Westbound

Friday, June 6 – Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Steve is feeling better and we are starting to enjoy the ship. All pools on board are heated but the weather is cold and windy and we are swimming in the indoor pool on deck 12. The water temperature is very pleasant. There are two hot tubs and the water is hot so they are very nice to use.

Overall, we liked the Eurodam better than Queen Mary 2. The food on Eurodam was better and the whole atmosphere was not as stuffy. Out of the 8 nights on the ship, four are designated as formal. And the only difference between informal and formal nights is that men do not have to wear a tie. However, jacket is still required. Unfortunately, the requirements for formal nights are much more stringent here and if you do not wish to dress up, you are only allowed on Deck 7 in Kings Court. The Kings Court is the open dining buffet. In the evenings, only a small area is opened. The Chef’s Galley adjacent to the Kings Court is also open and we eat there most nights. The Chef’s Galley offers burgers, hot dogs and sandwiches during lunch and pasta and pizza at night. It is the only place where we can get gluten and dairy free options for Stevie. All other areas of the ship are off limits if you do not dress up in formal wear.

We ate in the main dining room one time on an informal night. The only plus was that they had gluten free bread for Stevie (the only slice of gluten free bread we have been able to get the whole time) and dairy free sorbet. Again, this was the only opportunity for Stevie to enjoy a treat. The only gluten & dairy free desert available outside of the main dining room (room service included) is jello. Yes, artificially flavored and colored nasty jello.

In other words, if you do not want to dress up in a tuxedo and fancy dress to eat, you are truly delegated to a second class citizen on this ship.

On the plus side, the children’s program (The Play Zone) is awesome. It is well staffed (there are usually 3 or 4 ladies) at all times to play. They are on the floor with the kids playing. The ladies also tailor the activities to the kids’ interest. If a child does not want to do crafts, they will do something else. The kids are engaged and having a great time. We are very pleased with the program.

One afternoon they did a treasure hunt. The kids and caregivers dressed up as pirates and went all over the ship following clues. The kids even got to go on the bridge. I am grateful that such a great program is made available for the kids.