Holland America 7-Day Eastern Caribbean, Aboard the Nieuw Statendam
Jan. 7-14, 2023
Spend a week island hopping on a Caribbean cruise. Step back in time on Grand Turk, amble San Juan’s historic streets, hike jungled cliffs of St. Thomas, lounge away your last day on Half Moon Cay.
Links:
A. All About Nieuw Statendam (Scroll down on the linked-to page for deck plans)
B. The four classes of Holland America ships, explained
All the Food talk is on a separate page, here.
Why This Cruise; Why This Time
If you follow my Facebook feed, you know I had one of the most challenging musical semesters of my life. I have never been so happy to see the last day of a semester. I needed rest and relaxation as never before. And I found it with Holland America!
In past Januarys, from 2017-2020, our travel pals Mike and Marilyn (hereinafter referred to as M&M) and Jas and I—sometimes with other friends joining us—have traveled to one of the El Dorado all-adult, all-inclusive resorts on the Riviera Maya. [In 2016, we took a cruise to the Western Caribbean, including into the Panama Canal, turning around in Lake Gatun; in 2015, we rented a hours on Tankah Bay, just north of Tulum, with two other couples. See my Travel tab above to find all the travelogues, if you’re bored and/or interested.] We go before school gets into full swing, while the voice instructors can still get along comfortably without me. The four of us had taken a cruise from Boston to Montreal in August-September, and had a fabulous time. When we started talking about heading to Riviera Maya for a week, Marilyn—unbeknownst to me—hit the Holland America website to see what might be available in January, before I headed back to the YSU piano benches. She found a cruise to the Eastern Caribbean that was similar in temperature, climate, and price to what we would have found in Mexico. When I weighed all the factors for myself, I looked at Jas and said, enthusiastically, “Let’s do it!” And here we are!!
Preparation and Heading Out
The cruise would depart from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale. We booked reservations on United from Cleveland to Ft. Lauderdale. You might know we have equal access to three airports: Cleveland, Akron, and Pittsburgh. Each airport is about an hour’s drive away. We compare numbers of stops and fares to decide which airport we’ll fly out of. If the flight we choose leaves early in the morning, we drive to a hotel near the airport the evening before, have dinner there, and leave the car parked at the hotel for the duration of our trip. So Thursday afternoon, January 6, we drove to Cleveland. Friday morning, January 7, we left snow and ice on our car in the parking lot as we got on the shuttle to head to the plane. I had waitlisted Jas and myself for First Class on our United flight, and was happy to learn we had cleared the waitlist. We slid easily through check-in and TSA PreCheck®. We stood in the Bruegger’s Bagels line, through their illogical order-taking and payment process, and ate a quick breakfast, then settled in for a short wait at the gate. Before I knew it, we were boarding and settling into our seats. After a brief de-icing, we were up and through the heavy clouds to see SUNSHINE! After a nice breakfast onboard, we landed in Fort Lauderdale about 20 minutes early. The Holland America representative arrived on time, which—to us—was late, but he found us and led us to the shuttle that would take us to our hotel, the Renaissance West Fort Lauderdale.
We arrived at the hotel around 11:30. Fortunately, our rooms were ready, and we agreed to meet for lunch around 12:30. When Holland America told me what hotel we would be in, I missed the “West” in the title. Both Marilyn and I thought we would be near the cruiseport, in an area populated with restaurants and shops to explore. Not so. There were no restaurants in walking distance from the hotel. We were stuck with the hotel restaurant, or two expensive cab rides to supplement the cost of the restaurant meal. The hotel restaurant, Bin 595 Eclectic Grille & Wine Bar, off the lobby, had not recovered well from the pandemic. It seemed the servers were all very new at serving. There was no bartender; interviews were being held to fill that position. It took about 20 minutes and some begging to have our orders taken. After the meal, we passed the afternoon exploring the hotel, walking around the lake in back of the hotel, and then we met for dinner in the hotel restaurant.
