This was our second quadrennial graduation cruise with both of our daughters. (We should be done after this one.) The last time they were both graduating, we went on a Celebrity Cruise. Our travel agent persuaded us to go on the Eurodam. We were skeptical because my husband and I are 51 are our daughters are in their 20's. We thought of Holland-America as cruise line for those age 70 and up. Not during a holiday week.  It was perfect for our family. We loved it. In fact, it was clear that this ship was geared toward an older crowd and we all appreciated it. By going during the week of Christmas, there were many families but most had kids who were age 20 and up and I think most of them managed to find each other during the course of the week. One caveat about this review: We tend to be very easygoing. That means that things that might bother others don't bother us.We were very impressed with the Eurodam and Holland-America. We arrived around 1:30 and it was crowded at the port. It was somewhat chaotic for us because we were missing one piece of luggage and we had to go shopping to outfit my husband before coming to the ship (we arrived the night before - highly recommended for a winter cruise coming from a northern climate and a snowstorm). My girls and I were tearing apart shopping bags and putting the clothes into a new duffel at the port. Everyone was understanding. There was a long line to embark but it kept moving. This is in contrast to other experiences we have had on other lines. The wait didn't bother as long as the line kept moving.

We were able to get into our rooms immediately and some of our bags were already there when we arrived. (Alas we never got the lost bad and we had Delta ship it back to Detroit - the front desk was great about helping us with it as was our travel insurance company. The travel insurance made the lost bag a good story to tell. We recommend buying the insurance.) We had adjoining staterooms on the 8th deck with verandas. We had booked guaranteed staterooms in the front of the ship with the possibility of an upgrade. We definitely got the upgrade and ended up just below the Lido deck and just aft of mid-ship.

The staterooms were quite spacious and had a lot of storage. In addition to the drawers under the bed, we had storage above our couch, although our daughters' room did not have this extra cabinet. We also discovered that the closets could be converted to allow for more shelf space and less hanging space because some of the shelves folded up. They also give you plenty of wooden hangers. One tip: if you don't use them all and it gets rocky one night, put them on the floor of the closet or they will tap as the ship sways and you may not be able to sleep. Read more