'Twas the Week Before Christmas - Live from the Eurodam

[frankc98376]

The bubble of awesome popped. According to the front desk, you CANNOT upgrade the Explore 4 SBP UNLESS you pay the full $55.95 per day. We should have brought our usual wine allotment from home. DW is not a happy camper.

 

Very strange- on Westerdam in October our server in the Pinnacle Bar offered the upgrade- took our cards and 5 minutes later it was done. I would speak to one of the bar staff- it is HAL and we all know that if you ask 3 people at the front desk or in Seattle the same question you will very likely get three answers.

Correction- DH said that it was bartender at Seaview Bar that offered. I guess I got my bars mixed up- embarkation day was a blur

Edited December 18, 2016 by frankc98376

[erewhon]

Thanks for your reports.

No tooting at sail away, who is the Captain?

[AtlantaCruiser72]

Thanks for your reports.

No tooting at sail away, who is the Captain?

 

The Grinch - no "Who"ting on his watch!

[Scrapnana]

Good one, AtlantaCruiser72!;)

 

 

 

POA1 - saluted you with my drink (which turned out to be orange juice not tea) as you sailed by the webcam.

 

Your neighbors seemed to be in a party mood today - lots of bells, whistles, air horns, etc.

 

Enjoying your "live" report.

Edited December 18, 2016 by Scrapnana

[Krazy Kruizers]

POA1

Loving your reports.

Sorry I missed your sail away. But we had a chance to get out for dinner last evening.

Glad to hear that Eurodam went back to offering both premade and made to order sandwiches. Sounds like HAL is listening to everyone's complaints.

[bluesplayer]

Hope to not overwhelm you with another research item. Do tell if the door hanger breakfast card menu is different than the room service breakfast menu that you would order the same day. From what i have read of SBP the wine options are not that great. Looking forward to hearing the SBP wine options. Hope you can score the upgrade!! Excellent research.. you have your work cut out. Wine drinkers matter!!!!

Edited December 18, 2016 by bluesplayer

[POA1]

We had bartender at the Ocean Bar and one of the Front Desk employees tell us that the Explore 4 Signature Beverage Package is NOT upgradeable. The front desk employee actually said that our SBP was a promo and had no cash value. That runs counter to all the marketing materials which made quite a big deal of the fact that it had a value of more than $50 per day. DW mas pretty mad at me for not bringing any wine since we were going to be stuck with the $8 limit. I explained to her that the upgrade information was based on reports from CC posters with impeccable credentials. (Thank goodness she knows who you guys are. Otherwise, I'd be typing this from the balcony - where I'd be sleeping for the next week. Sure, that sounds fun. But eventually you have to come inside to eat or shower.)

 

 

I *think* we're going to get this to work out, and be able to purchase the upgrade, but I would not take upgrades as gospel if I were you. If you have the Explore 4 SBP and you're happy with it, great. If you really need (okay "want") better wines, do not take the ability to upgrade as a given. I thought, based on reports from people with sterling reputations, that HAL would be all over the incremental revenue. I'd advise against assuming that to be true. It might just be a Eurodam thing, but they definitely weren't trying to upsell you from the Explore SBP on this trip.

[POA1]

Hope to not overwhelm you with another research item. Do tell if the door hanger breakfast card menu is different than the room service breakfast menu that you would order the same day. From what i have read of SBP the wine options are not that great. Looking forward to hearing the SBP wine options. Hope you can score the upgrade!! Excellent research.. you have your work cut out. Wine drinkers matter!!!!

 

The breakfast door hanger for the Neptune Suites is different from the one for everyone else. The NS has the full set of options, much like the breakfast menus of yore. The new one has fewer choices. Ironically, the things my wife and I order are on both menus, so we would be covered either way. I'll try to get a new card from DFIL and scan it for later. However, it looks to be exactly what other people have already posted.

[POA1]

 

We've had to relocate to the Institute of Cheer's satellite office because the throughput in our room absolutely blows chunks. I think we're too far from the Neptune Lounge access point as we're all the way down by the midship elevators. So, now we're cming to you live from the Crow's Nest which has good speeds and a view.

 

Internet plans are per-minute and they did not have a first day sign up bonus.

