Eurodam Coastal Trip Review - Astoria

As I mentioned in the first post, the ship started in Vancouver and ended in San Diego and had a port call in Astoria.  I’ve already touched on Vancouver and didn’t have much time in San Diego, so I’ll be focusing this section entirely on Astoria.

If you enjoy reading about history and unique geographic locations, I recommend you read Astoria by Peter Stark, its a fascinating true story about the origins of this port town and the dual exploratory parties that embarked to establish a settlement and a Pacific rim fur trading empire centered in Astoria.  I’m glad I had read the portion about the marine navigational challenges before we arrived because sailing into the port was a bit of an adventure.

Cape Disappointment on the Washington state side.

At 11am on Thursday, October 18th, Captain John Scott came on the public address system to advise us that we had a pilot aboard and were on the final approach to the Columbia Bar which is where the Columbia River interfaces with the Pacific Ocean .  He conveyed that due to the unique navigational challenges and clearances in this channel (narrow channel, lots of sediment leading to shallow spots), the Eurodam would need to retract her stabilizers for 30 minutes or so while she sailed into the channel to avoid potential for damage.  For those that haven’t looked at a detailed map of Astoria, it lies just inside the mouth of the Columbia River.

Bathymetry of the Columbia Bar and Astoria harbor

The river is wide at this location and flows at up to 8 knots, however due to its width, there are several barely submerged sand bars.  The Astoria Megler bridge, situated just east of the main dock in town, has two piers that obstruct the river further making it a very narrow passage.  The Eurodam would need to navigate the river bar, the built jetties, hidden sand bars, an 8 knot river contraflow, and when we arrived, a tide that was going out before coming aside at the only cruise pier in town, just west of the bridge.  For about 30 minutes as we approached the mouth, the Eurodam, sailing without stabilizers began rolling up to 15 degrees.  The weather was not adverse, this was just the wild Pacific and the somewhat tamed Columbia River (multiple dams upriver) commanding respect from everyone on this ship.  Although we rocked pretty good for about 30 minutes, we then arrived in the inner harbor where things calmed and the ship was along side by noon.

It's hard to capture the 10-15 degree list of the ship entering the channel without stabilizers

Looking NE - approaching the pier with the US 101 Astoria Megler Bridge and causeway in view

My personal to do list in Astoria was to jog through some of the neighborhoods just south of the dock, up to the Astoria Column, swing by the “Goonies House” and back to downtown to stop by some of the microbreweries.  So on this 60 degree cloudy afternoon, off I went from the Eurodam along the wide paved port trail towards town, and made my way up the hill immediately adjacent to the port and US 101.  I ran up a few narrow rock strewn paths and eventually was at the top of a hill side neighborhood with several unique houses and some beautiful northwest gardens.  Following a preplanned route, and keeping an eye for vista points, I eventually made my way to Clatsop Commuity College.  From the east parking lot of the college, I made my way up a 0.2 mile, steep dirt trail to the grassy meadow below the Astoria Column.  

West Astoria - the downtown is just to the left around the hill.

Astoria Megler Bridge - looking NE

Some semi official paths up the hillside in Astoria

Wildlife was not far away

Gosh, what a view.

Another formally informal public trail.

The Astoria Column in the distance

A street scene just uphill from downtown.

The trail up from Clatsop College

The bluff 

Several more huffs (I admit I was walking at this point), and I made it to the top of the bluff and took in the 270 degree view to the north, west, and south, and the magnificence of the Astoria Column with its exterior fresco that spirals up the column providing a quick yet thorough visual history of the city.  164 steps later and I made it to the top to even more impressive views - however the Eurodam was hidden by the hill that had been the starting point for my jog.  If you go, it's a free trek to the top however if you drove you will need to pay a small fee for parking.  There are restrooms just southeast of the of the column and a small gift shop as well.

At the base of the Astoria Column

A bronze relieve of the surrounding geography

There were maybe 5 or 6 landings where you could let others pass and catch your breath.

The Astoria Column provides impressive vistas in all directions and was a real treat as the clouds were clearing over the Columbia River, creating a visual cornucopia of greens, yellows, and oranges on the forested hillsides of Washington state, on the north side of the Columbia River.  

View to the NW

View W

View N

View S

Heading back down, this time I took the 0.9 Cathedral Tree woodland trail from the northeast side of the site which put me into northeast Astoria.  Following my prescribed route, I made my way over near the "Goonies" house (from the 1980s movie) only to find several nasty signs about no visiting and no pictures.  Bummer!  By the looks of it it was either in disrepair or being updated.

One last view from the bluff towards town.

Well that's a bummer.

The Goonie's House - if you go, please only take pictures from afar.

Anyways, I then set back toward downtown on the waterfront path which runs from the far eastern limit of town all the way to downtown and beyond to the cruise dock and even further.  During summer months, Astoria has a trolley that runs on some old railroad tracks that run along the waterfront.  There was no trolley today but it was a nice jog with the sun coming out and the leaves on the trees in a mosaic of colors.  In the distance I heard the barking of a few sea-lions; obviously it was a smaller group than the one in San Francisco but a nice audible treat combined with the other smells and sounds associated with a seaport.

