Eurodam Review

The Eurodam's crew is outstanding!

Review for the Western Mediterranean Cruise on Eurodam
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discerningedinburgh
6-10 Cruises • Age 60s

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Additional details

Sail Date: Sep 2016
Cabin: Deluxe Ocean-View Verandah Stateroom

I've done 6 Celebrity cruises in the past 5 years with my husband and teenage son. The Equinox twice, The Silhouette twice, Reflection and The Century before it was de-commissioned. I've sailed on The Med, Alaska & The Baltic. I chose this cruise for my parents (aged 80 & 78). It was their first cruise and I decided to join them at the last minute. The reason I chose Holland America for their first cruise was HAL's reputation for catering for 'older guests' and their mid-ship size which I thought would be more manageable. Also the itinerary was perfect for them. First off I should say; My parents loved it ! I, on the other hand was a tad disappointed with The Eurodam as it's very dated and both cabins were tired. There is one outstanding factor though and that's The Crew. They were without doubt the friendliest & most helpful crew I've encountered and because of them...I did enjoy the cruise.

Dining: We had a table for 3 at the Early Sitting and Herman our head waiter was outstanding. My Dad has an endless list of things he can't eat and Herman never failed to accommodate changes to dishes, e.g vegetables from one dish added to meat from another. Early is early though. 5.45 and in most ports this was a rush.

The Lido market place is a 'buffet' with servers. There's a good choice but they need 'trays', it's too big an ask to expect elderly guests to juggle hot plates! We did not experience long queues. My parents ate breakfast in The Lido every morning and we all had lunch here several times. We had two dinners here too as we were too late back for the MDR. We saw 4 shows. A comedian & a comedienne, both good. The other two 'song & dance crew' shows were average. The BB Kings show is good. There seemed to me to be a lack of 'outdoor' seating areas. The mid ship pool on Deck 9 has a retractable roof but even when it's open you do not feel as if you are sitting on a 'pool deck' as the roof is still partially covered and the sides are closed in. The aft pool, also on Deck 9 does have loungers (without cushions) and tables & chairs but it's cramped. One side is the smoking zone - the only one I could see on the ship, so it's popular. The Pizza outlet is located here & there's a bar. Too many things in a small space. There is open deck space on 10 but it's wall to wall loungers of the basic variety, no shade.

Cabin Review

Deluxe Ocean-View Verandah Stateroom

Cabin VA

I booked within a few weeks of sail date so had no choice. I got what was left. Cabin 8025 is Forward on The Starboard (odd) side. This is a wheelchair accessible cabin. I can't comment on whether the facilities for wheelchair users are better or worse as I've no experience of this. I can tell you though that there is more floor space. A ramp in & out of verandah. A walk in shower (instead of shower over bath) with waist grab rails, towel hooks & shower seat. The curtains open & close at the push of a button by the bed.

The Verandah is longer but not as deep. It's sticks out so you're in full view of other cabins. Compared to a Celebrity Solstice Class Concierge Cabin it felt dated, looked tired with some visible minor cosmetic damage to lower walls. The Air Conditioning Unit roared for 12 days. It was always on, never cut off and is centrally controlled. Maintenance added some deafening material to the ceiling unit which dulled the noise a bit but I found it difficult to sleep with constant air flow and white noise! The wardrobe storage is ample with hanging & shelves. There is a safe & minibar. A flat screen tv with excellent choice of free movies and box sets, all the usual news channels & informative port overviews. It is not interactive like Celebrity, you cannot check your bill or book restaurants etc.There are European & Us sockets and USB charger ports. Hairdryer, Bathrobe & Make Up mirror. There was significant vibration in this cabin even when the ship was docked. My parents had cabin 8112. An aft Port side (even) verandah cabin in a traditional cabin layout. Be aware that the bathroom is a shower over bath. The bath is low sided and their is a grab rail but as they are 80 ...they had to be careful. Their location was close to both aft & mid ship elevators and very handy to nip up to deck 9 Lido for cups of tea!

Port Reviews

Rome (Civitavecchia)

Excellent but be aware it's a 20 minute walk from Train Station to St Peters, up hill on the way back

Venice

Book a port side cabin to enjoy the spectacular sail away

Toulon

A pleasant surprise if you don't plan on going further afield you can easily spend a good day at the shops, market, cafes, seafront. Walk from the port.

Barcelona

Use the port bus to change to the City open top buses.

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