Brunch on Eurodam Today.........

[whenzuc]

I too was at the luncheon yesterday. I have the Eurodam booked for January, but have only been on one HAL cruise prior. I think I like the look of the Westerdam better- not as glitsy. We did walk in the hallways to see our room # in January, since rooms were not yet occupied and the doors were open. The ship did seem crowded around the LIDO and the pools, but hard to tell how many of us were from the mariners luncheon just walking through.

I did have a more positive opinion of renting a cabana upon seeing them. The pool area definitely does seem more crowded. But given the weekly price it's really not a bad deal for the week to have a private spot of our own. I actually called HAL to put one on hold for Jan. However, I would be happier if they weren't there at all. Like others, the artificial decking takes away from the few distinct memories of HAL vs the competition.

[sail7seas]

That nice little menu holder is the same as was used on Maasdam for Mariner's Brunch in December.

 

Very nice souvenir.

 

[Boytjie]

Just curious as to whether there were any unoccupied cabins and, if so, were they available for viewing on your tour? Our TA says we are being invited aboard in Saint John on October 8th and I am very anxious to view a V category cabin as that is what we have booked for our Baltic/Transatlantic cruise next summer.

 

At the mariners presentation in the Mainstage they said no cabins were open for a tour, but when we walked around on teh self-guidede tour we saw a few cabins that had their doors open. We took a look in VC 5046 as well as a spa room on Deck 10.

 

I have posted a picture of the VC cabin and its balcony at http://good-times.webshots.com/album/566196282wddmPJ?vhost=good-times

[Boytjie]

Lovely way to present the menu!!

 

Thanks

 

I was trying to find a way to take the picture without too much of the overhead lights reflecting on it. :)

 

And I realize I have a record of out 6-top table: #110 :) All the window seats were taken but that was a nice table: oval shaped with banquet for three and three chairs.

[Boytjie]

Good question -- as many of us who live near New York are never invited to these luncheons, etc.

 

I swallowed my pride and emailed HAL and asked to be invited, I got the OK right before the deadline.

[mariner]

We walked into several cabins on Rotterdam deck. The stewards had them ready for arriving passengers.

 

The decor is modern and we didn't like having the closets in the bedroom area instead of by the entrance foyer or the dressing area.

 

The balconies in the stern suites are impressive, if you can deal with whatever vibration comes that way in that part of the ship.

 

One design that just doesn't make sense are the plastic stools at the Northern Lights bar. Talk about uncomfortable. There's not a lot of seats available and could see this would be a problem when Jazzy Jeff boards in another week and the place is crowded.

 

The cabanas just seem to get in the way on Lido. That area could also use some color. It's just too white and the pool lacks the usual dolphin, bear or seal sculptures.

 

The spa area also suffers from the Vista bottleneck and the Lido Restaurant is a tight squeeze. It was packed yesterday.

 

Pinnacle was doing brisk business for reservations and the AYW dining computer was set up along a stairwell. Not a great place for it.

 

But the crew sure makes up for the design flaws. They handled visitors/pax well. Always smiling. And sighing when told we'd be leaving at 2:30.

[senator6]

My DW and I also attended, for us it was a terrific experience. We enjoyed the brunch saw a few crew that we knew from other cruises and felt very much at home- if only for a few hours.

We did not have a lot of time to tour the ship but certainly as others have pointed out there are many problems with the design of the Lido restaurant, the pool area and of course the cabanas. The other public areas of the ship that we visited seemed well done and we were surprised that the Retreat seemed to be a positive rather than the negative we had expected.

[Mary Ellen]

I agree that the Lido Buffet walkway is too narrow. Here's what it looks like when the Buffet is closed:

 

Bill - that is a great picture. It is easy for all to imagine how crowded it is when people are lined up at the buffet and impossible for 2 people (carrying trays) to pass behind them near the 2-tops. It is one-way traffic. :rolleyes:

[RuthC]

Bill - that is a great picture. It is easy for all to imagine how crowded it is when people are lined up at the buffet and impossible for 2 people (carrying trays) to pass behind them near the 2-tops. It is one-way traffic. :rolleyes:

Correction: it should be one-way traffic.

