Veendam - Yay or Nay??

[BJzink]

We did the Mexican Pacific Coast last March, you might be able to see my review on the CC review page. This was our first cruise on this ship, did 2 other HAL cruises earlier, and we really had no big issues with anything. The only disappointment was the veranda size, we like to have Room Service breakfast out there, and with the lounge chair, 2 other chairs, and a pretty small table, it wasn't to be. However with the veranda door propped open, we still had the fresh ocean air while we ate. We had no problems with water/sewage, heat/cool in the cabin, or electrical issues. The food was good, lots of choices at each meal, can't comment much on the buffet since we seldom eat there. There was a very good night of entertainment called "Encore", not sure if it is still being performed. The staff seemed very happy, and attentive. We aren't fussy people, so as long as we are on a cruise, we are pretty content. There are people on these boards who liked the Veendam before it had some sort of reconstruction on the aft end, and now there are hot tubs there that they don't like. We did like them - easier to enter & exit, didn't seem as hot, better for us, so when you haven't experienced something, you don't miss it, I guess.

[serendipity1499]

Those are lovely outfits, Serendipity, and I like chiffony stuff too. But on formal nights you will see many less dressy outfits than those. Many ladies wear regular black pants or skirt, with a nice top, or cocktail dress.:)

 

Hmmm :confused: about your post & don't understand why you chose to dispute my post..

 

Agree on most of the shorter cruises & also to Alaska & the Carib. ladies dress down more, however we take the long cruises & I only commented on the post where the poster stated, that on formal night it's "dress for women".[/B]

 

All I was doing is stating that it's not always a dress which ladies wear & was showing the poster what some others including myself wear..

 

We have close to 300 cruise days on HAL & on all of our longer cruises most women dress more on formal nights, than regular black pants or skirt with a nice top, especially when we cruised on the Prinsendam for 68 days to SA & Antarctica...

 

I only used the example to comment on that post & was not indicating what women should or should not wear!

Edited August 27, 2014 by serendipity1499

[KruzPrincess]

Yay. Thanks Sparty1. I'm now looking forward to a wrap sandwich, burger and fries and I may even try the Portobello mushroom sandwich. I will have to have some fries, I'm sure. LOL. I, also, plan to try Canaletto on a formal night. I may go to the Pinnacle Grill on a non-formal night. Lots of new things to try.

 

I know from reading the HAL board that formal wear seems to be a hot button with some. I often skip formal nights in the MDR, but I will bring something nice just in case. I used to dress up more on cruises and have clothes. I have a couple long dresses, some long skirts, etc. I'll get by if I decide to go to the MDR on formal night.

 

I do have a question. Another one! Is the MDR open for lunch every day? Princess made the change and now the MDR is only open for lunch on sea days. I enjoy lunch in the MDR more than dinner! I'm just an oddball.

 

Anyway, thanks so much for all your help....everyone. Thanks for the history of why people don't like the changes. I'll have to look around and see what they did. I hope I'll be able to sit in the lounge chairs on the promenade once in a while. I was surprised when I first read they are sometimes reserved for people! Interesting concept.

[sparty1]

You're welcome:-) Glad that info made your day! You may not be quite as happy with my next comment tho:-( We ate at Canaletto on a formal nite, and people were dressed both formally and dressier than the casual clothes you normally wear in Lido! I got the impression you aren't required to dress up, but you may feel a bit uncomfortable if you don't at least through on a shawl or scarf or stylish jacket. The Canaletto staff turn it up a notch in décor, table linens and dress. No biggie, but just a little:-) MDR was not open every day for lunch on our cruise. It may be because we had so many tender ports and they assumed not enough people would stay behind? Also, I noticed SOME chairs on lanai had cabin numbers on them(undoubtedly reserving them for a specific lanai cabin), but not all. have fun!!

 

Yay. Thanks Sparty1. I'm now looking forward to a wrap sandwich, burger and fries and I may even try the Portobello mushroom sandwich. I will have to have some fries, I'm sure. LOL. I, also, plan to try Canaletto on a formal night. I may go to the Pinnacle Grill on a non-formal night. Lots of new things to try.

 

I know from reading the HAL board that formal wear seems to be a hot button with some. I often skip formal nights in the MDR, but I will bring something nice just in case. I used to dress up more on cruises and have clothes. I have a couple long dresses, some long skirts, etc. I'll get by if I decide to go to the MDR on formal night.

