We were impressed by the food (and artistic plating) aboard the Eurodam. Above: Rockfish and risotto.
Holland America's Eurodam has several dining options, including a buffet, dining room, fast food takeout and 24-hour room service. There are also specialty restaurants (for an additional fee).
We were asked to choose our dining room preference when we booked our cruise to Alaska:
Flexible Open Dining - Arrive for dinner anytime between 5:15 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.; or
Classic Pre-Set Dining - Dinner is served at 5:45 p.m. or 8:00 p.m.
We chose the open dining plan for the freedom it provides. In hindsight, this was a mistake.
The open dining room on Deck 2 is noisy and crowded. The pre-set dining room on Deck 3 is less crowded and doesn't rattle and rumble nearly as much.
Here are short reviews of the included-dining venues that we tried aboard the Eurodam, plus an overview of the specialty restaurants:
Best Breakfast: Lido Market; In-Room Dining
Best Lunch: Lido Market
Best Dinner: Dining Room
Best Service: Dining Room
Best Desserts: Dining Room
Best View: Tamarind (extra charge)
Most Romantic: Tamarind
Quickest Meal for Kids: Lido Market; Dive-In
Longest Wait: New York Pizza
Dining Options Included With Fare
In-Room Dining (24-Hours)
Three breakfasts, two seats and one tray: In-room dining was a coordinated effort on the Eurodam.
The Eurodam offers 24-hour room service. If our stateroom had been larger, we probably would have had more than just breakfast in our cabin.
Getting an in-room breakfast is a great way to beat the crowds on days when the ship arrives in port early (like at Sitka and Ketchikan), or on disembarkation morning.
The food is excellent, especially the omelettes. The portions are modest so we sometimes ordered an extra breakfast on days when we were hungry. Be prepared for weak and watery coffee: We couldn't find a satisfying cup aboard the Eurodam.
Dining Room (Deck 2)
The Eurodam’s dining room is well-appointed, but rumbling engines keep it from being romantic.
Hours and Dress Code
| Port | Dress Code | Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner |
| Seattle | Smart Casual | Closed | 12:00-1:30 p.m. | 5:15-9:00 p.m. |
| At Sea | Gala Attire | 8:00-9:30 a.m. | 12:00-1:00 p.m. | 5:00-9:00 p.m. |
| Juneau | Smart Casual | 7:30-9:00 a.m. | 11:30-12:30 p.m. | 5:00-9:00 p.m. |
| Glacier Bay | Smart Casual | 7:30-9:00 a.m. | 12:00-1:00 p.m. | 5:00-9:00 p.m. |
| Sitka | Smart Casual | 7:30-9:00 a.m. | Closed | 5:00-9:00 p.m. |
| Ketchikan | Gala Attire | 7:00-8:30 a.m. | 12:00-1:00 p.m. | 5:00-9:00 p.m. |
| Victoria | Smart Casual | 8:00-9:30 a.m. | Closed | 5:00-9:00 p.m. |
Details
Menu: Classic fine dining
Buffet: No
Reservations: Not required, but recommended on Gala Nights
Romantic: No
Outdoor Seating: No
Scenic View: Yes
We have two cautions about the dining room:
At top speed, it is very loud. So loud, you can't hear the person across the table. We only enjoyed the ambiance in the dining room at low speeds or in port.
You may be asked to share a table unnecessarily. On many occasions, the Maître D' asked if he could seat us with strangers. We agreed on the first night and were seated at a table for six (in what was arguably the worst table in the dining room). Service was slow and we were left with the scraps of a picked-over bread basket. After that, we always asked explicitly for a private table and we never had to wait for one.
On a positive note, we never felt rushed out when we arrived at the end of the dining hour.
The dining room served excellent dinners. Every dish was plated beautifully and served at just the right temperature. We had halibut, rockfish, lobster, lamb chops and filet mignon, as well as hard-to-create desserts like baked Alaska.
On Gala Nights, a special five-course dinner was served. The "Gold Rush Soup" was particularly good and memorable (our daughter still talks about it).
We didn't enjoy breakfast or lunch in the dining room nearly as much as dinner. The dining room's Express Luncheon offers a limited menu that felt restrictive.
Lido Market (Deck 9)
Sliders, Indian food and brownies…why not? Anything goes at the Lido Market.
Hours
| Port | Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner | Night |
| Seattle | Closed | 11:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. | 5:30-8:30 p.m. | 10:30-11:30 p.m. |
| At Sea | 7:00-10:30 a.m. | 11:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. | 5:30-8:30 p.m. | 10:30-11:30 p.m. |
| Juneau | 6:30-10:30 a.m. | 11:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. | 5:30-9:00 p.m. | 10:00-11:30 p.m. |
| Glacier Bay | 6:30-10:30 a.m. | 11:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. | 5:30-8:30 p.m. | 10:30-11:30 p.m. |
| Sitka | 6:30-10:00 a.m. | 11:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. | 5:30-8:30 p.m. | 10:30-11:30 p.m. |
| Ketchikan | 6:00-10:00 a.m. | 11:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. | 5:30-8:30 p.m. | 10:30-11:30 p.m. |
| Victoria | 7:00-10:30 a.m. | 11:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. | 5:00-9:00 p.m. | 9:30-11:30 p.m. |
Details
Menu: International fare
Buffet: Yes
Dress Code: Casual
Reservations: No
Romantic: No
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Scenic View: Yes
The Eurodam's buffet is called the Lido Market.
