Nieuw Amsterdam Cruise - The Movie Version!

A few months ago we got fed up with the outrageous monthly bill we were paying for cable TV and did it...we cut the cable. By eliminating cable TV, we are saving over $100/month and honestly...we haven't missed it a bit.

What has made this conversion possible is the fact that we had just purchased a "smart tv" with internet access. Now YouTube, Netflix and Amazon Prime have filled the void left by the hundreds of cable channels...most of which we never watched anyway.

YouTube (which at one time I thought was mainly cute cat videos) has proven to be my favorite form of on-screen entertainment. I have discovered the world of travel vlogs and anxiously await new videos, which in the YouTube world is almost daily! How great is that!! I never realized that people travel full time and actually record everything they do on their vlogs! (Vlog = video+blog)

Watching all of these great vlogs gave me the inspiration to try and do not only still photographs from our travels, but also a little bit of video as well. The professional travel vloggers create and edit multiple videos a week, but if you notice the date on this post, you can see it has taken me over a month just to complete ONE measly video from our cruise. So...I have no aspirations of making a career out of travel vlogging, but thought perhaps you might enjoy seeing the "movie version" of our first Holland America cruise on the Nieuw Amsterdam. Click below...

Video of Our Cruise on the Nieuw Amsterdam

If traveling is your passion and you want to enjoy a steady diet of travel videos, here are some of my favorite travel vloggers...

Kara and Nate - A cute husband and wife team with a goal of traveling to 100 countries by 2019.

The Way Away - Another full-time traveling couple, husband and wife (Josh & Ashley Brown)

RAN Sailing - A Swedish couple traveling around the world in their sailboat.

Gone with the Wynns - This couple began their journey in an RV and now sail around the world in their catamaran.

Vagabrothers - Two full-time traveling brothers who give lots of advice and tips. The images in their videos are simply stunning.

Check these out. I'm sure you will agree that the content on these vlogs puts the Travel Channel to shame!

Saturday, Day 8 - End of Cruise...Homeward Bound

Ending a cruise is never fun, but Holland America softened the blow just a bit by allowing us to stay in our cabin until we were ready to disembark. This was so much more pleasant and comfortable than fighting for a place to sit in a public area with hundreds of other unhappy passengers waiting to disembark. No...we weren't given special treatment, this is a fleet-wide policy as far as I know. Yay for Holland America!

But lets back up and start the day from the beginning...

The ship was already docked in Ft. Lauderdale by the time we woke up. The first order of business was to check in for our flight now that I had cell service. The good deal we had gotten on our flights was a result of booking Delta's "Basic Economy" tickets. The price was right, but we were not able to choose our seats ahead of time. Back when I had checked in for our flight TO Ft. Lauderdale I was given the option (although very limited) to choose seats. This time, however, all I got was a message saying that seats would be assigned at the gate. Rats.

The other internet business that needed taking care of was completing the information on the Mobile Passport App. The final information (such as Pier number, etc.) had to be completed within 4 hours of going through customs. Done.

As we were packing up the night before, it had occurred to us that we had not been given the usual customs declaration form. We even stopped by Guest Services to inquire and were told it had been discontinued. Hmmmm. I was hoping to use the Mobile Passport App, but had planned to have the paper form ready just in case.

Our flight wasn't leaving until 3:35 pm and we had requested the latest time possible to leave the ship. We took our time getting ready and then had a leisurely breakfast at the buffet.

We left our cabin at around 10:00 am and our color was called shortly after we went down to where we would disembark. Being one of the later groups to disembark made finding our luggage easy...not very many bags were left. When we got to the customs area, I stopped to ask if there was a special line for using the Mobile Passport App and was told "no" it was no longer being used. What??

We were directed to the customs agent (with no line) and all we had to do was show our passports. That was it...and we were through. So easy...but so weird with all of the concern over border security.

Once we were out of the terminal, I called for a Lyft. There were several ships in port so we waited and watched the driver's GPS location on the app as he tried to make his way through the security gate. When he finally started moving we watched him (for real, not the app!) drive right by us and then turn around and drive right by again going the opposite direction.

