Day three is in the books and it was a warm and breezy day at sea as we set a course for Aruba along our trip to the Panama Canal. One thing to note about this cruise on Holland America Line’s ms Zuiderdam… the ship is not full, which is great because there is no shortage of deck or pool chairs, no lines for anything and it feels so less crowded, which is great.
At capacity, the Zuiderdam holds 1,912 passengers and 800 crew. I’ve been told that the passenger count is around 1,500 – with the average age somewhere around 110 (just kidding, but the Panama Canal cruise does attract an older demographic – not to mention Holland America in general skews to the older side of life as well).
It’s great to feel young!
After breakfast on the verandah, I took part in the ship’s Galley Tour where we got a behind-the-scenes look at the kitchen where more than 20,000 meals are served a day for passengers and crew. During a cruise, the kitchen will:
- Bake 120 loaves of bread, 100 loaves of French bread, 4,000 dinner rolls, 800 croissants, and 800 Danish and sweet rolls per day
- Serve over 440 lbs of fresh fish during one dinner serving
The passengers on the other hand will consume:
- 11,830 lbs of meat
- 3,814 lbs of chicken
- 3,000 lbs of fish
- 2,545 lbs of seafood
- 1,675 lbs of butter and margarine
- 13,750 lbs of fresh veggies
- 7,750 lbs of potatoes
- 4,000 lbs of watermelon
- 23,040 eggs
- 5,500 qts of milk
- 2,500 lbs of sugar
- 24,000 individual sugar packets
- 7,500 lbs of flour
- 1,150 gallons of ice cream
The Indonesian crew will consume 6,000 lbs of rice during the course of the cruise.
All that eating makes for a mess. The 11 crew members in the dishwashing department will wash around 3,000 dinner plates, 7,000 dessert plates, 2,000 side plates, 5,000 glasses, and other assorted utensils in one day.
After the Galley Tour, I took in a cooking demonstration where one of the ship’s chefs showed how to make a Caribbean Scallop and Salsa dish. The skills needed to prepare the dish were about the same needed to make toast, but what the hell, it killed a half hour. Later that afternoon, I took in another cooking demo where the chef made cedar-planked halibut and a Lemoncello dessert which was awesome.
The rest of the day involved laying in the sun, walking briskly on the promenade, and drinking wine. One lady told me my nose was pink. Another told me my zipper was down, winked, and said “nice.” It was then, more than my nose was pink.
This was the first of two formal nights during this cruise. Formal nights are the equivalent of a polio vaccine – painful and unnecessary. Not wanting to diss tradition completely, I wore all black as if going to a funeral and tacked on my complimentary carnation so I looked more like a floor-walker than someone dressed to dance with the queen.
On this particular evening, only a handful of men were in tuxedos, with most wearing dark suits. Ladies outdid the men tho, I must say. On the ultra-premium lines I’ve been on – Regent, Crystal, and Oceania – country club casual is the dress code for the entire cruise, other lines should take note and kill this “tradition.”
Unless you’re on the Queen Mary 2 crossing the Atlantic, formal nights really have no place in cruising, especially in the tropics. I’ve always wondered what a formal night would look like on a Carnival Cruise Line ship. I tend to think ladies would be dressed in their best daisy dukes and a sports bra while men would don their best wife-beater and their “good” sweats. Baseball caps would be optional for women and required for men. (Carnival fans, please ignore the last three sentences and continue below.)
I ate dinner in the ship’s for-fee Italian joint, Canaletto. Two weeks ago, the restaurant’s concept changed from one that I was familiar with and enjoyed greatly. Gone is the appetizer board where your server would let you choose from a wide selection of Italian meats and cheeses. It’s been replaced with a pre-made “Salumi” appetizer that just isn’t the same. Bread, a staple of every Italian meal and one thing that millions of people flock to an Olive Garden for, is no longer available in Canaletto!
Hello? Stein Kruse from Holland America Line, are you there?
No bread? You’re kidding me, right? I just made a hand gesture that explains how I feel about the lack of bread in the Italian joint.
Another thing that changed, is food is now served “family style.” That means everything comes out ready to be shared. That’s great when there are two or more at the table. But, I’m a party of one. I had to re-plate everything I ate to remove it from the “family-style” plate and put it on my “party-of-one” plate so I wouldn’t look like a gluttonous boor.
I vote for the return of the “old” Canaletto, and after talking with several members of the restaurant’s staff… they share the same opinion.
One plus, I did ask for a glass of chocolate milk to wash down the bottle of wine and it was brought over lickety-split.
I booked Canaletto one or two more times during this trip, with the other evenings being spent in the for-fee steakhouse, Pinnacle Grill, rather than the main dining room which I tend to avoid on all ships. Besides, I fell in love with the Indonesian waiter and am trying to convince him to leave the ship and come home with me where we will both live happily ever after.
Merry Christmas to ME!
Oh, and speaking of Christmas, there is not one single Christmas decoration on the ship. Being the curious individual that I am, I questioned why. Now, I denounced religion years ago, but Christmas is a holiday celebrated the world over, along with Hanukkah. Religious or not, we all just expect to see both Christmas and Hanukkah decorations wherever we go.
Not here.
I was told by a crew member, that because they carry so many people from different nations and faiths, the Christmas and Hanukkah decorations often offended people who didn’t subscribe to those holidays. The result…. not a menorah, wreath, tree, or swig of mistletoe to be found. Talk about taking political correctness to an entirely new level.
I was a little too tired and tipsy to find my way to the show lounge, so I passed on the evening’s entertainment. I did happen to sit in on rehearsal earlier in the day, so I got to see at least part of the stage show.
The next stop on the way to the Panama Canal is Aruba. Details on that tomorrow!
In the meantime, I have to pretty myself up for dinner. An Indonesian awaits.
Personal Day-By-Day Zuiderdam Cruise Review:
Photo Tour of the Zuiderdam:
Capturing memories through photography is an integral part of any vacation, and my voyage aboard the Holland America Zuiderdam was no different. Throughout my journey, I snapped countless photos, highlighting various aspects of the ship such as the stunning interior design, the inviting swimming pools, and my own cozy cabin. If you’re interested in viewing these snapshots, you can check out the Zuiderdam Photo Tour or browse the daily cruise review, both accessible through the links provided above.