RevNeal's LIVE Eurodam Report

[innlady1]

Nope ... not at all. Indeed, my observation has been that those on the Observation deck, abaft the Crows Nest, appear to be quite popular. It's those on the Lido deck that seem to be somewhat ... well ... neglected. I've been by there several times yesterday and today ... a bunch remained unused.

 

From the photos I've seen, Greg, those seem to be quite nice. And, a cabana, for someone wanting peace and quiet, would be quite nice on the Observation Deck. From what I understand, those are similar to an area on some Princess.

Interesting that the ones on the Lido are somewhat neglected. That doesn't surprise me. I think they're silly in that location. Anyone wanting a cabana, IMO, would want it in a more quiet location.

Continue to enjoy your cruise, and I hope we get to hear more of your wonderful reports!

[RevNeal]

[/u]

 

I have no idea. When I saw the post, I had not seen the photos. Even after seeing the photos, it is difficult to say how large the tables really are. But, obviously you have been there & checked it out, so I am no longer concerned.

 

I don't understand why you would be concerned. The tables are solid, made of concrete with polished concrete tops ... I don't they could be hurt. As for two people "dancing" on them -- impossible, if only because they would bang their heads on the ceiling above if they tried to stand up straight! No ... no need to concern yourself over such details.

[RevNeal]

Mr. Hannah, sir, it is a delight to hear from you. Hope to hear more in the future.

 

Having been in Texas on business at this time of year, I can certainly bet you are doubly happy to be where you are. Enjoy your cruise!

 

I'll relay your remarks to Jim. Being from Texas, a native and much longer term resident that Jim, I can say that I'm triply happy to be where I am. :D

 

62 degress or 101? Hmmm ... hard choice. NOT! :D

[RevNeal]

Wow, what a silly controversy! And what a ridiculous thing to argue and attack me and others over! I feel like a Dad, and want to say "EVERYBODY, OUT OF THE POOL!"

 

You may have noted that, once I discovered that it was underway and what was being done (and by whom), I decided to stop answering questions in-flow and just finish reading the thread. Whether or not I continue to post, or just save my money and enjoy this cruise without posting on the board, will depend upon what happens next.

 

In response:

 

1. Yes. Scotty jumped up, did a twist, hit his head on the ceiling, and jumped down.

 

2. Brian, not to be out-done, did the same thing.

 

3. BOTH of them wouldn't have fit.

 

4. The tables are made out of stone and bolted to the floor. No harm could possibly have been done.

 

5. Scotty and Mary Ellen did NOT dance on the table top. Their dance, on the floor, was projected onto the table top. That someone would think, or intimate, otherwise is just NUTS.

 

6. I will affirm that Brian and Scotty had enjoyed the adult beverages that evening.

 

That should settle the issue. NO MORE needs to be said. PERIOD.

 

My report follows.

[RevNeal]

The Inaugural Cruise's Sail Away:

 

Sail away from Copenhagen was a great deal of fun.

A huge group met in Brian and Scotty's Suite, and out on their Verandah, for the event. The wine and champaign were flowing and there were many wonderful introductions, hugs between old friends, and rejoicing as the Eurodam pushed away from the pier, backed out of her parking spot in Copenhagen, inched her way around the former "Empress of the Seas" (now just the "Empress"), turned around, and then accelerated out of the harbor into the open seas. The weather was perfect ... brilliantly blue sky, warm sun ... it was lovely.

 

That evening drinks were held in a somewhat less hectic Ocean Bar, however the service there was not any better and, if anything, somewhat worse. It doesn't seem possible that a drink order could take 40 minutes to fill, but it did. That was just unacceptable, and I made sure that my displeasure what known.

 

Dinner arrangements were unbelievably mixed up. FAR from being situated at the same table, or at near-by tables, we were scattered all throughout the main dining room: Ruth, Adele, Mary Ellen and Karl on the starboard side, John and Susan at a table far away in the middle with people they don't know, some of us at a table on the aft port side, and several others downstairs in Open Seating (when they had been confirmed with fixed). We understand that there's not a table large enough for all 20 of us in our sub-grouping ... but is it really so difficult to put us 2 eight-tops and a four-top close together? It should have been easy to do ... however, it wasn't. We had several very angry and upset, wearing CCers, and 2 who stated they were going to give up on HAL altogether (even despite having more than 500 days on the Line) if they can't get this fixed. Supposedly everything was fixed, and we were to be relocated to 3 adjoining round tables on the port side-aft. There were a lot of adjustments going on in the main dining room anyway, so it wasn't supposed to be a big harry problem. Well, apparently it was because when we arrive for dinner on our second night (after touring all-day in Oslo) we discovered that several people hadn't been informed about the table adjustments and re-groupings that were going on. Hence, there was a long line and upset people all around AGAIN. This time, at least, after much discussion with the Maitre D', we were able to sit, together, at our grouped tables.

 

We'll see how things go tonight, on our first Formal Night of the cruise. Our prayer is that the table assignments that were locked down last night stay locked down for tonight ... but none of us are going to hold our breath.

