The following is a review of Eurodam's Southern Caribbean New Year's cruise (12/26-1/2). My husband and I are 41 and 35. This was our 8th cruise, and 3rd Holland America Cruise. Overall, this was a fantastic cruise with a few little hic-ups. Here are some details...

Embarkation: We arrived at the pier by hotel shuttle. The porters quickly took our luggage and we were off to get in line for check-in. There was a little line and we were checked in an on the ship within 15 minutes. As we were returning guests, we were able to enjoy lunch in the Main Dining Room instead of fighting the crowds in the Lido. As usual, the cabins were ready around 1:30.

Stateroom: We were in stateroom SY5096, a Superior Suite, midship. This was our first experience in a suite with HAL, and we really enjoyed it. This cabin is just over the lifeboats, so there was some obstruction when looking directly down. The balcony was a good size, with 2 chairs, 2 ottomans, and a round dining table. Although the Veranda staterooms are a nice size, the extra room in the Superior Suite made a huge difference, especially in the bathroom. The dual sinks were great and the Jacuzzi tub and extra shower were nice. The entrance area is wider than in a Verandah, and there is more room around the bed overall. There was a vanity as well as a desk area. I found that the area around the table and sofa were a bit cramped with the chairs, so I moved them. No problem. Dining: We had As You Wish Dining. We never had difficulty getting seated right away as we were agreeable to dining with other guests and we enjoyed good conversation most nights. We found the food generally to be quite good and beautifully presented. We made a few choices that we could have lived without, and the desserts seemed to be lacking, so I had the fruit plate most nights. Although AYWD is convenient, we missed the personalized service that comes with set dining times. We may return to set dining in the future. There was no Master Chef's Dinner on this trip, which was a plus for us. We thoroughly enjoyed our dinner in Tamarind and a cocktail in the beautiful Silk Den. We did not dine at Pinnacle Grill this time, nor were we able to get reservations at Canaletto when we thought about it several days into the cruise. The food in the Lido and Terrace Grill was good for lunch. We did not eat in the Lido for breakfast, as we had room service daily. The room service arrived at the time that was indicated on the door card; however, the order was incorrect EVERY SINGLE DAY. As usual, the pizza was lousy, but a quick bite late in the evening. I can say that the man working at Slice always appeared unhappy and I had the feeling that I was inconveniencing him. We nicknamed him "Angry Pizza Guy." Read more