 

Tonight is our first Gala Night. If you're new to Holland America, you should know that HAL switched from the traditional "formal nights" to "gala nights" back at the end of Summer 2015. A lot of people think that the change was in response to a more casual attitude toward dressing by the general public. Others credit increased restrictions on airline baggage allowances which make it difficult and more expensive to travel with multiple suitcases. My theory is that the dress code change was made due to pressure from Big Khaki and the Dockers lobby.

 

 

According to HAL's "Know Before You Go" information packet, "Gala Nights evoke the grand traditions of cruising as guests dress to impress for special events on board...." I don't know about you, but when I hear "dress to impress," my mind doesn't immediately leap to "business casual."

 

 

Anyhow...

 

 

Since it's the holiday season, I thought I'd recycle a little ditty that I composed in the honor of the change from Formal Nighs to Gala Nights. It's sung to the tune of "Deck the Halls," and entitled:

 

 

DECK THE HAL

 

 

Deck the halls on your HAL cruise line...

Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Formal nights, they used to be fine...

Fa la la la la, la la la la.

 

 

Now the market research's finding...

Fa la la, la la la, la la la.

That those ties are harsh and binding.

Fa la la la la, la la la la.

 

 

So we've done away with Formal...

Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Gala nights are our new normal!

Ga la la la la, la la la la.

 

 

Follow me and wear some khakis...

Ga la la la la, la la la la.

Lose the dress, and lose the jackets!

Ga la la la la, la la la la.

 

 

So away the dress code passes...

Ga la la la la, la la la la.

Hail the new, ye lads and lasses,

Ga la la la la, la la la la.

 

 

Sing we joyous, for we are blessed,

Ga la la la la, la la la la.

'Cause no longer must we get dressed!

Ga la la la la, la la la la.

 

 

Gala - la -la!

 

 

[POA1]

We need to revise our age range estimates for this cruise. I thing that it's mid 40s - TOPS. There are a fair number of children and a lot of family groups. It's definitely an eclectic mix. There were quite a few guys in sport coats last night, but there were also a lot of T-shirts. Women were much more dressed up - on average - than men. It wasn't unusual to see a woman in a nice dress, heels and full accessories accompanied by a gentleman in jeans and a T-shirt. I'm not sure where this sartorial dichotomy between the sexes comes from. To my curmudgeonly 53 year old eyes, it seem strange to see women dressed to the nines while their boyfriends/husbands are dressed to the three and a halves.

 

 

Saturday saw a lot of flight delays and there were quite a few people who barely made it to the ship in time. There were even some poor souls who made it to the ship without their luggage. Hopefully they will be able to get some clothes to tide them over until their bags show up. (This happened to Cruz Chic a couple of years ago, and she said that the ship was very helpful in getting her some things to tide her over until her luggage caught up with her.)

[POA1]

The "On Location" has been replaced by "When & Where" on the Eurodam. It's a more compact format and no longer has that handy tear-off part with the abbreviated schedule. I'll miss that. On the plus side though, there are only 4 panels to scan instead of 6, which makes my job easier. For documents from the National Institute of Cheer's Department of Scanning Things, we'll post the PDFs to an Evernote note and link to it here. If you follow the link, you can access the PDFs in your web browser. You can also save them while you are viewing them if you want. You don't have to sign up for Evernote or anything like that.

 

Saturday's Daily Program is here:

 

http://www.evernote.com/l/AFhdV5nRDNBBtIc_fufaYuj8pXoUK3Vhl1c/

 

Sunday's is at:

 

http://www.evernote.com/l/AFgqyT9zgYpIs4sCLUK4fz7lfiHS1HH9HYA/

[LadyVol1]

If you have time after investigating all of your other very important areas, I would appreciate it if you could scan the Fitness Center schedule. I noticed on the first sea day there was a Pilates class for $12 and an evening stretch class but there were no morning classes listed. If walking to the Fitness Center is going to cause you undue exertion, please don't attempt it since your health and the ability for you to maximize your drinking capability always comes first!!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[frankc98376]

I love the internet packages and plethora of access points on Westerdam. Last several cruises we've had a hot spot in our stateroom.

 

I really would get their s#*! together witb internet packages and service. Some do need access while cruising and is one reason we tend to stick with Westerdam. I don't see different packages and servce at hotels within the same brand.

 

Sadly consistency doesn't appear to exist at HAL, Your experience with the EBP shows that. Seems they let each ship run as a separate entity. Policies on each ship seem to be as different as sailing on HAL or Crystal.