 

I do have a question. Another one! Is the MDR open for lunch every day? Princess made the change and now the MDR is only open for lunch on sea days. I enjoy lunch in the MDR more than dinner! I'm just an oddball.

 

Anyway, thanks so much for all your help....everyone. Thanks for the history of why people don't like the changes. I'll have to look around and see what they did. I hope I'll be able to sit in the lounge chairs on the promenade once in a while. I was surprised when I first read they are sometimes reserved for people! Interesting concept.

[drgrinch]

My experience has been that the Pinnacle and Canaletto observe the same dress code as the MDR for the day. I have seen guests turned away from the Canaletto because they were wearing shorts (seems silly as it's part of the Lido). I have never seen anyone in the pinnacle in anything other than "smart casual" at dinner time.

[HokiePoq]

Yay. Thanks Sparty1. I'm now looking forward to a wrap sandwich, burger and fries and I may even try the Portobello mushroom sandwich. I will have to have some fries, I'm sure. LOL. I, also, plan to try Canaletto on a formal night. I may go to the Pinnacle Grill on a non-formal night. Lots of new things to try.

 

I know from reading the HAL board that formal wear seems to be a hot button with some. I often skip formal nights in the MDR, but I will bring something nice just in case. I used to dress up more on cruises and have clothes. I have a couple long dresses, some long skirts, etc. I'll get by if I decide to go to the MDR on formal night.

 

I do have a question. Another one! Is the MDR open for lunch every day? Princess made the change and now the MDR is only open for lunch on sea days. I enjoy lunch in the MDR more than dinner! I'm just an oddball.

 

Anyway, thanks so much for all your help....everyone. Thanks for the history of why people don't like the changes. I'll have to look around and see what they did. I hope I'll be able to sit in the lounge chairs on the promenade once in a while. I was surprised when I first read they are sometimes reserved for people! Interesting concept.

 

My friend and I never bring a dress....just the black pants and dressy tops. I brought the long formal dress on our first HAL cruise and have a good picture of DH and me that was taken on formal night. (a good funeral home picture if there ever was one, lol) Just not enough room in the suitcases when you fly in to pack those bulky formal dresses. On the cruises we've been on (30 days and less), more people had the pants than the dresses, but to each their own.

Edited August 28, 2014 by HokiePoq

[drgrinch]

Make that less than smart casual at dinner time.

[KruzPrincess]

Hmmm... I guess I will have to ask what the dress code is at the specialty restaurants when I get there. I will be fine. I know I won't go hungry! LOL. Thanks for the head up.

 

Have to add that I sent in for my Shareholder OBC benefit on Tuesday (via snail mail) and it was applied today! Amazingly fast service. Nice.

[semibeater]

I just returned from VOV from BOS to AMS (17 days) and wrote a review. I especially enjoyed the new NAV deck suites in the back for sightseeing and having company. Am booked on Veendam to BDA. I enjoyed New England trip as well on Maasdam. Enjoy!

[lolane1]

Hello everyone! I just booked a Canada/New England cruise on the Veendam. I haven't been on a HAL cruise since 2001. I primarily cruise on Princess, but this cruise worked out for me the best with dates and such. Anyway, I'm wondering if people who have recently been on the Veendam can tell me about her and about your experience? Was it good? I'm a pretty casual cruiser and often eat dinner in the buffet. I've heard that HAL has much more restrictive buffet hours than Princess so I'm prepared for that. I like reading and watching movies. Mostly I like to relax and watch the ocean go by. I read she was recently refurbished. That's good! Please just fill me in on your basic experience on this ship. Thanks so much!

 

Well, Princess is my favorite line, and I am at least Platinum status there. I've been on the Caribbean Princess alone, at least 5 times. I just took the Veendam to Quebec with my daughter at the end of June. Here's my take:

 

The Veendam is smaller by comparison to the larger Princess ships which is a plus. No lines getting back on the ship and no lines getting off when there wasn't a tender. It was the best. I also appreciated the intimacy and warmth that the smaller ship provided. I found the crew absolutely personable, some even calling me by name. (and I have no idea how they figured that out). The library has your name on it. It is huge by comparison. People will be in there all day, doing jigsaw puzzles, playing games, and reading. It is next to the coffee bar and a snack bar similar to the International cafe on Princess, though not as elaborate. Specialty coffee is good although a bit stronger in flavor than coffee drinks on Princess.

