Eurodam Review - Eastern Caribbean - Jan 14-21/2012

[dannymac41]

My wife and I just got back from the Jan14-21 Eastern Caribbean cruise aboard the Eurodam. We thoroughly enjoyed the cruise and rank it high amongst our best trips ever. For some context for this review, my wife and I are in our early 40’s, are early risers, and are travelling as a way to relax first and foremost. The following is a rather lengthy ramble of our trip that hopefully paints a good picture of our experience through our viewpoints. It’s a lengthy review so I’ll post in blocks.

 

In general, we loved the Eurodam. I had sailed previously on Zaandam about 7 years ago and liked that ship as well, but the extras on the Eurodam and the warmer getaway (we’re from Canada) made this trip extra special.

 

We found the food to be very good and cannot say enough good things about the Tamarind restaurant. We ate there on multiple occasions and found it to have outstanding food and exceptional service to the point it’s hard to foresee taking another HAL cruise that doesn’t offer this restaurant. We ate at the Pinnacle Grill as well on multiple nights and found it to be very good, especially the Le Cirque menu, though I feel Tamarind is better overall (food, service, and lower price). The Silk Den lounge, adjacent to the Tamarind is also a fantastic place to grab a drink, offers nice views, and is attractively furnished.

 

My wife and I really liked the ship and I found it very well laid out and had many similarities to Zaandam that helped me orient myself quickly. We very much liked the aft pool area (though during some rainy weather we also used the Lido pool where the covered roof was a bonus), enjoyed the public areas (Crows Nest, Explorations Café, Explorers Lounge). We also bought a Thermal Suite package onboard Day 1 which turned out to be a very good investment for us as we used it every evening after dinner which further added to the relaxation we were after.

 

We had a Verandah Suite and the stewards were excellent, very friendly, helpful, and delivered top notch service. We also utilized room service breakfast almost every morning and found it to be very prompt and a nice way to start the day, especially looking out from our balcony. We skipped the Lido Buffet most meals but when we did use it, we found it to be very good with excellent selections of tasty food. It wasn’t self-serve for the first 48hours for health precautions so it was harder to “customize” your plate, but still very good nonetheless. For most lunches, we found the Terrace Grill to offer very good selections of burgers (turkey especially) and good bratwurst sausages. There was a popular pizza counter at the aft pool area that looked good but we didn’t get around to sampling.

 

The weather – I’ll talk in specifics during some of my reviews but we had wind, rolling seas, and rain to varying degrees for the first 4 days. I could’ve used a bit more sun (and no rain at all) but it was interesting and fun to experience in hindsight in our opinions; however, I know others may not share our points of view, especially with the rougher seas. Still, I was able to swim often everyday (in the pools or ocean) and ended up with a good sun tan for the week, though some days the cloudier skies made me have to work for it!

 

Before I forget, embarkation went smoothly and quickly. We got to the terminal just after 11am and were on board before noon, maybe even just after 11:30am, I can’t really remember, but it was a breeze getting on board. Our cabin was ready right when we boarded along with most of our pre-ordered indulgences. Our bags and the rest of what I had ordered for the first day followed shortly after. We found boarding early, touring the public areas, and seeing what was available for signing up for very beneficial at this time in terms of getting ahead of any crowds, waiting lists, lines, etc. This is when we had a tour of the Spa/Fitness Center areas and signed up for the Hydro Pools/Thermal Suites.

 

Part 2 – Grand Turk, San Juan, St. Thomas up next!!

[dannymac41]

Part 2 – Sea Day, Grand Turk, San Juan, St. Thomas

The itinerary for the cruise was good and I’m glad I had to the chance to finally see some of the Eastern Caribbean. Our first Sea Day was nice with sun, temps in mid 70's, though quite breezy when in the wind. We spent most of the day at the aft pool area which was quite relaxing though packed with people during peak sunshine hours.

 

 

It rained quite hard the next day at Grand Turk for most of the morning/early afternoon, but there were breaks here and there that allowed me some swims, some basic snorkeling out front of Margaritaville, and a walk down the beach toward Jack’s Shack. Temps were in the low/mid 70’s. There wasn’t as much to see/do at Grand Turk right at the pier as I had thought, probably the rainy weather didn’t help much as it looked as some smaller shops/bars closed early when the weather didn’t break. But if/when there’s a next time, I think I’d use that stop as an excursion day for snorkeling/boating with a tour operator – under hopefully sunnier skies!

