I was somewhat aware of the ship movement during the night and slept well, but woke with a sore neck from the too-soft pillows. I missed "My Pillow" that I love so much at home.
The tracking station on the TV showed we had gone north of Nassau overnight (where we were supposed to be spending the day) and were close to Half Moon Cay where we were to end up at the end of the week. (Marker #4 on the map.)
We both commented during the week how easy and quick it was to get an elevator on the Nieuw Amsterdam. Rarely any waiting and they were so fast! At mid-ship there were glass elevators that went up along the outside of the ship, offering nice views of the water.
Breakfast for me was a bran muffin, chocolate pastry, cranberry juice and coffee. Bob was headed to the gym so limited himself to a few fried potatoes and fruit. Each section of tables had a server assigned who would then come by and offer drinks. Right away we noticed one crew member, Nilaarin, who was always so bright and cheerful, so we usually tried to find a table in her section.
Thinking I had quite a bit of time before I went to the morning computer class, we stopped back by our cabin after breakfast. I happened to glance at my watch and realized that it was off by about 20 minutes (time to get a new watch😒). I hustled down to Deck 2, worried that if I was late I would not get a computer station. I needn't have worried, I arrived about 9:20 for a 9:30 class and only a couple of other people were there. I started chatting with the teacher and found out she...and the guy in front of me...were both from Minnesota!
Holland America has affiliations with several different companies who provide entertainment options on the ship and the Microsoft Digital Workshops was one such offering. The 45 minute morning class was on organizing photos with Windows 10. Most of what was covered I already knew, but I did pick up a couple of tidbits of new information and enjoyed the class. The teacher was knowledgeable, but did not necessarily have the right personality for her job. She got a little flustered because there were different versions of the photo software installed on the computers and became annoyed with any type of noise in the room. She actually scolded a couple of people...an older gentleman who was asking his wife for help (I think he was hard of hearing) and another who didn't get the music turned off of a slide show we were working on.
I met up with Bob after my class at the screening room on Deck 3 for a BBC Earth (another one of Holland's affiliations) movie called "A Privileged View". The movie focused on BBC photographers and included some incredible wildlife scenes. The screening room has the most comfortable, leather recliners and between the dark room and the effects of my motion sickness pill, I dozed a bit through the segment on camels. I did thoroughly enjoy seeing the monkeys and penguin parts however!
The movie ended at 11:30 am and we went directly to the Lido deck, arriving just as the buffet was opening. Bob was anxious to try the Asian food and got beef sukiyaki. I tried chicken yakitori and we both had our choices served with udon noodles. I also sampled some of the tempura vegetables which were outstanding!
When I went looking for dessert, I got sidetracked and picked up a small plate of sushi, another plate of fruit and cheese and eventually came across the sweets and grabbed a piece of cheesecake. So many choices...so little time!
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| I'm still trying to decide if I like sushi. For now I look at it as just an accompaniment for ginger which I do really enjoy. (Backwards, I know. 😀) |
While we were eating, the captain gave his noon update and announced that the tropical storm had become the named storm, "Phillipe" overnight. He said waves were around 12 feet and that outside decks were closed due to the high winds. He was optimistic that conditions would improve by tomorrow.
There seemed to be a lack of the types of sea day entertainment on the Nieuw Amsterdam that we encountered on Princess and Norwegian...craft classes, musical entertainment, silly games, etc. And thankfully there were none of the activities (such as hairy chest contests) that were the mainstay of sea days on Carnival.
It may get repetitive on longer cruises, but I did enjoy the more educational type offerings on Holland America...Microsoft classes, BBC Earth presentations, and now we were headed to see an America's Test Kitchen cooking show on Asian Dumplings. Normally this wouldn't have been something Bob would attend, but he prides himself on being the Asian chef in our family.
The host demonstrated a couple of different recipes and also included various tips on the scientific side of cooking. One fact we learned...a dislike for cilantro is genetically based. If someone does not like the taste of cilantro then changing how it is used will not alter their opinion. To those with an anti-cilantro genetic makeup the herb just tastes like soap. This brought about an "I told you so" from Bob who gripes whenever I try and add cilantro to recipes.
A nap attack was starting to hit again (stupid motion sickness pills) and I saw no reason to fight it. I went back to the cabin to rest while Bob went to the movie, "Wonder Woman," in the theater. Bob is a movie lover and he certainly got to pursue his passion on this cruise! Movies in the theater every day and movies on demand in the cabin.
My nap was short and then I sat on the balcony as I updated my blog notes. The waves didn't seem as high and there was some blue sky but it was very, very windy. The balcony was covered in sea spray and the divider between our balcony and the next was rattling incessantly. Bob had tried to silence the noise with a wash cloth the night before, but didn't have much luck. Normally I would avoid the wind and humidity...it makes my hair go wild...but I knew I would be showering and doing my hair shortly for dinner. Let it blow!!
