Northern Capitals Cruise June 2015

Eurodam Cruise Review to Europe - Northern Europe

Cruises: 7+ cruises
Reviews: 3
Helpful Votes: 83

Overall rating:

5 out of 5
Verified Review
Eurodam

12 Night Northern Capitals (Copenhagen Roundtrip)

Sail date: June 01, 2015

Ship: Eurodam

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 5188

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 9 years ago

Review summary

Specifically chose this June 1-13, 2015 Holland America cruise itinerary because it did not go to St. Petersburg, Russia which we visited previously. We especially liked Stockhom and appreciated the overnight time in port with departure at 4:00 on the second day.  It would be nice to have had this same opportunity for Oslo port because it was difficult to cover major highlights with 8-4:30 time frame.

The Eurodam ship is top notch and well maintained.  We had a rear facing balcony room which was terrific.  It was never too windy to be on the balcony. Even when it was raining we could be outside.  Our room steward, Baong (?) was very good and quickly responded to our minimal requests.  The room size, layout, and configuration for storage was very good and larger than many other ships for the same category room.

Ship entertainment is not that important to us because following port days we often retired early or enjoyed quiet time.  For us, it's more important to have friendly attentive staff, good food and dining options, and attractive and clean rooms and public spaces.  We select cruises based on their itinerary which we consider our primary entertainment.

For one port the cruise provided complimentary shuttle service into town because we were docked 30-45 min. drive to town center.  This was much appreciated.  It would be nice to have this offering for all ports with more than a 10 minute walk to the town center.

The destination specialist, Ian, provided interesting commentary prior to cruise ports as well as when we cruised into many of the ports. He was also available for questions at each port. This is a nice perk and we appreciated it was not presented to sell tours.  His commentary truly taught us about the country, city and surroundings.

In summary. the cruise was excellent and exceeded our expectations.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5
We chose the dine anytime option for flexibility. Never had trouble getting a requested table for two. Food options were good and well presented and seasoned. Tamarind and Pinnacle restaurants were excellent .

Onboard Activities

5 out of 5
Liked hearing about and seeing slide shows of upcoming ports. Did not take advantage of other activities.

Entertainment

5 out of 5
BB King band was very good. We did not attend other venues.

Children's Programs

No comment since we did not have anyone participating in the program

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Ship Quality

5 out of 5
Good layout and well maintained.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5
The rear-facing balcony was perfect for us. (1) It appeared larger than most cruise ships within the same pricing category. (2) Storage was plentiful and well designed so we never felt cramped during our 12-day cruise. (3) We loved being at the back of the ship, especially when cruising into and out of ports. (4) Even when rainy we could be on our balcony because most of the balcony was covered. (5) The room was very quiet and there was no "overhead" noise because there was no public space above or below us - only staterooms. (6) We appreciated being able to smoke on our balcony. This is a true benefit of Holland Cruise Lines.

Ports of call

Kiel, Germany

3 out of 5
This port was okay but not outstanding. Was happy it was the first stop because all following ports were superb.

Helsinki, Finland

5 out of 5

Stockholm, Sweden

5 out of 5

Rostock (Berlin), Germany

5 out of 5
Able to visit two towns in one day because we'd previously been to Berlin and didn't want to re-visit, especially because that trip would have required very long and expensive train ride into Berlin.

Goteborg (Gothenburg), Sweden

5 out of 5

Kristiansand, Norway

5 out of 5

Cruise Oslofjord

5 out of 5
Beautiful scenery and interesting commentary by destination specialist, Ian.

Oslo, Norway

5 out of 5
So much to see in so little time. Would have liked this stop to be an overnight like in Stockholm.

Copenhagen, Denmark

5 out of 5
Departed from ship one night early and stayed at Hilton Airport Hotel because we had an early flight the next day. This allowed us to spend the better part of the day visiting Malmo, Sweden, which was only a 30 minute train ride from the airport. The city is definitely worth a visit!
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1 Comment

Gwbigdog    2 years ago

Thanks for sharing your cruise.

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