The Oprah “Share the Adventure” Cruise to Alaska would be my first cruise “first date” on Holland America.  I was a bit apprehensive knowing that Holland has a reputation for skewing older cruise guests especially to Alaska but figured that the O Magazine inaugural cruise to Alaska on Eurodam with Oprah appearance would mix it up a bit.  I was interested to see how the new partnership with O Magazine and their wellness programs would translate to Holland America Eurodam.

I will post about the O Magazine programming, Alaska ports (Sitka Wildlife tour, Ketchikan Zodiac Expedition and The Fortress of the Bear) tours and Glacier Bay separately.

Cruise to Alaska on Eurodam – Sailing from Seattle Pier 91

The Eurodam leaves Seattle from Pier 91 which is a 10-15 minute taxi ride from downtown Seattle (taxi ride about $15 from the Four Seasons Seattle). Pier 91 is shared by a Princess ship as both cruise lines are owned by same parent corporation.  When I arrived at the cruise terminal, I was surprised that both ships were boarding using one shared terminal but it worked well with staff and ropes to separate the ships check in procedure.

I would walk straight toward the back of the terminal to surrender my checked bag to ship staff.  From there, I would need to stop to fill out the medical card (did I have the flu? etc.).  Expecting lines, I was surprised that there were zero lines at 1 p.m. – zero!  I showed my documents to a staff member and boarding the escalator to the second floor where I expected the lines to snake around to the check in desks.  There were no lines there either?!  I was shocked based on past cruise line experiences and wondering if I was late.  I checked my documents and the ship was not departing for a few more hours – you would have thought I was the last to board based on the empty terminal full of staff and few guests. I would later learn that the President of Holland America was on this sailing so everything and everyone was on best behavior at the check-in (shame the staff onboard weren’t as up to task – more on that below).

I wandered through a few empty lines set up to the front desk and quickly had my photo taken, given my cruise card and welcomed to Holland America’s Cruise to Alaska on Eurodam.  The first sign that this was a special cruise was the stop at the t-shirt table to get my Oprah cruise t-shirt (all passengers were welcome to one t-shirt) and the photo with Oprah backdrop.  From there I walked and used the escalator to get to the ship deck.

Once onboard, I went in search of my room since the rooms were ready starting at 11 a.m. (it seems that most of the excited Oprah guests were on board early hence the empty terminal).

Holland America Verandah Room on Eurodam

First things first, I didn’t book a Verandah (balcony) room on Eurodam (category VD).  I booked the much cheaper inside cabin way down below.  Unfortunately, the cruise had a pricing adjustment (i.e. – they overpriced it, undersold it, and was having a fire sale right before sailing) which rather than refund my substantial overcharge, they upgraded me a few categories to make up for it.  While most upgrades are welcome, in my case, I tried to change it prior to the cruise (and wasn’t able to) as I booked mid-ship and was upgraded to back of the ship (aft) which I don’t like.  I like parts of the ship that are steady and stable (i.e. – mid-ship) and my room was foreshadowing my experience to come.

The Verandah room is a wonderful option and ideally recommended for Alaska sailings, especially at Glacier Bay, to see the glorious wonder of nature from your balcony.  While sailing in other locations, I wouldn’t normally recommend paying more for a balcony, but in Alaska, it’s worth the extra in my opinion for the views.

When I opened the door to the cabin, Cabin 6145 on Upper Verandah Deck 6), I was a bit surprised by the worn décor, setup and colors.  This was definitely a ship in need of dry dock refresh (note: the ship has since been updated).

Like most cruise cabins, the room had a bed, pull out couch, side chair, desk area and flat screen television.

Unlike other cruises, I had two provided robes and a fruit bowl that would be filled each day with fruit per my stateroom attendant.  He was lovely, I told him I like berries and green bananas, neither were offered in the fruit program.  But he tried, the first day, I returned to two pints of berries which was such a welcome surprise and showed he understood service.  He was surprised when I told him I didn’t need ice each night, didn’t need the bedding changed daily and a few other things.  He was very good and I tipped him extra cash at the end of the cruise.

The bathroom had Elemis toiletries and were eco-friendly – good for the environment but bad for a luxury toiletry chipmunk like me.

