Geoff Edwards | On Cruising

My sincerest apologies to SAS. Not only did they serve one meal in Economy, they served two. Why my itinerary showed “No Food” I have no idea. Along with the meals came wine or booze for no charge. It was a long, but nice flight to Washington DC. I particularly loved that you could punch up a camera pointing ahead or one pointing down on the small TV screen.

Those from the Netherlands had a bit of a lifestyle change when they left Eurodam. Smoking in Holland is now illegal in all public places, including restaurants. Well, not all of them. Coffee houses still are licensed to sell marijuana and hashish, and it can certainly be smoked on premises. You can even get coffee.

My connection at Dulles airport left the gate on time, but that was as far as we got. Some weather toward the west was messing with departures and we spent an hour on the taxiway before we got clearance. The Captain put the ground control communication on channel 9 for us to hear. What a confusing mess. I want the name of whatever tranquilizer the controller was taking. He was cool and completely unflappable as he unraveled the tangle.

Holland America now has 14 ships. I have sailed on nine of them. Eurodam is the best of a good bunch. When you are ready to cruise just look for these:

We are cruising up the west coast of Denmark and will then make a right turn to cruise down the east coast to Copenhagen.

Since we are not in port the stores are open. The stores on Eurodam are virtually open; no doors or walls in the way of your view of the merchandise.

It gives a wide open area, and sure worked for me.

A pullover, that I otherwise would have not seen, and for which i had no need became mine in minutes.

My photo shows the casino empty as many gamblers don’t like a photo taken while they are talking to the Gambling God,

but it has been busy most of the day.

Both the bubbling spa and the gym are mostly empty.

But hey, there’s food on deck!

On deck was a 4^th of July BBQ. The deck was full as were the Lido lines inside. Stein Kruse, CEO of Holland America addressed the crowd.

Two people were paying attention, me and a guy in a red shirt.

Tonight I’ll have dinner in the Rembrandt where they will serve from their regular menu. After that it’s packing and bed. In the morning, I’ll transfer to Copenhagen Airport for my 12:20 PM departure. It’s an 8 hour flight with as SAS so succinctly states, NO FOOD. I transfer at Dulles in Washington, DC for Los Angeles on United. Business class this flight and FOOD.

Tonight it’s also goodbye to my cabin steward. He did a great job keeping this single cruiser in some sort of order.

One last entry summing up the balance of the trip and HAL’s 14^th ship Eurodam. after I get home i

It’s threatening to drizzle. Which brings to mind how threatening can drizzle be?

I decided to not go into town. It’s a bit of a distance, and although they say the trains are safe and simple, with the way things have been going for me, I’m sure I’d get off somewhere in Berlin.

Remember the hassle I’ve had about Formal nights. Well, Geoff, all you had to do was turn your basic invitation over and read the small print on the back. It seems no one else had a problem.

So this is where I now am in life, I can’t figure out faucets, I don’t read the back of invitations, and I need a flashlight to see into my closet. But, that part may not be me. Ship after ship neglects closet lightening. I finally bought some of those lights you stick to the ceiling and run on a battery.

We had a special dinner invitation for this evening for the aft Lido deck at 6:30 PM. Remember that threat from drizzle. The threat was carried out. The dinner was switched to the mid Lido pool for 8PM. No air conditioning, fewer tables, but easy to jump in the pool if the martinis work.

I stopped at the Atrium bar and had a double Grey Goose on the rocks; $15.53 including tip. I checked my receipt, and my drink was charged to someone else in another cabin. It did take a moment to decide to debate the ethical question…… I lost, and so changed the charge and had it billed to my cabin. I think I’ll put this moral question up on www.sodahead.com.

Since I had some time, I headed back to 7086, taking an outside elevator. Six people were in the glassed capsule; none of them looking at the view.

Damn, another challenge. Do I look out at the view and stare into 12 eyes, or turn toward the front and let them focus on the back of my head. I looked at the view. It was fun watching 12 eyes avoid two.

The dinner party was very nice. It’s amazing that the whip could switch an entire setup including food from one venue to another in about an hour.

I caught the fireworks.

Strange to celebrate 4^th of July fireworks on the 3^rd of July in Hamburg, but still inspiring. Even an extra sizzle what with the rain coming down.

At sea tomorrow.

As of today, this is a pre-cruise, sort of like pre-boarding. Although the guests are paying, this is just a two day cruise for our now 2100 passengers. The Maiden Voyage will leave from Copenhagen for her first 7 day cruise on July 5^th. All 1,052 staterooms will be full.

