We’re into the final 48 hours of this Southern Caribbean cruise on the Holland America Line ship ms Noordam. Day 9 is the first of two sea days as we make our way back to Port Everglades in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
During the captain’s noontime announcement, he mentioned that this would more than likely be the last day of good weather we will have for the cruise, as we’re going to encounter a front beginning on Day 10 that will bring clouds and showers our way.
We have been very lucky this trip weather-wise, we have had sunny, warm (aka hot) days with calm seas and light winds. After the captain made his update, you could almost feel the stampede of people rushing to the ship’s two pools and open decks to apply sunscreen and soak up the sun’s rays.
You’ve never seen the Lido Buffet empty out so quickly!
Being that it’s a sea day, the cruise director and the activities staff have been busy planning out things for the 1,918 passengers on board to do during the day. One fun thing to do is head to the Culinary Arts Center presented by Food & Wine Magazine and take in a cooking show. The host and one of the ship’s chefs put on a demonstration of how to cook either a dish featured during the cruise or part of Holland America Line’s “On Location” program, cook something relative to the area the ship is in. Today’s demonstration taught folks how to cook Caribbean Pepper Pot Soup and Beef Empanadas.
Other things happening around the ship include a slot tournament, a floral arranging class, trivia, Texas Hold ’em, wellness seminars put on by the Greenhouse Spa staff, and of course, cruise mainstays such as trivia, bingo, beer drinking, and suntanning.
For me, I started the day off with a hearty breakfast from the Lido where I’ve taken keen note that each day the potatoes served at breakfast have been different. One day it’s the fried triangle that resembles a hash brown, another day it’s what we Americans could call mini potato pancakes, another day it’s fried potato wedges.
The bacon however has remained the same.
Thank God and Greyhound.
As I was eating scrambled eggs, which I’m pretty sure are made from egg substitutes, one of the Filipino crew members -Charton – who has been providing excellent service throughout the cruise, started talking about eggs.
I explained to him that I cannot get myself to crack open an egg and eat it, whether fried, scrambled, poached, or served with caviar on gold-encrusted toast points. I have this issue with eating what I consider unborn chickens! Yes, as strange and unscientific as it is, I just can’t do it. But fake eggs (or if they are real and I’m made to believe they’re fake) are ok.
At that point, he went on to describe t delicacy in his country called balut. Balut is a duck egg that has been fertilized and actually contains a baby duck. These eggs are cooked and eaten in the same way you (not me for sure!) would eat a hard-boiled egg – with the duck in there! He went on to tell me how delicious they are and how once you acquire a taste for them, you crave them.
After Googling some photos of balut, I have to say, this won’t be something I’ll be trying anytime soon.
With the large number of Filipino crew on board, I asked whether or not they had balut on the ship, and he said no. If they did, I was going to ask him to smuggle some up for me to at least have a look at!
Look… but not eat!
Now would be a great time to tackle some questions I get from readers, mainly those looking to cruise for the first time:
Q: How do you not gain weight on a cruise?
A: Well, it’s next to impossible not to add a couple of extra pounds during a cruise because food and booze are a major portion of cruising. While you don’t want to limit yourself from experiencing some of the cuisines onboard, you can exercise some self-control by staying away from the all-you-can-eat buffet that’s available almost around the clock. Additionally, there are vegetarian meals and lighter fare served in all the ship’s restaurants as well as plenty of things to do to keep you in shape during your vacation. All ships have a full fitness center with weights, treadmills, elliptical, etc., plus on Holland America Line ships you have the full walk-around Promenade Deck where 3 laps around = one mile. Some ships have a jogging track as well. Plus, you do end up doing a lot of walking onboard as well. More than you may think you’re doing. If you’re concerned about gaining weight, there are opportunities to stay fit and healthy while onboard, however, it’s all up to you!
Q: I’d love to cruise but I’m afraid of getting seasick.
A: Aren’t we all? An old sailor once told me, “when you’re seasick there’s only one thing you wish for… death.” I’ve been on so many cruises, I’ve lost count, but I’ve never been seasick despite plowing through 48 hours of rough seas during a Nor’ easter onboard the Queen Mary 2 when we encountered 50-foot seas one evening. I’ll never forget that cruise, nor the Commodore who was an old salt from Britain who drove that ship head-on into the storm and she took it like the Queen she is. One thing to keep in mind, cruise ships ply some of the calmest water in the world and no captain is going to subject passengers and crew to rough seas intentionally. Unfortunately, there are times when it may be unavoidable, but chances are slim. Today’s cruise ships all have stabilizers that are deployed during rough water to counteract the motion and provide some level of comfort on board. If you’re concerned about seasickness, ask your doctor for one of the patches you wear behind your ear, pack some Dramamine or if you want to just roll with it, seasickness medication is available onboard. But don’t let this fear keep you from cruising.
Q: I like to keep busy and I’m afraid I’ll be bored on a cruise.
A: Oh come on! There are activities planned for every hour of the day during a cruise. When in port, you have the opportunity to get off the ship and explore the destination by either going out on your own or taking one of the ship’s shore excursions. If you decide to stay onboard, there are plenty of things to do that the ship’s cruise director and activities team have arranged. Same thing for sea days! Each night, you’ll get a daily planner that lists the various things going on the next day. Carry it with you, plan out your day and whether you want to do a little or a lot, you’ll find plenty of things to keep you busy and entertained. There’s no such thing as being bored on a cruise…. unless you want to be!
Q: Cruising is for old people!
