Alaska on the Oosterdam

[detroit70]

DH and I got the upsell offer today to move from a VA to an SA on the July 22nd Oosterdam cruise to Alaska, and we are very pleased! We had an SA in March, but DH's hospitalization on the ship with pneumonia put a real damper on the trip, so we promised ourselves a makeup cruise. However, price was a factor since it was so soon, and we had settled for a VH gty and then hoped we might get to return to a Deluxe Verandah Suite.

 

Now that we can look forward to the trip even more, we have a bunch of questions for those of you who have been on the Oosterdam to Alaska this year--I hope I'm not violating any posting rules by asking this many.

 

1. How early could we expect to board?

 

2. When we were on the Oosterdam a year ago, we were spoiled by our cabin stewards, Bertie and Jus, on the Navigation deck. Now we're on the Rotterdam deck, across from the Neptune Lounge. Any comments on the cabin stewards there?

 

3. On the Eurodam in March, we were especially well cared for by Bien and Shar, the concierges in the Neptune Lounge. Any comments on those on the Oosterdam?

 

4. How was the entertainment? (We were disappointed in March on the Eurodam, but enjoyed the Oosterdam's last summer.)

 

5. The Adagio String trio on the Oosterdam last year played more of our favorite composers like Bach, Mozart, Haydn. On the Eurodam the quartet performed more waltz music. Any comment on the current Adagio String group on the Oosterdam?

 

6. We fully agree with the need for the safety drill before sailing, but we're wondering if Holland America has found a way to make it any less difficult than what we experienced in March? We had a long and crowded wait for late passengers, and then it was difficult to hear the safety instructions.

 

7. Were you able to sail into Tracy Arm fjord for the day or partial day and, if so, did they open the front deck on the bow for that day?

 

8. Is the whole ship tour offered on the Oosterdam this year? We had both very much looked forward to the whole ship tour on the Eurodam in March and managed to be the first people to sign up for it upon boarding. DH's pneumonia prevented him from taking the tour, but he convinced me to do it anyway. Now it will be his turn if it's available!

 

9. Are there still problems with arriving late into Victoria, BC?

 

10. We've used Luggage Express on both of our previous cruises and appreciated not having to check in at the airport. Is that option still offered and, if so, what is the charge?

 

11. Any tips, suggestions, things to avoid from those of you who have sailed the Oosterdam to Alaska this year?

 

Thanks so much for any help you can give us, and I hope I haven't burdened the board with all these questions, but we're so looking foward to this trip and now we know what questions to ask!

[CruiserBruce]

DH and I got the upsell offer today to move from a VA to an SA on the July 22nd Oosterdam cruise to Alaska, and we are very pleased! We had an SA in March, but DH's hospitalization on the ship with pneumonia put a real damper on the trip, so we promised ourselves a makeup cruise. However, price was a factor since it was so soon, and we had settled for a VH gty and then hoped we might get to return to a Deluxe Verandah Suite.

 

Now that we can look forward to the trip even more, we have a bunch of questions for those of you who have been on the Oosterdam to Alaska this year--I hope I'm not violating any posting rules by asking this many.

 

1. How early could we expect to board? Nothing changes, standard HAL policy, around 11:30.

 

2. When we were on the Oosterdam a year ago, we were spoiled by our cabin stewards, Bertie and Jus, on the Navigation deck. Now we're on the Rotterdam deck, across from the Neptune Lounge. Any comments on the cabin stewards there? More senior personnel usually work the suites area.

 

3. On the Eurodam in March, we were especially well cared for by Bien and Shar, the concierges in the Neptune Lounge. Any comments on those on the Oosterdam? Sure they will be fine, and meet all your needs.

 

4. How was the entertainment? (We were disappointed in March on the Eurodam, but enjoyed the Oosterdam's last summer.) The main entertainment will probably be the same- ship's singers and dancers. Visiting entertainers may be different.

 

5. The Adagio String trio on the Oosterdam last year played more of our favorite composers like Bach, Mozart, Haydn. On the Eurodam the quartet performed more waltz music. Any comment on the current Adagio String group on the Oosterdam?

 

6. We fully agree with the need for the safety drill before sailing, but we're wondering if Holland America has found a way to make it any less difficult than what we experienced in March? We had a long and crowded wait for late passengers, and then it was difficult to hear the safety instructions. There are things that have to be done. Not sure there is a lot of alternatives here. Just hope everyone cooperates, is on time, etc.

