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Hi all, we’re cruising the Baltic with HAL Eurodam , 12th August 11 bfrom Southampton. Are there any other gay guys on board for the trip. Also does anyone know if there is a FOD or GLBT meeting place on board. cheers. Ian
SHIP: ms Amsterdam
SAIL DATE: 14 June 2010 – Monday, Seattle, Washington
At Sea (Formal), Ketchikan, AK, Sitka, AK, Skagway, AK, Glacier Bay, AK (Cruising – Formal)
At Sea, Anchorage, AK, Homer, AK, Kodiak, AK (Formal), Hubbard Glacier, AK (Cruising)
Juneau, AK (Formal), At Sea, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
RETURN DATE: 28 June 2010 – Seattle, Washington
Passengers known to be on-board: 1,442 (about 18 kids, thank God for Club HAL)
GLBT Get Together:
Out of the 14 day sailing there were only 3 GLBT programs listed. They were listed in the “Daily Program” as LGBT Gathering. The first night, so we were told by a staff member the next day, we did not get the first day’s Daily Program in our cabin. The Crows Nest Bar at 7:00pm (sorry, I eat at 8:00 pm on this trip) after our day in Ketchikan. The third gathering again in the Crows Nest Bar at 5:00 pm (just after happy hour), during a day at sea, this was another no show or they keep their life style a beautiful secret. After all, this was a main-stream cruise.
There is a “HAPPY HOUR” each day, both in the Crows Nest Bar (Deck 9) and the Ocean Bar (Deck 5), the times vary each day, so be sure to check the Daily Program to verify the hours. By the way, they are for 1 hour only – (2 for 1), so plan accordingly if you’re into that sort of thing.
Soda Cards – fountain drinks only, Wine Cards by the glass – House Brand), Cocktail Cards (Check to see if what you drink is available using the card), Coffee/Tea Cards. In the main Dining Room, Wine Packages are available, consisting of 3 to 7 bottles, varying prices, with a fairly nice selection of wine choices. And yes, you may have the same type of wine each night; any leftover will be stored and served the next evening. In the main dining room they have a premium wine listing if you are interested, but you need to ask for it. All of the cards carry an automatic 15% gratuity added to the cost of the card.
You may bring a reasonable amount of wine or champagne on-board, but there is a corkage fee for opening the bottle in the Dining Room, this trip, so I heard, it was $18.00.
ROOM SELECTION
My partner and I had a cabin with a partial obstructed view (see below *) forward of mid-ship.
The accommodations were very nice, the two beds were put together to make a queen size bed, but we had them separated to make more room in the cabin. Also, a two seat leather sofa (hide-a-bed) one small stand alone table and a mirrored vanity with limited storage, and a flat screen TV and separate DVD player. The cabin had 3.5 floor to ceiling closets, wall safe and adequate shelving for storing. The empty luggage stored beneath the beds. This particular cabin had a shower stall only, quite large I might add.
*Partial Obstructed View – happened to be just the thing since the sun set late each evening after 10:00 pm and sun rise was very earlier in the morning. We usually pack a set of pinching beach towel pins to use on the curtains to make sure the light from the outside does not shine into the cabin.
Overall the ship is in good shape, but is in need of a dry-docking; the interior is starting to show the 10 years of continuous service. I talked to one of the Staff people, who stated that it was due to be dry-docked for 30 days in November 2010. I don’t know if this is true or not.
DINING VENUES
There are eight different dining opportunities on board.
The Main Dining Room (La Fontaine, Decks 4 & 5) – breakfast, lunch, dinner, (Various Tea programs – as posted in the Daily Program) Open Seating – between 5:15 & 9:00pm, Early Seating 5:45pm, Main Seating 8:00pm
Pinnacle Grill (Deck 4) – Steaks & Seafood serving lunch and dinner (Extra charge – reservations required, lunch was pretty open on the day we ate there, dinner was another matter, thank goodness we had made reservations)
Canaletto (Lido Deck) – Italian Fare (Free – reservations required or walk- in accepted based on availability)
Terrace Grill (Lido Deck) – Hot Dogs, Hamburgers, Taco Bar, Pizza, Fries (Free, just get in line)
Lido Restaurant (Lido Deck) – breakfast, lunch, dinner, sandwiches, snacks, late-night snacks, ice cream, etc. Free
Explorations Café – (Deck 5) Coffee, Teas, variety of light delights (cookies/cake slices) changing though out the day. There is an extra charge for coffee or tea.
