My new husband once took a different cruise line and says the level of service and attention to detail on HAL is what he expects cruising should be. This was my first cruise but coming from a background of service, I had high expectations. The staff of the Eurodam are excellent, we felt pampered but never pandered.

Research all you can ahead of time if you aren't familiar with the Eurodam because there's a lot to see be overwhelmed by. Photos are taken by HAL photographers and later offered for sale. They will take a picture as you first board, at the two formal nights, as you disembark at ports of call and even on some of the private island excursions. We wish we'd known this in order to be better prepared, we'd have a lot more gorgeous honeymoon pics. The Lido food is great but overwhelming at first sight so walk the line slowly on both sides and in between so you don't miss hidden gems like the better cheese varieties.

On the subject of onboard food, we didn't find the need to have pre booked dinners for Pinnacle Grill or Tamarind, we ended up switching reservations around with no problem. We discovered Caneletto and the Rembrandt Dining Room have wonderful dinner menus to rival the paid restaurants but you have to check each day to see the offerings. Tamarind was our shining star for staff service, food quality, variety and presentation. Many thanks, we're coming back! Food ashore is best if you ask locals for specific dishes you are craving and how to find it. There were places we asked for things not on the menus like fried plantain and calamari which were nicely accommodated. Read more