Prepared Tuesday, December 11th
Photos 1-4: today's Holland America Line Explorer. Photos 3 and 4 show the tear away portion (front and back) of the Explorer.
In the itinerary for this cruise, this was to be was to be our first, welcome break on the Noordam after three beach days. As it turned out, we started the day well rested and determined to enjoy all that the Noordam had to offer. I had several ideas for the day before I even looked at the daily Explorer (the HAL equivalent to the Princess Patter): fitness center, a walk on that wonderful promenade, and some time in a soft leather chair in Explorations reading an Oprah magazine.
Holland America offers a few things that are fairly unique: a Culinary Arts Center, which is basically a demonstration kitchen with instructional cooking classes and which becomes a show room for game shows or live music at night (good trick, that!); a Party Planner position, who, among other things, conducts crafts classes; a Digital Workshop offering FREE computer and digital photography classes and a Travel Planner position, separate from the Shore Excursions Department, to help plan your time on shore (and not just by selling you a cruise line shore excursion). Yes, there are still the ubiquitous art auctions, health and beauty classes and port shopping, gems and watch seminars, all designed to extract just a bit more from your wallet, but one does get the sense, on Holland America, that increased on board revenue is not the only goal (which, of course, it is. It's just a bit subtler here).
Each day's Explorer has the usual chronological listing of available activities (on a convenient, concise tear-away guide), but it also groups things differently than on Princess. First, on the bottom of page 1 is a summary of the evening's entertainment options. Then, across the top of pages 2 and 3 are the highlights of the day's activities categorized by four types: Explore Our World (activities such as an interview with the Executive Chef, future cruise presentation, shopping talks and a lecture on Pirates of the Caribbean by the Travel Guide); Explore Food and Entertaining (activities such as a crafts class by the Party Planner, a Behind the Scenes galley tour, a flower arranging demonstration and wine and beer tastings); Explore Technology (today's free classes included how to transfer photos from your camera to your computer, photo editing, Meet Windows 8, and Windows apps); and Explore Wellbeing (fitness classes, dance classes and health and beauty seminars).
This is a wonderful format, and the free Explore Technology classes along with the dedicated space to hold them in are probably the best of it. Yesterday featured a class on how to use file folders and manage your computer's storage space. How many people could use that (and I'm not pointing fingers here!)? ;-)
So, it could be a busy day...or not. That's the beauty of a cruise. G always says that there are a thousand different cruises taking place simultaneously on every cruise ship, and he's right. No two people share the exact same activities all day long, not even G and I. Especially not G and I. There's a lot of togetherness for us all winter on port days...on sea days we generally limit it to meals until the evening. It's better that way!
Holland America offers a few things that are fairly unique: a Culinary Arts Center, which is basically a demonstration kitchen with instructional cooking classes and which becomes a show room for game shows or live music at night (good trick, that!); a Party Planner position, who, among other things, conducts crafts classes; a Digital Workshop offering FREE computer and digital photography classes and a Travel Planner position, separate from the Shore Excursions Department, to help plan your time on shore (and not just by selling you a cruise line shore excursion). Yes, there are still the ubiquitous art auctions, health and beauty classes and port shopping, gems and watch seminars, all designed to extract just a bit more from your wallet, but one does get the sense, on Holland America, that increased on board revenue is not the only goal (which, of course, it is. It's just a bit subtler here).
Each day's Explorer has the usual chronological listing of available activities (on a convenient, concise tear-away guide), but it also groups things differently than on Princess. First, on the bottom of page 1 is a summary of the evening's entertainment options. Then, across the top of pages 2 and 3 are the highlights of the day's activities categorized by four types: Explore Our World (activities such as an interview with the Executive Chef, future cruise presentation, shopping talks and a lecture on Pirates of the Caribbean by the Travel Guide); Explore Food and Entertaining (activities such as a crafts class by the Party Planner, a Behind the Scenes galley tour, a flower arranging demonstration and wine and beer tastings); Explore Technology (today's free classes included how to transfer photos from your camera to your computer, photo editing, Meet Windows 8, and Windows apps); and Explore Wellbeing (fitness classes, dance classes and health and beauty seminars).
This is a wonderful format, and the free Explore Technology classes along with the dedicated space to hold them in are probably the best of it. Yesterday featured a class on how to use file folders and manage your computer's storage space. How many people could use that (and I'm not pointing fingers here!)? ;-)
So, it could be a busy day...or not. That's the beauty of a cruise. G always says that there are a thousand different cruises taking place simultaneously on every cruise ship, and he's right. No two people share the exact same activities all day long, not even G and I. Especially not G and I. There's a lot of togetherness for us all winter on port days...on sea days we generally limit it to meals until the evening. It's better that way!
After breakfast in the buffet, I browsed the sale tables set up by the pool- not my usual thing, but I saw small, dressy purse for sale. My black one is over 12 years old, held together with safety pins and requiring frequent touch ups with a Sharpie marker to cover up the scuffs. It can now retire...I found a $10 replacement!, and then tried to walk a couple of miles on the Promenade deck. I didn't last long; it's windy and rough today. The captain just gave us a navigational update from the bridge and said we're experiencing Force 7 winds and rough seas. Having cruised the Caribbean for three Decembers in a row, I have to admit that this is the norm. I suspect we're experiencing those same Christmas winds we had last year at this time.
While I was walking, G was in a hot tub (surprise!) in the Lido pool area. The plan was for us to meet up for lunch around the pool. We take turns being Suttipong this cruise...this morning G brought me an omelet from the omelet station in the buffet and I brought him lunch from the buffet so he never had to change out of his swimsuit.
Have I mentioned we miss Sutti? Yes, I know I have, but have I mentioned it yet today?
A letter from Captain Can was delivered to each cabin this afternoon. Because we essentially missed the port of Samana yesterday, in addition to having our taxes for that port refunded to us, we also received a complimentary glass of champagne at dinner tonight. It's simply a (very) minor goodwill gesture; the cruise line is not obligated to do anything beyond refunding the port charges for Samana.
Once again this evening, we enjoyed dinner in the buffet. It was a formal night (apparently on HAL there are three formal nights per 10-night cruise, instead of two as on Princess. That's okay. We did unpack our formalwear, just to hang it up in the closet to minimize wrinkles, but we have no intention of wearing it this cruise. We both had beef tenderloin for dinner tonight as well as some of that pasta prepared to order (garlic! I want garlic!). Then we reversed the order of things a bit tonight and listened to string quartet Adagio first, then attended the 8pm Vista Theater show, Paul Pappas on the piano (alliteration abounds), then finished up with happy hour in the Crows Nest with guitarist Johnny Champagne.
We are very much enjoying the different routine this cruise. Unlike on Princess, we get invited to nothing on HAL: no Mariner party (their version of the Captains Circle on Princess), certainly no Most Traveled Party. It's making for a most relaxing and unstructured cruise.
Tomorrow: Bonaire. First up: hopefully, some high speed wifi time to get caught up with life. I certainly have felt disconnected this cruise, a most discomforting experience. Then, of course, I'm hoping for some good snorkeling time at Klein Bonaire. Although the winds are supposed to abate a bit, they are still predicted to top 20 knots. Depending on their direction, they could impact the ability to drift snorkel. Keeping my fingers crossed...
Photos 1-4: today's Holland America Line Explorer. Photos 3 and 4 show the tear away portion (front and back) of the Explorer.