Day 1, Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023, Fort Lauderdale, Embarkation
[Picture taken on Monday at Grand Turk.]
Morning, preparing bags for transport, more eating, then a long wait for the coach to arrive—late, after being caught up in traffic—and take us to the cruiseport. By 1:00, we were aboard the Holland America Nieuw Statendam, and searching for lunch, which turned out to be at the Lido Market. After lunch, we returned to our rooms, where our bags had been delivered. We were in Neptune Suites, which measure around 350 sq. ft. with a nice verandah. Our suite was starboard, Mike and Marilyn’s was on the port side. This suite was not nearly as large as the one we enjoyed on the previous cruise last August/September. Nor was the verandah anywhere near as large. But we love the Neptune suites, especially the access to the Neptune Lounge, which opens at 7:00 every morning and closes at 8:30 at night. There’s always a concierge in attendance, one of two brilliant young women with brains filled with important information. These gals can solve any problem you might have, make dinner reservations for you, tell you what shore excursions are still available and book you on those trips. Plus there are always drinks and snacks in the lounge. The beverages there, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, are on the honor system. You fill out a drink card and the charge automatically appears on your bill. We always purchase the drink package, which allows each person up to 15 drinks a day, including both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. There are even cans of purified water (no plastic water bottles on these ships) that are free on the plan. The Drink Package is part of the Have It All plan, which we purchased with this suite. That includes $100 per person for shore excursions and one night free at one of the upcharge restaurants. In my cruise planning, this is the best way to go. Another benefit of the Neptune suite is the inclusion of free laundry service. If you’re a smart packer, you can pack much more lightly, taking along enough clothes for about four days and sending three days-worth to the laundry at the end of the third day. Such a nice perk.
We always do a little exploring when we first get onboard. We want to know where all the restaurants are, along with the performance venues such as the World Stage. The Rotterdam-class ships are very music-centric, which I love. Deck 2 holds the main dining room, the Club Orange dining room, and the Pinnacle Grill, along with the Lincoln Center Stage, the Rolling Stone Rock Room and B.B. King’s Blues Club. Whatever genre makes you smile, you’ll find entertainers playing—or dancing to—your song. I was happy, during the week, to meet one of the musicians, named Maya, in the quartet that plays on the Lincoln Center Stage. Maya plays viola, is from Cleveland Heights, and her mom plays second violin with The Cleveland Orchestra, whose chorus I sang with for five years. Her mom graduated from my beloved Interlochen Arts Academy, and Maya attended camp there for a summer or two around the time I played for intermediate musical theatre. I love our small musical world!
After unpacking and settling in to our suite, we stood on the verandah, watching the traffic of Saturday boaters and cargo ships moving along the waterway where we were moored. Two ships needed to depart before we could leave, and around 3:30 we finally pulled away and headed into the Atlantic Ocean, sailing east to cross the Gulf Stream before heading south to our first stop at Grand Turk.
I had read on one of the cruise sites (CruiseCritic, CruiseLine, EatSleepCruise, AvidCruiser, CruiseMaven … there is a lot of reading available if you are interested in cruising and want more information) that the first night out is a good night to schedule a dinner at one of the upcharge restaurants—Pinnacle Grill; Canoletto; Tamarind; Rudi’s Sel De Mer. Most cruisers don’t think of heading there the first night, so it’s easier to get a table. We had made a reservation for 7:30, and were seated by a portside window. As the evening progressed I was able to see the full moon and its reflection on the ocean as we dined. What a beautiful evening and delicious dinner.
Most nights through the cruise, the four of us met at the Ocean Bar for a drink before dinner, then reconvened there after dinner for another drink and more conversation before heading off to bed. We were lucky to meet Carmelo, one of the Ocean Bar’s servers, before dinner on the first night, and gravitated to him throughout the week. What a nice guy!
