Statendam Hawaii October11th - very long post
Dick Goldhaber
thoughts on her visit, it would appear that she is still trying to think
about her views....
Let me begin, and say that she can jump in any time.
We flew to San Diego on October 10th, the day after my 70th birthday, for
this dual celebration. My birthday, and Heidi's ability to go ashore and do
business with the 50th state.
We stayed overnight at the Holiday Inn on the Bay, across the street from
the pier, and after a trip to Coronado, only to find that the "Some Like It
Hot" memorabilia had been moved.
We dined across the street from the hotel at Anthony's. Danni, who is
gluten intolerant had a grilled lobster tail, and I had Dungeness Crab
Cakes, which I learned, sadly, are not nearly as good as Maryland Crab
Cakes, which we enjoy back east.
The hotel, which picked us up at the airport and brought us over, picked up
our luggage on Sunday and took it and us to the ship around noon.
There were many changes, as we discovered. Redecorated rooms from our last
cruise in 1999 which included more shelf space, better TV which included
ESPN, CNN and TNT. Alternative dining has been added, and we have already
dealt with Pinnacle.
A concierge has been added for suite passenger, and the Neptune Lounge has
been added to replace several of the inside cabins on Deck 10. Coffee,
cappuccino and expresso are available to suite pax from early morning until
after dinner, as are snacks and sweets.
The bad news is that if you hated the "fire drill", there are now two on a
cruise of over 7 days.
If you are a suite passenger, you can have breakfast and lunch in the
Pinnacle Grill
More to follow....
--
DG in Cherry Hill, NJ
video...@comcast.net
MsPatty4
Hey, that wasn't long...I want more details :)
~ Patty
Howard Garland
about having a great time; but I bet you did.
Howard
Dick Goldhaber wrote:
villa deauville
SUNNY<........How did you get to Del Coronado Hotel
S'nd I
Dick Goldhaber
4AM. I just ran out of gas.
"MsPatty4" <mspa...@aol.comeCruise> wrote in message
news:20031107202147...@mb-m18.aol.com...
Dick Goldhaber
afternoon, and it wasn't one of those glorious San Diego days, we chose to
take a cab in both directions. I am always amazed when there is more than a
$5.00 difference taking the same ride.
"villa deauville" <SUN...@webtv.net> wrote in message
news:17250-3FA...@storefull-2357.public.lawson.webtv.net...
Dick Goldhaber
for my initial report.
>>The hotel, which picked us up at the airport and brought us over, picked
up
>>our luggage on Sunday and took it and us to the ship around noon.
As Danni was quick to remind me, we sailed on Saturday. :(
--
DG in Cherry Hill, NJ
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"Howard Garland" <garl...@comcast.netremove> wrote in message
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Wanda in West Virginia
Dick Goldhaber wrote:
> we chose to
> take a cab in both directions. I am always amazed when there is more than a
> $5.00 difference taking the same ride.
Haven't been to Las Vegas lately, have you?
Dick Goldhaber
Twice as much to take us from the Airport to the hotel as to take us from
the hotel to the airport.
But you expect to be screwed in Las Vegas, don't you?
-
DG in Cherry Hill, NJ
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"Wanda in West Virginia" <wanda....@night.cum> w you in message
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MsPatty4
>the hotel to the airport.
That's how it was for us recently in New York. Flat rate from airport to any
Manhattan Hotel but...on the way back from Hotel to the airport the skys the
limit!
~ Patty
Mike Cordelli
any of the other boroughs it's metered.
If you get good traffic, it can actually be less money on the meter, if you
hit bad traffic or take the scenic route, then it can be more then the flat
rate.
Flat rate is per cab, many people somehow get convinced it's per person.
Probably because the cab driver tells them that, and many people will pay
$140 for four to get into the city.
"MsPatty4" <mspa...@aol.comeCruise> wrote in message
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MsPatty4
>Probably because the cab driver tells them that, and many people will pay
>$140 for four to get into the city.
Wow! You could get a towncar for that! We paid 35. from JFK to Manhattan.
The trip back was 55., we had to get a minivan because we had too much luggage
to fit in a cab. Silly me, I actually thought we could take the A train to the
free airport shuttle. After I experienced the subway I realized this was
impossible!
