would check out the casino and read his book and we could play it by ear.
The Showtime was Ballroom Blitz & Michael Ziegfeld. It was a short show with the dancers followed by a comedian, Michael Ziegfeld. I laughed when I saw his puppet and he had a delightful act. By the time the show was over it was time to call it a night so we headed back to our room and fell fast asleep on the most comfortable bed on a ship we’d ever slept on…. zzzz
We woke up on our own to a sunny day. I showered and changed into something comfortable but my feet still hurt from the shoes I was wearing. Alan suggested we try to find a Wal-mart and see if I could find a different pair of shoes. We had breakfast at the restaurant next door to the hotel and enjoyed a nice satisfying breakfast at their buffet. It was a lot better than the place we’d stopped for dinner the previous night. After eating we were on our way to find Wal-mart. The lady who worked at the hotel told us it was just down the road but we drove and drove for miles and never saw it. Finally, we decided to get off the road and turn back towards the freeway. In New Jersey it’s kind of different how you go about turning around. We got off, drove back over the freeway, had to go and turnaround down the road. When we did this we saw a large mall so we drove down to see if there were any shoe stores but everything was closed. There was a man walking in the parking lot so I rolled down my window and asked him if he knew where a Wal-mart was and he gave us the directions. We weren’t far from it and the street we’d just gotten off of would lead us there. It was quite chilly that morning and I was glad I had decided to bring Yogi, my big fur coat. I was able to find a good pair of shoes and my feet felt such a relief. Alan found himself a nice warm jacket. He hadn’t brought one with him since we were going to a warm climate. Guess he didn’t think New York City in December would be that cold, silly boy. After shopping we were back on track and headed back to the freeway and on up to New York City. It was easy to find, especially since I had printed out the directions from mapquest.com. Of course Alan had his GPS hooked up too so we couldn’t go wrong. Soon we were on the road the terminal was located on. We passed by the Empire State Building so we made a note of it in our mind so we could try finding it on our way back from the cruise.
Traffic wasn’t bad at all and we were at the terminal by 11:00. Alan checked our bags at the front and I waited inside while he went to park our truck. That ended up being perfect. We had enough time to sit and catch our breath before we were called to check in. Since I preregistered us online we didn’t even need our tickets. They took our pre-board photos and we walked up the gangplank to the ship. We were now officially on our cruise! We left out of NYC on Dec. 1st and the skies were clear. We heard that it snowed the next day so we got out just in time. We sailed down the Hudson River passing by the Statue of Liberty and onto the Atlantic Ocean.
The captain of the ms Noordam was Capt. Hans Mateboer. He was born in the small town of Genemuiden in the eastern part of the Netherlands. Living on a river and seeing an occasional seagoing ship pass by, he decided from early age not to join the family business, but to become a sea captain. After leaving the Merchant Marine Academy in 1975, he spent his first 5 years at sea on virtually every type of cargo ship, sailing to every corner of the world under the Dutch, Danish, and British flags. In 1980, he joined Holland America Line and shortly thereafter was appointed Safety Officer during the construction of the Noordam and subsequently involved in four new builds. He became Captain in 1993 on the brand new ms Statendam, where he also met his future wife during a cruise in the Baltic. They now make their home in beautiful Charlotte, North Carolina. The captain is also a published author. He’s written a book entitled The Captain’s Log, which tells about his life and a children’s book as well.
We were able to go directly to our cabin, number 5133 (VF). Our bags were actually waiting inside our cabin for us, talk about efficiency. We checked out everything in our cabin and loved it. There was even a nice flower arrangement from our agent. That was a nice touch and the flowers lasted throughout the entire 12-day cruise! We had a balcony room and a king size bed that was so comfy. There were times I had a hard time finding Alan in bed it was so big. There were lots of closets and huge drawers under the bed plus the ottoman at the desk opened up so it could be used for storage. We used it to store our dirty laundry in. There was even enough empty space under the bed to for our entire luggage! The bathroom was large too and even had a bathtub! We had a couch in our room that made out to a bed but Alan behaved himself so he didn't end up sleeping on it...ha, ha.
There were times I’d be sitting on it late in the evening while watching TV and nod off. The bathroom was stocked with the usual complimentary items like shampoo, conditioner, lotions, bath soap as well as facial soap.
I didn’t have to take my hair dryer since that was provided as well as a shoeshine kit and snuggly robes. The deck had two comfy wooden deck chairs with lush cushions and a table for us to enjoy while relaxing in the fresh air.
