Just Back EURODAM Mar 8-14

[summersigh]

We just returned from the Eurodam -Western Caribbean (March 8-14) in Verandah 7119. It was a wonderful time with perfect weather and everyone we met seemed to be having a good time as well. This isn’t so much a “review” as some observations made based on discussions, questions or comments I’d “heard” here on CC.

 

Demographics

--There was a wide variety of age groups on this trip. There were 80 children. There were some guests with walkers, wheelchairs or scooters but not a lot. There were many, many 30-60 year olds.

 

Stateroom

--Stateroom Steward Bachti was excellent though it appeared to us he was really stretched and worked very long hours with the amount of cabins he had and the fine quality of service he tendered. We had plenty of those little round soaps. The toilet never malfunctioned and there was always plenty of hot water.

 

Dining Room

--The portions at dinner did seem smaller that in the past BUT, that being said, they were just the right size to fill you up leaving room for a yummy desert.

--Our table -Upper 95 was in a terribly public location in the middle of all the traffic and noise of diners coming and going although the folks we shared the table with were great as were the staff led by Wiley. After the first dinner the staff called everyone at the table by name and remembered all of our special requests such as who drank what during and after the meal)

--The lady that did acupuncture Hosted at our dining table the 2nd formal night. None of us, although we'd all cruised numerous times, had ever had that happen before and found it to be a delightful experience.

--The menus were very tasty with a good variety of flavors…. Except for the International Night menu which was not very appetizing. We had no picky eaters in our group of 7 but had a hard time finding an entrée we wanted from the International Menu.

--There was tea served in the afternoons but the weather was so good that we never did get inside in the afternoon to partake.

--Bread Pudding was available at the Lido desert station. The guy serving it said it was vanilla topping daily.

 

Entertainment

---BB King and The Band (in Ocean Bar nightly) were excellent and seemed to fit HAL's demographics well.

--GREG the piano bar talent was great fun and very talented. We'd tried to get in the first few days of the cruise but it was always packed. When they moved him up to the Crows Nest the last 2 nights - we attended both nights.

--We visited with Rolan in the Ocean Bar almost every evening - excellent service. After the first visit he remembered our names and what we drank. They have a BOGO nightly from 9-10 

--We had late seating for dinner and there were times it was impossible to make it to some entertainments (definitely before the seats were filled). The night the Captain had a welcoming session in the theatre the one time it was offered was at 7:50 pm which would have made us late for dinner.

 

MISC

-- We talked with many people, us included, who really liked the fact that the various bar staff members were NOT pushy about trying to get you to buy alcohol. We enjoyed being able to bring food from the Lido out to the Sea View deck and not feeling that we were putting anyone out.

--No problems with smelling cigarette smoke out on our verandah – 7119 on the starboard side toward the aft. (Maybe it’s a problem up there in the Neptune Suites – not the cheap seat verandahs??) LOL … Not looking to get flamed here – just making a joke:D and reporting on our individual experience.

--There were day of the week rugs in the elevators

 

Dang .... gotta cook dinner tonight and there won't even be a towel animal or chocolate on the bed when I get done :D

[rkacruiser]

Thanks for your observations. Interestingly, the CD or Hotel Director was flexible enough to move the popular Piano Bar entertainer to a larger venue. That means, I assume, that there was no regular entertainment scheduled for the Crow's Nest.

[summersigh]

PS ... the Digital Workshop sessions "taught" by Abrie were excellent. I went to 2 of them about editing photos using Windows Live Photo Gallery.

 

Many computers have it preinstalled but, like me only used it to do simple edits like cropping. I had no idea the things it could do with a few clicks.

 

I also attended one on using your digital camera. I do a lot of digital shooting but didn't realize what and where the settings were that I could choose to enhance my photos.

 

It was well worth the time for the skills I acquired.:)

[summersigh]

Thanks for your observations. Interestingly, the CD or Hotel Director was flexible enough to move the popular Piano Bar entertainer to a larger venue. That means, I assume, that there was no regular entertainment scheduled for the Crow's Nest.

 

I just went back and looked through my "On Location" folders - Nope, there was no musical entertainment scheduled in the Crows Nest any evening although they show the bar was scheduled to be open every night.

 

One thing that was really cool, besides the fact that there was plenty of seating for everyone in the Crows Nest, BUT many folks took advantage of the dance floor and Greg was sensitive to their desire to do so in the way he performed the songs. It seemed to enhance the enjoyment for the dancers and entertaining to us "watchers" :D

[rkacruiser]

I attended a couple of the Digital Workshop sessions on the Noordam and they were quite good. I was pleased to learn that the woman was employed by HAL and not Microsoft.

[Typhoon1]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

[albingirl]

Thank you for taking the time to post your review. Sounds like you had a good time.

