CRUISING BEFORE COVID
By Jane Cassie
(For Travel Writers' Tales )

From the comfort of my office, I reflect back on this Holland America cruise that we had taken just a few months before the arrival of Covid-19 and the demise of our travel trade.

Konningsdam

"Do you think you'll have this ship figured out by the time we're back to Rome?" my husband had joked, as I took the wrong staircase again. We were on day two of twelve, cruising our way around the Mediterranean, with our friends, Don and Sue Fisher, and I was still confused as to what deck hosted what. Even though I had linked my cell to the ship's Navigator, the number of areas and offerings were mind-boggling.

Rolling Stones venue

A musical theme flowed throughout the classy Koningsdam, and an array of venues provided us with live entertainment. We jived to pop in the Rolling Stones, sung along with pianists at the Billboard Onboard, grooved to Memphis tunes at BB King's Blues Club and strolled beyond the casino to the World Stage where two nightly shows were performed.

Pool

Daily activities ranged in everything from trivia and Scattegories to chess and bridge games. The Greenhouse Spa & Salon was a nurturing haven where we relaxed and restored and the ocean-viewing fitness centre boosted our heart rates. Two swimming pools, ping pong, basketball, pickleball—there was never a shortage of action.

Pickleball. Brent in Action

Lido deck chefs

Sue having seconds

"I'm not going to have seconds again," Sue had claimed half way through the trip. After enjoying double desserts for the first few nights, our friend's announcement was more of a ploy to help her restrain. But there were so many enticements it was a pretty impossible task! Just beyond the Lido Market was the Dive-In that dished up awesome burgers and crispy French fries. Stairs from this grill led to the New York Deli, where we could build our own pizza, and the Grand Dutch Cafe was a casual eatery that honoured the ship's heritage with specialties like veal ragout and split pea soup.

Explorations on the top floor Crow's Nest had a selection of sweets and sandwiches topped off with a sensational panorama. And a gorgeous two-storey dining room satisfied our palates on most evenings.

Don enjoys his choice in the dining room

Edison, our knowledgeable wine sommelier, provided perfect pairing recommendations, while Yudha and Asep catered to every gastronomic desire; alluring appetizers like French Onion soup, New York strip loin coupled with portabella mushrooms, regionally-inspired Provencale Minestrone. The mains continued to amaze from a line-up available at each sitting to specialties of day — St Peters Fish, doused in olives and onions, Veal piccatta baked in mozzarella and eggplant cannelloni for the vegetarian fans. And when it came to desserts, none of us, including Sue, were able to get up from the table without sampling at least one.

Pinnacle Grill

Although the main dining room certainly satisfied, we also made reservations at the reasonably-priced specialty restaurants. Rudi's Sel de Mer was an intimate ala carte brasserie that featured French cuisine, the Canaletto dished up tasty Italian, the Pinnacle Grill lured the meat lovers and the Tamarind boasted specialties from Thailand, China and Vietnam.

Dubrovnik

We could easily have chilled out on this luxurious floating hotel for the entire cruise, but fortunately over the twelve days, there were nine intriguing ports where we could burn off some calories. In Dubrovnik, Croatia's top tourist haunt, we sauntered the enchanting old city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with medieval walls that dated back to the 12th century.

Kotor

The following day was Montenegro's storybook hamlet of Kotor where we took a speed boat tour and explored historical landmarks along the Adriatic shoreline.

Views from Marjan Hill

The next stop was Croatia's sweet city of Split where we climbed the bell tower of Cathedral of Saint Domnius and hiked up Marjan Hill. A dance session in Koper, a beach day in Corfu, a step back in time to the Neolithic era in Malta and lastly, we were mesmerized by Pompeii in Naples.

Malta

It was truly a very full and amazing roving port show. And similarly to our lavish home at sea, this Mediterranean itinerary is one that I'll clearly remember, until we can one day cruise again.

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IF YOU GO:

https://www.hollandamerica.com/en_US.html

PHOTOS by Jane & Brent Cassie