Packed and ready to disembark from the MS Eurodam, cross a couple of piers and re-embark on the sistership, the MS Nieuve Amsterdam tomorrow, 2. January 2011.
Given a choice I prefer a small ship, where there is plenty of opportunity to meet fellow travellers, enjoy a rather cozy atmosphere aboard, and walk manageable distances between bow and stern and anything in between (which is lots).
The Eurodam deserves a high rating as compared to other ships of the same size. She carries about 2100 passengers, whereas Costa carries about 2800 and Carnival 3400 on exactly the same size ship, but with less of the perques. I rather be here...
The decor is quiet, with many design highlights that give the ship an elegant flair. Despite having to serve about 11.000 meals per day - more than most convention kitchens - the cuisine was one of the best I have enjoyed afloat - with a little advertised secret as a bonus: the Tamarind Restaurant. A pan-asian oriented dining venue, exquisitely furnished in all regards, with a magnificient view, hand-picked staff, and a menu selection and delivery that has earned and deserved accolades and prizes as the best specialty restaurant in the entire cruise business. That is high praise indeed, but definitely thoroughly merited.
I still find the size and the resulting number of passengers somewhat disconcerting, but on short cruises with almost no sea-days (and almost all daylight hours in a port) this ship ssems to me a pretty good alternative to other wintering vacation choices.
Holiday cruises, as these last two weeks, seem to be popular with large families...we have entire clans on this ship with their 300 (Christmas Cruise) and 400 (New Years Cruise) toddlers, kids, tweens and teens in tow. Luckily the younger set has a dedicated, almost hermetically sealed, large area on the ship with all the modern nesseccities (Internet, video, games, sports, kindergarten stuff, disco, their own 'retreat' off limits for adults) under qualified supervision, that that particular crowd is hardly noticeable aboard. The usual ships photos (almost 40 dollars for a 'portrait') seem almost 'economical', when such portraits contain 20 family members///that's only two dollars per nose.
I haven't put on a pound...that alone almost makes for a successful journey aboard ship.