 

The next biggie, the food. You will be disappointed if you like Princess dinners. The food was OK, good, service could be painfully slow, but it was not up to the quality of Princess. That being said, you will not starve. However, lunch in the dining room was beyond all expectations. Really fabulous, with quite an international selection. I would recommend going there as often as possible.

 

As to the buffet, it was an enormous let down - very small, long lines, and no where near the selections on Princess. However, the pre made salads are better, particularly if you have ever had the caesar salad on Princess. Again, you will find your stride and hit upon something good. I found that having them make me a ham and cheese on a croissant delicious and it became my staple.

 

The Dive In restaurant near the pool gets high marks. Their fries are better than on any other lines and it is situated next to a serve yourself area of mexican deliciousness that can be gotten most of the time. OK, the guacamole was a bit over processed but so too was it on Princess.

 

Movies, the best! You can select from hundreds of DVD's available and have them delivered to your room although it's easier to go to customer service and pick them up immediately. I am not sure if an inside room has a dvd player so you would have to check on that. It might be worth your while to bring a dvd player if the room doesn't have one. Additionally, the Wajang theather is small and intimate and shows fairly up to date movies every night. They also serve popcorn Nice. The movies are run again on the TV the next day, if you miss it.

 

I booked directly though HAL, and they offered me upsell, after upsell, so keep an eye out for an email. You may be able to upgrade for much less than original booking.

 

I thought the entertainment was lacking but that is a personal preference. I hardly ever go to shows even on Princess and there wasn't much left to do.

 

The beds were decidedly better than Princess, particularly the Caribbean Princess but as on Princess you can order an eggcrate. THe beds are firm-ish.

 

Excellent room service and good food. Served with lovely china and a flower. Room service will call and ask you if everything was up to par. Nice touch, HAL.

 

In general, the ship is classic, elegant in its own way - Understated, no glitz. I liked it.

 

All in all, I would absolutely sail her again but will groan over the shortcomings of the buffet.

[Wakepatrol]

Nay.

 

Our room was flooded, it failed its CDC inspection, and the crew was in a mutiny kind of mood in 2011 when we sailed her. Granted more than half her officers were fired when we docked back in nyc, but you won't see me on her ever again.

 

Meanwhile it's logged a million nautical mines since your cruise on her,and the Voyage Of The Vikings sells out every summer. You had a bad cruise 3 years ago

 

We've read the hundreds of threads you posted about it

Edited September 7, 2014 by Wakepatrol

[KruzPrincess]

Well, Princess is my favorite line, and I am at least Platinum status there. I've been on the Caribbean Princess alone, at least 5 times. I just took the Veendam to Quebec with my daughter at the end of June. Here's my take:

 

The Veendam is smaller by comparison to the larger Princess ships which is a plus. No lines getting back on the ship and no lines getting off when there wasn't a tender. It was the best. I also appreciated the intimacy and warmth that the smaller ship provided. I found the crew absolutely personable, some even calling me by name. (and I have no idea how they figured that out). The library has your name on it. It is huge by comparison. People will be in there all day, doing jigsaw puzzles, playing games, and reading. It is next to the coffee bar and a snack bar similar to the International cafe on Princess, though not as elaborate. Specialty coffee is good although a bit stronger in flavor than coffee drinks on Princess.

 

The next biggie, the food. You will be disappointed if you like Princess dinners. The food was OK, good, service could be painfully slow, but it was not up to the quality of Princess. That being said, you will not starve. However, lunch in the dining room was beyond all expectations. Really fabulous, with quite an international selection. I would recommend going there as often as possible.

 

As to the buffet, it was an enormous let down - very small, long lines, and no where near the selections on Princess. However, the pre made salads are better, particularly if you have ever had the caesar salad on Princess. Again, you will find your stride and hit upon something good. I found that having them make me a ham and cheese on a croissant delicious and it became my staple.

 

The Dive In restaurant near the pool gets high marks. Their fries are better than on any other lines and it is situated next to a serve yourself area of mexican deliciousness that can be gotten most of the time. OK, the guacamole was a bit over processed but so too was it on Princess.