As the newbies walk around the decks I’m sure they’ll notice that traditional Holland America art is still featured,

but there is also a whimsical note here and there.

Something else has been added. For $30 a day poolside cabanas can be rented.

With each comes mineral water, fruit in the afternoon and Champagne, and of course privacy. Think Honeymoon.

The 890 seats of The Mainstage showroom were all filled the first big show night; many were standing in rear spaces.

There are now lines at the Lido. Some of the food trays are empty, but refilled in fairly short order. To my eye they could use a few more hands in the hot food area. Talking about hands; a big cheer for HAL for their distribution of Hand Sanitizers.

They are everywhere. Next step, make people use them.

I finally solved the engineering concept that operates the shower and bath faucets. I won’t bore you with my trial by error confusion, but the knobs are unmarked. Left knob forward turns on the shower, rearward, it fills the tub. It also controls water volume. Right knob forward is hot, rearward is cold. I know it sounds simple, but I’m from LA. I’m sure you understand.

Today, since Eurodam is now “legal” we had a lifeboat drill. The good thing about a new ship is the new life jackets. Yes, they change too and Eurodam’s are easy to don, and comfortable. We were led directly to lifeboat stations, but the lines were not very well overseen by the officers. The Dutch like to mingle, move around, and talk. When the Captain asked that there be complete silence. There was, as he was speaking, complete silence. The moment he stopped talking there was a babble of speech, probably discussing the need to be quiet.

I decided to duck the frills of the Rembrandt Dining Room and stopped by Slice.

This pizza stand is open from fairly early in the day until midnight.

i took the elevator to Rotterdam deck

and entered into my cabin. i was so tired i didn’t even notice what towelamal was staring at me.

i took a last view of the bridge, thenI fell asleep to the lapping of the waves as we headed towards Hamburg.

The weather-beautiful, about 74 and just a few clouds. All of Rotterdam seems at least peripherally involved in the Eurodam Christening. The stands are up,

the orchestra has finished their rehearsal, and evidence of last minute scurry is ubiquitous.

Last night we had a wonderful dinner in the Rembrandt Dining Room. All of our dinners so far have been set menus and prepared especially for the media, travel agents, and VIP’s. Last night’s “amuse” (whatever that is, it comes first) was a caviar and egg combination.

First of course, one must open the egg.

Then Fois Gras (spelling?) arrived. We had quite a discussion about this inflated goose liver. Some were against the way it is produced; some did not know what it was; all ate it. The fanned Duck Breast was tender and flavorful, and the dessert was yummy, but so pretty,

it was difficult to destroy.

Oh, and last night was formal too! How did I get this so wrong?

What I also got wrong was my hat. The word had been passed around that the women might well wear hats. The suggestion was to wear the Dutch national color orange. Well, I didn’t want the sun burning my head and I had an orange hat. I thought why not?

I realized how out of place my hat was after about five minutes. So I sat on it. At an appropriate moment we all had to stand up, so I lost it. I will make it a point to watch televised Dutch soccer matches. Someone will be wearing it. Or maybe not.

As we passed into the stadium small “acts” made it fun.

After being seated, our wait for the Queen was eased by The London Quartet, four guys who sang great and were very droll (British, of course).

The setup of the stage offered big screens so those who didn’t have a good view, did.

This gave even the “cheap seats” a view.

The first order of business, after the obligatory speeches was the Bell Christening. The Captain, a member of the Royal Family and some guy in a suit, (suits were everywhere) were poured glasses of Champagne and then emptied them over the bell.

The Dutch and the US National anthems were performed.

Next the Queen was brought on stage. As Godmother of the ship she named Eurodam. The Champagne bottle smashed as hoped against the bow. Apparently, there are worries about whether the bottle will break, and back up measures are always in place. Some years ago Chris Evert was a Godmother and the bottle bounced. The Captain handed her another and she backhanded it….boom and break….applause, applause.

After the ceremonies, Micky Arison, the extreme head of Carnival Corporation who had arrived in his yacht;

his wife, the Queen and dignitaries posed for photos.

The outfit I cobbled together to pass for formal, might sneak by if I were a slightly senile star of the past treading the Oscar Red Carpet. Here it would only call attention to a dumb American media guy with NO fashion sense. I dressed casually and went to dinner at the NY Hotel

(it was meant to be) with Paul Lasley (ontravelradio.com) and a couple of friends. Good food! Where else could I find deep fried sardines?

Back to the ship, I was determined to stay awake for the fireworks. On the way to my cabin I stopped by the show highly touted by the VP of Entertainment as the “next step” in ship shows. I watched for a bit, but I think I’ll wait another step.