After a couple of phone calls to the driver with poor reception, I gave up and cancelled the request and started over. We waited for awhile, and then Lyft cancelled the next driver! Finally the third time was a charm or would have seemed like a charm had we not been waiting almost 45 minutes to get picked up!

According to my receipt, the ride to FLL from Port Everglades was 3.74 miles, took a total of 10 minutes and 43 seconds at a price of $11.23. I was glad we hadn't been in a hurry to catch a flight. Other people waiting with us were equally frustrated at trying to get Uber or Lyft and gave up and just took one of the taxis available.

There were no problems with luggage weight as I anticipated and it didn't take long to get through security. At the gate we were told that there wouldn't be anyone to handle seat assignments until one hour prior to the flight which made me uneasy.

Another concern was a call we got from our #3 son who was supposed to pick us up at the Minneapolis airport. A problem had arisen and he wasn't going to be able to get there. After a few phone calls back and forth we discovered our #2 son just happened to be at a seminar at a hotel next to the airport. The seminar was ending just about the time we were to land and he would be right there to pick us up. Thanks to God for answered prayers (and cell phones)!

Eventually a long line of other passengers started to form once the gate agent appeared. I was relieved to find out that we had been given seats together...but not quite so happy when I realized that they were in the very back row. The seats did not recline and they were right next to the line for the bathroom...but at least we were on the plane. Not everyone else waiting for the flight was so lucky.

It was a rough flight, but with the in-flight entertainment and and a video I had downloaded to my Ipad, the time went fairly quickly. We gained back an hour by switching time zones, and then got a bonus hour that night when daylight savings time ended.

I had kept the window shade down while we were watching a movie and lifted it just in time to see the sun set.

Once we landed and got our luggage, I called my son and told him we would be waiting by door #6. A short time later, he called to say "I'm here by door #6, but I don't see you...and oh...my phone is about ready to die." That started a flurry of back and forth calls and texts that in hindsight is funny, but was pretty stressful at the time. Turns out he was on the departure level and we were down a level at baggage claim...both at door #6. He made multiple passes in and out of the airport, but each time missing the correct exit. Once again God was looking out for us. The phone battery lasted until we finally connected!

It was an hour to get back to our other son's house where we had left our car (both sons live in the same town.) After the long day of travel we opted to spend the night rather than face another three hours on the road to get home. (And spending time with the grandkids made the decision to stay over quite easy!)

Although the cruise was full of uncertainty and not everything went as planned with our ports, the good memories definitely out-weighed the bad. In my mind, the week was somewhat of a trial run with Holland America and it passed the test! We already had two much longer cruises booked with Holland America prior to this one and I am happy to say we are looking forward to them even more now!

Stay tuned. We will be cruising again in the spring and putting a big check on my bucket list! 😊

Friday, Day 7 - Half Moon Cay

Today's blog post could easily be written with just one word...PARADISE! But, of course I will write more because I wouldn't want to cheat you out of the details of an almost perfect day!

To begin with, it was my birthday! I woke up around 7 am and dressed quietly, letting Bob sleep. We had agreed that we wouldn't be in any hurry, but by 8:00 I decided his nine hours of sleep was plenty and opened the drapes to let the light flood in. Works every time...he was awake immediately.

Breakfast in the buffet consisted of a sticky bun and yogurt parfait for me. Bob went for a more substantial breakfast...scrambled eggs, hash browns, and turkey bacon. After my discovery yesterday, I made sure to check what the morning "special" was...sweet potato waffles with marshmallow topping. No thanks.

The beach bag had been packed the night before so we grabbed our stuff (including the noodle that I brought all the way from Minnesota!) and went down to board the tender to go ashore at Half Moon Cay...Holland America's private island in the Bahamas.

Our timing was good...we were one of the last passengers to get on the double decker tender and it left almost immediately. Our seats were on the top, open air level which made for a much more pleasant ride than we experienced in the life boat tender at Cap Cana.

