Eurodam Nov 17-24

[Irish Eyes Are Sailing]

Just to report in that we had a wonderful cruise on the Eurodam. We had a few hitches in the beginning but all turned out well. I will try to be as brief as is possible, and still describe as much as I can.

 

Flight to FLL: Went smoothly, however HAL did not have us on the list for pre-paid transfers even though we did pay HAL for them and they were notified of our flight number and arrival time. Luckily the Westie was in port that day (the 16th) so we had a HAL contact at the airport to arrange transfers to the hotel. Will not do this again, will take a cab from now on.

 

Pre-Hotel: The Marriott Harbor Beach Resort

Very nice property, oceanfront. Was a pricey stay, but it was my birthday, so we spent the extra $$ to stay here, booked thru HAL. For all the money we spent (approx. $350 for the night) we got a city view room, not oceanfront/view. This was disappointing. Meals were horrifically expensive and the property is kind of isolated so not much choice unless you take a cab. The one day/night stay turned out to be almost as expensive as another cruise fare. Will not do it again. Will stay at the Embassy Suites or somewhere else, close to shopping and restaurants.

The trolley for 50 cents each direction got us to the Publix market so we could pick up a few things we needed for the trip. This was a good thing, as the hotel is not next to shopping of any kind.

 

Day of Embarkation: HAL "forgot" us and another couple staying at the Marriott. The letter we received from the front desk said a HAL rep would be in the lobby 8AM -11AM to greet us and give us transfer "vouchers" and info. No one showed up. The hotel finally called HAL and found out that our bus driver would come and pick us up at 11:15 and we were to bring down our luggage from the room to the lobby. The luggage was supposed to be brought down from the room to the lobby by HAL arrangement. The four of us were left hanging until 11AM, and we all were kept waiting in the lobby since 8-8:30 waiting for the rep that never showed up. A big waste of time. If I knew that the pickup was at 11:15 we would have slept in later, and possibly done something else with our morning other than sit in a hotel lobby. Very poor communication on HAL's part. We found out later that there were 18-20 people at the Hilton by HAL reservation, and TWO reps were over there for those folks. None were sent to the Marriott, and no communication was sent. They could have called us at the Marriott and let us know what was happening but they didn't. Major Fail. I am going to write HAL Seattle about this.

 

Embarkation at the Port: Smooth as silk, once we got there. Very fast.

Safety drill went quickly but there were a lot of complainers, which is pointless to me, as we all have to go thru it. We know it is hot, we know we have to stand for a few minutes, but I wish folks would just shut up and not complain about it. It is a very important part of being on a cruise.

 

Sailaway: Me and DH met MyHeart53 (on the second leg of here B2B) up top by the aft pool and we were waving away (me with my yellow shirt and pink towel). Don't know if anyone saw us or not, but we were there.

 

Ship: The ship was lovely. Everything looked great, the room was very nice even though we had a room on deck 5 which overlooked the lifeboats below, it didn't inhibit our views and the smaller balcony was sufficient. Would love to have a bigger one next time, if budget permits. There was a strange vibration felt in different parts of the ship at different times. Especially in the Tamarind where the dishes just about danced their way off the table. I reported this in another thread.

 

Staff and Crew: Excellent. Had the best service ever on any ship. The stateroom stewards were great, we asked for ice 3Xday, and got it right on schedule every time. They even brought us two extra big buckets instead of the small one in the room. Impressive. DH gave them each a small tip upfront for the special request, which seemed appreciated. Dining waiters were a delight. Wine service was prompt and efficient (shocker). We bought a wine package and had anytime dining. We made reservations each day (2 days in advance) for the same waiters' area at a time when a 2-top was available. Mostly ate between 6-7PM. Everyone was very nice. The room stewards seem to be really stressed - ie: not as "smiley" as they used to be, but I think they have many, many rooms to process, so it was okay. They did their job very efficiently and our needs were met. Everyone, stateroom, wine, and dining room, were tipped generously at the end of the cruise.

 

Food: Lido: Food was average. No better or worse than any other cruise ship. MDR very good with the exception of one dinner entrée which we didn't like much. It was Pompano with some kind of tomato-like sauce and yes, ALPHABET pasta. It was not very good, but we ate it and didn't complain. Everything else was great. Pinnacle: very good, but since we can't eat big steaks, we got Halibut, which was good but not as impressive as the steaks. Biggest shrimp cocktail I have ever seen - it was meal in itself. It was good, but don't know if I would spend the $50 to eat there again. MDR was fine in our book. Tamarind was GREAT. Just loved it. Would go there again in a heartbeat. We love Asian food. Room service breakfast was very good and on time each day, except the toast was cold, which is understandable. Switched to croissants instead of toast, and that was better.

