170. Carry on Cruising

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Monday, 10 June 2019

At sea, Gulf of Alaska, USA

Even though it’s the same cruise line and, essentially, the same ship, the first thing to note that’s different about this cruise is that there’s a different type of person on board. Gone are the morbidly obese, the mobility scooters and those that look like they’ve escaped from the nursing home. There’s a slightly younger crowd now. Rather than being in a nursing home, they’ve been thinking about making enquiries for nursing homes, which they’ll need in a few years. Definitely a white middle class set. Lot more British on board too. Can only assume it’s because it’s now June and peak cruising season rather than the low season of early May?

Experiencing Force 4 wind, there’s a gentle movement of the ship on the swell. Not only is it rolling from side to side, the ship is pitching back and forth. Nothing major, but enough to warrant doing the Ministry of Silly Walks as you walk down the corridors and taking cinnarizine anti-motion sickness tablets as we cross the Gulf of Alaska.

The morning weather is sensational, bright blue sky with a bright blue and sparkly sea. However. It changes in the afternoon to become dull grey and low cloud so there’s no line on the horizon. Really hope this changes for Glacier Bay tomorrow.

What to do with a full day at sea. Apart from catching up on blog for you, dear reader, a flurry will appear in a day or so, there’s a kitchen tour in the morning. The most important part of the ship, it feeds 2,000 passengers and 800 crew, using 134 chefs and kitchen staff. Everything is made of stainless steel. It’s everywhere. First section is the dishwasher. Huge washing machines operated by 12 people to clean 3,000 dining plates, 7,000 dessert plates, 2,000 side plates and 5,000 glasses, plus all the other odds and sods. Each day.

All the supplies are loaded up in Vancouver to cover the full 14 day return trip. Various sections for In Room Dining, Cold Kitchen, Hot Kitchen, Pastry Kitchen and Bakery, where all bread is made fresh each day. 20 different types of bread including 120 loaves, 100 loaves of French bread, 4,000 cobs, 800 croissants and 800 Danish pastries.

On the deck below, are the Fish Kitchen, storerooms, Butchery, Vegetable Prep, 3 refrigerated rooms, 5 freezer rooms, 3 thawing rooms and 3 dry stores.

The Filipino and Indonesian crew are fed by their own Filipino and Indonesian chefs. Having eaten on both the Noordam and the Westerdam, all the food was excellent. Biodegradable waste is turned into mulch, dehydrated then incinerated.

Per cruise the average consumption includes:  5,300kg meat, 1,300kg fish, 2,000kg watermelon, 23,000 eggs, 24,000 sugar packets and 2,700kg rice for the crew.

After all that exertion, soon time for lunch. At this point, dear reader, I should tell you that I have become an addict. Started on the Noordam. Continues on the Westerdam.

The addiction?

Holland America’s ‘homemade’ lemonade.

Can’t get enough of the stuff.

Whilst watching the salmon cookery course in ‘America’s Test Kitchen’ after lunch, feel myself nodding off. Sign of old age. There are no windows in the small theatre and with the combination of comfy chairs, the cinnarizine and the gentle motion of the ship, it’s like being in a cradle being rocked gently to sleep.

Afternoon nap required.

And so to bed.

Just for a quick nap then I’ll crack on with diary and blog.

Yep. A quick nap. That’s all.

1hr sleep?

Nope.

2hr sleep?

Nope.

3hr sleep?

Nope.

4hrs later at 1800hrs stir from my torpor.

Well that was a productive afternoon!

One response to “170. Carry on Cruising”

  1. Karen Jones avatar
    Karen Jones

    All the descriptions of food is making me hungry.