Eastern Caribbean on Holland America Eurodam 12/8/12

We boarded the Eurodam on Saturday in Ft. Lauderdale and embarkation was fast and easy. One of the things we noticed were 2 couples carrying 3 cases -- yes, CASES -- of champagne and wine. They were told by Holland America they could carry any amount of champagne and wine aboard the ship as long as they personally carried it...not in their luggage. TRAVEL TIP: Most cruise lines allow 2 bottles of wine per passenger to be carried aboard (no liquor or beer) so it pays to check with the cruise line if you want to party inexpensively compared to the wine prices onboard! The ship itself was in very good condition but very drab in decorating -- lots of browns and beiges -- and the artwork throughout was amazingly blah! Here's a sample of the artwork in our cabin -- YIKES!

The central atrium area was very small and the Christmas decorations left a lot to be desired, although a small wreath was placed over each cabin door....a very nice touch!

Nice amenities on the Eurodam -- 2 glass elevators on each side of the ship, midship, were beautiful and every elevator throughout the ship had a carpet that was removed and replaced every day with the day of the week printed on it so you don't lose track of time during the cruise (or maybe it's just me) so I loved this idea! It's nice to know it's Wednesday (oh, oh...my old age is showing again!) We loved the Culinary Center! Several times throughout the cruise, chefs demonstrated several recipes...it's almost like being at Food Network!

We also attended a wonderful wine tasting in the Culinary Center which was well worth the extra charge.

Our cabin was a balcony -- #4132 -- and what a balcony! The largest we've ever had on a cruise ship. TRAVEL TIP: If you're going to be on the Eurodam, don't hesitate to request this cabin. The beds were wonderful as were the pillows and bedding and our cabin steward and his assistant rated a special tip from each of us at the end of the cruise in addition to the normal gratuity.

TRAVEL TIP: We didn't notice this handy little book on our desk until mid-cruise -- it's a list of all the DVD's available -- FREE -- which can be delivered to your cabin during the cruise! It's the first time we saw these FREE DVD's available for daily rental on a cruise ship and I think they had over 2000 titles! Fresh fruit is available everyday, on request, and the room service menu is wonderful- full hot breakfast with eggs, sausage, bacon and ham are available every morning. We love our room service! Be sure to take advantage of this treat and don't hesitate to tip the waiter when he/she brings your food. It doesn't seem like many people tip these important crew members and we're happy to tip for this terrific service! This is also one of the few ships that requests you call room servce when you're finished with your meal....they'll promptly pick up your tray. You don't see dirty trays sitting outside the doors in the hallways on this ship -- YAY! More regarding the food onboard....in the dining room, the matre d' seemed very haughty to us. We chose "open dining" which seemed like a good idea at the time. We showed up at the dining room and were ignored several times. The matre d' bypassed us in favor of first seating couples (men and women couples). When we were finally seated it was always at a large table of women. Every day we checked the dining room menu and very little appealed to us (and we're not fussy eaters). We, of course, loved "lobster night" in the dining room but be prepared to spend at least 2 hours in the dining room from beginning to end at dinnertime. The buffet area was OK but don't bother waiting in line for stir-fry or pasta...it takes forever. The small glasses they use for iced tea and water are laughable. TRAVEL TIP: Bring your own tall plastic travel glass with lid for filling in the buffet area. Stay hydrated on these cruises. One of the first things we did upon boarding was to take a look at the spa and participate in their raffle, Mary K won $100 towards a purchase at the art auction. (More about the art auctions later.) She is so good at winniing raffles...I think she's won something on just about every ship we've traveled on. We also booked massage/facials at a special rate for the first evening...what a great way to start a cruise! Our first port was Turks/Caicos...the cruise port itself is a bunch of tourist shops built strictly for the cruise ships. Same old, same old stuff. TRAVEL TIP: Beware of the duty-free Dufry Shop at this port. It was the only shop that charged a fee for using your credit card for purchases. I didn't realize it until I saw my bank statement -- no mention on the bill I signed! My advice is to pass right through this shop without stopping! There are lots of lounge chairs on the beach at the seaport..and also an opportunity to take a nice picture of the ship.

In this little shopping area at the cruise port, there's a very nice art gallery -- Bruno -- with some wonderful paintings and metal sculptures. Pricey but don't miss this shop.

There's also a little casino -- shaped like a ship -- you can see it on the beach. It's an easy walk on the beach from the port --tiny but we actually won some money!

Our next port should have been San Juan but the high winds kept us from docking at this port. The Captain gave it a valiant 3 hour effort but they were the highest winds he'd ever seen in his 10 year sailing careet abnd he had to give up. We've been to San Juan a couple of times but many people onboard were very disappointed. Another schedule was quickly put together by the cruise director and, of course, it's safety first. Mary K and I enjoyed the day on our balcony with our books, a glass of wine and room service, of course. Our third port was St. Thomas which we love. A short ride in an open-air taxi took us downtown with all its quaint shops and alleyways....and, of course, the market in the park.

TRAVEL TIP: One of the places we found on previous trips to St Thomas is a quiet little spot with benches tucked away in one of the alleyways...a great place to stop and get away from the hustle & bustle.

The Eurodam is the first ship we've ever traveled on that offered the passengers the chance to see the rehearsals of the singers/dancers in the afternoon of the evening show. These rehearsals are terrific -- picture taking is welcome and it's fun to see the talented performers iin their normal everday clothes having fun while rehearsing. It makes the evening performance with the beautiful costumes, lighting ande sets that much better!

Now back to the Park West Art Auction which was hosted by Michael Guida and his fiance. We're usually a little tired of attending these auctions but this couple made it fun. Michael looked familar to us when we saw him and we found out why. He was an assistant cruise director for Norwegian Cruise Lines before switching to Park West and he appeared in Undercover Boss when Norwegian was featured. A big disappointment on this trip was the transportation service we booked to and from the port. Cruise Connection -- the bus line we used to take -- has discontinued serice so we took Florida Express.....it was a small shuttle van packed with people (like sardines). Only one bag is allowed...each additional bag has a hefty charge (like the airlines). The driver spent 90% of his time talking on his cell phone which made us a little nervous in the heavy South Florida traffic. Come back, Cruise Connection....now Escot Bus -- with your comfortable buses! Please make a Stuart/Palm City stop!