Holland America Cruise to Alaska on Eurodam  – Food Options

At the buffet, Lido Market, I liked that staff would serve you to avoid the potential for norovirus.  This also meant that I wasn’t tempted to pile my plate high (I could go back for seconds which I rarely did).  The dessert and juice area was self-service.  During the day transitioning to dinner, there was a nice setup for self-service with appetizers and small plates.

There are three restaurants onboard that charge an additional fee – one Italian, one Steakhouse (Pinnacle Grill) and one sushi.  I experienced the Steakhouse during the private Oprah fundraising dinner and it was really good.  Generally living in Philadelphia, I have access to so many amazing foods and chefs that I rarely spend the extra on the ship for specialty restaurants.  The steakhouses are usually $50 or more per person for dinner (lunch is lower fee and different menu).

The pizza kiosk on the outside pool deck was hit or miss – I loved the panna cotta dessert and asked for my pizza well done because they had a tendency to undercook the pizzas.  As someone who worked in pizza during high school and college, they could have done better with topping allocation and cooking times. Raw dough pizza due to heavy topping is no fun but sadly, many don’t realize what an undercooked pizza looks/tastes like.

The burger bar, Dive Bar, was a favorite because it was the only place I could get a plain grilled chicken (or burger) with bacon and fries.  I would then go to the salad bar and ask for avocado (staff very nicely went to the kitchen for that) and then to another station for vegetables.  I was surprised that the buffet didn’t have grilled chicken all day long.  So my trek was a bit involved as I attempted to eat healthy (don’t look at the fries!)

For dinner, I ate in the main dining room for “anytime dining” and chose shared tables on all nights but one.  The one time I ate solo was the worst meal as I was ignored, the food was bad and I left early. The shared dinners were great opportunities to meet other travelers.  The menus were nicely varied three course meals and served quickly so that it wasn’t a two plus hour experience (only on formal night did we have a very long service).

Desserts, in general, were ok.  I did abandon a few that looked better than they tasted.

For the newly introduced Chocolate Surprise Dessert Parade which I highlighted on my schedule, I walked down the stairs into the setup and was directed back upstairs and down to the floor mid-ship.  I shouldn’t have listened by the time I did that the servers were circulating the lounge and I felt that I was chasing chocolate.  I saw chocolate of interest being served and then by the time I reached the server the treat was gone, his tray empty.  I much prefer a chocolate buffet that can be replenished constantly and the option to stack my plate, get a glass of red and go enjoy my treats.  Chocolate on the run wasn’t fun for me.  As this is a new option on Holland, hopefully they will work out the kinks to deliver a good experience for all.

Eurodam Lounges – Lots of Lounges on Holland America Cruise to Alaska

The ship has a plethora of lounges to enjoy, most during my time on board were empty save for special performances or trivia.  The Billboard lounge had two piano players singing the hits that you knew – given that the age is older, most of the songs were hits of the 60’s and 70’s.  The art lounge off of the casino was colorful and rarely crowded.

At the front of the ship, the Crow’s Nest was a bit hard to find but well worth it.  The large lounge had a bar (of course), lecture area, game room with puzzles and chess tables, a coffee bar and was the location for the National Park Ranger talks when we arrived in Glacier Bay National Park.  Plus the views weren’t bad either.

My favorite lounge was the Lincoln Center Stage which featured classical music with a twist.  The concerts were fantastic and it was fun to see people stop in the hallway when they heard Radiohead’s Creep or Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody played on the violin, piano and cello.  The musicians were all young (under 30 if I had to guess) and it was fun to see them enjoy the music both classical and classic.  I also liked the Wine Bar Mid-Ship.

Exciting New Partnership Options on Holland America Eurodam

Partnerships with America’s Test Kitchen, Microsoft and the BBC were proof that Holland America (and other cruise lines) are looking at increasing the content for guests.  I attended a test kitchen presentation about chocolate (naturally) and received recipe cards to recreate at home.  It was a fun presentation with loud audible gasps from the audience with the chef poured in almost a bucket of sugar for brownies.  She laughed and said “come on, you can’t be surprised by that”.  The only negative was that after watching the brownie demonstration it would have been nice to have a brownie to sample (that’s not too much to ask is it?).