 

7. Were you able to sail into Tracy Arm fjord for the day or partial day and, if so, did they open the front deck on the bow for that day? The bow is regularly open for scenic cruising. You are well into the season, Tracy Arm should be fully available.

 

8. Is the whole ship tour offered on the Oosterdam this year? We had both very much looked forward to the whole ship tour on the Eurodam in March and managed to be the first people to sign up for it upon boarding. DH's pneumonia prevented him from taking the tour, but he convinced me to do it anyway. Now it will be his turn if it's available! Should be available.

 

9. Are there still problems with arriving late into Victoria, BC?

 

10. We've used Luggage Express on both of our previous cruises and appreciated not having to check in at the airport. Is that option still offered and, if so, what is the charge?

 

11. Any tips, suggestions, things to avoid from those of you who have sailed the Oosterdam to Alaska this year? Have fun, don't sweat the small stuff, or the stuff you have no control over.

 

Thanks so much for any help you can give us, and I hope I haven't burdened the board with all these questions, but we're so looking foward to this trip and now we know what questions to ask!

 

See above.

[PathfinderEss]

DH and I got the upsell offer today to move from a VA to an SA on the July 22nd Oosterdam cruise to Alaska, and we are very pleased! We had an SA in March, but DH's hospitalization on the ship with pneumonia put a real damper on the trip, so we promised ourselves a makeup cruise. However, price was a factor since it was so soon, and we had settled for a VH gty and then hoped we might get to return to a Deluxe Verandah Suite.

 

Now that we can look forward to the trip even more, we have a bunch of questions for those of you who have been on the Oosterdam to Alaska this year--I hope I'm not violating any posting rules by asking this many.

 

1. How early could we expect to board?

11:30

 

2. When we were on the Oosterdam a year ago, we were spoiled by our cabin stewards, Bertie and Jus, on the Navigation deck. Now we're on the Rotterdam deck, across from the Neptune Lounge. Any comments on the cabin stewards there?

No but I'm sure they are as good as Bertie and Jus

 

3. On the Eurodam in March, we were especially well cared for by Bien and Shar, the concierges in the Neptune Lounge. Any comments on those on the Oosterdam?

I've never been disapointed in the concierges on any cruise.

 

4. How was the entertainment? (We were disappointed in March on the Eurodam, but enjoyed the Oosterdam's last summer.)

It really is a crap shoot

5. The Adagio String trio on the Oosterdam last year played more of our favorite composers like Bach, Mozart, Haydn. On the Eurodam the quartet performed more waltz music. Any comment on the current Adagio String group on the Oosterdam?

You never know, as the group are always changing.

6. We fully agree with the need for the safety drill before sailing, but we're wondering if Holland America has found a way to make it any less difficult than what we experienced in March? We had a long and crowded wait for late passengers, and then it was difficult to hear the safety instructions.

It will be the same.

7. Were you able to sail into Tracy Arm fjord for the day or partial day and, if so, did they open the front deck on the bow for that day?

Yes

8. Is the whole ship tour offered on the Oosterdam this year? We had both very much looked forward to the whole ship tour on the Eurodam in March and managed to be the first people to sign up for it upon boarding. DH's pneumonia prevented him from taking the tour, but he convinced me to do it anyway. Now it will be his turn if it's available!

Yes

9. Are there still problems with arriving late into Victoria, BC?

Yes

 

10. We've used Luggage Express on both of our previous cruises and appreciated not having to check in at the airport. Is that option still offered and, if so, what is the charge?

Yes, don't know how much.

 

11. Any tips, suggestions, things to avoid from those of you who have sailed the Oosterdam to Alaska this year?

None, it is a great ship with a wonderful crew.

 

Thanks so much for any help you can give us, and I hope I haven't burdened the board with all these questions, but we're so looking foward to this trip and now we know what questions to ask!

Congratulations on your up sell. Have a great cruise.

[kjw869]

I can answer a few as we were on the Oosterdam seven weeks ago. We boarded at 11:30 AM and were able to go to Tracy Arm--it was beautiful.

 

Safety drill took longer as many people failed to show up. Then presentation is 10 minutes and waiting for other passengers to show up has been 20-30 minutes on our past two cruises.

 

We were late to Victoria for "operational" reasons, again?