 

I saw a while back that another poster argued enough that they let them upgrade the bev package. Sad anyone has to argue to give HAL more money especially when another ship is promoting the upgrade.

Edited December 18, 2016 by frankc98376

[BruhnSisters]

Love, love, love your witty reporting!!!!

 

Will you by chance be posting any food menus? I leave on the Westerdam next Saturday and am hoping the menus might be similar. I haven't seen any recent Mexican Riviera menus posted anywhere.

 

May your cruise be filled with lots of cheer. Merry Christmas!

[MaxeyMom]

I see from the scans of the Daily Activities that the cooking classes are listed as classes from the Culinary Arts Center. I assume that means that the Eurodam has not converted to the future America's Test Kitchen. Any rumors as to when that will happen?

 

Do you plan to eat/drink at the Tamarind? Hope to hear a review if you do.

 

Thanks for all your diligent research for those of us stuck in the frozen temps!

[OVgirl]

Guess you could be hitting the wine shops in port to get some better quality beverages.

[scopewest]

Love your review, thanks for taking the time to do this!

[POA1]

You know how children will keep asking questions of mommy & daddy until someone gives them the answer that they want? Well, that's how we were with the beverage package paid upgrade. Apparently, you need to ask enough people until you get the answer you want. How many people? Seven in our case. Persistence paid off for us and we are now the proud owners of the the Elite Beverage Package, aka SBP+.

 

 

I'd still caution people not to count on being able to upgrade. But if you need to and run into resistance, persevere an keep trying. ('Cause when SW wants a decent Pinot Noir, she gets a decent Pinot Noir.) I think that we're all clear of the "hiccups" now (to steal a term from Kazu.) Hopefully the Bubble of Awesome in which we travel is fully patched and stays inflated for the rest of the trip.

[POA1]

Attention: VictoriAnchovy:

 

 

Anchovies are available in the Lido Market salad bar at lunch. Hip, hip, hooray!

[POA1]

If you have time after investigating all of your other very important areas, I would appreciate it if you could scan the Fitness Center schedule. I noticed on the first sea day there was a Pilates class for $12 and an evening stretch class but there were no morning classes listed. If walking to the Fitness Center is going to cause you undue exertion, please don't attempt it since your health and the ability for you to maximize your drinking capability always comes first!!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

The fitness center schedule is in the daily programs that I posted, but I'll check to see if they have a standalone schedule for you.

[POA1]

I love the internet packages and plethora of access points on Westerdam. Last several cruises we've had a hot spot in our stateroom.

 

I really would get their s#*! together witb internet packages and service. Some do need access while cruising and is one reason we tend to stick with Westerdam. I don't see different packages and servce at hotels within the same brand.

 

Sadly consistency doesn't appear to exist at HAL, Your experience with the EBP shows that. Seems they let each ship run as a separate entity. Policies on each ship seem to be as different as sailing on HAL or Crystal.

 

I saw a while back that another poster argued enough that they let them upgrade the bev package. Sad anyone has to argue to give HAL more money especially when another ship is promoting the upgrade.

 

No worries Frank - and thanks for the advice. We did manage to get the upgraded package after a little effort. The "new" Explore 4's and a couple of the other promos have 100 free Internet minutes per person as part of the package. That means that there are a boatload (literally) of people who have 100 minutes of access and no idea how to use it. I feel bad for the people who are trying to use the data on their phones because it's way too easy to accidentally connect to cellular data if you don't know what you're doing. Hopefully those people will blow through their 100 minute allocation by the time we hot Grand Turk tomorrow and speeds will pick up. The 'net speed is the slowest I've seen in about 10 years. Fortunately my phone works as a hotspot and I unlimited international data with 10 GB of 4G/3G hotspot. That'll cover me in ports.

 

We're not very close to a hotspot - at least according to my signal meter. I don't mind taking my laptop for a walk when I have to do work. It makes me get the tasks done quicker so I can get back to vacation.

[POA1]

Wines by the Glass - Eurodam 12/2016 - Standard SBC wines asterisked (for real this time.)

 

Sparkling:

 

*Cantine Maschio Brut Prosecco Treviso, Italy - $6.25 - Crisp and stony, with floral, white peach and slivered almond notes riding the lively bead. 85 points WS - NOTE: This is the cabana wine.

