At Sea - October 26-28, 2026 - At The Equator

Keeping Us Entertained on the Pacific Crossing!

The entertainment department is certainly working overtime to make this six-day Pacific crossing as enjoyable as possible. And judging by what we have experienced so far, they are doing a pretty darn good job!

It all started with an announcement the other evening that Elliot Finkel had come aboard and was planning a special pop-up matinee performance on his first sea day. Now, here’s the catch: the Daily Program had already gone off to the printer, so unless you happened to check the online version of the program or heard the announcement, you might easily have missed this special performance. One of those little surprises that comes with life onboard, but certainly a nice bonus for those who caught it!

From there, we moved on to the formal Masquerade Ball last night, adding a little mystery and elegance to the evening. Always fun to see everyone getting dressed up and joining in the festivities. It certainly breaks up the routine of sea days and gives everyone another excuse to enjoy an evening out.

The following day, October 27, brought a few more pleasant surprises. While sitting quietly in the library enjoying a good read, along came an ice cream trolley! Now, how cool is that? (And yes, pun intended!) Just when you think you have settled into a relaxing afternoon, Holland America finds another way to brighten your day. It’s the little things, isn’t it?

At 3:00 pm, we decided it was time to enjoy our first Teatime of the cruise. This is one of those lovely Holland America traditions that we had been introduced to by our friend Tom Mullen. For those who haven’t experienced it, this is the daily sea-day event featuring white-gloved service, tea and all the little treats that make afternoon tea such a civilized way to spend an hour. There’s something rather special about slowing down, enjoying a cup of tea and being pampered a little while sailing across the Pacific. Thanks again, Tom, for introducing us to this lovely tradition!

Our evening took an especially nice turn when we were invited to dinner by the ship’s doctor, Dr. Martha, along with two of the nursing staff. There was another couple joining us, and it seems Dr. Martha was looking to enjoy a little social time with some of her nicest patients. LOL!

It was a wonderful evening, with a delicious dinner and some great conversation as we all got to know one another a little better outside of doctor’s hours, if you know what I mean! It’s always a pleasure when the people looking after you onboard become friends over dinner rather than just familiar faces in the medical centre. A very thoughtful invitation and one we certainly appreciated.

And then came the evening’s entertainment, which introduced us to something quite different from the usual musical performances we have come to expect onboard.

We were treated to the talents of David Meyer and his wife, Dawn, in a show that combined music, movement, light and visual artistry. David plays an unusual electronic instrument called a Xylosynth. At first glance, it looks somewhat like a modern electric xylophone, but don’t let appearances fool you. With his mallets flying across the instrument, he produces an amazing variety of musical sounds, taking familiar music and giving it a completely different dimension.

But the performance doesn’t stop with the music. Dawn joins David on stage, adding another whole visual element to the show. Using illuminated laser sticks, she creates colourful patterns and flowing movements that seem to dance in time with the music. With the theatre lights dimmed, the glowing effects become even more spectacular, almost like watching a combination of dance, light show and musical performance all rolled into one.

The coordination between the two is quite something to watch. David provides the musical energy while Dawn brings the visual magic, making the whole production a feast for both the eyes and ears.

Definitely a WOW factor and one of those performances that reminds you how varied and creative onboard entertainment can be. We certainly weren’t expecting anything quite like it!

All in all, another wonderful day at sea. Between surprise performances, masquerade balls, roaming ice cream, traditional afternoon tea, dinner with members of the medical team and some very different evening entertainment, there certainly hasn’t been much opportunity to get bored.

Who says six days at sea have to be all about watching the ocean go by? Although, truth be told, there’s nothing wrong with that either!