'Twas the Week Before Christmas - Live from the Eurodam

[POA1]

My Jury Duty

 

....

 

ALSO....Take a paperback. Or Kindle. Periods of sitting and waiting. Sit on first or last seat in row. ( RR Easy to get too. don't want to crawl over people)

 

I took my phone and an 13,000 mAh battery for extra juice. I should have taken headphones, but I forgot. I did get to do some reading though.

[POA1]

 

We're 520+ posts into this thing, so I guess it's time to get to the meat of it all, our core research project: Beverage Packages. On our particular sailing, there were four beverage packages from which one could choose:

 

• Elite Beverage Package
  
• Signature Beverage Package
  
• Quench Beverage Package
  
• Coca Cola Package
  

The first two packages allow you to order alcoholic beverages. The last two are non-alcoholic options. We were fortunate enough to book under the Explore 4 promo that included the Signature Beverage Package or SBP. For the record, our fare never went down until about a month after final payment. Even then, it dropped by only $200 per person. We could probably manage a $200/pp bar tab with our lips sewn shut. Our fare included a couple hundred dollars per person in OBC and dinners in both the Pinnacle and the Canaletto. (We skipped the Canaletto.) In our case, keeping the SBP made the most sense. Your mileage may vary, so always check your fares and try to get the best deal for yourself.

 

 

Here's the official drink package description from the stateroom information packet:

 

 

 

 

The Coca-Cola package is pretty much the same as the old Fountain Soda package, so it's still there, but under a different name.

 

 

If you are paying attention - and being the eagle-eyed research assistants I know you to be, I'm sure you are - you'll notice that there's no mention of the 15 beverages per day limit. (It's still there on the HAL website, and I imagine that they enforce it. It's just not written on the flyer sheet.)

 

 

If you are planning to purchase the SBP or EBP, all adults over the age of 21 must buy the same package. If you read the fine print, you'll see that "Participants may order only one drink at a time" and that sharing is not permitted. If you look at Poohby Joe's Maker's Mark on the rocks, you'll notice that one drink can be a double. I don't know if there's a policy on this or if it's because he's a celebrity.

 

 

 

The big difference between the SBP and the EBP is the per drink limit: $8 vs $15. That might seem like a big deal - and it is for wine - but Holland America has excellent drink prices compared to a lot of other lines. For your reference, here's a bar price list:

 

 

http://www.evernote.com/l/AFg_FxOGUN9PE4QKOs1LJmhSwjECwymgoOw/

 

 

As long as you're not committed to high end tequilas or the upper echelon single malt scotches, you should be fine. (Tip: If you are ordering something like a Rum & Coke, you can ask for Bacardi & Coke, since it's under the $8 limit. I'm not sure how it works for frozen, frou frou, or umbrella drinks, but it doesn't hurt to ask. Another tip: Cultivate a relationship with your beverage servers. Always say please and thank you. You'd be surprised how that can set you apart.)

[shrimp56]

Thank you so much for your thorough report on our next damn ship. We haven't been on EUDM since August 2013 so looking forward to seeing how we like the changes.

 

Unfortunately we are Western Caribbean, thus get Le Cirque. Our extra dinners are 2 Tamarinds, but I must say that your Pinnacle photos make it look much better than the last few we had.

 

My HAL bar credentials include drinking the ship dry of Hendricks Gin on a Volendam Trans-Pacific. It nearly got ugly for a bit there.

[WeLoveCruising]

You're very welcome. I believe that they alternate between Le Cirque and De Librije. If you are on for two weeks, you'd be able to do both. If you are on one week, you just get one.

 

Ah, makes sense. And since we're only on for 7 days, gives me a reason to return :)

 

Thanks

[Petunia1950]

I feel like we let you down. At no point in the cruise did we blow through all 15 of our daily SBP+ drinks, yet somehow we failed to get this basic information.

 

I will tell you that the wine steward was responsible for after dinner drinks and he did bring cordials, port and Cognac. I'd feel 80% confident that the answer would be "wine steward." The problem isn't that I was drinking. I just wasn't drinking enough.

 

The first night, our order for Grey Goose was given to the wine steward (stewardess in our case). After that, whoever happened by the table first (waiter, assistant waiter, wine stewardess, or assistant wine steward) just knew what we wanted and would make sure we got them as quickly as possible. The drinks were usually brought by the assistant wine steward.

[POA1]

Thank you so much for your thorough report on our next damn ship. We haven't been on EUDM since August 2013 so looking forward to seeing how we like the changes.

