HAL has a history of being for the older crowd. While it was maybe 60 percent folks 60 years old and over, there were many, many younger couples and families. It's not a party cruise where folks are running around drunk all day. But it's certainly not a Geriatric Special either. There is always something to do that will appeal to all ages. We wanted to get away and relax, which is exactly what we did.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
We had to wait a little bit as the ship boarded in groups to avoid a huge rush. However, it went smoothly. The earlier you get to the terminal, the earlier you board. We were group No. 12, arriving around 11 a.m. Once they began boarding it went quickly.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
After reading some reviews I was concerned the quality went down. Not the case at all. The food was awesome. Great taste and great presentation. The dining room stewards were absolutely fantastic. We didn't try specialty restaurants. The buffets were yummy. HAL changed the format away from a self-serve concept. There are employees who put the main entrée on plates. But you still get as much as you want and the lines were no longer because of it. Some of the items are still self serve, like rolls, premade sandwiches, sushi, etc.
The only negative is the drink situation. Maybe I got spoiled by taking a Disney cruise, which includes pop with the price of the cruise. Perhaps HAL should consider including pop as well. They offer many drink packages, but the bad thing is that everyone over 21 in the stateroom has to purchase the same package. I drink more than my wife so she didn't get her money's worth. The alternative is to just buy a drink card with a pre-set amount of money on it.
Lido Bar
5 out of 5
Very friendly and attentive.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
Always plenty to do. The pools were the perfect size. The fitness center had everything I needed to work out a couple times. We did trivia as much as we could and enjoyed it. The Billboard Onboard dueling pianos is one of the highlights.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
The only thing keeping me from giving five stars is the quality of the two dance shows. We walked out after about 5-10 minutes. Not good. The BB King All-Star Band was amazing. Justin and Ethan were fabulous in the Billboard Onboard, the Lincoln Center Stage was phenom, and the comedian and juggler were top-notch.
Children's Programs
We didn't travel with our kids as this was a 10th anniversary cruise for us.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Couldn't have asked for anything more. The dining room staff was great. Our room steward did a fantastic job. We never walked by a member of the ship personnel without being greeted with a "hello" or "good evening" etc. They go above and beyond 24-7. And it's genuine. Nothing fake about them.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
I had seen some negative reviews. But there was absolutely nothing wrong with the Eurodam. It was very well maintained. Maneuvering Deck 11 is a little confusing, but mainly because I didn't read the map correctly.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
We had a stateroom at the back of the ship. Loved it. Great view. It's the perfect size for the amount of time we spent in the room. It was clean. The bed was fairly comfortable. A nice surprise were the amount of movies and TV shows available on demand, plus several live TV options as well. We didn't spend a lot of time in the room, but it was perfect.
Ship tip
Try not to get a stateroom under a common deck, like the Lido where the pool and restaurant are, or above or below the casino, mainstage, etc. It could be noisier than others. Otherwise, get ready for a great time.
It was fine. We did a final-day excursion to the Everglades because we had a late flight. Enjoyed the airboat ride and the hands-on experience with a baby alligator.
The port was closed due to weather. Captain Eric made a decision to go to St. Thomas instead, because there was uncertainty about whether or not the port would open. Good call!
I will be honest and say I was a little disappointed. We originally had a 9:44 a.m. flight and were told by HAL that they couldn't guarantee we would be among the first off the boat. So to prevent being stuck there an extra day if we missed our flight, we booked a later flight, for a small airline fee. Turns out, they had expedited disembarkation that began at 7:15 and we would have had plenty of time to get to the airport.
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