~ Patty
villa deauville
Price getting to our exit going to destination was 75c. On the return
trip it was $1.00 Go figure
SUNNY<.........Ya cant win
S'nd I
Dick Goldhaber
suggest that this was the case in Coronado.
Where it is the case is where the second ride is much less than the first,
as it was for us in Las Vegas, but why would you remember the first cabbie?
--
DG in Cherry Hill, NJ
video...@comcast.net
"MsPatty4" <mspa...@aol.comeCruise> wrote in message
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MsPatty4
I'm not understanding you.
~ Patty
MsPatty4
to >destination was 75c. On the return
trip it was $1.00 Go figure
When we were in Tulsa we were on a highway that didn't have exits very often.
We were very lost and realized we needed to turn around. We drove and drove
and finally found an exit. We had to pay the toll to the man at the booth,
make a U-turn and pay the same toll to the same man again. This was no ones
fault but our own but crazy just the same.
~ Patty
Dick Goldhaber
My point is that if you were cheated on your first ride, you would not know
it until you took the second. Given that we were charged over $20 on our
trip from McCarren to The Mirage, and only $9.00 for the ride from The
Mirage to McCarren, why would I remember the name of the cabbie from the
first ride?
Screwed is screwed.
Were we screwed in San Diego? Probably not. The cabbie who took us back to
the Holiday Inn probably used back roads and avoided the traffic lights that
the first cabbie hit.
--
DG in Cherry Hill, NJ
video...@comcast.net
"MsPatty4" <mspa...@aol.comeCruise> wrote in message
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Dick Goldhaber
longer shake hands with the Captain for a photo opportunity, and while the
Captain did go "high paw" with Heidi, there are no photos to prove it.
Statendam now offers an Internet Cafe, and unlike before where it was
unlimited for $199, now it is 250 minutes for $100.
The weather from San Diego was not wonderful. The first sun was found on
day 5. Day 6, in Hilo was met by rain and met by a vet from the state of
Hawaii who came to our cabin and cleared Heidi to go ashore, which was the
intent of our cruise.
We went ashore and Heidi "went" ashore.
We went, as everyone does, to Hilo Hattie's where I bought a shirt to wear
for the night's Hawaiian dinner.
Please be aware that Danni is gluten intolerant, which means that she cannot
eat anything containing any form of wheat.
HAL was aware and provided her with gluten free bread every night, and Bram,
our table captain came to our table every night with tomorrow's menu so that
Danni could pick food that would not upset her stomach.
Since we always knew what was on the menu, we knew when we should choose
Pinnacle.
--
DG in Cherry Hill, NJ
video...@comcast.net
"Dick Goldhaber" <video...@comcast.net> wrote in message
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Danni
> thoughts on her visit, it would appear that she is still trying to think
> about her views....
>
> Let me begin, and say that she can jump in any time.
As we have previously corrected, we sailed on Saturday, the 11th of October.
But, hey, on vacation everyday is Sunday.
Embarkation:
Despite threats from a Usenet troll to do something to disrupt our vacation,
this embarkation was probably the smoothest of my cruise history (this was
cruise #7 with HAL, #15 overall). I had filled out all of the immigration
paperwork via the website and had the hard copies with us. A brief line
outside of the terminal as security checked that everyone had a ticket and
ID ready. Once inside the terminal, there were two lines for passengers.
To the right, Cabins 1-61. To the left, everybody else. We headed to the
right where there was no one waiting in line. Processing of the paperwork
was very quick and around the same time that we were handed our embarkation
card, they called our number and off we went. With, of course, the stop for
the obligatory embarkation photo.
Once on board, we had to wait a little bit for a steward/porter to take the
hand luggage and escort us to the cabin. Personally, since I knew where I
was going, I could have lived without this. Especially since I had just
managed to seat the "dog bag" comfortably on my shoulder and here was
someone who was trying to take it from me.
From exiting the shuttle bus to walking into the cabin couldn't have taken
more than 15 minutes.