 

Our stewards were wonderful and the Neptune Lounge staff was exceptional. We are pleased that one of them is scheduled to be onboard the Nieuw Amsterdam on our next cruise in January.

 

Have fun, great staff, great food and great scenery.

[edmusic]

DH and I got the upsell offer today to move from a VA to an SA on the July 22nd Oosterdam cruise to Alaska, and we are very pleased! We had an SA in March, but DH's hospitalization on the ship with pneumonia put a real damper on the trip, so we promised ourselves a makeup cruise. However, price was a factor since it was so soon, and we had settled for a VH gty and then hoped we might get to return to a Deluxe Verandah Suite.

 

Now that we can look forward to the trip even more, we have a bunch of questions for those of you who have been on the Oosterdam to Alaska this year--I hope I'm not violating any posting rules by asking this many.

 

1. How early could we expect to board? 11:00 to 11:30am

 

2. When we were on the Oosterdam a year ago, we were spoiled by our cabin stewards, Bertie and Jus, on the Navigation deck. Now we're on the Rotterdam deck, across from the Neptune Lounge. Any comments on the cabin stewards there?

 

3. On the Eurodam in March, we were especially well cared for by Bien and Shar, the concierges in the Neptune Lounge. Any comments on those on the Oosterdam?

 

4. How was the entertainment? (We were disappointed in March on the Eurodam, but enjoyed the Oosterdam's last summer.) The big musical productions were great, especially Garage Band. If the juggler/comedian named 'Barnaby' is on, DO NOT MISS HIM! If the comedian Julie Barr is on, run as far away as you can! My new friend of the past year is Matt Murphy, the acoustic guitar player, who plays up in the crow's nest every evening. Try to hear him a couple of times. Tell him "Ed and Betty say 'Hi'"

 

5. The Adagio String trio on the Oosterdam last year played more of our favorite composers like Bach, Mozart, Haydn. On the Eurodam the quartet performed more waltz music. Any comment on the current Adagio String group on the Oosterdam? They did away with Adagio Strings and replaced them with a piano player and solo violinist. Worth listening to.

6. We fully agree with the need for the safety drill before sailing, but we're wondering if Holland America has found a way to make it any less difficult than what we experienced in March? We had a long and crowded wait for late passengers, and then it was difficult to hear the safety instructions. Ours was short and sweet, but we had to wait for a few latecomers who held up the drill for everyone.

7. Were you able to sail into Tracy Arm fjord for the day or partial day and, if so, did they open the front deck on the bow for that day? They opened the front bow for us but we could not get all the way back to see the glacier due to too many ice flows in the channel. This was on June 12th so I imagine you'll get all the way back by the time your cruise rolls around.

8. Is the whole ship tour offered on the Oosterdam this year? We had both very much looked forward to the whole ship tour on the Eurodam in March and managed to be the first people to sign up for it upon boarding. DH's pneumonia prevented him from taking the tour, but he convinced me to do it anyway. Now it will be his turn if it's available! Didn't hear about a whole ship tour at any time during the week.

 

9. Are there still problems with arriving late into Victoria, BC? We had a problem - a BIG problem. We hit rough seas upon leaving Ketchikan and faced a 55 mph headwind which slowed the ship down. Captain knew within a few hours we would be late to Victoria so he announced there would be no docking and exiting. We pulled into the harbor at 10pm and a pilot boat approached us so they could sign off on the obligatory Jones Act and then we left for Seattle. Princess and NCL made it, but we did not.

 

10. We've used Luggage Express on both of our previous cruises and appreciated not having to check in at the airport. Is that option still offered and, if so, what is the charge? Luggage Direct is still offered and for $19 per person is a real bargain.

 

11. Any tips, suggestions, things to avoid from those of you who have sailed the Oosterdam to Alaska this year? In the embarkation area at the Pier in Seattle, there's a guy handing out a souvenir book with info and coupons for all the ports inside. Use the book and avoid the shopping stores that the cruise line pitches you. You'll be glad you did. Also, we were very disappointed with the service and the food in the MDR. The service was terribly slow (avg dinner time was 2.5 hours) and the selections just not that great. We finally gave up and ate at the Lido the final three nights. This was not what we experienced last year on the Nieuw Amsterdam and I hope it was just an anomaly on HAL'S part.

 

Thanks so much for any help you can give us, and I hope I haven't burdened the board with all these questions, but we're so looking foward to this trip and now we know what questions to ask!

 

I hope this helps.

