Eurodam Review
Rating by category
Additional details
I sailed with my mom, our first trip to Alaska, and her first cruise. It was a last-minute decision, due to the cancellation of another planned trip. We booked via Costco.com, which could not have been easier. It looked like we got the last balcony stateroom available. We selected this particular cruise line/date because it left from Seattle, returned to Seattle, and fit into our available vacation window. Neither of us had ever sailed with Holland America (HAL) before.
We were dropped off at the dock by a family member. Our luggage was quickly whisked away while we entered the terminal (no line to enter, yay!). We got to the terminal around 1130am, earlier than our appointed time per tickets. We waited in line about 30 minutes; by noon, we were on the ship and our room was already available. The terminal attendant who checked us in said HAL is one of the few cruise lines that gets people on their ships early with their rooms available immediately. I would consider this embarkation a better than average experience, compared to the 10+ other cruises I've taken.
After dodging the annoying photographers (on every cruise line, sadly), we were met by Ship's staff , smiling upon our entry, standing nearby with maps and offering directions to oncoming passengers. Atrium was clean and not clogged with people, making it easy to make our way to our room.
Cabin Review
Deluxe Ocean-View Verandah Stateroom
Cabin 5124 (port side) was our assigned location. Twin beds already arranged, curtains opened to view the balcony. Bathroom included a tub instead of shower stall (yay!) with adjustable shower/wand attachment. Toilet seat was a bit worn/scratched, but all clean and in functioning order. Supplied bar soap, lotion, shower cap, shampoo. conditioner, body wash. All items were good and smelled nice (but not strong). Plenty of storage space for our 2 large suitcases and clothes. Beds small, but comfortable (we both slept better than at home). Small loveseat seemed new; table and vanity were worn with some wood chipped off. In general, the room was showing it's age (I think the ship is about 10 years old). Bed covers were clean, however duvet cover exposed an underlying comforter that was quite stained. Balcony included a small table and 2 chairs with footrests. Chairs were comfortable. Television included menu options that were a challenge to navigate. Once we figured it out (not very intuitive on how to "scroll" through the options), we were able to get to what we needed. We found our online statement and watched some BBC Earth (very nice documentaries), but otherwise not much tv.
Port Reviews
Ketchikan
Docked across the street from town, so no bus or taxi needed. Shops closest to port were mostly chains (similar to Caribbean islands). Step in a few blocks and you find the true Alaskan shops. Creek Street was great to see, a few blocks from the ship (easy walk). Saw salmon spawning and many cute local shops. We purchased a small totem pole, quartz with gold specimen, more yarn, and some small animal carvings from local rock. No shore excursions this trip, as we were only in port from 8am to 12pm.
Glacier Bay
natl park rangers on the ship were awesome!