About Us: We are 60 and recently retired. This was our 28th cruise but only our 2nd on Holland America. We sailed with them to Alaska in 2008 and had a marvelous time.
Pros: The ship was immaculate. Embarkation and debarkation were effortless. Cabin was ready at 12:30. Balcony cabin was clean, well designed and the shower was fantastic. Loved the chairs on the balcony. Anytime dining ...
The original itinerary was changed two months prior to departure for three ports and we were not allowed to exchange or get a refund. The embarkation was a nightmare. Long, long lines with people in walkers and wheelchairs waiting over an hour. The food quality in the main dining room was horrible. The Lido buffet constantly had long lines and wait times. The theatre entertainment consisted of ...
We have been on 45+ cruises and this ranked at the bottom. We requested a wheelchair assist and all that happened was we got shuffled through the regular access points. Finally we saw a wheelchair go by us. We asked about our assist and was told we were in the wrong waiting area. We eventually got a wheelchair up to the ship. We all agreed that the Cruise Director be demoted. Shows that people ...
We chose this cruise and the cruiseline because of tbe itinerary. Before start of the cruise we already received change of itinerary whereby 1 port of call was cancelled. During the cruise 2 other ports of call (out of 6 remaining!) were cancelled (due to wrather conditions and mechanical problems to the ship) and 1 was changed due to political troubles. As a compensation we received 200 USD non ...
We chose this cruise because it ended at our home port of Vancouver BC .
It was also our first cruise with the Holland America line.
Prior to boarding we had to sit on rows of chairs the were so close together that gave us a feeling of clostaphobia.
Upon embarking we were informed that our suites had not been made available due to cleaning etc, so we had to find a spot to sit untill ...
Our fourth cruise with HAL and second on the Eurodam with family in the next cabin and our first cruise since COVID hit. We had no idea things were this bad in the Industry that they were nickel and diming passengers every time you turned around. First time we had ever seen up charging for meals in the MDR and extra tip chits every time you ordered a drink with the drink package. Even the ...
Chose this ship for the itinerary. Big mistake. Dated in all ways.So lacking in accessible features I can't believe it's ADA compliant. They are carrying wheelchair guests off the ship by hand. In the tiny casino you may earn enough points to qualify for free drinks while playing. But....
Good luck finding a server. Few activities on seadays. You are expected to amuse yourself.
Entertainment ...
Over 25 cruises, several on HAL. We find the HAL product much diminished. Menus downgraded, although the food was better than an October cruise. Same menu every sea day for lunch. Almost every beef dish, including potroast, very tough, even in the Pinnacle. Entertainment was good and bad. Comedians performed in the BBKing's. You had to get there an hour before to get a seat. On our 10 ...
Embarkation went fine .
The ship was clean and fresh.
Our cabin was comfortable.
Our cabin attendants were great. They got you anything you wanted or needed.
We opted for anytime dining and were usually seared within 15 minutes.
The food was very good with a good selection. If you don’t want to try anything there is always the classic menu available with steak, chicken or fish. all ...
Hub and I booked a balcony cabin rather last-minute -- back surgery on his part necessitated us letting go a steal of a deal on Empress of the Seas and rebooking a different trip. We were looking forward to sailing on HAL again, as we appreciate the relative calm on board (we drop the average cruiser age by 20 years when we embark) and had not been on a Dam ship in four years.
(As background: ...