'Twas the Week Before Christmas - Live from the Eurodam

[POA1]

Hi POA! Great review, per usual!

 

We did eat in the Lido on day 6. The lobster is correct!

 

Hope that helps and that you're feeling better.

Thanks for the update. That should make people happy. There was a time when you had to go to the MDR if you wanted lobster.

[POA1]

I checked the Set B, Day 1 menus and what I published was what was in the files I received. So, I guess that the Lido and MDR are not in lockstep for dinner.

Set B - Day 2 - Menus

 

Fresh and hot off the press.

http://www.evernote.com/l/AFgDp-FeRhFOTKXlYDIfvStJKfNxYgx7wkk/

[MisterBill99]

I checked the Set B, Day 1 menus and what I published was what was in the files I received. So, I guess that the Lido and MDR are not in lockstep for dinner.

Set B - Day 2 - Menus

 

Fresh and hot off the press.

http://www.evernote.com/l/AFgDp-FeRhFOTKXlYDIfvStJKfNxYgx7wkk/

FYI, in this one you have the Lido dinner twice and do not have the Lido lunch.

 

As for the day 1 lunch (not dinner), what I was talking about is that in set A, if you compare the MDR and Lido menus, you will see that the desserts are pretty much identical (which is reasonable, no sense in making different stuff), and there is some duplication in the MDR entrees and the Lido.

 

If you look at set B, the MDR desserts are the same as set A. But the Lido lunch desserts are completely different. And I don't see any similarity in the entrees, either. So I think the Lido menu isn't accurate. Either that or the bake shop makes entirely different desserts for MDR and Lido, which is different from how things work on set A.

 

Interestingly, the day 2 lunch and dinner menus are identical in the two sets. I was expecting that for dinner given that it's Gala night, but not for lunch after what I saw on day 1.

Edited December 29, 2016 by MisterBill99

[POA1]

While posting menus is helpful, and let's be honest, it's probably the thing most people are interested in. Unfortunately, we're all about original research here at the Institute of Cheer. That means that it's time for us to get back to our crux of our research with an update to our 2014 worldwide best seller, "Poohby Joe's Guide to Cabana Living"

 

 

Allow us to present our biennial cabana living research project:

 

 

 

A couple of important points: The cabanas now have a new color scheme. (I'm not sure if this is because all the cabanas have changed or if it's just the Eurodam.) The 2014 cabanas has a burgundy color scheme. The 2016 version tends more toward earth tones.

 

Moving along. There are two types of cabanas on the Eurodam (and the Nieuw Amsterdam.) There are Lido Cabanas, which are situated along one side of the Lido pool. There are 8 of these. They measure 8'x7' on the NA and 7'10"x 6'6" on the Eurodam. For those of you who don't do contractor math in your heads, the Eurodam cabanas are just about 5.08 sq ft smaller. (Think small patio chair.)

 

The non-poolside cabanas are called "Retreat Cabanas" on the Eurodam and "Cabana Club" on the the Nieuw Amsterdam. Prices and dimensions are in the chart below:

 

 

Here are the layouts for each type of cabana.

 

First the Lido:

 

and the Retreat:

 

In our experience, the corners, "Sotchi" and "Amal" have been used as work spaces by the cabana attendants.

 

[POA1]

FYI, in this one you have the Lido dinner twice and do not have the Lido lunch.

 

As for the day 1 lunch (not dinner), what I was talking about is that in set A, if you compare the MDR and Lido menus, you will see that the desserts are pretty much identical (which is reasonable, no sense in making different stuff), and there is some duplication in the MDR entrees and the Lido.

 

If you look at set B, the MDR desserts are the same as set A. But the Lido lunch desserts are completely different. And I don't see any similarity in the entrees, either. So I think the Lido menu isn't accurate. Either that or the bake shop makes entirely different desserts for MDR and Lido, which is different from how things work on set A.

 

Interestingly, the day 2 lunch and dinner menus are identical in the two sets. I was expecting that for dinner given that it's Gala night, but not for lunch after what I saw on day 1.

 

Thanks for the proofread Mr. Bill! I accidentally missed one of the Lido menus. It's fixed at the link now.

 

I'm not sure what to make about the Set B Day 1 menus, but it's the best I have to offer. We haven't taken dinner in the Lido in forever. As we work our way forward, please let me know if you catch any other issues.

[POA1]

The current cabana price list is at the link below:

 

http://www.instituteofcheer.com/img/2016/cabana/2016-Cabanas.pdf

 

A trustworthy source has reported that there might be a price increase for 2017. I blame myself. I wrote about how the caviar was a great deal and it went from $45 to $70/oz. If the cabanas go up after I write about them, I might have to take it personally. :D

[Dogstar]

The current cabana price list is at the link below:

 

http://www.instituteofcheer.com/img/2016/cabana/2016-Cabanas.pdf

 

A trustworthy source has reported that there might be a price increase for 2017.

