Any good reivews regarding the Eurodam?

[frodo63]

I know that people with complaints do their best to let everyone know how they feel. I have read a few good reviews about the Eurodam but not many. Is the Eurodam that bad or are the cruisers who had a wonderful experience just keeping the info to themselves?

[cruiseluv]

Hi,

 

I don't know if you saw my review/comments which I posted yesterday. I thought in balance it was very positive. This is the post:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=840058

[frodo63]

Thanks cruiseluv, I did read your review. But yours is just about the only positive information I've heard on Eurodam. Anybody else out there want to provide their positive experiences?

[mamaofami]

Read mine..it's a few pages back. We had a very nice time. Yes, there were some kinks which need to be ironed out, but that's to be expected on a new ship...at least I think so.

[frodo63]

Thanks mamaofami for your review. To think you posted it twice and I missed it both times! I also read VKMcCarty's review of the cabanas.

 

What I can't figure out, because HAL is a wonderful cruise line, is why so many negative review for the Eurodam?

 

I hope to hear from more positive reviewers, especially those who have gone on 7 day trips in the future.

[sail7seas]

Jade has made very postive comments about her cruise on Eurdodam and I wrote I love the ship and totally enjoyed our visit aboard in Boston. We think her beautiful and can't wait for our March cruises on her.

 

We all know it's more usual for people with negative comments and complaints to post than those who left happy. I don't know why so few folks who are pleased don't write their comments but that often happens.

[frodo63]

Thank you sail7seas,

 

I've convinced some friends to change cruise lines to go on this cruise. I don't want them to be disappointed. They will be searching the boards for reviews and I was hoping that there would be a better balance between poor and good reviews. :)

[RuthC]

I honestly don't believe that my report from the E-dam could be termed negative. There were things I didn't like that probably can't be changed, and I said I didn't like them. And there were things that were not up to snuff that probably will improve.

But there are also some lovely things about the ship. I hope I mentioned that!

The thing is that no ship is perfect. There are things about this ship that I can never care for as I prefer a smaller ship, and I have said that consistently. That doesn' make the E-dam a bad choice for others.

[Love the beach]

I have not posted a formal review since so many others already have and I figured that by now everyone is tired of reading them---but we had a great time! There were 9 of us in our group-- 3 of whom had never cruised before, and one couple had cruised once on a Disney cruise--- all of us loved it. The food was great, service as good as our past two Noordam cruises--- the staff was very friendly & helpful. We never had a problem finding tables in Lido-- no matter what time we went(usually breakfast around 9am, except for the last day which was 7am, and lunch anywhere from 1-2pm.) Didn't care for the Lido cabanas but obviously people did since they were in use the whole time. Shows were good. We even had good luck with our first Open Dining experience (prefer fixed dining, but had no choice since we booked late). we made a reservation for 8:15 for the 1st two nights, and even though there was a long line on the first night (everyone else wanted to see sailaway, too) we were seated by 8:20 . The 2nd night we got there around 7:45 and were seated right away. The last night we had reservations for 8pm and again were seated right away! Could only find one thing to complain about--- the cruise was too short-- how I wish I was still aboard!:)

[sauvichick]

I did start a thread (review)on the Eurodams cabanas. FANTASTIC!!! There are many more dining choices! Loved the Silk Den, Canaletto, Tamarind, the Pinnacle bar on formal night, outside elevators we took at every opportunity(that overlook the ocean), lots of deck space with many available deck chairs, room service/dining room coffee, comfortable beds, Elemis body lotion, the varity of glasses in our cabin (water, wine & champagne)... just being on vacation on a cruise on HAL is wonderful in itself.

[Big Al B.]

Add us to the ones who enjoyed the E'dam. We were also on the 15-day transatlantic. We had fixed dining and everything was fine including our table of 4 by a window (luck of the draw). I personally didn't care a lot for the Lido cabana idea, but their presence did absolutely nothing to detract from my cruise experience. This trip wasn't a sit by the pool weather one, but even if the chaises by the pool would be filled, there were many, many available on other decks.

