Eurodam HAL newbies / notes / questions

[MissJammin]

New to HAL but not new to cruising. We have cruised twice on Celebrity, twice on Carnival, once on Dolphin, and once on The Big Red Boat. Most of the time we prefer to sail on the old Windjammer type ships having logged over 10-weeks on the majestic ladies of Windjammer Barefoot Cruises, Island Windjammer, and Sail Windjammer.

 

We have booked an aft veranda (7138) stateroom for a 2-week cruise (B2B) on the Eurodam in December (holidays). I have not yet signed up on the meet & greet thread for our cruise, but I will.

 

I have read all the pages on the thread HAL for Dummies. We have one star Mariner status due to our cruises with Carnival (and have an online account with HAL showing that). Here are my notes & questions:

 

We plan in flying into FLL the day before our departure. We are looking into hotels that have free shuttles from the airport to the hotel and from the hotel to the cruise port, Springhill Suites perhaps.

 

Since we are allowed to carry on soda & water to the ship, we would like to find a hotel within walking distance to a store where we can buy those things. Any suggestions/comments?

 

We will probably bring clothes for 7 days and utilize the "stuff the bag" laundry service. And sink wash some things. Is there a "clothes line" in the shower in our stateroom?

 

As a Mariner member, lunch "may" be available on embarkation day in MDR from noon - 1pm.

 

We should get an invite to the Mariner luncheon/brunch during cruise. Since we plan on making reservations for lunch at the specialty restaurants, is the Mariner luncheon "usually" later in the week and on a sea day?

 

Most contributors to the forum state that the specialty dining for dinner is well worth the cost. So, we will probably buy a dining package before we depart and adjust the reservations assigned if needed.

 

Tamarind Dim Sum Lunch (free) - reserve early. Portions are small. Can you order double portions?

 

Tamarind Dinner stateroom delivery bento box (~$10), is this available every night?

 

Tamarind dinner - mango cloud dessert. What are some other favorites? Someone posted that you can't go wrong with any lamb dish that HAL serves.

 

Who has pics of the food? Is there a food thread showing pics of the deliciousness being served on HAL?

 

Order room service breakfast (especially on disembarkment day). Write in items from onboard restaurants not on breakfast card are allowed.

 

Any MDR item can be ordered between 5:30-6:00 for room service delivery between 5:30-9:30.

 

There is a Yum-Yum Man (near dining room door) who gives out mints at the end of dinner (MDR).

 

Someone suggested bringing ziplock baggies, collect cheese from buffet, put in minibar to enjoy afternoon/evening cheese plate. Not sure I will need all this food, but I do know that at sea I get hungry every two hours!

 

Are nachos in the Lido area near indoor pool still available most afternoons? The burgers and hot dogs from the Dive In look tasty, but I love Nachos!

 

We do not have a drink package and don't drink enough for one to be worth it to us. We will look for Happy Hour drinks, buy one get one for $1 published in the daily agenda. Are there any "pubs" with beer on draft? My DH likes darker beers.

 

In evening at the Crows Nest, we can order complimentary hors d'oevres.

 

Closets are dark...no inside light, bring flashlight or use phone.

 

Limited power outlets, bring power strip (surge protector NOT allowed).

 

The recommended dress code at the specialty restaurants: Canaletto is casual (even on Gala Nights?) Tamarind is resort casual. Pinnacle Grill is dressier/more formal.

 

We will probably spend a lot of time on our balcony and order more than once dinner delivered. I read about bringing a table cloth to dress up our little balcony table, but for us, it's not necessary. Crossing my fingers that there will not be any smokers close to our balcony (not judging those who smoke - I don't like to be near ladies who wear excessive amounts of perfume either - bothers my sinuses).

 

I am still researching excursions for our ports. We have been to all of these islands before except Turks and Caicos and of course their private island. And after sailing to out of the way places on the Windjammer ships, where you have a beach nearly all to yourself, sharing a beach elbow to elbow with 1,000+ people has no appeal to me or my DH.

 

Here is what I am thinking right now:

 

Grand Turk - one tank SCUBA dive then check out the pool at Margaritaville

 

San Juan - night kayak thru the mangroves to the bioluminescent bay

 

St. Thomas - Hate shopping, beaches will be crowded with 4 large ships in port that day, maybe we'll take a ferry somewhere else!

 

Half Moon Cay - ?? Beach day, the issue is no available shade, and the chairs with shade, that you can rent, seem close to each other and location of your chair (first come first serve) will determine the amount of breeze you will or won't get. We may check it out for a few hours and return to the ship.

 

Grand Cayman - we haven't done Stingray City, so we may do that or we might SCUBA or snorkel (http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=520080).

 

Cozumel - SCUBA or VW Safari tour. My DH has a VW Beetle.

 

Key West - I might book a flight to the Dry Tortugas and Fort Jefferson (expensive but very interesting).

 

We will unlikely need internet while we are on the ship. We have AT&T so we will be able to check email and phone messages in San Juan, St. Thomas, and Key West. As we get closer I may check their wifi packages and if reasonable, we might purchase a wifi package.

 

Thanks everyone for all of the great info already posted! More than 6 months away, but researching and planning early so we don't miss anything important!

 

 

 

 

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[kevingastreich]

I didn't find the closets too dark in the Signature Suites. Maybe the inside of the safe a little.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Tamarind no longer has the free lunch.

Tamarind dinner -- $15 per person.

Pinnacle Grill -- $10 for lunch and $29 for dinner per person.

