Eurodam. Sailing south from Vancouver with great entertainment and excellent food.

“I guarantee you, we have the best live music at sea.”

— Rubin Kooiman

By John and Sandra Nowlan

A possible exaggeration from Rubin Kooiman, the genial Hotel Director of Holland America’s 2100 passenger cruise ship, Eurodam. But with 11 days ahead of us, we were looking forward to seeing if his boast was valid.

In recent years, Holland America has evolved its live music program on several older ships and on its newest vessels, Koningsdam and Nieuw Statendam. The Music Walk is a series of Deck Two venues added to Eurodam in 2015 that run the gamut from hard rock to blues, from Top 40 to classical.

Eurodam Docked in Puerto Vallarta.

As on all large cruise ships, Eurodam, launched in 2008, has a main theatre where a team of talented dancers present several different Broadway-style productions each cruise with dazzling special effects from the background light curtains. On our cruise from Vancouver to San Diego, with three stops in Mexico, we also had main stage solo acts, usually from singers and pianists, accompanied by a live band.

Twin Pianos at Billboard Onboard.

But the Music Walk is what sets Holland America apart. Every evening there were several choices for live music, always with a large, appreciative audience. The loudest was the BB King’s Blues Club with a full band and soloists belting standards from the Blues repertoire. Next door was Billboard Onboard, twin pianos played by a pair of singers who know the Billboard charts through the decades and can handle almost any request. On the two newest, slightly bigger HAL ships there’s an additional venue for the high volume Rolling Stone Rock Room.

Stunning Special Effects in Eurodam Theatre.

Our favorite Music Walk venue was the Lincoln Center Stage, located towards the stern of the ship, with two or more concerts each day featuring a pianist and an exquisite string quartet – cello, viola and two violinists. Each player, a recent graduate of a top American music school, was obviously a skilled professional with a wide repertoire ranging from the classical standards – Bach, Schuman, Beethoven – to Leonard Bernstein, the Beatles and Freddy Mercury. Judging by the enthusiastic overflow crowds for each Lincoln Center performance, the smallish room used by the quintet needs to be expanded in the future.

A dynamic quintet perform at Lincoln Center Stage.

No expansion is needed in the Eurodam’s generous dining areas. The ship may be American-owned and registered in the Netherlands but the Asian food, in particular, has to be among the tastiest and most creative of any cruise line. The Lido Buffet, on Deck 9, always has a good selection of Thai, Indian or Japanese food at lunch or dinner but the best venue is Tamarind on Deck 11. This extra cost ($25 per person) restaurant in a quiet, secluded section of the ship, has charming Indonesian servers and a menu filled with visual and tasty delights - Shrimp Tempura, Shanghai Ribs, a spicy Satay Sampler, and for mains, Lime Glazed Sea Bass or Wasabi and Soy Crusted Beef Tenderloin.

Satay Sampler at Tamarind.

Tamarind was also the location of a special Asian dinner, prepared by Japanese Sushi Master Chef Andy Matsuda from Holland America’s Culinary Council. It was a five course feast, imaginative sushi of course but also included a delectable Sashimi Style Tuna Trio and Grilled Scallops Dengaku. Each course was accompanied by high end wines.

Grilled Scallops Dengaku, from Chef Andy's Special Asian Dinner.

The two other extra cost dining rooms are Pinnacle Grill, the ship’s top quality steakhouse and Canaletto, an Italian specialty restaurant.

Along with the rarely crowded Lido Buffet, the cost-included main dining room covers two floors at the rear of the ship and, on our 11 day cruise, had varied and interesting fare each evening. We were impressed. Covered with white cloths, the tables for two, four, six or eight guests have well trained, friendly waiters who presented menus with selections like Surf & Turf (tender and delicious lobster and beef), BBQ ribs, veal cutlet or chicken parmigiana The fish, especially the fresh wahoo the chef picked up in San Diego, was particularly good. Of course, vegetarian options were always available. Our only disappointment in the main dining room was with the Mexican food, offered for a couple of evenings while we were cruising along the Mexican Riviera. Very bland compared with the real thing.

Tender Surf and Turf. Main Dining Room.

With very few miscues, cuisine is obviously very important on Eurodam. During the day, the BB King’s Blues Club is converted into America’s Test Kitchen where chefs prepare special dishes before an appreciative audience and answer questions about their techniques. Master Chef Andy showed off his sushi skills with a whimsical Panda Face roll.

Panda Sushi. Created by Chef Andy.

