My daily activities aboard Nieuw Statendam
Day Seven - Key West
We visit Key West, Florida and I have dinner in Canaletto.
Nieuw Statendam in Key West, Florida
This morning, Nieuw Statendam is docked in Key West. Before disembarkation can begin, all guests must report to U.S. Customs for clearance. That means every guest must take their room key and passport to the World Stage where Immigration officers verify the information. This process took less than two hours and, by 9:15, guests were able to disembark for their shore excursions, or simply to walk around town.
There is a lot to see and do in Key West and Holland America offers a variety of good shore excursions here. However, this is a fun place to just get off the ship and walk around. The town is geared towards tourism, which drives the Key West economy. You could take a tour of Earnest Hemingway’s home, or Harry S. Truman’s Little White House. It seems that around every corner, there is something interesting to see.
If you have mobility challenges, perhaps a ride on the Conch Tour Train is in order?
When I disembarked, I was on a mission to find a business that Rickee and I visited a few years ago that does 3D scanning and printing. After some research, I found that the business had moved a few blocks away from the original location so, with the help of Google Maps, I walked to the new location of 3D Mini Me.
A few years ago, I posted a blog on CruiseReport.com talking about 3D Mini Me and, at the time, I said it was the coolest thing you can do while in Key West. When I walked into their new store, I was surprised to see a blown-up print of our blog post on display in their showroom! I had the chance to re-connect with owner, Chad Remmert, and talk about the changes in their business over the years. I met Chad and his Dad on my first visit, which was not long after they started their business.
Basically, this company does a 3D scan of you, or you and a loved one, then using a 3D printer, they can create a realistic figurine of you. It is VERY cool. Like a 3D selfie!
I will be doing an updated story on 3D Mini Me for the Attractions section of CruiseReport.com, so watch for that in the next few weeks.
After visiting with Chad, I decided to walk to another business that Rickee and I checked out the last time we were here: Key Lime Pie Company. In case you did not know it, Key West is famous for Key Lime Pie and you cannot walk more than two blocks without finding a place selling this delicious treat. Before our last visit to Key West, we had watched an episode of “The Profit” on CNBC in which Marcus Limonis invested in Key Lime Pie Company in Key West. So we thought we would check it out.
When you visit Key West on your cruise, you have to try Key Lime Pie, and you can’t go wrong by visiting Key Lime Pie Company. After my visit to Key Lime Pie Company., I enjoyed walking around Key West just for the exercise and to see all of the tourists already bar-hopping at 10:30 in the morning!
I was back onboard Nieuw Statendam in time for lunch at Dive-In, the ship’s burger restaurant located at the Lido Pool on Deck 9. I ordered a cheeseburger and fries.
This evening, I enjoyed a sailaway cocktail in The Crow’s Nest located on Deck 12 forward. In my opinion, this is the most under-utilized space on the ship. You enjoy the best panoramic views of the ocean from here. And, this used to be one of the most popular spots on Holland America ships, but now is seems as though it has been relegated to board games and jigsaw puzzles. The Explorations Cafe is located here, which offers specialty coffee drinks, but bar drinks are also available. This would also be a perfect spot for an Early Riser’s coffee with continental breakfast, but they don’t start serving coffee here until 7:00am.
The Crow’s Nest - Deck 12 Forward
For dinner this evening, I chose to dine in Canaletto, the Italian-themed specialty restaurant on Nieuw Statendam. As on other Pinnacle-class ships, Canaletto is located in the forwardmost section of the Lido Market, port side. In the evenings, this space transforms into an intimate bistro-style restaurant.
I was seated at a table for two next to a window and to my left was a large table for ten, at which a family was dining. The tables in Canaletto seem to be closer together than in other onboard restaurants. The meal begins with a small basket of bread and selection of dips, my favorite being the balsamic and olive oil.
My main course was the Rack of Lamb (below) and the lamb was perfectly cooked. However, the meal was not without fault. But, I will cover this in more detail when I post a separate review of Canaletto in the Cruise Ship Dining section of CruiseReport. The cost to dine in Canaletto is $19 per person.
Rack of Lamb at Canaletto
After dinner, I stopped by B.B. King’s where the music was fantastic and everyone was having a great time.
It has been quite an amazing week aboard Holland America’s Nieuw Statendam. Soon, I will be posting a summary review of my experience on board, so check the Cruise Reviews section for more information.
