The Times – They Are A-Changin’!

Sailing East Toward Ponta Delgada

We’re now heading east toward Ponta Delgada with five sea days and four time zone changes ahead of us. Traveling east always means advancing the clocks — never as pleasant as gaining time when heading west.

This morning, we completely missed the time change card, so our room service waiter became our unintentional alarm clock, arriving an hour earlier than expected. Better early than late — but it was quite the surprise!

Settling In on the Volendam

Today was mostly about unpacking and getting acquainted with our new floating home. The Volendam is noticeably smaller than the Vista- or Pinnacle-class ships we’ve sailed on since 2020. While there are fewer venues — no Rolling Stone Lounge, for example — it’s nice having everything closer together. You save a lot of time moving around the ship.

We’re in Vista Suite 7037, conveniently located near the ship’s center and just one deck below the Lido Marketplace. It’s a perfect spot for quick access to coffee, hot water, and snacks throughout the day — small pleasures that make sea days so enjoyable. Some folks complain about noise when their cabin is directly below the Lido, but we haven’t heard anything so far.

Our Vista Suite, 7037, is near the center elevators, starboard side, one deck below the Lido

Morning Routine and Spa Time

Our breakfast arrived around 7:00 a.m., and after a relaxed meal in the cabin, Judy left for her 8:00 a.m. spa appointment — a manicure and pedicure with Arin from Mumbai, India, who was delightful company.

Afternoon: Hangers, Meet & Greet, and More Naps

We had asked for more hangers yesterday, and around noon, they arrived — though sadly, this ship doesn’t have the slim flocked hangers we’ve grown fond of on other HAL ships.

After a quick run to the Lido for lunch (which we brought back to enjoy in the room), it was time to get ready for the Cruise Critic Meet & Greet.

The event began at 1:15 p.m. in the Crow’s Nest and drew an impressive crowd — over 200 people from our very active Roll Call. Cruise Director Jayme McDaniel stopped by to welcome everyone to the Volendam and the 45-day voyage. This was the first time I can recall a cruise director attending a Meet & Greet — a thoughtful touch that everyone appreciated.

After the meet and greet, it was time for a nap to get recharged for the evening.

Knitting, Stitching, and Evening Activities

By 4:30 p.m., Judy joined the Knitters & Stitchers group in the Art Studio on Deck 5, enjoying the company and chatting about everyone’s projects in progress.

We left for the dining room around 7:30 p.m. and enjoyed another excellent meal before heading to the World Stage at 8:49 p.m. for tonight’s 9:00 p.m. show: Xylosynth Artistry by David and Dawn Meyer.

Evening Entertainment: Xylosynth Magic

The performance was a high-energy mix of music, movement, and light. David Meyer played the electric xylosynth with dazzling precision, performing classics such as Pachelbel’s Canon, Sabre Dance, and Flight of the Bumblebee, while Dawn danced beautifully to Carmen and Carmina Burana’s “O Fortuna.”

It was very entertaining, engaging, and one of the most original shows we’ve seen at sea — and the audience clearly agreed.

After the show, we stopped by the shops, which carry a nice selection of Tommy Bahama apparel. The shops are also selling Cariloha bamboo sheets, pillows, pillowcases, and mattresses priced about the same as online (Cariloha.com). I never expected to see sheets, pillows or mattresses for sale alongside jewelry and watches!

Around the Ship

A few shipboard notes from today:

• The Casino no longer has a Texas Hold’em table — likely replaced by more profitable slot machines. They’ve added a Craps table, though I suspect it won’t see much action on this itinerary.
• Our pillow gifts tonight were two 13.5-oz insulated mugs labeled “Legendary.” They’re not cruise-specific, so it seems these are now standard for Legendary Voyages. A note encourages guests to use them when ordering drinks in any café.

Legendary Mugs – Pillow Gifts

• Shipboard music options are plentiful: the Dam Band performs four sets nightly in the Ocean Bar, Grace entertains in the Piano Bar, and a solo guitarist plays in the Crow’s Nest through the evening.
• The HAL Orchestra now backs all stage performers — no more artists singing to pre-recorded tracks, which adds a lot to the overall quality.
• The Internet is impressively fast by ship standards — 16 Mbps down and 3.6 Mbps up.

Reflections on a Sea Day

Despite a few small surprises — like the time change — it was a wonderfully relaxed day filled with naps, new acquaintances, knitting, and great entertainment.

Each voyage has its own rhythm, and today the Volendam truly began to feel like home.