 

As I'm sure they are now aware, HAL has to do something about the steps in the theater (a railing is needed).

 

You have to remember that review equals opinion. What bothered some didn't bother me and I'm sure vice versa. The best review for you is the one you write yourself after having experienced the cruise :D.

[jhannah]

I have made positive remarks about the Eurodam. I didn't write a full review because there was already thorough coverage of our prelude and inaugural cruises in "live from" threads. But we had a wonderful time on a beautiful ship. We didn't have some of the issues that were reported here. Our cabin was wonderful and all its systems worked flawlessly. (Those issues written about do occur, rarely, and can occur on ANY ship.)

 

Go with an open mind and enjoy all the Eurodam has to offer.

[RevNeal]

What I can't figure out, because HAL is a wonderful cruise line, is why so many negative review for the Eurodam?

 

I hope to hear from more positive reviewers, especially those who have gone on 7 day trips in the future.

 

Allow me to provide some perspective from someone who spent 23 days aboard her -- from her prelude debut out of Rotterdam through her first Norwegian/England and Baltic cruises.

 

She's a lovely ship, with many great venues and much wonderful promise. Her principle problem, both on her Inaugural sailings back in July and the 3-day introduction on our side of the Atlantic, has been due to the normal "settling in" issues that all brand new ships have. Crew learning how to work together, ship shaking down with factory defects being identified and addressed, policies for the new ships SOP being established, etc. All of this takes time, and the Eurodam is no different in this regard. The Inaugural cruises were a mixture of wonderful and not-so-wonderful; that's the way these maiden voyages are. Patience is called for, and fortitude, and a willingness to see the silver (and gold) linings everywhere.

 

One interesting correlation can be drawn between the 3-day prelude cruise, from Rotterdam to Copenhagen, and the 3-day "Cruise to Nowhere" out of NYC. In both cases a large number of the guests aboard were "dead-heading" ... the line invited them and they go to cruise for free ... or nearly-so. Everything on such a sailing is geared to those TAs, Line officials, Travel experts, etc., who have been invited aboard. The paying passengers are pretty much ignored and have to "make the best of it," as it were. The next time I make such a cruise I will do so wide-eyed as to what kind of cruise it's going to be, and I won't expect to have the full "HAL" experience ... for even the ship's senior staff (the Captain and Hotel Manager) agreed that it wasn't a "real" HAL cruise. I believe that much the same kind of situation was in-play on the 3-day "Cruise to Nowhere" that has gotten so much bad press on this board and elsewhere. Some people really got disrespected aboard that ship on that cruise.

 

I know one HAL passengers -- a 100+ day mariner who usually cruises in Suites or the Penthouse -- who was treated as if she were dirt while she was aboard. She was confirmed with 8 pm fixed, but when she boarded she was put into Open Seating. On the first evening of the cruise she had reservations for the Pinnacle at 8pm. She arrived on time for dinner, was seated, and wasn't served her Salad until 10 pm, her steak until 11 pm, and it took a good 45-50 minutes to even get the attention of the Wine Steward. And the cause? You guessed it ... a party thrown by Seattle Brass for VIPs. They were eating for free, and got top flight service. She was paying the surcharge and was literally forgotten for 2 hours. She has other examples, but that says it all.

 

On these short intro-cruises, where 50% or more of the ship given over to VIPS, TAs, etc., the paying passenger is SOL.

 

My expectation is that the Eurodam will continue to improve in quality of product, service, and standards. As the months go on and the crew gains experience working with the ship and with each other, conditions will improve tremendously. Those who are traveling aboard her on 7 or 10 day cruises over the next several months are sure to see a marked improvement over the 3 day cruises and even over the Inaugural sailings. So, take heart, be of good courage, and enjoy your cruises aboard the lady. I'm sure she'll shape up to Bristol Fashioned excellence before too long.

