Just back HAL Eurodam with 14 month twins

We just returned from our 7 day Eastern Caribbean cruise with our 14 month old twin daughters. I wanted to post some of our children specific experiences of traveling with the twins.

We are long time cruisers but this was our first trip with the girls. We did bring 2 nannies with us. Additionally there were two other couples cruising with us.

Packing: The packing list on here were very helpful in developing our own packing list. We tried to limit to just a FEW favorite lovies, stuffed animals and toys. We did bring our own pack and play sheets. Also we brought a small bottle of dawn for cleaning feeding supplies in the sink.

The flight on Delta: The stroller and car seats do not count in your baggage allowance if checked at the gangway. We took our Peg Perego Duette double stroller and were happy we did. We flew first class with one of the nannies for more room as the girls flew on our laps. Also we were allowed 3 checked bags each for a total of 9 checked bags.

Important note they will only allow one infant on lap on each side as there are just 3 oxygen mask that drop down for the two seats. So my wife and nanny would sit on one side and I would sit across the isle for ticketing purposes but they did allow us to pass the babies back and forth as needed.

The Hyatt Ft Lauderdale: We requested pack and plays ahead of time and they were in our room on arrival.

Cruise embarkation: We splurged for the penthouse and happy we did. Firstly it included priority boarding were a HAL representative grabbed us and our nannies after clearing security and personally walked us straight to registration and then directly to our stateroom.

Our cabin: The Eurodam penthouse is awesome with separate bedroom dining room and living room. We could put the girls down for a nap and still have the rest of the cabin and balcony to relax. We brought our video monitors which worked well. We requested pack and plays which were in the cabin when we returned from lunch as well as 2 high chairs for the cabin.

Dinner: They had two high chairs with tray in the main dining room for us every night as well as the specialty restaurants. The waiter was good about putting the girls back up order in early. We would order a hotdog and chicken tenders to cut up. That way if they did not like the food we were having we were ready to go with an alternative that we knew worked. They did have whole milk on the boat but we just used it for morning and bedtime. At dinner and lunch we just did ice water. They girls did great and made it through 2 hour dinners every night. We did have 2 old iPhones loaded with movies and tv shows that would keep them occupied when needed.

Breakfast: We did breakfast in the cabin every morning. Room service would bring cheese omlets and fresh fruit.

The shows: they loved the shows and we went to them all. We would sit in the first few rows but to the side in case we had to escape out of the side (we never had to). We did allow them to stay up late to catch the shows and they tolerated it well.

Naps: They are still on 2 naps a day (10-12noon and 3-5pm). On the cruise we sometimes only got 1 hour but it worked.

Excursions: Grand Turk - we just got a cabana by the pool at Margaritaville and they were able to play in the pool.

San Juan - just walked around Old San Juan.

St Thomas - Coral World then Coki Beach. They loved this.

Half moon cay - beach cabana. They liked just relaxing and playing on the beach. The water was a little cold for them.

Feel free to ask any questions.

Sounds like a great success! Thank you for sharing. :)

Sounds like you did great with your twins. I didn't travel with my daughter until she was 3, but now @ 18 she's a seasoned traveler!

We will be on Eurodam on the 24Nov, last time was Mar 2012, I've been reading a few things that have changed on Eurodam/HAL and was wondering if you could clear up a few things.

I read here recently that there is no crab legs on formal night, if this is true what did they replace it with and what about the lobter on Thurs. night? We have the Pinnacle booked for 2 nts and Tamarind for 1. Wasn't sure about Canalto was not happy last time, now that they charge I don't know if will book. My daughter is a foodie-not sure if we should book another night at Pinnacle (we have done La Cirque in the past-limited menu not our favorite)

My husband and I don't drink cofffe-we have Coke Classic in am, we always bought soda card but if its fountain (as I have heard) its not worth it.

How was service on board-in March I found service a little disappointing from past HAL cruises. Some of servers were fairly new on ship when we sailed last time, but after reading some reviews not sure if this is trend or not.

Also, do you know what is up with this water debate?

We like HAL for the smaller quieter ships, great service and great dinners,hoping I won't be disappointed this time-any information would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks:)

Sounds like you did great with your twins. I didn't travel with my daughter until she was 3, but now @ 18 she's a seasoned traveler!

We will be on Eurodam on the 24Nov, last time was Mar 2012, I've been reading a few things that have changed on Eurodam/HAL and was wondering if you could clear up a few things.

I read here recently that there is no crab legs on formal night, if this is true what did they replace it with and what about the lobter on Thurs. night? We have the Pinnacle booked for 2 nts and Tamarind for 1. Wasn't sure about Canalto was not happy last time, now that they charge I don't know if will book. My daughter is a foodie-not sure if we should book another night at Pinnacle (we have done La Cirque in the past-limited menu not our favorite)

My husband and I don't drink cofffe-we have Coke Classic in am, we always bought soda card but if its fountain (as I have heard) its not worth it.

