Eurodam - One Night Cruise / The good and not so good

[WannaSea]

2 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

You sure got around for a 24 hour ride.  It is worth noting that a flight from Vancouver would have been no less than $200 and the ferry around $125.  Cruising sounds like a better option😉

 

I refer to this as my Hop On Hop Off cruise, boarding in Vancouver for 4 sea days to San Diego after an Inside Passage RT on Koningsdam. Watched for a big price drop which happened late and picked it up in lieu of flying home from Vancouver. Definitely got my money's worth cruise vs. flight. Word was the one nighters Seattle-Vancouver were, as a group, quite the party crowd. 

[OlsSalt]

HAL pizza at the Lido is more what we call "flatbread" out west. Kind of like pizza, looks almost like pizza, but is just some, flat baked bread dough with stuff on top. But it works for what it is. It is just not pizza. Not sure why it can't taste better - is it the cheese? Is it designed to be heat-lamp proof? 

[newtocruiseinblue]

Thanks for the review - sounds like an interesting adventure! I appreciate the details as I’ve always wondered about this type of cruise. I would give it a try for fun and cruising for one night is better than not cruising at all. 

[Cruise Suzy]

7 hours ago, WannaSea said:

On Koningsdam it was a whole personal pizza with a thick crispy crust and stacked with toppings. On Eurodam it was sheetpan pizza cut in single servings set under a heat lamp with soft crust and skimpy toppings. I was so surprised at the difference ship to ship. I'd order the K version again but not the E version.

 

7 hours ago, Mary229 said:

The pinnacle class ships’ pizza is more to my liking plus it is customizable.  On the other ships it is just buffet style pizza 

 

You can order a custom personal pizza at New York Pizza on Eurodam and Nieuw Amsterdam as well as on the Pinnacle class ships. And both have pre-made slices if you don't want a whole pizza. DH and I each order a pizza to go and they put them in a cardboard box with metal pans,

[crusinthrough]

17 hours ago, rodndonna said:

Small point with regards to Pizza - was that from the Lido or NY Pizza and Deli? It looked maybe from the Lido, which would not be the Pizza people on HAL would rave about. 

I did not see pizza in the Lido Market but I wasn't looking either.  

 

16 hours ago, Cruise Suzy said:

On the Eurodam the pizza venue is New York Pizza, near the Sea View Pool - just aft of the buffet. NY Pizza and Deli is on Pinnacle-class ships.

You are correct.  it was the New York Pizza venue on deck 8 aft near the Sea View pool.  

[crusinthrough]

13 hours ago, Haljo1935 said:

The itineraries from VCR are sometimes better than from Sea and cruise fares are crazy cheap, but international flights are outrageous vs SeaTac.

Would you consider this a viable option to avoid international flights?

I would consider this a good option to avoid international flight.  I agree.  Vancouver itineraries are better than Seattle.  Seattle itineraries are limited.  They are usually to Vancouver or Victoria and Alaska. 

 

13 hours ago, Sir PMP said:

One night is not a cruise.

 

I wouldn't consider it a cruise but a one night get away, 

 

11 hours ago, SilvertoGold said:

Great that you tried Tamarind, much better than the other Tamarinds we have dined in over the past 2 years.

Tamarind seemed like the best option for something different than the typical Italian and steak restaurants on cruise lines.  

 

10 hours ago, Mary229 said:

You sure got around for a 24 hour ride.  It is worth noting that a flight from Vancouver would have been no less than $200 and the ferry around $125.  Cruising sounds like a better option😉

 

I tried 😂.  Cruising was definitely a better option than flying and a lot less hectic.  

 

10 hours ago, WannaSea said:

Word was the one nighters Seattle-Vancouver were, as a group, quite the party crowd. 

With less than 24 hours, there is no time for grass to grow under your feet.  You have to be read to party from embark.  🙂

[crusinthrough]

Entertainment

Comedian: He was moderately entertaining to me  

 

BB King’s Blues Club: This was the hot spot in the evening.   A live band played 3x for one hour sessions.  It was crowded.  