Day Six - A Day at Sea
A day at sea with lots of things going on around the ship, including Gala night!
Our Last Day at Sea
Today is Nieuw Statendam’s last day at sea on this itinerary as we sail towards Key West, Florida. The Lido Deck (9) is always the most popular place on a sea day with pool loungers filled by sun worshipers. And, if you can’t find a lounger beside one of the two swimming pools, there are plenty more on Deck 10. A game of Cornhole anyone?
The shops on Decks 2 and 3 are also buzzing as guests clamor for “gold by the inch” and peruse tables filled with logo gear or other souvenirs to take home to family and friends. The Microsoft Studio has a series of presentations on photo editing and other computer-related topics. The Fitness Center on Deck 9 is equipped with the latest in weight-lifting and cardio equipment.
Joggers can use one of the many treadmills in the Fitness Center while gazing at views of the ocean in front of the ship, or, there is a nice walking/jogging track on Deck 10.
For lunch today, I decided to give New York Deli and Pizza another try. This time I ordered a Caesar salad and meatball sub sandwich.
I also decided it was time to try one of the frozen drinks from the Panorama Bar, so I ordered a Piña Colada. The drink was delicious and topped with a layer of dark Rum. However, I soon learned that there are no straws on board Nieuw Statendam. Not sure why a cruise ship can process every other type of trash but not straws, but that’s another story. Taking a drink from the glass with no straw gave me a mouthful of dark Rum. After choking, I decided to look around for something to stir the drink with and ended up using a knife from the silverware on the table. If you want a straw, bring your own. Come on Holland America, at least give us a paper straw.
This afternoon, we were treated to a talk by Captain Sybe de Boer held in World Stage 2 where we got some background information on the navigation and engineering parts of Nieuw Statendam. It was a very informative presentation and well attended. At the end, guests were invited to ask the Captain questions, which he eagerly answered.
Captain Sybe de Boer
Before dinner, I stopped by Lincoln Center Stage to enjoy Movie Classics performed by the quintet. They are excellent performers and this has become on of my favorite entertainment venues.
Believe it or not, tonight was the first time I have had dinner in The Dining Room, the ship’s main restaurant. The Dining Room is open each day for breakfast (8:00am to 9:30am) and dinner (5:00pm to 9:00pm). The dinner menus change each evening, so you can dine here every night and never see the same menu twice! And, all meals in this restaurant are included in your cruise fare.
Tonight is Gala night and I was fortunate enough to snag a great table for two with an ocean view at the very back of the dining room.
A basket of delicious bread was already on the table when I was seated. Actually, all of the breads on this cruise have been excellent. Kudos to the baker on board.
The special Gala Dinner Menu features Surf and Turf, along with other choices. But, when dining on Gala night, I had to order the Surf and Turf. My meal started with a shrimp cocktail consisting of four beautiful shrimp. The only improvement might have been including a more traditional red sauce. I am sure if I had asked the waiter, he would have brought it. Nevertheless, the shrimp cocktail was delicious.
The Surf and Turf was a large chunk of tenderloin flanked by a nice-sized lobster tail served atop a truffle polenta (think grits, if you are from the South).
I wisely decided to skip dessert this evening and was out of the dining room in time to attend this evening’s show, STAGES, in World Stage. This was another show performed by the StepONE Dance Company. About 15 minutes into the show, I realized something: this is the first cruise I can recall in 40 years where there were NO vocals in either of the production shows. Don’t get me wrong, the six dancers are incredibly talented, and the light and sound in the theater is amazing, but no vocalists. If you want to hear singing, you will need to go to the Rolling Stone Rock Room or BB King’s, which I did.
The Rolling Stone Rock Room was standing room only once again as The Rock Room Band belted out some popular rock-and-roll songs.
Tomorrow, we will be docked in Key West, Florida, our final port call before sailing back to Port Everglades.
Day Five - Amber Cove, Puerto Plata
Happy Thanksgiving from the Dominican Republic.
A Visit to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic
This morning, Nieuw Statendam is docked at Amber Cove, a cruise terminal in Puerto Plata Province in the Dominican Republic. This is the first time I have visited Amber Cove, and I suspect that the reason may be that this is a brand new cruise dock and terminal, and a relatively new port of call. The cruise terminal and shopping area look curiously just like the one we visited yesterday in Grand Turk. Could there be some development company, or the cruise lines themselves, building out these terminals in various ports?