At the beach, we walked toward the pirate ship bar. As we stopped to take a photo, Bob and Sarah (our dinner companions a few nights ago) walked up and asked if I would take their photo next to this sign...

So true.

Hundreds of lounge chairs had been set up on the beach...all the way to the waters edge. There was very little room to walk in front of the chairs on the harder, wet sand but yet the soft, dry sand at the back of the chairs was like walking in flour...very difficult. It must have been high tide in the morning because later in the day the beach in front of the chairs was much wider.

We picked out two chairs in the shade in front of the two-story cabanas (which are available to rent for ONLY $549.95!) We counted around 80 - 100 chairs in the one group where we were sitting and besides us there were maybe only 3 other people there. Spending money to rent one of the clamshell sunshades would have been a waste because we had shade all day long.

I immediately went into the water...probably the clearest water I have been in outside of a swimming pool. The water was beautiful, but snorkeling here wouldn't have been fun...just pure white sand on the bottom and nothing else to see. We did notice a couple of fish swim by, but that was it. Bob gets chilled quickly so he took the camera and left me floating on my noodle while he went exploring down the beach.

By the time he got back, I had returned to my chair alternating between working sudoku puzzles and just staring out at that beautiful ocean. I couldn't have imagined a more perfect way to spend my birthday!!

At lunch time it was a short distance from our chairs to the pavilion where the beach BBQ was being served. We each chose a hot dog and a couple of salads. There were plenty of picnic tables for seating. (And plenty of chickens roaming around in the bushes next to the tables!)

After finishing his hot dog, Bob went back to get a hamburger. It took him so long to return that I accused him of going back to the ship to get it! Ice cream would have made a wonderful end to our meal, but the line was so long. I didn't want to waste my precious beach time waiting so grabbed a piece of banana bread rum cake along with a big bunch of grapes that I took back to the beach to enjoy. 

For the afternoon, I alternated between my lounge chair and noodle time and far too soon it was time to return to the ship. All aboard was set for 2:30...way too early to leave such a beautiful place. 😢

I made a stop to rinse the sand off my feet which caused us to miss one tender and have to wait about 10 minutes until the next one arrived. 

Once on the boat, we waited for quite some time. They were counting people and I realized that we were on the last tender of the day and they were making sure no one got left on the beach!

As we were waiting, a boat, the Half Moon Clipper, pulled up and crew members started boarding. My guess was that this was a ferry returning employees home to some other island at the end of their work day. I have tried to find out if anyone actually lives on Half Moon Cay (which is actually the island, Little San Salvador) but have not been able to find out.

It was 3:00 by the time we got back to the ship and we sailed shortly after. We each showered and then did the dreaded job of packing...or at least as much as I could do. Bags didn't have to be out in the hall for pickup until midnight so our evening clothes would be the last to get packed once I was in my jammies.

When we arrived at the Manhattan Dining Room, I requested a table for 2 BUT only if it wasn't in the corner. We decided we would rather share a table than be stuck in no-man's land again. The only one available was next to a serving station but it was in the same area where we had been once before and decided that would be fine. We had barely been seated when a waiter came back and said they had a table for 2 by the window if we would like to move. Yes...of course!! There was very little space between ours and the adjacent tables but it did have a very nice view. During dinner we watched as the ship sailed into a storm. Being on Deck 2 almost put us at the same level as the waves!

The menu for day 7...

