*Live* from the Eurodam - Hawaii/Tahiti/Marquesas

[waiting2retire]

Thanks so much for your wonderful live trip report!  This itinerary is definitely on my bucket list, so I will keep saving up those pennies!!

 

[saturn93]

After looking at your report and the pictures, I can't wait to be on board on the 13th.

[bigez]

 

3 hours ago, seamist said:

Okay everyone, thanks for all the lovely comments, as of midnight tonight no more ship net so will have to catch up at the airport or at home.  It is now up to somebody else sailing on the Eurodam to give us a *live* report 🙂

 

Perhaps in October of 2020 (when our next cruise is scheduled on the Nieu Statendam Mediterranean/Transatlantic) I will do another *live* posting covering that itinerary.

 

In summary this trip had fantastic weather and a great itinerary.  The ports were fabulous and I would encourage anyone considering the Hawai/Tahiti/Marquesas run to give it a go, and keep fingers crossed the weather will be as wonderful for you as it was for us.

 

Happy sailing!!

 

 

 

 

 

I am still working hard to get rid of the last of the clouds tonight so that you all have a trouble-free day tomorrow! Thanks again for taking us all along with you, and safe travels home!!

 

[FlorenceItaly]

Welcome Home!  It has been a wonderful trip, and you were so fortunate with the weather.  Thank you for taking us along on this beautiful trip.  I hope we are as fortunate this Fall on the 51 day Tales of the South Pacific.

[cat shepard]

Welcome home! Thank you for doing this thread. I am sure you could have found other things to do with your time.

[cawpaw]

Welcome home and thank you for sharing your wonderful cruise with everyone!

 

[seamist]

Thank you all, FINALLY at airport.  Bit of a delay getting the ship cleared, about 45 min to an hour behind schedule.  Upon leaving Eurodam was a medical emergency and an ambulance was parked just outside the ship, hope everything is okay, but might have been the reason for the delay?

 

 But we have seen this so many times in our travels that I would hugely recommend that flights not be booked any sooner than noon, you just never know!

[cat shepard]

1 hour ago, seamist said:

Thank you all, FINALLY at airport.  Bit of a delay getting the ship cleared, about 45 min to an hour behind schedule.  Upon leaving Eurodam was a medical emergency and an ambulance was parked just outside the ship, hope everything is okay, but might have been the reason for the delay?

 

 But we have seen this so many times in our travels that I would hugely recommend that flights not be booked any sooner than noon, you just never know!

Thank you for this info. I see that I have an option for a 1 p.m.flight.  Guess that is the one for me.

 

Thank you again for sharing. Smooth flight!

[Shmoo here]

5 hours ago, seamist said:

Thank you all, FINALLY at airport.  Bit of a delay getting the ship cleared, about 45 min to an hour behind schedule.  Upon leaving Eurodam was a medical emergency and an ambulance was parked just outside the ship, hope everything is okay, but might have been the reason for the delay?

 

 But we have seen this so many times in our travels that I would hugely recommend that flights not be booked any sooner than noon, you just never know!

We were also on this cruise.  I think the biggest part of the delay was the non-US people who DIDN'T report to the immigration check in a timely manner.  They were still calling for 2 of them at 9:00 (when debarkation was supposed to being at 8:45).  

 

That, and the medical emergency.  When we got off the ship (at 10:00, not 9:00 as scheduled) the ambulance was taking off with lights & siren.

 

 

[AV8rix]

Thank you for a great live-from!

[DAllenTCY]

The "good old days" of a group (not just a couple) that did not report to immigration.  

 

Their departing flight was not until mid-afternoon, so they just wanted to sleep late.

 

David

[Bookworm1971]

6 hours ago, Shmoo here said:

We were also on this cruise.  I think the biggest part of the delay was the non-US people who DIDN'T report to the immigration check in a timely manner.  They were still calling for 2 of them at 9:00 (when debarkation was supposed to being at 8:45).  

 

That, and the medical emergency.  When we got off the ship (at 10:00, not 9:00 as scheduled) the ambulance was taking off with lights & siren.

 

 

 

They were already 45 minutes to an hour behind schedule with the Non US before they even started calling for the missing ones who hadn't shown up.  We were supposed to be in one of the last groups to report (Deck 8). Our scheduled time was 8:00 - 8:15 and the line was snaking through the shops and down past the Ocean Bar when we arrived shortly after 8.   We didn't get into the room until 9 with a dozen people still behind us.  The whole thing seemed more chaotic than usual.

[seamist]

6 hours ago, Shmoo here said:

We were also on this cruise.  I think the biggest part of the delay was the non-US people who DIDN'T report to the immigration check in a timely manner.  They were still calling for 2 of them at 9:00 (when debarkation was supposed to being at 8:45).  

 

That, and the medical emergency.  When we got off the ship (at 10:00, not 9:00 as scheduled) the ambulance was taking off with lights & siren.

 

 

Yep thought that might have been part of it also, smh.  Oh well finally made it home at 2:00 AM yawn.  Lol.  Happy sailing everybody!

