Eurodam Jan. 22-29th BLUES CRUISE - what happens on a fully chartered cruise!

[sun~]

Eurodam Jan 22-29 Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise

The Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise is completely different than a regular HAL cruise…

This cruise is done twice a year, West Coast in October and East Coast in January. You may notice a ‘gap’ in the HAL schedule at those times.

This cruise was fully sold out by pre-booking several months before the cruise. There were lots of repeat cruisers for this charter. Many have never been on a regular cruise and would have no idea that the blues cruise bears little resemblance to a regular “snooze cruise”! Even the Jolly Roger was flown most of the week

The ship is modified for the 20+ bands that will be playing during the week. Several rows of seating are removed from the main show lounge to make up a huge dance floor. Extra bars are set up at the entrances to the main show lounge. The whole back pool area is changed. The pool is emptied and covered with a plexiglass dance floor. A full covered stage is set up. Loungers are removed and some chairs remain. This is a party ship and it’s time to dance! A large extra bar is set up on the covered area on the port side. I think it may have twice the capacity than the regular bar. All the extra beer cases are stacked up there as well. To say that HAL makes out a like bandit on liquor sales is an understatement!

There are no bingo games or any other things going on like a regular cruise. There were two children (maybe three?) on board, so a minimal kids program was in operation. No regular shows take place at all. There is the usual art auction, but you could shoot cannon down the area with shops, it was always virtually empty. The casino is in operation, but rarely busy. The areas with the most concentration of people were the pool deck, main stage and the Queen’s lounge (it was used for acoustic and smaller acts.

There is no dress code (other than they ask you to wear some kind of clothing and no bare feet in the dining areas). A good portion of the dining room is roped off, many cruisers will only eat at the Lido between acts. I honestly don’t think some people realize there is a dining room or specialty restaurants, because they are not near the pool deck stage or main stage!

The most of staff and crew LOVE the blues cruise. More than a few times it was referenced that they enjoyed the much younger and lively demographic. The entertainers, kid’s crew etc had nothing to do all week, so they were spotted dancing and partying with the rest of the guests. All officers at some point were catching the acts and partying. I noticed one of the senior officers caught as many acts as possible, he is a real blues fan (I spotted him last year as well at several venues!) he gets into it so much, he even handed out LRBC calendars at the end of the cruise and told everyone to come back next year! From what I have heard there are staff and crew that will request to be on this cruise each year. The bar staff and just about every member of the wait staff are put into extra service the whole week. I can only imagine that the bar revenue is many times higher that a regular cruise (we had a pretty low bar bill at under $1000, I heard of some pretty shocking ones!).

The spa is used; the Lido pool is open, but never at capacity. There is a good portion of the passengers that never emerge til noon or later, jam sessions will go on til 5am. The buffet for breakfast is usually not that busy. It does make it difficult for the cabin stewards juggling the odd schedules of the “mole people” who emerge at 1pm and regular folk who go to bed at a decent hour like 2am! Our cabin stewards were very attentive and helpful. They did the very best they could with the number of cabins/time allotted to them.

We had cabin 7099, a standard balcony. It was fine, but really needs a deep clean. The cabin stewards were great and worked really hard. However there was a thick layer of dust just at the edges of the bed, so I know it hasn’t be vacuumed very well in a long time. I don’t like the silly little bathtubs on HAL, they are spongy and the water never drains properly. The beds were fine, the sheets a little threadbare. There was big hole in one of the robes.

I have noticed the food has gone downhill. There was a very limited room service breakfast, and the hot breakfast was pretty awful. We went to the buffet (dining room was not open for breakfast during this cruise) and it wasn’t very good. Limp, gray sausages, rock hard bacon, undercooked eggs and French fries (!) were some of the hot items. The omelets were super greasy. Good thing there was fresh fruit! You won’t starve, but I was craving a decent breakfast when we got off the ship.

We don’t like the main dining room; banquet food is not our thing. We only went once for lunch and one dinner. It wasn’t great. Tough, overcooked beef tenderloin was just a shame, what a waste, I ordered it medium – oh well. We find that the specialty restaurants are dirt cheap. You get freshly prepared meals, good service and a quieter dining area. A comparable meal on land would be a heck of a lot more money. We ate at the PG a couple of times, which was good. We had good service and a nice meal. We did the Le Cirque dinner – underwhelming at best. I mentioned to the server that I don’t eat seafood/shellfish, so no alternative was given for the salad. I know he could have left off the lobster, but it wasn’t offered – just a blank stare. The server at the Le Cirque dinner wasn’t very helpful. We went to the Tamarind twice, this is our favourite place. Great service and lovely food. We went to Canalettos once. It was terrible last year with slow service and mediocre food. It was slightly better this time around. I really hate the fact that it is not a separate dining area. But it is included in the cruise fare, and it is freshly prepared so it isn’t too bad.

