Our 1st Cruise was a GREAT Cruise aboard the Eurodam
Eurodam Cruise Review to Alaska - Inside Passage
Contributor Level:
Purser
Cruises: 1 cruise (first)
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 51
7 Night Alaskan Explorer (Seattle Roundtrip)
Sail date: June 08, 2019
Ship: Eurodam
Cabin type: Balcony
Traveled as: Couple
Reviewed: 5 years ago
Review summary
While the Eurodam is not the "funnest" ship at sea (no waterslides, go kart tracks, bungee jumping, etc.), the Eurodam does offer a more traditional cruising experience and is great for those who want to just relax and cruise at a slower pace. My wife and I are 40 and 41 years old with no kids and while most of the people on the ship were retirees, we still had a blast.Embarkation
Very efficient considering the turnaround times. From getting our luggage dropped off, to making it thru customs, the ticket counter, etc., everything was smooth and timely.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
We mostly ate at the buffet as we didn't feel like getting dressed up (putting on pants for the dining room). And while the food was better than most buffets we've had, I caught myself questioning the quality of some of the items. For example, the roast beef and mashed potatoes on the first night was superb, but as the cruise went on, it seemed like it was mostly pasta every night. Also didn't realize that each side of the buffet can have different items and missed out on a few selections I would have otherwise tried. Since this was our first cruise, I don't have something to compare the food and drink to, but is on par with buffets at the Bellagio or Mandalay Bay in Vegas.
Onboard Activities
Being 40 and 41 years old, we knew in advance that we were going on this cruise with an older crowd (no young adults or kids running around). That being said, we knew some of the activities were going to be outside the scope of what we would enjoy, but never found ourselves bored, asking what do we do now. My favorite activity was spending time in the photography labs, lectures, scavenger hunt with our Photo Coach Justin. I would go on this cruise again knowing that such an activity exists. Justin was super awesome and took a look at some of the pix I had taken on the trip so far and gave pointers on how to improve them. The photography related activities were my favorite activities. My only complaint is that many of the activities were just sales pitches to get you to buy stuff on board or at port.
Entertainment
Service and Staff
Everyone on the ship, from the top brass to mostly Philippine crew members cleaning our room and bussing our tables was super friendly and over the top helpful. I never felt like I was "bothering" any of the staff in any aspect of our trip.
Ship Quality
Even though the Eurodam is almost/about 10 years old, it still felt modern and had a classic, timeless feel to it. The azipods is still kind of a new feature on ships and definitely helped the captain steer the tight spaces in the Alaskan straits. The ship was over the top clean. Seems that every time I went into a public bathroom on the ship, the paper towels and toilet paper had that pointed crease in it, to let you know the bathroom was just cleaned and you were the first one to use it. I was also impressed seeing the crew cleaning the coffee makers daily (it's quite an undertaking) and arduous task. I also noticed when the crew opened the counter space below the coffee counter, was super clean as well.
Cabin / Stateroom
For two of us, there was more than enough space and was able to get creative with moving the furniture around and configure it in a way where its out of the way and some of the decorative items were out of the way as well (so we don't break it).
Ship tip
Having never been on a cruise before, it's easy to get turned-around while trying to find your stateroom (even on the last day). Just remember that EVEN numbered rooms are on the PORT (left) side of the ship and ODD numbered rooms are on the STARBOARD (right) side of the ship.
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Ports of call
Absolutely loved Seattle. Loved that the city is easily walk able and never felt unsafe.
Very scenic, but nothing to spectacular as you are traveling at quite a distance from land. You see mostly cliffs and a few houses here and there.
Starting to look and feel like Alaska. The color of the water changes to a gray-turquoise and you see long stretches of mountains with low lying clouds/fog banks.
Arriving in Juneau was like being in a postcard. The water was a bright green, the mountains more dramatic and covered in tall, green trees. Lots of old, colorful buildings cover the coastline. You absolutely cannot miss visiting the Mendenhall glacier. Truly some of the most spectacular scenery you will never find anywhere else. It's about a mile walk in each direction. Take your time walking there as you might spot some bald eagles in the surrounding forest or a bear in the trees. I stopped several times to snap some pix.
It was so peaceful and quiet and scenery so dramatic, you just stand there in awe looking at how breathtaking it is to see this massive glacier and floating ice. From the ship, the glacier doesn't look too big, until you look thru binoculars and see tiny dots (people) walking at the base of the glacier, then you see just how massive it really is.
Sitka has a small town vibe and lots of Russian influence that can be seen in the building design. Don't miss the Orthodox church in the center of town. Enjoyed shopping at some of the stores that were Christmas themed...that's right, year round Christmas...was pretty awesome!
Ketchikan felt like the most "touristy" of all the ports we visited. Lots of trinkets and nick knack shops and last stop for Alaska souvenirs.
Victoria was the icing on the cake. We arrived just as the sun was getting ready to set (everything had a golden hue) and was greeted by street performer playing bagpipes that you could hear a few blocks away. The bagpipes kind of set set the tone for how spectacular this port is. I wish we had more time to explore. Tip: As of June, 2019, Uber/Lyft are not yet available, but there are a ton of taxi's at the cruise port. Not knowing that all the action happens less than a 10 minute ride from the cruise terminal, we accepted our taxi drivers offer of $20 USD to take the two of us to the Fairmont Empress. I guess we got screwed because the ride back was only $10 and that driver was super friendly.
Disembarkation
The disembarkation process is a well oiled machine. From the cabin steward taking the bags off the ship, to the color-coordinated groups called to disembark, to going thru customs/immigration, we didn't have any problems getting off the boat. I do like the fact breakfast is served for those who are waiting for their group to be called to get off the boat.
Traveler Photos
