Eurodam Dec 8-15 Review

[KevP]

Cruise: Dec 8-15 on the Holland America Eurodam

 

A little background on who we are. Around 40, no kids, couple. Cruised previously with Norweigen 2x, Princess and Celebrity 3x. We had decided a couple of years ago that we liked Celebrity best and our last two cruises were with them (Eclipse and Millennium). In fact we booked our flights before the cruise planning to go on the new Celebrity Reflection. However, the prices never dropped and we could not turn down a HA superior suite for (much) less $ versus a balcony room on the Reflection. While the cruise director loves to call it a "vacation of a lifetime", our expectations are of course much lower and in line with what many are looking for. Good service, good food and a week of a good mix of fun and relaxing. Bottom line we found that and more with HA.

 

Pre Cruise:

 

I don't think you can ask for a better setup than departing from FLL. We flew in the morning of the cruise and headed over to total wine. It is in a very convenient location and there is a Publix literally next door. Cabs regularly run through the plaza. If you have time stop over at Gilberts 17th street grill for a great burger. It is just a couple of minutes from the entrance to the port. Super convenient.

 

Embark:

 

Arrived at terminal 26 at 11:15. Checked in in 10 min but given boarding group 19 and then waited in terminal which was out of seats. Boarding started at 11:35. On board just after 12. Not bad but Celebrity seemed much smoother all around. While we had booked a superior veranda "suite", there is no priority boarding for this category. We knew this going in, but others were confused and asking because there are signs for priority boarding if you are in a "suite".

 

Room (SZ guarentee booked and given room 6093):

 

Immediate Access to room once we boarded was a great amenity from HA. Luggage in room at 2pm when we went back to check on it (could have been earlier?). Great job HA.

Overall the room was quite nice. As the week went on we really valued the extra space. As all the reviewers say once you have the extra space on a ship it is challenging to go back. We are now part of this group. However the TV placement is just not good for any viewing position. HA should rethink this. However you can use the HDMI input to connect your camera and look at pictures which is nice. We loved the over sized balcony. Comfortable furniture. Nice to have two "areas" to use. However the windows, table and balcony floor were dirty. This was a consistent theme throughout the week. We started using pool towels to clean the glass and floor ourselves. We appreciated that there was a light in refrigerator. Which as previous reviewers have mentioned is more of a chiller. We found it worked better if you kept the cabinet door open as much as you could stand it as it gets in the way. Overall the AC is not very cool. It kept the room pretty comfortable, but even on the lowest setting the room never got cold. On day 5 found that one of the vents by the bed had been covered in clear tape I am sure to eliminate a draft on ppl while sleeping. Removed it and that seemed to allow for a bit more cooling.

 

We very much appreciated the location of 6093. Three rooms down form the central elevators, we felt like it was convenient to everything. Also we felt the elevators were much more usable on this ship. In fact we hardly ever use elevators on cruises because of how slow they are. On the Eurodam, we actually starting using them all of the time because they were that quick.

 

Bathroom:

 

The bathroom was quite large and we liked having the full sized shower. The curtain did not "attack" us we have experienced on other ships. The tub was nice but we never used it for anything other than showering and a clothes drying area. The bathroom does need a dimmer night light to use. The only option is "full blast" which is just shocking to the eyes at night. Large bath towels are nice. We had no trouble with the toilets flushing :). You get bath robes in this category but we never used them.

 

Room Steward:

 

Overall a great job and always seemed to "sneak" in there around our schedule. Did a great job keeping ice (using the metal buckets from buying beer) which helped with the lame refrigerator. As mentioned we would have liked to have the balcony cleaned much more thoroughly. Also in this room the water sits in the drain under the railing all of the time. Just a minor annoyance that should not be there.

 

Breakfast (Lido):

 

Overall good food quality on all the basics. Lots of juice selections is nice. Grape, orange (fresh), prune, tomato, guava, grapefruit. Whipped butter is great option. Waffles are quite good. However, even when slow very challenging to get all food and drinks to table when food is still hot. Need trays. Entertaining to watch passengers struggled with the no touch ice dispenser. (actually frustrating at times when waiting...)

 

Lunch (Lido):

 

Lunch Buffet in Lido pretty crazy IMO. No intuitive "this is the flow" and the printed instructions were often ignored and passengers started making their own lines Walkway too narrow where main dishes are and people constantly stop to look at the offering causing traffic jams They had cheese and bread section at the beginning when you had no plate in hand Food in the lido was pretty OK by cruise buffet standards. Was able to get a table by the windows on most days. Staff looking to sell drinks more than help. No self service first 48 hours which was annoying. There could be improvements here but I think that could be said for all ship buffets.