Our itinerary included five sea days giving us the opportunity to fully explore the ship. From pickleball and shuffleboard courts on the top deck to the two swimming pools, observation lounges with a library, computer center, lecture rooms and a smoke-free casino, there was always something to do.

Pickleball Court on Sports Deck.

We boarded Eurodam in Vancouver, one of the most livable, picturesque cities in North America. It has an excellent cruise port facility at Canada Place and. as expected, boarding the ship was easy and efficient.

After two busy sea days we anchored off the charming California city of Santa Barbara where Eurodam’s lifeboat tenders were used to take guests ashore. This was the first of two tendering stops, both of which seemed to have delays and logistical problems.

Next day, on the pier in San Diego, we found a nearby hop-on, hop-off trolley which gave us an excellent overview of this attractive city with its palm lined boulevards. A highlight was crossing the two mile long Coronado Bridge. We can only be envious of San Diego’s semi-tropical, year-round sunny weather.

In the San Diego Trolley. Crossing the Coronado Bridge.

The Mexican Riviera offered guests a trio of fascinating cities, each with its own special attributes. Cabo San Lucas is a resort destination at the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula. It was another port requiring a tender (with delays). The city of 80,000, one of the Top Five Mexican tourist destinations, is in a beautiful Pacific setting with pristine beaches alternating with rugged cliffs.

Mazatlan, population 500,000, is slightly off the Mexican tourist radar and thus more authentic with many colonial buildings. Its colorful waterfront walk is filled with sculptures and souvenir shops. As a thrill for tourists, daring young men dive into shallow water from a 50 foot high rock.

Colorful Souvenir Shops in all Mexican towns.

Our last Mexican port, the tourist hot spot of Puerto Vallarta. has a magnificent beach setting flanked by lush, palm-covered mountains. We chose a spirit and food tour where the chefs made us complex cocktails using raicilla, a cousin of tequila, also made from agave. This was followed by some authentic Mexican food – spicy and tasty. .

Mixing a Raicilla Cocktail in Puerto Vallarta.

As we sailed north towards San Diego and disembarkation we were glad we splurged for a Signature Suite, the lowest of three suite categories. We had a large room with plenty of storage space, a generous balcony, a huge 50 inch flat screen TV with plenty of channel and movie choices (including MSNBC, Fox News and BBC News) and, best of all, a large bathroom with twin sinks, a Jacuzzi tub and a separate shower. We were spoiled and would probably upgrade again.

At the start of the cruise, the Eurodam Hotel Director told us he’d guarantee the best live music at sea. He was right. But with the ship emerging from dry dock in 2015 and with continuing improvements since then, we’d say his prideful boast could be accurate about several other areas of this sophisticated vessel.

John and Sandra Nowlan are travel and food writers based in Halifax.

Photos by John and Sandra Nowlan

Nieuw Statendam. New Ship. Brilliant Entertainment and Dining.

Cruise line entertainment has just taken a giant step forward. All the major cruise ships have theatres for evening production shows and most include a few other small venues for specialty acts. But Holland America Line, on its Pinnacle Class ships, has upped the ante.

Six Dancers. Amazing Special Effects.

We’ve just returned from a week-long cruise aboard the newest ship to sail the Caribbean, HAL’s Nieuw Statendam. This 2600 passenger vessel features the World Stage, the most innovative main theatre we’ve ever seen. On decks two and three, at the bow of the ship, World Stage is almost Theatre in the Round, with seats surrounding the performance area. The backdrop is a two story, 270 degree LED high definition screen with sophisticated special effects and superb sound quality. The two 45 minute shows we saw in the theatre, “Humanity” and “Stages”, from the Step One Dance Company, featured six very talented performers and dazzling, interactive use of light, sounds and action. It was brilliant.

Dazzling Dancing and Special Effects in Main Theatre.

Also brilliant on Nieuw Statendam are the ship’s four other entertainment venues. Called the “Music Walk”, the mid ship area has something for every musical taste. We particularly loved the Lincoln Center Stage and its group of five remarkable classical musicians – a pianist and a string quartet. In addition to traditional favorites (Bach, Schumann) the quintet performed music from the movies – Star Wars, Psycho and many others. Lincoln Center shares its stage with BB King’s Blues Club, eight talented musicians who bring the crowd alive with southern blues and classic soul.

Lincoln Center Stage.

Classic rock is not forgotten. Five young rockers perform three shows daily in the Rolling Stone Rock Room, a partnership with Rolling Stone Magazine. Across the corridor, two singer/pianists alternate performance times with the rock group and honor all time Billboard Magazine hits. It’s very interactive with lots of stories and requests from the audience.

Rolling Stone Rock Room. Loud, but Fun.