There was also a flat screen TV that had a built in DVD player and radio. There were movies shown throughout the cruise so we were able to see some that we had missed in the theater. The list of movies shown included: No Reservations, Transformers, Evening, 1408, Rescue Dawn, Pirates of the Caribbean 3, The Ultimate Gift, License to Wed, Mr. Brooks, Opal Dream, Shrek 3, Nancy Drew, The Astronaut Farmer, Ratatouille, The Hoax, The Invincible, Artic Tales, Spiderman 3, Fantastic 4, The Simpson’s Movie, Ocean’s 13, The Wendell Baker Story, Surf’s Up, Lucky You, Evan Almighty, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and Live Free or Die Hard. As you can see there was a wide range of movies. One could actually just spend their cruise in their room or at the theater on the ship watching movies. Not all these movies were shown in the theater but every night there was a special feature. We never watched any of the movies in its entirety, as we were busy doing other things. There were also shows on TV and lots of cartoons.
It was lunchtime so we headed up to the Lido Deck for some lunch and noticed places to sit near the elevators. This was a great idea! I took advantage of them as much as possible! So far, everything we saw we liked about the ship. The bathrooms were furnished with individual washcloths to dry your hands on in case you didn’t want to use the hand dryer. There was hand lotion in the bathrooms too. The Lido Restaurant was clean and there weren’t any tables waiting to be cleared, and the staff was courteous and helpful in carrying my tray and finding us a table. The food was very good. At the Lido Buffet there were separate bars that included: Asian-Cantonese, Deli, Salads, Pizza, Pasta, Burgers Hotdogs & Tacos, Daily Selections, Ice Cream, and of course lots of Desserts. The peach ice cream was really yummy! During breakfast there was also an omelet bar and waffle/French toast bar. Whenever we ate at the Lido for breakfast Alan would get 2 omelets and waffles with strawberries on them. If we went there for lunch he would sometimes get a Rueben sandwich. I created a new sandwich one day and I named it the Valentino, as the server’s name was Valentino. It’s a Rueben sandwich with a slice of tomato added. For lunch we had prime rib with mashed potatoes and carrots. I had bread pudding for dessert and it was some of the best I’ve ever had! Alan had peach ice cream and a cookie. Most of the cookies were too hard for Alan to eat without his teeth but the server went out of his way to find Alan one that was soft. Now that’s service!
After lunch we checked to see where we needed to be for the Lifeboat Drill. This was a mandatory exercise for all guests. A safety video was also shown in our stateroom TV with important safety information. It was funny seeing me in the life vest. My face was almost hidden. I kept Yogi, my fur coat, on under the vest. I should’ve had Alan take a picture of me, as it was quite a sight. This was the first time we ever that it was cold during a lifeboat drill, usually it’s so hot that everyone wanted to get inside where into the air-conditioned ship. This time everyone wanted to get inside where it was warm.
After the lifeboat drill we went up to the Greenhouse Spa to see what they had to offer as far as massages. I signed up for a mini massage, which included a scalp, neck, shoulder and foot massage along with a facial for the following morning. It was WONDERFUL! The lotion that the girl used was Elemis Body Milk Lotion and I did end up buying a large bottle as it made my hair so luxurious. Alan thought I was crazy for spending $60 on it. It was actually a bargain since it would last me a year. Alan remembered the body soap I had bought during another cruise and how it lasted a year. We signed up for the Thermal Spa Package, which included access to all the Spa areas. One area had a thermal pool kept at body temperature and treated with special therapeutic minerals. The pool had jets on two sides and contoured seats, which you laid back in were on another side. This could be a bit challenging to maneuver if you were short but I managed to figure out a way to slide on down. The center of the pool had a small area with lots of strong jets coming up from the bottom where you could stand. The pool was quite relaxing.
There was another room with 3 steam areas varying in temperature from mild to hot. In the center of that room were contoured tiled heated beds that overlooked the ocean. And of course there was relaxing music to listen to while relaxed. There was also a dry spa room but I didn't go in that one. As it was I made the mistake of going into the hot spa room, thinking it would sweat the impurities from my body and make me feel better.... wrong! I broke out all over with a horrible rash. I know to stay away from not only hot tubs but steam rooms too. Ever since I got heat poisoning 4 years ago my skin is super sensitive to heat...I'm just a sensitive person I guess, ha, ha. At least I was able to enjoy the mineral pool and heated lounge, as it wasn't hot. Since I itched all over I didn't get a full body massage like I always do. I did sign up for foot massage and pedicure so now my toes are all pretty, too bad it’s winter and I can’t show them off in sandals. I can enjoy looking at them at home while barefoot though. I had acrylic nails put on just before we left and had them done in the French style with white tips. I'd never had them done that way and I like it. Alan enjoyed relaxing in the thermal pool. In fact, he never went in the hot tubs out by the pool area during our entire cruise. He found he could relax just as much in the Spa and since we paid for the package he might as well use it. The package also gave us access to the
We didn’t attend the Farewell New York Bon Voyage Party at 4:30pm, as it was still too cold up on the Lido Deck even though the top was covered. They’re usually a lot of fun to go. The DJ was Dutchie and the party band, HALCats kicked off the cruise in style as we departed from New York. The drink of the day was the Cuban Mojito for only $6.95.