 

The next day was San Juan. The morning and sail-in were good, though it did rain again briefly just after we had docked. I was able to get some swims in at the pools on board in the morning while at sea and then again in the afternoon when many were off in town. My wife and I went to town for about an hour, walked around a few blocks, took in the sites, but found the ship to be preferable on our return as it was quieter, more relaxing, and the views of the surrounding city, hills, harbor and our neighbor (Celebrity Solstice) to be a great way to spend an afternoon. Temps from what I remember were again in mid-70s, though the humidex was high especially prior to the afternoon rain.

 

St. Thomas followed and again the sun had to battle with the clouds. Higher humidex in the morning where we tendered in via our ship boats first thing. Apparently the Westerdam was also in port that day (I don’t think it was scheduled to be there though) and had the HAL spot at Crown Bay. We found the tender into town to be very good, dropped us right in the heart of downtown Charlotte A, and easy to access the shops and restaurants. We landed before the shops opened at 9am so we walked around, got oriented, then tried to get a taxi to Sapphire Beach which was an adventure. We were informed by taxi drivers, and some other vendors, that on busy days (the port was maxed out on piers and had multiple ships tendering), that taxis in town won’t take people on longer trips unless it’s worth their while financially. As it was just my wife and I, we were told it would be a 4 person minimum to Sapphire. We were rebuffed even when we said we’d pay more. A very bizarre experience to say the least as we travel often and getting cabs is usually the easiest thing to do on any trip. Anyway, as the skies didn’t look too promising and we just wanted to get to a beach we were able to get a cab to Emerald Beach and had a good 2 hours there before things really clouded up again. Nice beach, sandy bottom, easy swimming, and we rented chairs ($6/chair) at the hotel next to the Best Western. The Best Western rents chairs also but we found our spot preferable and the guy managing the chair rentals also was great in getting us a cab back to town. We did another walk through of some of the shops in town but we’ve been spoiled as far as shopping goes on previous trips so we just walked back to our tender boat location and went back to the ship. It took a little longer for us to get on board as the high winds that day apparently caused the ship to shift on its anchor and they could only offer one side tender service. It took probably an extra 15minutes to get on board so nothing too bad, though it was a little choppy floating out there. Soon after getting on board, the skies really poured rain hard. We rode it out at the Lido Pool but then it got sunny again (briefly) and I got about 30-45minutes out at the aft pool. All in all, it was a good day but I’d personally pass on the shopping next time and use the St. Thomas stop as a way to tour the island or see Sapphire or one of the other less crowded beaches. Magens would be an option only if there weren’t many ships in port or maybe a first thing stop as crowds would interfere with our RnR.

 

Part 3 – Sea Day, Half Moon Cay, Disembarkation, Final Thoughts …

[musicismylife]

Glad you had a great cruise despite the weather and rolling seas (which no-one can control!). We are on the Eurodam in less than 45 days and can't wait for our March Break vacation.

Looking forward to reading the rest of your report.

[dannymac41]

Part 3 – Sea Day, Half Moon Cay, Disembarkation, Final Thoughts …

 

 

The next day was another sea day and the weather really settled down. Highs were high 70’s/low 80’s, less wind, and my wife and I settled down at 9:30am the aft pool, stern rail, for a great day of lounging in the sun. Sun loungers were a premium already by then and if you wanted 2 or more together (at the pool area) you were hard pressed by 10am. That said, the decks just higher (deck 10) that overlook the aft pool, and the sun deck area offered more options to get chairs if needbe but put you that much further from the pool/service areas. All in all, it was a fantastic day on the open water and one of the highlights of the trip!

 

Half Moon Cay followed the next day and all we can say is WOW! We lucked out again with nice sunny weather and it was like being in a postcard. The water was crystal clear, the white powder sand was better IMO than using a lounger, and it was just a fantastic day. We liked how the venue was set up so it was just an extension of the ship (just needed your ship cards, no cash). We had rented a clamshell cover which we found was a good investment ($15) as it was a place to duck out of the sun and keep our backpack in the shade. We had a phenomenal day there and were very impressed with this port of call. However, as I’ve noticed on other boards if there were 2 ships there things may get a little crowded, especially if they’re larger ships. For the Eurodam on it’s own, HMC was an excellent stop!

 

Our wonderful week unfortunately ended the next day at Fort Lauderdale. We qualified for early disembarkation so it was a snap leaving the ship. We had our final room service breakfast on our verandah and watched the sunrise. We then took our bags and just walked off the ship, no lines, no hassle. We caught a cab outside the terminal and then it was off to the airport.