 

Oslo:

 

It was a cold, rainy mess, but it was still a great day. I did the all day Oslo tour, with a visit to the Viking Ship Museum, the old Viking village, and the Sculpture park. Wow ... what amazing sights! I just wish it hadn't been raining so much that swimming was required on!!!!!!!! :) Seriously, it was raining buckets and had I not bought ponchos I would have been soaked to my shorts (as were a bunch in our group). I look forward to coming back to this city, someday, and seeing more.

 

Sea Day:

 

Today was our first Sea Day, and it was spent at breakfast with 8 of our CC friends and then at our Cruise Critic Get Together in the Crows Nest at 10 am. A huge group of us gathered there, we had an open bar, and about 50 people showed up to meet each other, Captain van Donselaar, the Hotel Manager Stan Kuppens, and the Cruise Director Shane Michaels. It was a great success, as far at Meet & Greets go, and lasted from 10 am until the 1:15 pm Trivia game, with many of us just sitting around and sharing cruise stories, thoughts about the ship, good times and sad times from our lives since our last meeting, and the joys of Cruise Critic in general. We all had a wonderful time.

 

A Few More Thoughts on the Eurodam:

 

This ship kind of grows on ya. She IS beautiful, and yet some of our group -- those who don't like big ships and are offended by not having self-service laundries, etc. -- do NOT like her at all. As for myself, I find myself adjusting to the differences in Decor and public-space arrangement. The public lounges are very lovely, and the cabins are nice too. However, some nagging problems remain. Again: when compared with other HAL vessels, the ship feels too crowded. I know, I've said this before, but it merits repeating: there is not enough seating in the Lido or in the mid-ships pool area. The Lido-pool Cabanas are going mostly-empty -- only 3 were rented or in-use by the early afternoon today ... a sea day! -- with their precious space going to waste while people can be observed wandering around, looking for places to sit. They don't take away lounger space by the pool, but they do take away table space by the exterior windows (decreased to just the starboard side and 1/4 of the port side) ... which, in turn, pushes people to sitting on those pool-side loungers that would normally be sitting back in the shade at the tables. All of this increases congestion. Also, the Lido kitchen area has decreased in size, along with the serving areas. This means that there is more congestion at the food stations, and there the lines are commensurately longer because service is slower. The crew is working HARD to overcome this, but there is only so much that they can do.

 

I've come to the conclusion that the Retreat Cabanas on the Observation Deck just abaft the Crows nest are nice and will probably be very successful. I've taken pictures which will go in my on-line photo-galleries of the ship. I've noticed that they seem to be half to 3/4 in-use, which bodes will for their continuance.

 

The Explorations Cafe being located on the Starboard side of the Crows Nest has been poorly executed. Here, again, even when empty it feels cramped and uninviting for the purpose to which it was planned. When crowded with people, it's useless for reading. I loved the old location of the Explorations Cafe on the Noordam, and the location as-found on the S and R ships ... but this configuration makes the space one which I will not use much. And that is unfortunate, because I was one to use the Library/Explorations Cafe space when it was located low and aft. Sadly, its relocation to the starboard side of the crows nest also had the effect of wiping out about 1/4 of the space that the Crows Nest usually used, and this made the lounge feel very cramped in the daytime for Trivia and also cramped during the evenings for conversations and such near the Piano player.

 

Again, she's a very beautiful ship ... but she's too crowded, and many of her lounges are too small. That's my opinion thus far.

 

I'll soon be posting a few photos from the last few days. Or not. It all depends upon you.

[lazey1]

As a newcomer to cruise critic and someone who is on Eurodam for the Aug.4 2008-25 day Viking Worlds sailing I thoroughly enjoy your posts and look forward to reading more of them. :D

[Desdemona01]

Greg, thanks so much for the updates. Please ignore the silly hoopla--I'm not sure why people get their knickers in a bunch over things that are just silly, but it does happen. I wouldn't blame you one bit if you gave up on this "live from" thread and just ENJOYED your cruise but, if you decide to continue with it, I think I can speak for many who are truly enjoying it.

 

Des

[KLLund]

Excellent report as usual!! Can't wait to hear if the dining is straightened out for formal night!

[puddles'n splashes]

Thank you Greg for your interesting and informative posts. I usually am a lurker on these threads but want to add my wish and keen desire that you continue to post and take us along on your journey.

It's too bad the weather was so poor in Oslo. The sculpture park is truly impressive, but it is a long walk around, so I can understnd why people would be soaked!

Happy sailing to you and all the other Cc's on board.

[Oceanwench]

Great work as always, Greg! Love reading your posts.

You know *someone* is always looking for a reason to criticize. I am glad you put it to rest.

Carry on!!!

[marle7]

Thank you for your reports! I do hope you'll continue as I've enjoyed reading them. Couldn't blame you if you didn't though, and just decided to enjoy your cruise!

[Divi]

RevNeal,

Thank you for your latest report. I have been anxiously awaiting more Eurodam descriptions on all of the live threads.

