Recent Eurodam Experience

[lhsail]

We got off the Eurodam a week ago and wanted to share some observations. I'll start by clarifying that this was a charter cruise, so some of our experiences may have been related to that. I will also clarify that our last HAL cruise was two years ago and we said after that one we wouldn't go back on HAL for a while, however we really wanted to do this entertainment charter, so we booked it. I'd like to think we went into it with an open mind as before the cruise two years ago our experience with HAL had been excellent.

 

I love the size of HAL's verandah cabins and who can argue with the bathrooms. However, we were in a Cat. VQ on Deck 10, one of the Spa cabins. If I had been an a regular cruise and had paid a premium for this cabin I would have been very upset. The 'perks' don't begin to offset the premium charge; I found the water feature simply took up precious space on the vanity/desk. Also, we were in cabin 10013, which other than it's convenience to the Lido deck and fitness center, was a horrible cabin in my opinion. There was a lot of vibration, to the extent it effected our sleep. In addition, you could hear the bass beat from the nightclub every night. It also had the smaller balcony, but with only two of us that really wasn't an issue.

 

We had excellent dinners in both Tamarind and the Pinnacle Grill. The food in the main dining room was disappointing with the exception of the Surf and Turf on formal night. The lamb shanks the last night weren't too bad, but overall unimaginitive menus and poor execution. We didn't have real service issues as others have mentioned on recent cruises, but the dining room wasn't full most nights, many people opting for the Lido due to all the entertainment on board.

 

There was no true open seating, as everyone ate in the dining room at either 6:00 or 8:30 due to the nightly shows. However, there were assigned tables and open seating areas for both dinner times. We had open seating, which didn't bother us as we usually make that choice any more. We were surprised when we showed up and were simply told to find a seat. Personally we found this very unprofessional for a dinner setting. Maybe being picky, but really, the Head Waiters can't monitor the flow into the dining room and escort you to a table? I really hope this was only due to the charter and that it's handled better on a regular cruise.

 

We like to eat our breakfast outside on the back of the ship whenever possible. We had been on Princess about two months prior and always found silverware on the table and they were there promptly with coffee and juice. On the Eurodam we usually had to run down the silverware and always had to fetch our own coffee and juice.

 

The Eurodam is a beautiful ship. There were many very nice lounges which were underutilized on this trip, again due to the specific entertainment venues each night. We loved the elegance and quiet of the Silk Den.

 

One thing we really came to enjoy on our last Princess cruise was cappuccino in the International Cafe. We enthusiastically went to the Explorer's Cafe one morning on the Eurodam to find no table service and cappuccino in paper cups. Also missed the option to purchase a coffee card, the only option being complete beverage packages.

 

Overall we had a good trip and have no regrets for having tried the charter option. We probably won't rush to do a charter again, and we won't rush back to HAL. Just feel like so many things that used to set them apart just aren't there anymore.

[cruz chic]

The dinig situation must have been because of the charter. I've never had that happen before. I'm just wondering if you picked your cabin or was it assigned. I know people on here aren't crazy about them. I've had one and I found it ok. I like Princess too but I realize each line is different. There are things I enjoy on Princess that Hal doesn't do well and also find the other way around.

[lhsail]

Good to know that wasn't a typical dining experience. We booked the charter fairly late (9 months out, the 2015 was sold out before the 2014 cruise ended) so we were very limited in our cabin choices. Lesson learned.

[Typhoon1]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

 

When a ship is chartered, the chartering company or organization designates the dining options.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Thanks for the info ...

[sail7seas]

Thanks for posting your comments. Always interesting to read of cruisers' experiences.

 

Some of your comments seem to be particular to what happens with a charter but perhaps others who have done a charter can confirm that.

 

I've never heard/seen dining room staff tell guests to seat themselves so that might be the wishes of the charter organizers.

 

Welcome back. :)

[startwin]

Actually, it kind of makes sense to me that with a cruise that was totally chartered, the MDR seating was done that way so you could join friends, or move around if you so desired. I would hate it if that happened on a regular cruise, though.

[erewhon]

Thank you for posting your comments.