 

Lunch (Pool Grill):

 

The burgers and fried are pretty decent actually...Pizza is OK.

 

Dinner (Pinnacle Grill):

 

The first night the Dining room line at 7:30 was outrageous. We had anytime dining and had tried to call for reservations but none available. So we ducked into Pinnacle and were seated immediately. It was a slow start and I was disappointed they removed French onion soup. They did go and get a nice cheese tray that is not on the menu (and better quality than what is on the available anytime menu). Large portions on all courses. Good caesar salad. Steaks were great. Certainly higher end restaurant quality. We would say not quite up with top steakhouses, but not that far off. Sides good as well. Dessert especially choc souffle was great. Lava cake and creme brulee very good as well. Service was just ok the first night. Waitress was new but super nice. Some language gap was present as well. Led to an experience that was fine (for us) but not consistent with a top or even middle level restaurant.

 

We had pre cruise reservations for Monday night in Pinnacle and tried to change to Tuesday but the entire week was full already. So make reservations before you go. Also interesting they don't use the front section with big nice chairs, unless you ask to be seated there. Had a two person table looking over the Atrium and it was very nice for the next two meals. Also the second and third times we had a much more experienced waiters. Learned they will bring you French onion soup if you ask and it was pretty good. Overall we really enjoyed the Pinnacle, but we are very much steak lovers.

 

We brought our own wines in all three nights and the wine stewards were great. No issues as we paid the corkage fee on the bottles.

 

Service Demeanor:

 

Overall the service demeanor on the ship was quite good. I have a simple way to measure this. In the buffet where there are employees hustling all over the place, do they give way to the passengers? Or to they not stop and keep pushing through. Surprisingly we have been on some ships where the passenger always had to give way. On the Eurodam I would say the passenger came first 90% of the time. Which is tough on HA where things do move slower :)

 

Dinner (In room dining ordering from the MDR menu - Did this 4x times and we never went into the MDR):

 

Ordering main dining room food to room worked very well. Asked for 7:30 and arrived 7:37. Forgot one side item once. We were impressed they asked for a time to come back to deliver the chocolate souffle to ensure it was done correctly and arrived exactly on time. Very nice. No breadbasket or water by default so ask for that if you want it. We were impressed by the food quality overall. We hit one service meltdown. On Wed night we called 3 times over about 3 hours to have the dishes picked up. They never were. We left them in the hallway with a note before going to bed (HA asks you not to leave used plates in hallway). What choice did we have as it was 11 pm? But overall the in room dining experience far exceeds any other line we have sailed with. We loved eating at our own pace on the balcony. A real plus for us was the service and food quality on HA.

 

Beverages:

 

I will admit the more flexible alcohol policy on HA was a factor in our booking this cruise. The ability to bring as much wine (and water, sodas as well) is really great compared to being limited to two bottles per stateroom. We took full advantage of this as you may have noticed the total wine reference earlier.

 

What we didn't expect was the 2-3 happy hours per day on the ship. The deal was buy one drink get the second of the same for $1. This was by far the best deal we have seen consistently available on a cruise ship and we also took advantage. Bud light 16oz for 3.25ea. Can leave in buckets of ice unopened for later. It was nice that whichever bar that was offering was fully staff to support any crowds. I have to say we also liked that we were not forced to sign any receipts for the purchases. Note the happy hour items are limited at Northern Lights the dance club (10 or 11pm each night). Also wished the Molson Canadian was in bottles and not cans. One night however we ordered 6 beers and the waiter said he would deliver them to the room for us. That was nice except after 2 hours he never showed. Had to go back to the bar to get them and we were told he forgot and is now on break. Ok. Annoying but not too big of a deal. At least they were "cheap".

 

Overall opinions about the Eurodam:

 

We really liked the ship but felt that is really lacked much "wow" factor. The center atrium was minimal. We did like the use of old HA images in the hallway. They were interesting. Overall the art in the ship was some of the nicest we have seen. The passengers on this HA ship were no doubt older than on any other ship we have ever been on. The reputation was 100% confirmed. It wasn't an issue for us, and I got a chance to work on my patience when being slowed down getting places.

 

We didn't like the indoor pool as main pool versus solarium+outdoor pool on Celebrity Solstice ships. Not enough loungers and limited sun. Cabanas take up room that should be public. Also too many tables versus loungers in this area? Roof was broken during our cruise so it was very warm and humid in there. Even on a beautiful sea day was still half closed. We are sun people so for us no need for the cabanas. We spent zero time here.