How was service on board-in March I found service a little disappointing from past HAL cruises. Some of servers were fairly new on ship when we sailed last time, but after reading some reviews not sure if this is trend or not.

Also, do you know what is up with this water debate?

We like HAL for the smaller quieter ships, great service and great dinners,hoping I won't be disappointed this time-any information would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks:)

I do not believe they had crab legs on either formal night. But I am pretty sure there was lobster tail on the 2nd formal night.

We had breakfast in the cabin each morning.

For lunch we did Mariners embarkation, Tamarind 1st sea day, In suite lunch for the San Jaun sail-in, and Pinnacle on the second sea day. Oherwise we ate onshore. On alll of our lunches both the food and service was great.

For dinner we did pinnacle twice and mdr the rest of the time and everything was great. Out of our group of 10 (8 adults) one persons quail was dry and my filet one night came out on the well side of medium instead of medium rare. Otherwise all was great. Note that if you want an extra entree at Pinnacle they will just charge you and extra $10 (I had my own creation of Surf n Diane... Lobster tail and steak Diane!). I think you 2 pinnacles and 1 tamarind are good. You could always add a pinnacle or tamarind if the mdr does not suit your fancy this time.

We did not drink soft drinks around the ship so I can't comment on the soda cards. Also I do not know about the water debate.

We had great service all around and really enjoyed ourselves. Hope you have a great trip.

i was asked to be a nanny for a 4 night cruise....any tips or advice?? we are trying to work out the details as this is new to me and the family.. they had once child age two. did they get their own cabin....did you cover there trip or did they pay?

so far we are planing to work out the my work hours with the child....and have some time in port...i think i would be buying my own stuff like coffee...ect...will not be drinking at any point as their rule which is fine cause it there vacation :) any tips? please share!!! ty

Welcome home, thanks for the review.

i was asked to be a nanny for a 4 night cruise....any tips or advice?? we are trying to work out the details as this is new to me and the family.. they had once child age two. did they get their own cabin....did you cover there trip or did they pay?

 

so far we are planing to work out the my work hours with the child....and have some time in port...i think i would be buying my own stuff like coffee...ect...will not be drinking at any point as their rule which is fine cause it there vacation :) any tips? please share!!! ty

Outline all expectations up front so that both of you know what to expect. Hopefully you have nannied for them before (the longer the better) so you know each other well. One of our nannies has worked for us for 6 months and the other was actually my SIL filling in for our 2nd nanny that could not go. So we knew each other really well.

They had their own cabin across the hall from us. We paid all of their expenses: passport, flights, cruise fare, tips/hotel service charge. We also paid for all excursions they did with us. They were responsible for any of their own personal shopping and beverages they purchased when not with us. We gave them all evenings free after 9pm except 1 when we stayed out late. They did have a glass or two of wine at dinner and were permitted to consume alcohol when not on duty (since I knew them well I knew this would not get out of hand). They were paid 1 weeks usual salary.

Make sure you not only know what expenses are covered (probably should be all) but also your rate of pay and expected hours. I would recommend a gaurantee minimum number of hours so that you do not go and only work 10 hours. Also outline additional compensation if you go over those hours. You should probably not expect to be paid for every hour you are gone. For example on your 4 day cruise: 96 hrs is too much and 10 hours is too little. Find a happy medium between yourself and the family.

Thank you for the information, it is always good to hear from someone just off the ship. I am sure we will have a great time like always. Looking forward to relaxing on board.

Glad your family had a great time and your twins have received alot of compliments on these posts!

All the best:)

We are taking our almost 9 month old twins next month on a cruise. I am excited to hear it can be successful. When people find out we are going they think we are crazy. My husband and I always wanted to continue traveling. Everyone told us our traveling days were over but we are proving them wrong.

We are taking our almost 9 month old twins next month on a cruise. I am excited to hear it can be successful. When people find out we are going they think we are crazy. My husband and I always wanted to continue traveling. Everyone told us our traveling days were over but we are proving them wrong.

Yes it is definitely doable! Granted travel is different a little one/ones in tow but it can be very rewarding too. Good luck on your cruise... I'm sure you will do fine.

We are taking our almost 9 month old twins next month on a cruise. I am excited to hear it can be successful. When people find out we are going they think we are crazy. My husband and I always wanted to continue traveling. Everyone told us our traveling days were over but we are proving them wrong.

Good for you (and your children)! People said the same thing when I cruise alone with my 13 month old twins - it turned out to be the most relaxing week I'd ever had with them. I was prepared because of all the good advice I found here and we haven't stopped cruising since (mine are almost 8 now). Have a great time!

Best,

Mia

Very nice writeup/trip report.

Keith

Sounds like you did great with your twins. I didn't travel with my daughter until she was 3, but now @ 18 she's a seasoned traveler!

We will be on Eurodam on the 24Nov, last time was Mar 2012, I've been reading a few things that have changed on Eurodam/HAL and was wondering if you could clear up a few things.

