Eurodam to Alaska with the Two Cruising Sisters 5/20-27

[Old As Dirt Mom]

That sounds like a real putz at your table. Don't think we've ever had anybody that drunk at our table before. Hope he wasn't that bad every night. Love your pictures.

Allan

 

Fortunately, the putz was not at our table, simply nearby. If he'd behaved to us as he did to the two pleasant young ladies at the table next to his, I might have been tempted to pour a glass of water over HIM! Had not seen him there on previous nights.

[Beach4me]

The coffee table in our cabin does not go up or down. You might have seen my sister's walking cane in one of the photos and mistaken it for a lever?

 

Bummer! LOL! Thanks for the answer. Wonder if the cruise lines have ever considered tables that would raise and lower in the suites. Hmmmm.

 

Enjoying your posts and your blog. Can't wait to hear about your dinner tonight!

[kftw]

Tamarind is on Eurodam, Nieuw Amsterdam, and I think Konigsdam. We loved it so much after our first experience there that we have booked another night.

 

Tonight Rudi' s Sel de Mer makes its debut on Eurodam as a "pop up" restaurant in the Pinnacle Grill, and we have a reservation. Several executive chefs from Seattle are on board, including HAL's top chef, Rudi Sodamin himself, to make sure the implementation goes smoothly. Stay tuned for a pictorial review:D

 

Thanks for saving me some time researching which ships.

 

I'm curious too, re the dinner tonite. We want a full account of the evening.

[Old As Dirt Mom]

Your Glacier bay pictures are gorgeous...it's nice to see some of those shots with sun shining because we had fog and rain for the first part of our day there.

 

 

About the drunk guy at your table. Are you guys noticing more people on board drinking excessively?

 

We did. I'm not sure if it's the drink packages that are causing people to "drink their money's worth" (it's the first cruise we've taken since it's been in place)

 

We had a couple about our age (early 50's) sit with us the first night in the MDR.

 

They were both plastered drunk when they sat down. They told us they paid for the drink package and they wanted to be sure to drink their "fill".

 

I am by no means a prude and we do drink alcohol albeit responsibly but this couple told me they figured they needed to drink 12-15 drinks a day to make what's they paid for the package worth it.

 

What the heck is that about?

 

Two nights later as we walked into the MDR the wife was waiting to be seated and she was alone. We asked her if she was waiting for her husband and she responded "no, he's passed out in our room he drank too much".

 

Throughout the week we noticed this with other folks and sure enough the people who appeared to be over indulging said they were on the drink package.

 

I don't get that at all.

 

Nice way to spend a cruise.:confused:

 

The "gentleman" in question mentioned on my sister's blog, is the only obviously drunk passenger we've encountered thus far. He was seated at his own table with his wife and a couple of friends. How they put up with his behavior I do not know. The crew did not handle him at all. They basically ignored him. He did not create a noisy scene, merely tried to drink a beer from the neighboring table, and emptied his water glass into someone else's bread basket.:eek: He tried to leave the upper dining room by attempting the stairs, and it was at that point that one of the assistant dining room managers escorted him out for his safety.

[styles27]

The "gentleman" in question mentioned on my sister's blog, is the only obviously drunk passenger we've encountered thus far. He was seated at his own table with his wife and a couple of friends. How they put up with his behavior I do not know. The crew did not handle him at all. They basically ignored him. He did not create a noisy scene, merely tried to drink a beer from the neighboring table, and emptied his water glass into someone else's bread basket.:eek: He tried to leave the upper dining room by attempting the stairs, and it was at that point that one of the assistant dining room managers escorted him out for his safety.

 

Ugh! Some people shouldn't drink alcohol. :o

[Old As Dirt Mom]

Photos of Sitka, Sel de Mer, and a Dive In hamburger and fries (for vicd 1969) are available to view at twocruisingsisters.WordPress.com. Hope you enjoy them:D

[vicd1969]

Awesome, thank you OAD Mom and sister! The Sel de Mer souffle looks very appetizing too!