Let’s compare Grand Turk and Amber Cove. Both have a shopping plaza within walking distance from the ship. In both places, you have to walk through the Dufry Duty-Free store to get to the plaza or to your shore excursion, and you have to walk back through the duty-free store to return to the ship.
Dufry in Amber Cove
Dufry in Grand Turk
The shopping plaza and facilities in Puerta Plata appear to be newer than those in Grand Turk. The plaza contains lots of local shops and the ubiquitous Diamonds International and EFFY, et al.
The main difference between Amber Cove and Grand Turk is that there is no beach here. There are, however, water toys for rent (kayaks, pedal boats, etc.). A gigantic, and VERY nice swimming pool is free to use and it was also spotlessly clean. I saw at least three lifeguards on duty at the pool. The loungers are free to use, but an umbrella will cost you $20 per day.
There is a zip line attraction here and you can go as many times as you want for only $20 —you just have to walk back up the hill each time!
If you have not already booked an excursion through your cruise line, you can do so ashore. You will find tour kiosks as soon as you exit the Dufry Duty-Free store. The2.5 hour Panoramic Tour of Puerto Plata (shown below) was being sold for only $29 per person.
There is also a restaurant and bar located here with mostly American food (burgers, chicken, salad, etc.). It’s a shame they do not offer some local Dominican cuisine. I can get boring American food at home or on the ship.
So, if you are not really into booking shore excursions with the cruise line, you can simply get off the ship and walk into this charming little area that offers shopping, dining, a beautiful swimming pool, water toys, zip line and even private cabanas.
Once back onboard Nieuw Statendam, I thought it was time to try out the gelato, which is served poolside (Lido Deck 9) at Gelato. You can get a waffle cone or a cup with two dips for $2. They also have milkshakes here for $4.
Today is Thanksgiving in the U.S. and Holland America has not forgotten those of us who celebrate this holiday. They prepared a special Thanksgiving Day feast in the Lido Market for dinner.
I am not a big turkey and dressing fan, so I decided to try Nami Sushi for dinner this evening. Nami Sushi is an a la carte sushi restaurant located in the same space as Tamarind on Deck 10 aft. I was seated at the sushi bar where I could watch the two sushi chefs preparing the fresh fish dishes.
I decided to treat myself to one of their signature cocktails, a Cucumber Mojito ($10). It was quite good, but also quite small for $10.
I ordered a starter of Roasted Shishito Peppers ($3.50), which I make at home from time-to-time. Shishito peppers are similar to the Spanish Pimiento de Padrón peppers, except Shishito peppers are larger and usually milder. The ones served at Nami Sushi were flavorful and I would order them again. However, they would benefit from the addition of some flaked sea salt.
My next course was a Spicy Tuna Roll ($5.50). Each of the six pieces was a seaweed roll stuffed with tuna and cucumber, wrapped in sticky white rice and topped with another slice of fresh tuna. The roll was served with wasabi, soy and sliced ginger. It was an excellent tuna roll and a bargain at only $5.50.
My main (and final) course was the Roasted Pork Belly Char Siu. For more photos and a complete review, check out the Cruise Ship Dining Reviews section.
Tomorrow is another day at sea as we sail towards Key West.
Day Four - Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos
A visit to Grand Turk, and one of the most amazing meals I have ever experienced
A Day In Grand Turk
This morning, Nieuw Statendam is docked in Grand Turk, the capital island of the Turks and Caicos archipelago. Disembarking the ship here is as simple as walking across a short gangway to the pier.
I disembarked the ship around 9:30am and it was already warm outside, but not uncomfortably so. Even though the ship offers several excellent shore excursions here, there is a lot to enjoy in Grand Turk within visual range of the ship. My mission today was to shoot and produce a video showing what you can do in Grand Turk without booking an excursion.
A Day In Grand Turk - Video on YouTube (Coming Soon)
Did you know that you can rent two loungers and an umbrella (see the top photo) for only $25 for the entire day? If you love spending time on a beach complete with beautiful emerald Caribbean waters, this is a great option. And, there are local bars all along the beach, just in case you get thirsty. If you want to know more about what is available in Grand Turk, make sure to check our YouTube channel for a soon-to-be-posted video.