 

 

 

POA1, does your source have any indication when the cabana prices may be going up in 2017 ... Jan 01 or ??? Trying to decide if it may be worth reserving & paying for it now well ahead of our Nov 2017 cruise.

 

Thanks. Dogstar.

Edited December 29, 2016 by Dogstar

[POA1]

POA1, does your source have any indication when the cabana prices may be going up in 2017 ... Jan 01 or ??? Trying to decide if it may be worth reserving & paying for it now well ahead of our Nov 2017 cruise.

 

Thanks. Dogstar.

She was looking at fall 2017.

[MisterBill99]

Thanks for the proofread Mr. Bill! I accidentally missed one of the Lido menus. It's fixed at the link now.

Thanks, but it's still wrong :(. Day 2, set B, no Lido lunch menu 92 Lido dinner menus.

Edited December 30, 2016 by MisterBill99

[MisterBill99]

Thanks, but it's still wrong :(. Day 2, set B, no Lido lunch menu 92 Lido dinner menus.

Oops, make that 2 Lido dinner menus not 92!

Edited December 30, 2016 by MisterBill99

[POA1]

Oops, make that 2 Lido dinner menus not 92!

 

Double check that Bill. Lido lunch is the second page of the PDF. Lido Land & Sea Dinner is the fifth and final page.

[POA1]

Continuing with Poohby Joe's Guide to Cabana Living 2016 (while there's still one day of 2016 left....)

 

The Eurodam and the Nieuw Amsterdam have two different types of cabanas: Lido & Retreat/Cabana Club. The Konigsdam's deck plans make it look like there would be cabanas by the Lido pool, but firsthand reports say no.

 

Lido Cabanas are smaller and are aligned in a row along one side of the Lido pool. They're less expensive to rent. On the plus side, they're closer to the pool and the food in the Lido. They're more in the middle of the action if you like that. Please note that most of these images hot link to a larger version if you want to "zoom in" on the photo.

 

 

The Lido cabanas are equipped with an oval lounger type bed. The bed separates into two parts if you would like to pretend that you have 2 private islands. The lounger is provided with enough pillows to allow you to start a decent sized pillow fight - or at least a pillow guerilla incursion. You also get a round top table and two chairs. There is a small table in the back of the cabana which is where your bowl o' fruit lives. Finally, there's an ice bucket where you'll find your two large bottles of water each day. (Because someone's going to ask: They're 1.5L bottles of spring water.)

 

You'll find the Lido cabana map in an earlier post, or you can use the link below to get the 2016 Cabana Info PDF. There are eight Lido Cabanas on the Eurodam and only six on the Nieuw Amsterdam.

 

http://www.instituteofcheer.com/img/2016/cabana/2016-Cabanas.pdf

[POA1]

Most of our information will deal with the Retreat Cabanas, since that's what we prefer. There are 14 Retreat Cabanas on the Eurodam and the NA, while the Noordam & Zuiderdam have 16. The two cabanas closest to the wall (Amalfi & Sochi) have been used for staging on each of our three cabana equipped cruises. I'm not sure if they rent them out during busy weeks or if the cabana stewards use them as a work area all the time.

 

 

 

The two family cabanas are located in the corners closest to the retractable roof of the Lido pool. They're quite a bit bigger than the regular cabanas and are outfitted with two double loungers and two sets of tables & chairs.

 

 

[MisterBill99]

Double check that Bill. Lido lunch is the second page of the PDF. Lido Land & Sea Dinner is the fifth and final page.

It's good now. Maybe there was a caching issue at Evernote that was causing me to get the old version.

 

BTW I found this set of first day "B" menus for a longer cruise. Notice how the desserts on the Lido menu match the MDR menu. I guess I'll find out when I'm on board in a couple of months.

 

http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/here/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Car-10d-Embarkation-Day.pdf

[POA1]

The six cabanas along the railing overlooking the magrodome roof of the Lido pool are open-ended. The two family cabanas are open on the size facing the pool as well. This gives you good flow though ventilation, or hella wind, depending on the movement of the ship relative to the wind on the ocean.

 

 

 

 

The cabanas along the sides of the ship have a glass wall facing the ocean. Their should be less wind in those if that's important to you.

 

[POA1]

It's good now. Maybe there was a caching issue at Evernote that was causing me to get the old version.

 

BTW I found this set of first day "B" menus for a longer cruise. Notice how the desserts on the Lido menu match the MDR menu. I guess I'll find out when I'm on board in a couple of months.

 

http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/here/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Car-10d-Embarkation-Day.pdf

I don't know what to tell you. The menus are arranged into folders. Set A > Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, etc. Everything in each PDF was printed from the same folder. I wouldn't worry about it too much if I were you. It'll cause agitation. Then, eventually acid reflux. The acid will irritate your esophagus and after a bit, begin eating away at your tooth enamel. Finally, you'll be a toothless bundle of stressed out nerves, wandering from deck to deck mumbling about mismatched entrées. It's not worth the hassle. ;)

[AmberTeka]

Thank you for the Review. We will be On the Eurodam in March of this year. Spring Break for Florida children, but as My daughter is a teacher, I won't gripe. We will have my six year old grandchild, so there will some in Children's program. Not that I expect her to go or Stay. She has 4 adults who are capable of entertaining her, and .that is not only her view of the world, we all dote on her & see it that way. She is well behaved. Our daughter is an . Only child. She is an. Only Grandchild. She does like to swim, & as she is a Florida baby, she is a good swimmer. The Pools looked lovely in your photos.