The evening dinner menus were always available on the TV screen each day and also on the Holland America Navigator website that I accessed on my phone or iPad (available free). We would view the menus ahead so by the time we were handed the menu, we usually had already made up our minds of what we would order. I also would take a screen shot of the menus online so that I can share them here. Many times we would order the same thing. After over 40 years of marriage I guess our tastes have become so similar!
Day 2 - Gala Night
Appetizers
HONEY PINEAPPLE
toasted coconut, strawberries
ORANGE-JUMBO SHRIMP COCKTAIL (M)
melon trio skewer, cilantro lemon grass aioli
ESCARGOTS BOURGUIGNON (B)
herb garlic butter, burgundy wine, French bread
Soups and Salad
CREAMED ARTICHOKE AND HERITAGE CARROT SOUP (M & B)
arugula pesto oil, creme fraiche
CHICKEN WITH SOBA NOODLES
soy sauce, shitake mushrooms, scallions, carrot, leek
SALAD OF ARUGULA AND FRISEE
Williams pear, mandarin segments, pistachios, cherry tomatoes, organic mixed seeds
Entrees
CRACKED PEPPER TENDERLOIN WITH GRILLED SHRIMP (M & B)
sauteed spinach, green beans, caramelized pineapple, balsamic reduction
RACK OF LAMB WITH CANNELLINI BEANS AND GARLIC PEARLS
roasted red bell pepper, sauteed artichoke
roasted red bell pepper, sauteed artichoke
MAPLE-LACQUERED DUCK BREAST
corn-cranberry pudding, candied figs, braised Swiss chard, cider vinegar sauce
YELLOWFIN SOLE FILLET
smashed potato crab gallete, sauce vierge, haricots verts
BAKED RICOTTA STUFFED SHELLS
garlic-basil-tomato sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses
TRUFFLED MUSHROOM RISOTTO
Parmesan and mascarpone cheeses
Desserts
CHOCOLATE SOUFFLE (M)
warm dark chocolate sauce
BALSAMIC STRAWBERRIES
white chocolate mousse
LEMON MERINGUE CHEESECAKE (B)
blueberry sauce, crushed amaretti
BLACK FOREST CAKE NO SUGAR ADDED
chocolate cake, Kirchwasser-flavored cream, bing cherries, chocolate shavings
It was "gala night" in the dining room and rather than share a table, I had called ahead and made a reservation for a table for 2. The only time available was at 5:15 so I took it. We were led to a small table located in the far back corner of the dining room...and I mean WAAAAYYY back in the corner.
While we were eating we heard...and felt...what I would describe as a loud THUD. It sounded as if the ship had collided with something. A few other times (and once in the elevator!!) we heard the same sound. A little scary. If we weren't sailing in the Caribbean I would have been on the lookout for icebergs.
There was a partition blocking us off from the rest of the room but we could hear the woman at the table on the other side ordering steak and raw Cheerios 😲 ...no milk. She was also making other demands of the waiter which we couldn't totally make out. It made a little more sense when a second person showed up with a baby. Our service was quick, but by the time we left, the baby was getting cranky. Chances are that others at nearby tables would soon be getting cranky as well from listening to the crying.
We stopped in at the BB King Blues Club just as the BBC Earth trivia contest had started. We didn't write down our answers, but just between the two of us we would guess what we thought was the correct answer. When they gave out the correct answers at the end we were surprised to find out that we had gotten almost all of them correct!! We didn't stick around to see how many answers the "official" winner had gotten because we were anxious to get to the theater for the Captain's toast. Champagne, orange juice or Coke was being served as we entered. The Captain was introduced, made a few comments and that was that. Not near as festive as the champagne waterfall on Princess ships.
Immediately following was the show, "Off the Charts"...a concert of hits from Elvis to Beyonce. It was fun hearing familiar tunes and the video backgrounds were impressive...sharp and clear.
The show was over at 8:40 and we went straight from the theater to hear the BB Kings All Stars and surprisingly we got a seat! We stayed until they finished their first set at 9:15. (They do three sets each night.)
After eating dinner so early we decided a bedtime snack was in order. Unfortunately the buffet closes down between 8:00 and 10:30 pm. About the only option during those hours was to order a pizza from the New York Pizza place. There were several different options or you could custom order a pizza. The pizzas are small, personal-sized pizzas on a thin crust.
Our choice? A vegetarian "Central Park" pizza...roasted red peppers, red onion, mushrooms, artichoke, kalamata olives, pomodora sauce, and mozzarella cheese. The pizzas are not ready made so we were given a pager to alert us when the pizza was ready.
We had stopped by the cabin on our way to the lido deck and had picked up the "When & Where" newsletter for the next day. Looking at the activities and planning our day kept us occupied until the pager went off signaling that our pizza was ready. By the time we finished, we noticed a few people walking by with ice cream cones. I'm not totally sure they were really ready to be open, but the gal was willing to make us each a cone.
A towel animal was waiting on us each night in our cabin when we returned. We stepped out onto the balcony for a short time before bed. It was hot and muggy, but the moon was shining brightly. The stats on the TV said it was 81 degrees with 8% humidity. I might believe one of those numbers. 😉
Here are the day's activities...
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