Here is another little tip for you when going ashore in Grand Turk. You can buy cold bottled water in the Dufry duty-free shop for $1.50 per bottle. And, everyone has to walk through the Dufry duty-free shop to get into town, or to your shore excursions, so you can’t miss it. I also checked the duty-free liquor prices here compared to the ship, and they were just slightly cheaper, not enough to matter. You still get your best liquor prices in St. Maarten or St. Thomas.
Dufry Duty Free in Grand Turk
When I got back onboard it was time for lunch, so I thought I would give the pizza a try. New York Deli & Pizza (Deck 10 midship) is open at 7:00am for breakfast where they serve a variety of bagels. They close at 11:00am, but re-open at 11:30am for lunch and remain open until 11:00pm serving sandwiches, salads and pizza.
New York Deli & Pizza Menu (click to expand)
I arrived right at 11:30 when they re-opened for lunch and placed an order for a pepperoni and sausage pizza. Unlike Carnival and Princess, pizza is not available “by the slice” here. Each pizza is made-to-order and you get the whole pie, which is approximately 9” in diameter. After placing your order, you get a buzzer to notify you when your order is ready for pick up.
I sat at one of the tables for two, near the Panorama Bar. It was about 11:45 when a waiter walked by and I asked him if I could order a Diet Coke. He said the bar did not open until 12:00pm. What? They won’t sell me a $2.50 coke at 11:45 in the morning? Another couple sat down next to me, also waiting for their lunch to be prepared and they said they ate there every day and knew a waitress that would take good care of us. Sure enough, a young lady walked by and offered to bring us soft drinks, which she did.
When my pizza arrived, it was not what I had ordered. There was no pepperoni, only sausage. No big deal, but the couple next to me said that their order was incorrect as well, and that they had been having issues like this all week. They said they were on the ship the previous week, and everything came out perfect, but apparently there was a crew change this week, and they have had lots of issues. The manager did come by and promised to remedy the situation. For what it is worth, I know the girl who took my order got it right, because I could see “pepperoni and sausage” printed on the ticket that was given to the cook.
Pepperoni and Sausage Pizza, sans pepperoni
It was not a big deal to me, since I only ate a couple of slices anyway. I just wanted to see how their pizza compared with other cruise lines. Want to know? You will have to wait for my final review of Nieuw Statendam.
After lunch, I spent some time just hanging out at the Lido Pool (Deck 9). With most guests ashore on excursions, the pool area was pretty empty today. The Lido Pool is the same as on other Pinnacle-Class ships. There is a retractable roof that can be opened to allow fresh air and sun in, or closed to keep out the cold when the ship sails in Alaska, or on rainy days. I was able to access the ship’s WiFi from the Lido Pool area and work on my blog while enjoying the pool area!
This evening, I had reservations for “A Taste of De Librije”, named after Jonnie Boer's Three Michelin Star restaurant, De Librije, in the Netherlands. The menu showcases a selection of starters, soups, entrees and desserts that are featured in his land-based eatery. Once per cruise, the Pinnacle Grill is transformed into De Librije with service staff wearing the livery uniform, the tables replicated and the wine list highlighting a selection of labels from the Lady De Librije collection.
As soon as I was seated, I had a feeling that I was in for a treat. A basket of delicious fresh rolls was offered by the waiter. A wine pairing is available for $20 (half-glass) and includes a different wine picked specifically for each course. Actually, the price for the wine is a bargain and I regret not opting for the pairing. Next time. The meal started with an amuse bouche trio and ended with a deconstructed apple pie. What happens in between those two courses was nothing short of amazing! I will go into great detail on this meal in my review of De Librije in the Cruise Ship Dining section of CruiseReport.com.
This meal is as close as you will get to dining at a Michelin-starred restaurant on a cruise ship.
Tomorrow, we will be in Puerta Plata, Dominican Republic. I think this may be the first time I have ever been to this port, so it should be interesting!
Day Three - Day At Sea
The view from my balcony (5074)
Calm Seas and Great Entertainment
Today is our first day at sea as Nieuw Statendam sails from Half Moon Cay to Grand Turk. You could not ask for a better day at sea. The ocean looks more like a calm lake than the Caribbean at the end of hurricane season.