[LVSue]

It!s my understanding that Luggage Direct is no longer offered. Now there is something else (forgot name--Spiffy Delivery or some such) at a low, low $39.95 pp! The difference is that the luggage is delivered to your home the day after you arrive there.

 

I love Luggage Direct, but don't think I'll spring for the new one.

[SouthHillSteve]

Hi detroit 70!

 

We just enjoyed this great cruise from July 1st to 8th so can hopefully help you out with some of your questions. The Deluxe Suite is Wonderful! Do take be sure to visit the Neptune Lounge frequently and you will be very pleased with Cara and Cahren (the concierges) who will take very good care of you! Also, be sure to go to the Pinnacle grill for breakfast daily-food is good, service is great and no lines! Remember to use the complmentary laundry service a couple times duting the week--way better than packing dirty clothes and doing them at home! We were on deck 6 so likely had different cabin stewards than you will have. But if the great service we enjoyed is the standard on the Oosterdam then you will have no complaints!

I imagine you will be one of the first couples onboard, right around 11:30.

As far as entertainment, if you like broadway type song and dance shows you will probably enjoy some of the shows. Not our thing, but we heard many positive reviews from fellow guests. We enjoyed one comedian (a ventriloquist) alot and the HalCats are definately worth checking out once or twice!

AVOID the Casino! Those slots are TIGHT!

We got very close to the glacier at the end of the Tracy Arm Fjord. Very scenic! The front deck was open but was so crowded we went back and enjoyed it from our verandah (which is huge on a deluxe suite)!

We got to Victoria when they said we would, but still too short a visit to such a nice place.

The only thing I would say to avoid is the tramway at Mt. Roberts in Juneau. Way overpriced at $29 each and just another gift shop, restaurant and a bald eagle who was "taking a break"!

We were very please with the food in the MDR, and didn't mind the Lido as well the couple times we ate there.

Have a Great Trip! steve

[edmusic]

It!s my understanding that Luggage Direct is no longer offered. Now there is something else (forgot name--Spiffy Delivery or some such) at a low, low $39.95 pp! The difference is that the luggage is delivered to your home the day after you arrive there.

 

I love Luggage Direct, but don't think I'll spring for the new one.

We just used Luggage Direct three weeks ago from Sea-Tac to LAX. It is alive and well for only $19.00 pp.

[sail7seas]

Here is a link to a thread where I made lengthy comments about our June 18, 2012 cruise to Alaska on Oosterdam. If you care to read it, hope you find some useful comments.

 

We absolutely loved that ship, her crew and that cruise. We had a fabulous time and yes, we went all the way through Tracy Arm..... Spectacular. The whole trip was worth that one day IMO!!!!!

 

 

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1661691

[LVSue]

Yay, Sail! I've been looking for your trip report. I'm sooooo glad you enjoyed it! In fact I just finished reading the 9-page (!) thread regarding your soul-searching. Sorry I didn't weigh in, but I wasn't on the site during that period.

I certainly agree with you about long flights! Now I get to read the REST of the story!

 

And thanks, edmusic, for some really up-to-date info about Luggage Direct. I'm going to find that thread (it seems to me that it was pretty new), and post your info so others don't get discouraged!

[sail7seas]

Yay, Sail! I've been looking for your trip report. I'm sooooo glad you enjoyed it! In fact I just finished reading the 9-page (!) thread regarding your soul-searching. Sorry I didn't weigh in, but I wasn't on the site during that period.

I certainly agree with you about long flights! Now I get to read the REST of the story!

 

,snip>!

 

Thanks so much for your enthusiasm and interest, LVSue. I hope the comments I wrote are helpful for you. :)

 

I especially thank you for sticking with those lengthy threads. :o

[MightyQuinn]

Here is a link to a thread where I made lengthy comments about our June 18, 2012 cruise to Alaska on Oosterdam.

S7S, thanks for the link to your review of Alaska as I missed it first time around. It's wonderful to read that the Great Land captured you, despite your best attempts to resist! It really is a magical place for all who choose to discover it. We recently returned from our 3rd trip to Alaska on Volendam. We had lousy weather but still had a great time!

 

Also interesting to read your comments on Oosterdam. We have long resisted trying the Vista/Signature class ships, fearing they are too big and just not our style. But your comments, along with some very persuasive remarks about Nieuw Amsterdam we heard recently, have made us a little more open to the possibility. Never say never!