 

Unfortunately we are Western Caribbean, thus get Le Cirque. Our extra dinners are 2 Tamarinds, but I must say that your Pinnacle photos make it look much better than the last few we had.

 

My HAL bar credentials include drinking the ship dry of Hendricks Gin on a Volendam Trans-Pacific. It nearly got ugly for a bit there.

 

The Pinnacle was quite good. We managed to finish all the Ketel One and Maker's Mark with friends on a cruise on the Maasdam in 2012. To be fair, it was a pretty long cruise with no chance for resupply. We also helped to deplete the supply of stir sticks and limes. On the plus side, none of us got scurvy.

Edited January 6, 2017 by POA1

[RuthC]

The first night, our order for Grey Goose was given to the wine steward (stewardess in our case). After that, whoever happened by the table first (waiter, assistant waiter, wine stewardess, or assistant wine steward) just knew what we wanted and would make sure we got them as quickly as possible. The drinks were usually brought by the assistant wine steward.

Thanks for this; it pretty much gives me the information I need the most. ;)

And it seems as if responsibility for individual drinks is back with the wine steward, but whoever gets the order passes the word so I get my drink. That's what matters most.

[POA1]

When we last had the SBP two years ago, it was a separate card. It's now coded onto your regular room key. Each time you order a drink, it's charged to your card and then credited right back off. The bartender, waiter or waitress will give you a receipt. I suppose that this is to help you track you progress toward your 15 drink daily limit or else it could be a way of reinforcing the value of the package. It could also be that they hate trees and want to use more paper. Regardless, we kept our receipts for a few days just to make sure that things were functioning properly. After that, we just tossed them.

 

If you are on the SBP, drinks up to $8 menu price are covered. If you are on the EBP, your per drink limit is $15. (Tip: If you aren't sure what's covered, tell your server. He or she can suggest a wine or other alcohol that keeps you within the boundaries of your package.

 

I can't tell you what happens if you reach your 15 drink limit because we never did. (We also never had hangovers. Perhaps they're related?) Your daily limit resets overnight.

 

You cannot use the package for in room dining, Half Moon Cay or your mini bar. (Tip: If you want bottled water, stock up in any lounge or the Lido restaurant. If you want to have water to take on an excursion, do the same thing. I'm not sure of the water offered at the gangway is covered by the package or if you need to get your bottles somewhere that there's a POS system.)

 

Some people reported that non-alcoholic beverages didn't count towards your 15 drink limit. I cannot verify this, but if you are concerned just ask.

 

If you really feel like you're going to bump up against the limit, you can always ask to be charged for less expensive beverages like espresso, water or soda.

[MisterBill99]

You're very welcome. I believe that they alternate between Le Cirque and De Librije. If you are on for two weeks, you'd be able to do both. If you are on one week, you just get one.

That's interesting, since I thought I had figured out that I was on the "B" menus but I have De Librije for booking, and would have expected Le Cirque. So either I counted weeks wrong (just checked again and came up with B again), or they don't swap LC and DL in an exact way, or I'm actually on the "A" menus.

[POA1]

To answer a few of the recurring SBP questions I've seen over the 2+ years that the program has been in existence:

 

• Can we share a drink package? - The answer to this is is a definite "No." While we have had situations where we charged two drinks to one of our cards - usually when one of us was using the restroom - you're supposed to order your own drinks. Our server would even up the situation by charging the next round to the other one of us. Of course, the server knew we were together, so it's not like we were running a scam.
  
• Can I order a double? I heard you had to wait 15 minutes between drinks. - We've ordered and have been offered doubles plenty of times. Particularly me, since my drink is just bourbon and ice. A single doesn't even begin to fill the glass. Also, it looks sad.
  
• They used to have [insert cocktail name here] on the menu. Can I still get it? - Chances are that you can. Some of the new bar menus on the Eurodam were pared down versions of old HAL menus with far fewer specialty drinks on them that past menus had. Each bar has its own set of specialty cocktails on the first, inside page of the menu. After that, it's a list of all the liquors, wines, beers, etc. The exception was the Pinnacle Bar, which still had all the old specialty cocktails listed. We asked a couple of bartenders and everyone of them said that if they knew how to make it - or your could tell them - they'd make it. Just bear in mind that drinks tend to be priced based on ingredients and liquor volume. If you want to know if something is covered by the SBP, just ask. For reasons unknown to me, the Wang Wang is covered by the SBP as it costs $7.95. It would seem to have more booze in it than the price would indicate.
  
