La Paz today!

03-31: La Paz today! We went to a salsa and salsa class. This time there was a bus so the beginning part of the tour was more organized. We made 2 versions of salsa, the pico de gallo was the best to me. After the class the guide taught a few simple steps of the salsa. It was a fun excursion with juices and margaritas. We met our friends for dinner, enjoyable of course. Dinner ran pretty late so they were off to bed. We went to the casino and went to the late show. It was the ship dancers and it was very good.

Retreat Cabana Day

03-30: Today we are in Cabo San Lucas. Since we were here for the month of February, we don't really care about getting off. We rented a retreat for the day. It is a $105 for sea days and $75 for port days. We had never done this before, so it was a new experience. We enjoyed it very much. In the morning, we had a cappuccino, pastries, and a fruit plate. If there was something else you wanted, they would bring it to you. Sparkling wine is included, but not other cocktails. Juice and tea of course. For our mid-morning snack, there were three options, we chose guacamole and chips. Suddenly it was also lunchtime! Stuart ordered the sushi plate, and I ordered the poke bowl. While everything was lovely, neither of us like our choice. I also ordered a pizza and we ate that. New York pizza and dive in are also available in the Retreat. Midafternoon it's time to eat again! This time it was pineapple and watermelon skewers. They also offer ice cream or a milkshake. We did end up having the milkshake about 4:30. We played some Rummikub cube too. They said we could stay and relax there after five, it's just that they don't offer service after five. 

One of our waiters was Chester, who will head home in two days to Manila. He has a brand-new baby son born in March and of course he is very excited to see him. He showed me photos and even a video. The crew sacrifices a lot to be on board to serve us in the hopes of improving their families' lives back home.

First Full Day at Sea

03-29: It is foggy or overcast when getting up this morning. We have our sea legs, and we are enjoying our first full day on board. We typically lounge around our cabin in the morning. We had a phone call from Paul and we will meet for lunch in the dining room; it is a sea day. Lunch was nice and we played 5 Crowns for a little while afterwards, until it was time for our complementary wine tasting for 4 & 5-Star Mariners. It was a decent wine tasting. The cellar master is Michelle. she is a delight. She is not as knowledgeable as Bernardo or Rod, but it was fun. We also met Carol Roulis and her daughter Lisa. Carol might book the Grand South America we are going on. Paul and Maureen are also thinking about booking it. Off to our cabins to freshen up and a meeting at the future cruises desk. Our appointment is a little after five. After that, we had dinner and said good night to our friends. We went to the casino where I watched Stuart go downhill fast, but then there was a miraculous recovery.  So, it ended up being another great day at sea!

 

Welcome Aboard!

03-28-2026: We were up early and out of the house by 7a. Uber to the airport and an uneventful flight, the best kind! There was mush chatter about the NO KINGS protests in San Diego but it didn’t affect us. We landed about 10:45a and got a sandwich to share at a kiosk. It wasn’t very good but then we have 14 days ahead of tasty foods! We saw the shuttle for the ship and decided to join that before taking an Uber. We were to the ship and in our cabin by 1p. No glitches with protests, we only saw a few people dispersing after the event. We headed to the Sea View pool to enjoy the sun. It was a bit breezy. While sitting there Paul and Maureen walked up and we became quickly reacquainted. We will be having dinner with them in Pinnacle Grill tonight. So good to see them. Now it was back to our cabin, unpacking, and sprucing up for dinner. Of course, dinner was delicious. We took a walk up to see the Morimoto and Tamarind Restaurants after that. Paul and Maureen retired for the evening. We went to the casino, where my luck soon ran out. I listened at Billboard for a time and then back to the cabin. Stuart played on with no success. It was still a nice day. There is certainly a different “vibe” on this cruise since it is a 7-day cruise for a lot of people. It seems like the longer cruises we typically go on have a different mindset. Anyway, it was a nice day.

Overview of the Holland America Line Fleet of Ships

Between the two of us, we have been on more than 60 cruises, ranging from 7 days to 111 days. Our first cruise together still ranks as the longest cruise for me (73 days), and we are continuing to enjoy going on Holland America Line (HAL). We have made many friends on these cruises and occasionally re-acquaint with them as we see them on the ship.

Here are the four ship classes in HAL's current fleet, and the cruises we have enjoyed, and will enjoy, on them:

Pinnacle Class -- Designed to provide a more elegant and modern cruising experience, including five specialty dining opportunities and spacious cabin options. About 2650 passengers.

• Koningsdam
• Nieuw Statendam – Baltic Capitals 2027 (14 days)
• Rotterdam

Signature Class -- Enjoy a comfortable cruise experience aboard a perfectly proportioned mid-size ship with additional fine dining, world-class entertainment, and stylishly appointed staterooms and suites. About 2100 passengers.

• Eurodam
• Nieuw Amsterdam – West Coast & Mexico 2026 (14 days)

 Vista Class -- Each cruise ship features a three-story atrium with central sculptures — an embodiment of timeless elegance at sea. About 1970 passengers.

• Noordam – South East Asia & Australia 2025 (57 days)
• Oosterdam – TransAtlantic 2027 (14 days)
• Westerdam
• Zuiderdam – Grand Africa 2023 (73 days)

 R (Rotterdam) Class -- Smaller ships offering an intimate atmosphere and a more traditional style of cruising. About 1400 passengers.

• Volendam
• Zaandam -- South Pacific 2025 (51 days); Grand South America 2027 (70 days)

 BOTTOM LINE: We have gotten to know and really like the service and amenities on a Holland American Line cruise. Comment below on what you like about cruising and let us know if you would like to join us on a future cruise.

Bon Voyage

Holland America Cruise

In a few days we will be boarding the Holland America Nieuw Amsterdam. We have not been on the ocean since last November when we did 51-days in the South Pacific. We will board this (new to us) ship in San Diego on March 28, cruising south along Baja Mexico, in the Sea of Cortez. We will have several stops there. The remainder of the 14-days will be spent getting back to San Diego and then heading north. We will cruise the PNW (Pacific North West) ending up in Vancouver BC, Canada. No extensions after that. We will fly home the day we disembark, April 11. Let the fun begin!

Holand America Nieuw Amsterdam

New Blog

 I am starting this new blog for travels with Stuart & Sharon.