 

Entertainment: We are not late night people, so the entertainment didn't interest us much. We loved sitting on the balcony looking at the ocean, reading, walking around the ship, watching movies, etc.

 

Shore Excursions: Only took one in St Thomas to St. John and it rained that AM (not HAL's fault!;)). The excursion was okay, but overpriced. Don't know if I would do it again. Probably would arrange something on my own. Grand Turk was nice, but we were in port with a big giant Carnival ship, so it was crowded as Times Square on New Years Eve. Walked around Old San Juan on our own after taking a taxi to El Morro, which was beautiful. Got some great pictures there.

 

HMC: Very beautiful place, and we really enjoyed it for the short time we were there, the last day of the cruise. Gorgeous beach! The facilities were nice too. We got a clamshell, but didn't use it but a few hours, but it was worth it to have a place to get out of the sun.

 

Passengers: Some folks we met were really nice, and we enjoyed talking to them. I would say the majority of passengers were over 50, and there were some family groups with well-behaved young children. What amazes me is how rude some folks are in group situations like the Lido, butting in line, stepping on you without apologizing, etc. Also, when I enter an elevator with others, I greet them with "Hello" or "Good Morning" etc. Many folks just stand there with a blank look and don't say hello back. :confused:

I guess I have lived in the South too long, but I just don't understand that behavior. You are too pre-occupied to say hello to someone? Puzzling.

 

FLL Airport: A zoo. Being there right before Thanksgiving on departure didn't help. Hordes of rude people, dirty facilities, not enough chairs for everyone, poor eating choices. Just awful. After leaving CLT airport, which is beautiful by airport standards, this place was a letdown. Just plain ugly. Glad I don't live there. Was forced to spend 4 hours there which seemed like a lifetime. Glad to be back in beautiful Charlotte.

 

Luggage Direct: Did this for the first time and it was GREAT. Will do it every time it is offered. Worked like a charm.

 

All in All: great cruise, felt a little queasy at times (for the first time ever) even though the seas did not seem rough. Maybe it was a change in diet/different food onboard than is usual for me. A little Pepto-Bismol did the trick. I had Bonine with me but forgot to take it (:confused:) but we wore our Sea Bands, which have always worked. The weather was good except for St. Thomas AM. Had a great time, looking forward to possibly doing Alaska again in 2015.

 

Sorry, this got a little long, but wanted to hit the most topics I could. PS we got our "Two Star" status mid week on board and they sent our pins to the room. Hooray!

Edited November 27, 2013 by Irish Eyes Are Sailing

[sapper1]

Thanks for the review. Sounds like a great cruise except for the mix up re transfers.

 

We were so impressed in London in June even when we were the only ones leaving the Grosvenor House. We had stayed on for three days post cruise and the HAL rep showed up for us alone. She saw us into our taxi and then hopped in with us as the driver took her back to her car on the way to Heathrow. She had parked outside the congestion zone.

 

So-- from one extreme to the other in terms of service. I hope you let them know how badly they dropped the ball in your case.

[Irish Eyes Are Sailing]

Thanks Sapper. Don't worry, I will email Seattle. They need to know about it. And no apologies were offered by the HAL reps at the Hilton.:rolleyes:

[cruz chic]

Thanks for check in. I’m glad the wine service was good for you.

 

I’m really surprised that HAL screwed up the transfer and hotel situation for you. I’ve used them many times and really haven’t had too many problems. I don’t blame you for writing Seattle. That is just wrong. That said, they seem to keep a person waiting a long time at the airport which I don’t appreciate. When I got to Quebec I bet I waited an hour before they transferred us to the hotel. I also heard that the transfers from Montreal to Quebec city was a huge disaster. One of the reasons people use HAL (in my mind) is to avoid hassles. They need to wake up and do a better job.

 

I think the Eurodam had the most friendly staff that I’ve seen for a long time on any ship.

 

That Fort Lauderdale airport is a zoo anytime on the weekend. They are not equipped to deal with as many pax as they do. The airport in Calgary is also very clean with plenty of chairs.