When we headed back to the room, Jas and I always strolled along the Music Walk before taking the forward elevators up to Deck 7. There was a fabulous R&B band, then glass doors in the hallway to contain the sound, then a rock band or dueling pianos, depending on the time. Every one of these musicians was talented and experienced. What a joy to be surrounded by all this music. I would sometimes go down in the afternoons to hear the piano quartet (Cassandra, violin; Maya, viola; Isaiah,cello; and Emily, piano) on the Lincoln Center Stage. I enjoyed every bit of music I heard.
Day 2, Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023, At Sea
[The view of the sea from our recumbent bike seats in the gym.]
An omen of a good week ahead: 2 on Wordle!! Our first full day involved sailing toward The Turks and Caicos, which we would explore the next day. Jas and I started our day in the gym, on the elliptical and the recumbent bike. Y’know, if I had that view from the Youngstown gym where I have a membership, I’d be there every day! After our workout and a quick shower, we met M&M for breakfast in the Club Orange dining room. This restaurant was not an upcharge restaurant, but was exclusive to those who were members of Club Orange, either because of their Mariner Status (based on the number of times they have cruised) or because they had reserved a Neptune or Pinnacle suite for this cruise. On our August cruise ship, there was no separate Club Orange dining room, but there were Club Orange specials on the menu in the Main Dining Room. I enjoyed the Club Orange dining room, a “white tablecloth” venue with an open kitchen. We learned from Sutamba, the maître d’, that in the original plan for this ship was that this space would be a cooking classroom. After a period of time, that was determined not to be the best use of the space, and the Club Orange dining room was created in that space. Now all three Pinnacle-class ships, Nieuw Statendam and her sisters, Rotterdam and Konigsdam, have a dedicated Club Orange dining space.
I love at-sea days. There is time to read, to wander around the ship and admire all the artwork, to get a pedicure or massage in the spa, to explore areas of the ship you haven’t seen, to hop into a pickup pickleball game, or just to relax and do nothing. I spent about an hour in Explorations Central working on a jigsaw puzzle. This area is also known as the Crow’s Nest, a wonderful space on the top deck that is outfitted with large windows all across the front of the ship and comfortable chairs. There’s a bar and café where you can order drinks and snacks; bookshelves, lots of game tables where chess boards, board games, and card decks are drawing people in. The Excursion Desk is there also, where you can get advice on what excursions you might enjoy at our various ports of call. It’s truly my favorite space on the ship.
After my puzzle time, I settled into a chair along the front windows with my iPad and EarPods to study my score for “The Last Five Years.” My rehearsals start as soon as I get back home.
Once I started getting hungry, Jas and I decided to nosh in the Neptune Lounge for a light lunch. It’s such a nice space, and consumes much less time than either the Lido Market or any of the table service spaces.
Much of my afternoon was spent on our verandah, watching the water pass by, admiring freighters way out in the ocean west of us, working on my music, and getting these travelogue pages set up so I could keep them current as each day passed. I would have minimal time to write once I got home because of my rehearsal schedule.
Tonight would be the first of two “dressy” nights, which, decades ago, were called “Gala Nights” or “Formal Nights” on ships. We had gotten a reservation in the Main Dining Room and enjoyed the people-watching as we enjoyed the wonderful food in the lovely surroundings. As we left the dining room, we noticed the amazing two-story sculpture, described in an article on CruiseCritic: “Look for the two-deck paper sculpture—made from Belgian linen and designed to mimic sound and ocean waves—to the left of the entry. It was created by an artist who has exhibited in the Louvre.” A drink in the Ocean Bar before and after, then our nightly stroll down Music Walk. And our first full day was complete. When we walked through the door of our suite, we saw that Arye and Okto had left us our first towel art of the week. ❤️
Day 3, Monday, Jan. 9, 2023, Grand Turk
[As we approached the cruise dock at Grand Turk, we could see the raindrops on our bow camera. Not a good sign for a day in the sun.]
