Doubts about the ship

[headhunterke]

Hi y'all

 

I am looking for some great cruise deals for the 2014 Winter and I've found a 21 day South Car. cruise. I've always wanted to do a longer cruise and the price for this one's right as well.

The only thing that's holding me back is the ship HAL is using. MS Ryndam will do this route. I've been on HAL's Eurodam and N. Amsterdam, both bigger ships of HAL.

 

Is the quality onboard (service, entertainment,...) the same as on the smaller ships? I know some of the services aren't offered on smaller ships (such as Tamarind)

 

I've taken a look at the deckplan and noticed there also are some venues that are not on the Signature Class ships.

Are there any other major differences?

Or shouldn't I be too worried and just take this cruise instead of one on my good old trusted Eurodam?

 

Thanks for the help

[Alberta Quilter]

I've been on the Ryndam a couple of times; it's lovely. I've also been on the Eurodam twice. The only negative about the Ryndam is that it doesn't have Tamarind. It is easy to get around the Ryndam because it is so much smaller.

 

Go, you'll have a great cruise!

[RuthC]

I much prefer the smaller ships to the larger Vista and Signature class ships. They are more intimate, easier to get around, and I find the service superior. Cabins in a comparable category are larger.

The stewards get to know you more quickly, and can tend to your needs/wants better because of that.

The smaller ships don't have the Tamarind or Silk Den that the Signature ships do, or the Northern Lights disco that the Vista/Signature ships do. I don't consider that last one a loss.

There's three lounges for post-dinner enjoyment, as well as a very nice movie theatre.

Personally, I love the Ryndam, and would be thrilled to sail on her again.

[kazu]

Hi y'all

 

I am looking for some great cruise deals for the 2014 Winter and I've found a 21 day South Car. cruise. I've always wanted to do a longer cruise and the price for this one's right as well.

The only thing that's holding me back is the ship HAL is using. MS Ryndam will do this route. I've been on HAL's Eurodam and N. Amsterdam, both bigger ships of HAL.

 

Is the quality onboard (service, entertainment,...) the same as on the smaller ships? I know some of the services aren't offered on smaller ships (such as Tamarind)

 

I've taken a look at the deckplan and noticed there also are some venues that are not on the Signature Class ships.

Are there any other major differences?

Or shouldn't I be too worried and just take this cruise instead of one on my good old trusted Eurodam?

 

Thanks for the help

 

Well this is a huge discussion on the boards. No question that the Tamarind is a great venue as is the Silk Den. They are not on the Ryndam.

 

The smaller ships don't have them. They have a special ambiance IMO that you won't find on the larger ships.

 

Entertainment - a bit smaller but no less quality and in fact, I find some of them superior to the larger ships - but it's all subjective.

 

Service - superior IMO on the smaller ships.

 

In fact, DH and I have headed to these ships while they are still sailing in the fleet. They are a real joy and take you to the real days of cruising.

 

Now, if you prefer the amenities that the larger ships can provide, then you want to stick with the Eurodam.

 

For us, the smaller ships offer things that the bigger ships cannot. It's hard to describe - but it suits us. I encourage everyone to try one once and the Ryndam and the Maasdam are good ones to try IMO.

[serendipity1499]

I much prefer the smaller ships to the larger Vista and Signature class ships. They are more intimate, easier to get around, and I find the service superior. Cabins in a comparable category are larger.

The stewards get to know you more quickly, and can tend to your needs/wants better because of that.

 

The smaller ships don't have the Tamarind or Silk Den that the Signature ships do, or the Northern Lights disco that the Vista/Signature ships do. I don't consider that last one a loss.

There's three lounges for post-dinner enjoyment, as well as a very nice movie theatre.

 

Personally, I love the Ryndam, and would be thrilled to sail on her again.

 

I agree with Ruth...We are sailing on a three week Collectors cruise on the Ryndam next month to both the Southern Carib. & Western Carib. out of Tampa....This will be our third time on the Ryndam & have always received the same service & good food which is served on the Vista ships..

