Learning About the Wonders of Wine

Pam sent us these photos of what is becoming one of the most popular activities offered on sea days — wine tastings.

Cellar Master Fernando started with Moet and Chandon champagne, then moved on to two white wines.

Along with tasting a cabernet sauvingnon and port wine, Fernando taught the guests about how champagne is made, what food goes with the wines, the difference in vineyard locations and the right temperature for serving.

Postcard from Alesund, Norway

James and Donna Hannah of McKinney, Texas, sent us this photo and note:

We really enjoyed our prelude and inaugural cruises on this beautiful new ship. We got a pretty good photo of the Eurodam from high above the city and thought we’d send it along.

A Collection of Cool HAL Videos and Images

Although this is not Eurodam-specific, Fred Claessen sent us several links to videos and images of Holland America Line cruises from the past that are fun to watch — especially the one above that shows the traditional “ceremony” on board Rotterdam V when the ship crossed the Equator. Check out his collection on YouTube here.

Visit Fred’s Web site Maritime Memories here.

There are more images and memorabilia at Ships and Harbours.

Enjoy!

Photos: Indonesians and Entertainers

Ottawa, Canada, residents Brian Fogarty and his wife Louise Voyer sent us a couple of snapshots from their Eurodam inaugural cruise.

These crewmembers were serving as hostesses at the Indonesian tea ceremony on the first segment of the 20-day inaugural. The photo was taken at the entrance of the Rembrandt Dining Room on Upper Promenade Deck.

This photo of the cast was taken on the last formal night. They were standing on the Lower Promenade Deck, posing for guests. Brian said he just “happened to pass by” and snapped the image.

Postcard From Eurodam in Flam

Yesterday Eurodam was in Fläm, Norway. Event Manager Julie Seidel, Guest Relations Manager Geri Van Luven and entertainer Annie Frances hired bikes and captured this photo of Eurodam. Julie wrote: “It was an absolutely picture-perfect day!”

A Tale of Two Bells

Keen-eyed reader PJ from cruisesavvy.com sent us this photo along with a question: Why is there a bell on the forecastle as well as a bell at the Eurodam dedication ceremony? She, like most of us, assumed that there was only one ship’s bell. So, we asked Captain Jeroen von Donselaar, and here’s his answer:

This is a very good observation. The Eurodam actually came with two bells, one spare and one to wear, so to speak. Since seamen are very superstitious, and the fact that it is considered to cause bad luck when the bell is removed from the bow, we decided to
use the spare bell for the inaugural ceremony.

The spare bell has since been brought back on board and is crated up and put in our boatswain store for whenever it is needed.

Best regards,

Jeroen

Sea Days Make Great Spa Days!

On sea days aboard Eurodam many guests take advantage of the Fitness Center and Greenhouse Spa. The spa offers a huge menu of treatments from facials to massages, and the fitness center has special classes like yoga and pilates.

Spa Manager Karin Olivier (left) and Spa Concierge Camilla Soares welcome guests to the Greenhouse Spa.

Joel Esmeralda leads a yoga class in the fitness center.

The relaxation area is the perfect place to wait for your treatment and gaze at the tranquil sea.

Postcards from Helsinki, Finland

Eurodam recently called at Helsinki, Finland, and Pam took these fabulous photos. Despite the cloudy day, the city still looks impressive.

Helsinki Cathedral was built over 22 years, from 1830 to 1852, and is a distinct landmark in the scenery of central Helsinki, with its tall green dome surrounded by four smaller domes. The church was built as a tribute to the Grand Duke Nicholas I, Tsar of Russia, and until Finland’s independence in 1917 it was called St. Nicholas’ Church.

Senate Square is located in front of the monument to Russian Tsar Alexander II, erected in his honor shortly after the annexation of Finland. Helsinki’s most historic and beautiful square was designed in the early 1800s at the height of the Russian Empire’s fascination with the architectural glories of ancient Greece and Rome.

Memories from the Prelude Cruise

Henk and Johanna v.d.Linden were guests on Eurodam’s July 2 prelude cruise, and they sent us a selection of photos from their time on board.

Postcards from St. Petersburg, Russia

Eurodam recently made it’s first call at St. Petersburg, Russia, and Pam went on an all-day tour to the top attractions in the area.

The Hermitage Museum is one of the largest — with 3 million works of art (not all on display at once) — and one of the oldest art galleries and museums in the world.

The vast Hermitage collections are displayed in six buildings, the main one is the Winter Palace, which used to be the official residence of the Russian Tsars.

The statue of Cupid and Psyche, left, was sculpted by Antonio Canova in 1796. According to the ancient myth, Cupid’s mother, the goddess Venus, envious of the beauty of her son’s beloved, dispatched Psyche to the underworld to fetch a vessel containing the water of youth, forbidding her to open it. Psyche could not resist looking inside the flask and immediately fell into a deep sleep. The kiss of Cupid returned Psyche to life.

The Peacock Clock, right, also includes the figures of a cockerel and owl. Catherine II loved collecting, and Grigory Potiomkin ordered the piece for her from celebrated goldsmith and clockmaker James Cox.

Construction of the Church of the Spilled Blood began in 1883 under Alexander III, as a memorial to his father, Alexander II. Work progressed slowly and was completed in 1907 during the reign of Nicholas II. How did the church get its name? As the tsar’s carriage passed along the embankment, a grenade thrown by an anarchist conspirator exploded. The tsar, shaken but unhurt, got out of the carriage and started to remonstrate with the presumed culprit. Another conspirator took the chance to explode another bomb, killing himself and mortally wounding the tsar. The tsar, bleeding heavily, was taken back to the Winter Palace where he died a few hours later.

An evening performance of “Swan Lake” at the Alexandrinsky Theatre was the perfect ending to this magnificent and historic port of call.