 

Movies, the best! You can select from hundreds of DVD's available and have them delivered to your room although it's easier to go to customer service and pick them up immediately. I am not sure if an inside room has a dvd player so you would have to check on that. It might be worth your while to bring a dvd player if the room doesn't have one. Additionally, the Wajang theather is small and intimate and shows fairly up to date movies every night. They also serve popcorn Nice. The movies are run again on the TV the next day, if you miss it.

 

I booked directly though HAL, and they offered me upsell, after upsell, so keep an eye out for an email. You may be able to upgrade for much less than original booking.

 

I thought the entertainment was lacking but that is a personal preference. I hardly ever go to shows even on Princess and there wasn't much left to do.

 

The beds were decidedly better than Princess, particularly the Caribbean Princess but as on Princess you can order an eggcrate. THe beds are firm-ish.

 

Excellent room service and good food. Served with lovely china and a flower. Room service will call and ask you if everything was up to par. Nice touch, HAL.

 

In general, the ship is classic, elegant in its own way - Understated, no glitz. I liked it.

 

All in all, I would absolutely sail her again but will groan over the shortcomings of the buffet.

 

Thank you! It's good to read a report from someone who likes Princess, too. I am looking forward to checking out a different cruise line. Just being on a cruise is great for me. It would be nice to get an upsell offer, but I got one of the last cabins for the B2B. I actually want to see if I can stand doing an inside cabin. I used to do them all the time and then got spoiled by balconies. This is a test cruise for me! LOL.

 

I wonder if there are DVD players in inside cabins. Anyone know?

Edited September 8, 2014 by KruzPrincess

[Linda&Vern]

Thank you! It's good to read a report from someone who likes Princess, too. I am looking forward to checking out a different cruise line. Just being on a cruise is great for me. It would be nice to get an upsell offer, but I got one of the last cabins for the B2B. I actually want to see if I can stand doing an inside cabin. I used to do them all the time and then got spoiled by balconies. This is a test cruise for me! LOL.

 

I wonder if there are DVD players in inside cabins. Anyone know?

 

From HAL's Website under room amenities:

Signature Touches in Every Stateroom

 

Interior Rooms:

 

◾Our signature Mariner’s Dream™ bed featuring a plush Euro-Top mattress and finely woven cotton linens

◾Daily housekeeping to tidy belongings and keep staterooms immaculate

◾100% Egyptian cotton towels

◾Lighted magnifying mirrors; massage showerheads; salon-quality hair dryers

◾Luxurious bathrobes for use during the voyage

◾Fragrant soaps, lotions, shampoo and other bath amenities from Elemis Aromapure

◾Flat-panel TV and DVD player

◾Complimentary DVD library

◾Generous storage

◾Safes for your valuables

◾Complimentary fresh fruit on request

◾Complimentary 24-hour In-Room Dining

◾Nightly turndown service

◾Complimentary shoeshine service

◾Complimentary ice service

Edited September 8, 2014 by Linda&Vern

[KruzPrincess]

From HAL's Website under room amenities:

Signature Touches in Every Stateroom

 

Interior Rooms:

 

◾Our signature Mariner’s Dream™ bed featuring a plush Euro-Top mattress and finely woven cotton linens

◾Daily housekeeping to tidy belongings and keep staterooms immaculate

◾100% Egyptian cotton towels

◾Lighted magnifying mirrors; massage showerheads; salon-quality hair dryers

◾Luxurious bathrobes for use during the voyage

◾Fragrant soaps, lotions, shampoo and other bath amenities from Elemis Aromapure

◾Flat-panel TV and DVD player

◾Complimentary DVD library

◾Generous storage

◾Safes for your valuables

◾Complimentary fresh fruit on request

◾Complimentary 24-hour In-Room Dining

◾Nightly turndown service

◾Complimentary shoeshine service

◾Complimentary ice service

 

Great! Thank you! I will likely take advantage of that perk. I love watching movies when I go to sleep at night.

[international]

not sure if this is too late...we just got back and I posted this to the reviews page but it hasn't shown up yet:

 

The library on board is massive, and we signed out some books right away. I’ve never seen so many passengers reading on other ships, and we like books, so that was nice.