• What if there is a drink on the Crow's Nest list and I want to order it in the MDR? Can I? - Usually. The exception would be if there were some special ingredient that only the Crow's Nest stocks.
  
• Is my tip included on the drink packages? - Yes. The 15% beverage service charge is included.
  
• Do people tip extra? - Some do, including us. We take a supply of ones and fives on each cruise. However, I don't think it's the norm, nor do I think it's expected.
  
• Does the SBP cover my cappuccino in the MDR? - Yes.
  
• Bottled water? - Yes, as long as you get it from a bar, lounge, or restaurant like the Lido. All of the bottled waters, still & sparkling, are under the limit.
  
• How about Port? - There are two Ports readily available and covered by the SBP: Warre's Otima and Dow's Late Bottled Vintage (LBV.) If you have the EBV, your choices expand to include Graham's Six Grapes. You're not going to see a list of Ports, Cognacs, and other liqueurs, so you'll have to ask if you want to know what's available. If your wine steward is anything like ours, he'll know to ask you after you first order.
  
• Cognacs? - On the SBP, you can get Hennessy V.S. The EBP adds Courvoisier V.S.O.P and Remy Martin V.S.O.P. Cognac wasn't served warmed, so you can deduct a snootiness point.
  
• Is there a "secret dessert wine" that will appeal to people like Huskerchick who like Sauternes? - Funny you should ask. Yes. Yes, there is. The Pinnacle Grill has Errazuriz Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc. Arm yourself with that information and ask your wine steward.
  
• Do they still have those after dinner cordials in the collectable glasses, and are they covered by the SBP? - Yes, and yes. If you are trying to build a collection, you can ask what designs are available. You can also order a different cordial than the one that's on the menu for the day. Just tell your wine steward what you like: "Minty & Chocolatey" for example.
  
• What about other collector's glasses, like sail away drinks? - For the most part, they are covered by the SBP.
  

[POA1]

Ports of Call: Grand Turk

 

Despite my long held desire to tour the world famous Salt House Museum, we decided to use our Grand Turk port stop merely as a chance to stretch our legs.

 

 

 

 

 

When you are docked in Grand Turk, head up to one of the higher decks on the ship. You can take in almost the entire island.

 

I take consolation in the fact that there is a short, two minute video on the Salt House. I can watch it and pretend that we didn't do a quick lap and head back to our cabana on the ship.

 

X23ueTj5evc

Edited January 7, 2017 by POA1

[POA1]

Port Stops: San Juan, PR

 

We've been going to San Juan since the mid 2000s. It's been both a cruise ship port and a place where we've had a few land based vacations. We even did a Silversea southern Caribbean cruise that left out of San Juan. If it were up to Huskerchick and me, we'd have taken a taxi to the San Juan Ritz Carlton and had their frozen mojitos. (Best we've ever found, and yes - we look.) However, with DFIL in tow, we decided on a more responsible self-guided walking tour.

 

If you search the web for "San Juan Walking Tours," you'll find a number of online tours and a few apps that offer walking tours. However, this is one of those cases where a paper book like Frommer's or Fodor's might be best. If you want to go it on your own, there are two decent free maps that I can point you towards:

The Trolley Map (You should be able to find paper copies of this on the trolleys or at the stops.)

 

A Frommer's Map - For either of these, you'll need some additional reference information. Otherwise, you won't know what you're looking at.

 

We also saw a double-decker bus tour that we put on our list of things to do next time we were in San Juan. It's $30/pp for adults and you can hop on and hop off the guided tour buses. There seemed to be a lot of the buses running and there are stops all over old San Juan.

 

http://www.city-sightseeing.com/tours/puerto-rico/san-juan.htm

 

If you are looking for a good - and free source of information so you know what you're looking as as you walk around using your free maps, here's a nice packet put together by a professor at Salisbury University in Maryland. And when you're thinking Puerto Rican tourist information, who doesn't immediately think, "Hey, I bet a geology professor whose last name is Scott and teaches in eastern Maryland is the go-to source!" I know I do.

 

PDF from Prof. Michael Scott, Salisbury U

Edited January 8, 2017 by POA1

[albingirl]

Really enjoyed your review....esp. about the napkin folding class. Lol. We are pretty happy to be booked on a cruise with no beverage package. We won't drink too much. More fun actually. Thanks for your very brilliant comments.