STARTERS - SOUPS - SALADS

Cannelloni Couscous

mango, raisins, alfalfa sprouts, olive oil

Salmon Tartare with Baby Zucchini

cherry tomatoes, watercress, mini cornichons, bacon-curry yogurt sauce

Duck Confit Puy Lentils

pomegranate, orange

Noodle Soup

chicken, peas, all spice, carrots

Potato Soup with Shrimp (M)

chorizo oil

Gazpacho with Crab

cumin mousse

Coconut, Carrot and Radish Salad (B)

creamy black sesame vinaigrette

MAINS

Pappardelle and Veal Rougout

ricotta, basil

Black Sesame Jumbo Shrimp Baharat Salad

poached egg, cherry tomatoes, red radish, brioche croutons, cheese foam, citrus-ponzu dressing

Lamb Shank

cauliflower-rosemary puree, crispy parsnip

Roasted Chicken with Cheese Gnocchi

button mushrooms, supreme sauce, asparagus

Pan-Seared Rainbow Trout

spaghetti, sauteed zucchini

Spice-Crusted Prime Rib with Whipped Potatoes (M & B)

asparagus and carrots

Vegetable Curry with Forbidden Rice

cauliflower florets, green peas, root vegetables, pearl onions, coconut cream, curry spice, lime, cilantro

DESSERTS

Baked Alaska

meringue

Devil's Food Cake (B)

chocolate orange butter cream

Caramelized Pear Crepe

vanilla-caramel sauce, vanilla ice cream

Chocolate-Ginger Mousse Cake (M)

chocolate ganache, fresh berries

The entertainment in the Showroom at Sea was billed as a "Variety Show" and consisted of encore performances by Island Magic Steel Drum Band and impressionist, Tyler Bryce.

Back at the cabin, we finished packing the larger checked bags and put them out into the hallway. We wouldn't see them again until we were in the terminal in Ft. Lauderdale. So far it hasn't happened, but I always have a nagging feeling that something I'm going to need the next morning will be in one of those bags.

A little balcony time and then one last sleep...

Thursday, Day 6 @ Sea

Our last few cruises have been longer ones and going back to a 7-day cruise seemed so short now. Hard to face the fact that it was already the last sea day. The week had gone by much too fast. Other than my irritation with the pool being closed at Amber Cove, I truly enjoyed our first time on Holland America and it is a good thing...we have two more Holland cruises booked and they are over 3 times longer! Yay for retirement!

I woke up at 7:00 am, but hung out on the balcony and just generally tried to keep quiet so Bob could sleep. Finally at 8:00 I opened the drapes. No big Carnival ship blocking the sun today and the bright light woke him up immediately!

Breakfast was in the buffet. Bob had a bowl of oatmeal and I had french toast and THEN realized that there were breakfast specials! Today's was "cinnamon roll pancakes"...pancakes filled with cinnamon and sugar and topped with cream cheese frosting. And made to order crepes were available. Why did we not figure this out before now?? I guess we have something to look forward to on the next cruise now.

My copy of the When & Where daily newsletter was marked up with lots of yellow highlighter ink which meant there was plenty to keep us busy for the day. I started my morning at the Digital Workshop class on "Making Living Postcards with Movie Moments" while Bob attended a presentation in the main theater on "The Real Pirates of the Caribbean". I met up with him there and although Bob found it interesting, I was glad I hadn't been there from the beginning. The excursion host was showing slides and reading through Wikipedia information...not very stimulating.

We went directly from the theater to the Crow's Nest so we could get good seats for "Coffee with Island Magic." This Q & A session had been put together at the last minute, most likely due to the overwhelming response to their performance on Monday night. The leader, Julian Gibbs, told the story of how the band evolved from being pool-side calypso entertainment to being the featured act on cruise ships by switching from traditional steel drum music to Broadway and classical music. Bob was quite interested and spent a lot of time inspecting the steel drums and visiting with Dereck, the lead player.

Dereck...an amazing and talented steel drum player!

The session had not quite finished when we rushed out to get to the Mariner's Brunch in the Manhattan Dining room. Although this was our first Holland America cruise, we had 1 star status in the Mariner's program due to our cruises on Princess & Carnival...both sister companies under the Carnival Corporation.

We were seated at a table for 4 with two older gentlemen...brothers who were traveling together. At first it seemed like it was going to be awkward conversation, but it turned out OK and we had a nice time. And can you believe it...one of the men was named "Bob"! (Three times we shared tables with strangers and THREE times one of them was named BOB!) "My Bob" and I both ordered exactly the same thing. The food was good and we were each given a gift of Blue Delft tiles with a picture of the Nieuw Amsterdam.