Culinary Arts Center (Deck 4) – Consisting of Free Daily Programs, hands-on cooking classes for extra fee.
Room Service – 24 hours a day, in-room dining. A menu selection is located in your cabin. Free, how about a tip for the delivery person?
We ate in each of the first five venues. Something to say about each, but it’s best to try it on your own, since tastes vary among individuals. I must confess I did bring on 1 bottle of wine purchased in Seattle.
When we dined in the Pinnacle Grill, the wine was on their wine list but at a much higher price (“Hello Mr. Markup”) than I paid in Seattle, so I brought the bottle I purchased in Seattle to dinner one night. They did not charge me a corkage fee, maybe they thought I had made the purchase in the Pinnacle Grill the prior night and brought the wine to the Main Dining Room.
SHIP ENTERTAINMENT & ACTIVIES
Just your normal run of the mill ship-board activates, if you have never cruised before, don’t try to do all of the actives on the same day, you will go mad trying to fit them all in! Pace yourself, as there is ample time to do some of the daily repeated actives. Do however; make time for the Shore Excursions if you have never been to any of the ports before. There were 11 pages of Shore Excursion selections for this particular 14 day cruise with varying price points (Adult/Children) for each excursion. There was a number of SOLD OUT or WAIT-LISTED tours or limited capacity tours.
Lower fares on European itineraries are offering some decent value for all-gay cruises. Check out my blog post at http://meetmeonboard.com/blog/2010/04/lower-fares-on-all-gay-atlantis-cruises-good-cruise-value/
Well, I’m back. Went to get away from the snow, so guess what, It dumped while I was away, and is ready to dump again. Wish I could have stayed on board for the Eastern Caribbean portion.
Cruise Line: Holland America
Ship: Westerdam
Sailing Dates: January 31, 2010 – February 6, 2010
Port: Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Itinerary: Western Caribbean – Half Moon Cay Tender, Grand Turks & Caicos, Sea Day,
Georgetown, Grand Cayman Islands Tender, Cozumel, Mexico, Ft. Lauderdale.
I had an ocean view cabin by myself this time on Deck 1. My partner could not get off work to join me.
I must admit, the cabins location was perfect for me Mid-Ship. Directly down the hall from the tour desk, front deck and the Atrium Bar and one deck above the Tender Service located on Deck A. The show lounges main floor was immediately on the same deck at the front of the ship along with the elevators to the Crow’s Nest on Deck 10.
There were NO paper deck plans available for the guests, so you had to read the deck plan at each of the elevators to find a certain location if you were not familiar with the ships layout. Maybe another cost cutting measure? Who knows? And before you say anything, no deck plans in the cabin.
HAL has moved from bringing your life jacket to the mandatory life boat drill, to NO LIFE JACKET REQUIRED AT THE MANDITORY LIFE BOAT DRILL, or at least on this ship, anyway. Much of the cruise lines are now moving in this direction. Place cards posted on the back of the cabin door indicated otherwise, you really had to listen to the announcement.
Since this is a mainline domestic cruise, there were no sightings (what ever that may mean) of other GLBT‘s on board, who were not crew. LOL There was only two (2) GLBT meet & greets which was held on the very first night (1/31 at 9:00pm at the Pinnacle Bar), the second one was held on (2/5 at 10:00pm in the Northern Lights Disco). In fairness I did not attend any of them since I was at the 8:00 feeding and rarely finished by 10:15pm. However, I spied about four women who had the cabana next to be on Half Moon Cay. I could have sworn, oh well. There were a number of children on board but were out of the way attending the Club Hal functions during the evening or days at sea and with there parents when in port.