Edited November 27, 2013 by lorekauf

[Irish Eyes Are Sailing]

Just to make a comment about smoking (and no, I don't want to make this a smoking thread!:eek:). We had no smokers on either side of our balcony on deck 5......I guess we were lucky. However, I did not notice many smokers on this ship. I saw a few at HMC, and one on deck one day, and then I saw a woman with a pack of cigarettes asking a bartender on the first day where she could go to smoke. Very few smokers onboard, to the best of my knowledge. I have noticed recently on this forum a lot of people who state being bothered about smokers on balconies seem to get suites, so maybe there is an economic link here. If you can afford an expensive suite, you may be able to afford the $8-9 packs of cigarettes. Just a thought. Not trying to provoke any wrath here, just an observation.:o I'm glad we quit 20 years ago because at the rate my DH and I smoked, I would go broke at $8-9 per pack!!! I wouldn't possibly be able to go on a cruise!

[kazu]

Linda,

 

thanks so much for the review. Very good and very interesting.

 

What a shame that HAL mucked up your transfers. Not good at all.

 

Their transfers are expensive enough - they should at least deliver on the service.

 

Glad you had a good cruise and welcome home:)

[Irish Eyes Are Sailing]

Thank you Jacqui! It is good to travel, but it is good to be home!!!:)

[Thebes]

Thanks for the report :)

[Keith1010]

Thank you for your review/trip report.

 

Keith

[Irish Eyes Are Sailing]

Thanks for check in. I’m glad the wine service was good for you.

 

I’m really surprised that HAL screwed up the transfer and hotel situation for you. I’ve used them many times and really haven’t had too many problems. I don’t blame you for writing Seattle. That is just wrong. That said, they seem to keep a person waiting a long time at the airport which I don’t appreciate. When I got to Quebec I bet I waited an hour before they transferred us to the hotel. I also heard that the transfers from Montreal to Quebec city was a huge disaster. One of the reasons people use HAL (in my mind) is to avoid hassles. They need to wake up and do a better job.

 

I think the Eurodam had the most friendly staff that I’ve seen for a long time on any ship.

 

That Fort Lauderdale airport is a zoo anytime on the weekend. They are not equipped to deal with as many pax as they do. The airport in Calgary is also very clean with plenty of chairs.

 

Yes, especially the waiters/wine stewards/bartenders were extremely nice and very much fun, despite the fact that they are worked to death. We had a blast with them! The room stewards were very efficient, but like I said, they have a lot on their plate....IMO, too many rooms to attend to. My heart goes out to them.

 

FLL airport needs a money injection IMO. Maybe the cruise lines, who bomb the airport every weekend could get together with the airport authority and chip in some $$ to improve the place. It's a hot mess.

Yes, the one time I have flown from Canada (Vancouver), I was impressed with the airport there, although I have not been to Calgary.

 

Yes, the Marriott hotel is a nice property but paying $350 a night and getting a city view was a disappointment. Maybe I was supposed to throw some money at the hotel check in person to get a better room? Am I dumb or uninformed? The person knew it was my birthday, and gave us a room with a huge wrap around balcony, but it doesn't make up for an ocean view. Considering I made the reservation in January 2013, well......:confused: The meals were pretty good, but $150 for dinner? $50 for breakfast? $50 for lunch (including tips)????? $12 per glass for some inexpensive Prosecco with dinner? WTH? Well, like I said, never again. We will stay somewhere else.

 

The transfers were a joke. Now that I know how close the port is to the hotel zone and the airport, the taxi will be for next time. HAL transfers no more, especially at FLL.

 

I was shocked at how decent the wine service was, I guess we just got lucky with the right wine guy. I usually had to tell Made or Bams (our waiters) that we needed Roy right after we sat down and within 5-10 minutes he came by and delivered our wine. We only drank about a half bottle per night so sipping slowly was the norm, so we didn't think the refills were too slow. Only one night did we polish a bottle off (DH birthday in the Pinnacle). Well, like I said, we may have gotten lucky.

 

Thanks for your comments!:)

[cruz chic]

Yes, especially the waiters/wine stewards/bartenders were extremely nice and very much fun, despite the fact that they are worked to death. We had a blast with them! The room stewards were very efficient, but like I said, they have a lot on their plate....IMO, too many rooms to attend to. My heart goes out to them.

 

FLL airport needs a money injection IMO. Maybe the cruise lines, who bomb the airport every weekend could get together with the airport authority and chip in some $$ to improve the place. It's a hot mess.