I read here recently that there is no crab legs on formal night, if this is true what did they replace it with and what about the lobter on Thurs. night? We have the Pinnacle booked for 2 nts and Tamarind for 1. Wasn't sure about Canalto was not happy last time, now that they charge I don't know if will book. My daughter is a foodie-not sure if we should book another night at Pinnacle (we have done La Cirque in the past-limited menu not our favorite)

My husband and I don't drink cofffe-we have Coke Classic in am, we always bought soda card but if its fountain (as I have heard) its not worth it.

How was service on board-in March I found service a little disappointing from past HAL cruises. Some of servers were fairly new on ship when we sailed last time, but after reading some reviews not sure if this is trend or not.

Also, do you know what is up with this water debate?

We like HAL for the smaller quieter ships, great service and great dinners,hoping I won't be disappointed this time-any information would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks:)

How was your trip? We were on Eurodam Nov 17-24. So when we got off, you got on! We DID have crab legs on the first formal night. Did you get them for yours? And, lobster on the 2nd night, which was Thanksgiving. I'd much rather eat lobster than turkey for Thanksgiving!

We did have crab legs on Sunday they were in a broth-they were ok. On Thurs. we did have lobster in the MDR they were the smaller ones-but good. They were actually the same size as the ones in the Pinnacle Grill, I was disappointed with that as when we ate there in March they were the larger warm water lobsters but looks like they have cut back on that-the filets and salmon were still excellant in Pinnacle.

Service in the MDR was hit or miss, Sunday night (we had open seating) we agreed to sit with other guests which was great we enjoyed our time with them but dinner took over 3 hours! We were asked about filtered water on board and I always said tap water please-never had a problem or issue. We ate in MDR on first night husband and daughter had prime rib very small piece (my daughter swims on swim team-she burns alot of caleries she was still hungry and ordered room service afterwards!)

We didn't eat at Canalto, wasn't happy last time and just didn't feel like going for the $10 fee and menu.

We did eat at Tamarind which is always great and we also decided to go to LaCirgue (my husbands idea because of the MDR-he is the one that always says we don't need to eat so much at the other restaurants-but this time he was disapointed in the MDR.)

We did have the soda card, which was fine all week until Wed. when we got back on the ship went to our cabana and ordered a coke, he came back with fountain and we asked why and he said they were changing it to fountain for soda cards, I said I wasn't happy with that and asked to speak to bar manager-he agreed it wasn't right to change mid cruise and we got cans from then on, one day I stopped and someone gave me fountain and I said no way-can please and he changed it. So I believe they are changing it for soda cards but if you order without you would get can.

We did have a good time-I agree with some other posters that things have changed and are changing. Our waiters for the Cabana were hit and miss again, and so was other service. This was our 3rd time on the Eurodam in last 2 years maybe we need to try other line, my 16th cruise overall, not sure what line to try now.

We did have an unfortunate tragedy onboard, with a passenger going overboard-that changed the mood onboard for everyone. My thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of the passenger.

I thought I would go over some of the questions people have had, hope this helps.

Would love to hear how your experience was!

:)

We had those brothy crab legs too. They were just OK. I didn't think the lobster was too bad. But did have better on Royal Caribbean. Overall we had a good experience. My friend is a dancer onboard, so he took us for a behind the scenes tour. I own a dance studio & he has helped out at my studio from time to time. So, it was fun to go back stage & see the costumes, props, etc. He actually had told me about the man who went missing on your voyage. Such a sad, sad, situation.

Back to the food...

One of the things I really enjoyed was in the Lido on the first day upon boarding. It was buttermilk chicken. Sooo good! We all loved it! I also enjoyed that they had sushi daily. We ate in the MDR nightly. One thing I noticed was the waitstaff, while attentive, was not very personable. On all of my previous cruises, we got to know our waiters on a more personal level. I usually leave the dining room the last night feeling very sad to be leaving them. This time, I did not feel that way. Maybe it was just they way these guys worked, I don't know. But every waiter we have ever had on Royal Caribbean was very personable & got to know each person at our table by name. The folks in the Lido, as well as bar staff around pool & in theatre were much more personable. One particular barmaid was Mirasol. She was so sweet! She loved my 18 month old & was always coming to find her, even though we were not ordering many drinks.

We did not go to any of the specialty restaurants, so I can't rate any of those. Will I use HAL again? Only if my friend renews his dance contract with them again. I like to have more action & Eurodam was pretty quiet for my taste.

We were on the same cruise with the Williams family. We sat in the front in the section next to them. The twins were delightful and happy babies. Very nice family - spoke with both parents, mostly the mom of the babies.

We were on the same cruise with the Williams family. We sat in the front in the section next to them. The twins were delightful and happy babies. Very nice family - spoke with both parents, mostly the mom of the babies.

Thanks! It was nice meeting you all :)