We’re glad that we splurged for a verandah cabin aboard the Eurodam. Minutes after taking this photo, we spotted a pod of seven killer whales. Then, a humpback whale breached in the distance.
Our family stayed in a Verandah stateroom on our cruise to Alaska aboard the MS Eurodam.
The Eurodam's inside cabins are windowless. Many outside cabins only have a 45-inch by 35-inch window, or a 15-inch porthole. We wanted the freedom to see wildlife and natural wonders from our room, so we booked a cabin with a balcony. No regrets.
If your family is susceptible to motion sickness (like ours), it's advisable to choose a cabin that's midship on a lower deck. That's why we picked Deck 5, even though Deck 6 and Deck 7 have better views.
Our Deck 5 cabin had lots of storage space, a well-lit bathroom, surprisingly comfortable beds and was quiet at night because it wasn't located near the pools, bars or restaurants.
Eurodam Deck Plan
Decks With Staterooms
Deck 8 (Navigation) - Beneath pool and restaurants; upper deck
Deck 7 (Rotterdam) - Between other staterooms; upper deck
Deck 6 (Upper Verandah) - Between other staterooms; middle deck
Deck 5 (Verandah) - Between other staterooms; lower deck
Deck 4 (Upper Promenade) - Above bar; lower deck
Deck 1 (Main) - Beneath bars, restaurants and stages; lowest deck
Cabin Types
There are five types of staterooms and suites aboard the MS Eurodam:
Inside Cabins - 141-284 sq. ft.
Ocean View Cabins - 169-267 sq. ft.
Verandah (Balcony) Staterooms - 213-379 sq. ft.
Signature Suites - 273–456 sq. ft.
Neptune and Pinnacle Sweets - 506–590 sq. ft.
The suites in the Eurodam are indeed beautiful, but they were beyond our price range.
Which Side of the Ship?
We chose a Verandah stateroom on the port (left) side of the ship. Early in the voyage, we wondered if we made a mistake and should have chosen a room on the starboard (right) side.
In the end, we don't think it matters. Wildlife and natural wonders are visible on both sides of the Eurodam. Plus, anyone can visit Deck 3 for the freedom to move 360-degrees around the ship.
Eurodam Verandah Stateroom Review
We rarely felt cramped in our stateroom aboard the Eurodam. The cabin layout is smart and ergonomic.
Layout of Our Room
Room 5-118 has a balcony, pull-out sofa and two twin beds. We thought we had booked a room with a queen-size bed, but being able to step into the space between the twin beds was beneficial. This made it easier for our family to cooperate in small quarters.
Bathroom
The bathroom in our cabin was tiny, but it had lots of shelves, hooks and bars.
Our bathroom had a full-sized tub, excellent lighting and plenty of storage space. There were three shelves above the sink and two door-hooks. The shower had a retractable clothesline, which was convenient for drying bathing suits. We also appreciated the large mirror.
Room Amenities
24-hour room service;
Ice service;
Daily fruit bowl;
Turndown service (with chocolates);
Soap, shampoo, conditioner and lotion;
Shower cap;
Stationery;
Shoeshine service;
In-room movies (ala Netflix);
Wakeup service;
CD/DVD player;
In-room safe; and a
Hairdryer.
Interestingly, there are no clocks in the cabins. We assume this is because the Eurodam's Alaskan itinerary includes two timezone changes.
Pros
Beds - The mattresses and bedding materials in our stateroom were excellent. This was a pleasant surprise and we slept well. (Anyone taller than 6'2" will struggle to fit in a twin bed, however.)
Storage Space - Our room had cabinets, under-bed storage, three closets, three bathroom shelves, four hooks and a clothesline. It was more than we needed.
Housekeeping - Nyoman and Rizal, our room stewards, were excellent. They adapted themselves to our schedule, greeted us by name and made towel creatures for our daughter every evening.
Room Service - Our meals arrived hot, on-time and prepared in a space-saving way.
Cons
Water Temperature - Our shower would suddenly turn cool. Rather than increase the water temperature, we waited these cool spells out. Why? The hot water is scalding. Be careful with the kiddos.
Balcony - The view from our balcony was partially-obstructed by the lifeboats below.
Television - We had to watch the same safety procedure video each time we turned on the television: This seemed like a bug, not a feature.
Our Verdict and Rating
4 out of 5 - Our stateroom was small for a family of three, but the smart layout, ample storage space and excellent housekeeping service made our cabin a comfortable one.
