Well, today begins our 5 day trek towards the Hawaiian Islands. Still too far north for any warmer temperatures, at least we have left the rain and fog of the coast of western Canada. We’re keeping our fingers crossed for smooth seas and fair winds.
The time has gone by way too fast, especially the Alaskan portion of this voyage for us. So before the memory fades, we thought we’d throw out some fun facts about the Eurodam. All berths filled (they never are), she houses 2100 passengers and a friendly crew of 856. There is a total of 1052 staterooms, many of which are veranda cabins. On the seven days we spent on the Alaska cruise, they went through 147,500 pounds of fresh produce. We were responsible for some of that consumption, because we love large salads and plates of sliced fruit. The best fruit had to be the pineapple. Oh, and the mixed berries, as we never saw such huge blackberries and tasty strawberries, which must have come from supplies loaded in Seattle.
Thirty-five thousands eggs were served, 1375 gallons of milk drunk, and a whopping total of 16,800 cans of beer and sodas were consumed. The weight of the food, beverages, and food-related supplies came to 350,000 pounds. For seven days, that is quite impressive, we think. Also worth noting is the fact that the Eurodam scored 100% on the sanitizing inspections for 13 consecutive inspections. Now that is really impressive. And we thank the person that submitted these facts on a previous thread on Cruise Critic. We’ll report the rest of the numbers in a future report.
New to us, a Voyage planner sheet was given to us at the beginning of both cruises. The information includes a day-to-day grid of the ports or days at sea and the dining dress of the evening……smart casual or gala. Specialty dinners are listed such as Rudi’s Sel de Mer or the Cellar Master Dinner. The performances in the Mainstage or big screen movies are listed, as well as the special events slated for each day at sea. Such a nice idea, we hope this occurs on the 2019 Grand World Voyage too. It can be done for about two weeks in advance, saving so many questions for the front desk staff.
Breakfast in the dining room was so much more crowded than what we are used to while on the Amsterdam. But then that is to be expected with so many more passengers. We always ask for a table for two, but on the Eurodam, we do not have our own saved table every day. Nor do we expect it. So the service can be spotty, depending on how busy they are. This morning we were lucky to get one cup of coffee with our meal. Usually, there are roaming waiters serving only coffee or juice. Here, the waiters have to do it all. The only exception is the pastry waiter, who seems to appear every five minutes to keep the folks happy. So far, we have resisted those extra calories.
Taking a walk on the promenade deck was invigorating to say the least. The winds were strong, and chilly, and part of the deck was closed to traffic. Without a heavy jacket, you got really cold, so we did not last too long.
There was a one and only Cruise Critic meeting at 11am in the Tamarind Bar. Greeting us was the leader Bruno. We did not know anyone else, so we helped ourselves to a much needed cup of hot coffee and found chairs way at the far end of the room. This bar faces the private cabanas on deck 10. At least those who rent those think they are private, but if we chose to, we would have the perfect view of their lounges and table and chair set-up under the tents. We have not seen these advertised for renting, so we’ll have to investigate how these work. We think it is strange that some of these options are not advertised like they do the spa, shop, or special dining affairs. Even the internet plans are not shared unless you know where to look. The same applies to the photo packages, which has gone through a major renovation, and about time.
The lunch menu in the dining room has not been posted on the interactive TV, so we had to go to the entrance and look at the menu printed on the screen. Among other items, they offered a salad, soup, and a mini burger. Instead of the tomato soup, one of us ordered the room service chicken noodle soup. The lunch serve was slow, but we did not have to be anywhere until 2pm, plenty of time to eat a light lunch.
At 2pm, we attend a complimentary sommelier suite wine tasting class held in the lower dining room. Although it was advertised as a $19.95 per person tasting in the daily newsletter, we did see wine stewards handing out invites at breakfast this morning. Not sure anyone got charged. The crowd was so large, it overflowed to the lower tables near the center raised level. There was a new Cellar Master for this cruise, and for a change, it was a Dutch woman. We have always had male Cellar Masters, so this was a welcome change as she had a pleasant clear voice.
The Hawaii ambassadors launched their lei-making and hula dancing classes today. Sure was entertaining watching the group learning the hula dance….especially the men, who really thought they looked good. Guess it is in the eye of the beholder. Learning to play the ukulele and listening to Hawaiian music will also take place daily as we sail towards the islands.
During the late afternoon, we took in another episode of Game of Thrones. Someday, we will have to watch this from the very beginning so we know the many characters. The series is getting to the point that many of them have been obliterated in a dozen different devious ways.
Once again, we missed the Captain’s welcome aboard toast in the Mainstage. Hardly worth jamming into the lounge for a one-time 15 minute toast. Hardly enough time to order a beverage and get it before the toast was over.
Tonight was gala, the third one for us since we boarded. This new group of guests seem to adhere to the suggested dress code, more than the Alaska folks. It was not unusual to see t-shirts and baseball caps worn in the dining room at dinnertime on that shorter trip. Now we are seeing more suits and glittery clothes for the ladies. Tonight we had rack of lamb, duck, and a shared plate of ricotta stuffed shells with marinara sauce. One thing we have noticed is that the servings have gotten smaller, even more so since we left the Amsterdam last May. Not that we are complaining, since it is much nicer to leave the table not over-stuffed. Splitting one slice of lemon meringue cheesecake was perfect.
After our meal, we took a walk through the shops, mostly to get an idea of how to spend our shipboard credit. Do you know how many times we had to tell the sales people that we are simply looking? If you happen to touch something, such as a watch, they have it out of the case, polishing it, and wanting us to try it on. Some people might like this attention. We do not. And most of the nicer watches have no prices on them, so you have to ask.
Friends Terry and Jackie happened to stroll by and saved the day. They did not hesitate to send the sales guy walking. If we needed help, we would find him. But thanks anyway. Finally we were able to visit with them without interruption. One thing we did notice is that the merchandise is not close to what was offered on the Amsterdam. Not a lot of high end items here.
The show tonight was Off The Charts by the singers and dancers of the Eurodam. Been there, done that on the Alaska run, so we headed back to our room instead. The clocks went back one hour this evening, which is always a welcomed activity for us.
Bill & Mary Ann
Sunrise as we head towards Hawaii
Promise of a nice day