We were on the Eurodam last year, so we were used to the ship. Things are looking like they need a good scrub and some things need replacement. I noticed new lounge chair cushion covers at the Lido pool. However the condition is nothing out of the ordinary compared to other ships. It isn’t perfect. It is clean enough and everything functions, so no complaints.

The service was very good throughout the week. The servers worked their butts off – good thing they were making lots of money! This was a wonderful week for the bar staff! Everyone seemed in good spirits – the weather was pretty good, the music was fantastic and the passengers very laid back. Since so many on the cruise have never done a ‘snooze cruise’ there was very little nit picking going on. I didn’t hear any complaints, other than about the freezing cold lido pool.

It is very different to be on a fully chartered cruise. The atmosphere is very relaxed and people are out to have fun. Considering the fact that the LRBC is thousands of dollars more than an “snooze cruise” for the same week, (we paid about $2500 for a VA cabin, the same cabin on a similar ship, same week I priced at about $800) people just don’t crab and gripe about every little thing on a ship. It was time to party and listen to some great music! Next January it is on the Nieuw Amsterdam!

.

[Mary Ellen]

Thank you for sharing your experience with us.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thank you for writing your review and giving us in the inside scoop on your chartered cruise.

Did I miss it -- no ports?

[Wefewee]

 

Did I miss it -- no ports?

 

Yes, I was wondering the same thing - sounds like they just float around for a whole week.

[portofrome]

Thanks for your review.

[Boytjie]

Did I miss it -- no ports?

 

What I found:

Jan 22: Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Jan 23: At Sea

Jan 24: At Sea

Jan 25: St John’s, Antigua & Barbuda

Jan 26: Cruz Bay, St John, Virgin Islands

Jan 27: At Sea

Jan 28: Half Moon Cay, Bahamas

Jan 29: Fort Lauderdale, FL

[sun~]

Yes there were ports! LOL although many don't bother getting off the ship. Nobody really cares where it goes. Everyone books before there is any info about the upcoming cruise (no port info or band info) if you can imagine!

 

We had been to all the ports before, so no biggie.

 

In Antigua my hubby and I took a helicopter over to Monserrat to see the volcano. Hands down the best thing we have done in the Caribbean. Then headed to the beach.

 

St. John we took a short island tour, went to Trunk Bay (way overrated BTW - I am a serious beach person, and this was pretty, but crowded). And there was a concert in Frank Powell park put on by LRBC that featured the fantastic Zac Harmon. Several musicians also went to a local school for the Blues in Schools program. This cruise was the talk of St. John that day!

 

On HMC there were a couple of bands played in a stage that was set up off the beach. Nothing beats a concert on a sunny day, at the beach. The amazing Debbie Davis and Ronnie Baker Brooks played a couple of smokin' hot sets!

 

The pirate ship bar looked interesting. Sucks for the cabanas that are beside them. I know some people have complained about the music there, but of course I don't think it was going on during this stop as full band with huge speakers were only a hundred metres down the beach.

 

On the 2009 October Blues cruise, they actually couldn't get to the ports for some reason. The cruizers pretty much drank the ship dry, the musicans played extra sets, jammed and had a great time. It has been requested by more than a few people to ditch the ports and just play on!

[Himself]

thanks for the information. Your thread was very informative.

[cruisldy]

Enjoyed your review. My Sis has been on these cruises for the past 9 now I think and will be on the one in October out of our town of San Diego.

 

My husband and I are "snooze" cruisers and had always told my Sis (single) she should try a cruise, but the joke between us now is she isn't interested in napkin folding or cooking demonstrations, although she told me that on this one some of the musicians did do a cooking demonstation. :)

 

That long time ago that she tried her first Blues Cruise, she found her niche and has been going ever since, except the year she had her hip replacement surgery.

 

We are 8 years apart and ever since we were kids, she was the one to be the "night owl" of the family, so staying up until all hours of the night suits her to a tea.

 

She even called me, from her cabin when you were in Antigua, as she wanted to try out to see if her Tracphone cell phone would work. It was 2PM there and we talked for an hour, even while her cabin steward was cleaning her room.:D

 

It is very obvious to both of us that she will never get my husband and I on a "Blues Cruise" and I'll never get her on a "snooze cruise", but that is OK.

