Friday, September 26, 2025

Cruises

2019 Dec. 10-20 --- 10 night HAL sunfarer (bonaire, curacao, aruba, amber cove, half moon cay):

2017 Nov. 28 - Dec. 12 --- 11 Night HAL sunfarer cruise; 3 nt S. Florida vacation:

 

 2016 Dec. 4-14 Koningsdam 10 nt cruise (Half moon cay, Grand Turk, Amber Cove, Bonaire, Curacao, Aruba):

 

2015 Nov. 8-15 Western Caribbean Cruise on the Eurodam: Key West; Grand Cayman; Jamaica; HMC 


2015 (April 17- May 1) Southern Caribbean Cruise: St. Thomas; St. Barths; St. Lucia; Barbados; Grenada; Bonaire; and Curacoa


2014 Dec. 6 night girls' Carnival Freedom cruise: Key West; Grand Cayman; Cozumel 


2014 April 11-22 Maasdam Southern Caribbean Cruise: Barbados, St. Maarten, St. Vincent, St. Kitt's, St. Croix, Martinique, and Half Moon Cay 


2013 Dec. mother/daughter Carnival Freedom 4 nt Bahamas cruise 


2012 Noordam Nov 8-13:  St. Lucia, St. Maarten, Barbados, Dominica, Martinique, St. Thomas, and Half Moon Cay 


2011 Nov. 5-11, Eurodam cruise do-over Eastern Caribbean: Grand Turk; San Juan, St. Thomas, Half Moon Cay 

2010 Nov.5-12 - Another Dam vacation! 7 nt, Eurodam: Samana, San Juan, St. Thomas, Half Moon Cay 



2009 Carnival Splendor Mexican Riviera "sisters" cruise: Puerto Vallarta; Mazatlan; and Cabo 


2009 Alaska Cruise --- 7 nt. Gagznos family NCL Pearl; Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan, Glacier Bay, Victoria B.C. 

 

2008-Oct. 25-31  Oosterdam 7 nt Mexican cruise with Carolyn: Puerto Vallarta; Mazatlan; Cabo

 

2007 Aug. 24-31 (7 nt) Alaska Cruise--Royal Caribbean Vision of the Seas: Juneau, Skagway, Prince Rupert, Tracy Arm

 

 2006-Jan. Cruisin' to Baja California-4 nt Carnival Paradise: Catalina Island, Ensenada

 

2005 Feb.---Disney Wonder Cruise (7 nt), Let's try again!--St. Maarten; St. Thomas; Castaway Cay

 

2004 July 7 nt. Graduation Cruise to the Western Caribbean with Angie on Carnival Elation: Progresso; Belize; Cozumel

 

2004—Feb. Disney Wonder 4 nt; Not your ordinary 1st Cruise!--Nassau; Half Moon Cay

 

 

 

 

Sunday, December 22, 2019

2019 Dec Zuiderdam Cruise: ABC islands

2019-Dec. 10-20 : Zuiderdam 10 nt. sunfarer (Bonaire; Curacao; Aruba; Amber Cove; Half Moon Cay)

It's been over 2 years since our last cruise.  During that cruise, we paid the $100/person for the FC Deposit.  Of course we had no idea of what was to come in the next year.  Ken's diabetes caused his ankle to collapse.  For the next 1 1/2 years he was in and out of hospitals and Dr.s' offices.  Ultimately it appears they were able to fuse his ankle and save his foot, but he's still a long way from moving well.  But we hope that a cruise will be a good way to finally get a little rest and relaxation.

So I booked us an inside handicapped accessible room for $750/person with gratuities included.  At that point, we weren't sure if he'd still be in his wheel chair full time or in a boot when the cruise date came.  Turns out, both.  So when prices for  a verandah cabin dropped to $799/person shortly after final payment, I called to grab one of them.  But they said we'd loose our gratuities, unless we wanted to upsell to a signature suite for $999/person---then, somehow, we would be able to keep the paid gratuities.  Sounded a bit fishie, but I liked the idea of a suite, so I took it. Only thing that was a bit annoying was they wouldn't increase the OBC for booking a suite with our FCC.  They said it stays at the level of your original booking.  At least it was only a loss of $50 OBC.  And we still had the OBC for owning CCL stock.

Then came the months of waiting to see what cabin we'd be assigned---and hopes for an offer to upsell to a Neptune Suite.  Almost a month before our cruise, we got an offer.  At $399/person, it really wasn't a bad deal, but I noticed there were a lot of cabins available so I declined it and hoped for better offer.   2 weeks after the upsell offer, we got an offer to buy into their new Club Orange.  Still not interested.  The benefits of priority boarding, special area in the restaurant for breakfast, tote bag, upgrade within booking category, designated concierge, and whatever didn't seem worth an extra $500.  But they did say they'd put me on a  waitlist for a Neptune Suite offer (whatever that means!). 
 