 

Final Thoughts – We had an excellent trip. We loved the Eurodam and what HAL offered to us. As noted previously, we’re an early 40’s married couple, looking for some rest and relaxation and an escape from the Canadian winter. We didn’t use the evening entertainment, casinos, or later bars so we can’t comment on any of those features. My wife and I are also very fortunate that we have the ability (and mobility) to change plans on a dime as necessary which really let us take advantage of when weather or other issues may have been more problematic for some. We used the comprehensive beverage cards for drinks (highly recommended), and am glad we did not book the Retreat Cabanas I had previously considered given the weather we had (too windy, too much rain, etc); however, the Retreat Cabana area looked very nice and for the right guest with the right weather, it would likely be an ideal spot.

 

The Tamarind restaurant was just fantastic. I love that kind of menu and the food was excellent IMO, but it was the service/staff that was phenomenal and took things so much higher. Also, our room stewards could not have been better, friendly, always smiling, always used our names, and provided excellent service once again.

 

There were moments that could’ve been better here and there but that’s life, nothings perfect. We did notice ship vibrations from time to time, place to place, especially the Crows Nest ceiling tiles, port side, just behind where the guitarist sets up … very noticeable some times, others not so much. Same for some other spots throughout the ship and it would bear some investigation/solving IMO but other than being annoying, I don’t think it’s a safety issue. I’ve grown up on the water and been on boats all my life and sometimes things just get out whack and vibrate; but when you’re in business to provide a relaxing cruise environment HAL needs to fix some of these glitches as it does seem to be a mechanical issue and not weather/conditions related. Our toilet didn’t flush one night for about 10minutes but that was that. Also, it was a little slow getting a drink at happy hour on a couple occasions but it was usually due to the rush on the bar more than anything. But I’m really nitpicking here to point out faults. None of these issues were anything other than a minor nuisance or annoyance that could easily be rectified by just going elsewhere on the ship.

 

In summary, I really like HAL ships. I like that even the larger Eurodam still feels and looks like a ship. Inside and out, the Eurodam is a beautiful ship and one that I would not hesitate to sail on again. My wife and I give the Eurodam our sincere endorsement as an excellent vacation experience.

[dannymac41]

If anyone has any further questions for me about this trip, the ship, my review, etc, please feel free to post to this thread and I'll do my best to help out!

[portofrome]

Thanks for your review.

[Cindyloowho2]

Thanks for your review. We will be onboard next Saturdey and will look forward to some of the things you enjoyed. As there will be 8 ships in St. Thomas the day we are there, how difficult will it be for us to get a taxi to Red Hook, to take the ferry to St. John?

[78232]

Does the Lido still have late night snacks based on a different ethnic origin each night ..Italian. Mexican, Dutch etc?

Marcia

[seagarsmoker]

Thanks for such a wonderful review!

[dannymac41]

Glad to see the review is helpful ... I'll try to answer the taxi and lido posts. First the taxi issue - I think it depends on where you land or if you tender. My understanding is that it's easier to get a taxi if you land at a pier (likely Crown Bay) as I've seen photos of signs with taxi rates per person at the piers (didn't see this downtown). I'm not 100% but I think it may be easier to get taxis at the piers than what we were faced with tendering into downtown Charlotte. That said, if we just had 2 more people we would've been taken anywhere on the island.

 

As for the late night Lido, sorry I can't answer that as we shut it down early every night, usually around 9-9:30pm. We work some hectic hours/shifts at home so we were down for the count early after our thermal suites each night. That said, we saw activity a few nights (probably most nights) at the Lido (band playing, different foods/buffet spreads, desserts, etc) later in the evenings, 9pm and after, but I don't recall the specifics. We were talking with a gentleman one day who attended one of these events who said he enjoyed it very much though.

[aliaschief]

Very nice review and happy to hear you had a great cruise. Thanks for sharing.

[localady]

So glad you enjoyed your cruise on the Eurodam. One of the reasons I love cruising so much is that you can opt for a less active, more relaxing vacation if you choose. Sounds like you did just that!

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thank you for taking the time to write your review.

 

Wonderful that you had a great cruise.

[dannymac41]

thanks again for the favorable responses to my review. I wanted to just give back a little as I found so many good views and resources on this site when planning our trip so hopefully it will help out some others.

 

Also, for an earlier followup question about taxis to Red Hook, check this thread out: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1554184 ... scroll down a bit and you'll see a photo with posted taxi rates from the Crown Bay pier.

[kazu]

Very nice review - well detailed and very interesting. Thanks so much for taking the time to write it and thanks for sharing the taxi rates for Crown Bay - just what I needed to double check for the third time:D Seriously.