Our "place" for sitting in the sun was the deck 11 front sundeck of the ship. There was no easy access to the pool, but there are showers to cool off. No bar service there just FYI, but look for the emergency exit which drops you into the back of the library and Crows nest. Can get drinks and rest rooms pretty quick via this route. No alarm but expect people in the area to be surprised by your entrance.

 

Dessert extravaganza was a complete disappointment Wed night In main pool area. Hot and no clear line. Then had some stations unmanned. Full uncut cakes around but had no idea how to get a piece. No labels Do it right or dont do it at all.

 

We felt it was a bit too challenging to view MDR menus. Why not put them on the TV? Need to goto dining rooms them self in the late morning to see them.

 

Liked the times digest mini newspaper being avail outside Lido or in Library. However many times out of stock at Lido. Should be refreshed throughout the day.

 

I personally found CJ the cruise director a bit annoying. Far too many works without saying much. Just wanted him to tone it down a bit.

 

Entertainment:

Jeff and Indy was a good show. Wish there was more Indy. Also went to the 2pm show during last sea day. Well worth it. Rod Long was the other comedian and was pretty good.

 

Production shows did the most with what they have. Late show always had tons of available seating. We went, we clapped, we left thinking this was a step below Celebrity's shows.

 

Data connectivity:

 

OK don't get upset, but I do not disconnect from work while on a cruise. Just not possible. I had a very good 3G connection at sea the first days. Then without explanation, it became a cellular at sea E connection that was extremely slow. Stayed slow when not near land from Tue thru Friday. Barely usable for data and pretty frustrating.

 

Laundry:

 

Small pillowcased size bag $20 any day. We turned in about 7pm wed night. Had it back at 2pm Thursday. Impressive. The bag stretched quite a bit.

 

Ports of Call:

 

Grand Turk:

Cabbed it to Bohio and it was nice and casual. One boat broken so no snorkel to wall. Ok snorkel at beach. Go out behind where they anchor the boats and look for the 3-4 foot "shelf" and follow it. Far from the best snorkeling if you have been many places, but not a waste of time either. They do not push drinks or any services here. Felt like you could bring towels and hang out and no one would care less. Did pay $10pp for chairs of good quality. Very nice beach about 20 cruisers there. Shade available. Showers there as well. Nice walking beach. Cab is $8 pp per way. Overall staying around the dock not a bad option at this port if you are a beach person. Cool Picts of ship very easy to take.

 

San Juan:

 

Missed port. Refunded $16pp port charges. Free glass of champagne. Captain seemed to make effort to get into port. We were on the ellipticals while heading into the port and I can understand why we didn't go in. The wind was very strong.

 

St Thomas (A gateway to St John for us...):

 

Off ship at 7:50am. Made 9am red hook ferry. Water lemon Cay was great snorkeling. Just don't forget about the 20 min walk each way to get there. Stopped at Cinnamon Bay on the way back and that was nice as always. Nice people on St John we met on the walk drove us from Waterlemon to Cinnamon and then got lucky again that we met a couple on the 2pm ferry that took us from Red Hook to Charlotte Amalie. Stopped in the town for a bit of shopping before heading back to the ship.

 

Half Moon Cay:

 

Tendering was a mess. Line ran upstairs to level 2 while more ppl came via elevator to the A level where the tender departed from. Of course many just joining the line and causing tension. No one from HA present to give any directions. Just very poorly run. Then once on tender it just stopped for approx 15 min mid trip waiting for the other larger boat to clear. In all tendering took 45 min.

 

Island itself is great. Met for a basketball game upon arrival which was fun but the concrete stops too close under the basket creating a bad situation for ankles. Seems like a lawsuit waiting to happen. Beach is super nice. I know many are upset about the double decker cabanas, but I can't see what the big deal it. So much space to move down and have your privacy if that is what you want.

 

A quick note that we missed Celebrity's welcome back water, juice and cold towels when returning to the ship. Also HA does not collect beach towels at gangway. Would have liked this.

 

Overall we were impressed by Holland America and will cruise with them again. It was a great week.

 

Please feel free to ask any questions. Will do my best to answer.

 

Kevin

[portofrome]

Thanks so much for your review.

[Laminator]

Great Review. Glad you had a good time.

 

I am surprised you did not dine in the Tamarind. It's the best restaurant on the ship. The wasabi encrusted filet is better then any steak in the Pinnacle in my opinion. At present the Tamarind is only offered on the Eurodam and Niew Amsterdam.

 

For future reference you can ask your room steward to make sure you get a copy of the MDR menu in your room. They are usually more than happy to comply.