With the BBC partnership, the Test Kitchen turned into movie room with a fascinating documentary on how the BBC photographers and film makers get that amazing photo/shot.  On the television in my room, I could also access BBC programming.  Another partnership is BB King’s Blues and hosted in the same room used for the Test Kitchen, BBC programming which at night turned into a popular club for fun and dancing (I was so exhausted that I missed Gayle King and O Magazine staff dancing at BB King’s each night).  The O Magazine partnership will offer special programming on select cruises each year.

The Spa & Gym Experience – Cruise to Alaska on Eurodam

One of my favorite things to do on a cruise is a spa massage or treatment usually on a sea day.  Prior to sailing, I wasn’t able to get an appointment at the spa (they are always popular) so I tried onboard and was able to snag a before dinner treatment.  The waiting area was relaxing with view of the sea. KC was incredible and one of the better massages I’ve had on a ship.  The spa is affiliated with Elemis which is a brand I love after being introduced in London.

I also attended a yoga class (for a fee) which had eight people in class.  The gym was a good size and usually busy when I visited but you could still snag a machine.  Note that the ship sells a very limited spa pass on embarkation day for access to the hydro pool and sauna area – if you can go daily, it’s worth the cost, otherwise it’s pretty expensive.

Holland America Cruise to Alaska on Eurodam – The Pool Experience

The ship has a retractable roof so even though we were sailing to Alaska you could swim in the pool in the temperature controlled pool area.  A new (to me) option were the private cabanas on the pool deck and on the upper decks.  For an additional fee (of course) you could reserve these private curtained areas with views.  The cabanas take a large chunk of space away from the normally popular pool seating area.

The ship had an outside pool and sauna area on deck but this being Alaska only those polar bear fans were strong enough to take a dip. The outdoor pool area had a small section for smokers on one side of the ship so make sure to exit on the side without smoking because who likes to go through smoke clouds on the way to the back of the ship for the naturalist talk and whale watching?

Entertainment on Eurodam

They mean well, but the ships entertainment always has me shaking my head.  There seems to be talent aplenty (dancers, singers, musicians) but the content and productions weren’t that great.  Since this was the Oprah cruise we had special programming – singer India.Arie and comedian Rita Rudner.  One highlight was the house band/orchestra performing the score to the documentary Alaska in Concert – both the music and movie were fantastic.

The Digital Workshop by Microsoft on Holland America Eurodam

Another exciting partnership is with Microsoft and offers daily classes to learn different features of technology.  Given that the normal cruise age is much older, the classes tend to be basic for most.  That said, the cruise offered the top 10 popular classes and I attended a photo editing class with six other people. The classroom features twelve computers and extra seats for those who don’t get the hand on option (show up early!).

Holland America Cruise to Alaska on Eurodam  – Common Areas

The orange bathrooms were tortuous to me and screamed 1970!  Orange countertops is a wrong decorating choice.  Common areas had a mix of furniture, paintings I hated and odd accessories throughout.  Every time I landed on my deck, I saw the outdoor furniture and it made me laugh.  The paintings made me cringe and the odd décor/accessories made me want to ask the Captain to sail into dry dock ASAP. The buffet area colors were bright too!

 

Holland America Staff – Cruise to Alaska on Eurodam

The front desk staff and I interacted frequently as the first night my aft room (which I didn’t want) was a sleepless night.  The bed was vibrating as the ship was sailing at a high-speed.  I went to the front desk the next day and treated as if I was crazy (I spoke with at least three others with a similar problem).  They didn’t want to send anyone to the room to see what I was talking about.  There were no other verandah rooms to move me.  I was offered an inside room for sleeping only (far from my cabin on a different deck) – I would need to go between rooms with clothes, etc. I declined this and wanted an explanation for the vibration.  Ships will sway/rock as I’ve been on many cruises but the vibration up on the deck 6 was unexplainable.  I might expect this if the room were further down near the bottom of the ship or the engine room.  I was told a supervisor would call me later.  No one called.  It wasn’t until the next day when I went to the front desk again that I was told they called the wrong room.  Ugh!