They had a Happy Hour from 4:00pm to 5:00pm at the Ocean Bar on deck 3. This was never printed in the Daily Program. I had to ask the bartender at the Atrium Bar if they had one. The last ship I was on had two Happy Hours one for the 6:00 eating crowd (between 5:00-6:00) and another one (between 7:00-8:00) for the 8:00 dinner sitting. They always close the dinning room 15 minutes after the starting time. The bar was always crowded (when open), and people were sloshed before 5:30 if you had the late sitting for dinner. Yes, I do drink, thank you very much! I never attempted to join the crowd up there you could never get a seat, either at the bar, or the surrounding tables unless you planted your self early. Most of the older generation did just that, “Dam if I am going to miss my Happy Hour”!
I was invited to the Pinnacle Restaurant along with four other guests, to say the least, it was not a stellar performance by the cook on duty that evening. I have eaten at the “Pinnacle” on a number of other HAL ships, but this one missed the mark by a mile. It should have been named the “Barnacle” that evening.
I guess everyone has their moments in time, guess this was not in the cards for me that evening. It wasn’t me who kept returning their food.
Thanks for this detailed information. Like you, I found on my most recent cruise on Carnival that were was no need to take your life jacket to the mandatory life boat drill. I guess that requirement is changing. I also noticed a lot of cost-cutting measures on my most recent cruise too. I guess with this economy, it’s the trend not only with the airlines but also the cruise companies. Hopefully they don’t start charging for your bedding. 
I’m glad you enjoyed your cruise and also that you missed the first blizzard on the E. Coast.
Happy Hour is a great thing! Nice to know I’m not the only one who enjoy a good cocktail.
Funny thing you mentioned bedding. I was jokeing with one of my fellow passengers… I said “Next thing you know, if you want your bed linen changed daily there will be a charge for that service as well”. LOL they said “Don’t give them any ideas, enough is enough”.
American Airlines just announced a $8.00 fee for a blanket and pillow starting in May. It’s coming!
Thanks for this detailed information. Like you, I found on my most recent cruise on Carnival that were was no need to take your life jacket to the mandatory life boat drill. I guess that requirement is changing. I also noticed a lot of cost-cutting measures on my most recent cruise too. I guess with this economy, it’s the trend not only with the airlines but also the cruise companies. Hopefully they don’t start charging for your bedding.
I’m glad you enjoyed your cruise and also that you missed the first blizzard on the E. Coast.
Happy Hour is a great thing! Nice to know I’m not the only one who enjoy a good cocktail.
Funny thing you mentioned bedding. I was jokeing with one of my fellow passengers… I said “Next thing you know, if you want your bed linen changed daily there will be a charge for that service as well”. LOL they said “Don’t give them any ideas, enough is enough”.
American Airlines just announced a $8.00 fee for a blanket and pillow starting in May. It’s coming!
Holland America MS Eurodam – the best bar!
Anyone travelling on the Eurodam should check out the Silk Den bar on Deck 11 accessible from the glass midship elevators. It is a quiet elegant place to meet friends for a great cocktail or for LGBT on board meet-and-greet events. I couldn’t recommend it more highly, and no one on board realizes it is there until the end of a cruise as it is off the Promenade decks where most of the passenger activity takes place. Check it out!
Thanks for letting us know this. I love the secluded places on a ship.
Thanks for letting us know this. I love the secluded places on a ship.
Yes, by all means, if you have access to a computer log on to HollandAmericia.com
Click on “ONBOARD OUR SHIPS”
Click on “EURODAM”
Click on “PUBLIC ROOMS”
Click on “SILK DEN LOUNGE” (The listing is in alpha order so its near the bottom)
View the “Virtual Tour”
It looks great. Sorry I missed too!
Yes, by all means, if you have access to a computer log on to HollandAmericia.com
Click on “ONBOARD OUR SHIPS”
Click on “EURODAM”
Click on “PUBLIC ROOMS”
Click on “SILK DEN LOUNGE” (The listing is in alpha order so its near the bottom)
View the “Virtual Tour”
It looks great. Sorry I missed too!