 

I LOVED your reflections. (when you were sitting on the bed taking photos of the TV..and wondering how pathetic that must sound.) I burst out laughing. WHO does not identify with that at some point in their life ?.

 

Actually.........the TV photos and information was very helpful. I am a news Junkie. Need to get my fix, even if only for a short time each day. LOVED that all of them are available. CNN.MSNBC. FOX.

LIKED the Movies on Demand. Hope they have children's movies. I watched the "Frozen" movie 8 times on the Princess Regal, and if time had permitted, I think Grandchild would have watched it more. She was in bliss when it was on!!

Now it is Trolls. Hope the Troll movie is old enough to be on demand when we sail.

 

The Detail you posted.......menus. Daily.........that took a lot of time. Thank you. We like Trivia and fancy ourselves quite good at it. We are usually humbled, but do enjoy it. I was glad to see several games a day. Thank you.

The Food In Lido Dinner Market looked very good. Double Thank You.

 

We have sailed on HAL 3 times, but it has been a while. We usually sail on Princess or Carnival (Carnival port is in our hometown and another 3 hours away.) Glad to be back on HAL, God Willing.

 

Thank you again. I learned so much about the ship. You and your wife sound delightful.

Happy Sails to you

Edited December 30, 2016 by AmberTeka

[POA1]

Thanks AmberTeka! Roger Jett posted the movie schedule from late November and The Secret Life of Pets was on it. DW was really looking forward to seeing it. Sadly, it was not to be. We had a lot of Christmas movies showing in the theatre - which makes sense given the time of year.

Edited December 30, 2016 by POA1

[POA1]

Each day, our cabana was stocked with 2 1.5 liter bottles of water and a fresh basket of fruit.

 

 

When you first go to your cabana, you'll find an Evian mister and a small, battery powered fan on the table. (Mister on the left. The blue fan is on the right.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

We've found that good cabana attendants can make all the difference in your experience. Ours, Brian & Rod were outstanding. Brian has been doing this for a while and he is heading home in a few weeks. Rod is the newer of the two and will be on the ship after Brian leaves. The cabana attendants rotate in from the Lido for two weeks at a time. They bring you the lunch menus from the Lido, New York Pizza and the Dive In each day. You can place an order and choose a delivery time. We used to feel bad about having them fetch lunch, but they honestly seemed sad when we'd go get our own. So, if not standing in a long line of people and hunting for seats in the lido make them happy, who are we to argue?

 

[canadarocks]

POA1 thanks so much for the cabana info. Do you know if the lunch delivery service is offered in the Lido Cabanas as well?

[POA1]

POA1 thanks so much for the cabana info. Do you know if the lunch delivery service is offered in the Lido Cabanas as well?

 

Not that I'm aware of. The brochure says: "Healthy breakfast and lunch choices available at the Cabana Club and Retreat." The Lido cabanas are just steps from the food in the Lido and they're right across from the Dive-In.

[aliaschief]

Thanks for this fantastic thread and review. It's worthy of the CC Hall Of Fame or a Noble Prize.:)

 

Hope your feeling better and wishes for a Happy and Healthier New Year!

 

Bruce

[POA1]

To give you a better idea of what the Retreat Cabana area looks like, here are some aerial shots taken from the deck above.

 

 

 

 

And a couple of panoramic pictures for good measure.

 

 

 

Each afternoon, the cabana stewards bring around Champagne and treats. Chocolate covered strawberries are a frequent offering. Please note that these elongated strawberries are what local, early season berries look like in Florida. I got pretty much the same thing at Publix supermarket on Saturday - although the ones from the store were suspiciously short of white chocolate.

 

 

A couple of salient points: First, it's not real Champagne. It's Prosecco. It's decent Prosecco and it would be rude not to have a couple of glasses. Between the two large bottles of water and the sparkling wine, it really helps you to stretch the 15 drinks on the Signature Beverage Package. Second; the eagle-eyed among you may have noticed that the word, "Retreat" on the waffle robe becomes "Treat" when the treats arrive. It's magical.

[sail7seas]

Another great tghread, POA. Thank you fo r it. Hope you havexhaken off the bronchitis. Feel better.

enjoy.

Edited December 31, 2016 by sail7seas

[POA1]

Another great tghread, POA. Thank you fo r it. Hope you havexhaken off the bvronchitis. Feel better.

enjoy.

 

Thanks, Sail! I'm getting there. My cough seems to be a lot better and the wheezing is way down. It's a little easier to fight bronchitis down here than it was in northern New England.