The Malt Shop Memories Cruise 2014 Sets Sail

Boarding Holland America Line’s Eurodam is like coming home and, in this case, it’s going to be a blast from the past. We’re on board for the Malt Shop Memories Cruise 2014, hosted by Entertainment Cruise Productions and StarVista Entertainment. This year is the 5th anniversary sailing of the Malt Shop Memories Cruise and the third on Eurodam.

As alumni of previous Malt Shop Memories cruises—this is our fourth—we received reserved seating for the nightly shows and had the opportunity to reserve the same stateroom that we had in past years. Instead of that stateroom, we are on Upper Promenade Deck 4, which is closer to the show lounge and other public rooms. In fact, we are right above the show lounge and, although the location could be noisy on occasion, we seldom spend time in our quarters with so much to do on board.

After boarding yesterday we quickly settled in and made ourselves comfortable in 4005, our deluxe oceanview stateroom with an extended verandah—it’s much deeper than those on other decks. Although there aren’t many drawers for storing folded garments, each closet features drop-down shelves and we found plenty of room to stow everything, including in the deep drawers at the foot of the bed and the cabinet over the sofa.

The décor is soothing in tones of grey and cream with jewel toned accents. One of my favorite features is the vanity/desk with its lighted magnifying mirror. It’s perfect for those of us who crave lighting and need a bit of magnification to apply mascara. Here’s a tip—the top of the vanity/desk stool is removable and the interior makes a great hamper.

A home at sea, our Verandah Outside stateroom is similar in design to outside standards, including most bathrooms with tubs, but the verandahs add real usable space. Furnished with two wicker-style chairs and a table, there is still plenty of room to move about; standard staterooms, either inside or outside are functional and comfortable. For budget accommodations with a bit more room, book an inside on Main Deck.

All categories are outfitted with “Signature of Excellence” amenities that include the plush Euro-top Mariner's Dream Bed, deluxe bathrobes for use during the cruise, Egyptian cotton towels, flat panel televisions, DVD player, lighted make-up mirror, hand held hairdryer, massaging shower head, personal safe, refrigerator, and closets configured for hanging and/or drop down shelves. This is Holland America Line and a full ship music theme charter at its best.

Our 7-night Caribbean cruise includes port calls at Cozumel, Mexico; Falmouth, Jamaica; Grand Cayman; and Key West. Oh yes, and we’ll have days at sea to simply relax and enjoy the shows and camaraderie of our Malt Shop peers. We hope you’ll follow along here in the Cruise Diva Blog as we enjoy the music, interviews, activities, and parties—especially the Prom and Sock Hop.

Just a little FYI: Eurodam received a perfect score of 100 on a recent routine United States Public Health inspection conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This achievement marks the seventh consecutive perfect score for the ship. The unannounced inspection of Eurodam was conducted Oct. 22nd, during a call at Boston, Massachusetts before the ship repositioned to Fort. Lauderdale, Florida for its Caribbean season.