The brunch menu...

APPETIZERS

Jerked Chicken and Macadamia Salad (M & B)

Scallions, lime, cilantro with mango yogurt, chili oil

Shrimp & Andouille Gumbo

Cornbread croutons, toasted pumpkin seeds

MAIN

Curried Petit Beef Clod

Mashed sweet yams, cinnamon scented root vegetables

Spice Crusted Fluke

Plantain chips, peas 'n' rice, lemon thyme butter sauce

Pumpkin and Sage Ravioli (M & B)

Parmesan and cassava, browned cinnamon and almond butter

DESSERT

Coconut Creme Brulee with Fresh Fruit (M & B)

Flavored with Captain Morgan's dark rum

Coffee, Tea, Petit Fours

I went straight from the dining room to the America's Test Kitchen presentation on "Italian Favorites." I can't remember the Test Kitchen host's name, but her presentations were excellent! She always encouraged people to come up afterwards and get a closer look at the food she had prepared and ask any questions. (No tasting was allowed since the food was not prepared in a certified kitchen.)

If any guests had missed earlier presentations, she would take names and stateroom numbers and the corresponding recipes and handouts would be delivered to your cabin. Bob and I had been looking at immersion blenders hoping to get one for our amateur chef son for Christmas so I took time to ask about different brands and if there was one particular brand she could recommend. She wasn't positive on which brand the Test Kitchen had ranked as number one but wrote down my name. The following night there was a knock on our cabin door and there she was! She took time to make a personal visit with the brand and specific model number all written out for us!

Leaving the test kitchen demonstration, I went directly to the theater for an O Magazine (Oprah) fashion show. The models were passengers showing off travel wardrobe pieces that could be interchanged to create multiple outfits.

I met Bob on my way back to the cabin but neither of us were there for long. He took off for the afternoon movie "Megan Leavey". I lost track of how many movies he watched during the week! It may not seem like an exciting way to spend a Caribbean cruise, but he loves movies and with his crazy work schedule it was a treat for him to have time to watch!

I changed into my swimsuit and went to the pool. It was so nice to feel the warm breeze and look out at the ocean. I tried to imagine what it must be like back in Minnesota...it was hard to believe it really was November!!

I got back to the cabin first and showered for dinner. I tried to begin the packing process while Bob was out of the way, but that is a hard job to do just part way...there were too many things that would be still needed.

It was formal night in the dining room. A request for a table for 2 at dinner landed us back in the corner again...but this time on the other side of the dining room. Still with a totally blocked view of anything...very private. 😉 On the positive side, service was very quick and we had finished our meal before others in the area who had arrived before us. Before we got our main meal (which once again was the same for both of us), the waiter brought an amuse-bouche...a small shot glass with mint green pea soup. Neither of us were a fan.

APPETIZERS

Papaya with a Rainbow of Fruit

banana liqueur, coconut shavings

Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail (M & B)

brandy cocktail sauce

Foie Gras with Apple Tarte Tatin

cassis reduction

SOUPS AND SALAD

Roasted Parsnip Soup

crispy kale, pumpkin seed oil

Chicken and Orzo

greens, root vegetables, lemon

Apple, Pear and Cucumber Salad (M & B)

frisee, dried cherries, bleu cheese crouton

ENTREES

Surf and Turf (M & B...but Bob got 2 lobster tails!)

filet mignon, lobster tail, herb-garlic butter, porcini basmati rice, sauteed vegetables