The Cabin:
We have roomed in Cabin 003 for the last several cruises on Statendam or her
sister, Veendam. The first thing I noticed was that it had been
redecorated. New color schemes, new carpet, etc. While the room is large
to start with, the new colors made it seem bigger. As we had requested, the
bed had been separated into twins and the fridge had been partially emptied
to make room for dog stuff and even some stuff for ourselves.
The one thing I notice about HAL is the abundance of drawers and cabinets to
put stuff. One cabinet next to the bar became home for Heidi's belongings.
The other became the resting place for the gluten-free stuff that I brought
along for myself (just in case).
The Concierge and Neptune Lounge:
Forgive me if this has already been discussed in the past. There is now a
concierge available for suite passengers. Wasn't quite sure exactly what
she would be able to help us with, but as the trip progressed, we did
utilized her services. Basically, whatever forms need to be filled out and
returned to the front desk get returned to her. For this trip, the
concierge was named Monet and she was an angel.
The Neptune Lounge replaces several inside cabins on Deck 10 and reminded me
of an old English library. Lots of dark wood, comfy couches and chairs.
There are books and magazines that can be borrowed. I also saw board games
and such, but they didn't appear to move for the whole trip. This is the
home of the infamous coffee machine. Sometimes it made coffee. Sometimes
it just gave you hot water. But, when it was working, it made a really good
cappuccino. There was a continental breakfast available every morning.
This got swapped out for tea sandwiches and cookies for the remainder of the
day.
Salon and Spa/Gym:
HAL has also refurbished the gym on Statendam. Gone is the mish-mash of
weight equipment. All machines are now Cybex and all of them are in
excellent working condition. Treadmills and bicycles are still available,
although there appeared to be a few more treadmills than I remembered. Of
course, there was the one treadmill that refused to work in spite of
constant attention. After Day 3, they put a sign on it.
Personal training sessions are available for a fee. Yoga and Pilates are
also available daily for a fee. I took advantage of the "embarkation
special" and purchased the "Unlimited Class" package for $90. At $11 per
class, this package was a bargain. The Pilates classes were excellent.
Both instructors were extremely skilled and worked one on one with those
passengers who had never taken a class before.
I looked at the price list for salon treatments (nails, hair, etc.). These
seemed pretty comparable to prices here in the Philadelphia area. I do my
own hair, so I can't comment on the service. One woman I met had her hair
done at least four times that I know of, so I guess they must have been
doing a pretty good job.
The Spa offered several "specials" during the course of the trip. I opted
for the "3 for $50" package. I selected a foot and ankle reflexology
massage, a hand treatment, and a mini-facial. Based on what I pay at a
local spa, this was a really good deal. Because of Norwalk and other icky
contagious things, the paraffin for the hand treatment gets ladled into the
plastic gloves instead of you dipping your hands into the bath. This was
actually better as sometimes the wax in the bath can get a little too warm.
The reflexology foot massage was the best that I have ever had. I wanted to
take Petra home with me.
Food:
As usual, HAL did a superb job in the food department. I was recently
diagnosed as having a gluten allergy. So, no more yummy bread pudding for
me. : (
I had notified HAL that I needed a special diet and they were wonderful in
accommodating me. When dinner was also over, our Table Captain brought me
the next evening's menu and I would make my choices. The only "argument" we
had was over the Béarnaise sauce. I make this at home and I know what goes
into it. When I asked for it with my filet, I was told that it had flour in
it. Well, not at home it doesn't. Turns out that when making Béarnaise for
1800 people, you throw some flour in to stabilize it. OK. The steak was
just as good without it.
Not a problem in the dessert area either. Mousses are made without flour.
They did "get" me once with a dessert as it had a very thin layer of cake on
the bottom. Fortunately, I realized it after the first tiny bite. From
then on, the waiter brought the tray over and we would inspect the desserts
to make sure. If I couldn't decide on something from the menu, there was a
gluten-free chocolate almond torte that was to die for.
HAL and the Dog:
Because we generally book so far in advance (this one was 18 months), HAL
gets their forms back early. Usually with enough time to lose the first one
and the need to request a second.
As on the last few cruises, I told them that I wanted to use Deck 12 (Sports
Deck) as Heidi's area. On Statendam they have redone the Sports Deck and
removed the netting that surrounded the tennis and basketball courts. These
have been replaced with a pretty good jogging track.(14 times around equals
one mile.) Heidi continued to use the area behind the stairwell and no one
ever knew we were up there.