Up until we began planning this cruise, I could not have found The Turks and Caicos Islands on any map or globe. I assumed they were on the southeast coast of Africa, because isn’t that where all the exotic islands are? I had heard of them on “The Price Is Right” or “Wheel of Fortune” when I occasionally channel-surfed past those shows. But beyond that, they were completely foreign to me. I gave you a link to their tourism site in this paragraph if you want to learn more.
Jas had hoped to go snorkeling once he knew we were coming down here, and I had seen the excursions for “clear kayaking,” where you paddle a kayak with a plexiglass bottom so you can see the fish and sea turtles and coral in the water. I wanted that very badly. We were late in planning this cruise, and the kayak trip was sold out. Jas has had AFib for years and it doesn’t impact his daily life, but the snorkeling fine print said if you had heart conditions (him) or were over over 70 years of age (both of us), you could not sign up for this excursion. WTF? Okay, we haven’t snorkeled for five years, but doesn’t the fact that we own our own equipment count for something?! And besides, 70 is just a number, or so I’ve heard. Anyway, our excursions of choice were out. And once we saw the rain rolling in, we were kinda glad we weren’t going out. M&M had reserved an air-conditioned cabana in Margaritaville and had invited us to join them, to be their plus-2s.
The ship arrived in port around 8:00 a.m. The four of us agreed to meet at the Main Dining Room for breakfast, which we had not yet done on this cruise. I decided to splurge on breakfast and ordered Lobster Eggs Benedict. My splurge resulted in our having to wait 20-30 minutes for our breakfast to be served. I hung my head in shame. The next time I want Eggs Benedict, I’ll just take them original style. After breakfast, we headed down the gangplank through the large building begging you to spend your money, into the area where the cabanas were. By now it was after 10:30. We ordered drinks—We’re on vacation, okay? And besides, it’s fruit, so sorta breakfasty.—and I was rewarded with one of the worst margaritas I’ve ever tasted. We settled into lounges next to the large pool and read for a while. Jas wandered off with his camera to have some fun. When he returned, we decided not to spend any more money at Margaritaville. We packed up our belongings and headed back to the ship and snagged some sandwiches at the Neptune Lounge.
Naps may have been taken. Computers may have been manipulated. Books or news sites may have been read. The afternoon passed. We had a reservation for the Main Dining Room, so did our usual: Ocean Bar; dinner; Ocean Bar. Jas and I headed down the Music Walk, stopped to listen to different groups, then headed “home.” We were greeted by another of Arye’s towel creations, a baby bird reminding us that clocks would jump forward overnight as we moved into Atlantic Standard Time.
Day 4, Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023, San Juan, Puerto Rico
[Departing San Juan Cruiseport, 11:00 p.m.]
We were not scheduled to arrive in San Juan until 1:00 p.m. so we had the morning free. Jas and I went to the Club Orange dining room for breakfast. They were not terribly busy this morning, so I had a little chance to chat with the maître d’, Sutamba. His home is in Bali, in the beachfront town of Sanur, where I stayed for a week during my Bali Fiber Tour in May of 2018. I always love finding connections with people. He was interested to hear about the activities we had participated in and the locations we had visited.
I spent some time in the morning doing research about our flight home and filling out the Luggage Direct paperwork. I knew that on the way down from CLE, we didn’t have to pay for our checked bag, as we had been upgraded to First Class. But our waitlist for First had not yet cleared for the FLL→CLE return, so I had to dig on the United app to see what I could find. Fortunately I found the “My Baggage Estimates” page, showing that our checked bags would be free. This was our first experience with Luggage Direct, and I loved it. The cruiseline communicated directly with the airline, sent them our flight details and ticket numbers, and the airline approved us for the program, sending baggage tags and boarding passes in return. (Now I’m curious how they accomplished that. Does United give HAL the perforated and adhesive paperstock and the PDFs to be printed thereon? Hmm, enquiring minds want to know.) On Thursday or Friday, our concierge gave us the sheet containing our boarding passes and luggage tags. When our bags were ready to go on Friday night, we attached the luggage tags and set them outside our door. When we docked on Saturday morning, our bags, along with all the bags of travelers participating in the program, were delivered to the airport. When all the flights were being loaded, all those bags were loaded onto their respective planes. So from the moment we put our bags outside our suite door, the next time we saw them was on the carousel at CLE. United had emailed us a link we cold click at anytime to see where our bags were. (I also read an article after returning home about the use of Apple AirTags in all your checked bags to supplement the locator information the airline gives you. The author of the article traveled during that horrible storm weekend when so many flights were cancelled. The airline and the airport kept saying they didn’t have the bag, but his AirTag app showed him exactly where his bag was. He went to the airport and was told again that they didn’t know where his bag was. He showed them the map on the app, and within ten minutes he had his bag. I’ll be investing in two AirTags before our next trip.)