Double Pork Chop with Caribbean Hot Pickled Cabbage Relish

coconut rice, zucchini, lime-pepper glaze

Asian-Style Rotisserie Duck

sweet and sour sauce, sesame stir fried vegetables, fried egg noodles

Mushroom Ravioli

garlic cream sauce, forest mushrooms, tomato concasse

Cilantro-Hazelnut Crusted Sea Bass

mango sauce, smashed Malanga, collard greens, pineapple salsa

Pistachio and Cheese-Crusted Eggplant Piccata

fregola, garlic-tomato ragout

DESSERTS

Flourless Chocolate Cake

Molten chocolate center, whipped cream, assortment of berries

Almond and Orange Cake (B)

poppy seeds, cream cheese frosting

Passion Fruit Cheesecake

Oreo crust, citrus segments

Tiramisu (No Sugar Added) (M)

mascarpone cream, coffee and Kahlua-soaked sponge cake

Disembarkation information and luggage tags were waiting on us when we returned to the cabin. With our late afternoon flight, we were assigned to the last group leaving the ship at around 10:30 am. The notice said that we could stay in our cabin until it was time to leave...Nice! Nothing worse than ending a wonderful cruise by getting kicked out of the cabin and trying to find someplace to wait with the other thousands of folks doing the same.

The production show "1000 Steps" was the evening entertainment in the Showroom at Sea and featured Latin music and dancing. I didn't hate the show, but didn't find it near as fun to watch as the previous one that featured more well-known songs.

As we had the previous nights, we walked down Deck 2, stopping at BB Kings Blues Club. The same couch outside the entry was available so we sat down and listened to the music (at a lower volume level) and watched the other passengers going by. We decided that clothing on Gala Night was almost as interesting as the costumes on Halloween!

The "Chocolate Parade" commenced around 9:30 pm. The waiters rushed by so quickly it should have been called a race instead of a parade. We sampled a couple of the tiny treats, but really after our huge dinner it wasn't very tempting.

Only one more day left...stay tuned for our day (and my birthday!) at Half Moon Cay!

Wednesday, Day 5 - Amber Cove, Dominican Republic

Only ten days before our cruise, we got the following email from Holland America (via our travel agent):

Due to slower than expected recovery of Frederiksted, St. Croix, the 11/01/2017 call has now been replaced with a call to Amber Cove, Dominican Republic.

Amber Cove, on the north central coast of the island near Puerta Plata, is a new (2 years old) port developed by the Carnival Corporation. The complex offers a variety of activities...shopping; zip line and water sports; a pool with water slides, a lazy river and a swim-up bar; and cabanas. The port can also be a starting point for tours and excursions to the surrounding area.

The distance from our previous port, Cap Cana, to Amber Cove is about 170 miles as the crow flies...an easy overnight sail.

However...because Amber Cove was added at the last minute, no tours were ever offered online prior to the cruise. I debated about trying to find some independent tour in advance but decided after our excursion in Cap Cana the previous day, that a more relaxed day sounded good.

No alarm was set and when I awoke around 8 am, the room seemed dark and my first thought was that it must be very cloudy. When I pulled back the drapes I was surprised to see the sun was being blocked by the Carnival Victory which was docked right next to the Nieuw Amsterdam...and I mean RIGHT next to us!!

No wonder the room seemed dark!

I also caught a glimpse of an ambulance driving down the dock with lights flashing. I am no stranger to ambulances...my husband is a paramedic...and I was very aware that those flashing lights were an indication that some one's life had just taken a drastic turn for the worse.

Breakfast was in the buffet...made to order blueberry pancakes. They required just a little wait, but oh they were so good compared to ones on other cruises that had been made ahead and left to dry out under the warming lights.

Our plan was to get off the ship and walk around the shopping area of Amber Cove, return to the ship for lunch and then spend the afternoon at the large pool at the port...a leisurely, no-cost day! Getting from ship to shore was a bit of a walk down the long dock. There were lots of pedicabs available and for the price of a tip you could avoid the long trek.

Some photos taken from the lido deck...

Bungalows that can be rented at Amber Cove.

Water toys for rent.

The hazy mountains around Amber Cove.

No transportation for us and by the time we reached the end of the dock and entered the port complex I was already starting to wilt. I don't tolerate the heat well (too many years of living in Minnesota) and combined with the oppressive humidity I felt like I was in a sauna.

