HAL Volendam on a Sea Day

Volendam on a Sea Day -- November 23, 2016

With a day at sea between Singapore and Koh Samui, I really did not have to get up early but I did anyway. Slept very well through the night but just couldn't stay asleep too long. Got up at 5:30, got myself ready to roam the ship. I went all over the public area and took lots of pictures with nobody in my way. There was hardly anyone up at that hour other than the crew cleaning and getting the ship ready for another day.

Mat inside the elevator.

Entrance to Upper Rotterdam Dining Room, Deck 5

Orchestra balcony?

Our table (#51), starboard side

Dinner menu already posted outside the dining room.

Digital Workshop

Walkway, port side on deck 5.

Exploration Cafe

Exploration Cafe and Library

Puzzle

Library

game tables along the walkway

They have changed the machines since February. The lowest bet on the slots are now 30 cents per game, which makes losing real fast.

There are some really nice sitting spaces at Mix.

Martini Bar

Piano Bar

Wine Bar

Explorer's Lounge

Explorer's Lounge on the starboard side of the ship.

Atrium

Theater, deck 5 balcony

theater, deck 4

cozy booths at the back

front desk, deck 4 Atrium

Pinnacle Grill, deck 4

Entrance to Crow's Nest, deck 9 forward

Crow's Nest

Green House Spa and Gym, deck 8 forward

deck 8

Dive In, amazing hamburgers here.

Lido barely opened

After my tour of the ship I went back and woke MOR up for breakfast at Lido. Most everything at Lido was served by crew which made it a little more sanitizing. Just had some toast, fried eggs, bacon, sausage and coffee this morning.

Another rare event on this cruise was Bible Study on all sea days, lead by a real minister. Kudos to HAL! We had a minister from Canada leading all the sessions plus the Sunday interdenominational worship. This was held inside the Culinary Art Center. They provided hymnals for us to use but unfortunately no piano in there. The minister sang well and lead the songs without accompaniment. Bible study went for about an hour and it was great to be sharing and fellowship with other Christians from around the world. After Bible Study, we went to the port talk at the theater then rested a little before lunch. We also found our packet of visa applications delivered to our cabin which we had to sign, fill out and return before a certain day and time. 

Lunch was at Lido and they had some really good roast pork belly served at the carving station. As I was waiting for the pork belly, I noticed that the chef was serving a big bowl of something to a uniformed officer so I asked him what he was cooking back there. He said it's a Philipino soup and he asked if I wanted to try some. Sure, I said. It was the most delicious food that I had on the ship! I went back for some more and made friends with Menard, the chef. He later came over to our table and told me what he was planning to cook the next day. I believe he was preparing special food for a group of Philipino passengers on board. I just happened to notice the big pot behind the counter. We were able to enjoy some of these special dishes/soups a few more times on this trip. Thanks to Menard!

That's the special pork belly soup that had been cooked for hours. So tasty!

And the crispy roast pork belly. 

Another bowl of the special soup.

We had a great lunch!

At 2:00, we went to the Cruisecritic Meet and Chat and met with other roll-call members. Quite a few people showed up for this informal M&C. Then we went to another port talk about Thailand and Cambodia, the upcoming ports of call. Excellent information given by Ian, the Location Guide. He was the best Location Guide that I have seen of all the cruises we had. He was a true expert, honest, and funny. 

Tonight was the first of the three Gala Nights on this 14-day cruise. Most passengers who ate at the dining room dressed up for the evening, maybe not formals or tux but still very nice. 

For some reasons, I got a German menu.

My Jumbo Orange Shrimp Cocktail.

Yes, escargot!

MOR's Pineapple Boat

My Cracked Peppercorn Steak with Grilled Shrimp. The steak was flavorful with an earthy taste, but the cracked peppercorn was a little too coarse, like biting into sands. 

MOR's Yellowfin Sole Filet

ChC's Truffled Mushroom Risotto

Another ice cream for dessert.

Tomorrow we will be in Koh Samui.