Greetings and Happy Easter from somewhere in the Caribbean!

Holland America Nieuw Amsterdam

Saturday---We arrived at the terminal at 1:00pm and were quickly through the lines and on the ship in less than 30 minutes. Very efficient check-in process. Our rooms were ready so we dropped off our carry-ons and went to see about lunch. The buffet was slightly chaotic but the lines moved well and I had Pad Thai with Coconut Curry Chicken. It was delicious. Betzi ordered a burger from Dive-In. It came with fries and was freshly made when she ordered it. She was given a beeper and about 15 minutes later, her food was ready. She said it was also delicious.

After lunch, our luggage had been delivered and we unpacked. We chose inside guarantee cabins and were assigned two on the 6^th floor—Upper Veranda deck (6), aft. Very convenient location to both the lido and the dining rooms. Passenger decks above and below. Not much traffic in the hallways and it’s very quiet. These cabins do not have a bathtub, only a shower and are very nicely appointed.



One of the pieces of art in my stateroom. I just love this!

The atrium is not large—only 3 floors I think but it is very impressive

We did some exploring and were very impressed with the various displays and the art all over the ship. Even the elevator doors are unique! The elevators themselves have mats on the floor showing the day of the week!
These are the doors on the Lido deck. The ones are our deck are different!


They have these gorgeous seats in the elevator lobby. I want a single one just like this for my bedroom!


The day of the week mats in the elevators!

We did go to the dining room for late dinner and we were not very hungry. I got a salad and French onion soup. I have to say the soup was awful - broth tasted like dishwater. I just ordered another side salad—which was excellent and called it a night.

We had an early night as we were all tired and I was asleep by 10pm.

Sunday---Easter morning arrived and it was gloriously sunny and warm. I headed up to the Lido deck for a quick breakfast about 9:30. I ordered 2 scrambled eggs and some turkey bacon—and the eggs were ‘real’ – not that liquid stuff I’ve had on other lines. Service was speedy and after two cups of coffee I was back to my cabin to change into my bathing suit.

They have 2 pools on this ship—the Lido pool and the Sea View pool. The latter is supposed to be adults only, however there were kids in it today as someone got sick in the Lido pool and it had to be drained and cleaned. Yuck. So, the area was not as tranquil as it should have been. But I managed to get a bit more sun than I expected, despite wearing 50 SPF.

I skipped lunch and opted for a couple of slushy drinks and went to High Tea at 3pm. It was held in the Steakhouse and it was so elegant. I was very impressed!

The casino called my name and I answered however, lady luck was not with me today. 3-Card poker is my game and it’s usually decent to me—not today though.

Spent some time writing the blog and before I knew it, it was time to get ready for the Formal Gala dinner. The food was delicious and presented beautifully.

I have to say this is the most gorgeous ship I’ve ever sailed on. Every place you look there is something beautiful to see. 

We have an early day tomorrow—Turks and Caicos, so I’ll end here. Life is very good and I am very grateful.