Before browsing the shops, I suggested we take a look at the pool area where I wanted to return to in the afternoon. Tables were set across the walkway and people appeared to be checking in. Bob asked if we had to pay to enter and I assured him that the pool was FREE for ALL. BUT...when we started to walk past, we were stopped by an official looking guy with a clip board who wanted to know which ship we were from. I flashed my Holland America key card which I figured was my ticket to enter. Instead he replied..."Carnival has reserved the whole pool area. You are not able to get in." He must have figured I was deaf...or not very smart because I repeated his words back at him as a question..."Carnival has reserved the whole area and we can't get in?!?"

Later we found out that the Carnival Victory was a chartered "Salsa Dancing" cruise and they indeed had reserved the pool area for their guests only and were selling food and drink packages for the day.

This was too much. I understood when the original ports were destroyed by the hurricanes...even though they were the reason we had booked the cruise in the first place. And I know it must have been difficult to rearrange our itinerary...not once...not twice...but finally a third time. And then we still lost one of the new ports while trying to outrun Tropical Storm Philippe. But to knowingly plan a stop at Amber Cove when the majority of the benefits would not be available...and not tell us in advance. Yes. Too much.

I fumed as we walked around glancing in the shops. I'm not sure which was worse...the high temperature and humidity or the heat that I was feeling from anger. We ran into a lady that we had met on the tour the day before and she said that she had tried to book a tour at the excursion booth but most were already filled by Carnival passengers. She was equally as mad.

We spent less than an hour onshore at Amber Cove, but that was enough. My plan to spend a day at the pool would have to be accomplished back on the ship.

Back onboard, I changed into my swimsuit and went to the adults only aft pool. I had my choice of chairs, towels were provided and free beverages were just inside the door at the lido buffet. After a refreshing dip in the pool, I started to have an attitude adjustment. Maybe spending the day on a quiet ship was a better alternative than fighting for space with a couple of thousand salsa dancers at the Amber Cove pool!

Bob chose to spend the rest of his morning working out in the gym and it was around noon by the time he met up with me by the pool. Lunch was a hurried affair because we wanted to get to the screening room for the BBC Earth movie "Inside Earth: The Waiting Game." The film focused on the patience required for photographers to capture the incredible footage that is in the BBC Earth videos...sometimes waiting for days and weeks just to record a few seconds of footage! Amazing.

Following the BBC Earth movie we parted ways. Bob went to the theater for the Spiderman movie (even though he had watched part of it on the cabin TV the night before) and I returned to the cabin for some balcony time. I made an attempt at using my cell phone with Sprint's Open World plan and surprise, surprise...my sister in St. Louis answered immediately! We had a nice visit and I crossed my fingers that I wouldn't find a ginormous bill waiting when I returned home. (And I didn't! 😀)

Not wanting to stay cooped up in the cabin, I took my iPad and went to the Ocean Bar where tables were set for afternoon tea. I found a spot next to a window and enjoyed my time as I nibbled on the little goodies that were passed around and sipped my cup of tea. Such a spoiled life I lead when I'm on a cruise!!

Needing to move, I did a couple of laps around the promenade deck. Brief showers were going over and produced a beautiful rainbow!

In the back corner of the promenade deck was the doggy relief area. There was one passenger onboard who had a small dog with him which I assume was some type of service dog. Hopefully his cabin was not too far away!

Bob and I returned to the cabin at almost the same time. I amused myself by watching the masses of Carnival passengers returning to their ship. Their double line stretched far down the length of the dock while the Holland America line was non-existent. With their last minute return to the ship I can only assume they must have enjoyed their day at Amber Cove.  <said with jealousy>  At one point a cloudburst soaked everyone and I couldn't help but think maybe justice had been served! (Shame on me!!)

The Victory pulled away from the dock first...

And then we watched the sunset as the Nieuw Amsterdam followed.

I hadn't even tried making a reservation, but there was no problem getting a table for two in the dining room. Here is the menu for the night with our choices noted...and once again our choices were pretty much the same!