There were two different types of dining; As You Wish and Assigned Seating. As you wish dining meant not always having to dine at a specific time. Instead, open seating was created so guests could use as they pleased. The Vista Dinging Room 2 was open between 5:15 and 9:00pm for open seating. This was on the lower deck of the restaurant. On embarkation day, reservations for Open Seating Dining could be made in person at the entrance of the Vista Dining Room between 11:30am-5:00pm or by dialing 88 until 7:00pm. Guests with confirmed assigned or fixed seating dined on deck 3 at either 5:45pm or 7:00pm. We chose to have assigned seating as we enjoy meeting people and getting to know our waiter.
We dined with eight other people at our table and it was fun getting to know them. Stuart even dressed in his Scottish kilts during all three formal nights. His family is of Scottish heritage so he wore his family's pattern. He even played his junior bagpipes for us! What a treat that was! Stuart and his wife Nancy live in New Jersey. Nancy and I got to know each other a lot while chatting at dinner or at the craft classes. She's a very talented person. Nancy makes her own lace even. She's won all kinds of awards with her tatting. They are both seriously involved in the Renaissance Reenactment Events. They are members to a group and it's amazing everything we learned from them. They aren't just spectators but their group is for members only and do several events throughout the midatlantic region. Their events aren’t for spectators but for members. I could get into becoming a member but only if I was retired as there is a lot of work in belonging to the group. Maybe after we move to the west coast I could find a group like that to join. Alan and I told Stu and Nancy that we go to the Maryland Renaissance Festival and they said it’s one of the best festivals in the country.
Another couple at our table was an older African American couple, Cash and Helen. They were so funny, especially Helen. She’d make these funny faces all the time. They participated in the Marriage Game on the ship and even though they didn’t win they became quite the celebrities. They've been married a long time. Another couple at our table was also an older couple; Rudy and Josephine, celebrating 50 years of marriage and Josephine celebrated her birthday with us also. They were given the cruise tickets only 2 days before the sailed by their nephew. Wasn't that sweet? There were two retired schoolteachers at our table, Carla and Maryann but they didn't join us all the time. One of them wasn't feeling well plus I think they may not have had anything special to wear during the three formal nights.
Alan rented a tuxedo and looked quite dapper as he always does! I took two evening gowns plus a long black velvet skirt with a delicate sheer tan blouse.
I found having my hair in braids looked kind of different wearing on formal nights so I took one of my silver-black shawls and draped it around my head, and tied in the back. It worked.
For dinner on our first night we had the crab tower to start with. Alan ordered the onion soup and I ordered cold peach soup, which was scrumptious! We both had the prime rib with carrots and baked potato. For dessert we had mango sundaes served with a cookie. To finish off our dinner we ordered cappuccinos and every night after that. This was a great meal!
Since the Showtime performance wasn’t scheduled until 10:15pm we had plenty of time to unpack our luggage and get our cabin organized. I was surprised at how much room there was. I brought hangers from home in case there wouldn’t be enough but there was. The luggage I bought Alan was so handy. One suitcase held drawers in different sizes and had a neat attachment that could be hung up that held all our personal items. All I had to do was hang it on the bathroom door. It held things like batteries, Alan’s carton of cigars, first aid items, and so forth. Alan’s tuxedo arrived and fit nicely in the closet. We had a safe in the closet too, which held our passports and cash we’d brought with us and any other valuables. The desk held my laptop and I could sit on the ottoman when using it. I couldn’t believe all the extras like extra pillows and blankets in the bins above the couch. There was enough room to store Yogi and Alan’s bulky NY jacket. We liked having all this room. At first I was kind of bummed not to get the upgrade to a suite but after seeing our room I wasn’t. Our cabin steward, Koes kept us in clean towels and those nice little chocolates on our pillows. I actually saved all of mine and brought them home. He did his best in creating towel animals but only was able to get the monkey one right. Sometimes we couldn’t figure out what he was trying to make but he did try. He always greeted us with a smile and if there was anything we needed he’d be sure to do it for us. I noticed there weren’t any door signs reading, Clean Room like other ships have. There was only once Koes came in while we were there but we had been out on the balcony and told him to go on and pretend we weren’t there.
We read the Daily Program for the next day to see what there was that looked interesting. I noticed craft classes being held twice so marked it down to attend. Alan would check out the casino and read his book and we could play it by ear.
The Showtime was Ballroom Blitz & Michael Ziegfeld. It was a short show with the dancers followed by a comedian, Michael Ziegfeld. I laughed when I saw his puppet and he had a delightful act. By the time the show was over it was time to call it a night so we headed back to our room and fell fast asleep on the most comfortable bed on a ship we’d ever slept on…. zzzz
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