Back to my cabin, into my robe, out on my balcony waiting for, as Stein Kruse CEO of Holland America promised, the city of Rotterdam to light up. I was fortunate as my verandah faced the city.

The ship’s whistle blew, then boom, bang, rumble, roar; the city lit up in lightning like reflections. Reflections???? The fireworks were on the other side of Eurodam! I was in my robe! I’ll try to do better in Hamburg.

Eurodam is now “official” and takes revenue passengers on board tomorrow.

Yesterday Alan Wilson of Cruise News Daily and I took a walk across the bridge into downtown Rotterdam.

This city was virtually flattened during WWII (which may explain the joy on this ship as Germany lost the championship soccer match) and was completely rebuilt. A lot of thought went into the rebuild. There are bike lanes on all streets. The bicyclers, and there are swarms of them, have their own traffic lights and right of way. Some streets are strictly pedestrian precincts for shopping, and rapid rail bisects all. The architecture is creative and evokes an “Oh, look at that.”

Some evoke, “Huh?”

After the walk, although tired, I headed for the Holland America Building a block away from the ship. HAL has set aside a room for media with high speed internet, fax machines, and copiers. I had spotted it as Eurodam neared the pier.

I guess I should have looked at the side of the building too. It is now, and has been for awhile, the Hotel New York.

The room clerk told me the HAL offices were in “the red building over there”. Over there I went, wandering through the empty tables of an outdoor Japanese restaurant to the front of the red building. Indeed, there was a sign, Holland America Offices. It was locked tight. Back to the ship I trudged.

I am in so much trouble. Every time I cruise and note that there is a formal night, I dress in black tie as suggested. It bothers me to see that I make the effort and yet many men are in sports coats. Somehow, this time I missed the information about tonight being formal. I have a sport coat. I did buy a tie in the mall, but I’m not sure it’s going to work, the Dutch are quite proper when it comes to evening dress. I may just eat in my room. I am so embarrassed. I mean the Queen will be there!! (Not in my room.)

In my next blog I’ll let you know how it all went and then the one after that, we’ll go around the ship together.

During the night we sailed along the Dutch coast, around the Hook, and up the river Maas. As we went upriver, crowds of people lined the shore,

and numerous boats followed us.

Car horns tooted, boat whistles blasted out; ours answering. I was astounded to hear church bells ringing. What a welcome! A bit later I realized it was Sunday.

We had to pause at a wide space in the road. It was the only place the 936 feet of Eurodam could turn around.

For the next two miles to the pier, we went stern first. That means backwards.

I ate breakfast and lunch in the Lido; a term and a venue which HAL is rumored to have created. Although I still don’t know what the word “Lido” means, it represents the upper deck buffet style restaurant on most cruise ships.

Eurodam has outdone them all. If you are getting a hot dish, a cover is placed on it to keep it hot;

it almost impossible not to have your plate carried to a table. Juices are in glasses in a special refrigerated section.

When I first checked in to my cabin, I thought it was a bit spare. I’ve now settled on the word “trim”. Everything is here, but in a no nonsense appearance. Trim might well apply to the entire ship. All is here, done in taste, but without bling and glitz. Instead, Eurodam presents an upscale, classy environment. This ship, for me, is the best yet for HAL. i heard the term “simple elegance” and it applies.

Oops, except for the Pinnacle Grill. There we had a charming setting; tables not jammed together, and lovely crystal and china tableware.

The others at my table of seven seemed to be content with their surf and turf, at least I heard no complaints and their plates completely emptied. I, however, ordered the seared salmon, and asked for it rare.

“It is seafood”, the server said.

“Yes, it is”, I replied, “and I would like mine underdone.”

His smile was the type you give to a child who has said, in innocence, something stupid.

The salmon came overcooked and dry. After a few bites and a large gulp of Chardonnay, I gave up. The waiter was still smiling.

We again took aboard literally hundreds of travel agents and VIP’s and set sail for a scenic cruise which would return in the very early morning. A band played, a chorus sang and waved goodbye.

Confetti and ribbons were blown by the wind.

All this and we’d be back in 10 hours. I can’t imagine what’s been concocted for our final departure on Wednesday, but I know Tuesday night, after the inaugural ceremonies and Gala and Dedication Day dinner, the sky will be ablaze with fireworks. But tonight I’ll head to the cabin to see what towelamal is waiting to say ‘night-night.

Kudos to British Airways! Although I was in World Traveler Class (the back of the bus), yet a palatable dinner with choice of chicken or salmon was served along with complementary wine and cocktails. For my 8 hour trip from Copenhagen to Washington, D.C., SAS makes it quite clear that “no food” will be served. 8 hours folks! This beats Nutrisystem.