This morning, I chose Grand Dutch Cafe as my morning coffee and blogging spot. Grand Dutch Cafe is located on Deck 3 midship, across from Guest Services.
Grand Dutch Cafe is sort of like Holland America’s version of Starbucks, or the International Cafe on Princess. Here you can get your specialty coffee drinks from the Barista. An Americano will set you back $3.45. I found a nice table for two next to a window.
Lunch at Pinnacle Grill
For lunch today, I had reservations at Pinnacle Grill, the specialty steakhouse on board Holland America ships. This is my first time to have lunch at a Pinnacle Grill, and it was well worth the $15 service charge. With so many places to have lunch on Nieuw Statendam included in the cruise fare, why pay $15 to dine at Pinnacle? The main reason is atmosphere. Not that many people dine here for lunch, so the dining room is less than half full, at least it was on my visit. That makes for a very quiet, peaceful environment in which to enjoy a great meal.
Don’t expect the full Pinnacle dinner menu at lunch, however. The menu is smaller and the offerings are more suited to lunch than dinner. I ordered the crab cake starter, the Pinnacle Burger as my main and for dessert (which I rarely eat), the Warm Fudge Brownie. To start, a nice basket with a variety of bread was placed on the table along with butter.
Pinnacle Grill lunch menu
When my crab cakes arrived, I was surprised to see that there were two panko-crusted crab cakes garnished with a very good cucumber salad with micro-greens. The hot Chinese mustard and Thai Sweet Chili sauce was the perfect combination for dragging the crab cakes through before consumption. More please. These crab cakes are excellent!
When the burger arrived, I knew immediately that there was no way I was going to finish it and still have any room left to try the dessert. Nevertheless, I soldiered on. The burger was topped with melted cheese, bacon jam, garlic aioli, red onions, and tomato. The menu said avocado, but I think lettuce was substituted. The lettuce was immediately removed for fear of some potential health benefit.
The bun was excellent and the french fries were hot and appeared to have been dredged in flour or corn starch before being fried, giving them an extra level of crunchiness. They were hot and delicious. The bacon jam was a little too sweet for my taste. I would have them leave that off the next time I order. But, overall, the burger was very good.
After devouring about half of the burger and less than half of the fries, I was ready to try the grand finale: the Warm Fudge Brownie with Coffee Gelato and Caramel Popcorn.
While the brownie dessert may not be much to look at, it exceeds expectations in the taste department. First, I ate all of the caramel popcorn, thank you. The coffee gelato was the perfect accompaniment to the fudgey (not a word) chocolate brownie. Decadent does not even begin to describe this dessert. The only thing that would have made it better was if the brownie were actually warm, as the name promises. It was served at room temperature. Still, it was amazing.
An Evening of Entertainment
At 5pm, I stopped by the Lincoln Center Stage for the ALL AMERICAN performance by the classical musicians onboard. The quintet was playing popular arrangements from American composers.
At 7pm, it was time for the StepONE Dance Company to perform HUMANITY on the World Stage (Deck 2 & 3 forward). The World Stage is a theater “in-the-round” design like none other we have seen on a cruise ship.
Out of respect for the performers, I did not take any photos or video of the performance, but I can say that it was an excellent show. Holland America has really reached a new level in entertainment with this theater. The lighting, laser effects, and wrap-around screen give guests a visual experience like none other I have seen. And, the sound system is among the best I have heard on any cruise ship.
After HUMANITY, I stopped by Rolling Stone Rock Room where The Rock Room Band was tearing it up. It was standing-room-only for the blaring rock and roll music. I find myself wondering if Holland America is the new standard for cruise ship entertainment. After about 45 minutes of rock and roll, I was ready for a break, so I decided to forego stopping by B.B. King’s to get my jazz fix. Tomorrow, perhaps?
Speaking of tomorrow, we will be docked in Grand Turk-
Day Two - Half Moon Cay
We visit Half Moon Cay
Holland America’s Private Island
By 8:30am this morning, guests began tendering to Half Moon Cay, Bahamas, (also known as Little San Salvador Island). As the first guests were boarding the tender to the island, I was enjoying a late breakfast in The Dining Room, the ship’s main dining venue. Breakfast is not a meal of which I normally partake, but today, I was in the mood. The breakfast menu is extensive. I ordered the Ham and Cheese Skillet, consisting of two poached eggs on top of potatoes, bell pepper, onion and ham, served in a skillet. It was good, although the eggs were a little overcooked. I was tempted by the Belgian Waffle and Banana Bread French Toast, but held to my low-carb commitment (and no, I did not eat the potatoes).