So my want for relaxation on a cruise was marred by the bed situation – I had to take Benadryl each night to get some sleep. I would be offered a free dinner ($25) at the sushi restaurant for my discomfort (I declined).  I asked for a supervisor after a few days since no one escalated my issue or tried to resolve it.  I was eventually given an additional $75 added to the $25 for a $100 on board credit after the supervisor contacted corporate in Seattle.  I wasn’t sleeping without assistance and this was Holland’s fault for not addressing or fixing my vibrating bed.   If only Holland had given me the refund I asked for and kept my inside cabin instead of this “free” upgrade. This was a case of the customer is not right which upset me from the get go.

The staff was uneven for me throughout the cruise.  Outside the few mentioned above, the staff were not really a highlight and this was when the President of the cruise line was aboard!  When I asked for Evian at the bar (listed on menu) and from service staff, I was told it was only available at the Steak restaurant.  When I asked for a t-shirt size at the shop with the special O Store merchandise,  I was told she was too busy to go in the back to look can I come back at x time.  I returned and she said she forgot to look so come back tomorrow.  When I went to see her, the shop was closed for the remainder of the cruise so I wasn’t able to buy the item.  Three times to buy something is ridiculous. If anything, she should have said “I’m too busy to go check but give me your cabin number and I have it delivered”.  Easy peasy in my opinion.

So many missed opportunities to deliver stellar service.

Holland America Cruise to Alaska on Eurodam Port Tours

For Alaska, you basically need to do the port tours (excursions) through the ships.  When I tried to book on the tour operators website it directed me back to Holland.  So while I don’t normally book via the ship, for my three tours, I did and was quite happy with all three.  I had researched them on my own first.  One odd thing was that I had forgotten to bring cash with me to tip the guide on one tour.  I asked the tour desk for the name of the vendor and they said “we can’t tell you that”.  I had paid for the tour with them and they can’t tell me – he checked with a supervisor and called me later to say “we can’t tell you”. Thankfully I found a photo on my phone that I took with the vendor name and location.  But seriously Holland?

Walking the Deck for Charity on HAL Eurodam

Holland America has a wonderful program to walk a 5k to raise money for charity.  For a donation (starting at $20) you get a t-shirt and plastic wristband.  It’s a great way to work off those chocolate desserts as you walk around the ship.  On the day we walked, it was cold (I had layers – coat, hat, gloves) for me while others braved the elements in shorts and sneakers (who are those people?). The crew had set up a sweets table at the finish – which you passed each go round.  I was walking for cookies!

Final Thoughts – Holland America Cruise to Alaska on Eurodam

Ok, so I had a few issues on this cruise that really marred my experience.  For me the price, product and service are key factors.  The sad décor I could live with, the vibrating bed and no sleep not so much.  The lack of sympathy for my lack of sleep was really surprising.  I overpaid for this cruise so from the get go – I was upset and felt cheated.  If this was a theme cruise from the beginning I might understand.  But this was a regular cruise which morped into a partial theme cruise.  For example, pricing in one cabin category was $1,099 pp (regular cruise) then soared to $1,999 pp (oprah theme cruise) before falling to $899 pp (fire sale to fill the ship). The O Magazine programming was fun, inspiring and meeting others interested in wellness was wonderful, so the theme cruise was a nice feature but I’m not sure worth the premium price.  Alaska is gorgeous of course so make sure you do your research to find the right ship to date that meets all your requirements.

Here are my  Tips for Planning an Alaskan Cruise and  First Time Cruiser – How to Budget for a Cruise

I filled out my after cruise survey with most (if not all) of the above and received a personalized email addressing many of my concerns.  I was offered an additional on board credit for a future cruise as an apology for my experience.  Right now, as the representative of Holland remarked, “you might not want to take another Holland America cruise anytime soon”, he’s right about that.  I like to say finding the right cruise line and ship is a bit like dating.  Right now, I don’t anticipate a second date anytime soon with Holland America Eurodam ship.   That said, my friends are Holland America super fans (they only said Holland) and told me they think my experience was a one-off and I should try a different Holland America ship given that I have a credit.  We’ll see….

Update: My on board credit offer from Holland America corporate has expired.  I did try to find another HAL ship to sail with but none had single supplements I could afford.