Welcome to Day 3 of this 11-day Eastern Caribbean cruise adventure on Holland America Line’s Eurodam! We’re steaming towards our first stop, the sunny shores of St. Maarten. The weather is perfect for cruising – clear skies, calm seas – and the ship is buzzing with activity. Passengers are filling up the Lido and Sea View pools, some are enjoying a leisurely breakfast, while others are already getting their exercise in with laps around the promenade deck. As for me, well, let’s just say I have the best office view in the house this morning!
Main Dining Room Breakfast
Since it’s a sea day, many want to have a relaxed breakfast in the ship’s main dining room. So let’s have a peek at what’s being served there this morning.
Lido Market Breakfast Menu
For a more casual breakfast with more options, the Lido Market buffet is the place to be this morning. Here’s what’s available.
Wait! What is this??
Woah, score! This feels like finding a golden ticket! I can never find caffeine-free Diet Coke at home, let alone on a cruise ship. But here it is, a whole golden can of glory! Now this is a vacation treat. Here’s to hoping St. Maarten is just as amazing, and that my Diet Coke supply lasts!
Let’s Try to Win Some Money with a Slot Pull!
Alright, alright, alright! Talk about making your own fun at sea! One of the cruisers here on the Eurodam had a brilliant idea – a slot pull tournament! We’re about 30 strong, all chipping in $15 for a shot at a lucky spin on a good ol’ $3 machine. Fingers crossed for a big win! I’ll definitely let you know how it turns out. Stay tuned!
The Results are In…
Not bad for a little DIY fun on the high seas! We ended up with a mini slot tournament – 15 bucks a pop for five rounds, one spin each. Things got crazy when we hit a streak of over 100 free spins, putting us way ahead! In the end, we all walked away with some cash – $22 each, which isn’t too shabby considering the buy-in. Not a bad return on a little cruise ship camaraderie!
Main Dining Room Lunch Menu
Lunch is now being served and here’s what available today in the Main Dining Room.
Lido Market Lunch Menu
For those looking for a little more variety in a casual setting, here’s what’s being offered today at the Lido Market buffet.
Dive In Burgers & Fries
Of course, if you want a delicious made-to-order burger, fries or a hot dog, you can hit up the Dive In located at the Lido Pool or check out New York Pizza for a slice or pie at the Sea View Pool.
Sea View Pool Maintenance
A little around 4pm today, the pool attendants started telling guests at the Sea View Pool that they would be closing the pool in a little while to maintenance can be done on it. While it’s important that things are maintained, to close it early on a sea day probably wasn’t the best option. A port day may have been a better choice when people are ashore. Anyway, once the maintenance team arrived, the pool was drained, and a crew started scrubbing and pressure washing the pool and decking around it.
A Surprise Meeting of Friends from the Rotterdam!
Talk about a small world on the Eurodam! I was neck-deep in work on the Lido deck earlier when I hear this shout – “Don’t tell me that’s Scott?!” Wouldn’t you know it, it turns out this amazing couple I met on the Rotterdam back in October and November are on this very cruise! We practically lived at the Half Moon Bar that trip, bonding over Smoked Old Fashioneds every night for the whole 21 days. Running into them here today was the most incredible surprise!
Main Dining Room Dinner Menu
Phew, the day flew by, and now it’s time for dinner, let’s take a look at what’s being served tonight in the Main Dining Room.
Lido Market Dinner Menu
Up on Deck 9, the Lido Market is open for dinner and here’s what’s being offered on the buffet tonight.
Dinner at Tamarind
One of the specialty dining options on all Holland America Line ships is the Pan-Asian restaurant, Tamarind. It has been a favorite on each HAL ship I have sailed on, including past cruises on the Eurodam. Tamarind actually consists of three different areas – the restaurant which costs $35 pp + 18%, an ala carte sushi bar with sushi and some items from the restaurant menu, and a martini bar.
Here’s a look at the restaurant menu.
I kicked things off with the satay sampler – shrimp, steak, pork, and lamb, all sizzling on skewers. Excellent call! The portion was perfect for a starter, and everything tasted fantastic.
Alright, so the satay sampler was a winner, but the Shrimp Tempura wasn’t quite a knockout. It was mostly batter, with just two shrimp and a single fried mushroom. Not a bad option, but I might skip it next time and stick with the amazing skewers.
Onto the main course! I opted for the filet mignon, cooked a beautiful rare. The menu didn’t mention the size, but I’d say it was a generous six ounces – perfect for a hungry sailor! It was cooked exactly as I like it, seasoned to perfection, and absolutely delicious. The asparagus and onion rings were a nice touch, rounding out the plate beautifully. This is definitely a winner!
Ugh, the sides were a bit of a letdown after those amazing appetizers and the perfect filet. I ordered the crab fried rice, but there was barely any crab to be found. And “fried rice” is a generous term – it was basically just plain rice. Same goes for the mushrooms – nothing special there. Overall, a bit of a disappointment considering how good everything else was.
Alright, alright, alright! Time to salvage the sides situation with dessert! And let me tell you, the Mango Posset did not disappoint. We’re talking mango sorbet, a delightful coconut macaroon, and passion fruit jelly all piled into a beautiful dish. Every bite was an explosion of flavor – absolutely delicious! This is definitely the perfect way to end the night and erase any lingering disappointment from the sides.
Service in Tamarind was absolutely fantastic! My server was exceptionally attentive, the manager kept checking in making sure all was well, and dishes were timed perfectly. There was no feeling of being rushed at all, making this an overall exceptional dining experience.
Wrapping up for Today
After that delicious (and side-redeeming) mango posset, I decided to do a little post-dinner reconnaissance around the ship. The Rolling Stone Lounge band was wrapping up their set, with one more show at 10:30pm before calling it a night. Looks like that’s the place to be if you’re looking for some late-night tunes. Billboard Onboard, unfortunately, was a ghost town – seems the piano players have the night off. Over at the Ocean Bar, a small group was enjoying a trio before their 11:00pm closing time. Not a whole lot of late-night action happening tonight. After a few laps around the peaceful Promenade Deck, I think I’ll call it a night and recharge for St. Maarten.
Speaking of St. Maarten, the plan for tomorrow is to head off the ship around lunchtime. There’s a hand-rolled cigar shop and a liquor store within walking distance from the port that I’m itching to check out. Stay tuned for details on that adventure tomorrow!