Just an additional sidenote. The speciality restaurant – The Tamarind – did not impress me. It is located across the hall from the Silk Den. All my courses were overcooked, and the taste seemed to rely on the idea that each one should be hotter (spicier) than the previous one. Others in my party thought it was fine. That said, i found that others on my sailing on 1/9/10 had the same opinion as mine. So to each their own. I would highly recommend the other alternative restaurant on board – The Pinacle. The food was fresh and flavorable. be sure to ask for a table away from the atrium for a more personal experience. Pinacle is a nice romantic place to dine, or to have a celebration with friends and family.
Just an additional sidenote. The speciality restaurant – The Tamarind – did not impress me. It is located across the hall from the Silk Den. All my courses were overcooked, and the taste seemed to rely on the idea that each one should be hotter (spicier) than the previous one. Others in my party thought it was fine. That said, i found that others on my sailing on 1/9/10 had the same opinion as mine. So to each their own. I would highly recommend the other alternative restaurant on board – The Pinacle. The food was fresh and flavorable. be sure to ask for a table away from the atrium for a more personal experience. Pinacle is a nice romantic place to dine, or to have a celebration with friends and family.
I was fortunate enough to have two cruises aboard the EURODAM last summer; July in the North Sea and English Channel and again in August from Copenhagen to New York! I must agree that the Silk Den is by far and away the best and friendliest bar on board. Talk about good martinis…they have them! Also, if you are fortunate enough to be on board when Raymond Van Hoorn is the Pinacle Grill manager you’re in for a treat! Just tell him the Ted and Jimmy said he was the best! Away from the atrium is best, but otherwise great food, wonderful service, quiet and most enjoyable!
As for no life jackets at lifeboat drill; it really is for the safety of the guests on board because there have been far too many accidents caused by inconsiderate guests. People never follow the Captain’s instructions not to remove their life jacket until they were back in their stateroom. Instead they took them off, dragged them along the deck and down the stairs with no regard for the safety of others tripping on the long cords used to tie them on properly!.
I was fortunate enough to have two cruises aboard the EURODAM last summer; July in the North Sea and English Channel and again in August from Copenhagen to New York! I must agree that the Silk Den is by far and away the best and friendliest bar on board. Talk about good martinis…they have them! Also, if you are fortunate enough to be on board when Raymond Van Hoorn is the Pinacle Grill manager you’re in for a treat! Just tell him the Ted and Jimmy said he was the best! Away from the atrium is best, but otherwise great food, wonderful service, quiet and most enjoyable!
As for no life jackets at lifeboat drill; it really is for the safety of the guests on board because there have been far too many accidents caused by inconsiderate guests. People never follow the Captain’s instructions not to remove their life jacket until they were back in their stateroom. Instead they took them off, dragged them along the deck and down the stairs with no regard for the safety of others tripping on the long cords used to tie them on properly!.
Hi Guys,
My best friend and I are departing Ft. Laderdale Dec 4th for 14 day Southern/Panama on Holland. Let us know if you are onboard….tom2000@videotron.ca
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John "Ron" Cullember is discussing. 
Steve, and 
Ted Rowe, 
Virginiaman,
John "Ron" Cullember 6:30 am on August 1, 2011 Permalink |
I to have sailed on the Amsterdam in 10/2000, 5/2007 & 6/2010. I find the comments true and most of the venues/activities/dinning comments are uniform throughout most of the Holland America Line with the only exception being the Prinsendam which holds 835 passengers vs the other ship in the HAL stable capable range from (1,260 Ryndam) to 2,106 for the Nieuw Amsterdam. Happy Sailing everyone!
John "Ron" Cullember 6:30 am on August 1, 2011 Permalink |
I to have sailed on the Amsterdam in 10/2000, 5/2007 & 6/2010. I find the comments true and most of the venues/activities/dinning comments are uniform throughout most of the Holland America Line with the only exception being the Prinsendam which holds 835 passengers vs the other ship in the HAL stable capable range from (1,260 Ryndam) to 2,106 for the Nieuw Amsterdam. Happy Sailing everyone!