Note: Because of internet connection at sea, photos will be uploaded later. You can see some voyage photos on our Facebook Page.
There is nothing more relaxing than waking up naturally by the sunrise while at sea. It’s one of the those things that make a great start to the day (even if I rolled back over).
I want to start off by saying that Holland America may skew towards an older demographic but they sure attract a technologically savvy crowd. After dinner last night I went to get a coffee from the Explorations Café and I’ve never seen more guests on Facebook in an internet café in my life! It was cool to see everyone writing on their wall and updating their status about how great it was sailing out of NYC.
I was rather surprised on the lack of people by the pool today. It really isn’t that chilly out but I think the weather scared some people indoors and they didn’t make it outside. That could also show for good entertainment throughout the ship. There are certainly enough things on board to keep you busy. Canadian beer tastings, cooking demonstrations, music trivia and some real chill spots just make it a good day for relaxing.
This morning we met the executive chef for a galley tour. When you think of a cruise ship you probably think of the captain and the crew that gets us from point A to point B. A lot of people never consider the kitchen and hotel crew, the folks who provide us with the luxury we’ve grown accustomed to on a cruise.
I’ve been in a few galleys during my time at sea but have never put it into perspective until today. The galley is actually about the size of the dining room. Everyone has different duties and it’s operational 24 hours a day. I’ve always wondered how the room service worked or if it was its own area – turns out it is, right off the main kitchen. The kitchen crew starts preparing breakfast at 4am.
The chef went into great detail about how they handle gluten free, allergies and diabetic meals. There are about 50 passengers per voyage with specialty needs and they let those guests pick their meals out a day in advance this way everything is flawless once they sit down.
The kitchen knows exactly how much ingredient goes into each and every plated dish, they actually down to the milligram. It was fascinating to learn that after the first seating, they know to the plate how much guests will order for the second seating dining. He also mentioned that they never run out of food and provisions are loaded on once per sailing.
Speaking of food, dinner tonight was formal night. This formal night isn’t like others on the mass-market lines. You are expected to at least wear a tie and sports jacket to dinner. Anything less will be turned away and you’ll have to eat in the lido dining (which is just as good and faster).
One not to miss event on the Eurodam is the BB King Blues Club. Based on the legendary blues singer BB King, the club takes place for about 2.5-hours in the Queens Lounge aboard the ship and is rocking non-stop. You’ll will hear music across the board, so it’s not all just rhythm and blues. They did a cover of Purple Rain and they rocked the house. It’s really interactive to because guests are up dancing and having a good time.
I never go into casinos – I know better – until tonight. I went in with $50 to play blackjack, played for an hour and was up $50, down to $5 and was dealt three hands of 21 in row. That little game repeated itself for about an hour. Turns out I walked away down $10, not bad for an hour of entertainment.
Tomorrow is Boston and we’ll continue our Eurodam review. I haven’t been to Boston in a little while, but it should be pretty crazy because of the Red Sox playoff game happening. We are in port until 5p.
Til then..
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