MY thoughts as a 1st HAL cruise

[windsor26]

First time HAL cruiser giving thoughts HAL Oosterdam 5th Dec Syd – Fiji return.

These are MY finding please do not flame though comments are welcome

 

Pros.

Embarkation and Disembarkation excellent well organised

Tendering well organised except for one blip due to engine problems on a tender

Interiors of the ship elegant and classy but has wasted space with so many rooms

Seating area in Lido Buffet excellent – never a problem finding a seat

Beds comfortable and pillows to die for

A multitude of hand cleanser stations all over the ship at every entrance to anywhere.

Never found a bathroom to be out of service – always clean and loved the hand towels

The elevators were plentiful and never a long wait

No loudspeaker announcements to intrude on your relaxations

A DVD player in your room BUT bring your own DVD’s as their extensive list is naff or the item you want is ‘lost’

Cons

No drawers in the stateroom (except for 2 tiny ones in each bedside cabinet)

Poor customer service from the front desk on several occasions

The cost of drinks including dinner wine higher than other lines I have used

Dinner service from the waiters poor, slow, incorrect meals on several occasions

Layout of Lido food areas – complicated and giving the ONE server at each station too much to have to cover on their own so slow service

No daytime entertainment unless you wanted to purchase something – learn about the ports – or pay to take part in some activity

The evening entertainment was very very very poor – just one excellent comedian and one dancer’s show where they were adequate

Awful repetitive ‘guitar strummer’ with off key voice every night in the Crows Nest

Lack of entertainment staff - prior to this cruise several members had finished their contract so had not been replaced and this may be why there were no entertainments available.

The CD was – IMO not very good at his job requests were ignored even when they would not have required a host from his staff

The Library is part of the Crows Nest and you cannot see the books as people are sitting in front of the shelves and they are not in alphabetical order but some other sort of distribution

The system for their Bingo game. Most unfair to everyone (except to HAL’s bank) The number of balls limit for the full house stays at 46 through the voyage and any other cruises afterwards until - when the un-won pot reaches $25000 it is cancelled and the money goes to HAL with another pot commencing for the same 46 numbers – this is unexpected and not advertised for those who, from all other cruise lines expect the jackpot to go at the last session irrespective of the numbers.:(:(

Also the prizes for the 1st four games are very small so all this money is going to HAL’s coffers (not the Casino’s) and not back to the cruisers who are paying for the tickets. OK you can say don’t play but until you start to play and actually ask the question you do not know the rules

[doublebzz]

Can't take issue with any of your findings with which I concur to some degree or another. What is your summary conclusion - is HAL a plus or a minus?

[erewhon]

Thank you for posting your comments.

Did you sail from White Bay?

Do you recall the name of the Captain during the cruise?

[PathfinderEss]

Thanks for your thoughts.

I always felt Hal cocktail prices were pretty reasonable. Most passengers I have met from your area though they were reasonable too.

Entertainment wise, your probably are pretty right on.

[windsor26]

Hi We left from Circular Quay but returned to White Bay

The Captain was Henk Darker (sic) sorry not exactly sure of the spelling The cruise director (for want of a better title) was Shane ?

I think I was comparing to Princess wine prices which were all about $7 cheaper per bottle for those we drink and also Princess do not add 15% so for us we found the drinks were more expensive.

I do not usually buy cocktails scannot copm,ment on that part of the equasion

Edited December 19, 2014 by windsor26

[jtl513]

Cons

no drawers in the stateroom (except for 2 tiny ones in each bedside cabinet)

I guess you didn't discover the two large ones under the foot of the bed.

layout of lido food areas – complicated and giving the one server at each station too much to have to cover on their own so slow service

that's unusual. Most of the time each station has two servers on Vista shios, except very early morning.

no daytime entertainment unless you wanted to purchase something – learn about the ports – or pay to take part in some activity

no movies? no cooking demostrastions? no towel folding or flower arranging or craft demos? no tai chi classes? no sports competitions like golf putting or chipping? no trivia? no Digital Workshops? no afternoon teas?

...... Edited December 19, 2014 by jtl513

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thank you for giving us your thoughts on the Oosterdam.

How were the ports?

[Viesczy]

Thankya for the honest review!

 

IMO you're spot on about the 'entertainment'. HAL's approach to entertainment is 'you're on your own' for a lot of the daylight hours. Nighttime isn't much more, funeral dirges by Adagio and then the rest of the entertainment is often made up of folks who weren't talented enough to make a career on land.

 

In no way is that condemning HAL; when cruising on HAL we couldn't care less what the entertainment on board is as we're there for the itinerary and to chillax. If there's some good shows/performers, it is icing on the great cake that is/was the HAL cruise/product.