[Copper10-8]

5 hours ago, DAllenTCY said:

The "good old days" of a group (not just a couple) that did not report to immigration.  

 

Their departing flight was not until mid-afternoon, so they just wanted to sleep late.

 

David

 

 

Gotta just love rocket scientists like that! Nothing like holding up an entire ship because you have a late flt and want to sleep in

[Krazy Kruizers]

4 hours ago, seamist said:

Yep thought that might have been part of it also, smh.  Oh well finally made it home at 2:00 AM yawn.  Lol.  Happy sailing everybody!

 

 

Glad you made it home safely.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Several times we have had delays getting off the ship in San Diego.  And it always seems to be the non US citizens who have held up the disembarkation.  Many people missed flights.

[LynnObie]

6 hours ago, seamist said:

Yep thought that might have been part of it also, smh.  Oh well finally made it home at 2:00 AM yawn.  Lol.  Happy sailing everybody!

Glad you made it home safely... Thanks, again, for taking us with you on your fantastic voyage!  Glad that you had such wonderful weather for most of the cruise.  We may have to try it again sometime.  Take care & happy sailing to you too!

[G&G]

Glad you got home safety.

 

Thanks for taking us along on your journey; wait, I was there with you. Great meeting you and what a fantastic cruise !

PS: We got home at midnight. Lots of CC members on our flight to Phoenix

[*Miss G*]

I’ve seen a couple of times where the people holding up the ship are non-English speaking folks.

[G&G]

The problem with late disembarkation off the  Eurodam was:

 

1. 30 minutes late starting customs check of non US citizens on ship

2. So many non US citizens.

3. Once disembarkation started passengers with early flights got in line whether their color was called or not.   The terminal was a little disorganized.

 

Met someone with flight at 9:35 am. I doubt he made it

[bigez]

56 minutes ago, G&G said:

The problem with late disembarkation off the  Eurodam was:

 

1. 30 minutes late starting customs check of non US citizens on ship

2. So many non US citizens.

3. Once disembarkation started passengers with early flights got in line whether their color was called or not.   The terminal was a little disorganized.

 

Met someone with flight at 9:35 am. I doubt he made it

 

Maybe if they'd been the first walk-off under perfect conditions - no delays, they take their own luggage and line up before the ship even finishes docking at 7AM - they beat it off the boat, sail through customs, grab a cab or Uber to the airport, and then miraculously get through TSA without a back up. There would be no wiggle room. None. A Saturday morning at Lindbergh can be fairly quiet and it is no more than a 10-15 minute ride from the terminal, but a 9:30AM flight was probably doomed from the start. I wonder who steered them to that kind of fiasco? Or maybe they just figured they'd be off the boat and on their way to the airport by 7:30AM (which would've been plenty of time). Anyway, not at all a pleasant way to end what sounded like a great vacation and cruise.

 

No sense waiting around in the conga line on A Deck just to get into the mass of confusion in the terminal looking for luggage. We go up to the Lido Pool, get some breakfast, and then hang out by the pool until they start calling colors. They still make coffee drinks at the "Explorations Cafe/Crow's Nest" and sometimes we wait up there. We're never in any big hurry to get off the ship. We stay out of the way, but the later we leave, the less hassle there is all the way around … 

 

[TAD2005]

A brief review of the 28 day cruise.

They did have the $10 for extra main course listed on the dinner menus each night.   But the waiters all hated this test program.  They didn't want to have to give the bad news to their passengers about a $10 fee.  We only had one night where we actually ordered a 2nd main course.   On the night they offered Chicken Kiev and Calves Liver in onions, we couldn't pass that up.   I asked our waiter to grab a small piece of calve's liver and add it to the chicken Kiev plate.   I told him to charge me the $10, I didn't care.   He said "no way, I will get you that extra serving".   My plate came with the Chicken Kiev, which was fantastic, and a perfectly cooked small piece of the calve's liver.   No extra charge.

We had the SBP (purchased, not through Explore-4) and we found out that the usual 17 wine selections that were available for the $9 limit has now been reduced to 9 wines, 2 of which were whites..  We complained to the food & beverage manager, during one of the cruise director's "ask the manager" sessions.   He asked us to meet with him after the session.  He said he would make an "accommodation" for us to get a $10 Pinot Grigio wine to be included with our package.  It did work and we had that wine throughout the cruise.  He explained that HAL has changed their wine vendors and they offered a very limited selection that could be served for $9 a glass.   He wouldn't address this issue, but I heard that HAL was going to be raising the $9 per-drink limit for the SBP to $11.

We did book another cruise with the Future Cruise Consultant onboard.  We booked the 29 day Rotterdam cruise from Rotterdam to Ft. Lauderdale in Oct 2020.   We got a great cabin, $300 P/P deposit, an early booking promo of the SBP and a PG dinner, all included, plus $400 P/P cabin credit.  The SBP and PG dinner were not part of the Explore-4 promotion, which will not be offered until July.  This was a special promotion which did not raise the cost of my cruise.  I have been watching this cruise for months.  The price has remained static.  So when the SBP, which is a $1500 P/P benefit tor a 29 day cruise was offered, I asked how much the cruise would be without the SBP.  The FCC and my TA said "no difference in price".   I was amazed that I was getting this $1500 P/P benefit and the cruise price did not go up.