 

The hot tubs close at 9pm. Um, what? As a previous review mentioned, the hallways were empty at night, and perhaps the majority of passengers don’t want to sit in a hot tub at night, but for us, that seemed bizarre.

 

You can’t get any eggs for breakfast after 10am, as they are “setting up for lunch.” Uhh, hello? Another passenger heard my surprised comment, and suggested if you are going to the gym in the morning, order room service the night before, with a yogurt and an egg to have on hand in your stateroom (to have after the gym, in case it’s post 10am by the time you shower). Also, after the first night’s show, there was no food to be had at 10pm. They were “getting ready” for snacks at 10:30pm. Really? I guess that’s not an issue if you had dinner at 7:45 pm, but if you ate earlier, why wait half an hour between the show and a snack anywhere on board?

 

The entertainment was mixed. We enjoyed the jazz trio and the violinist, but the showroom productions leave everything to be desired. Half-hour evening shows are insufficient. At least movies shown included recent releases. The crew show was the best by far. We enjoyed the comedians on the Cruise. The corporate culture of Holland American feels that they are trying to save money and reduce product. From everything from cast talent shows to an open night show of poor American Idol group singing, it was about saving money (unless they paid the crew the same as the other entertainers!).

 

We felt the activities schedule could be bolstered. For example, some classes were only offered while the ship was docked, preventing people who go into town from participating. I wish there had not been a ship-wide activities announcement at 9am on our day at sea. The announcement could be clearly heard in the staterooms, along with every passenger saying “good morning” to each other way before 9am. The ship had three activity staff instead of five that I have witnessed on other lines. Waiters were asked to support more tables than less. The staff is doing the best that they can, but corporate Holland America is definitely cutting back. Like Fenway Park in Boston, people come no matter if they are winning or losing. We boarded thinking of the “white glove experience” that Holland American was historically acclaimed. We left seeing a line that has cut back from its historic image and focused on a 75+ age market that is happy with a historical mystique that was found in yesterday’s cruising. We so want Holland America to be the elegant line. We thank them for low-keyed sales pitches and commitment to not oversell the casino and diamond products. All we wish was a corporate commitment to a better product that is more elegant. We met and enjoyed the Cruise Director and Program Director and believe they were really working this Cruise, but the labor and programming cuts are showing. You can only cut so much before your product suffers. It is noticeable on this ship.

 

Finally, thank you to the fellow Cruise Critics that we met on this Cruise. We felt immediately welcomed. We learned a lot from you and look forward seeing you on the seas somewhere in the world. If you do not think that Cruise Critic works, attend a get together during the week. You will be thankful.

 

Regular cabin walls permit the sound of neighbor’s TV and drawers closing to be heard. Please, add some soundproofing! I don’t remember hearing the neighbors on other cruise lines. The stateroom attendant was great, and we loved the towel animals. Be aware if you are a light sleeper that cabins on deck 5 are under the walking area on deck 6. This is not a problem at all times, but if someone is wearing shoes with hard soles or dragging a suitcase, you can hear it very clearly.

[Jalex63]

Holland America buffet does have shorter hours, especially at lunch. I get irritated coming in mid afternoon from a port day and the main buffet is closed. The salad bar, pizza and grill areas and a sandwich area stay open all afternoon. The buffet seems to totally close down about 8pm.

 

I have noted the buffet hours on the last couple of cruises to be different than I had remembered from the past. I am almost sure that the lunch buffet used to end at 1500 and the evening at 2100, now it is 1400 and 2000? Are these new hours fleet wide or is are the former hours just my bad recollection? Also on our last cruise aboard the Prinsendam there was no late night snack.

 

We will be sailing the Veendam itinerary from FLL to SAN next month and are hoping for the usual HAL experience.:)

[KruzPrincess]

Thanks to those who recently replied. I'm not going on this cruise with super high expectations, so I think I'll be OK. I guess we'll see.

 

Jalex63: I've read other places that the evening buffet ends at 8pm. I'm not sure of the correct times.

 

Thanks again, everyone.

[Linda&Vern]

Thanks to those who recently replied. I'm not going on this cruise with super high expectations, so I think I'll be OK. I guess we'll see.

 

Jalex63: I've read other places that the evening buffet ends at 8pm. I'm not sure of the correct times. Thanks again, everyone.