There were few excursions in San Juan available, but we had a u$e-it-or-lo$e it allowance our purchase package had give us, so chose the “San Juan Highlights” excursion. We had a wonderful history professor, Norma, as our guide, and a driver, Carlos, who did things with that coach that I didn’t know were possible. One of the places we stopped was the Puerto Rico Convention Center, which is the largest and most technologically advanced in the Caribbean. One of their conference rooms can seat 16,500 attendees. Another place I enjoyed seeing was Punta Escambrón with its beautiful beach. Oh, and there was a Ben & Jerry’s nearby, because we needed a mid-afternoon pick-me-up after absorbing so much history. The beautiful Santa María Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery and Castillo San Cristobal were our last stop. I was astonished to see how the cemetery, right next to the ocean, had withstood 170 years of storms. If you plan to visit Puerto Rico at some time, here’s an article you might want to save for reference. Here’s a list of places and public art you might want to see in San Juan. I hope we get to visit there again sometime. There was so much I didn’t get to see.
The ship would stay in port until 11:00 p.m. After dinner in Club Orange, Jas and I went to the World Stage to hear comedian Frank Townsend. Our dinner had run long, and we only heard the last 15 minutes of his set. But we liked what we heard. We’re normally asleep by 9:30 or 10:00, but we were determined to stay awake for his 9:30 set, and were rewarded with a whole lot of laughs. Afterward, we even managed to stay awake until 11:00 to see the exit from San Juan. To experience the turning around of the ship by the experienced crew on the bridge, in a rather shallow channel, was amazing each time we saw it.
If you are fascinated by cruise ships, check out the show, “Mighty Cruise Ships,” on the Paramount+ streaming channel. Lots of the behind the scenes info. I’m addicted, and keep seeing new places on the various ships’ journeys that I want to visit.
Day 5, Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
[Atop Paradise Point, with St. Thomas Harbor in the background.]
We would be in port at St. Thomas from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. As we pulled nose-in to the dock, the first thing M&M noticed from their portside verandah was a Very Large yacht next to us. The most prominent feature was the helicopter landing pad on the deck above the prow. There were 20 or so crew members (that we could see) on the decks, taking care of things. M&M called us to come over to their suite to see this magnificent yacht. After a little googling, Mike figured out the yacht was owned by Nancy Walton. Yes, one of the heirs of the Walmart fortune. As of 1/7/2023, she’s worth $8.3B, per Forbes. BTW, she bought the yacht used, so there’s that wise use of her wealth. 😉
Our excursion for the day in St. Thomas was to ride the cablecar to Paradise Point, where there are fabulous views out over St.Thomas Harbor. Jas, who hates flying and isn’t crazy about heights, wasn’t sure he wanted to do this, but went along. I think he was glad he did, once he saw some great camera opportunities. After riding the cablecar back down, we found a cab to take us, for $6 per person, to the [small] city center of Charlotte Amalie. There we wandered a little before finding a restaurant we thought we would like, Greengo’s. (I liked the clever play on words.) After lunch we hopped onto one of the open air shuttles to the dock. These vehicles hold about 20 passengers on five or six benches, and are cleverly built onto the bed of pickup trucks. Again, $6 per person, so these drivers make a darned good living on the days cruise ships are in town. There are two docks in this harbor. We came into Havensight Pier, and there were two ships behind us. On the other side of the harbor, equidistant from the town, was Charlotte Amalie Cruiseport. While we were up on Paradise Point, we watched a Celebrity cruise ship sail in and join the ship that had docked there earlier.