In front of me on the plane were seats 28 BC. my row was 29 ABC, so I had a no seat in front of me. Plenty of leg room and a narrow passageway to negotiate if I wanted to get up without disturbing my seatmates, a young brother and sister who never moved and watched TV for the entire flight. They were pretty crammed in, so I took the skinny path and stepped around the legs of B&C. B was very cranky.

Breakfast was served in the morning and we landed at Heathrow.

This is an impressive airport. People from Heathrow to Tom Bradley terminal must think they’ve landed at an out building. Heathrow is, however, quite spread out. To get to baggage and immigration it was a protracted walk, three escalators down, a shuttle train, three escalators up, and another walk.

If my wife, Michael, had been with me we never would have gotten past the Krispy Kremes.

The Holland America representative met me and we were waiting for another passenger, Ralph Grizzle, publisher of Avid Cruiser. I guaranteed that he was not on the plane with me, and 30 minutes later she came to the same conclusion. With that she was on the phone, and not a bus, but a Mercedes picked me up for the trip to Southampton.

Since most of the paperwork can be done on the Internet prior to your cruise, Eurodam check in was a breeze. It was 1 PM; 5 AM my time. I grabbed a bite, then hit the bed.

At 5 we had a press conference, then a cocktail party, and dinner at Tamarind.

Tamarind is extraordinary. It’s a new venue for HAL (the cruise line, not the space computer), Asian themed, and a bargain for $15. (Three and a half dollars more than my chicken burger.) Sushi and sashimi come first, then a shrimp soup, and then choices. I had Wasabi Soy Crusted Beef Tenderloin. An interesting touch is the Indonesian women servers; all lovely, most from Bali, and very graceful in their presentation of food courses. Lunch in Tamarind is Dim Sum and there is no extra charge.

Many of our group went to see Clint Holmes perform. For me the choice was Clint, or the Signature of Excellence mattress and pillow.

See you in Vegas Clint.

There are two timing problems with living some 40 miles north of LAX. One, of course, is traffic. It’s pretty tough to tell whether it’s jammed or flowing freely. (Like that ever happens). The other is Tom Bradley Terminal, where I have seen the lines for TSA baggage scanning start before you actually got in the terminal itself. The point is you must leave enough time just in case.

I am now sitting at the gate and two hours early. There was no line at the British Airways counter. The bags I wheeled to the TSA screening area moved through quickly, the reason being the machine broke down, so they said just leave your bags and we’ll handle it. One can only hope.

I had a chicken burger at the Grill. $11.50!!!!! I thought I was already in Euroland.

Once we board, I’ll have an exit seat even though my ticket said no seats were available until check in. A bit of clever internet manipulation a few weeks ago scored me not only an exit seat, but a slight upgrade.

It’s about a 10 hour flight to London; we’ll arrive at 9:50 in the morning. Then it’s a bus to Southampton, get on the boat AND SLEEP.

We sail to Rotterdam, hang out there for a couple of days, then to Hamburg, and finally debark in Copenhagen. Media, VIP”S, and Travel Agents will fill the cabins. Some will be on for 2 days, some 4 days, some 5, and the rest, the complete trip. But, all will attend the ceremonies when the Queen Beatrice of the Netherlands, as Godmother of Eurodam, bangs some booze across the bow

Next a report on the trip and the first day aboard Eurodam.

We departed around 10 AM for our trip to The Raddison and a room for the day. Our Air Tahiti Nui flight was not until early evening. It rained most of the day, but, as it was Sunday, the Radisson served a wonderful brunch. Beside the usual, there was a plate loaded with sashimi. I filled up.

Traffic jammed the road to the airport. It was Election Day and we moved only inches at a time. Papeete only has one road through town to the terminal, and every car and truck in French Polynesia was going one way or the other. When we passed a polling place, I got it. In Papeete, you not only vote, you eat, you gossip. It’s like a humongous family picnic.

Sunday and Election Day preordained closure of the airport bar, along with the café. So we sat and waited, mostly non conversational, deep in thought.

Luckily, my upgrade with ATN came through and I flew business class back to Los Angeles. I can’t tell you how good that spicy Bloody Mary tasted, or more truthfully, Bloody Marys.

We arrived at LAX along with the sun, landing on time. Immigration was a breeze, and in less than 20 minutes I was at the curb. It was chilly. My wife, Michael, was thirty minutes late picking me up. There was a freeway traffic jam.

I am home.