Ham and cheese skillet
After breakfast, I went back to the stateroom where I shot a cruise vlog about yesterday’s activities. After some rudimentary editing, it was time to head down to Deck A midship to get on a tender to the island. Holland America uses larger, double-decker tender boats (as opposed to the ship’s lifeboats) which remain docked at the island to shuttle guests back and forth.
Aboard the tender to Half Moon Cay
The tender ride takes about 10 minutes. Soon, guests in swimsuits and coverups are piling off the tender, racing to the beach, or the Island BBQ.
While I am not a “beach person”, nor really even a "sun person”, I wanted to capture some of the images for those of you who are. As private cruise line beaches go, Half Moon Cay is a little smaller than some others, but then again, Holland America ships are smaller than many of the mega ships sailing the Caribbean. This island is more intimate and much easier to navigate than some of the larger ones.
By the time I arrived at the island, it was 12:20, so the Island BBQ was already in full swing. The walk to the BBQ venue takes about five minutes and a paved sidewalk provides a nice walking path.
As you can see from the sign above, there is also a Lobster Shack serving grilled lobster tails, but those tails come with an additional cost. It is a beautiful day today, about 80° F (27° C). You could not ask for better weather. I arrived at the Island Barbeque and long lines have already formed for the burgers and hot dogs being served here. There are four serving lines, each beginning with a stop for a variety of salads, or what I like to refer to as “excess weight on the drag strip.” When you arrive at the grill area, you have a choice of burgers, hot dogs, grilled chicken sandwiches, and tacos.
I decided to try the Jamaican Island Spice Burger and a plain burger (just bread and meat), or so I thought. Without asking me if I wanted it, the server piled on some grilled onions and there was some sort of mayo-like spread already on the bun. The reason I ordered two burgers was to compare the two, I was not that hungry (don’t want you to think I am a pig). The Island Spice Burger is so loaded up with condiments, I wanted to make sure they weren’t just hiding flavorless meat.
Not being too hungry, I ended up eating about a quarter of each burger. The Island Spice Burger was probably the better of the two. The lettuce, tomato and mango do breathe some life into an otherwise bland burger. The meat on my Island Spice Burger was way undercooked— I would say rare to medium rare. The bun was fresh, but is very dense and “chewy.” I was careful not to eat too much because I have an early reservation for dinner this evening.
After my burger test, I decided to visit the beach to get some photos and video. The white sand beach is beautiful with plenty of loungers for guests to enjoy a day of sun and sea. There are also private cabanas on the beach available for rent
In case you get thirsty during your sun-worshiping, not-to-worry, a bar is never far away. Just look for an abandoned pirate ship, and you will find a full-service bar inside!
Half Moon Cay is every beach lover’s dream spot and a highlight of Holland America’s Caribbean sailings.
After returning to the ship, I took a shower and relaxed in my stateroom. I read in the ship’s daily newsletter that Ocean Bar on Deck 2 has a Happy Hour at 4:00pm. Even though a little early for me, I decided to head down to see what “Happy Hour” means. When I arrived, there was a very long line at the bar and the bartenders were making drinks as fast as they could. There was no sign saying what “Happy Hour” meant but, as it turns out, it is a “buy one drink and get the second for only $2”.
I ordered a double Crown Royal “neat” and the price was $8.50 + $2 + gratuity for a total of $12.08. The Ocean Bar was very crowded, so I took my drink to the Rolling Stone Rock Room where there was plenty of open seating.
At 6:00pm, I arrived at Rudi’s Sel De Mer on Deck 2 for my dinner reservation. This is Nieuw Statendam’s French seafood specialty restaurant. While I am not really into seafood, I wanted to try Rudi’s. This is a small, intimate dining room with a warm and inviting decor.
As soon as I was seated, I was greeted by my waitress who presented me with the menu. As expected, the menu is heavily weighted toward seafood; however, they do have some other alternatives in the beef, lamb and vegetarian categories. I decided to start with French Onion Soup followed by the daily special, Duck Cassoulet. For some reason, it just sounded interesting.