I just checked the Lido hours on my last two HAL cruises. Hope this helps.

 

Bkfst - 6:30 to 10:00 (continental bkfst at 6:00)

Lunch - 11:00 to 2:00 Bistro

Lunch - 11:00 to 5:00 Deli

Dinner - 5:30 to 8:00

Late Nt - 10:30 to 11:30

[KruzPrincess]

I just checked the Lido hours on my last two HAL cruises. Hope this helps.

 

Bkfst - 6:30 to 10:00 (continental bkfst at 6:00)

Lunch - 11:00 to 2:00 Bistro

Lunch - 11:00 to 5:00 Deli

Dinner - 5:30 to 8:00

Late Nt - 10:30 to 11:30

 

Thank you for taking the time to check that! I appreciate it. I usually eat before 8pm, so I'm sure this will work for me. I have to say I'm surprised they have the late night offering. I read there was nothing after 8pm. Since they do that, I wonder why they don't just have a snack from 8:30 to 11:30. I'm sure I won't go hungry and I know they have room service, so it will all be fine.

[dfish]

Thank you! It's good to read a report from someone who likes Princess, too. I am looking forward to checking out a different cruise line. Just being on a cruise is great for me. It would be nice to get an upsell offer, but I got one of the last cabins for the B2B. I actually want to see if I can stand doing an inside cabin. I used to do them all the time and then got spoiled by balconies. This is a test cruise for me! LOL.

 

I wonder if there are DVD players in inside cabins. Anyone know?

 

I had always had a balcony cabin and last summer I did my experiment in an inside on the Veendam. We had cabin 703, as low and as far forward as you can go. It was a nice cabin. The only noise was in the mornings when we were coming into port, but we were always up by then. We had no problems with the lack of a balcony and used the cabin as a bedroom and the ship as our home.

 

Debbie

[Linda&Vern]

Thank you for taking the time to check that! I appreciate it. I usually eat before 8pm, so I'm sure this will work for me. I have to say I'm surprised they have the late night offering. I read there was nothing after 8pm. Since they do that, I wonder why they don't just have a snack from 8:30 to 11:30. I'm sure I won't go hungry and I know they have room service, so it will all be fine.

 

Always remember to check both side of the Lido. Sometimes one side will be closed down - but the other is open.

[avalon1025]

[quote name='lolane1']Well, Princess is my favorite line, and I am at least Platinum status there. I've been on the Caribbean Princess alone, at least 5 times. I just took the Veendam to Quebec with my daughter at the end of June. Here's my take:

The Veendam is smaller by comparison to the larger Princess ships which is a plus. No lines getting back on the ship and no lines getting off when there wasn't a tender. It was the best. I also appreciated the intimacy and warmth that the smaller ship provided. I found the crew absolutely personable, some even calling me by name. (and I have no idea how they figured that out). The library has your name on it. It is huge by comparison. People will be in there all day, doing jigsaw puzzles, playing games, and reading. It is next to the coffee bar and a snack bar similar to the International cafe on Princess, though not as elaborate. Specialty coffee is good although a bit stronger in flavor than coffee drinks on Princess.

The next biggie, the food. You will be disappointed if you like Princess dinners. The food was OK, good, service could be painfully slow, but it was not up to the quality of Princess. That being said, you will not starve. However, lunch in the dining room was beyond all expectations. Really fabulous, with quite an international selection. I would recommend going there as often as possible.

As to the buffet, it was an enormous let down - very small, long lines, and no where near the selections on Princess. However, the pre made salads are better, particularly if you have ever had the caesar salad on Princess. Again, you will find your stride and hit upon something good. I found that having them make me a ham and cheese on a croissant delicious and it became my staple.

The Dive In restaurant near the pool gets high marks. Their fries are better than on any other lines and it is situated next to a serve yourself area of mexican deliciousness that can be gotten most of the time. OK, the guacamole was a bit over processed but so too was it on Princess.

Movies, the best! You can select from hundreds of DVD's available and have them delivered to your room although it's easier to go to customer service and pick them up immediately. I am not sure if an inside room has a dvd player so you would have to check on that. It might be worth your while to bring a dvd player if the room doesn't have one. Additionally, the Wajang theather is small and intimate and shows fairly up to date movies every night. They also serve popcorn Nice. The movies are run again on the TV the next day, if you miss it.