Yes, the one time I have flown from Canada (Vancouver), I was impressed with the airport there, although I have not been to Calgary.

 

Yes, the Marriott hotel is a nice property but paying $350 a night and getting a city view was a disappointment. Maybe I was supposed to throw some money at the hotel check in person to get a better room? Am I dumb or uninformed? The person knew it was my birthday, and gave us a room with a huge wrap around balcony, but it doesn't make up for an ocean view. Considering I made the reservation in January 2013, well......:confused: The meals were pretty good, but $150 for dinner? $50 for breakfast? $50 for lunch (including tips)????? $12 per glass for some inexpensive Prosecco with dinner? WTH? Well, like I said, never again. We will stay somewhere else.

 

The transfers were a joke. Now that I know how close the port is to the hotel zone and the airport, the taxi will be for next time. HAL transfers no more, especially at FLL.

 

I was shocked at how decent the wine service was, I guess we just got lucky with the right wine guy. I usually had to tell Made or Bams (our waiters) that we needed Roy right after we sat down and within 5-10 minutes he came by and delivered our wine. We only drank about a half bottle per night so sipping slowly was the norm, so we didn't think the refills were too slow. Only one night did we polish a bottle off (DH birthday in the Pinnacle). Well, like I said, we may have gotten lucky.

 

Thanks for your comments!:)

In regard to the hotel I bet HAL gets some kind of cheapie room rate and then charges top dollar so "we" don't get the best rooms. For the first time, I'm spending 2 days ahead of my cruise in April so I will be getting my own hotel. I'm a little nervous about it but I've been to Fort Lauderdale many times so I should be fine.

 

I must drink too fast. I could pretty easily drink about a half a bottle of wine myself per night.

[Irish Eyes Are Sailing]

In regard to the hotel I bet HAL gets some kind of cheapie room rate and then charges top dollar so "we" don't get the best rooms. For the first time, I'm spending 2 days ahead of my cruise in April so I will be getting my own hotel. I'm a little nervous about it but I've been to Fort Lauderdale many times so I should be fine.

 

I must drink too fast. I could pretty easily drink about a half a bottle of wine myself per night.

 

Believe me, I could too. But since we had already had cocktails in the room on the balcony before we got there, we slowed it up so we could make sure we could see the dessert!!! Ha Ha. :D

PS You are doing the right thing by booking it yourself. You will do better on your own. I will definitely think twice before I book a pre-night with HAL again, at least domestically here in the US.

Edited November 27, 2013 by Irish Eyes Are Sailing

[portofrome]

Thank you for the review.

[kansasgal51]

Is it possible the staff may have been a little pre occupied due to the Typhoon that just hit their homeland?

[Irish Eyes Are Sailing]

Is it possible the staff may have been a little pre occupied due to the Typhoon that just hit their homeland?

 

That is a valid point. But believe me, I am not complaining. Everyone did a fine job!!

[CruiseWhere]

Thank you for taking the time and writing your review! We were on the Eurodam Oct 27-Nov 3 and absolutely loved it. So sorry to hear though about the issues you had with the hotel and transfers.

[rkacruiser]

Thank you for your interesting report! And, I am glad you enjoyed your cruise, except for the situation at the hotel.

 

Wine Steward Roy: I have to wonder if this is the same gentleman who was my Wine Steward on the Amsterdam in 2008. I have enjoyed many excellent Wine Stewards, but he was perhaps the best. Did he happen to wear glasses?

[Irish Eyes Are Sailing]

Thank you for your interesting report! And, I am glad you enjoyed your cruise, except for the situation at the hotel.

 

Wine Steward Roy: I have to wonder if this is the same gentleman who was my Wine Steward on the Amsterdam in 2008. I have enjoyed many excellent Wine Stewards, but he was perhaps the best. Did he happen to wear glasses?

 

Yes I believe he did, and he said he had been around for quite a few years (12?) and had been on several ships, including the Amsterdam, and I believe Prinsendam. Probably the same guy. We called him "Roy Rogers" and teased him about where he hid Trigger while he was working!:D

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thank you for taking the time to write your review.

Sorry about the mess up with HAL's transfers.

Have you gotten your money back for them yet?

[Irish Eyes Are Sailing]

Thank you for taking the time to write your review.

 

Sorry about the mess up with HAL's transfers.

 

Have you gotten your money back for them yet?