My meal started with a complimentary specialty cocktail presented by the wine stewardess: a glass of sparkling wine with Grand Marnier. Shortly thereafter, the waitress presented me with a mini baguette and a selection of dips, including butter. The bread was amazing!
Soon, the waitress arrived with an amuse bouche consisting of a smoked salmon spread in a puff pastry shaped like a fish. Cute, and delicious.
The French Onion soup was a beautiful bowl of rich beef broth filled with sweet onions, topped with a crouton and covered in baked Gruyère cheese. It was very good.
As I was enjoying my soup, I could overhear the gentlemen at the next table complaining to the Restaurant Manager about his entree, the Duck Cassoulet. Oh my, and that’s what I ordered. He was quite disappointed in his meal. I think he might have been expecting Duck Confit. The Manager did the right thing by offering to remove the item from his bill, and offered him another choice. That was the most important takeaway from the experience: excellent customer service.
When my Duck Cassoulet arrived, it was a mixture of shredded duck confit, sausage and cannellini beans in a sort of baked casserole.
Duck cassoulet
I can see why the other gentleman was disappointed if he were expecting duck confit. While there was some shredded duck confit in the casserole, the main component was sausage. And, of course, the cannellini beans. The dish was VERY rich, to the point of being heavy. It was like the richest stew you have ever eaten. Good for a cold winter’s night, not so much for a warm-weather Caribbean cruise. My only complaint was that some of the beans were undercooked and crunchy, which I mentioned to the Manager when he stopped by to check on my meal. I assume he knew I overheard the other gentleman’s complaint and was interested in my reaction to the Cassoulet.
All-in-all, it was a very good meal at Rudi’s, and the service was excellent. I would definitely dine here again, but probably would order something different next time.
Tomorrow is a day at sea and I am supposed to have lunch at Pinnacle Grill. I think I might open that bottle of champagne in my room, too.
Day One and Embarkation in Port Everglades
Embarkation and dinner at Tamarind
Embarkation
My flight from DFW to Fort Lauderdale arrived about 30 minutes late. But, not to worry, I have plenty of time to get to the pier before the ship begins embarkation at 1:00pm, or so it would seem. It took more than 20 minutes for my Uber ride to arrive at the pick-up area located between terminals 3 and 4. As is typical on weekends, the Fort Lauderdale airport is a madhouse, with tens of thousands of cruise passengers arriving and departing.
Once my Uber driver arrived, we loaded the luggage and off we went toward Port Everglades, only a few miles from the airport. Traffic was insane, but I was dropped off at Terminal 26 at exactly 12 noon. There was already a line forming when I arrived.
Terminal 26 is one of my least favorite terminals. Once inside, I recall Rickee and me waiting in long lines here to board a much smaller ship than Nieuw Statendam. After weaving through the zig-zag queue lines for what seemed like an eternity, I finally was able to put my carry-on luggage through the metal detectors and move to the check-in counter. The whole process took exactly 40 minutes, so it was far from the longest embarkation process I have experienced. By 12:40, I was stepping on board Nieuw Statendam.
Surprisingly, I had no trouble getting an elevator to my deck and I was the only one on the elevator! I can’t ever recall that happening on embarkation day. I had no trouble finding my Verandah Stateroom (5074) on Deck 5 midship. When I arrived, there were already a bunch of flyers stuffed into my stateroom number sign.
After setting my luggage in the closet of my stateroom, I wanted to get some lunch. The best place for a quick, light lunch on embarkation day is the Lido Market on Deck 9, the ship’s buffet (I will cover the Lido Market in more detail in a future blog). I found a serving station with Tri-Tip steak and grilled zucchini squash, so that was my choice. Today the staff is serving the food from behind the buffet line, as opposed to guests serving themselves. Even though this slows down the serving process, I actually prefer it. I am not crazy about handling utensils that 1,000 other people have handled before me.
After lunch, I went back to my stateroom to shoot my stateroom walk-through video for our YouTube channel (@Cruisereport).
Stateroom walk-through video
After shooting my video, I had enough time to go to the Restaurant Reservations desk on Deck 2 to change a couple of my specialty restaurant reservations.
