Ryndam - Our thoughts

[dvcmember]

Holland America Line provides an exceptional vacation experience for those looking to just sit back and savor the cruising lifestyle. Our trip on the Ryndam was truly the best vacation we have had in terms of quality of service, food, and overall value.

 

Embarkation:

Embarkation in Tampa is simple and easy. At 11:10 am the Cruise Director announced that boarding would commence if we would head to the Lido Deck rather than to our cabins to give the crew a few more minutes to finish cleaning all the stateroom. This was a first sign that this was going to be a great cruise. The Lido Restaurant was well prepared with plenty of food selections. Tables had fresh flowers and there were plenty of stewards to help make arrangements for wine and beverage packages. We always pre-purchase our beverage cards, one less this to worry about. On our way to the Mariner Embarkation Lunch in the Rotterdam Dining Room, we stopped by the cabin to drop off our carry-on luggage.

 

Cabin - CQ104:

Our Large Spa Oceanview Cabin was spacious and very-well maintained. All the soft and hard goods were in great shape. Upon our arrival there was a fresh sliced fruit plate with the spa goodies including the pedometer, yoga fitness equipment, and a 1-day pass to the Thermal Suite at the Greenhouse Spa. The location on the Verandah deck was ideal. Nice and quiet with very little foot traffic. I would recommend this area to anyone. With most of the dining and shopping amenities on Deck 8, all we did was just walk down a flight of stairs and we were right in the middle of everything. Evening turn-down service brought towel animals and chocolates.

 

Overall Ship:

The Ryndam is now 20 years old and while she may not have all the bells and whistles of the newer vessels in the fleet we found her to be as comfortable as a second home. The guest ratio to the size of the vessel is fantastic. The ship never feels crowded as there are so many places to relax and unwind from the busyness of everyday life. The crew was constantly maintaining the interior public spaces making sure they were neat and tidy and always saying a friendly hello when passing by. Overall the carpets and furniture looked in good shape. My grandmother always told me that it does not have to the newest, as long its neat and clean. This tale lies true for the Ryndam

 

Dining:

Dining on Holland America Line is very good to exceptional depending on where you dine. We tend to eat in the MDR or choose Pinnacle Grill for the majority of our meals. However, we did enjoy freshly squeezed orange juice, coffee and pastries in the Lido in the morning. HAL has the best room service breakfast at sea. One can order eggs benedict, made to order omelets, and other hot breakfast items. Definitely take advantage of this option when sailing.

Food in the Rotterdam Dining Room was very good. We find that there are enough options on the menu to find something suitable for any meal. Dinner menus are always posted outside the dining room so you can plan your meals accordingly. Dining on HAL is more refined than on other lines. The use of Rosenthal china and polished flatware with nice linens really elevate the overall experience. On formal nights, they even drape the chairs with white covers. Please note that the Dining Room Manger adhered to the dress code and offered gentlemen a jacket to the table on formal nights. We enjoying dressing for dinner as do many cruisers who have been sailing for decades. You will not be alone.

The best way to make your cruise a Luxury vacation experience is by dining in the Pinnacle Grill. It is an exceptional venue for either lunch or dinner. We tend to dine for lunch and dinner a few times when sailing. Service is more attentive and with a table setting of Riedel stemware, Bvlgari china, frette linens and beautiful views of the ocean make it stand. Each course is prepared to order, so please allow time enjoy and savor the fine dining experience. Even though Pinnacle Grill is refined, it does not feel stuffy at all. Set aside at least one dinner and one lunch during your voyage. The surcharge of $10 for lunch and $29 for dinner well worth it.

For those craving the New York dining scene, consider Le Cirque. An amazing display of food artistry. Menu items match those that are served at the Manhattan landmark restaurant. For those with a refined pallet it something to experience once, but maybe not every cruise.

 

Bars & Lounges

There are plenty of places to find a cocktail onboard the Ryndam. Drinks are all hand-crafted. Be sure to stop by either the Ocean Bar or the Crows Nest for Happy Hour. Drinks are buy one get one for $1. It's a great way to stretch your beverage cards. Also, those enjoying cocktails in the evening need to indulge in the hot appetizers served in the lounges. Items change daily so come back each day to try them all.