[bepsf]

I know one HAL passengers -- a 100+ day mariner who usually cruises in Suites or the Penthouse -- who was treated as if she were dirt while she was aboard. She was confirmed with 8 pm fixed, but when she boarded she was put into Open Seating. On the first evening of the cruise she had reservations for the Pinnacle at 8pm. She arrived on time for dinner, was seated, and wasn't served her Salad until 10 pm, her steak until 11 pm, and it took a good 45-50 minutes to even get the attention of the Wine Steward. And the cause? You guessed it ... a party thrown by Seattle Brass for VIPs. They were eating for free, and got top flight service. She was paying the surcharge and was literally forgotten for 2 hours. She has other examples, but that says it all.

 

Somehow, this doesn't surprise me...

...although I don't think I would have had her patience.

:cool:

[MARYVB]

There is one thing HAL cannot fix. The inside cabins are THE smallest in the fleet. Since I usually go inside, Eurodam will never be a ship of "first choice" for me. If I can afford a balcony, then I would consider Eurodam again. She was incredibly beautiful. And unlike so many reports, we had terrific service in the main dining room. We got the same waiter and assistant three nights running. Cabin steward was wonderful. No bad experience there.

Mary

[bepsf]

There is one thing HAL cannot fix. The inside cabins are THE smallest in the fleet. Since I usually go inside, Eurodam will never be a ship of "first choice" for me. If I can afford a balcony, then I would consider Eurodam again. She was incredibly beautiful. And unlike so many reports, we had terrific service in the main dining room. We got the same waiter and assistant three nights running. Cabin steward was wonderful. No bad experience there.

Mary

 

Mary--

 

You do realize that there are a wide variety of Inside Staterooms - anywhere from 140 sq ft to 200 sq ft, don't you?

 

For example, a Category J on Main Deck is much larger than a Category J on Rotterdam or Navigation Deck - However the pricing is the same due to the upper decks being more desireable "neighborhood".

 

You have to look at the deckplans to know what you're choosing.

[narob]

We have booked the Eurodam for the Baltic next May, because we enjoyed the Noordam so much! We have been Celebrity Elite cruisers, but have found HAL's recent changes even from the Zuiderdam to the Noordam to be major enough to seek out HAL itineraries. That being said, we are still cruising the Century and Solstice next year, because they are a great value.

[RuthC]

There is one thing HAL cannot fix. The inside cabins are THE smallest in the fleet.

That isn't exclusive to the E-dam, however. That's true with all the Vistas.

Oh, and the Prinsendam has some pretty small inside cabins, too.

[RevNeal]

Somehow, this doesn't surprise me...

...although I don't think I would have had her patience.

:cool:

 

Neither would I ... and I told our mutual friend so. Before 9 pm (much less 10 pm) I would have gotten up and left, with words to the Pinnacle Grill manager as to why I was leaving.

[Jade13]

 

She's a lovely ship, with many great venues and much wonderful promise. Her principle problem, both on her Inaugural sailings back in July and the 3-day introduction on our side of the Atlantic, has been due to the normal "settling in" issues that all brand new ships have. I believe that much the same kind of situation was in-play on the 3-day "Cruise to Nowhere" that has gotten so much bad press on this board and elsewhere. Some people really got disrespected aboard that ship on that cruise.

 

I know one HAL passengers -- a 100+ day mariner who usually cruises in Suites or the Penthouse -- who was treated as if she were dirt while she was aboard. She was confirmed with 8 pm fixed, but when she boarded she was put into Open Seating. On the first evening of the cruise she had reservations for the Pinnacle at 8pm. She arrived on time for dinner, was seated, and wasn't served her Salad until 10 pm, her steak until 11 pm, and it took a good 45-50 minutes to even get the attention of the Wine Steward. And the cause? You guessed it ... a party thrown by Seattle Brass for VIPs. They were eating for free, and got top flight service. She was paying the surcharge and was literally forgotten for 2 hours. She has other examples, but that says it all.

 

On these short intro-cruises, where 50% or more of the ship given over to VIPS, TAs, etc., the paying passenger is SOL.