If you ever have the opportunity to visit this port, there’s a very nice paved sidewalk enabling visitors to walk along the water all the way from the Havensight pier to downtown Charlotte Amalie. The temperature was very warm the day we were there; we were glad we had chosen to ride.
After returning to the ship, we relaxed in our room, then I went to the spa for a basic manicure. As a working pianist, I keep my nails short, clipping the ends off every second or third day. I only file them on days when I’m going to see friends who are not musicians or am dressing up to go somewhere. And on the rare occasion, every five years or so, when I get a manicure, I never get polish. It’ll only last two days, so what’s the point? I’m always embarrassed by my cuticles, and have rarely had a nail technician not nip my cuticles and draw blood. This 15-minute manicure was FABULOUS! Jeddah, the nail tech, did such a good job, and no blood was shed. She didn’t have a buffing kit, but left my nails looking shiny and my cuticles not embarrassing. [If you’ve never been on a cruise or to an all-inclusive resort, I have to admit to you that the prices for services at these magical places are nowhere near the realm of reality. My 15-minute no polish, no massaging, mani cost $60. The massage I had on the previous cruise was $300. But, oh, you’re in heaven for the time you’re there, so it’s worth the money you pay. I’ll just skip Starbucks for the next six weeks. 😉
Our scheduled departure was 5:00 p.m., but when we looked on our suite TV at the bow cam, (remember, I said we pulled in nose-first) we realized the Princess Cruises Enchanted Princess had her stern facing our stern, and it appeared she wasn’t very far away! Sure enough, the captain came on the PA system and told us we had to wait for her to leave. Great—more time to admire the scenery in the harbor. 😊 Once the ship was out of our way, we stood on our starboard verandah and watched as the captain backed us out and turned around in the harbor.
Then the Ocean Bar for a drink, dinner in the Main Dining Room, another drink, a walk through all the music, and we called it a day.
Day 6, Thursday, Jan. 12, 2023, At Sea
[Absolutely thrilled to have caught this mini rainbow on the camera. It looked so close, I felt I could have reached out and grabbed it.]
Another lovely, relaxed sea day. The rain had already begun when I woke up at 6:15. I sat quietly on my side of the large bed, with the reading light adjusted so it wouldn’t be seen by the sleeping Jas. I spent an hour or more working on the Food page of my travelogue. Jas woke around 7:45, and our room service breakfast arrived at 8:15.
Jas had scheduled a massage for 9:30, having gone for months with no massage, after his favorite massage therapist had passed away in 2020. I headed for the Crow’s Nest with my iPad and laptop. That’s my happiest place on this ship.
At 11:00, there was an “Ask the Captain” session in the World Stage. Captain Eric Barhorst sat on the stage, alongside Cruise Director BettyAnn. He had photos for a thorough description of the bridge and the jobs that are handled there. He also showed photos of the engines and described the engineering of the ship that enables it to stay upright. I was so glad I had attended this presentation.
Afterward, Jas and I lunched at the Dive-In, then went back to our room. I wrote and read until time to go to the Lincoln Center Stage for a meet-the-musicians session with the piano quartet. Afterward, I stayed for their next set. What beautiful music.
After tea in the Main Dining Room, I went back to my suite and googled the viola player, whom I had learned was from Cleveland. I followed her on Instagram, and made a point to go meet her the next day before one of their sets. She’s a lovely, talented young woman who attended my beloved Interlochen Arts Camp a couple years before my grandchildren did, and whose mom is a violinist with the Cleveland Orchestra and an alum of Interlochen Arts Academy. I love our small world of music.
