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'Twas the Week Before Christmas - Live from the Eurodam


POA1
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Twas-Week-Before-md.jpg

 

'Tis the week before Christmas, and we have the blues

It's been o'er two years since we took our last cruise.

 

The future looks brighter, 'cause we've got a plan

We're leaving tomorrow on the Eurodam.

 

Good afternoon ladies & gentlemen, boys & girls, moms & dads, teens, toddlers, and wee little shavers! It's time for another research project / trip report from the National Institute of Cheer. This time, we'll be coming to you kinda sorta live from Holland America's ms Eurodam, where we'll be navigating the waters of the Eastern Caribbean on an oh-so-short 7 day cruise.

 

We normally prefer longer cruises of 10 days or more. But, schedules being what they are, we're happy to take whatever we can get. This year, it's only a week, but we'll make do. On the plus side, our fare for this cruise includes the really nice Explore 4: Pinnacle & Canaletto dinners as well as a generous OBC suite credit. We've also got the Signature Beverage Package going for us - which is nice.*

 

* - Caddyshack reference.

 

This is our first trip on the Eurodam and we're looking forward to experiencing the new and updated entertainment venues. We'll do our best to share copies of menus, daily programs, and any other information that could be of help for people planning a week in the Caribbean this season. And, of course, we'll share some thoughts on the Signature Beverage Package which we initially researched in 2014 in the thread:

 

Wines and corkage and bars, Oh my! (Signature Beverage Pkg, Beverage Cards & Corkage)

 

We'll do our best to update that information and hopefully answer any new questions people might have. Our plan in to upgrade our Explore 4 SBP to the Elite Package for an additional $10/pp/day + service charge - which works out to $80.50 each. We'll let you know how that works out. (How the heck do we abbreviate "Signature Beverage Package with the Elite upgrade?" SBPwEU??? According to HAL's website, the package is called the "Elite Beverage Package," but since most people know it as the SBP, perhaps we should call it the ESBP or the SBP+. I'm sure we'll come up with something once we stop by the Crow's Nest for some thinking juice.)

 

We also have a Retreat Cabana for the week, so we're planning to update "Poohby Joe's Guide to Cabana Living" as well. It starts at Post #627 on this thread from Dec. 2014:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/showthread.php?p=44985959

 

Given that it's the holiday season, we'll try to get some photos of the ship all decked out for Christmas.

 

000-Intro-Map.jpg

 

Our Itinerary:

 

 

Day - Date - Port

0 - 17 Dec 2016 - Fort Lauderdale, Florida, US - Depart: 4:00 PM

1 - 18 Dec 2016 - At Sea

2 - 19 Dec 2016 - Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos - Arrive: 8:00 AM - Depart: 3:00 PM

3 - 20 Dec 2016 - San Juan, Puerto Rico - Arrive: 1:00 PM - Depart: 11:00 PM

4 - 21 Dec 2016 - St. Thomas, U.S.V.I. - Arrive: 8:00 AM - Depart: 5:00 PM

5 - 22 Dec 2016 - At Sea

6 - 23 Dec 2016 - Half Moon Cay, Bahamas - Arrive: 8:00 AM - Depart: 3:00 PM

7 - 24 Dec 2016 - Fort Lauderdale, Florida, US - Arrive: 7:00 AM

 

The Eurodam marks the first time that we're on a ship that features a De Librije dinner in the Pinnacle Grill. We always like to try new things, so we made a reservation. It's held the day we're in St. Thomas. That's five days into the cruise which will give us almost a week to learn how to pronounce "De Librije."

 

ONE BIG FAVOR: If you're posting to this thread, please don't use QUOTE unless you really need to do so. Use REPLY instead. It keeps things a little shorter - especially for those of me who are paying by the minute to read this thing. There are times when it makes sense to use QUOTE, particularly if you are asking a question about something someone posted, but if you can avoid quoting long posts like this one, please do. You'll earn your courtesy merit badge that much faster. ;)

 

 

 

Edited by POA1
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A Little About Us:

 

This will be a family holiday trip of sorts. My wife's father is joining us on this cruise. He's coming in to Fort Lauderdale a day early and staying through the 27th of December. Being on the cruise means that we all get to be together, but we don't have to worry about planning meals and entertainment. My DFIL is traveling solo in a veranda cabin.

 

DW and I are in are early 50s. My lovely wife, who posts here under the name "Huskerchick," and I have been married for 25 wonderful years**. We took our first cruise in 1994 on Holland America's ms Noordam. It was, I believe, the Noordam III. If I'm wrong, someone please correct me. She (the Noordam, not my wife) was built in 1984, had a gross tonnage of 33,960 and carried 1,200 passengers. By way of comparison, the Prinsendam is 38,848 GT.

 

This trip will mark our 13th sailing on HAL. We're 4 star mariners and have about 115 actual sea days each. We typically cruise once every other year. While most of our cruises have been on Holland America, we have tried a number of other lines, ranging from Royal Caribbean to Silversea.

 

We currently live in Fort Lauderdale and have been here full time for a few years. Prior to that, we lived in Maine. Looking at the weather for Maine, I see that it was -3°F last night (-19° C for our friends on the metric system.) The winds were 20-30 mph from the NW, with gusts as high as 45. The high today is supposed to be 13°F/-11°C. It's going down to 70°F/21°C in Fort Lauderdale tonight. We'll take that.

 

Many years ago, we took a cruise out of Port Everglades on the Ryndam. As we passed by the high-rises along the channel leaving the port, we saw the residents out on their balconies waving and blowing air horns as the ship passed. We thought, "It would be cool to live there." Now we do.