Now, add some kids running through this, and you have a recipe for disaster. That's what was happening on the E-dam's second cruise.

[mamaofami]

 

 

Because of two way traffic, I was always walking through there with one foot on the carpet and one on the tile, and I was never carrying a tray. Just passing through. I can't imagine if children were running around in there.

[cruiservictor]

I thought maybe it was for Mariners with a lot of time on HAL, but the other person who posted only had two HAL cruises (of course, they might have been WORLD cruises) so I thought it odd.

 

My wife and I were curious so we sent the following email to the HAL Mariner group - "We would like to know what the criteria were for being invited to the Mariner's lunch on the Eurodam today (9/1). We are red pin holders with over 50 days on HAL. We've been on the Maasdam (1995), Statendam (1998), Noordam (2007), Rotterdam and Eurodam (both 2008), and we are booked on the Amsterdam for January 2009. We found out about this luncheon aboard the 3-day Eurodam cruise this weekend from other Mariners who had been invited to attend, and when we disembarked, the terminal building was filled with hundreds of Mariners arriving for the luncheon. Please let us know why we were not invited and if there will be another Mariner luncheon on one of the future NY calls of the Eurodam. Thank you." This afternoon we got the following reply -

 

"Dear Mr and Mrs Eichorn,

 

We hope that your 3 day cruise aboard the ms Eurodam was an enjoyable one and we are sorry that you were not included in the mariner brunch on September 1, 2008.

 

Our lists for the Mariner Brunch were generated by our now retired, Mariner Director, Margaret Binnendyk. There are many factors that go into the invitation list. We do know that she generally started with guests with over 100 days and for those that lived in a certain mileage radius of the ship. She also tried to invite Mariners that were not booked on the 3 day cruise, so those that couldn’t sail with us, also had an opportunity to view the ship.

 

Currently, we do not have any other Mariner Lunches planned for the NYC area. However, if we do, we will keep you name to add to the guest list. I will pass your names on to Jo Ann Taylor.

 

We do appreciate your loyalty to Holland America Line and hope that you have a wonderful cruise aboard the ms Amsterdam in January."

 

A nice reply. (I was hoping to get invited back aboard the Eurodam on one of its final 2 NYC calls, but a nice reply nevertheless.)

[Jade13]

That nice little menu holder is the same as was used on Maasdam for Mariner's Brunch in December.

 

Very nice souvenir.

 

They used the same one on Noordam in July. I kept one but should have kept DH's too.

[jrzebird]

Cruiservictor -- Thank you so much for doing the leg work I didn't do! The guest list seemed to be arbitrary, and I guess it was! I am very disappointed that I wasn't invited, as I live less than an hour away. I know that others flew in, and some took a long ride. I don't have the number of days onboard that you do, but I am still disappointed and had hope, as you did, that there would be another luncheon. I'll try not to take it personally! LOL:D

[sail7seas]

There are six million living Mariners. I wonder how many in the 300 mile radius around New York? Would you say at least 250,000 minimum? There are many HAL cruisers in the New York/New England region. How many can they possibly invite? It is physically impossible to invite all Mariners.

 

I definitely understand some are disappointed. I probably would be, too, if we weren't included but we have to be a little reasonable, don't we? :D

 

[jrzebird]

There are six million living Mariners. I wonder how many in the 300 mile radius around New York? Would you say at least 250,000 minimum? There are many HAL cruisers in the New York/New England region. How many can they possibly invite? It is physically impossible to invite all Mariners.

 

I definitely understand some are disappointed. I probably would be, too, if we weren't included but we have to be a little reasonable, don't we? :D

 

 

That's why I said the list was arbitrary. There didn't seem to be any reasoning to it. I personally know of 2 different parties who were invited who have less days, and cruises, than I do.

 

I don't think I was being unreasonable at all. I was merely stating my regret that I wasn't invited, as have many others. I wasn't claiming that I'd never sail HAL again or even complaining. Now THAT would be unreasonable.

[Boytjie]

They used the same one on Noordam in July. I kept one but should have kept DH's too.

 

I never even thought of it as a keepsake. :)

[Gator22]

Thanks for the Pics Boytjie . They are great ! My wife and myself are booked for Oct. 25, 08. Can't wait too go after seeing your Pics.