 As it turned out, we did get a waitlist call on Dec. 2nd (8 days before our sail date) offering us an upsell to a Neptune suite.  But they still wanted the $399/person for it.  I mentioned I hoped it would have gone down from the previous offer to which she said she could give it to us for $299/person.  So, Merry Christmas to us, I took it!  Maybe a bit much for the benefits, but I'm ready to be spoiled for a while.  I do look forward to the breakfasts in the Pinnacle Restaurant, easy access to the Neptune Lounge, and the larger table on our verandah---as well as a much larger cabin.   It'll only be our 2nd time in a suite.  Only had a choice of 2 suites to choose from. We ended up going with SA 7082.  Turned out to be a great cabin.  As I'm sure all the Neptune Suites are. 

The itinerary is one I love for the snorkeling opportunities.    Turned out Ken didn't leave the ship in ports, but I did.  

My links to each day:

Dec. 8, 2019 drive day---Atlanta - S. Florida 

Dec. 9, 2019 Wakodahatchee Wetlands

Dec. 10, 2019  Embarkation Day: 

Neptune Suite 7082: 

We had never been on the Zuiderdam before, so I'm including a bunch of random pictures from around the Zuiderdam:

Around the Zuiderdam:

Dec. 11 & 12  Sea Days:

Dec. 13, 2019  Bonaire (and a great Friday the 13th) 

Dec. 14, 2019  Curacao   

Dec. 15, 2019 Aruba: 

Dec. 16, 2019 Sea day: 

Dec. 17, 2019 Amber Cove, DR:

Dec. 18, 2019 Sea Day:

Dec. 19, 2019 Half Moon Cay:

Dec. 20, 2019 Debarkation:




I dreaded the drive from NW Atlanta (which I did all of since Ken's driving ankle is in a boot), but the overall experience made it well worth it.  I had a great time.  I think Ken did, too.  Since this was the first real vacation he's had since his ankle collapsed 1.5 years ago, I'm sure he needed this trip, too. 
 


Saturday, December 21, 2019

Around the Zuiderdam:  10-Day Southern Caribbean Sunfarer
                                       Dec. 10, 2019-Dec. 20, 2019


Captain: Wouter Van Hougdalem
Cruise and Travel Director: Thomas Weber
Environmental Officer: James Griffiths
Chief Engineer: Wilco Otten
Hotel Director: Ron Bontenbal

Cruise Stats:
Officers and Crew---798
Nationalities of Crew---41
Average Speed: 15.70 Knots
Miles Traveled: 2625.6 Nautical Miles
Fuel Used: 223,753 Gallons
Eggs Consumed: 29,300

Now just some random photos I took around the ship.  I found it to be a pretty ship.  Nice decor.  Nice neutral colors.  I would sail on her again.

This one in one of the hallways near an elevator.
 the photo shop.  No longer do they put tons of pictures up.  Now you can look at them in your room, I think.  Or here on one of the photo shop computers.  
 LOVED the patterns on the carpet throughout the ship.  This was by one of the elevators.
 forget where this was, but liked it, too.
 Even the hardwood floors were pretty.
 the main dining room
 table set in main dining room.
 More interesting carpet.
 in the Pinnacle Grill
 Pinnacle Grill.  Being in a Neptune Suite we had most of our breakfasts here.
 jelly tower at our Pinnacle Grill breakfast.
 Neptune lounge.
 Neptune Lounge
 Neptune Lounge
 Neptune Lounge
 Neptune Lounge
 Neptune Lounge
 Gallery lounge
 gallery bar
 gallery bar
 gallery lounge to gallery bar.
 dessert
 more desserts
 Pinnacle grill ?
 hallway by elevator---people actually use those chairs
 stairway  art
 Microsoft Workshop
 Hudson room
 Stuyvesant Room
 Deck 10, observation deck
 deck 10 observation deck---great deck for sunsets
 elevator area
 Pinnacle Grill again
 random statue
 love the carpet.
 atrium
 sculpture
 more carpet
 bar
 microsoft workshop (was the screening room until the dry dock right before our cruise)
 one of the fresh flower arrangements (we've noticed they've really cut down on the flowers in recent years)
 the mainstage---where the movies are shown now at 3:30 in the afternoon.  Complete with popcorn. 
 carpet in the Mainstage.
 lights on the side tables in the Main stage.
 Main stage
 Lido restaurant
 atrium
 statue by the Main stage
 Around Dec. 16 they started putting up the Christmas decoration.

 another elevator chair and carpeting.
 Christmas garland on the Atrium stairwell
 garland by the Pinnacle Grill
 more carpeting
 Pinnacle Grill
 Pinnacle Grill plates for sale
 Atrium
 Lido resaurant---I think this was the Caneletto area but it was open for anyone at breakfast and lunch.
 Hallway art.
 more hallway art.
 Christmas decorations
 Christmas decorations in Lido
 Atrium
 Huge ginger bread house Christmas decor in Atrium
 little Christmas tree decor
 another carpet and elevator.
 Club Hal
 Observation deck
 Lido back pool at sunset---smoking area to the left
 taco bar and Dive In cafe
 flowers in Neptune Lounge.
 Zuiderdam at Half Moon Cay with tender.