 

Do we always sail HAL? No. Why? There's only so many funeral dirges I can listen to! ;):D

[KirkNC]

Hi We left from Circular Quay but returned to White Bay

The Captain was Henk Darker (sic) sorry not exactly sure of the spelling The cruise director (for want of a better title) was Shane ?

I think I was comparing to Princess wine prices which were all about $7 cheaper per bottle for those we drink and also Princess do not add 15% so for us we found the drinks were more expensive.

I do not usually buy cocktails scannot copm,ment on that part of the equasion

 

Are you sure about the 15%? We have sailed Princess and I thought they did the same. They have a better wine selection than HAL (but who doesn't :rolleyes:).

[windsor26]

[/color]......

 

NJo sofa so no drawers there

The drawers under the beds were full of blankets, bed spreads and pillows so no space there.

No towel folding, no tai chi no flower arranging and a couple of water events but I do not swim so would not enjoy those as I do not get my face wet.

There was a ping pong tournament but I do not play and there were about 50 people on the list already (as there was nothing else for them to do)

Afternoon tea is a no no when we eat too much anyway (and is not an entertainment)

I do not want to learn in the digital workshop as I use my computer too much at home

There was a cookery workshop but again I cook at home this is no enteratinment

We asked on the first day for a get together of interested parties in Car enthusiasts and so did 2 other people but were ignored by this CD

Yes we did play trivia when we could but it was too noisy in the crows nest at 5pm after the haqppy hour and we could not hear the questions and the staff member would not move from his seat to walk around and repeat the question for those who were not close to him

I played trivia the other times and won a few times - I now have 23 HAL pins!!!

[windsor26]

Thankya for the honest review!

 

IMO you're spot on about the 'entertainment'. HAL's approach to entertainment is 'you're on your own' for a lot of the daylight hours. Nighttime isn't much more, funeral dirges by Adagio and then the rest of the entertainment is often made up of folks who weren't talented enough to make a career on land.

 

In no way is that condemning HAL; when cruising on HAL we couldn't care less what the entertainment on board is as we're there for the itinerary and to chillax. If there's some good shows/performers, it is icing on the great cake that is/was the HAL cruise/product.

 

Do we always sail HAL? No. Why? There's only so many funeral dirges I can listen to! ;):D

 

Strangely enough although we are not music efficianardoes the Adagio was the best music on the ship and I wished they had put them in a different venue as it was crowded there.

[windsor26]

Are you sure about the 15%? We have sailed Princess and I thought they did the same. They have a better wine selection than HAL (but who doesn't :rolleyes:).

 

Yes I am correct for Princess for those ships which are based in Australia and I was comparing like to like

On USA ships Princess does add 15%

(also for the Australian ships there is no daily gratuity charge you give your own tips at the end of the cruise)

[windsor26]

Thank you for giving us your thoughts on the Oosterdam.

How were the ports?

 

The interior of the ship was elegant and classy (I do not like the outside as it is blue and I prefer white ships) The decks required a revarnish they were old looking. As a 2003 ship it was still in good condition except for a few cracked windows and water leaks when we had a storm in the crows nest.

 

The ports were Isle of Pines, Noumea, Mare, Mystery Island, Lautoka, Dravuni Island, and Lifou - lovely for snorkellers and etc. I enjoyed a swim in most of the islands and took goodies to the school in Dravuni, otherwise it was a lazy cruise for us as we had been to all of these places before.

[ginger and professor]

Just a note, teak decks should not be varnished it would make them slippery. They should be scrubbed and will have a grey appearance. The railing or benches are considered brightwork and they are varnished.

[nana51]

I don't want a bunch of entertainment during the day as that is when I like to relax and read. I enjoy the trivia, love to play bingo but hate how HAL does it also. If I want an active cruise I go to ports that keep me busy. Do you have suggestions for entertainment during the day. I also disliked Shane when I was on the Oosterdamn, a waste of time.

[InTheWASide]

Afternoon tea is a no no when we eat too much anyway (and is not an entertainment)

I do not want to learn in the digital workshop as I use my computer too much at home

There was a cookery workshop but again I cook at home this is no enteratinment

 

With no offense meant toward the OP, perhaps you should have researched HAL online or through CC more before booking or if you did perhaps you were given incorrect or conflicting info?

 

Much of the entertainment and activities are for things like cooking demos, digital workshop, mixology and wine/beer courses, port lectures, etc. Bingo, SOME deck sports, etc are also available... Not sure precisely what you were hoping for but what you say didn't interest you at all is much of what HAL markets their onboard experience to be.

