Eurodam Review
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Venice to Barcelona on the Eurodam was our 20th cruise. Some cruises are better than others, but this was definitely one of the best.
THE SHIP: We've been on other HAL ships, but not the Eurodam. Frankly, even though this ship was recently in drydock, it seemed a little old and shabby around the edges. The pictures in the hallways were old black & white photos of ships being built - not attractive or interesting. And let's face it . . . unless your cabin is right next to an elevator, you spend a fair amount of time walking in long hallways!
The layout of the ship was similar to other HAL vessels. They have reconfigured some of the entertainment venues. Instead of a closed-in lounge for classical music, they've arranged chairs theater-style along the walkway from the Anytime Dining room to the main theater. There's a sign requesting silence during a performance. We always seemed to be on this path when there wasn't a performance, so I don't know if passengers obeyed the sign or if they were disruptive. Also on this pathway was the new venue, Billboard OnBoard, and the B.B. King Blues Club.
Cabin Review
Deluxe Ocean-View Verandah Stateroom
THE GOOD: Plenty of storage and closet space, comfy bed, nice balcony with a tiny table, two chairs and two footstools. Nice flat screen TV.
THE BAD: Darkly tinted vanity mirror made it impossible to do hair and make-up. Who made this terrible decision?!
Port Reviews
Dubrovnik
Easy and picturesque city to explore on your own. Ship charged for shuttle to/from Old Town. We saved money using one of the many taxis lined up at the dock.
Kotor
This was a real surprise. Kotor is very charming, very old, with lots of winding streets and alleys. Another easy spot to do on your own unless you want to venture into the countryside. We'd love to go back to Kotor.
Rome (Civitavecchia)
We've been here often. We booked a car to take us into the city, and took the train back to Civitavecchia which is very simple and inexpensive. This time we did an independent food walking tour of 3 different neighborhoods. It was terrific - we ate our way through Rome! We also visited the beautiful basilica San Paolo di Fuori Mura (St. Paul's Outside the Walls) - would highly recommend it.
Florence (Livorno)
Booked a full day excursion into Florence with a 2 hour walking tour. It's unfortunate that it takes so long to get into Florence from the port. Next time we'll probably choose to do something closer, and take another trip into Florence when we're on a land tour of Italy.
Monaco (Monte Carlo)
Had a great time here. Took a half-day excursion to the medieval town of Eze, France, visited a perfume factory, and had a general tour of Monaco with free time to explore on our own. We'd enjoy going back to this port.
Barcelona
LOVED Barcelona. Prior to the cruise we spent a couple of days here. Visited Sagrada Familia (booked skip the line tour) which is amazing. Took a guided tour of the Palau de la Musica - fabulous! And visited the Boqueria outdoor market. When the cruise ended in Barcelona, we took advantage of the afternoon by touring Park Guell and the Picasso Museum (booked both online) - especially liked the Picasso Museum. We will definitely return to Barcelona and plan to attend a concert at Palau de la Musica - one of our favorite spots of the entire itinerary.