Holland America's Eurodam: A mid-sized ship with 2,100 passengers

With more than a dozen cruise ships carrying 3,000 passengers or more -- and giants of 5,500 passengers on order -- what used to be called a big ship now is considered small.

Mid-size? Well, that's somewhere between what once was big and what today is too big to fit through the Panama Canal.

Holland America Line looks at its new ship, the Eurodam, as mid-sized. (At left, the ship is docked on the River Tynen in England.)

Yes, we have come that far in the evolution of floating hotels, when a ship of 2,104  passengers is mid-sized.

The Eurodam, which was christened in early July in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, is barely larger than Holland America's Zuiderdam, Oosterdam or Westerdam.

But the Eurodam carries an extra 200 passengers or so by adding another deck on top, pushing the mid-sized limit over 2,000 people while preserving the size of the hull so the ship can squeeze through the Panama Canal (though not anytime soon).

The result is a ship that is much like the others of Holland America Line (HAL). The company, in business for 135 years, has built a reputation on traditional service; designs that include generous portions of space on deck, in cabins and public areas; and art collections that are worthy of a guided tour.

CLICK for info on new cabins, Asian and Italian restaurants, and what the experts say about Cruising Holland America's Eurodam

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Molyneaux is editor of TheTravelMavens.com. CLICK for articles on cruising, golf, Florida, Europe, adventure and travel gear and gadgets.