 

You're welcome KK, I have wanted to get to writing it since Monday and just found the time. No, with Thanksgiving coming tomorrow I haven't had a chance to email Seattle yet about the transfer issues. I will take care of that next week. Maybe I can get a refund or some kind of future OBC credit as compensation, at least I hope so.

[erewhon]

Thank you for taking time to write and post your cruise review.

Good luck communicating with HAL, please let us know the outcome.

[startwin]

Linda, thanks for a very informative review. Glad to hear you had a good cruise, and that you are contacting HAL about the glitches. They can't put things right if they don't know about them.:)

[sail7seas]

Thanks for sharing your review with us, Linda.

Very sorry for the mix up with your transfers. That should never have happened.

 

We think Eurodam a terrific ship and enjoyed sailing her. Happy you had a good cruise. :)

 

Welcome back.

[510picker]

I was on this sailing with you and I concur with most everything you said. Thanks for taking the time and effort to post it all.

 

Sorry to hear HAL dropped the ball on your transfers. Taxis are definitely the way to go in Ft Lauderdale. We stayed at the Riverside Hotel and it was a $15 taxi ride for four of us to the port. No waiting for shuttles to load, go when you want. We gave $20 to the taxi driver and we were all happy.

 

Speaking of hotels, I highly recommend the Riverside Hotel. We've stayed at various places in Ft Lauderdale, including Embassy Suites, and the Riverside is our favorite so far. Such a classy hotel surrounded by many dining options. We won the hotel on Priceline for $90 and it is a bargain at that price.

 

The staff on the ship was top notch, just as you said. The only problem we encountered was dining in the Pinnacle on day 1. The service was horribly slow. Dinner took almost three hours. The food was great, but they seemed understaffed since our waiter told us he was "pulled in" to serve just for that night.

 

My wife and I cruised with her parents and this was their first cruise. They also said they were disappointed by the "unfriendliness" of other passengers. I didn't notice it myself and blew their comment off as them choosing to see only what they wanted to see, but after reading your confirmation maybe their observation was valid.

 

My mother-in-law was also nauseous during the first couple of days. My wife went to the front desk for some meds and they said many people were feeling ill. She never got sick, but I think the ride to Grand Turk was rougher than normal and got to her. After that, she was fine.

 

The airport at Ft Lauderdale is always a madhouse on the weekends. When we arrived on Saturday, I noticed there was standing room only when we got off the plane. The scene was the same when we returned for our flight home. I would love to see them come up with a way to alleviate this, but with the cruise lines making ships bigger and bigger, I only see this problem getting worse before it gets any better.

[Thebes]

I was on this sailing with you and I concur with most everything you said. Thanks for taking the time and effort to post it all.

 

Sorry to hear HAL dropped the ball on your transfers. Taxis are definitely the way to go in Ft Lauderdale. We stayed at the Riverside Hotel and it was a $15 taxi ride for four of us to the port. No waiting for shuttles to load, go when you want. We gave $20 to the taxi driver and we were all happy.

 

Speaking of hotels, I highly recommend the Riverside Hotel. We've stayed at various places in Ft Lauderdale, including Embassy Suites, and the Riverside is our favorite so far. Such a classy hotel surrounded by many dining options. We won the hotel on Priceline for $90 and it is a bargain at that price.

 

The staff on the ship was top notch, just as you said. The only problem we encountered was dining in the Pinnacle on day 1. The service was horribly slow. Dinner took almost three hours. The food was great, but they seemed understaffed since our waiter told us he was "pulled in" to serve just for that night.

 

My wife and I cruised with her parents and this was their first cruise. They also said they were disappointed by the "unfriendliness" of other passengers. I didn't notice it myself and blew their comment off as them choosing to see only what they wanted to see, but after reading your confirmation maybe their observation was valid.

 

My mother-in-law was also nauseous during the first couple of days. My wife went to the front desk for some meds and they said many people were feeling ill. She never got sick, but I think the ride to Grand Turk was rougher than normal and got to her. After that, she was fine.

 

The airport at Ft Lauderdale is always a madhouse on the weekends. When we arrived on Saturday, I noticed there was standing room only when we got off the plane. The scene was the same when we returned for our flight home. I would love to see them come up with a way to alleviate this, but with the cruise lines making ships bigger and bigger, I only see this problem getting worse before it gets any better.

 

Thanks for your report. Is riverside in area 2 or 3 ? If you remember.