Well, I am falling behind again—almost by a week now—which is to be expected since I have been off the ship more than on during the first six days of the Celtic Treasures Cruise.  Not to mention that I have been drinking quite a bit of wine with dinners, so even my time on board the Prinsendam in the evenings seems to disappear quickly.  So I will go back five days to . . .

Tuesday 6 August 2013
ms Prinsendam at Sea

Today is a sea day and a good time to get acquainted with the Prinsendam.  The morning is a bit overcast but the skies soon clear as we continue heading south then west across the North Sea and English Channel, around the southern coast of England toward Milford Haven, our only stop in Wales.  I enjoy freshly prepared and perfectly hot corned beef hash with fried eggs and hash brown potatoes, with the usual accompaniments (juice, coffee, rolls, Danish).  The pleasure of breakfast is capped by the magnificent view of the white cliffs of Dover passing by the large dining room windows on the starboard side.

At 10am the travel staff (two experienced young women) presents an hour-long program with highlights of the ports we will be visiting during the first week of the cruise.  There will be lots of “tendering,” so they give an overview of the procedures, indicating that the Prinsendam received brand-new tenders earlier this year.  They also have available, on request, menus for the restaurants used during excursions, something I’ve never been offered on other cruises.

At 11am (I guess it’s going to be a busier day than I thought), guest chef Matthew Ganuso, from Providence, RI, gives a presentation of “ham with celeriac and apple salad” (with samples) in the Culinary Center and at 2pm the ladies from this morning give a talk on Welsh geography and history as well as a very useful guide of what to see in Milford Haven and Liverpool for those not going on an excursion.

Since I had a big breakfast and didn’t have time for lunch, I do go to 3pm “Cupcake Tea” in the La Fontaine Dining Room (the only Holland America dining room that is not called “Rotterdam”).  Waiters bring the usual tea sandwiches, pastries, and cakes—as well as special cupcakes—but I skip the scones because there is just too much to eat.

Tonight is the first of three formal nights (the same number as on the QM2, but spread over 14 days rather than seven).   At 7:30pm the Captain’s Greeting, in the Showroom at Sea, is highlighted by free white wine and the captain’s quirky sense of humor.  He is quite young (for a captain) and while European-born, is not Dutch (unlike the rest of the crew).  Since Dutch passengers make up the majority of the cruise, he tells us that all announcements will be made first in Dutch and then in English—a reversal of the usual—and turns the proceedings over to his assistant, Erika.  Some interesting facts:  Holland America has 16,000 employees worldwide, and 95% of the passengers on this cruise are HAL repeaters.

 

 

 

I think I have found the one word that best describes the differences between Holland America and Cunard cuisines:  sophistication.  Although there are differences from ship to ship and even on cruise to cruise, in general Holland America offers a more interesting and more varied menu, consistently more well-prepared.  Although I have sailed on the Eurodam four times, the menus on the cruise from Amsterdam to New York in Aug-Sept 2012 were less traditional and more fusion-oriented than on other cruises.  Not bad, just different.  This cruise is a return to more traditional menus; tonight is:  Lobster Parisienne, a small (but larger than the thumb-sized tail on the QM2) lobster tail presented cold with vegetable salad; mille-feuille of duck paté (layers of paté between thin layers of pastry dough); Beef Wellington with duchesse potato, asparagus, and Chinese pea pods; chocolate soufflé with extra chocolate sauce.

 

 

 

Since it is almost 10pm by the time I finish dinner, I actually make it to the late show in the Showroom at Sea:  “Back to Broadway.”  A very talented cast of singers and dancers does justice to a series of well-known show tunes.  The highlight of the evening, however, is saved for last, when I meet Art and Linda, a couple from Richmond, VA.  Linda is a graduate of VCU and very active in the alumni association.  We plan to have a mini-reunion later in the cruise.