The food is very good overall. We especially liked the Lido Market's baked goods, but we struggled to find cooked vegetables (much like the buffet at Dreams Punta Cana). The coffee, oatmeal and sushi were the only things that disappointed us.
Bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs, made-to-order omelettes, pancakes, french toast and sweet treats like cinnamon rolls are available for breakfast.
For lunch, the Lido Market serves tacos, sandwiches, baked goods, carved meats, curried foods, sushi, fresh fruits, pastries, cookies and San Bernardo ice cream.
Themed dinner-menus rotate daily. For example, we had excellent salmon and king crab while we were docked in Alaska, and very good Mahi Mahi while at sea.
Note: The published dining hours were not always respected. If we arrived at the Lido Market after 2:00 p.m., the hot food was shut down. When hot food was being served on one side of the buffet, the other side was shut down, creating crowding and bottlenecks.
Dive In (Deck 9)
Dive In’s hamburgers, fries and hotdogs are crafted with care and better than typical fast food.
Hours
11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Details
Menu: Burgers, hot dogs and fries
Buffet: No
Dress Code: None
Reservations: No
Romantic: No
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Scenic View: Yes
Dive In serves gourmet hot dogs, hamburgers and french fries.
We were surprised by how much care went into our order. This is a good place for kids to get an early dinner before signing them into Club HAL. Order at 5:00 p.m. to beat the crowds.
New York Pizza (Deck 9)
Hours
11:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.
Details
Menu: Pizza and salads
Buffet: No
Dress Code: Casual
Reservations: No
Romantic: No
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Scenic View: Yes
The Eurodam's onboard pizzeria is located next to the ship's designated smoking section. This made the 35-minute wait for a pizza seem even longer than it was.
In the end, we preferred the foccacia that the Lido Market served.
Premium and Speciality Restaurants
Here is an overview of each of the Eurodam's specialty restaurants:
The Pinnacle Grill (Deck 2)
The Pinnacle Grill is a semi-secluded restaurant that hosts a pop-up brasserie once per voyage.
Hours and Dress Code
| Port | Dress Code | Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner |
| Seattle | Smart Casual | Closed | Closed | 5:30-9:30 p.m. |
| At Sea | Gala Attire | Closed | 12:00-1:00 p.m. | 5:30-9:30 p.m. |
| Juneau | Smart Casual | Closed | Closed | 5:30-9:30 p.m. |
| Glacier Bay | Smart Casual | Closed | 12:00-1:00 p.m. | 5:30-9:30 p.m. |
| Sitka | Smart Casual | Closed | Closed | Rudi's Sel de Mer* |
| Ketchikan | Gala Attire | Closed | 12:00-1:00 p.m. | 5:30-9:30 p.m. |
| Victoria | Smart Casual | Closed | 12:00-1:00 p.m. | 5:00-9:30 p.m. |
*The Pinnacle Grill hosts a pop-up restaurant called Rudi's Sel de Mer once per voyage. Rudi's is a brasserie that serves ultra-high-end seafood.
Details
Menu: High-end surf and turf
Buffet: No
Reservations: Not required, but recommended on Gala Nights
Romantic: Yes
Outdoor Seating: No
Scenic View: No
The Pinnacle Grill is located above the Eurodam's atrium. It's one of the most beautifully-decorated parts of the ship, but there is a lot of foot traffic passing by.
Canaletto (Deck 9)
Hours
5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Details
Menu: Italian classics
Buffet: No
Dress Code: Smart casual (unless a Gala Night)
Reservations: Not required, but recommended
Romantic: No
Outdoor Seating: No
Scenic View: Yes
Consider Canaletto for elbow room, not romance. This semi-private Italian restaurant is sectioned-off within the Lido Market (the Eurodam's buffet).
Tamarind (Deck 11)
Hours
5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Details
Menu: Pan-Asian cuisine
Buffet: No
Dress Code: Smart casual (unless a Gala Night)
Reservations: Not required, but recommended
Romantic: Yes
Outdoor Seating: No
Scenic View: Yes
Tamarind is the most secluded restaurant aboard the Eurodam. Its location on Deck 11 offers sweeping views of the ocean without the noise and crowds that are found on lower decks.
FAQ
How does the Eurodam accommodate vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free diets as well as food allergies and other dietary restrictions?
Holland America suggests that passengers with special dietary needs contact Ship Services at 1–800–541–1576 at least three weeks prior to departure. We have no firsthand experience on this matter.