Never been on the Eurodam or the NA as we prefer the smaller ships..Tampa is also a great port for us..

Betty

[OlsSalt]

Love the Ryndam and the easy flow, open spaces, larger cabins hidden corners, the grand two-tier dining room, and the overall feel of this ship just like all smaller HAL ships. Not being forced to take elevators to get to main activity levels, depending upon where your cabin and stamina is, is also a smaller ship bonus.

 

I personally don't like the flow of the Vista ships overall, but their SY class suites are a very nice compromise between a regular verandah and a Neptune suite. I suspect the NA/EURO have similar Vista type suites.

 

Maybe the best compromise is look for good asian restaurants while in port to make up for the loss of the Tamarind, which does sound wonderful and sorry I have not been able to enjoy it myself because we do stick with the smaller ones for all the other reasons.

[Krazy Kruizers]

We have quite a few days on the Ryndam.

We think she is a great ship. We have done her 21 day Collectors Cruise out of Tampa and loved it.

We have found that the service on the smaller ships is better and more personal. JMO

[headhunterke]

Thank you so much for those fast replies!

It seems the service is superior to the bigger ships, which is kinda logical ofc.

To those who did the 21 day South Carib. cruise out of TPA: how was it port-wise. How do those ports compare to the ones on eastern and/or western Carib ports?

 

I still am a little hessitant to book on the Ryndam due to the lack of Verandahs and I don't have the money in my pocket to get a Vista Suite. I am a solo cruiser and can't cough up €6.000 and up for a 21 day holiday...

[wandb]

Hi y'all

 

I am looking for some great cruise deals for the 2014 Winter and I've found a 21 day South Car. cruise. I've always wanted to do a longer cruise and the price for this one's right as well.

The only thing that's holding me back is the ship HAL is using. MS Ryndam will do this route. I've been on HAL's Eurodam and N. Amsterdam, both bigger ships of HAL.

 

Is the quality onboard (service, entertainment,...) the same as on the smaller ships? I know some of the services aren't offered on smaller ships (such as Tamarind)

 

I've taken a look at the deckplan and noticed there also are some venues that are not on the Signature Class ships.

Are there any other major differences?

Or shouldn't I be too worried and just take this cruise instead of one on my good old trusted Eurodam?

 

Thanks for the help

 

The lovely Ryndam is still our all time favorite ship. We think she is superior in crew, service, food, entertainment, décor. You will love her!!

[OlsSalt]

Thank you so much for those fast replies!

It seems the service is superior to the bigger ships, which is kinda logical ofc.

To those who did the 21 day South Carib. cruise out of TPA: how was it port-wise. How do those ports compare to the ones on eastern and/or western Carib ports?

 

I still am a little hessitant to book on the Ryndam due to the lack of Verandahs and I don't have the money in my pocket to get a Vista Suite. I am a solo cruiser and can't cough up €6.000 and up for a 21 day holiday...

 

The charm of these smaller ships is the greater outdoor areas of the ship feel like home in a very short time. Verandahs are nice and we love them too, but on the smaller ships it is so much easier to get out to an open deck that it is almost the next best thing. Ever think about buying a thermal suite pass instead of paying the verandah price? Almost feels like being outdoors in a private setting, and the thermal suite even has an almost private out door deck right next to it. http://travel.travelocity.com/ecruise/ShipDetailsDeck.do?shipId=51&deckId=Deck%2011

 

BTW: the vista "suites" are the old verandah cabins on this smaller ship I believe. HAL just went though a major renaming to eliminate some of the confusion with the suites that qualified as neptune suites and those that did not. So now I think there are just "vista suites" and neptune suites. Same cabins, just clearer names for them. The larger ships had more variety of verandah cabins and that is where the confusion reigned.

[Tampa Girl]

Thank you so much for those fast replies!

It seems the service is superior to the bigger ships, which is kinda logical ofc.