Disembarkation was late, but moved quickly when it got going.  There were many calls for non-US citizens to report for immigration clearance.   Our flight from SAN to DFW, and the onto TPA was totally messed up.  We had a 12:48 pm flight on American (using Flight Ease) from SAN to DFW.   The incoming flight had a mechanical problem in DFW, so it didn't arrive in SAN until 3:45 pm and didn't leave going back to DFW until 4:45 pm,, 4 hours late.   Everything else going east was totally booked.  We obviously missed our DFW to TPA connection, so we had to spend a very short night in the Westin DFW hotel.   We were advised by multiple American Airlines personal in San Diego that the problem was not weather related, but a maintenance issue.  We were warned by the San Diego ground services supervisor that when we got to DFW and asked for a hotel voucher, we would be lied to, and told the problem was caused by weather.  We even recorded the departure gate announcement in SAN that the 4 hour delay was caused by a mechanical issue, but that we would be told in DFW that it was weather related, so we would have to fend for ourselves for a hotel and meal vouchers.   There were so many people complaining at the customer services desk, that a supervisor said "to hell with it, give them all hotel vouchers, and I may not have a job tomorrow".   We got hotel and meal vouchers, and got home on Sunday around noon.

Overall, other that the flight home, the cruise was great, good food, enjoyed the entertainment, and the Polynesian Islands were absolutely wonderful.  We did do a DIY one-night stay in an overwater bungalow at the Pearl Beach Resort during our 2-day stay in Bora Bora.  That was great and well worth the price !!

 

[DAllenTCY]

The other issue yesterday..... the ship did not enforce the pre-arranged disembarkation schedule that they prepared and  disseminated to shoreside staff.

 

Among the first 10 guests off on this day were 3 ladies with Red luggage tags.  

 

They were heading to the airport to rent a car for the day.

 

Expedited disembarkation on most arrivals here in San Diego require a special pass marked as such.

 

The Eurodam did not issue any.....and subsequently anybody and everybody pushed to the front of the line to get down the gangway.  The 3 tour coaches were an hour late for City Tours, which blocked the staging area for airport transfers.

 

I reported yesterday to my supervisor that this was the first time in 3 years that any guests had missed a departing flight at 11:35 am.  They had Blue luggage tags but were unable to get off the ship for an hour.

 

The colors change every sailing; however, yesterday the sequence was Yellow (expedited & suites), Pink (tours), Blue (airport transfers), Black, Purple, Gray, Lime, Brown, Green, and Red.

 

Please don't post that the terminal was "disorganized", because that is not the case.  The blame is squarely on the lackadaisical Eurodam staff.

 

The Nieuw Amsterdam and Disney Wonder have the same terminal crew.....and I see praise from the majority of cruisers through our terminal on a weekly basis.

 

David

 

 

 

[gigianne]

I too was on the cruise and I have to agree with the others about the dusembarkation - one of the worst I have experienced and it was because if the chaos on board.  Why would anyone think that you could funnel people through the back of the Queen's Lounge (BB King) - single file is beyond me.  The only 2 announcements anyone heard were for expedited and pink - even though yellow was listed ahead of pink it was never called. A staff member said to those of us who were paying attention - all colours can go now!   As a non US citizen we waited in line for 1.25 hours to clear immigration.  Those with extra paper work to complete held up the process if they had not completed it - or there were errors.  You can let your feelings be known when you complete your survey - I did!  Thanks to Seamist for the reports and to her DH Tom for the photography.

[bigez]

3 hours ago, gigianne said:

I too was on the cruise and I have to agree with the others about the dusembarkation - one of the worst I have experienced and it was because if the chaos on board.  Why would anyone think that you could funnel people through the back of the Queen's Lounge (BB King) - single file is beyond me.  The only 2 announcements anyone heard were for expedited and pink - even though yellow was listed ahead of pink it was never called. A staff member said to those of us who were paying attention - all colours can go now!  

 

This has been my experience on every HAL cruise that disembarks in San Diego. That's why we've learned to just hang out at the Lido Pool or in the Crow's Nest until later in the morning while the turbulence below decks gets dealt with. For people with tight schedules, this is a real bad way to end the trip. Sorry you had to be a part of it! But as one of the terminal's staff mentioned, this isn't on the Cruise Terminal. I suspect that on these turn-around days, minimal staff is available to disembark. The rest are all busy on "other tasks as assigned" to get the boat "ship-shape" for the next cruisers who start boarding at 11:30AM. (I think that's why we get away with hanging out until practically everyone's disembarked - they're just too busy to notice us). But it makes for an extremely tough experience for those who do have to get to their next destination on a schedule.