Day 37 of 111. Sea Day

Today we got a tour of the galley where they prepare almost two thousand meals a day. I was very impressed with the 80 gallon soup kettles. The soups onboard are very tasty. The head chef, Petr, greeted us during the tour. One detail I found very interesting is that there are pictures and descriptions of each dessert served so they always come out the same.

Galley tour on the ms Amsterdam showed the various prep stations as well as the pastry area and fancy dining room with its separate galley. Not surprisingly, everything was spotlessly clean.

Day 36 of 111. Northern Pacific

Besides the photo competition and the cancer walk, Ron and I attended a hands-on cooking class. Once again, it was fun and educational. After we finished our cooking of the four dishes, we went to the fancy dining room across the hall from the Culinary Arts Center show kitchen and enjoyed the same dishes prepared by the chefs. I guess there is a special dinner in the Pinnacle Grill tonight because they had very clever folded napkins that look like little tuxedos! Maybe it is a Murder Mystery Dinner or another of their James Bond Dinners.

Day 36 of 111. Sea Day in the Northern Pacific

It is rather a grey day and while the sea is not totally flat, the travel seems fairly smooth. Today, there is a cancer fund-raising walk called “On Deck for a Cause” which occurs on all Holland America Ships. Since this began, the line has been able to raise $5 million dollars for cancer research. The funds go to six different international cancer organizations. This is a non-competitive 5K walk (11 laps around the ship).

There is also a travel photo competition onboard. Ron and I each entered five photos. There is a small entry fee and you get to keep the 8 x 10 photo that they print for the judging. There are categories such as People, Landscape, Nature and Architecture. It is just for fun, but we could win a photo album or some other small prize if the most people vote for our photos.

Day 35 of 111. Saipan, Mariana Islands

No stop in Saipan today. The seas are too choppy to make a safe stop at Saipan, so we are simply moving on to Osaka, Japan. The staff here on board regrouped smoothly and there are classes and lectures to attend. We were able to attend a cooking demonstration with Chef Bertrand. Butternut Squash Risotto and Spinach Artichoke Dip with lots of cheese. Yum. I’m very pleased and impressed with how hard everyone works to keep things flowing. Those travelers with a lot of experience simply take missing a port in stride because this happens at least once during a trip.

Day 34 of 111. Guam

Guam is the first island of the Mariana Islands and is above the deepest part of the ocean. One third of the island is owned by the US military. Guam is a strategically very important location and has been occupied by the Spanish, the Japanese, and currently the USA. We toured the southern end of Guam where there are several important military sites, visited Jeff’s Pirate Cove for fun, and then visited an outlet mall. The tour was interesting because we saw some guns and bunkers used by the Japanese when they occupied Guam as well as a monument to Magellan.