 

And you are correct. HAL does not regionalize their policies regarding gratuities but you can remove them, raise or lower them in any way you like at the Front Desk. Not sure if that can also be done with the beverage gratuities but likely that wasn't the majority of the gratuity expense that was upsetting to you.

 

For your reference:

http://www.hollandamerica.com/cruise-vacation-onboard/Activities.action?WT.ac=pnav_Onboard_ACTIVITIES

Edited December 20, 2014 by InTheWASide

[Don't spammy]

Thank you Windsor26 for your review.

[windsor26]

 

Much of the entertainment and activities are for things like cooking demos, digital workshop, mixology and wine/beer courses, port lectures, etc. Bingo, SOME deck sports, etc are also available... Not sure precisely what you were hoping for but what you say didn't interest you at all is much of what HAL markets their onboard experience to be.

 

.Not sure if that can also be done with the beverage gratuities but likely that wasn't the majority of the gratuity expense that was upsetting to you.

 

For your reference:

http://www.hollandamerica.com/cruise-vacation-onboard/Activities.action?WT.ac=pnav_Onboard_ACTIVITIES

 

\

Not actually discussing gratuities but discussing the cost of the drinks which on HAL have a gratuity added although being a little higher to start with..

 

The activities you mention often have a cost attached which was what I mentioned originally For instance the mixology was $12.50 per person

This sort of activity on Princess for instance is done as a fun activity with everyone joining in if they wish to do so for free

We would have loved to listen to a lecture thjey are one of our preferred activities There was not ONE on the entire cruise No wine or beer courses eiother except the wine tasting which had a cost attached.

 

As mentioned I believe = lots of HAL loyal cruisers agreed with my thoughts when having a conversation and asked us not to think that all HAL ships and cruises were as poor as this one

[dockman]

Whoever decided to combine the crows nest along with the explorations coffee AND the library managed to make all of them worse than on other Holland Ships where they are separate. The library on the Oosterdam is VERY POORLY laid out with seats placed in front of the book shelves so you have to bother people sitting there to reach a book. The crows nest is one of the busiest venues on the ship and with all the activity there should NOT be combined with the library. There is not enough room or seating to accommodate people trying to sit in the crows nest, the library and buy coffees.

 

The Oosterdam library is poorly laid out, very very NOISY, and has a smaller selection of books than the libraries on smaller older HAL ships. Even when the crows nest is not hosting a function they seem to always play some kind of piped in music even when people are TRYING to sit and read or just enjoy the view in SILENCE.....can we ever just have peace and quiet??

[RuthC]

.....can we ever just have peace and quiet??

Apparently not. The places one can go on the ships where there is no overhead noise are few and far between.

Even the Explorers Lounge had blaring overhead music during the day on my last Vista ship.

 

The Piano Bar on the Vista/Signature ships is one location, but the chairs there are not comfortable for reading. The Promenade Deck is another location, but the loungers are quite a distance from the mid-ship doors; scooters can't get out there.

[ellieanne]

Even when the crows nest is not hosting a function they seem to always play some kind of piped in music even when people are TRYING to sit and read or just enjoy the view in SILENCE.....can we ever just have peace and quiet??

 

I complain about the lack of quiet public spaces on every post-cruise survey. During the day, I can find some places that are quiet enough for reading, but at night it is impossible to find public spaces that are bright enough AND well-lit enough for reading. I really prefer to be in the public rooms on the cruise, rather than in my cabin.

 

One my one cruise on the Oosterdam I spent more time in my cabin than I have on all my other cruises combined! There was just no-where to quietly enjoy a book or conversation with friends/family. I now go out of my way to avoid the Vista class ships for that reason.

[windsor26]

Whoever decided to combine the crows nest along with the explorations coffee AND the library managed to make all of them worse than on other Holland Ships where they are separate. The library on the Oosterdam is VERY POORLY laid out with seats placed in front of the book shelves so you have to bother people sitting there to reach a book. The crows nest is one of the busiest venues on the ship and with all the activity there should NOT be combined with the library. There is not enough room or seating to accommodate people trying to sit in the crows nest, the library and buy coffees.

 

The Oosterdam library is poorly laid out, very very NOISY, and has a smaller selection of books than the libraries on smaller older HAL ships. Even when the crows nest is not hosting a function they seem to always play some kind of piped in music even when people are TRYING to sit and read or just enjoy the view in SILENCE.....can we ever just have peace and quiet??

 

What was worse was the organisation of Trivia in the Crows Nest to take place immediately after Happy Hour when everyone was still having their double drinks and shouting over the noise of the 'guitar strummer' Those Trivias were almost impossioble to take part in unless you sat by the side of the entertainment staff.