Day 8 (4 days on sea): Schlaraffenland

The term "Schlaraffenland" (literally, "Land of the Lazy" or "Land of Milk and Honey") is a German concept that evokes a mythical, utopian land where all desires are effortlessly fulfilled, and material abundance flows without any need for labor or effort. It represents an idealized paradise where people live in ease and luxury, free from the burdens of work, hardship, or scarcity. 

In Schlaraffenland, food is said to be endless and easily accessible, and the idea is that you don’t need to work for it—there’s even a whimsical notion that roasted ducks fly straight into your mouth. The concept explores the idea of ultimate leisure, where everyday worries vanish and everything is provided with no effort required. 

This idea of a perfect, indulgent world can be likened to other cultural visions of paradise, such as the Elysian Fields in Greek mythology or Shangri-La in Tibetan lore—places of ultimate peace and prosperity. The French even made a film about such indulgence: La Grande Bouffe (1973), a dark comedy-drama that blends satire with absurdism. The movie centers on four middle-aged friends who retreat to a villa, intent on indulging in an orgy of excess and self-destruction, ultimately trying to eat themselves to death.

As I pass by the pool area and the buffet restaurant, I’m reminded of both Schlaraffenland and La Grande Bouffe. But don’t worry: no one is planning to overeat to the point of disaster. In fact, there’s a hospital on deck 3 in case of emergencies—or, shall we say, gastronomic excess, or constipation.

Back to reality aboard our ship. As mentioned in previous blogs, there’s no shortage of restaurants, bars, and lounges. Today, I’ll focus on the dining options, which are categorized as follows:

  • À la carte restaurants: These require reservations, and meals are not included in the cruise price. Guests can choose from a range of fine dining options, paying for what they order. 

  • Table service restaurants: These offer a two-choice, 5-course dinner every evening. We chose to dine here most nights, and were pleasantly surprised by the quality—flavorful, healthy, and beautifully plated dishes that never felt overwhelming in portion size. For those with a bigger appetite, there’s an option for an additional cheese course. Meals are paired with aperitifs, wine, beer, coffee, and spirits. Opening hours: 17:30–21:30.

  • Buffet restaurant: For those with special dietary needs, or those who prefer unrestricted food choices and hours, the buffet restaurant offers an extensive selection without limits. The location is conveniently situated near the pool area to minimize walking, especially after a satisfying meal. The only requirement is sanitizing your hands before entering, which is strictly enforced.

    The restaurant has a outside area which became our favorite breakfast spot, where we enjoyed freshly cut fruits, coffee, and a glass of prosecco.

    The buffet operates throughout the day: 
    • Breakfast: 07:30–11:30
    • Lunch: 11:30–17:30
    • Coffee & Cake: 15:30–16:30
    • Dinner: 17:30–21:30

  • 24-hour bistro: For those unplanned hunger pangs or late-night cravings, there's a bistro that serves both warm and cold food around the clock. It’s perfect for when you need a snack at any hour.

Whether you're in the mood for a gourmet experience or just want to snack by the pool, there’s something for every taste and preference. All in all, our dining options aboard the ship are a true reflection of indulgence—without the existential consequences of La Grande Bouffe.

FAQ
Q: Isn’t it difficult to eat and drink when the ship is swaying? 
A: The ship sways about 1° from side to side, but since the restaurants are located on the lower decks, the motion is much gentler there compared to what you’d experience up on deck 14.  

Quiz Solution:  

Once the ship leaves the harbor, the swaying begins. Games like pool or bowling would quickly turn into games of chance!

Impressions

Tea time

Abundance of ice cream during the day

Fine dining in the Atlantic Classic restaurant

Logbook

Position: 4°4.91' S, 5°5,16' W
South of Cabo Verde, North of Namibia
East of Cabo Verde, West of Namibia
Timezone: GMT+1

Speed: 36km/h. Wind: 62km/h. Heading: 134°
Time to next port: 4 days

Risk of sea sickness: NONE
Risk of hallucinations: MEDIUM




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Day 0: Embarking

Image
Check-in Our check-in time is set for 3:00 PM. After checking out of the hotel, a taxi takes us to the cruise terminal, where we catch our first glimpse of our 'home' for the next 33 days. It's enormous! If you find the check-in process at MUC airport challenging, a cruise check-in is even more complex and feels less streamlined. After about 40 minutes though, we are able to enter our cabin, and it immediately feels like home. The cabin reminds us of Ronda, our trusty camper van from our 2014 journey through Scandinavia—the same compact bathroom but with a much better view from the balcony! Happy couple in their new home The adventure begins: Where is my luggage? Shortly after settling into our cabin, two of our three suitcases arrive, and we start unpacking our belongings into the many small drawers and closets. But where is suitcase number three? After three hours, I start to get anxious and head to the reception to check. There, I find a long line of people with various ...
Read more

Day -2: Above the clouds, everyday worries and troubles seem smaller and far away

Image
Flying ... ... has fascinated me since childhood. When I was six, my cousin moved to California, and every time I saw a plane in the sky, I imagined myself on it, flying there. For a while, I even had to go to the airport almost every week, and what once felt magical began to feel like a burden. Since 9/11, with heightened security and long queues, the experience of flying has become even more challenging, turning the dream of air travel into something of a nightmare. Condor: our preferred carrier to sunny destinations It’s been almost a year since my last flight, and I feel a deep longing to see the clouds from above once more. Today, we spent the night at the airport. Check-in and security were surprisingly easy, so we got to enjoy a relaxed breakfast before our flight. I love window seats, and luckily, my wife prefers the aisle—so we both get exactly what we want. As the engines roar to life, that old dream of flying comes alive once again, making all the hassle worthwhile. Las ...
Read more

9 more nights left

Image
My mother used to say "Internet is dangerous" I can confirm this. Recently I was lured into dangerous activities and wasting money. But let's start at the beginning. In June my wife and I were in Passau and walked on the pier next to the river cruise ships. As we have no experience in any kind of cruises I googled "river cruise Danube" and explored the unknown world of  cruises. Suddenly an advertisement popped up:  "36 nights - world explorer route: Las Palmas - Singapore" I was about to dismiss it when I remembered that we wanted to go to Malaysia in January. This would be a crazy but also interesting alternative. This was in June.  Now we have 9 more nights before the adventure begins. Our first cruise. We have concerns: Will we be sea sick? Any tsunami predicted? Elephants or lions attacking us in Africa? Too much disco fever in the long nights? Will the credit card hold? If you're curious to see what happens next, subscribe to the blog by leav...
Read more