[Boytjie]

Actually, it kind of makes sense to me that with a cruise that was totally chartered, the MDR seating was done that way so you could join friends, or move around if you so desired. I would hate it if that happened on a regular cruise, though.

 

We have done many charters on HAL (including the Eurodam multiple times) and have never experienced this. For RSVP charters it was open seating on both levels of the dining room. You show up and wait to be seated at a table - with the people you are with or to join another table if you want to. We have never been sent off on our own to find a table, neither for dinner nor lunch.

Edited January 27, 2014 by Boytjie

[St. Louis Sal]

Here is my 2 cents from a recent charter, also on the Eurodam.

 

We were assigned to a table of eight at 8:30 dining which we liked but one night when we arrived we were told it was open seating and just go find a table. That was weird and awkward. Our usual table was taken and we found ourselves wandering around. Fortunately a couple from our regular table was already seated at a foursome and called us over to join them. I assumed that was the choice of the charter but wasn't sure; no one seemed to know what was going on.

 

I don't think a charter is a good representation of a normal HAL cruise. Many of my favorite venues (like the Crow's Nest) were full of chairs and usually scheduled for performances. DH doesn't like Tamarind so I forgot about the Silk Den; should have checked it out.

 

We did the Pinnacle Grill one night. That was our second dining experience in the Pinnacle and it's now 2 strikes; maybe we'll give it a third chance some day.

 

The charter was a lot of fun but definitely very different from a regular cruise.

 

St. Louis Sal

[maggiekoolcruiser]

Thanks for the review :)

[kazu]

Thanks for the review. Interesting report as charters are not typical of a regular cruise. We are also not a fan of the spa cabins.

 

Thanks for taking the time to share your experiences with us.

[hattack]

Thanks for sharing from a different perspective...I do alot of Jazz charters...open seating is the norm because so many guests are friends from previous charters so will want to sit with different friends....the "rhythm" of a ship is different on a music charter because it is driven by the music schedule...savy Jazz cruisers, depending on the artists they want to see, will skip the MDR and dine on the lido deck on any given evening

 

Your cabin location would be impacted by the performances on the lido deck & in in the public lounges ...most long time Jazz cruisers spend so little time in their cabins and don't return to their cabins until the music stops (0200 am) that the noise does not bother them...we do however, sleep in later in the morning, so the ship is usually very quiet if you are an early riser

 

As long as the music and artists are great and accesible to guests, concerts start on time and the water is smooth, other aspects that would be important on a regular cruise are less important on a Jazz cruise....however, I hope you partaked in all the incredible music related activities that would never be offered on a regular cruise

 

Who was your favorite artist or performance..

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thank you for the review.

Many people have reported that charters are done differently than regular cruises.

[startwin]

We have done many charters on HAL (including the Eurodam multiple times) and have never experienced this. For RSVP charters it was open seating on both levels of the dining room. You show up and wait to be seated at a table - with the people you are with or to join another table if you want to. We have never been sent off on our own to find a table, neither for dinner nor lunch.

 

Thanks for clarifying, Peter.

[lhsail]

Thanks for sharing from a different perspective...I do alot of Jazz charters...open seating is the norm because so many guests are friends from previous charters so will want to sit with different friends....the "rhythm" of a ship is different on a music charter because it is driven by the music schedule...savy Jazz cruisers, depending on the artists they want to see, will skip the MDR and dine on the lido deck on any given evening

 

Your cabin location would be impacted by the performances on the lido deck & in in the public lounges ...most long time Jazz cruisers spend so little time in their cabins and don't return to their cabins until the music stops (0200 am) that the noise does not bother them...we do however, sleep in later in the morning, so the ship is usually very quiet if you are an early riser

 

As long as the music and artists are great and accesible to guests, concerts start on time and the water is smooth, other aspects that would be important on a regular cruise are less important on a Jazz cruise....however, I hope you partaked in all the incredible music related activities that would never be offered on a regular cruise

 

Who was your favorite artist or performance..

 

We did enjoy the entertainment, Brian Culbertson was probably my favorite, loved his energy. Just a bit too much scheduled activity for us. We found ourselves needing a little more balance later in the week and skipped some of the late night activities in favor of a little more sleep.

[Thebes]

Thanks for the review :)

 

 

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