[DutchByAssociation]

I have eyes everywhere on a couple ships and LOVED the sign that was up on the basketball net area that you could see from the aft pool deck. Saw the pictures and had a huge smaile on my face. Wish it wasn't only up due to the charter, but that's just me :D

[sun~]

I don't know if this will work, but here is a picture...

[Boytjie]

Interesting reading your review and comparing that charter experience to the RSVP charters (Gay & Lesbian) that we usually do (February Caribbean - which happens next week but we will be missing it this year due to a land vacation).

 

Some similarities, some differences.

 

RSVP brings their own entertainment onboard but also uses some of the ship's entertainers.

 

RSVP has lots of theme parties which usually take place on the Lido aft deck with a DJ and light and sound systems brought on board. The pool is not covered - the dances take place around it. Parties go till 2:30 am outdoors and then moves indoors to the night club till 4:00 am.

 

RSVP cruises also have very high beverage consumption. :) At times ships have had to restock along the way. Comment from a waiter on one of our cruises: "You people can DRINK! I have never worked so hard in my life, but I am making LOTS of money!"

 

RSVP cruisers may party late but they also love their excursions! Many do care about the ports but even if it is some places you have been to before; there's always something new to do or one can just catch up on some rest on the beach.

 

RSVP cruisers also make good use of the spa and they work non-stop. If you don't book your massages when you board you are out of luck and have to hope for a cancellation.

 

Dinner time is important social timeand the MDR, Lido and specialty restaurants are busy. After dancing till 2:30 am we pile into the Lido for early morning snacks and they usually have a pretty good spread: steaks, chips, pasta, salads, sandwiches etc.

 

The staff love the RSVP charters as it is a nice break from their regular routine; often it is a customized itinerary that breaks the monotony of being in the same ports week after week. They also comment that the passengers are very friendly, treat them well, tip very well, seldomly complain but are out to have a good time.

 

The February Caribbean charter is very popular and frequently the next year's cruise is 50% booked during current cruise (when it is announced and booking officially opens)

[sun~]

The RSVP charter was mentioned by a couple of crew members as well. They love it! Lots of partying, the crew make money and enjoy the atmosphere. There may be some who are a little uncomfortable as they may be a religous, but overall the staff have a great time. The only thing on the blues cruise that may be objectionable to some staff would be certain things that are consumed on the balcony, but most just joked about it ;)

 

It is hard work, but they can make so much more in tips. Blues cruisers are a very generous bunch and I know the RSVP crowd would be too :D

[Boytjie]

The RSVP charter was mentioned by a couple of crew members as well. They love it! Lots of partying, the crew make money and enjoy the atmosphere. There may be some who are a little uncomfortable as they may be a religous, but overall the staff have a great time. The only thing on the blues cruise that may be objectionable to some staff would be certain things that are consumed on the balcony, but most just joked about it ;)

 

It is hard work, but they can make so much more in tips. Blues cruisers are a very generous bunch and I know the RSVP crowd would be too :D

 

I have not seen or heard any issues with staff but realize there are some that may be uncomfortable. HAL does prepare them for it with diversity training.

 

Staff will often extend their contracts to be onboard to work the charters. Another interesting aspect is seeing the gay staff operate in an enviroment where, for once, they are part of the majority. :) (That also goes for a lot of the passengers BTW)

 

On last February's cruise there was a new, conservative, (fellow) South African photographer onboard - only his second cruise. One of the South African ladies in the shops told me he was quite uncomfortable and egged me on to make a pass at him. I did, he really jumped but after I explained to him in Afrikaans why, we had a good laugh. A few days later when I asked asked him how he felt about the gay cruise he said he loved it, it was too much fun.

 

And they will see a lot of things on a gay cruise that they won't see on a regular cruise. Then again, there are also nude charters and that's a whoel different environment. ;)

[sun~]

That's hilarious about the photographer! You loosened him up for sure!

 

It is great for the crew and staff to have fun, join in and party. I know it is fully encouraged on the blues cruise. It is nice to see even the engine room guys in their greasy coveralls come up to see a band. I am sure lots like to check out the action on the RSVP cruise too!

 

There are several theme nights on the blues cruise, Mardi Gras night, Pirate night, Gimme back my Wig! and a couple of others. They are a real hoot!

 

Here is a photo of the extra bar that is set up on deck with a few of the servers. I don't know if you can see the stacked up beer cases. I know they really stock up for this cruise, they start pushing the bloody marys from early in the morning and it just goes on from there...