 

Culinary Arts Center:

We thoroughly enjoyed visiting the Culinary Arts Center whether if it was for a cooking demonstration or participating in a cooking class ($29 fee) and includes an apron, lunch and wine at the Pinnacle Grill and a hand-on class with the Chef on preparing a three-course meal. It was so much fun. I highly recommend it of you love to cook.

 

Entertainment:

Holland America offers an array of entertainment options. They excel in offered a variety of music genres from the classical sounds of Adagio, piano and violin duo, to the sounds of the great American songbook with the Neptunes, to guitar, and finally to all your favorites with the HALCats. Shows in the Showroom at Sea of Rock Legends and Classique tended to represent the shows of yesteryears. The dancers and singers were all very good, but if you are looking for a Broadway show, you will be disappointed. None of the less, they are worth seeing.

 

Greenhouse Spa and Salon:

A beautiful venue on the Lido deck. The Thermal Suite is a nice option for those looking for pure rest, relaxation and rejuvenation. It offers a Thermo pool with heated ceramic lounges with an array of steam rooms and a sauna in a picturesque setting. There is a fee to use this facility and package are available for the entire length of your cruise. However, there are complimentary saunas in the men and women lounges.

 

Pools:

Whether you are at the Lido or Aft pool, you will be in a little piece of paradise. Padded lounge chairs line the pool areas with beverage service available. Sometimes there will be live entertainment and that transforms the space more into a resort setting. Having a retractable roof makes pool time idea even if mother nature does not cooperate.

 

Overall Impression:

We have absolutely our time onboard the Ryndam. It was our first Holland America ship and definitely not our last. She will always hold a special place in our hearts. The ship ratio of passengers to crew is almost 2:1 and the Filipino and Indonesian crew are wonderful and want you to enjoy your time onboard. The Ryndam offers a classic cruise experience that lets its passengers embrace the nautical waters while providing wonderful service, spacious public venues and delicious food.

Edited March 16, 2014 by dvcmember
Better layout

[erewhon]

Thank you for your positive review.

Sounds like a great cruise.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thank you for your review.

Glad you had a wonderful cruise.

[portofrome]

Thanks for your review.

[Mtn2Sea]

The Ryndam is one of our favorite ships. Thanks for the review.

[KirkNC]

Glad to hear you had such a good time!

[Aruba]

So many reviews seem to focus on and nitpick about the negative. Yours was a breath of fresh air. Thanks for taking the time to write it.:)

[aliaschief]

Thanks for sharing your cruise experience. Looking forward to returning to the Ryndam in Nov.

[cruzeluver]

Thank you so much for posting this!

 

My partner and I have quite a few cruises under our belts, but so far, none on HAL. We have been looking at a sailing in Ryndam this November and your review is really helping us to decide to book it!

[flyingA]

You have hit the nail right on! We had the wonderful opportunity to sail on the Ryndam on her last Med cruise this past fall, and then we stayed onboard for the Transatlantic crossing back to Tampa. We loved each and every moment onboard, and agree with all you mentioned, and then some. The staff, from our steward to our wonderful dining staff were top notch, and we found all of the administrative staff to be extremely helpful and pleasant, as well. We loved our captain, Captain Werner Timmers, too! What a wonderful, personable, and true man of the sea he is!

 

This size ship is the best experience at sea, in our opinion. To us, this is what cruising is all about. We have tried some of the larger ships, and except for the Ruby Princess, we will come back to the "S" and "R" class ships on HAL as long as we can. We pray that HAL can keep these gorgeous ships sailing as long as possible....we love them!

 

Again, thanks for the wonderful and positive review.

[dvcmember]

When I go on a cruise I always like to look at the positives rather than dwell on penny problems such as my cocktail was not filled to the rim of the glass during happy hour or worrying about why my luggage has a black mark. Those porters can be brutial on your luggage.

 

7 days at seas is always better than 7 days on land. Anyone on the fence about trying HAL should just bite the bullet. Once you learn how to relax, there is no going back to a fast-faced cruise like some lines offer.