 

Billboard Onboard: a dual piano bar playing the top 100 by request.  The two pianists were really good.  I enjoyed the few songs I heard.  

[crusinthrough]

The Daily 

[crusinthrough]

 

This bar wasn't popular. I believe it was the Ocean Bar.  

[crusinthrough]

Disembark

There was a surprise Canadian inspection the morning we disembarked, and the last call to disembark was 9:30 am.  Of course, you had to keep your luggage with you.  Breakfast was available in the Lido Market (buffet) and MDR. 

 

HA saved the winding gangway for the departure.  Going down is much easier than going up.  Customs in Vancouver was efficient and fast.  Handed a Canadian Customs Officer a Canadian declaration form and kept walking.  

Edited October 18, 2023 by crusinthrough

[crusinthrough]

Vancouver

I left my luggage at the valet desk for the Pan Pacific hotel located in Canada Place (Port of Vancouver). It costs $5 a bag (Canadian or USD cash only).  Walked around Vancouver for the day hitting some major tourist attractions.  

 

I took the SkyTrain from the Waterfront station at Canada Place to Main Street - Science World station (4 stops).  It cost around $4.  I walked a half block to the Pacific Central train station and caught the late Amtrak train to Seattle ($50 for coach).  Amtrak was on time with no delays along the way.  It was a scenic and quite four hour train ride. 

 

[crusinthrough]

Somewhere between Vancouver and WA. 

[crusinthrough]

Overall, it was a nice way to explore a new cruise line and Vancouver.  The weather was perfect for the two days.  I have no real complaints, but I probably will not rush to book another HA cruise.  The casino being closed on this sailing was a bummer and the food was nothing speculator.  Truthfully, food quality is declining on all cruises lines since the restart after the pandemic.  I'm sure the experience is different on a longer itinerary.  

 

I also did a 3N Princess r/t Seattle cruise recently.  The casino was opened part of the trip.  3N was perfect to relax and get away.  I can probably do a 2N as well but 1N felt short.   An advantage of short cruises is that they  are a less expensive and quicker way to build loyalty status on cruise lines. 

[Alberta Quilter]

I don't think you should judge HAL by a one night cruise.  I've done the same cruise, in reverse, to easily get to Seattle for another HAL cruise on the same ship.  The two cruises could not have been more different.  At least try for a five day cruise (although those can also be party cruises) to get a feel for HAL.  On a one day cruise, the crew is so overworked with all the changeover that they don't have time to give the pax any extra attention.  I don't believe any extra effort is made in the food offerings either, on a one day cruise.  

[MisterMatthew]

I really learned a lot from your post.  Thank you for sharing.

 

I think (??) if I were to take a 1 or 2 night cruise, I would be steadfast in getting a LOT done -- drinking, eating, seeing all the entertainment, and having very little sleep.  Maybe (??) it would wear me out.  Lol.

 

----MisterMatthew

[Linaeve]

You really can't judge HAL cruises based off a single night which is at the very end of their sailing season. It's really not a fair assessment. You would absolutely need a 3+ day cruise before you can judge them. Try a cruise during it's season that goes into international waters during it's sailing season. You'll get an idea of what a HAL cruise is actually like then. I venture you would have the same or worse experiene with other cruises for tha same 1 night cruise. 

 

[dawnvip]

10 hours ago, crusinthrough said:

Somewhere between Vancouver and WA. 

Looks like the Alex Fraser bridge, so somewhere is Delta, BC

[WannaSea]

10 hours ago, crusinthrough said:

 

This bar wasn't popular. I believe it was the Ocean Bar.  