STARTERS - SOUPS - SALADS

Watermelon and Feta Cheese

mint, orange, arugula

Burrata Salad

tomato, asparagus, prosciutto, balsamic vinaigrette

Crispy Seafood Spring Roll (M & B)

bay shrimp, surimi, sweet red chili sauce

Caribbean Fish Chowder

roasted red bell pepper, cream, potato, celery, diced pumpkin

Red Bean and Chorizo Soup

pork belly, leeks, beef broth

Chilled Watermelon Gazpacho (M)

lemon sorbet, lime leaves

Boston Bibb Lettuce

roasted tomato, bell pepper, organiz mixed seeds

HOLLAND AMERICA LINE SIGNATURES

French Onion Soup "Les Halles" (B)

Gruyere cheese crouton

Classic Caesar Salad

Parmesan cheese, garlic croutons, anchovies

MAINS

Spaghetti Chitarra, Bacon and Kale

zucchini, squash, tomato, Parmesan, pine nuts

Sesame Steak Salad

romaine, soy-glazed oyster mushrooms

Grilled Corvina with Olives, Onions and Peppers

creamy mascarpone polenta, green beans

Creole Catfish Vol-Au-Vent

saffron rice, collard greens

Red Wine-Braised Brisket (M & B)

paprika onions, mashed potatoes, snow peas, carrots, broccoli

Caribbean Curried Lamb

rice and beans, fried okra

CLASSIC: Southern Fried Chicken

corn on the cob, green beans, mashed potatoes, country gravy

Chana Masala

chickpeas, onion, tomato, turmeric, garlic, chili, garam masala, basmati rice, naan

HOLLAND AMERIC LINE SIGNATURES

Grilled Salmon with Ginger-Cilantro Pesto

basmati rice, Swiss chard, garlic cherry tomatoes

Broiled New York Strip Loin

red skin mashed potato, cauliflower gratin, green peppercorn sauce

Oven-Roasted Chicken

quinoa pilaf, herb roasted vegetables, jus

DESSERTS

Chocolate Fudge Tartlet

roasted pistachios

Mango Cream Horn

chocolate, tropical fruit tartare, ginger, Tahitian vanilla

White Chocolate and Lime Pop

mango gel, crushed meringue

Creme Brulee

Grand Marnier-scented custard, caramelized sugar

Pineapple Crisp

French vanilla ice cream

Cheese and Fruit

Maytag Blue, Brie de Nagis, Beecher's Flagship Reserve, Leiden

Sliced Fruit Plate

selection of fresh fruit

Sugar Free Chocolate Delight (M & B)

chocolate cake, dark chocolate ganache, white chocolate mousse, chocolate shavings

Blueberry Sundae

vanilla ice cream, blueberry sauce

Ice Cream

Vanilla - Tiramisu - Watermelon Sorbet - Raspberry Frozen Yogurt

Sugar Free Vanilla & Strawberry

A cart was set up as we exited the dining room with a crew member offering a selection of dried dates, figs, mints, or candied ginger. Once again I felt so pampered as he folded a napking into a tiny cone and using a pair of tongs selected a piece of ginger to give to me. Just one of the nicer touches that set this Holland America cruise a notch above Norwegian or Carnival.

The main show in the theater was "One Man, Many Voices" with impressionist Tyler Bryce. His repertoire included over 200 voices which he showcased with songs and comedy. I thought he was quite good.

BB Kings All Stars had the night off and in its place was a game show hosted by the assistant cruise director..."Call My Bluff." The game show panel consisted of the cruise director, the shore excursion host and the dance team manager. A word was given and each of the panelists tried to convince the audience that their definition was the correct one. We joined another couple as a team and actually tied for first place by choosing all but one correct answer!

A few of the words used in the game..."tittup" (move with jerky or exaggerated movements); "crapulence" (feeling too full); and "erecterine" (a long wooden musical instrument.)

After the show we made one lap around the ship on the promenade deck and then back to the cabin for the night. Bob found a movie to watch on TV while I updated my blog notes...activities that were fast becoming our evening routine.