 

*Nicolas Feuillatte Brut Champagne Réserve France - $12.50 - This balanced Champagne is ripe and juicy, with crème de cassis and Honeycrisp apple fruit flavors accented by details of honey, smoke and biscuit. A fresh and creamy aperitif. 90 points WS

 

Domaine Chandon Brut California Classic - $13.00 - Lively and crisp, with user-friendly flavors of tart apple, lemon and spicy vanilla. 89 points WS

 

*Veuve Clicquot Brut Champagne - $17.50 -Bright and lightly toasty, this elegant Champagne layers flavors of cassis, crushed hazelnut and lemon meringue pie on the creamy bead. 90 points WS

 

White Wine:

 

*Zonin Pinot Grigio Latisana del Friuli Albola - $6.25 - A simple white, with some apple and banana character. Medium-bodied, offering good acidity and a light finish. - 84 points WS

 

Ruffino Pinot Grigio - $11.00 - Intense, clean notes of meadow flowers, pears and pleasant hints of golden apple. The bouquet is fresh and fragrant, yet complex, showing refined notes of sage and mint, with a nice touch of mineralinty typical of Pinot Grigio - Mid 80s

 

*La Terre White Zinfandel - $6.25 - No rating found.

 

Gruber-Ro****z Riesling - $8.50 - Subtle, fruitful Riesling which reveals its subtle charms rather slowly. The nose is shy but the palate shines with ripe, aromatic apricot fruit, accentuated by lemon freshness and centered around a concentrated core of fruit and zest. This is slender but generous, refreshing and lasting. - 88 points Winemag.com

 

*Snoqualmie Select Riesling - $7.25 - Moderately sweet, offering apricot and pear flavors that remain ripe as the finish lingers. - 85-87 points

 

Zonin Moscato - $8.50 - Excellent as dessert wine it matches perfectly with jam tarts fruit salads and pastry. Low alcohol 7% - 84 point avg

 

*Caliterra Sauvignon Blanc - $7.00 - This has lots of zip, with bracing lemon zest, thyme and white peach notes that race through the brisk finish. - 87 points WS

 

Domaine Laroche Chablis - $13.50 - Lovely balance and expressive flavors of apple, peach and lemon highlight this juicy white. Leaves a mouthwatering impression on the stony finish. - 89 poiints WS

 

Formation Monterey Sauvignon Blanc - $9.75 - I can find nothing on this Formation's Sauv Blanc.

 

Villa Maria Sauvignon Blanc - $12.25 - Lean, with grass, citrus zest and ruby grapefruit flavors that are juicy and vibrant. Toasted herb and floral details linger. - 87 points WS

 

*Santa Carolina Chardonnay - $6.25 - A fruity style, with Gala apple and pear tart flavors that are clean and direct. The spicy finish has some smoky notes. - 86 points WS

 

*Vina Santa Carolina Chardonnay - $6.50 - It's not clear if this is the Reserva di Familia or not, I'm assuming it is, because Santa Carolina produces two Chards and this one is more expensive than the one above it, - Rich and well-crafted, with concentrated ripe pear, apple pastry and almond tart notes. The buttery finish is long and spicy, supported by fresh acidity. - 89 points WS

 

Penfolds Chardonnay South Australia Koonunga Hill - $8.50 - Refreshing, with lime zest and tangerine flavors that have a spicy edge. Compact and intense. - 87 points WS

 

Rosemount Estate Chardonnay - $9.75 - Polished, expressive and exuberant, with pear and grapefruit aromas and flavors, remaining vivid through the finish. 86-88 points. Note: If 2013 vintage, it's only an 83.

 

Chateau Stet Michelle Mimi Chardonnay - $9.75 - The aromas on this wine are light and nuanced with notes of pear, butter and pineapple. It's full bodied in feel, clean in style showing good weight and viscosity while retaining a pleasing sense of lightness. - 88-90 points, Wine Enthusiast

 

Red Wine:

 

 

Light Horse Jamieson Ranch Pinot Noir - $9.75 - Smoky, oaky aroma leads to meaty flavors with notes of rhubarb and red cherries. The texture is on the soft side and the body is medium. On the finish those oaky notes meld with the fruit for a soft finale. - 88 points Wine Enthusiast

 

Meridian Pinot Noir - $9.75 - Fresh, with snappy cranberry and wild berry flavors that are pleasant and easy-drinking. - 85 points