To those who did the 21 day South Carib. cruise out of TPA: how was it port-wise. How do those ports compare to the ones on eastern and/or western Carib ports?

 

I still am a little hessitant to book on the Ryndam due to the lack of Verandahs and I don't have the money in my pocket to get a Vista Suite. I am a solo cruiser and can't cough up €6.000 and up for a 21 day holiday...

 

I don't understand your comment on the lack of verandah's. No, the "S" class doesn't have as many verandahs, but they are cheaper than the Vista Suites, and they are larger on the Ryndam than the verandahs on the Vista class or Signature class.

 

As far as ports, what is your concern? You won't be spending much time in port, after all. Being from Tampa, we think we have a very nice port and much less congested than the East Coast of Florida. It is an easy port to sail out of, and I would much prefer Tampa to Fort Lauderdale. But, then, I have admittedly have a certain amount of prejudice.

[RJ2002]

We sailed on the Ryndam several years ago and enjoyed it very much. Agree with everyone else about the great service. When we were on the ship, the captain was very interesting and animated. We really looked forward to his daily announcements. He would close by saying "...enjoy your day on the beautiful and elegant Ryndam!" in his very distinctive voice. It was great, and very true. It is a beautiful ship.

[kazu]

Thank you so much for those fast replies!

It seems the service is superior to the bigger ships, which is kinda logical ofc.

To those who did the 21 day South Carib. cruise out of TPA: how was it port-wise. How do those ports compare to the ones on eastern and/or western Carib ports?

 

I still am a little hessitant to book on the Ryndam due to the lack of Verandahs and I don't have the money in my pocket to get a Vista Suite. I am a solo cruiser and can't cough up €6.000 and up for a 21 day holiday...

 

I prefer Southern Caribbean ports to Eastern or Western. (Western is our least favourite).

[bobpell]

The only difference physically we noticed on the smaller Maasdam was the more enclosed balconies as the glass panels became prevalent on later builds. The solid steel sides on the balcony extends up from the deck approx. 16 inches making your outside visit more confined than on the Noordam or larger ships

[0bnxshs]

As Tampa Girl has said, the port of Tampa is a safe, clean, small and easily navigated passenger port, far easier to figure out where your ship is than Ft. Lauderdale and comparable to Port Canaveral. Better still, it is a short distance from Tampa's airport to the port, unlike Port Canaveral. There's nothing not to like about the port.

 

Like the others, we found Ryndam to be a wonderful ship with a great crew. We were recognized on the Prinsendam by a crewmember who had been our server on the Ryndam 5 months earlier; we had a very happy reunion. I don't think you have much to worry about in choosing Ryndam as your next ship.

[serendipity1499]

I don't understand your comment on the lack of verandah's. No, the "S" class doesn't have as many verandahs, but they are cheaper than the Vista Suites, and they are larger on the Ryndam than the verandahs on the Vista class or Signature class.

 

As far as ports, what is your concern? You won't be spending much time in port, after all. Being from Tampa, we think we have a very nice port and much less congested than the East Coast of Florida. It is an easy port to sail out of, and I would much prefer Tampa to Fort Lauderdale. But, then, I have admittedly have a certain amount of prejudice.

 

As Tampa Girl has said, the port of Tampa is a safe, clean, small and easily navigated passenger port, far easier to figure out where your ship is than Ft. Lauderdale and comparable to Port Canaveral. Better still, it is a short distance from Tampa's airport to the port, unlike Port Canaveral. There's nothing not to like about the port.

 

Like the others, we found Ryndam to be a wonderful ship with a great crew. We were recognized on the Prinsendam by a crewmember who had been our server on the Ryndam 5 months earlier; we had a very happy reunion. I don't think you have much to worry about in choosing Ryndam as your next ship.

 

I don't believe the OP was asking about the comparison of Port of Tampa to Port Everglades.. I believe she wants us to give a comparison of the ports of call..