 

Interesting to compare your cruise experience @crusinthrough, since after your one-day I hopped on the the next 4-day leg. Ocean Bar was quite popular in the pre-dinner hours with a nice 3-piece jazz band, Third Avenue West, playing. I noticed people lounging around the atrium on decks 1 and 2 also, to enjoy the laidback live music. And BB Kings was popular later, but not overcrowded. Casino didn't seem busy but maybe those on a much longer cruise were pacing themselves. Canaletto was excellent (meatball appetizer/short ribs/tiramisu) with only 4 tables occupied (?!). MDR dinners were great too (tenderloin & shrimp, salmon, beef bourguignon), an advantage of more days to graze. Overall a subdued atmosphere so short on excitement but restful.

[AV8rix]

Well, I live in the Seattle metro area and have used the one-nighter quite a few times just as a segment to get to Vancouver to continue on to someplace else.  Here's my take:

 

The one-nighter is a booze cruise for Seattle HAL corporate folk.  So I have learned to just stay in my stateroom for that segment and order room service.  One time on Eurodam I figured that the Tamarind might be safe (the MDR is intolerable on that night).  Nope.  They had pushed a bunch of tables together to seat about 12!!!  They were all noisy and drunk.  On the way out, passing the podium, I said to the manager, "They're corporate, aren't they?".  He just rolled his eyes and nodded "yes".

[cbr663]

Thanks for the review.  I miss the height adjustable coffee tables found on these ships.  It makes dining in your cabin so much more enjoyable.  From reviewing your pics I have to agree that the cabins are looked quite dated.  I’ve only sailed on the Eurodam once and it was quite a while ago now.

[SilvertoGold]

2 hours ago, MisterMatthew said:

I really learned a lot from your post.  Thank you for sharing.

 

I think (??) if I were to take a 1 or 2 night cruise, I would be steadfast in getting a LOT done -- drinking, eating, seeing all the entertainment, and having very little sleep.  Maybe (??) it would wear me out.  Lol.

 

----MisterMatthew

I bet YOU would!  I bet IT would!

[MisterMatthew]

55 minutes ago, SilvertoGold said:

I bet YOU would!  I bet IT would!

No doubt!!

[crusinthrough]

15 hours ago, Alberta Quilter said:

I don't think you should judge HAL by a one night cruise.  I've done the same cruise, in reverse, to easily get to Seattle for another HAL cruise on the same ship.  The two cruises could not have been more different.  At least try for a five day cruise (although those can also be party cruises) to get a feel for HAL.  On a one day cruise, the crew is so overworked with all the changeover that they don't have time to give the pax any extra attention.  I don't believe any extra effort is made in the food offerings either, on a one day cruise.  

 

12 hours ago, Linaeve said:

You really can't judge HAL cruises based off a single night which is at the very end of their sailing season. It's really not a fair assessment. You would absolutely need a 3+ day cruise before you can judge them. Try a cruise during it's season that goes into international waters during it's sailing season. You'll get an idea of what a HAL cruise is actually like then. I venture you would have the same or worse experiene with other cruises for tha same 1 night cruise. 

 

 

I'm not opposed to giving HAL another try.  It just wouldn't be my first choice.  Mainly because I commit to one cruise line at a time until I achieve a certain loyalty level.  However, for the right price on a longer and new ship, I would definitely consider HAL.  

 

The crew really did seem over worked and overwhelmed especially in the MDR.  

[crusinthrough]

12 hours ago, WannaSea said:

 

And BB Kings was popular later, but not overcrowded. Casino didn't seem busy but maybe those on a much longer cruise were pacing themselves. Canaletto was excellent (meatball appetizer/short ribs/tiramisu) with only 4 tables occupied (?!). MDR dinners were great too (tenderloin & shrimp, salmon, beef bourguignon), an advantage of more days to graze. Overall a subdued atmosphere so short on excitement but restful.

If there was a way I could have stayed on for the 4N I would have.  Due to the PSVA rule I could not.  I agree I needed those extra nights to try more.. I gave it my best. 

[crusinthrough]

12 hours ago, dawnvip said:

Looks like the Alex Fraser bridge, so somewhere is Delta, BC

Thank you!  Amtrak should have points of interest maps for each route.  This way you what time to look out the window and what you are seeing.