The very nice waterfront path and adjacent trolley tracks.

A nice neighborhood on a pond near the waterfront.

As a fan of microbrews, it was a nice way to end my sojourn in the downtown area with 5 downtown breweries of which I visited 3.  Well, really I visited 2 breweries and a cidery that was next to a brewery that I stumbled into.  The Fort George Brewery was first and is just north of the site of the original settlement in Astoria.  There is a historical marker here and some green paint at odd angles in the road indicate the fort’s original boundary.  The beer at Fort George was good and I would go back, they also served food and had a nice outdoor area as well as a wintergarden style patio.  The next brewery was 2 blocks away and I ended up going to cidery in the same location.  The brewery, Reach Break Brewing, and cidery, Reveille Ciderworks share an open lot that has several picnic tables and spots for some food trucks.  It’s a nice setting and I’ll be sure to go back to this location next year (more about that later) as the cider was good and the owner talked a bit about how Astoria was changing for the better.  My last stop was Buoy Beer about 5 blocks away located on the waterfront in a structure over the water.  This location has 2 bars with a nice selection of beer and food.

First up, Fort George Brewery

Historical marker just south of Fort George Brewery

Reveille Cidery and Reach Break Brewery's shared outdoor area.

A nice place to stop, enjoy a pint, and take it all in.

Buoy Beer List

Finally, after having perhaps a bit too much beer, I made my way back to the port on the waterfront trail.  The Eurodam was certainly a nice sight and I was ready to hop in a hottub near the Seaview pool and put my feet up. 

Waterfront trail back to the Eurodam

Under the Astoria Megler Bridge

The port access path.  There are usually vendors near the terminal selling a variety of locally made souvineers

My approximate route

Next September, Princess Cruises is sending my favorite Princess ship on the Vancouver, Astoria, Los Angeles run.  This will be interesting however because little Astoria will be inundated with THREE ships that day.  Believe it or not, the Coral Princess and one other ship will be tendering passengers in closer to downtown.  I’m hoping for some great photos of all the ships when I go.  

A few more posts to come in the coming days.

Eurodam Coastal Trip Review - Ship Decor and Venues

The Eurodam is an attractive ship, perhaps one of the most attractive sailing under the Carnival LLC’s “Worlds Leading Cruise Line” banner.  Boasting a nice mix of the dark blue hull, white superstructure, and off black glass, she well represents a nice balance of shapes and colors that indicates she is a modern cruise liner with ocean liner roots.  I initially didn’t know what to make of the tandem funnel approach of Holland America on her initial Vista class vessels;  they weren’t necessary, stylistically they were a bit strange, and certainly not designed to the whimsy of the Disney vessels.  I seem they seem more palatable now that there are 6 ships sporting the style.  They are certainly more visually appealing than the Celebrity Solstice class ships with 2 small funnels, and only 1 with the logo.

Funnels?  Or tailpipes?  And why only one logo.

                           

I will say that the new HAL logo on the funnels seem to be a size or two too large - and this is really evident on the MS Amsterdam and Rotterdam.  Regardless, the twin funnels are functional and fit the character of the ship well.  In my mind, the funnels create a nice fusion of pushing the limit of the stylistic norms of cruise ship design of the late 1990's (during the first Vista class ship’s design phase), and simultaneously giving a nod to the past.  I’ve always thought the R class ships are perhaps the best looking in the HAL fleet, but their fore upper superstructure features several different sizes and shapes of windows which have been the Achilles heel of the design.  Conversely, today the Vista and Signature class ships represent a nice compromise of current design trends, tastefully blended.

Dual funnels done right.

So many shapes on these windows!  Still a great looking ship, except for the logo fitting the funnels.

The new logo BARELY fits the Zaandam/Volendam's funnels

Inside the Eurodam, the decor and style is a nice mix of contemporary, avante-garde, and classical in way that is slightly evocative of the ocean liner traditions of the past.  Wood shades are varied based on the context with which they are used - darker for accents, lighter and muted where wood is needed, but should be forgotten.  Carpets throughout are patterned with pleasing designs and changed up in large places so the design varies and gives some uniqueness; you wont look down in the Crows nest in one area and see the same carpet style as 20 feet away.  It makes the large number of venues more unique and gives the impression the areas are larger than they are.  The furniture upholstery is tasteful and a blend of patterned and solid colors.

Crow's Nest

Rooms that stand out:
The Crows Nest - a rich blend of pale blues, faded oranges, shades of cream, and dark brown colors make the palate of this venue comfortable and pleasing to the eye.  The library area has a nice blend of dark wood floating bookshelves of different sizes and the lighting is pleasant and adjusted based on the time of day.  The Crow’s nest features a series of large loungers looking out to the oceans ahead, some smaller sets of plush chairs with tables on the immediate edge of the venue, and some nice 4 seat table and chairs near the bar.  The bar serves up specialty coffee’s and the usual bar assortment.  Scattered around are some big tables for jigsaws and some larger tables with embedded touchscreens enabling passengers to interact with a somewhat limited system of port and sailing related information.  At the center of the venue are 2 large screens with current navigational information that is updated and refreshed regularly and simply displayed, however the information is somewhat technical in nature.  On the port side, there is a semi room (presumably for the EXC program) with 40-50 chairs in lecture layout.  There are larger screens throughout sometimes showing extra information, and at other-times with a screen saver of sorts.  The whole venue feels generally feels like a loud coffee shop or quieter bar and generally swings between these two based on the time of day.  I rather enjoyed my time in this venue and spent most of the time writing this blog in the Crow's nest.