In addition to entertainment, a priority for most cruise ship passengers is the dining. Like its sister ship, Koningsdam, the Nieuw Statendam has a bright, two story, main dining room with red and clear glass chandeliers. The innovative design reminded us of giant whale bones. It’s open only in the evening but there are plenty of other dining choices. The Lido Market on deck 9 is the main buffet venue and is cleverly divided into various food islands so crowding is minimized. Food choices are excellent, especially at breakfast. The coffee is not great but better than on most cruise ships. Other areas for complimentary food include the New York Deli and Pizza (very good pizza) and the Dive-In for excellent hamburgers and hot dogs. The hamburgers at Guy Fieri’s Joint on Carnival ships are still a bit better.

Main Dining Room. Like being inside a whale.

New York Pizza. Excellent.

Nieuw Statendam includes several extra-cost dining areas. We were able to sample four of them. Rudi’s Sel de Mer (named for Holland America’s Master Chef, Rudi Sodamin) is a French-Mediterranean brasserie. One recent survey claimed it had the best seafood at sea. We agree. From the massive Fruits de Mer appetizer (King crab legs, langoustine, crab claws, jumbo shrimp, mussels and clams) to marinated lobster, Dover sole, scallops, sea bass and salmon, we were impressed by the fish quality and innovative presentation. We also has an excellent meal at Pinnacle Grill, the ship’s US Northwest inspired steakhouse. It’s hard to beat a great steak, perfectly cooked. Tamarind is the ship’s 140 seat restaurant that features cuisine from Southeast Asia, China and Japan. We enjoyed giant Indochine tempura shrimp and Mongolian lamb chops. Every evening a portion of the Lido Market becomes Canaletto, an excellent Italian restaurant that’s now part of almost all Holland America ships.

Seafood Appetizer at Sel de Mer.

Mongolian Lamb Chops in Tamarind.

Food is taken very seriously at Holland America so we weren’t surprised at the popularity of America’s Test Kitchen (cooking demonstrations in the main theatre) or the tour of the sparkling, stainless steel galley and its 200 chefs and cooks.

Test Kitchen.

Because of its Dutch heritage, large elegant floral arrangements are scattered throughout the ship. Another delight is the creative artwork on every staircase and in most public areas. We love quirky and the 3D artwork and unusual sculptures delivered many smiles. On Deck Nine there’s even a six foot glass reproduction, anatomically correct, of Michelangelo’s “David”. For fun, he’s holding a smart phone for a selfie.

Michelangelo's "David". Taking a selfie.

Fort Lauderdale, with easy access from the nearby airport, is the current base for Nieuw Statendam. Our Eastern Caribbean itinerary took us first to Nassau, Bahamas, a very popular cruise destination (when we were there, five large ships were docked next to each other). We took the boat tour to nearby Blue Lagoon Island with some quiet beaches and the well-known Dolphin Encounters. Close interaction with these marine mammals is very popular and they seemed to be well cared for.

After a welcome day at sea we arrived at the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, a Territory of the United States. It was a delight seeing the 16th Century landmark fortifications and the Spanish Colonial buildings in the Old Town, now a UNESCO Heritage Site. We joined a Spoon Food Tour led by Pablo, an entertaining guide, who knew the history of every nook and cranny and who introduced us to some unique Puerto Rican cuisine – Mofongo (the national dish of fried plantain with chicken and sauce) and Pernil (marinated roast pork with beans, rice, ceviche and churros).

Mofongo. National Dish.

That fascinating city was followed by another sea day and two beach days, first at Trunk Bay Beach on the island of St. John, a half hour boat ride from our landing in St. Thomas. The beach was wonderful (great snorkeling) but we passed evidence of much destruction from recent hurricanes. The last beach day and our last onboard (we love Caribbean beaches, especially during our winter) was on Holland America’s private Bahamas Island, Half Moon Cay. Reached by large, efficient tenders, the white sand beach is superb with the clearest ocean water we’ve ever seen. Some guests chose optional horseback riding, kayaking or Sea-Dooing. There were plenty of beach chairs available. Back on board the ship offered its guests cold towels and drinks. Even some ultra-luxury lines don’t do that anymore.

Private Island Beach. Crystal Clear Water.

We were sad to leave Nieuw Statendam and head for home (disembarkation was remarkably fast and efficient). This was the sixth Holland American ship, dating back to 1898, with the proud Statendam name. Earlier travellers on its namesake would have been astonished by the dramatic, positive changes in comfort, cuisine and entertainment. 

John and Sandra Nowlan are travel and food writers based in Halifax.