It was “dressy night,” so we had drinks in the Ocean Bar, a wonderful dinner in the Main Dining Room, and another drink in the bar, people-watching all the elegantly dressed cruisers on their way to dinner. We’re now two days from going home, and I’m feeling sad. I’m starting to write thank-you notes to my favorite crew members, tucking a $20 bill into each note. I think of how hard these servers and stewards and concierges work to ensure my happiness while I’m on vacation. They do multiple jobs, for very long hours, taking a power nap whenever they get a break of any length. It’s hard work, and they have high standards they must meet. And most of them do it because they can make more money on these ships than they can in their home countries and cities. I respect how hard they work, and I believe if every person they serve during the week hands them a little extra gratuity at the end of the week, then they can send a little extra home to the family who sacrifices the luxury of spending time with them. I never see all the people who work behind the scenes—those who run the laundry room around the clock; who make sure I have clean towels each day; the engineers who make sure the engines are running smoothly and the desalination and purification machines give me clean water to pour into my glass from my bathroom sink; the maintenance people who hang from the side of the ship and wash the windows when we’re in port. Those are why I prepay my gratuities before the cruise and know they’ve gone into a pool so everyone gets tipped, whether or not they ever see a guest face-to-face. The jobs these crew members rely upon to support their families or to save money to pursue higher education or buy a house is darned hard work.
Back in the room, our stewards had left us a mouse, or something, in towel art. And, protruding from Jas’s side of the bed, the legs and slippers of the bogeyman hiding under the bed. 😉
[Edit—two weeks later: I’ve just finished reading “Cabin Fever: The Harrowing Journey of a Cruise Ship at the Dawn of a Pandemic,” written by Michael Smith and Jonathan Franklin. It’s the tale of the Holland America ms Zaandam (the ship Jas and I were on for our cruise from Boston to Montreal in Aug./Sep., 2022) as she approached Antartica as the world shut down. It’s very well written, documenting many difficult decisions both the management on board the ship and the top decision makers at headquarters in Seattle had to make. It gave me a clearer vision of what goes on in Decks A, B, and C, where the crew lives, and where many of the behind-the-scenes crew members work. It will make you shake your head, laugh, and cry. It’s a story of dedicated workers trying to carry out their mission in the face of insurmountable problems. The most humbling two pages tell of the aftermath of the death of one crew member, where the family of that crew member was taken care of, financially, by the cruise line and the crew who all knew and loved this man. When I step on the Zaandam again in April of 2024, I will remember this story and treat the crew members there with all the respect and love they deserve. (No, I’m not supposing the crew is comprised of the same people who lived through that experience. I’m just saying, I respect the mindset the accompanies the crews on this ship, and every Holland America ship, and every ship under the umbrella of Carnival Cruise Line, and the industry, worldwide.]
Day 7, Friday, Jan. 13, 2023, Half Moon Cay
[The clouds in the distance shouted “rain.”]
A wet final day on the ocean. We’re going to be tindered to the ship’s private island, ostensibly to spend some time lounging on the shore in “clamshells.” And yet, when I woke and looked outside, what I saw was great, dark clouds in the distance. We wanted to have one more breakfast in the Club Orange dining room so we could again thank Sutamba, the maître d’, for his kindnesses to us, and the kindness of his staff.
The tinders were to begin running at 8:30, as the Nieuw Statendam was to be joined in the harbor by her sister ship, the Rotterdam, at 10:30. We wanted to get out there before the Rotterdam guests made it harder to find a clamshell (for which we had already paid to use).