A: Yeah, and it’s also for young people as well. It’s true that lines cater to specific age groups so it’s important that you choose the cruise line that suits your tastes and activity level. For example, if you want to party, have a good time, and enjoy yourself you may want to consider Carnival. If you’re traveling with your family and are looking for a relaxing cruise with plenty of things for your kids to do, you may want to consider Royal Caribbean. If you’re looking to get away, relax and not be on a set schedule, you may want to sail Holland America Line. If you’re looking to be pampered in the lap of luxury, you will want to cruise on a smaller ship such as Regent Seven Seas or Windstar. There is a cruise for everyone and they’re not for old people! Many of the lines are adopting more and more features that are designed around a younger demo including families. In the next class of Holland America Line ship, the Pinnacle Class, their first ever family-friendly staterooms will be added to the first ship in the fleet, the Koningsdam. If you’re not sure whether or not a cruise is for you, check out a short two or three-day cruise, many of which are available out of PortMiami.
Not that those questions are out of the way, it’s back to business. I spent most of the day doing what the rest of the folks on board did… absolutely nothing! With the threat of clouds in the forecast for our final day at sea, I did what most people did and oiled up and lay in the sun.
For dinner, I enjoyed the ship’s steakhouse, the Pinnacle Grill. It was our second formal night and to be honest, I didn’t encounter many people who were dressed up for the occasion. At dinner and around the ship at night – including the evening’s performance in the Vista Lounge – I don’t think I counted more than a dozen men in tuxedoes. Most wore sport coat with or without a tie.
Those that follow me know my feeling on formal nights.
The Pinnacle Grill was quite busy this evening, with almost the entire restaurant filled. A change from earlier on in the cruise. The Mushroom Cappuccino made a repeat performance as the “compliments of the chef” starter.
I followed that up with a Shrimp Cocktail and the Beef Tartare, both of which have been stars in the appetizer category the entire cruise. For those who don’t like eating uncooked, raw beef, you don’t know what you’re missing! (Says the guy who won’t eat eggs.)
Next up was something that I don’t normally order and that’s Lamb Chops. I don’t always like the flavor of lamb and am always afraid that it’s going to have that gamey taste that I don’t like, hence why it’s always served with mint jelly.
I ordered them medium rare and they were cooked perfectly and tasted “excellent.” A great choice for one of my final meals onboard. There were three double-cut chops per order. I got these with a side of sauteed mushrooms and shoestring fries. The fries unfortunately were a tad undercooked making them limp. I don’t like limp fries.
For dessert, I went all out for a change and said, “screw it” when calorie counting, and ordered the Not So Baked Alaska. With the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) act in place, an open flame is no longer permitted onboard ships, which means that lighting Baked Alaska on fire is a no-no, hence the “Not So” in its name.
With a meringue shell, the center was filled with Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia ice cream and served with a side of bing cherries in a rich sauce on the side.
There is no doubt the dessert was more calories than my entire meal.
After dinner, it was off to the Vista Lounge to take in the evening’s performance by the Noordam singers and dancers – Rock Legends. This musical tribute to some of America’s greatest rockers featured a live band – something that I’m happy to see Holland America Line bringing back to the showroom. There was a period of time when production shows switched from a live band to pre-recorded music and the live band is back. Much appreciated, HAL.
After the performance, I donated $10 in the ship’s casino. Walked around the Promenade Deck and had a nightcap at the Sea View Bar before heading off to dreamland.
This morning we were awoken at 7am by the captain who was making an urgent plea for those with type O-negative blood to report to the medical center as we had a passenger in need of an urgent blood transfusion. About an hour later, a second announcement was made that we would be changing course in order to meet up with a United States Coast Guard helicopter in order to airlift this passenger off the ship so he/she could get treatment on land.
Before 9am the sound of the helicopter could be heard as it approached the Noordam. The passenger would be airlifted from the aft end of the ship which was cleared of furnishing and the Sea View Pool drained of water for the operation. As the helicopter hovered just feet above the ship’s deck, a Coast Guard crew member was lowered on deck – all while the ship continued sailing at around 8 knots.
About 15 minutes after the crew member was lowered, the captain made an announcement telling us that the Coast Guard determined it would be safer to airlift the passenger from the ship’s bow rather than the aft of the ship. Operations were quickly shifted to the front of the ship where the Observation Deck was cleared of furnishings and public areas inside and out were evacuated.
Shifting from my spot outside, I went to my balcony to capture the helicopter making its way to the other end of the ship, where it hovered feet above the ship’s bow and just feet away from the ship’s bridge all while the Noordam continued at a constant speed. The whole maneuver was incredible to watch as the helicopter kept its position just feet above a moving ship.
After about ten minutes, the passenger was lifted to the helicopter and the United States Coast Guard completed its mission and made its way from the Noordam en route to the Bahamas. The patient would then be transferred to an awaiting air ambulance which would transport him/her to a hospital in Miami.
The captain then made an announcement letting passengers and crew know the operation was complete and services would resume around the ship.
This was at least the third person taken from the ship during this particular cruise. The first forced an emergency arrival in Curacao, the second was taken from the ship via ambulance in Aruba and this air evacuation made the third.
All in all, it was a pretty exciting morning… although these passengers I’m sure didn’t expect their cruise to end the way it did.
Of course, our thoughts go out to them in the hopes they make a speedy recovery.
That’s all for today. The final installment of this Cruise Log will occur tomorrow with a brief wrap-up of this day at sea as well as a general overview of the cruise.
Personal Day-By-Day Noordam Cruise Review:
Photo Tour of the Noordam:
Join me as we embark on a photographic journey to see this incredible ship and all that it has to offer. This tour will take you on a visual journey through this magnificent cruise ship, showcasing its beauty and elegance through the lens of my camera. From the stunning public spaces to the comfortable and luxurious staterooms, this Noordam Photo Tour will give you a glimpse into the unforgettable experience that I had on board the Noordam.