[POA1]

Really enjoyed your review....esp. about the napkin folding class. Lol. We are pretty happy to be booked on a cruise with no beverage package. We won't drink too much. More fun actually. Thanks for your very brilliant comments.

 

Glad to be of service. My DFIL had the package (regular SBP) and if he had 3 or 4 beverages per day, I'd be surprised. If he could have gotten a fare reduction, he might have been better off. But his fare never came down and the OBC and free Pinnacle were things he used.

 

Hope your trip is fun!

[POA1]

Some San Juan photos -

 

 

El Morro at the tip of Old San Juan

 

That sort of square white building to the right side of the smoke stacks is Bacardi

 

 

[POA1]

 

 

With the Koningsdam at the pier

Edited January 8, 2017 by POA1

[POA1]

Plaza de Colón (Columbus Square)

 

 

There were four nativity displays, one in each corner of the plaza.

 

 

 

 

 

In the bottom scene, there's an "evil eye" over the Virgin Mary's arm. I'm not sure that's supposed to be there and if there is some religious significance, or if someone put it there after the fact.

 

Because I know that you have come to expect high quality, well researched information from the Institute of Cheer, here's what I was able to find on the subject from the Pew Foundation:

 

http://www.pewforum.org/2014/11/13/chapter-3-religious-beliefs/

Edited January 8, 2017 by POA1

[POA1]

Centro de Recepciones del Gobierno de Puerto Rico

 

The official government reception center is also the Old Casino of Puerto Rico.

 

 

 

[POA1]

Castillo San Cristobal, one of the three main Spanish forts in San Juan. It's probably not as famous as El Morro which you see as you approach San Juan harbor. (The third fort is La Fortaleza which serves as the Governor's mansion.)

 

San Cristobal is a short, uphill walk from the pier and a good on your own option if you're looking for an inexpensive excursion.

 

 

[easyboy]

To answer a few of the recurring SBP questions I've seen over the 2+ years that the program has been in existence:

 

• Can we share a drink package? - The answer to this is is a definite "No." While we have had situations where we charged two drinks to one of our cards - usually when one of us was using the restroom - you're supposed to order your own drinks. Our server would even up the situation by charging the next round to the other one of us. Of course, the server knew we were together, so it's not like we were running a scam.
  
• Can I order a double? I heard you had to wait 15 minutes between drinks. - We've ordered and have been offered doubles plenty of times. Particularly me, since my drink is just bourbon and ice. A single doesn't even begin to fill the glass. Also, it looks sad.
  
• They used to have [insert cocktail name here] on the menu. Can I still get it? - Chances are that you can. Some of the new bar menus on the Eurodam were pared down versions of old HAL menus with far fewer specialty drinks on them that past menus had. Each bar has its own set of specialty cocktails on the first, inside page of the menu. After that, it's a list of all the liquors, wines, beers, etc. The exception was the Pinnacle Bar, which still had all the old specialty cocktails listed. We asked a couple of bartenders and everyone of them said that if they knew how to make it - or your could tell them - they'd make it. Just bear in mind that drinks tend to be priced based on ingredients and liquor volume. If you want to know if something is covered by the SBP, just ask. For reasons unknown to me, the Wang Wang is covered by the SBP as it costs $7.95. It would seem to have more booze in it than the price would indicate.
  
• What if there is a drink on the Crow's Nest list and I want to order it in the MDR? Can I? - Usually. The exception would be if there were some special ingredient that only the Crow's Nest stocks.
  
• Is my tip included on the drink packages? - Yes. The 15% beverage service charge is included.
  
• Do people tip extra? - Some do, including us. We take a supply of ones and fives on each cruise. However, I don't think it's the norm, nor do I think it's expected.
  
• Does the SBP cover my cappuccino in the MDR? - Yes.
  
• Bottled water? - Yes, as long as you get it from a bar, lounge, or restaurant like the Lido. All of the bottled waters, still & sparkling, are under the limit.
  
• How about Port? - There are two Ports readily available and covered by the SBP: Warre's Otima and Dow's Late Bottled Vintage (LBV.) If you have the EBV, your choices expand to include Graham's Six Grapes. You're not going to see a list of Ports, Cognacs, and other liqueurs, so you'll have to ask if you want to know what's available. If your wine steward is anything like ours, he'll know to ask you after you first order.
  