[kftw]

I may be confused (not the first time) but won't the Sel de Mer dinners be replacing Le Cirque's? I hope so. Looks wonderful.

[Old As Dirt Mom]

I may be confused (not the first time) but won't the Sel de Mer dinners be replacing Le Cirque's? I hope so. Looks wonderful.

 

Yes, Sel de Mer is replacing Le Cirque. Our Sel de Mer dinner was one of the best meals we've ever had on a HAL ship. Premium ingredients very freshly prepared.

[Beach4me]

So, will there be a permanent Sel de Mer dinner on the Eurodam? Looks soooo good!

[Old As Dirt Mom]

Awesome, thank you OAD Mom and sister! The Sel de Mer souffle looks very appetizing too!

 

You are very welcome:D No sacrifice is too great for our readers, lol:D The souffle was WONDERFUL! We had to request it when we placed our dinner order, so they could prepare it "a la minute", or "cooked to order" :)

[Old As Dirt Mom]

So, will there be a permanent Sel de Mer dinner on the Eurodam? Looks soooo good!

 

Yes, on the Alaska itineraries this year, Sel de Mer will appear once a week in the Pinnacle Grill, on Sitka day (Wednesday).

 

We have a new cruise director who just got on board. I think his name is Sol.

[Old As Dirt Mom]

We are already heading out from Ketchikan. We had just the morning here, with the all aboard at 12:30. Of course, that means 2,000+ passengers were rushing to the Lido and main dining room for lunch at about the same time.

 

We tried to eat lunch in the main dining room, but we asked for a table for two, and apparently there were only tables "available for sharing" according to the two dining room managers from India. The third manager was Indonesian, and he had begun to indicate he would accommodate us, but deferred to his superiors when they told us effectively "no" (they didn't actually say "no", that is not their approach on the ship; they simply reiterated that only "tables for sharing were available.").

 

I know I sound like a Prima Donna, but I am not used to being told I can't have a table for two. I have always been accommodated in the past, but these managers did not really care whether we were accommodated or not. At least one of the managers was among those who did not address the drunk passenger near our table the other night. So lower marks than usual are going to appear on the survey for the dining room this time.

 

Anyway, we went back upstairs to the Neptune Lounge, and had a quick bite from their very nice offerings there. One certainly is not nutritionally deprived on a cruise ship.:D

[SilvertoGold]

That is bad about the MDR lunch. With lunch in the MDR only on sea days now, you get a couple of opportunities on a 7 day Alaska cruise to enjoy a nice, served lunch there and they won't give you a 2 top? Sheesh.

 

Loved the Sel photos and descriptions. Can you remember the cost? Do they have wine pairings?

 

Thanks!

[Beach4me]

My reply would have been "We are sharing - with each other. Table for 2, please." :)

 

So, what's you get in the Neptune Lounge? Inquiring minds...

[jlnprt]

That is bad about the MDR lunch. With lunch in the MDR only on sea days now, you get a couple of opportunities on a 7 day Alaska cruise to enjoy a nice, served lunch there

 

Is this the case on all HAL ships ... that the MDR only serves lunch on sea days?

 

 

I'm booked on the Amsterdam in July for an Alaska cruise. HAL website indicates that there will be a Le Cirque dinner. Is the new dinner option being gradually brought to all the ships? Is the Le Cirque dinner better than the "regular" dinner in the PG (subjective question, I suppose).

[Lizzie68]

I may be confused (not the first time) but won't the Sel de Mer dinners be replacing Le Cirque's? I hope so. Looks wonderful.

 

Yes, it replaced it. We did not enjoy Sel de Mer on the Nieuw Amsterdam recently, and much prefer Le Cirque.

[liketraveling]

Cruise Director Stone was filling in temporarily, and she has now been assigned to Maasdam. CD Clinton appears easy going and pleasant, and seems very experienced.

 

We did wave at the webcam through the Crow's Nest windows, as it was raining:D

 

Wow Maasdam is really going through Cruise Director.