Hawaii and the Dog:
Hawaii changed their guidelines for entrance of service dogs into the State
a few years ago. Guide and service dogs are allowed entry providing all
paperwork has been filed with the Quarantine Station. My personal opinion
is they let us in, but they don't necessarily make it easy.
The "official" point of entry is Honolulu Airport. Our first port was Hilo.
After several e-mails to the AQS, I was told that with enough notice, we
could make our port of entry in Hilo. Exactly one year to the day, I filed
Heidi's paperwork. In order to be allowed in, she would need to have at
least two rabies antibody tests drawn prior to leaving and a health
certificate from her local vet.
A local vet was given access to the ship when we arrived in Hilo. He was
escorted to our cabin and completed Heidi's exam. I had been given the
impression that he was going to draw a third blood sample, but he didn't.
After reviewing her paperwork, he signed off on a document and that was it.
Heidi can now come and go freely from the State for the next two years.
Words of advice for anyone reading this who wishes to bring a guide or
service dog into Hawaii.....start early. Read up on the latest requirements
on the AQS website and work out a timetable so that you get everything done
and turned in before you leave. Miss one item and they will deny your dog
entry.
===================
So that's the overall summary of the trip. We had a WONDERFUL time. It
took the better part of a week when we got home for Heidi to adjust to not
being the center of attention. There were moments when it appeared as
though she believed I had gathered 1800 people together just to admire her.
I'm sure I missed some items that needed discussion. And I apologize for
the length.
We open the floor for questions and comments. : )
Danni
Dick Goldhaber
"Internet C@fe" which provides online Computer service via satellite.
Unlike 2001 where the provided offered unlimited access for $199, this time
it was 100 minutes for $50 or 250 minutes for $100 with a 10% signing bonus
during the first 24 hours. We bought two 250 minute packages.
There were a couple occasions where the service did not function, but the
down time was always reimbursed.
The Pinnacle Grill offers the best meal I have ever had on any ship, dating
back to 1969. Because Danni always had a look at the next night's menu, I
chose a night in the islands to book a reservation there.
I don't remember having a better meal anywhere. Danni is not a "true" beef
eater, so she chose the salmon, but I chose the filet mignon, and they
cooked it exactly the way I like it.
Just a word of warning, though. While there is a charge for dinner at
Pinnacle, and you have to sign for it, you cannot sign for a tip, as we were
told that it would not go to the staff. Tips in Pinnacle should be in cash.
The only complaint that I had was that the weather was less than perfect. I
managed a tan, but not like I have had in the past. The only really sunny
weather we had was in Hawaii, and when we returned, we returned to the
horrific fires that were burning in the San Diego area. Our verandah was
covered with ashes on the last day.
Finally, because of the fires, our flight back was delayed, but HAL got us
off of the ship and to the airport in plenty of time to have made the flight
had it left on time. And while we should have been home earlier, US Airways
did get us home that night.
It was a trip to remember. You only turn 70 once, and Heidi proudly wore
her HAL 50 day pin.
--
DG in Cherry Hill, NJ
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"Danni" <dann...@comcast.net> wrote in message
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Howard Garland
is no way the steak could be just as good without the bernaise sauce.
Howard
Dick Goldhaber
stabilize a condiment can change a meal.
I ordered almost anything that said "steak".
As everyone knows, I like my meat done rare.
"Minute steaks" done well are inedible.
Most steaks, done other than well were tolerable.
Filets, done other than "Pittsburgh Blue" were unacceptable, but none were.
HAL called a lot of steaks by other names, and I never ordered one that was
unacceptable, either for taste or for the quality of the meat.
In 1994, on my first meal aboard Crystal I ordered a piece of meat done
"rare", and it was inedible.
I have learned since that time that meat is best when it is done best.
I never had a meal on Statendam that was inedible. Some were not done as
rare as I like, but none was less than wonderful.
--
DG in Cherry Hill, NJ
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"Howard Garland" <garl...@comcast.netremove> wrote in message
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Howard Garland
Howard