We are booked on the Prinsendam for a cruise in May, 2009 and have no plans (at the moment!) to sail on the Eurodam. However, I thoroughly enjoy reading anything and everything about the cruises and ships of Holland America.

Looking forward to your pictures and further reports.

Thanks, Geraldine

[oobbian]

Thank you for taking time out to update your blog. I log on everyday just to see if there is an update! We are booked for a sailing in late November and my dh is curious if they did away with the pingpong table. Your insights would be greatly appreciated!

[mamaofami]

Greg, I really enjoyed your post. Hopefully, the dining arrangements will stay as you wish:rolleyes: ...sorry, couldn't help myself. :D

Thank you for the info on all the different restaurant venues. Since they all require reservations, I wish they would take them on line or on the phone before boarding. Have you tried Tamarind? And how about Canaletto? How were they and do you have any menus available from Canaletto? The Tamarind menus were posted a long time ago on the Eurodam blog.

Your description of the ship is very helpful and I can visualize all the spaces you are describing. I wondered how the Explorations Cafe would work out up near the Crow's Nest. Doesn't sound as though it's placed in a convenient spot. I guess the powers that be were trying out a new design scheme and thought it would free up space where it was. By the way, what have they put in that space?

Have fun on your first formal night.

[JPH814]

Thanks for your reporting. I am looking forward to your pictures as well.

Is the casino crowded? I would be interested to know the limits on the tables (particularly the craps and roulettes) table: Minimum bet $5? $10? or more?

[fireman845]

Greg DO NOT I repeat DO NOT let a few bad apples get to you!! I truly cannot wait each and every morning and spare time in between to come read your thread. You have fantastic skills in writing and if I must say for myself not putting up with the Bull***t. So from me myself and I thank you for taking the time and money while on your vacation to share with us CCers!!

Believe me there are way more people that appreciate what you are doing for us than those few bad seeds!!!

[localady]

Greg-

You confirmed my suspicions about the new location of the Explorations Cafe, I had feared as much as I too am a huge fan of the previous location in the Promenade area. :o

Thanks again for your reports and insights, hope the rain clears soon!!

[SeaMatesNYC]

I'll soon be posting a few photos from the last few days. Or not. It all depends upon you.

 

You have no idea how many broken-hearted CCers there would be if you stopped giving us our fix.

 

You have a duty to continue your "Live From" thread if only for the greater good!

 

Your friends and fans are counting on you!

 

Michael

[EbayCruiser]

Please don't give up on us. I came home at lunch today to see if you had posted. It's great to hear from you!! Have a wonderful time ... :)

[Atomica]

Greg, THANK YOU VERY MUCH for continuing to spend some of your hard earned vacation time and dollars posting your thoughts here. I look forward to reading about the rest of your journey!

[josephone]

Hi

Keep the posts coming. They are great. Sorry about the silliness. Most of us want to learn about the ship!!!

My view is that you have to look at it as a new ship and not even a HAL ship. It is simply different. For us that is exciting.

See you in Copenhagen on July 15

Josephone

[sapper1]

Good lord, I saw far worse on our honeymoon cruise on Carnival...is it something I would do...no, but I am rather conservative ;)

One would expect to see such actions on Carnival, but not on Holland America. Do people put drinks and food on those tables? How unsanitary and inconsiderate to contaminate the tabletop!!! Most people travel on HAL hoping to have a more genteel experience.

[waiting2retire]

Please count me in with those who are hoping you continue your "Live from" thread! Reading any "live from" thread is the next best thing to actually being on a cruise, and yours have always been so well-written and balanced...

 

I have been considering booking the Eurodam for my mother and I on one of her Canada/New England cruises next Fall, but I am going to wait to see how the cabana situation plays out. My mother's favourite place on any of the HAL ships are those tables and chairs by the Lido pool. We have our breakfast there every morning, and Mom frequently sits there to read during the day because she gets fresh air, a great view, and shade.

 

The rest of the changes won't likely impact me that much since I spend most of my time at the aft pool when the weather is nice enough. Athough the high armrests in the theatre could be a challenge for this vertically challenged cruiser, and I don't think I am slim enough to "keep my arms to myself" like Copper 10-8's DW Maria :D .

 

Please keep posting Greg, and I truly loooooove your pics!!

 

Bonnie

[earl_m]

Greg! please don`t stop. Keep them coming!!. I enjoy

reading your review every day!

[sapper1]

What strikes me as interesting here is that many find it acceptable that two people jumped up on brand new tables that probably were not intended for such behavior and it is okay because they were having a good time but if I took my teens to the disco to have a good time they would be blasted if they jumped on the tables...kinda like if they sat to eat breakfast in someone elses cabana because their food was getting cold. Yes, people are choosing to take time away from their vacation to post but no one is making them and if they report something some one doesn't agree with we all have the right to say if for no other reason then to assure other possible cruise goers that they will be indeed sailing with some like minded inviduals.

You make your point very well!!!