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Ft. Lauderdale, October 2008;
Cruising on the new Holland America Eurodam
As soon as you walk on the new
Eurodam you have the feeling that Holland America wanted to make a
major statement. The statement is pure and simply in that they want
this ship to appeal to a younger market than they are normally
associated with. From the lay-out in the public rooms, to your
stateroom the décor in all facets of the ship announce they
have hit a big home run!
Let’s start with dining options
that are new and unique to the Eurodam. The Tamirand Restaurant and
it’s Silk Den bar offers some of the best Asian fare on land or at
sea. The group we had joining us all agreed this restaurant could
have been in Vegas or New York City but you didn’t need a cab or a
car. Simply put the food and service was fantastic. Located at the
upper most deck mid ship the views from the over the top Silk are a
most whether you are dining in the Tamirand or just wanting to find
the “hippest” bar at sea with great views. While there is a nominal
up charge it’s a lot cheaper than the $100.00+ a head you would pay
ashore for this evening.
The Pinnacle Grill and it’s
adjoining Pinnacle Bar are not new to Holland America but on the
Eurodam the space has been expanded to both sides of the center
Atrium. This venue is another great change in that you can really
make a nice night of it here as well. This restaurant which is very
much your typical steak and fish grill with a Northwest Twist also
carries a up charge but is well worth it.
The Rembrandt Dining Room is a
two deck level affair with the typical Holland America dramatic
entrance. New to the Eurodam is that fact that the lower level
dining area offers open seating dining while the upper level offers
the standard first and second seating dining. While the open
seating concept has great appeal to individual travelers I
personally think for groups, and for that fact myself even as an
individual passenger, the first and second seating dining is the way
to go. One of the charms of a cruise is having a waiter know your
preferences just like going to your favorite restaurant ashore which
is lost in open seating dining.
The Lido Restaurant which is
your buffet style venue for breakfast, lunch and dinner partially
converts to an elegant Italian Restaurant at night. As this was a 3
night cruise I personally didn’t have a chance to try it but other
passengers were all saying great things about this restaurant as
well.
Overall the Eurodam offers
plenty of dining options and two of them are really outstanding.
Food and service have always placed Holland America in the “Premium
Ship” category and the Eurodam has raised the bar for the entire
fleet.
Cabins on Holland America have
always been some of the largest in the business however the décor
was a bit dated. The standard balcony cabins are a spacious 249 sq
ft and the décor is good as any top branded hotel chain. As usual
all balcony cabins come with a bath and a Euro style shower. The
bedding is excellent and the balcony furniture is inviting and
comfortable. The sitting area is more open due to the advent of
flat screen TVs with DVD players. Yes you have a data port in each
cabin for your lap top and your cell phone works as well at sea.
Public rooms are numerous
throughout the ship. While the cruise we where on was 100% sold out
you never had a problem find a table in any lounge. The Ocean Bar
is a great spot for a drink in small venue located on the Atrium and
even better for people watching. The Piano Bar on the Eurodam is a
tucked away enclosed room that was busy every night. The Crows Nest
located high up on the ship with a panoramic view is always popular
on Holland America ships. The great news is that there are numerous
venues of all sizes for private functions for your groups.
Deck space is something I
normally don’t go into detail about but on the Eurodam there are
great new features worth mentioning. First of all the bar area on
the Lido Deck aft pool are has been greatly improved with more
enclosed space and proper seating. This is a great outdoor spot.
New to the Lido mid ship pool are private cabanas which can be
rented on numerous basis with full service and a few neat up
grades. Last but far from least is the Retreat. This relaxing area
over looking the main mid ship pool is a great spot to enjoy the sun
but be away from the crowd. With up graded furniture and more
Cabanas and attentive service this is a great get away from it place
in the sun.
Overall the Eurodam, which is the next generation of
new ships for Holland America, is trendy but elegant and would rate
with many 5 Star Hotels. You’ll notice the traditional little
touches of all Holland America ships such as an abundance of floral
arrays, attentive service, formal high teas, canapés in lounges at
cocktail hour and just a very comfortable feeling of being on a
larger ship with more than ample space for everyone. |