Just got off 24 day from San Diego to Boston. From San Diego to Fll we had John from England. From FLL to Boston we had someone named Sol from Scotland. He got off with us in Boston. Look looks like you have Sol now.

[styles27]

Yes, on the Alaska itineraries this year, Sel de Mer will appear once a week in the Pinnacle Grill, on Sitka day (Wednesday).

 

We have a new cruise director who just got on board. I think his name is Sol.

 

 

What in the world!!! Another CD? That's number 3 since Eurodam has been on the Alaska itinerary.

 

Time to check out your blog...can't wait to see the Sel de Mer pics!

[Old As Dirt Mom]

That is bad about the MDR lunch. With lunch in the MDR only on sea days now, you get a couple of opportunities on a 7 day Alaska cruise to enjoy a nice, served lunch there and they won't give you a 2 top? Sheesh.

 

Loved the Sel photos and descriptions. Can you remember the cost? Do they have wine pairings?

 

Thanks!

 

Cost is $49 per person, and mariner discounts apply. I believe it's 25% for 3 star Mariners, and 50% for 4 and 5 star Mariners. There is a wine list, but I did not notice, nor were we offered, any wine pairings.

[Old As Dirt Mom]

My reply would have been "We are sharing - with each other. Table for 2, please." :)

 

So, what's you get in the Neptune Lounge? Inquiring minds...

 

Assorted hors d'oeuvres plates, sliders, veggies, fresh fruit plates, baked goods, but all cold items.

 

Love your response:D I didn't feel like taking on three managers at one time, so I took the weenie way out:D

[Old As Dirt Mom]

Is this the case on all HAL ships ... that the MDR only serves lunch on sea days?

 

 

I'm booked on the Amsterdam in July for an Alaska cruise. HAL website indicates that there will be a Le Cirque dinner. Is the new dinner option being gradually brought to all the ships? Is the Le Cirque dinner better than the "regular" dinner in the PG (subjective question, I suppose).

 

Yes, food is subjective. We thought Sel de Mer was much better than Le Cirque and the regular Pinnacle Grill menu, but as you can see from Lizzie 68, she prefers Le Cirque. I think gradually Sel de Mer is replacing Le Cirque on all the ships.

 

And yes, the main dining room serves lunch on embarkation day and sea days.

[Old As Dirt Mom]

Wow Maasdam is really going through Cruise Director.

Just got off 24 day from San Diego to Boston. From San Diego to Fll we had John from England. From FLL to Boston we had someone named Sol from Scotland. He got off with us in Boston. Look looks like you have Sol now.

 

Yup, we have Sol now. He just got on today in Ketchikan. Thanks for helping us identify his accent:D

[Old As Dirt Mom]

What in the world!!! Another CD? That's number 3 since Eurodam has been on the Alaska itinerary.

 

Time to check out your blog...can't wait to see the Sel de Mer pics!

 

I'm wondering if HAL is either trying out new cruise directors, or whether they have a group of younger CDs they use as substitutes when the regular CDs are on vacation or otherwise unavailable.

 

We really, really liked Sel de Mer, but then we had three executive chefs from Seattle and Rudi Sodamin himself on board to make sure it was all done right.:cool:

[styles27]

I'm wondering if HAL is either trying out new cruise directors, or whether they have a group of younger CDs they use as substitutes when the regular CDs are on vacation or otherwise unavailable.

 

 

 

We really, really liked Sel de Mer, but then we had three executive chefs from Seattle and Rudi Sodamin himself on board to make sure it was all done right.:cool:

 

 

That very well could be the reason they're changing cd's so much.

 

Oh that dinner looked delicious. I love the presentation of all the courses.

 

Did you know ahead of time that they would be on your cruise? You really lucked out! I'm happy for you ladies that you were able to experience that.

 

Enjoy your last day tomorrow. Vacation sure does go by fast.

I wish our work week went by as fast! lol

 

 

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