[PathfinderEss]

Thanks for your report. Sounds like you had a great time.

[erewhon]

Thank you for reviewing your Eurodam cruise.

[Floating_view]

We will be on this cruise next week. Thanks for some great information. Any thoughts you would like to share about the ports?

[Alcarondas]

Thanks for the recap. Any reports on the ports?

[summersigh]

We didn't really do any true excursions - DH doesn't get around all that well lately but ...

 

Half Moon Cay - took the tender over and had a Rum Punch at a bar there then went back for a leisurely lunch on board the ship followed by a lazy afternoon on the Sea View deck reading and looking out at the island.

 

Montego Bay - for 20$ each we took a Juta bus up to the Richmond Hill Inn which has spectacular views of Montego Bay and a rum and coke. It's $2pp to take photos or $5pp to use the pool. (You can see the views on their web site). We wanted to go there especially since DH and I had dinner there the first night of our honeymoon 40 years ago and it's still owned by the same family. The $20 included a 1 hour local tour including transportation to and from the ship and the Hip Strip where Margaritaville is.

 

Grand Cayman - we wanted to get a cab to the turtle farm but DH didn't feel up to it. I've been there before and loved it.

 

Key West - Hop-On-Hop-Off tour was fun and interesting. By the way, HAL provides free shuttle to and from the center of town as they normally dock at the Navy base pier (the Mole).

Edited March 17, 2015 by summersigh

[puppycanducruise]

Thanks for posting your review.

Glad you had a good cruise.

[Floating_view]

We didn't really do any true excursions - DH doesn't get around all that well lately but ...

 

Half Moon Cay - took the tender over and had a Rum Punch at a bar there then went back for a leisurely lunch on board the ship followed by a lazy afternoon on the Sea View deck reading and looking out at the island.

 

Montego Bay - for 20$ each we took a Juta bus up to the Richmond Hill Inn which has spectacular views of Montego Bay and a rum and coke. It's $2pp to take photos or $5pp to use the pool. (You can see the views on their web site). We wanted to go there especially since DH and I had dinner there the first night of our honeymoon 40 years ago and it's still owned by the same family. The $20 included a 1 hour local tour including transportation to and from the ship and the Hip Strip where Margaritaville is.

 

Grand Cayman - we wanted to get a cab to the turtle farm but DH didn't feel up to it. I've been there before and loved it.

 

Key West - Hop-On-Hop-Off tour was fun and interesting. By the way, HAL provides free shuttle to and from the center of town as they normally dock at the Navy base pier (the Mole).

 

Thanks for the additional information. Glad you enjoyed your cruise.

[Ky Colonel]

summersigh,

 

Your very good review of your 3-8-15 cruise on the Eurodam included the statement

 

"MISC ...

--There were day of the week rugs in the elevators"

 

None of our last 4 or 5 HAL cruises have had the day-of-the-week elevator rugs, and we have missed them greatly. Has HAL re-introduced the day-of-the-week rugs system-wide, or are they only being used on the Big Girls (i.e., Eurodam and Niew Amsterdam)?

 

Thanks for any info you may have,

 

Rod

[1ANGELCAT]

There were Day of the Week rugs on the Maasdam sailing 4/7-4/17

[summersigh]

summersigh,

 

Your very good review of your 3-8-15 cruise on the Eurodam included the statement

 

"MISC ...

--There were day of the week rugs in the elevators"

 

None of our last 4 or 5 HAL cruises have had the day-of-the-week elevator rugs, and we have missed them greatly. Has HAL re-introduced the day-of-the-week rugs system-wide, or are they only being used on the Big Girls (i.e., Eurodam and Niew Amsterdam)?

 

Thanks for any info you may have,

 

Rod

 

I'm not sure ... I hope others will reply - Those "Days of the Week" kept us in touch with the "real world" :D There had been a discussion before we left regarding whether or not HAL was still using the Days Rugs in the elevators ... thus my observation of them on the Eurodam.

Edited April 28, 2015 by summersigh

[DeeniEncinitas]

Thankyou for your report.

Enjoyed the review!

Denise

[Ky Colonel]

There were Day of the Week rugs on the Maasdam sailing 4/7-4/17

 

 

Interesting ... maybe this signals a return of the rugs system-wide. So anyone who has recent (since early-February) experience, please chime in ... I need to know before we leave on our June 6 Alaska cruise, so I will know whether or not I need to pack my own calendar!

 

Thanks & smooth sailing,

 

Rod

[Krazy Kruizers]

JMO -- I don't want to know what day of the week it is.

I am on vacation!!

[Krazy Kruizers]

OP

We were away when you wrote your review.

Glad you enjoyed your cruise.

[Typhoon1]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts.