Quick look
What To See
Eating Out
Sleepover
Getting There

Perhaps it’s another by-product of the recession, or maybe all the land lubbers out there have finally realised just what they’ve been missing, but either way there is no denying the sudden surge in holidaymakers abandoning much-loved resorts in favour of life on the high seas. The number of Brits taking to life on the ocean waves has doubled in the last decade with more than 1.5 million opting for a cruise. And who can blame them? After all there is something magical about waking up in a new port every day. Some may say call it a lazy way to see the world – but I was too busy sipping my daiquiri by the pool to listen to those negative Nancy’s...

Holland America Line operates 14 ships with over 120 itineraries across five continents. When the opportunity arose to try out the newest addition to their fleet, the ms Eurodam, I was eager to see how this Signature Class vessel was fairing in her first year at sea.

What To See : Back to top

Undoubtedly the lure for many passengers is the ship itself and some will never venture from its decks, no matter how exciting the port of call is. The Eurodam is a monster of a ship. At 935 feet in length with eleven decks and a capacity for more than 3,000 passengers and crew this is not just a floating hotel – it’s a whole holiday resort! Embarking the ship is far more stylish affair than checking in at your local airport and as you ascend the gangway, posing quickly for the ship’s official photographer, you’ll feel like a 1940s movie star. First-timers may be tempted to run round the decks like a headless chicken seeing what the ship has to offer. But I’d recommend getting yourself onboard as early as possible for a spot of lunch in the lido while you study the pocket-sized map of the decks handed to you at check in. Then take a leisurely post-lunch stroll round the ship to familiarise yourself with it – otherwise you’ll be facing a couple of days of wandering the immense corridors in blind confusion.

If you are lucky enough to bag a few ‘sea days’ on your voyage then you are in for a treat. Wile away the days with a good book by one of the swimming pools (there’s three onboard), revel in the Jacuzzis and sauna or spoil yourself with a beauty treatment in the Greenhouse Spa. There are plenty of daytime activities to choose from too from culinary demonstrations to exercise classes and the weekly Dutch High Tea where you can enjoy an afternoon of cakes and fancies. The ship’s not short of evening entertainment either with 24 lounges and bars and a casino to keep you going after the Vegas-style show has come to an end. A must do is the Piano Bar for some great music and the Silk Den for beautiful cocktails. But if you’d rather have a quite one, you can keep a low profile in the cinema over a bag of fresh popcorn.

If you can drag yourself away from the onboard entertainment, I promise that finding yourself heading towards and new destination every other day can be very exciting. During our cruise of the Channel we stopped off at three ports; the first of which was Zeebruge in Belgium. So we wasted no time in signing ourselves up for an excursion to nearby Bruges to sample a few of the local beers and another local speciality, the famous ‘mussels from Brussels’, cooked and served in a simple but delicious herby broth. Next we were off to Cherbourg in France where we took another excursion, this time round Val de Saire, an area to the east of the town which is littered with traditional fishing ports where you can collect nautical trinkets aplenty and load up on local foods. On the way back to the ship our bags groaned from the weight of the Calvados mustard and fine wines that were threatening to crush our dainty, pastel coloured macaroons. Our third and final stop was a little closer to home in Guernsey; an adventure in itself since the ship was too large to enter the harbour so we had to be ferried in and out in tiny ‘tenders’ (boats) that were relentlessly beaten by the waves. But once on dry land were faced with St Peter Port; a mecca for shopaholics and the ideal place to sample an indulgent cream tea complete with clotted cream from the milk of Guernsey’s famous cows.

Text continues below advert

Eating Out : Back to top

“On any given evening, guests have marvellously diverse choices in dining,” HAL’s Senior Vice President of Marketing and Sales, Richard D Meadows, tells me. In other words, you’re going to be completely spoilt for choice, so take loose trousers. The Rembrandt Dining Room is a huge space serving an a la carte breakfast, lunch and dinner. It’s a fairly formal affair where you can look forward to a Continental inspired menu and a five-course dinner. However most guests choose to have lunch and breakfast in the more relaxed Lido: a massive buffet restaurant serving cuisine from around the world. You can also expect the catering staff to lay on the occasional themed lunchtime spread here. This is a fabulous spectacular where the lido is beautifully decorated to suit the theme and exotic foods are served round the pool – we were lucky enough to find ourselves face to face with the oyster bar and a selection of other fishy delights from tiger prawn cocktail to fresh crab.

The Eurodam also features three very special restaurants, you will need to book in advance and pay a small surcharge to dine in them (approximately $20), but it’s more than worth it. The first of these restaurants is the casual Canaletto serving traditional Italian favourites. The Pinnacle Grill served Pacific Northwest inspired dishes and is the place to eat steak. Here the waiter will wheel out a tray of steaks for you to lay claim to your cut, which will be returned to you cooked to absolute perfection. And for sheer entertainment value I’d recommend the Caesar Salad starter which will be lovingly mixed at your table. The final restaurant is Tamarind, an intimate and elegant dining experience where you will find beautifully presented Asian-style dishes.

If you still feel the need for a bite to eat after all this, there’s also a burger bar by the pool for daytime snacking as well as the Slice Pizza parlour which is open for most of the day, but is perfect for a post-drink evening snack. If that’s still not enough, even the room service is included in the price of your cruise, so you could literally find yourself eating 24 hours a day – and why not. You are on holiday after all!

Text continues below advert

Sleepover : Back to top

You’d be forgiven for thinking that cruising is an expensive was to travel, but it all comes down to the cabin you choose. There is a cabin out there to suit every budget and on the Eurodam you can choose from six staterooms. An interior cabin is the way forward if you want to keep your costs down or if you just want somewhere to lay your head. You won’t have the sought after sea view, but you will still have all the mod cons and an en-suite. The next affordable options are the ocean view staterooms which benefit from a porthole window followed by the veranda staterooms which, obviously, have their own balconies and are a little larger than the previous two rooms.

We were lucky enough to stay in a veranda room and it was an absolute joy to start the evening over a bottle of wine on the balcony, watching the waves lap at the ship. However if you want to blow the budget and do some serious damage to your pocket, opt for the deluxe veranda or penthouse veranda suites. Despite all the wonderful things to do onboard, tearing yourself away from this room won’t be easy. You can expect a massive suite made for entertaining which also features a king-size bed, complimentary hors d’oeuvres, a daily high tea, access to exclusive areas on board the ship and even a complimentary laundry service.

Whichever cabin you choose, you’re guaranteed a good time aboard the Eurodam, the only problem is, you’ll never want to go on a ‘normal’ holiday ever again!

Getting There : Back to top

Holland America Line’s next culinary tour, an 11-night Baltic cruise, departs from Dover on the 29th May 2010 and features special culinary activities and a cookery demonstration from Michelin starred TV chef, Martin Blunos.

Prices start from £1,099 per person. To book, or for further information on this cruise and other Holland America Line cruises, call 0845 351 0557 or visit www.hollandamerica.com