We were very impressed with Holland America. The staff and crew were consistently outstanding, and the accommodations were all we had hoped for. We will sail with them again.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
We could have boarded at 1pm, but chose instead to arrive at San Diego's Cruise Ship Terminal at 2pm. It worked out well; there was no crowd and we breezed through security and onto the ship. An extra advantage: our suite was ready for us.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
We ate four dinners in the Eurodam's main dining room and three in specialty restaurants. The main dining room was ok: the food ranged from very good to mediocre. Rudi's seafood restaurant (only open one night) was outstanding (it was an extra $50 per person, but was worth every penny -- the shrimp in the shrimp cocktail were mammoth and the lobster was excellent). Canaletto was good, not great, but the portions were large. Pinnacle Grill was worth the extra money ($35). We ate once or twice in the Lido; it was typical buffet food. Because we had a suite, we had access to the Neptune Lounge on Deck 7; it had a variety of goodies available throughout the day, so we ate breakfast there all but one morning (the other meal was in the Pinnacle Grill, which was very good).
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
We didn't really do too much, but we made a brilliant move by purchasing a couples pass for the week to the Spa, where we often spent time in the hydrotherapy pool and the steam room. They sell only a certain number of passes, so it was rarely full.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
In all honesty, we only took in one show: the Thousand Steps, with a terrific cast of singers and dancers. We thoroughly enjoyed the show. We passed by the BB King lounge and the dueling pianos a couple of times, and the performances seemed very good. There also was a string quartet playing one evening; they were outstanding.
Children's Programs
No kids with us.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
This is one of the highlights of the Eurodam. Everyone said hello when you approached, and to a person, they sought to do whatever they could for you. Our cabin stewards, Jos and Jay, were delightful and catered to our every whim. Jefferson and Danilo gave us great service in our cabana in The Retreat.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
It's been a while since we've been on a large cruise ship (this is actually medium-sized at 2,000 passengers), so we have nothing to compare it to. It took us (and just about everyone) the better part of the week to figure out which set of elevators or stairs to go to when we were going forward or aft. The panel for the elevator mid-ship on Deck 6 worked going down, but not up -- but the panels for the elevators at the sides worked fine. The Lido area gets very crowded, so bear that in mind.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
We had tons of room, with a large bathroom and an equally large veranda. The bed and furnishings were very comfortable. There was a ton of closet space. They stock a variety of things in the suite, including an umbrella and binoculars. Very, very pleased.
Ship tip
The Retreat cabanas on Deck 11 are not cheap ($400 for the week), but worth it. It's away from the crowds, and you've always got one or two stewards bringing you food (free) and drink ($). In the afternoon, you get chocolate covered strawberries and champagne. Spent much of every day there and loved it! Also recommend paying for the spa package.
We started walking into town, but an ankle injury flared up, and we wound up hailing a cab. The driver took us to a chiropractor and stayed with us until I'd been treated. Sergio was great...but we didn't get to see any of the city.
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