 

You hit the Lido right on the noise. We always get there around 1:30pm to avoid the pandemonium. Jeez...you would think they are giving away free food...LOL!!!

[KirkNC]

Thanks for the detailed review.

[Keith1010]

Kevin, thank you so much for taking the time to write a very thorough review.

 

Keith

[Krazy Kruizers]

Welcome home

Thank you for taking the time to write such a detailed review.

I am really surprised that you didn't try the Tamarind -- we love that better than the Pinnacle when we are on the Signature class ships. They have great steaks there as well.

[DaveOKC]

Thanks for the great review - we were on the ship the week before you and agree with your comments.

 

You got a great room assignment, going from an SZ to an SS and in a very good location (IMO). One question - was your tub a jacuzzi? We had one in our SC and it was nice to have.

 

As to the pool - I agree that the area is too small for a warm weather cruise. If you were doing Alaska or NE/Canada (which Eurodam does), I am sure it would be fine. Next time, you might look into the Thermal Spa option - it is a nice deal, especially on sea days, and not very crowded most of the time.

 

Sorry to hear that the Pinnacle was disappointing. Our dinner there was excellant, but we had a great waiter plus I ordered the filet (I think this is the best dish on the menu), lobster bisque, crab cakes and baked alaska - same selection I do on every cruise! Also, too bad you missed the Tamarind - it was a great experience with a fantastic staff.

 

And yes, the wine and soda policy on HAL is a real plus!

 

DaveOKC

[0bnxshs]

Very well done, thorough review. Thanks for your thoughts. :)

[brazilgirl]

Excellent review!

[RuthC]

On Wed night we called 3 times over about 3 hours to have the dishes picked up. They never were. We left them in the hallway with a note before going to bed (HA asks you not to leave used plates in hallway). What choice did we have as it was 11 pm?

I would have called Room Service to cancel the pick-up order, and left the tray on the desk. It would have been removed in the morning.

 

Leaving the tray on the passageway floor makes it difficult, if not impossible, for wheelchairs to pass.

[PathfinderEss]

Great review, sounds like you had a good time. Thanks for taking the time to post your thoughts on the cruise. Welcome back.

[Sanlin]

Quick question...how is the temperature in the public areas of the ship? I was recently on a Carnival quickie to the Bahamas and it was freezing. Had to wear a sweat shirt or sweater in all venues. Leaving for Lauderdale Friday...do I need winter clothes???

[Typhoon1]

Thanks for taking time to share your thoughts.

[Coolcruise02]

Thanks for the review!

[kazu]

Thanks so much for taking the time to share your experiences with us. Very thorough and interesting review.

Thanks again and welcome home:D

[quanta88]

A quick note that we missed Celebrity's welcome back water, juice and cold towels when returning to the ship. Also HA does not collect beach towels at gangway. Would have liked this.

 

Great review. I'm curious though that there was no "welcome back" station at any of your ports - this is standard for HAL as well. Mind you, they usually pack it up 30-45 minutes before departure.

[DaveOKC]

Great review. I'm curious though that there was no "welcome back" station at any of your ports - this is standard for HAL as well. Mind you, they usually pack it up 30-45 minutes before departure.

 

The week before, on the Eurodam, we had "welcome back" stations at our 2 ports.

 

DaveOKC

[Himself]

Kevin: Thank you for a nice thorough review.

[djhsolara]

Thank you for the thorough review.

 

Sent from my GT-P3113 using Tapatalk 2

[JamesEM]

Thanks for sharing.

[JRT5000]

"A quick note that we missed Celebrity's welcome back water, juice and cold towels when returning to the ship. Also HA does not collect beach towels at gangway. Would have liked this".

 

I was on the same cruise as you were. They had cold water and cold towels at each and every port.

Somehow you must of missed it...

[KevP]

Laminator and Krazy Kruiser - Regarding Tamarind, we do not do Asian (at all). So that is why we didn't go. It would be interested to hear thoughts on if it would be still worth it?

 

DaveOKC - Yes it was a jacuzzi tube. We didn't use it. And sorry for any confusion, we liked Pinnacle

 

RuthC - There was plenty of items on that tray that we would have been smelling in the room all night. Leaving on the balcony is an option that I just thought of :)

 

Sanlin - Temps on the ships varied a bit. Especially when walking the halls and stairs. But I have to say all the public areas were quite comfortable. I run on the always warm side and the wife is usually cold. I have to say we were both fine a majority of the time. And sorry I didn't reply in time for your cruise. Hope you had fun.

 

And it sounds like we somehow missed the welcome back stations. That is funny.

 

Thanks for all the comments.