 

RevNeal, seating at 8:00pm and salad at 10:00pm, are you talking about last weeks cruise from NY? We would have walked out by 8:30pm. We do not put up with that kind of service/treatment, no way. We could not get our plates cleared for dessert on Noordam for about 30 minutes and walked out of the main dining room and never went back. Btw, we had 8:00pm fixed on Eurodam after Seattle tried to get us to switch to 5:45pm for OBC and we refused (they told us they would give us enough to go to the Specialty restaurants for 3 nights, like they would be available when we boarded). I can tell you there were many empty seats on Friday night in the main dining room (I saw three 2 tops) and maybe a third empty the last night.

[Cristiano]

I would really like if someone who has just completed the Copenhagen to NY cruise on the Eurodam to write a full review :D In particular the time spent on the transatlantic crossing.

My DW and I are booked on the 28 day April 25th Transatlantic and I would like to hear what it is like crossing this big pond :eek:

We have always gone through Asia to get to Europe so this wil really be an adventure.

We are in the throws of planning flights from Sydney (AUS) to LA to Orlando then driving down to Fort Lauderdale.

I almost think the planning part is almost better than the travelling....:)

Cheers,

Cristiano.

[Big Al B.]

Christiano, the Copenhagen-NYC transatlantic wasn't similar to the one you will be doing in that there were only a total of 5 sea days (1 day, 3 days, 1 day). A good part of one of those sea days was spent doing some scenic cruising in Greenland (shortened a bit by fog). So there was never actually a long stretch of just pure sea days. Being that we were in the northern areas, there weren't a great many outdoor activities (I think the pool roof was only open the last day for any length of time). However there were activities each day. There were two lecturers, an interesting naturalist/photographer and a lady who talked on stress, relationships and weight loss. There were cooking demonstrations by 2 guest cooks, talks by the party planner, trivia, some games such as golf, a build a boat contest, to name some. There is also the ipod art tour, games in the Explorations area, and of course the ever popular reading of the book :D.

 

The ship is really beautiful and I am sure you will have a great time. If you have any specific questions, I'll be glad to try to answer them.

 

We are booked on the 19 day Hawaii in Oct '09 and are looking forward to the two blocs of 4 sea days.

[RevNeal]

Duplicate

[RevNeal]

RevNeal, seating at 8:00pm and salad at 10:00pm, are you talking about last weeks cruise from NY? We would have walked out by 8:30pm. We do not put up with that kind of service/treatment, no way. We could not get our plates cleared for dessert on Noordam for about 30 minutes and walked out of the main dining room and never went back. Btw, we had 8:00pm fixed on Eurodam after Seattle tried to get us to switch to 5:45pm for OBC and we refused (they told us they would give us enough to go to the Specialty restaurants for 3 nights, like they would be available when we boarded). I can tell you there were many empty seats on Friday night in the main dining room (I saw three 2 tops) and maybe a third empty the last night.

 

Yes, it was the 3-day Cruise to nowhere out of NYC. And, yes, it was unacceptable. But that is an example of what can happen when the Line is catering to special guests without a thought to or care for what it's doing to paying passengers.

[Jade13]

Yes, it was the 3-day Cruise to nowhere out of NYC. And, yes, it was unacceptable. But that is an example of what can happen when the Line is catering to special guests without a thought to or care for what it's doing to paying passengers.

 

RevNeal, that is unacceptable and there is no excuse, BUT who sits there for 2 hours waiting for salad? And, I'm sorry if it is someone who I have chatted with on this bb, but still....

 

I also don't like the fact that Mariner Society told me mariners would be getting lots of things onboard such as tiles and even Inaugural plates, but then none were given out. Cruisinetta and I saw the plate boxes being carried by some stewards on Deck 4, so we know they were given to special guests. I got stuff because I asked when I told Gerald at the front desk I would not be making it to the Mariner brunch, someone got stuff for her ship and someone else for putting together the M&G, but you had to basically go after it. I still think they should have given everyone on the ship the "New York Statute of Liberty Tile" because after all this cruise was a very high per-diem (over $600.00 for 3 nights in an OV - and that was before the prices went up). I expected something on Saturday night and by Sunday I realized none was coming so I went to tell the front desk I wasn't coming to the brunch - and I only bothered (in person vs calling) because I was already at the FCC desk and then the front desk did not have a line.