I also like the Fortune Cookie at the Tamarind.

Silk Den is nice place to have cocktails in the evening -- great view.

The Mariner lunch/brunch is on the last sea day.

Nachos on the Eurodam are inside at the Lido buffet.

Things have changed a little -- no longer have big hunks of cheese in the Lido. There are small plates with 3 small pieces of cheese on them.

Hot appetizers are available in the evening both in the Crow's Nest and Ocean Bar.

[OVgirl]

I don't think stateroom #7138 will have a table on the verandah that is large enough for a table cloth or eating. You might have to hold your plates on your lap.

[jtl513]

Looks like you've done a LOT of reading!

 

Is there a "clothes line" in the shower in our stateroom?

Yes

 

As a Mariner member, lunch "may" be available on embarkation day in MDR from noon - 1pm.

yes

 

We should get an invite to the Mariner luncheon/brunch during cruise. Since we plan on making reservations for lunch at the specialty restaurants, is the Mariner luncheon "usually" later in the week and on a sea day?

yes

 

Tamarind Dim Sum Lunch (free) - reserve early. Portions are small. Can you order double portions?

The Tamarind is no longer open for lunch

 

Tamarind Dinner stateroom delivery bento box (~$10), is this available every night?

I think so

 

There is a Yum-Yum Man (near dining room door) who gives out mints at the end of dinner (MDR).

Sometimes. You are more likely to see him upstairs at Fixed dining than downstairs at Open seating.

 

Are there any "pubs" with beer on draft? My DH likes darker beers.

Not on Eurodam. While not a darker beer, my favorite on HAL ships is Grolsch. Have him try it!

 

Tamarind dinner is $20 pp

 

7138 will have just a 1 ft diameter drink table, but one of you can use the footstool as a table for dinner. You can take the table from inside the room out to the balcony, but it's a bit heavy.

 

I didn't find the closets too dark in the Signature Suites.

7138 is a VB

.

Edited April 19, 2016 by jtl513

[CruiserBruce]

I would be looking on the Florida Departures board, here:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=495

 

for hotel info. Dozens of threads on the topic there.

 

IIRC, there will be a clothes line in the tub area, not the shower area, but I could be wrong.

[jtl513]

IIRC, there will be a clothes line in the tub area, not the shower area, but I could be wrong.

One and the same in VB 7138

[kevingastreich]

One and the same in VB 7138

 

The closets aren't deep enough to be too dark.

[mek]

Occasionally, we stay on the beach, but most of the time we stay at the Marriott Courtyard in Plantation. We love this hotel! They offer a free shuttle from the airport to the hotel and from the hotel to the ship. It is located in an area where there are several mid tier chain restaurant within walking distance in a very safe area and Target is about 1/4 mile away. They also offer free shuttle service within the immediate area - I had them drop me off at Target in the morning and then I walked back to the hotel before we left on our cruise two weeks ago.

 

We will be on Eurodam in December and occasionally sail on HAL although it's been about 5 years since our last one. Our departure date is the 10th and I've actually been thinking about doing a B2B, but not sure I want to go to Key West 2X on the same cruise.

Edited April 19, 2016 by mek

[Overhead Fred]

Here is my 2 cents worth. We have not sailed Eurodam but have done essentially your same cruise on Nieuw Amsterdam (sister ship) about 5 months ago.

 

- If you think you will have more than 2 bags (they are kinda small) of laundry, try the unlimited laundry for the 2nd week at $49; you will get free pressing as well.

- The distinctive dining package available pre-sailing for $50 pp gets you a meal in each of the 3 specialty restaurants (the Tamarind is superb and we liked Canaletto).

- I did not see draft beer in the bars with happy hours. I asked on this forum and people suggested trying the casino or sports bar.

- I would suggest ferrying over to St. Johns when you are in St. Thomas. HAL has excursions but I am sure you could book something independently.

- The clamshells on HMC are fine (we usually get one) but it seemed like there was other shade available.

- Sting Ray City was fun and I would recommend that people try it at least once.

 

Hope this helps...

[TrolleyGirl]

For St Thomas, I would highly recommend the Champagne Catamaran excursion through HAL. It is a wonderful catamaran ride over to St. John to a secluded beach for some snorkel and swim time. Nice refreshments are offered on the way back. It is so much more relaxing than the ferry to St. John. We loved it so much, we have it booked again for our next cruise that is over 200 days out.

 

We also did the bioluminescent kayaking that you mentioned. I would also recommend this if you have never done it. But it is not an excursion we will repeat. The lagoon and mangroves are amazing. But he bus ride there and back is quite long. I was surprised and disappointed at how crowded this excursion is. Once at the bay, there were probably 150 doing this excursion all at the same time with different operators.

[Boytjie]

- I did not see draft beer in the bars with happy hours. I asked on this forum and people suggested trying the casino or sports bar.

 

The only time I have seen draft beer on HAL was on an Alaskan cruise when they had them out on the Lido deck for the salmon bake. It was Alaskan beer.

[Boytjie]

San Juan - night kayak thru the mangroves to the bioluminescent bay

 

Check to see what the moon phase is when you are there - the best time is at the new moon, you want as little light in the sky as possible.

 

I thought it was a great excursion! We hit is right on the new moon.

Edited April 20, 2016 by Boytjie

[MissJammin]

Thanks everyone! Great info, hotel suggestions and thoughts on excursions!!!! I hadn't even thought about the moonlight effecting the visibility of the bioluminescent bay experience.

 

 

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