 

After we bought our condo, we split our time between our house in Maine and our condo in Florida. We did that for about 7 years. While we really miss our Maine summers, Florida's quite a bit more pleasant this time of year.

 

fll-beach-snow-family-sm.jpg

 

**She's going to read this, so honey, you know I mean it when I say "25 wonderful years." Perhaps I should add fabulous, incredible, and phenomenal. Also blissful. It never hurts to suck up in writing.

 

We're mostly packed - and by that I mean my wife is completely packed and I'm kinda sorta started. Huskerchick is very organized. She knew what she was taking weeks ago. I'm not quite up to her standards. And by that I mean that I hope to be done by the time the cab arrives tomorrow morning.

 

poohby-carryon.jpg

 

Huskerchick is selecting her shoes and purses, while Poohby Joe waits with his oh-so-tiny carry on bag.

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In addition to updating our research on the Signature Beverage Package and refreshing Poohby Joe's Guide to Cabana Living, we've identified a number of pressing issues that need to be addressed. If you can think of any others, please feel free to ask. We'll put one of our highly trained research associates on the case to get you the answer pronto.

 

Items of Vast Import That We Have Identified:

 

  • Lido Sandwiches: Premade only? Made to Order? Some combination thereof? What about chicken, egg, or tuna salads? Inquiring minds want to know.
  • Half Moon Cay Lobster Shack: What's the deal with that? Menu? Photos?
  • Dueling Pianos: Do they duel with swords or pistols?
  • Lincoln Center Stage: How does it compare with the Explorer's Lounge/Adagio Duo? Is it still "the" hotspot for post-dinner cordials and pre-bedtime snoozes?
  • Culinary Arts Center: Is America's Test Kitchen up and running? If not, is there a Quiz Kitchen?
  • B.B. King All Stars: Are they playing a holiday set?
  • Gala Nights: What's the percentage breakdown of Tuxedos, Suits, Jacket & Tie, Jacket Only, Collared Shirt & Slacks? Are the collared shirts button front or polo style? Are the Gala Night baseball caps dressier than other nights? (I'm thinking sequined Yankees logo.)
  • Promenade Deck: Are people walking in the correct direction, or is it an unruly free-for-all? Teeming masses of humanity, wandering willy-nilly in different directions at different velocities, like so many drunken dyslexic salmon trying to swim down or upstream to spawn?
  • Prunes: Are they readily available? Is there a Prunacolada Drink of the Day? Are evil forces trying to pass prunes off as dates?
  • Shows: Any not to be missed?
  • Internet Service: Costs, Plans & Speeds
  • Interactive TVs: Do they watch you while you're sleeping?
  • Room Service Special Requests: Can DW get her write-in chocolate croissant, or is it the end of the world as we know it?
  • Dancing: Are there a lot of venues where I can, but absolutely will not dance?
  • Stateroom Lights: Do we need to put a card in a slot to keep them on?

I'll be honest. We've got a pretty full plate investigation-wise. But, if you have something you'd like to know, please ask.

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Excellent beginning. Looking forward to reading your posts. We are boarding the Eurodam on 31 Dec for a 21 day cruise. We'll be watching the sail away.

Allan

 

Let me know if there's anything specific you'd like to know. 3 weeks + New Year's sounds fun.

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You are so clever with your live threads. I love the reindeer pulling the ship.

 

I am really looking forward to this live thread and all of your explorations.

 

I know we are going to enjoy "exploring" with you:)

 

Thank you so much for taking the time and $ to share with us.

 

It's always a joy to cruise vicariously through you.

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I cant believe that I misspelled the title of my post. Not only that, I didn't discover it within the 15 minute edit window. It was supposed to be:

'Twas the Week Before Christmas - Live from the Eurodam

 

Not sure how I forgot the T, remembered the apostrophe, and capitalized the W. I reported my mistake to the hosts, so hopefully Walt will grant my Christmas wish and fix it. :eek:

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oops I forgot to as a VERY IMPORTANT QUESTION.

 

For we Sail a Way addicts - instead of tooting your horn from the condo, you'll be on board - and we'll be watching.

 

Did you request a webcam wave so we can all wave to you and where will you be? thanks:D

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oops I forgot to as a VERY IMPORTANT QUESTION.

 

For we Sail a Way addicts - instead of tooting your horn from the condo, you'll be on board - and we'll be watching.

 

Did you request a webcam wave so we can all wave to you and where will you be? thanks:D

 

No, we did not. We usually sit inside by windows in the Crow's Nest for sail away. (Proximity to the bar, dedication to our research and all that....) However, DW pointed out that we don't actually have a picture of us with our building in the background - despite quite a few trips out the Stranahan River. (Trivia bitlet: That's the name of the main channel in and out of Port Everglades.)

 

So... We probably won't request a wave, because it would just be the backs of our heads if we're trying to get that picture. But, if you see two people facing the wrong way, away from the webcam, that's us!

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No, we did not. We usually sit inside by windows in the Crow's Nest for sail away. (Proximity to the bar, dedication to our research and all that....) However, DW pointed out that we don't actually have a picture of us with our building in the background - despite quite a few trips out the Stranahan River. (Trivia bitlet: That's the name of the main channel in and out of Port Everglades.)

 

So... We probably won't request a wave, because it would just be the backs of our heads if we're trying to get that picture. But, if you see two people facing the wrong way, away from the webcam, that's us!

 

Well, we shall watch and wave anyways :). Have a fantastic time :)

 

And your dedication to research knows no bounds. It is always appreciated:D

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Well, we shall watch and wave anyways :). Have a fantastic time :)

 

And your dedication to research knows no bounds. It is always appreciated:D

Thank you! Our only regret is that our research is limited. We have two hands, but just one mouth.

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