This is what she asked: Looking at a " 21 day South Carib. cruise out of TPA: how was it port-wise. How do those ports compare to the ones on eastern and/or western Carib ports? Unquote

We've been to all ports in the Southern, Eastern & Western Caribbean many times & the reason we are taking this cruise is to be with our good Friends, out on the water on a cruise ship which we thoroughly enjoy.. No cooking, dishes, laundry or cleaning for three weeks! We enjoy all the Southern Carib ports but have been there many times... We're also not beach people.. There are some ports in the Eastern & Western Carib, which we enjoy & some ports where we don't get off the ship except for a walk since we've been there-done that so many times... But that's just us..

If you've never been to the Southern Carib, I would say go there & enjoy it..

Betty

 

[headhunterke]

Thank you so much for the extensive replies.

I think I'll take the 21 day cruise instead of the 14 day for the same money ;-)

By the way, Betty, I'm a 'he' ;D But thank you for your wonderful answer.

[serendipity1499]

Thank you so much for the extensive replies.

I think I'll take the 21 day cruise instead of the 14 day for the same money ;-)

By the way, Betty, I'm a 'he' ;D But thank you for your wonderful answer.

 

Oh I'm so sorry..I really should stop calling people she if I don't know their gender..:):o BTW have been to Belgium many times as retired from SN NYC & always have enjoyed being in your country..Hope you have a wonderful time on the Ryndam..

Betty

[Sososailer]

Hi headhunterke, another option is the 25 day Southern Caribbean cruise on the Maasdam beginning on March 28, 2014

[kazu]

Hi headhunterke, another option is the 25 day Southern Caribbean cruise on the Maasdam beginning on March 28, 2014

 

Yup, there's some people with very good taste on that ship.:p:D Some are only going for 14 days - but it's a great itinerary:D

[Sea Belle]

It was 1999 when we last sailed on the Ryndam and 2005 for the Maasdam so I have forgotten if they have only the Lido pool or do they also have stern pools. Anyone? :confused:

[Linda&Vern]

It was 1999 when we last sailed on the Ryndam and 2005 for the Maasdam so I have forgotten if they have only the Lido pool or do they also have stern pools. Anyone? :confused:

Ryndam and Maasdam have stern pools ... Sea View Pool.

[sevenseasnomad]

Thank you so much for those fast replies!

It seems the service is superior to the bigger ships, which is kinda logical ofc.

To those who did the 21 day South Carib. cruise out of TPA: how was it port-wise. How do those ports compare to the ones on eastern and/or western Carib ports?

 

I still am a little hessitant to book on the Ryndam due to the lack of Verandahs and I don't have the money in my pocket to get a Vista Suite. I am a solo cruiser and can't cough up €6.000 and up for a 21 day holiday...

 

Only you can decide what you're looking for in a cruise or a particular ship. We've been on all classes of HAL's line-up. Now booked on Ryndam for Christmas. We've recently sailed Noordam, Westerdam, and Eurodam, so we're excited to be going back to a smaller ship. DH much prefers HAL's smaller ships. DS & I like all the ships, each one seems to have its own personality.

 

Have you considered an inside cabin? Before you cringe from the idea, we always book an inside and use the saved money for shore excursions/other purchases. We're happy with an inside, though we do book the larger insides. Look at it this way; if you get to cruise more often by booking an inside, would you do it? For us, it's a no brainer, but it may not be most passengers' first choice.

[headhunterke]

I've played around with that idea as well, sevenseasnomad. But I have to admit, I'm willing to book anything but an inside cabin. I wake up with natural light, and if I have no natural light waking me up, I might sleep all day (done it before). And I'm on holiday, so I do not wish to set my alarm. I'll see when I wake up. That's a luxury for me ;-)

 

Size of the stateroom doesn't matter to me. Even if it only fits a bed and shower, I'd be happy. But as I said, it's the lack of natural light in the cabin that really holds me from choosing an inside cabin.

[Typhoon1]

The smaller ships are somewhat more elegant and easier to navigate. If only they were still making ships those size.