Sea days come round quite often at the moment as we sail down the long coastline of Viet Nam.
After breakfast we get our five miles in around deck 10. We find a fabulous moth. The rainbow is pretty nice, better than the photo.
We finish walking just in time for me to get to the 11:00 cooking show. Today it’s beef short rib. I do a similar recipe but it’s interesting to see chef’s interpretation.
We grab a quick lunch in our lounge because at 13:00 we have a tour. Yes a tour on a sea day: this is of the ship itself. You may recall that we have done this sort of tour before but we enjoy the experience and always learn something new.
We meet Cruise Director TJ who starts the tour at the theatre‘s backstage area where we visit a dressing room and wardrobe – a busman’s holiday for us! Next we go up to the bridge, for a professional photo with Captain van der Wal, and then a very detailed talk from one of the duty officers. We love the tiny controls for steering and power, so unlike the images of yesteryear.
Next we’re down twelve decks to the laundry on C, two decks below water to see the enormous machines that wash 200kg at a time, the amazing ironing and folding machine, trouser press and many £others and then up to A along the I-95 (the central corridor on all ships named after an American motorway.) Here we visit the ECR or engine control room. We’re not allowed to go to the engines but the ECR is equally fascinating and the chief engineer gives a very interesting talk.
We see the staff canteen, saying hello to a few people we recognise, then on to the bakery for cookies, and the provisions stores. We walk past the unmistakable “dead centre” of the ship. Next it’s garbage, and finally we visit the galley.
The tour is always fabulous, it’s a shame we cannot take photos this time, but I’ve included a selection from Noordam when we toured her just before Covid. The new info we learned today? If the ship is ever shut down, which is quite unlikely, and didn’t even happen during Covid, but if it did, there is a hand crank high up on deck 10, which would be used to start a tiny diesel generator, this in turn would then provide the power needed to compress air for the air-driven starter motor of one of the marine engines! The idea that huge ship can be started by a hand crank is quite exquisite!!
After the usual sea-day jacuzzi we jump in the pool. Mark does lots of laps but I just tread water – our friend Diane insists she needs to do this in case her beloved throws her overboard, so it makes sense for me to practice too!
The evening starts out normally, with shower then canapés arriving with a glass of Chardonnay. Then we descend to the theatre to enjoy part of the second show of the multiinstrumentalist.
We have to cut the show short as it’s the only night in the first fortnight when the grill is turned over to restaurant Morimoto. Chef Masaharu Morimoto is one of those names like Gordon Ramsey or Thomas Keller who lends (well, sells at great expense) his name and recipes to the cruising world.
Obviously such reputation must mean something, and we have an excellent dinner worthy of an international chef. Starting with Gyozo pork dumplings and sushi; next is lobster and three styles of prawns; finally chocolate – lime ganache and dark sphere. Although the latter is a pot-boiler these days every course is excellent, we look forward to a repeat visit.
