HAL's Veendam - a great disappointment!

[Topsham]

. We also noticed that the arrows to the lifeboat stations pointed the wrong direction, assuming you would use the stairs closest to the lifeboat. QUOTE]

 

 

Unlikely. Signage for boats is posted in every cabin. It is all specially printed for cabin, by cabin, and likewise Boat numbers are matched up with this notice in your door... and also match up with your lifejacket.

 

The signage is to get the best route from your cabin to your own lifeboat. You might feel that the obvious way is to head to a particular stairs while in fact it might be just the opposite.

 

If someone can tell me the number of their cabin... with a boat number I can easily work it out from good plans... not just brochure plans.

 

You might have cabin number 026 and your next neighbor might be 024 and you have to head to different stairs because you are Boat 6 and your neighbours are in Boat 4.

[SilvertoGold]

All Vista class ships are for sale? Really? And you liked the Oosterdam, a Vista class ship.

[TexasGiGi]

We are on the Veendam in March. I am going on it with an open mind :)

[Airnocker]

"Well, I'll be in VEENDAM for FOUR weeks in May/June. I'll let you know how the ship goes."

 

Topsham,

I'll be interested to hear your review. What is your opinion of the showroom seating, especially the balcony? Are all of the elevators operational? If you have a veranda cabin, note the size please. Do you have dimensioned drawings of the deck plans, other than the brochure drawings? If so how did you get them? What deck do they use for a gangway portal? I hope that it's low enough so as not to make it very steep.

Have calm seas.

[Donny-Joe]

All Vista class ships are for sale? Really? And you liked the Oosterdam, a Vista class ship.

 

I don't think the Vista class ships are for sale. The Veendam, Prinsendam and possibly the Maasdam have been for sale for a while, but I'm pretty sure the Vista ships are doing well for HAL. I haven't heard anything about any R-class ships being listed for sale either.

 

Here's a recent thread: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2293963

[SilvertoGold]

I don't think the Vista class ships are for sale. The Veendam, Prinsendam and possibly the Maasdam have been for sale for a while, but I'm pretty sure the Vista ships are doing well for HAL. I haven't heard anything about any R-class ships being listed for sale either.

 

Here's a recent thread: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2293963

 

That was my understanding: only the Prinsendam and the S class ships.

 

Post #100 on this thread says otherwise.

[SeaBands]

after dry dock so we will see if they make the same upgrades that they did to Eurodam.

[galensgrl]

after dry dock so we will see if they make the same upgrades that they did to Eurodam.

 

DH and I will be going on the Veendam in late April, after her dry dock. Last time we were on her in May of 2015, we really enjoyed borrowing the movie dvd's from the front desk and unwinding watching some shows. We heard they are doing away with that dvd borrowing system and going with video on demand instead. Now we are hoping that they install bigger TV's like on the Eurodam since the one last year wasn't very big for watching movies in bed. Does anyone know if the videos on demand are complimentary, or will there be a per movie charge? Thanks anyone who knows this.

 

Lorie

Edited February 23, 2016 by galensgrl
fixing typos

[Lizzie68]

That was my understanding: only the Prinsendam and the S class ships.

 

Post #100 on this thread says otherwise.

 

I think the poster was just confused as to the class of ships.

[Hoverdemon]

DH and I will be going on the Veendam in late April, after her dry dock. Last time we were on her in May of 2015, we really enjoyed borrowing the movie dvd's from the front desk and unwinding watching some shows. We heard they are doing away with that dvd borrowing system and going with video on demand instead. Now we are hoping that they install bigger TV's like on the Eurodam since the one last year wasn't very big for watching movies in bed. Does anyone know if the videos on demand are complimentary, or will there be a per movie charge? Thanks anyone who knows this.

 

Lorie

 

I was on the Eurodam in December after dry dock. There was no charge for any of the on-demand programs then.

[RuthC]

Does anyone know if the videos on demand are complimentary, or will there be a per movie charge?

There was no charge on the Nieuw Amsterdam.

[the2ofus]

Well, I'll be in VEENDAM for FOUR weeks in May/June. I'll let you know how the ship goes.

 

Dear Sis and I will be on the Veendam May 14 for one week. Perhaps our paths might cross. It would be great to make your acquaintance as I've always found your comments interesting and informative.

[Topsham]

Dear Sis and I will be on the Veendam May 14 for one week. Perhaps our paths might cross. It would be great to make your acquaintance as I've always found your comments interesting and informative.

 

 

 

Yes, 16th. Canaletto? Red or white? :)

 

Stephen

[deejaydee]

We grabbed a last-minute-let's-go cabin yesterday, our first time on the Veendam. Will report back during/after the cruise as to her current condition. :)

[adrift@sea]

...Now we are hoping that they install bigger TV's like on the Eurodam since the one last year wasn't very big for watching movies in bed. Does anyone know if the videos on demand are complimentary, or will there be a per movie charge? Thanks anyone who knows this.

 

Lorie

 

The videos on demand are complimentary. It is my understanding that the larger flat screen tv's are to be installed throughout the fleet. The new tv's on the Eurodam were great. I actually watched an entire movie while on board. Haven't done that in many years.

 

We spent a few weeks on the Veendam this past summer and loved it. We experienced no problems of any kind.

[G&G]

We grabbed a last-minute-let's-go cabin yesterday, our first time on the Veendam. Will report back during/after the cruise as to her current condition. :)

 

Great! I live in the Tampa area and have been following cabin prices on 02/28/16 sailing. This AM outside was at $439 with just over 25 cabins still available. May purchase if price drops further.

[antique sailor]

we are on the veendam in march. I am going on it with an open mind :)

AHOY SHIPMATE

A true sign of intelligence!

 

Sea ya

[SeaBands]

you can't pause the movies like with using a dvd player.

[galensgrl]

you can't pause the movies like with using a dvd player.

 

Thanks, we will keep this in mind when settling in to watch a movie.

 

Lorie

[RuthC]

you can't pause the movies like with using a dvd player.

If memory serves, you can do an approximation of a pause.

When I stopped some shows, for whatever reason, and went back to them later, they picked up where I had left off. Even when there was an interruption, such as an announcement from the bridge, the show would stop. But when I pushed the "play" button again, it picked up at the same spot. Problem was that you had to go back to "home" and start the process of getting to the show again.

 

I won't swear that it went this way with the movies (I can't remember), but I clearly remember it happening with the TV shows.

Edited February 24, 2016 by RuthC

[Topsham]

you can't pause the movies like with using a dvd player.

 

 

 

 

Last year at, one hotel, The Double Tree at Sawgrass, Lauderdale... you could buy a movie and would pause if you wanted... just for the 24 hours.

 

It was an option... mind I didn't try it!

[Donny-Joe]

you can't pause the movies like with using a dvd player.

 

We definitely paused things. I can't remember exactly how, because the buttons are not on the remote, but the feature is there. I think you just hit the main OK or Enter button on the remote, and a pop-up menu with play, ff, rew, pause appears. I found that the ff and rew features went too fast and were too hard to control. Hard buttons on the remote would be much better.

[InTheWASide]

 

Your travel agent is the one who failed not preparing you for this smaller and older ship and letting you know exactly what your "suite" looked like. Verandah cabins are premium for this route so they will be pricier than on other itineraries.

 

 

Absolutely agree

[iancal]

We stopped depending on/ using TA's for travel information years ago.

 

We getter better information, faster and more accurate by doing our own research. Besides, so many of the really good and knowledgeable TA's have left the businesses.

 

So many seem to be nothing more than order takers/order processors. Also got tired of some of them steering us to travel products that've suspect gave them a higher comp ratio.