• Cognacs? - On the SBP, you can get Hennessy V.S. The EBP adds Courvoisier V.S.O.P and Remy Martin V.S.O.P. Cognac wasn't served warmed, so you can deduct a snootiness point.
  
• Is there a "secret dessert wine" that will appeal to people like Huskerchick who like Sauternes? - Funny you should ask. Yes. Yes, there is. The Pinnacle Grill has Errazuriz Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc. Arm yourself with that information and ask your wine steward.
  
• Do they still have those after dinner cordials in the collectable glasses, and are they covered by the SBP? - Yes, and yes. If you are trying to build a collection, you can ask what designs are available. You can also order a different cordial than the one that's on the menu for the day. Just tell your wine steward what you like: "Minty & Chocolatey" for example.
  
• What about other collector's glasses, like sail away drinks? - For the most part, they are covered by the SBP.

Thanks for compiling this. Clears up a lot of doubts.

[POA1]

Thanks for compiling this. Clears up a lot of doubts.

 

You're welcome. If you have any questions that I didn't cover, please ask.

[Tiggipaws]

Hi POA1

 

I am flabbergasted that you have to remind people to 'Always say please and thank you. It would never occur to me not to. There must be an awful lot of rude people on these cruises

[blizzardboy]

Port Stops: San Juan, PR

 

We've been going to San Juan since the mid 2000s. If it were up to Huskerchick and me, we'd have taken a taxi to the San Juan Ritz Carlton and had their frozen mojitos.

We sail next Saturday, 7 days on the E'dam then on to our first visit to San Juan for 7 days. Your frozen mojito suggestion is duly noted. Mojitos and Bloody Marys cover several food groups and keep the scurvy down so we consider them a travel necessity.

We'll be at the Renaissance La Concha on Condado Beach, but aren't afraid of a cab ride. Can you suggest any dining venues not to be missed?

We plan on visiting Bacardi. Any other must-see places, other than the forts etc?

I've enjoyed your research reports. Your approach to travel mirrors ours from what I've read over the past couple of weeks, hence my request for advice. I hope we cruise together some day, although my bride (St. Jean to my friends) says putting two guys like us together has proven dangerous. It happened 31 years ago over a week in Mazatlan (it would take a couple of drinks to relay the short version), but suffice it to say she hasn't forgotten.

[POA1]

We sail next Saturday, 7 days on the E'dam then on to our first visit to San Juan for 7 days. Your frozen mojito suggestion is duly noted. Mojitos and Bloody Marys cover several food groups and keep the scurvy down so we consider them a travel necessity.

We'll be at the Renaissance La Concha on Condado Beach, but aren't afraid of a cab ride. Can you suggest any dining venues not to be missed?

We plan on visiting Bacardi. Any other must-see places, other than the forts etc?

I've enjoyed your research reports. Your approach to travel mirrors ours from what I've read over the past couple of weeks, hence my request for advice. I hope we cruise together some day, although my bride (St. Jean to my friends) says putting two guys like us together has proven dangerous. It happened 31 years ago over a week in Mazatlan (it would take a couple of drinks to relay the short version), but suffice it to say she hasn't forgotten.

 

It's been a few years since we stayed in San Juan long enough to dine there. I would imagine that so much has changed that any recommendations would be past their "sell-by" date. If we were staying there, I'd look to TripAdvisor's restaurant recommendations.

 

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurants-g147320-San_Juan_Puerto_Rico.html

 

There are quite a few TripAdvisor favorites in Condado, including a number in the cheap eats category. We ate a number of our meals at the Ritz Carlton because we were staying the each time. Their restaurants are good, but pricey.

[blizzardboy]

It's been a few years since we stayed in San Juan long enough to dine there. I would imagine that so much has changed that any recommendations would be past their "sell-by" date. If we were staying there, I'd look to TripAdvisor's restaurant recommendations.

 

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurants-g147320-San_Juan_Puerto_Rico.html

 

There are quite a few TripAdvisor favorites in Condado, including a number in the cheap eats category. We ate a number of our meals at the Ritz Carlton because we were staying the each time. Their restaurants are good, but pricey.

 

Thanks. I've checked Trip Adviser and there are lots of options.

If you and Huskerchick ever head a few miles west to Plantation, FL., lunch at The Mustard Seed is unbelievable. It's always busy but worth the wait. Evenings, the white table linens come out for fine dining. That too is great stuff. St. Jean and I discovered the husband and wife team that owns it a few years ago. He's the chef and she's the pastry chef. Her cupcakes are legendary.