Excellent Cruise on Eurodam March 4-11

We just returned from a very pleasant week on the Eurodam. We've sailed the Nieuw Amsterdam the past two years so we had a pretty good idea of the ship layout and we were not disappointed.

We flew out Saturday night and stayed at Embassy Suites. This hotel is getting really tired but it's ok for one night. Picked up our 6 bottles of prepaid wine at Total Wine and had a decent lobster dinner at Kelly's Landing.

Embarkation was a breeze with very little wait time. We found our usual aft cabin easily and everything was familiar. Last time we did an aft Neptune Suite so it was back to reality in cabin 7139.

Our itinerary was altered due to large swells in the Atlantic from the Nor'Easters. Docking at windward Atlantic ports was not feasible so we skipped Amber Cove and had another sea day. The next port was supposed to be San Juan but it is also a windward Atlantic port so Cap'n Eric was able to re-route us to Charlotte Amalie, St Thomas. This worked out really well as we discovered a very nice beach called Secret Harbor that was amazing. Gorgeous beach, strong drinks (painkillers), great smoked wings and awesome service. The next day we landed in Phillipsburg, St. Marten. It was a short day and we took a taxi to Karakter Beach on Simpson Bay and this spot was also great but not quite as good as the previous day. It rained off and on Friday for our final sea day but we managed to stay busy reading on the balcony and also went to America's Test Kitchen to see their demo on cooking Salmon. Being from Seattle and also an avid salmon angler, I was not sure if there would be anything new to learn but much to my surprise, we came away with some new knowledge and ideas. The last day we stopped at HMC and it was simply spectacular weather and we had a great time.

We dined three nights in Tamarind, two nights in Pinnacle, one night MDR and one night in Lido (1st time ever). Food was excellent on all nights. Tamarind as usual was exceptional and the service friendly and impeccable. While the food was very good in Pinnacle, service both nights was sub-par and disappointing. I did not leave a tip on the second night in Pinnacle as we were ignored a great deal of the evening.

The cabin stewards were ok but we've had much better. Overall the room was kept tidy but they just could not get the idea we wanted ice delivered in the late afternoons. I had to go up to the Seaview Bar to get ice to take back to our cabin on several occasions.

We really enjoyed the new Billboard piano lounge. Ethan and Justin were very entertaining and they packed the house every night. The comedian named Bengt was very funny and saw him both shows all with new material. We were disappointed with the BB King's Lounge compared to the past 3 cruises. This band is decent but we've been spoiled by previous bands that are simply amazing. I think their volume was also higher than normal and I like loud music but this was almost to the point of hurting the ears. I noticed attendance slipped at BB King's every night and most gravitated to the Billboard which was in my opinion, much higher quality music and presentation.

Disembarkation was so easy. We did Luggage Direct and our bags arrived safely in Seattle. We have Global Entry but it was not a huge time saver as we disembarked at 7:45am and the regular customs line was maybe 5 minutes.

Overall this was an excellent cruise. Can't wait for our Adriatic voyage on Oosterdam this September.

Great review and glad to hear you enjoyed your cruise.

How "tired" was the Embassy Suites? A bit concerned as we are staying there this May. Last year was fine but our room had been refurbished. Thanks.

I do like the location and the spot but you have been wondering...

Thank you for reviewing your Eurodam cruise.

Sounds like you had a great time.

Thank you for your review.

We also like the Tamarind over the Pinnacle when we are on the Signature ships.

Great review and glad to hear you enjoyed your cruise.

 

How "tired" was the Embassy Suites? A bit concerned as we are staying there this May. Last year was fine but our room had been refurbished. Thanks.

 

I do like the location and the spot but you have been wondering...

The common areas are fine but we’ve stayed there the past two years now and the rooms are musty and in need of major repair and refurbishment. We prefer the Hilton Marina but like the Embassy location. Easy to many restaurants and of course Total Wine.

The common areas are fine but we’ve stayed there the past two years now and the rooms are musty and in need of major repair and refurbishment. We prefer the Hilton Marina but like the Embassy location. Easy to many restaurants and of course Total Wine.

Thanks so much for coming back and taking the time to reply. I appreciate it :D

We’re going to be on the Eurodam at the end of the month and I’m disappointed to hear about the B.B. King band. That’s our favorite end of evening hang out.

Thank you for your review.

Thanks for your review!

Glad to hear you had a great time and thank you for taking the time to write this review.

Keith

We’re going to be on the Eurodam at the end of the month and I’m disappointed to hear about the B.B. King band. That’s our favorite end of evening hang out.

We also love BB King's and have gone every night for at least one set on the past two cruises. The Billboard Onboard more than made up for our disappointment with the BB King band, although we would have liked to dance some. I believe the current piano players (Ethan & Justin) will still be aboard Eurodam at the end of this month and I think you will enjoy them. They were packed every night in a much larger space than the old piano lounge. In fact, it was standing room only on most nights overflowing into the casino. Get there early, find Kysiel the bartender and he'll take great care of you.

For me the BB King bands are hit or miss. It really is dependent on the singers. Our last cruise the female lead singer just didn't have the pipes but the previous cruise she was outstanding. I have never seen a better Tina Turner set in my life. For a big girl she could really move around.

Thanks for your review. Last time I cruised HAL I didn't feel up to nightlife. Would you explain a bit more what the Billboard club entails? My health problems are better and I think I'll be able to enjoy this cruise and spend more time on nightly activities.

Thanks for taking the time to post your review.

Glad you enjoyed your cruise.

Thanks for your review. Last time I cruised HAL I didn't feel up to nightlife. Would you explain a bit more what the Billboard club entails? My health problems are better and I think I'll be able to enjoy this cruise and spend more time on nightly activities.

The Billboard Onboard replaced the piano bar lounge of the past. It’s a totally different format, much larger and less intimate but still very fun for us on our first try.

The old piano bar had a single piano with one player and they would usually encourage requests. The area was always full if a good artist was onboard.

The new format is much larger and opens up to the casino. In a few cases, the casino noise did spill over to the Billboard area. Billboard has two pianos facing each other with two pianists that work collaboratively. It is subjective but I think the new format might appeal to a larger demographic. Based on our experience last week, I’m pretty impressed with this change and I heard nothing but positive comments from other passengers. The enjoyment likely is very dependent on the musicians. We have experienced good and not so good in the old piano bar lounge. Just like the B.B. King band last week was a letdown compared to the past cruises.

I hope you enjoy your upcoming cruise and get an opportunity to visit the Billboard Onboard.

I was also on the Eurodam for this cruise. We had a great time except for the Pinnacle Grill, Had a reservation for 6 and left there at 8:30. 2 and a 1/2 hours. They were rushing around but we waited 1 hour between the salad and dinner. Don't know what the problem was.

Thanks for sharing the info.

We have never had pleasant staff nor great dinner in the Pinnacle Grill. What is with the staff. They have quite an off putting manner about them.

I was also on the Eurodam for this cruise. We had a great time except for the Pinnacle Grill, Had a reservation for 6 and left there at 8:30. 2 and a 1/2 hours. They were rushing around but we waited 1 hour between the salad and dinner. Don't know what the problem was.

It was disappointing service both nights in Pinnacle for us as well. We’ve never experienced bad service in Pinnacle on Noordam, Zuiderdam and Nieuw Amsterdam. The Tamarind was the exact opposite, it simply could not have been any better. I let HAL know on the questionnaire.