The only time I eat scrambled eggs is when I’m on a cruise.
From an early age, eggs freaked me out. You see, from an egg comes a chicken, therefore it’s my belief that eating eggs is like eating unborn chickens. Now you don’t need to go into the whole “science” behind chickens and eggs and the role the rooster plays in the whole thing. I get it. I just don’t like eggs.
But, who is going to pass up the opportunity to enjoy breakfast on the verandah of a ship while you watch the world pass by?
Not this guy.
So I just put it in my mind that the scrambled eggs I’ve been eating for breakfast are the fake variety made in a huge manufacturing plant somewhere in the midwest and contain about 10% plastic and 90% petrochemicals.
Healthy!
We docked in Aruba around 1pm and as I said on my Facebook page, “if it looks like a shit hole, it’s probably a shit hole.” Now let’s set the record straight. Parts of Aruba I’m sure are beautiful. I’ve got friends who go to Aruba for vacation and my sister and her first husband spent their honeymoon on the island. Those beautiful parts are here somewhere. But let’s face it, seaports and airports aren’t built in the nice part of town.
The view from where were docked convinced me to spend the day on board. I found a lovely secluded spot on the top deck where I cooked myself to medium well in the hot Aruba sun.
Since we were not departing Aruba until 11pm, things onboard were rather quiet with many people taking advantage of the long day in port. The world’s smallest lobster tail graced my dinner plate as double Maker’s Mark Manhattans made up for what the shellfish lacked.
The evening’s entertainment consisted of the Indonesian Crew Show, which I did not attend. Instead, I sat on my balcony and enjoyed the sail away from Aruba as we take a short 100-mile trip to Curacao with an arrival pegged at 8am.
During the day, I spent a good amount of time exploring the ship and doing the usual photo-taking. While the ship is a little on the old side, (born 2002), she’s well maintained despite some dated décor. She’s scheduled to go into drydock in about a year to have additional cabins added to the 10th deck as well as some other needed work to give her a refresh.
Crew can be found just about everywhere painting, scraping, polishing, cleaning… let’s get back to polishing. There is a young crew member who spends his entire day in the ship’s atrium polishing the elevator buttons, staircase handrail, and brass embellishments. There has not been a time when I did not see him doing his task each time I walked through.
But, he must love his job or he wouldn’t be here.
Speaking of loving a job. I chatted with a bartender today who had “21 Years of Service” on his name tag. We talked about the different Holland America Line ships he’s been on, how things have become more corporate over the years, and how he spends 10 months on and two months off the ship. Everything he earns on board he sends home to his wife and kids and looks at his job not as a “job” but in his words, as a “way to provide for my family.”
I don’t think there are too many people who could spend 21 years doing what he does and only sees his wife and family two months a year. Yeah, some may be saying right now – “perfect marriage.”
As we chatted, we got on the subject of the aluminum can my Michelob Ultra was in. He went on to explain the various environmental efforts the ship, and the entire line, make every day in order to recycle and be as eco-friendly as possible. He asked if I saw the dumpster full of crushed cans that were picked up earlier. All the recyclable metal is offloaded and sold for scrap with the money collected not going to the cruise line, but directly to an onboard crew fund that they can use for entertainment and recreation.
It’s 5pm Curacao time and I just came back from part one of the Behind the Scenes Ship Tour, where we toured the Bridge and the Engine Control Room.
More on that tomorrow.
The guy with the shrimp just arrived.
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.