I booked directly though HAL, and they offered me upsell, after upsell, so keep an eye out for an email. You may be able to upgrade for much less than original booking.

I thought the entertainment was lacking but that is a personal preference. I hardly ever go to shows even on Princess and there wasn't much left to do.

The beds were decidedly better than Princess, particularly the Caribbean Princess but as on Princess you can order an eggcrate. THe beds are firm-ish.

Excellent room service and good food. Served with lovely china and a flower. Room service will call and ask you if everything was up to par. Nice touch, HAL.

In general, the ship is classic, elegant in its own way - Understated, no glitz. I liked it.

All in all, I would absolutely sail her again but will groan over the shortcomings of the buffet.[/QUOTE]

Interesting about the buffet, I thought the crown and grand princess' had the worst buffets at sea, cramped, poor food, tiny area in which to navigate, on HAL the lido was heaven in comparison

[MOcruiserman]

Here's the view of a novice cruiser - my first cruise was on the Veendam this past August to New England and Canada. Obviously I have nothing to compare the experience to but I thought the ship was very nice.

 

We had an interior stateroom on the main deck. It was somewhat small but large enough for the two of us. The bed was very comfortable and we never noticed any noise. The bathroom was fine. The shower was small but worked well. We appreciated the complimentary bathrobes. One issue we had with the room was there was only one electrical outlet. Bring a power strip.

 

We thought the public areas were very elegant and were maintained well. I didn't notice any signs of shabbiness or poor maintenance. I appreciated that all the public bathrooms were supplied with hand towels - very classy.

 

We thought the food was very good, both in the main dining room and in the buffet. Not the best I ever tasted but similar to what you'd find in a Marriott restaurant. There was a terrific taco bar in the pool area. I had excellent chicken sandwiches at The Dive Bar. Reservations are a good idea for the main dining room or you'll wait on line.

 

As far as the entertainment goes, we were very pleased. We saw four shows at the Showtime Theater and enjoyed them all. Were they Broadway quality? No, but it's unrealistic to expect that on a cruise ship. As far as the lounges are concerned, we liked the piano bar, jazz trio and classical duo. We also spent time up in the Crows Next listening to the contemporary band - very entertaining. My wife went to some classes and I saw a couple of movies in the theater. I wanted to go to the tech classes and cooking classes but never made it - maybe on my next Holland America cruise.

 

Finally, I have nothing but good things to say about the attitude of the staff. Everyone, from the ship's officers to the butlers, stewards and food servers, were always very friendly and eager to please.

[Sailingpeace]

Sailed the Veendam , Canada New England this summer. First time with Holland.

After a few days, could not stop humming " I'm in heaven " . Yes, found buffet different from what I was used to on Princess ( you can read review here on CC) , but met absolutely wonderful people, staff was so welcoming and professionnal, laughed to tears at some shows and really enjoyed some others. I had planned this as a rest ( read sleep and read ) cruise , and I ended up setting the alarm clock so I could enjoy the ship more. Reading or just having coffee in the sooo comfortable librairy chairs, snoozing :eek: on the promenade deck chairs, having a chat with the knowledgable about world travels gentleman crew member at the specialty coffee bar. Amazing CD, he really was a key factor in this cruise beeing special . So I say a big yes to Veendam, but I understand it can be a bad choice for someone looking for something different ( it it not Oasis of the Seas , and has no Ziplining , nor many of some things we find on other ships).But, then again, there are many of these ships we do not sail on because they have all these other things.

Edited September 11, 2014 by Sailingpeace

[KruzPrincess]

I had always had a balcony cabin and last summer I did my experiment in an inside on the Veendam. We had cabin 703, as low and as far forward as you can go. It was a nice cabin. The only noise was in the mornings when we were coming into port, but we were always up by then. We had no problems with the lack of a balcony and used the cabin as a bedroom and the ship as our home.

 

 

 

Debbie

 

 

As for my inside cabin, I will be midship on the lower promenade decl. I think it looks like a great location as I'll be just steps away from the promenade outside. I can use that as my own balcony, assuming I'll find an empty unreserved deck chair once in a while. As I said previously, I am really looking forward to trying out inside cabin again to see if I can you stand it.

 

 

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