At 3:45 the ship conducted the mandatory muster drill. This was one of the strangest muster drills I have attended. First, there was a series of announcements to let guests know about the upcoming drill and that everyone should go to their stateroom to watch a safety video when the alarm sounded. I was in my stateroom when the alarm sounded and I never could find the safety video on the TV. Then, another announcement said we were to go to our muster station printed on our stateroom key card. My card says “Muster Station C2, Section L”. So we all head out into the hallways having no idea where we are supposed to go. They did tell us that the number on the muster station indicates the deck number, so I knew I needed to go to Deck 2 (Muster Station C2), which I did. But, once on Deck 2, there are hundreds of people all shouting at the crew members, “Where is C2? Where is D2? Where is B2?”, and crew members would point the way. It seemed a little chaotic.
As it turned out, my muster station was in BB King’s Blues Club on Deck 2 (seems like it would have been easier just to say that up front). I should also mention that we were asked NOT to bring our life vests from the stateroom for this drill. That is smart since there is a long history of guests tripping over the straps hanging from the life vests while going up or down the stairs. Once we were situated at the muster station, crew members demonstrated how to put on the life vests. The rest of the drill was pretty straightforward.
As soon as the Muster Drill ended, I headed directly to Deck 9 where the Dallas Cowboys/New England Patriots game was being shown poolside on the big screen.
I sat in one of the pool loungers to watch the game. There are small tables in between the loungers, each with buttons to press should you want beverage service. I was desperate for my embarkation imbibement, but alas, it was not to be. In spite of several presses of the button, no bar waiter appeared to take a drink order. After enduring 45 minutes of poor Dallas Cowboys performance, it was time for me to go to my 6:00pm dinner reservation at Tamarind.
Tamarind is Holland America’s Asian-Fusion restaurant and is one of the many specialty restaurants on board. The cost to dine in Tamarind is $25 per person plus gratuity. I will cover my meal at Tamarind with a separate video review and entry in the Cruise Ship Dining Reviews section of CruiseReport.com. We have dined at Tamarind on Eurodam and Nieuw Amsterdam and always found the food and service to be exceptional. Tonight’s meal did not disappoint.
After dinner, I visited the Internet Services Desk on Deck 1 to get some assistance with the WiFi system on board. I was having trouble figuring out how to log out of the system on my phone. I purchased the top-of-the-line “Premium” WiFi package for the entire week ($139) which will allow streaming services, like phone calls (hopefully) through WhatsApp and maybe even access to YouTube. That remains to be seen. I will talk more about the Internet packages and services in upcoming blogs and vlogs.
We were able to get my issues sorted out and I can now log out on my phone when I want to use my laptop. The rest of the evening was spent wandering the ship, taking photos and video. Tomorrow, the ship will be visiting Half Moon Cay, Holland America’s private island.
Cruise Vlog
Click image to watch on YouTube
Holland America Website
Getting online before getting onboard.
Getting Online Before Getting Onboard
Once you receive your Booking Confirmation Code from Holland America, you will have access to the website where you can manage your booking. You start by clicking on the ALREADY BOOKED link at the top of the home page.
From there, you can choose Manage My Bookings, or any of the other choices to begin. You will need your Mariner Society ID, or your Booking Code to gain access to the online check-in. The online check-in (below) will take you through a series of forms to complete.
Once all of the forms have been completed, you will be able to print your Boarding Pass and Luggage Tags.
The luggage tags can be printed out on any color ink jet printer and will display your name and stateroom number so that luggage can be delivered to your stateroom upon check-in at the pier. Each luggage tag prints on an 8.5” X 11” sheet and can be folded to create the tag. Instructions are very clear on how to fold and attach the tags to your luggage.
In another section of the website, you can pre-book any shore excursions, spa treatments or specialty dining. The website has detailed information on all of these including sample menus of the alternate restaurants.
I could not find anywhere on the website to pre-order bottled water or soft drinks for consumption in the stateroom, something offered by Carnival and other cruise lines.
Overall, I found the Holland America website to be logical and relatively easy to navigate.
Coming Soon - Holland America Nieuw Statendam - Nov 24, 2019
On November 24, 2019, I will be embarking on a 7-night Caribbean cruise aboard Holland America’s newest and largest ship, Nieuw Statendam.
I will be blogging each day from the ship and posting cruise vlogs to our YouTube channel whenever the ship’s internet/WiFi will allow.
Watch the video