 

Batasiolo Barbera D'asti - $9.75 - High-toned boysenberry and raspberry flavors, with bright acidity and slightly chewy tannins. Moderate length. - WS 84 points

 

*Santa Carolina Merlot - $6.25 - There's plenty of freshness to the juicy red plum, dark cherry and black olive flavors, accented by appealing green herbal notes. Finishes with hints of dried mint and chocolate. - 88 points WS

 

Greystone Cellars Merlot - $9.25 - Jammy and soft, with simple cherry and cola flavors. - 84 points

 

Columbia Crest Grand Estates Merlot - $12.25 - Broad and generous, with expressive cedar, blueberry and cream flavors that glide over polished tannins into the long, precise finish. - 87 points WS

 

*Santa Carolina Cabernet Sauvignon - $6.25 - Zesty, with dried green herbal notes to the fresh red plum and berry flavors. Olive and mineral accents show on the finish. - 88 points WS

 

Rosemount Estate Shiraz - $11.00 - Velvety, ripe and expressive, playing its lively blackberry and dark plum flavors against a hint of mint as the finish lingers. - 87 points WS

 

*Black Opal Shiraz - $7.25 - Light and zippy, with a tart edge to the ripe berry flavors - 87 points WS

 

Casa Lapostolle Cabernet Sauvignon - $9.75 - A crunchy red, showing good cut to the dried berry and cherry flavors, with plenty of savory details. Dried green herb hints show on the finish. - 86 points WS

 

Penfolds Koounga Hiill Cabernet Sauvignon - $9.75 - Firm in texture, with juicy currant and spice flavors, finishing on a peppery note. - 86 points WS

 

Line 39 Lake County Cabernet Sauvignon - $9.75 - Big and brawny, this has bold, ripe fruit aromas and flavors that are shaded by thyme and dill, and backed by very firm tannins and good acidity. The mouthfeel is full and astringent, and the mouth-puckering tannins last on the finish. - 86 points Wine Enthusiast

 

Luigi Bosca La Linda Malbec - $8.50 - A zesty style, redolent of cherry and licorice flavors, with notes of pepper in the mix. The juicy finish has some paprika details. - 87 points WS

 

Francis Coppola Claret - $13.50 - Seriously tasty and full-bodied, this inky-colored wine is packed with ripe fruit, fine tannins and firm texture, and needs a juicy steak or tender roast as a table mate. A core of black cherry and black plum is shaded by spicy oak. - 88 points Wine Enthusiast

 

Peter Lehmann Portrait Shiraz - $14.75 - Bursting with blueberry and plum flavors, this offers chocolate and Earl Grey tea accents. Velvety and smooth on the long finish - 88 points WS

[POA1]

Love, love, love your witty reporting!!!!

 

Will you by chance be posting any food menus? I leave on the Westerdam next Saturday and am hoping the menus might be similar. I haven't seen any recent Mexican Riviera menus posted anywhere.

 

May your cruise be filled with lots of cheer. Merry Christmas!

 

Yes. I will be posting all the dinner menus. Crew News suggested that I contact the Culinary Operations Manager to see if I could get both the A and B sets. There are 2 sets of menus for 7 day Caribbean cruises and I hope to get everything. Worst case, I'll have the ones for the week we're in. I should be able to get some up tomorrow.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Glad to hear that you got your beverage package upgraded.

[AtlantaCruiser72]

You know how children will keep asking questions of mommy & daddy until someone gives them the answer that they want? Well, that's how we were with the beverage package paid upgrade. Apparently, you need to ask enough people until you get the answer you want. How many people? Seven in our case. Persistence paid off for us and we are now the proud owners of the the Elite Beverage Package, aka SBP+.

 

 

I'd still caution people not to count on being able to upgrade. But if you need to and run into resistance, persevere an keep trying. ('Cause when SW wants a decent Pinot Noir, she gets a decent Pinot Noir.) I think that we're all clear of the "hiccups" now (to steal a term from Kazu.) Hopefully the Bubble of Awesome in which we travel is fully patched and stays inflated for the rest of the trip.

 

So who eventually made the decision to allow it, and how far did it have to be escalated? This really sounds like a ship to ship policy/test market right now based on all the varying outcomes we have been getting reports of.

Edited December 18, 2016 by AtlantaCruiser72