 

I too love the small ships. I will going to sail on them until they are retired. You really do get spoiled by sailing with only 1200 passengers rather than 3000+.

[RJ2002]

Thanks for your review of the Ryndam. She is a fine ship. We really enjoyed her as well when we sailed the Sea of Cortez.

[Rosethorn40]

Our only HAL cruise was 5-years ago (We have another booked for this August) on the Ryndam. Loved this ship! Yes, a little worn around the edges, but clean and well maintained. We too loved the fact there were only 1200 or so PAX on board, and the thermal suite was our favorite place to hang out.

 

Glad to know the old girl is still going strong.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Thank you for your positive review.

[wandb]

Our first ever cruise was on the Ryndam. She is still our favorite ship! It is so nice to hear such a good, positive review of her. So glad you enjoyed your cruise. Thanks for posting.

[PathfinderEss]

Thanks for taking the time to write and post a review on your Ryndam cruise. Sounds like you had a wonderful time. She has a soft spot with us, as she was our first Hal cruise when she was brand new.

[dag144]

I enjoyed your positive review of that fine lady> We are sailing on the Ryndam on April 6th. It's off to Barcelona on our tenth Ryndam cruise and number 30 on HAL. Sounds like we hate HAL and detest that old tub!

 

Seriously, I can't wait to sail on the Ryndam once more. The S class ships are wonderful in this world were everything is supposed to be larger and larger.

 

Hope all your cruises will always be as good as the one you just completed.

 

:):):)

[pmjnh]

Nice review! We are going to book on the Ryndam for July 2015 Norway midnight sun cruise. I was looking at the CQ category and wondered about the view..is it out onto the deck or directly to the ocean?

 

Thanks

[puppycanducruise]

Thank you for taking the time to post your review.

We are planning on a Ryndam cruise in 2015, before she leaves the fleet.

[solocanadian]

Thanks for your review. Nicely put together.

[PathfinderEss]

Very nice review of your Ryndam cruise. Glad you had a most excellent cruise on her.

[Susie51]

Thank you for your well organized review .

[Vineyard View]

We take our first HAL cruise this Oct on the Ryndam! 21 days in the Mediterranean and we can't wait. It was just so nice to read your review - it sounds like just what we are hoping for!!

[janymac]

I was looking into cruising out of Tampa and was looking around this site for what is expected for the main dining rooms. We sail NCL so we go to the casual dining room as DH does not like to dress up, what is the least dressed up do you have to be on cruise casual (right words?) and then on formal nights.

It looks like there are two MDR on this ship, is one more easier to dress down (shorts and shirt). I usually wear capris and a nice shirt.

I am trying to get my DH onboard this ship and need to persuade a few nights of dressing would not be so bad...

I guess I may be the one to suck it up and eat at the buffet (I am an executive chef:D) or room service but I love to eat in the MDR...

Thanks for your input...

janymac:p

 

 

 

When I go on a cruise I always like to look at the positives rather than dwell on penny problems such as my cocktail was not filled to the rim of the glass during happy hour or worrying about why my luggage has a black mark. Those porters can be brutial on your luggage.

 

7 days at seas is always better than 7 days on land. Anyone on the fence about trying HAL should just bite the bullet. Once you learn how to relax, there is no going back to a fast-faced cruise like some lines offer.

 

I too love the small ships. I will going to sail on them until they are retired. You really do get spoiled by sailing with only 1200 passengers rather than 3000+.

[Aruba]

There aren't 2 main dining rooms on Ryndam. There is 1 dining room but it is on 2 levels. Shorts are not permitted in the main dining room at dinner, ever., but are permitted at dinner in the Lido Buffet. Check this link for more details on HAL's dress codes:

 

http://www.hollandamerica.com/cruise-vacation-planning/PlanningAndAdvice.action?tabName=Cruise+Preparation&contentMenu=Baggage,+Packing+%26+Dress+Code&contentSubMenu=Is+There+A+Dress+Code?&WT.ac=PopTop_Dress