Paperback exchange

A side venue in the Crow's Nest for port lectures

The navigational info displays are front and center in the Crow's Nest

Navigational information

A nice touch screen map of Astoria - coffee cup for scale.

EXC Central

Where I wrote most of this trip report

The Gallery Bar - I’m not sure what HAL’s intent was with this venue, but located off the Casino and replacing a former nightclub, I feel like HAL really perfected this.  It’s an intimate venue overloaded with framed photos and paintings accented by off black paint.  The location includes several table games (shuffleboard for one), as well as a nice collection of board games secured in black cases.  There are table top chess and checkers games as well as a table with Foosball inlaid in the center with a glass top.  The venue has close access to the former nightclub’s bar and includes several TV’s with sports typically played.  Since there is no designated sports bar onboard, this is probably the closest thing and it does well in that role.

Games in the Gallery Bar

What a great idea for foosball

Whimsical yet classy - the Gallery Bar was my favorite venue.

A very nice mini shuffleboard table flanked by a chess table.

Tamarind Bar - Tamarind is really a hidden gem with a pleasing color palate and a respectable amount of theme.  I really liked it for it’s role as an unofficial stand in for when the Crow’s nest is crowded or noisy in the morning as it provides a comfortable and quite place to read or reflect on a semi unobstructed view of the ocean.

A semi-private seating area in Tamarind Bar

Tamarind Restaurant

Atrium - Although it’s not indicated on the deck plans, the Atrium no longer has the staircase throughout.  Vertical circulation is maintained by the midship elevators and stairs and this actually improves the feel of the location.  The bottom of the atrium no longer has a bar either which has provided the room for a good amount of seating that is probably better utilized with folks waiting for some of the various ship services on the bottom floor than it was before.  This wasn’t a particularly notable venue, but it’s not updated on the deck plan so I figured it was worth pointing out.

Atrium from Deck 2

Atrium - Deck 1

America’s Test Kitchen - a nice and efficient venue, but its unfortunate it only seemed to be used once or twice a day during kitchen demos and occasionally for live musical performances.  I give special credit to the creative use of old mixing bowls on lamps and colanders on the tops of sconces.

Creative use of colanders

Lincoln Center Stage - I really enjoyed Lincoln Center Stage on the Koningsdam, and it’s clear that it’s been a hit as HAL is trying to squeeze it in on all their ships.  The location chosen on the Eurodam is unfortunate because it truly feels like a concert hall in the most literal sense, with the venue squeezed onto the starboard side just forward of the dining room on deck 2.  This arrangement combined with some obstructive support columns give you 6 to 7 across in about 10 rows, so in a way it feels akin to a flight on a 737, granted with better entertainment.  It didn’t keep me from enjoying the performances but it required some planning to get there for a good seat.  From what I can tell this has taken over what was the Explorer's bar and lounge.  There remains a remnant of the previous venue at the back that only occasionally hosts organized functions.  I was one of the lectures on various acupuncture ointments in that area.

Lincoln Center Stage Venue

The Lido Pool - HAL really does a nice job with their Lido pool areas and taking them to a level beyond that of a pool, or overflow buffet seating.  The exude a nice vibe and are on par with some of the nicer pool side day clubs of some hotels in Las Vegas.

The magrodome was opened in the afternoon of our last day.

The Tasman Room, formerly where movies were shown, seems to have been commandeered by Joe Craig and his colorless photo studio.  These studios are all over Princess ships, although typically placed far off the beaten path.  It’s disappointing to see this venue show up on HAL ships on a main entertainment deck, which also seems to replace the classic HAL movie theater venue.  Of course, I’m sure the photo studio makes money otherwise it wouldn’t be on the ship.  I saw no advertising for it on my voyage.

Generally speaking, I like how HAL provides several smaller, more intimate venues than Princess and other lines where there are really only a few larger venues.  This provides nice intimate and quite areas when they are not in use rather than a large open cabaret style venue.  On the original Grand class ships, it’s well known that the Wheelhouse bar is one of the best locations for a quiet few moments during a busy day at sea, which was expanded later on and now houses a for fee food venue.

The next post will come in a few days and discuss Astoria.  But here are a few more photos around the ship.  One thing I really enjoyed were all the historic photos and prints of HAL ships through the years in both the stairwells and in the companionways.

Billboard On-board/Piano Bar.  We had what looked like dueling pianos played by twins!

Ocean Bar

Mainstage Showlounge

Elevator Lobby with nice informational screens.

Wall of Port Honors - top of midship stairwell

The Eurodam by Stephen Card

An older Statendam by Stephen Card

Hard to tell but it looks to be one of the S class ships during construction.