Jas had scheduled a second massage to get some relief from his back pain. He and I were texting as he was heading back to the room to change into his swimsuit, grab a shirt, and head to the tinder. I saw his tinder heading for the island, and by the time he arrived and we could find each other among the hordes of people, the rain had begun. M&M and I grabbed our belongings and we all headed for the dock where we would board our tinder to go back to Nieuw Statendam. Jas has spent a total of about 15 minutes on the island. Now, the major challenge in getting through the rain to the returning tinder was getting the guests from two different ships to pay attention and recognize that there were two lines, and they needed to choose their line based on the ship where their room and their luggage was! Once we got on the tinder, we were funneled to the top deck, which did not have a cover. I was wrapped up in my the beach towel I brought from the ship, trying to keep from melting in the rain.
By the time we actually got back on the ship and up to our suite to find some dry clothes, the only place still open for lunch was the Lido Market. The four of us got our lunch, then headed back to our rooms to relax from all the fun and sun we had experienced that morning. Well, really, we went back to our rooms to pack!
And before we knew it, it was time for dinner. M&M had reservations for dinner at Tamarind, the restaurant on Deck 10 that features the cuisine of Southeast Asia, China, and Japan. Here’s more information about Tamarind, including a sample menu, if you’re interested. Jas and I ate at the Italian restaurant, Canaletto. The two of us had eaten at Canaletto on our Boston to Montreal cruise last fall. I always enjoy Italian food—it’s easier for me to find dishes that won’t be prepared with any of my migraine triggers than with most other cuisines. I avoid any cuisine with “fusion” in its description! The dinner was wonderful, and the upcharge to eat at Canaletto is around $25 per person, rather than the $45 upcharge for the Pinnacle Grill. (Although I do love the Pinnacle Grill. Decisions!) After dinner and a quick drink to say goodby to Carmelo, we retuned to our suites to finish packing and set our bags outside our suites.
Day 8, Saturday, Jan. 14, 2023, Fort Lauderdale, Disembarkation
[Harbormaster Tower, Port Everglades, Florida]
Early morning wakeup, as we were told we would disembark between 7:30 and 8:00. We scheduled our room service breakfast for 6:30 and it arrived right on time. And once we were dressed, there was nothing to do but sit and wait, and step out onto the verandah every so often to watch the activity below. I love watching all the work when we’re in port. At one point, we heard from the cruise director that the U.S. Customs agents were having a problem with some equipment, so we would have to wait a little longer. And then when our group was finally called, there was a long line to get processed out. But by 9:00 we were in the coach and headed to the airport. Vacation was effectively over. 😢
Heading Home
[We could see Port Everglades from our gate!]
The Luggage Direct program made arrival at the airport so easy! We didn’t have to wait for the coach driver to remove the luggage hold; we just walked off the coach and into the airport. Our bags were already checked. Our boarding passes were on our phones. We looked for the TSA PreCheck sign, showed our passports and boarding passes, placed our bags on the belt, and were ready to kill an hour at a restaurant. There was a Mexican restaurant a few steps from our gate, and a cutie pie waitress named Maria who was probably in her 60s and knew how to make Jas laugh. The guys ordered their Bloody Marys, and we settled in. After paying the bill, we shopped for snacks, and settled at the gate for about a 20 minute wait. We waved goodbye to our ship as we boarded the plane. Halfway up to Cleveland, the clouds set in. When we finally dropped below the clouds to land, we could see a couple of inches of snow on the ground and the rooftops. Ugh. We were back in NEOH.
Off the plane, stand at the baggage carousel for about 20 minutes, retrieve our bags, call the shuttle driver, wait another 20 minutes, arrive at the hotel parking lot, load our luggage in the back of the car, and start scraping all the ice and snow off the car. Easy drive home, stop at a favorite restaurant for a light dinner, then home to crash.
My bottom line? I believe that was the most relaxing vacation of my life. And Jas and I are going to do it again in late May, this time to Alaska on the Holland America Noordam. For me, it’s worth every dollar I pay. [And in the week since I wrote that sentence, Kerry and Tom let M&M and Jas and me know that they were cruising the Pacific coast of the U.S. from San Diego to Vancouver, BC, in April of 2024. So we’re now scheduled for that. 👍 🛳️
Vacation Photo Gallery