 

Welcome home and thanks again so much:)

[grandsix]

It was great that you took the time out to write a review. In all fairness though, it is difficult to rate a ship for others based on eating almost every night at the wonderful small venue PAYING restaurants. What are we paying our guest fare for? Going to bed every night at 9:30pm ?. Never seeing a show or entertainment around the ship. Not spending time in the Disco. Not having much experience eating at the Lido. Never having contact with Guest Services. Experiencing the Casino. Spa services etc.

But seems like you came on board to just chill out and basically do nothing. Different strokes for different folks. Happy though to hear you enjoyed yourself and the toilet issue and vibration did not take away your vacation. Might add there was live music JUST 1 night by the pool by the fantastic HAL Cats.

[KirkNC]

Thanks for taking the time to post such a detailed review. Glad you had a good time.

[elou]

Hi, did you get to see any of the nightly production shows?

[CCKelly]

Thanks for the review. We will be on Eurodam in March, and some other not so great reviews lately had me worried. A couple of questions: approximately where was your cabin located (or cabin number if you don't mind) and any trouble with vibration in your cabin? Also, was afternoon tea served in one of the lounges on most afternoons?

[vacay43]

It was great that you took the time out to write a review. In all fairness though, it is difficult to rate a ship for others based on eating almost every night at the wonderful small venue PAYING restaurants. What are we paying our guest fare for? Going to bed every night at 9:30pm ?. Never seeing a show or entertainment around the ship. Not spending time in the Disco. Not having much experience eating at the Lido. Never having contact with Guest Services. Experiencing the Casino. Spa services etc.

But seems like you came on board to just chill out and basically do nothing. Different strokes for different folks. Happy though to hear you enjoyed yourself and the toilet issue and vibration did not take away your vacation. Might add there was live music JUST 1 night by the pool by the fantastic HAL Cats.

 

Dude, if you READ the review you would see that the OP said that he was there just to chill out AND that was what he was reviewing about the cruise. Nice sarcasm. Glad you felt you needed to trash it even though it was a positive review. Take care now.

[dannymac41]

hi again. I'll try to answer a couple of the latest questions. We didn't see any of the nightly productions so we don't have any info there. I've heard some people have found the shows lacking with not enough variety. One of the shows was cancelled due to performer illness and they had a magician but I didn't hear any opinions one way or the other. The guitarist in the Crows Nest was quite talented though, as was the combo in the Explorers Lounge in the early evening. I did also find the HAL Cats good too.

 

As for our cabin, we were in the forward third of the ship, port side, upper verandah deck. Right below the Spa, Crows Nest, areas on the higher decks. I noticed a bit of sporadic vibration in the cabin but nothing that I would've really paid attention to if I hadn't heard about the issue on here first. I've been on enough boats, trains, buses, planes, etc, in a variety of contexts, including sleeping quarters, and it wasn't out of my normal frame of reference. But everyone's different and there may have been varying experiences in other cabins/parts of the ship.

 

Most of the complaints we heard were due to the rougher seas/strong winds, motion-type symptoms, during the early part of the cruise. Again, for me, I grew up on water and it didn't effect me in the least, I actually enjoyed it. But again, everyone's different and some may have differing opinions or experiences.

[lors]

hi again. I'll try to answer a couple of the latest questions. We didn't see any of the nightly productions so we don't have any info there. I've heard some people have found the shows lacking with not enough variety. One of the shows was cancelled due to performer illness and they had a magician but I didn't hear any opinions one way or the other. The guitarist in the Crows Nest was quite talented though, as was the combo in the Explorers Lounge in the early evening. I did also find the HAL Cats good too.

 

As for our cabin, we were in the forward third of the ship, port side, upper verandah deck. Right below the Spa, Crows Nest, areas on the higher decks. I noticed a bit of sporadic vibration in the cabin but nothing that I would've really paid attention to if I hadn't heard about the issue on here first. I've been on enough boats, trains, buses, planes, etc, in a variety of contexts, including sleeping quarters, and it wasn't out of my normal frame of reference. But everyone's different and there may have been varying experiences in other cabins/parts of the ship.

 

Most of the complaints we heard were due to the rougher seas/strong winds, motion-type symptoms, during the early part of the cruise. Again, for me, I grew up on water and it didn't effect me in the least, I actually enjoyed it. But again, everyone's different and some may have differing opinions or experiences.

 

 

 

Thanks for the excellent review....sometimes you just need to lay back and relax, its not always about how many things you can do on a cruise...

[Megsie1000]

I was on your cruise and did get seasick, but still had a good time! Glad you enjoyed it, too.

[madera1]

Glad you had a good trip and thanks for taking the time to write this review.

[lola1999]

Thanks for the review and for your opinions on the Tamarind. We are definitely going to check it out. And breakfast on the verandah sounds heavenly!