Oosterdam-What's it really like?

[SeaNStars4Me]

I have found a good price on an Oosterdam cruise out of Tampa in March going to Cozumel, Roatan, Guatemala and Costa Maya. The only port I've already been to is Cozumel so this has ports I haven't seen yet. What is this ship experience really like? I am in my early 50's and enjoy sunbathing, whirlpools, spa services, reading on deck or in library, shopping, bingo, casino, on-board movies, on-board musical shows/entertainment, comedy clubs, good food and I am very, very picky about cabin/ship cleanliness and bed comfort. I am not super athletic so don't require rock-climbing walls, golf, water slides, etc. but I don't want to be bored silly on the cruise, either. Only other cruise I've been on was Carnival Paradise and the ship was filthy, bed was worst I've ever slept on and food was almost unedible. Looking for real input about Oosterdam, particularly from people who've been on it after it was refurbished in 2016. How are pools? Any nightly entertainment and daily on-board activities? Spa services-thermal beds and things like that? Etc. My other 2 options are Royal Caribbean Brillance of the Seas (shorter cruise t ports I've already seen) or Royal Caribbean Rhapsody of the Seas (way more expensive). Any help greatly appreciated!!!!!

[OlsSalt]

Sounds like you found a good match between what you like and the ship you might choose. Oosterdam is a fine ship - we have sailed on her several times, including an extended South Pacific-NZ solar eclipse cruise.

 

We like her Signature Suite cabins, among the best size and layout for the price out there. She is a grand old-style lady. A comfortable fit. Super clean and wonderful beds. Food has a lot of variety, various music venues in the evening for all tastes. Small enough to get to know quickly, yet large enough to ride the waves well.

 

Hope you have a wonderful cruise if this is your final choice.

Edited January 17, 2017 by OlsSalt

[crystalspin]

I have not been on Oosterdam or any of the Vista class ships (sadly had to cancel a 19-day Panama Canal on the Westerdam:( ), but I have been on four Dam ships (five cruises) and your list of interests seem to be largely met. Especially clean-ness and bed comfort. And if the bed is too firm, you can get an "eggcrate" topper from your steward.

 

I also have not been on any RCI ships so I'm not dissing them but I think you will be happy on the O'dam!

[regnig]

Have sailed on the Oosterdam twice and she is a wonderful ship. While not on her since her re-hab this past spring all the pictures show she is still elegant and perhaps some areas are even better. We have never encountered a less than "very clean" HAL ship and her beds are to die for, the most comfortable on the seas. I tend to be a bit picky and want good to great food and have never been disappointed with any on a HAL ship. We also love the different options, enough to make it pleasant but not so many to confuse or make "vacation" work with too many decisions.

 

On you list of things you enjoy the only thing missing on the Oosterdam would be the comedy club. While she doesn't have a dedicated "club" there should be at least one comedian entertainer during your cruise.

 

We have sailed RCCL once and never again and IMHO there is no comparison.

[3rdGenCunarder]

I haven't been on Oosterdam since the refit, but if clean matters to you, you will love HAL! The spa has a wonderful hydropool and ceramic loungers with a sea view. (Plus steam/sauna, which we don't use) All the spas we've been to on HAL ships, including Oo'dam, have been sparkling clean.

 

The pools are very nice. Clean, of course! One is aft and open, the other is midships and has a sliding roof. There are hot tubs by the midships pool. One of the great things about the pool area is that it's quiet. There are occasional "events," like barbecues around the pool where the band plays, but mostly it's calm and quiet and you can read and relax in peace.

[Tampa Girl]

We were on her for the November TA, post-refurbishment. The ship is in beautiful condition, and we were impressed with her. That having been said, we did not like some of the "innovations" that HAL has decided to implement on their ships, but that is another story. Be aware that a cruise in March will probably mean more young people on spring breaks, but we have sailed on many March cruises out of Tampa and have never had a problem in that regard. And Tampa, prejudiced as I am, is an easy port to sail out of. Hope that you try her.

[Guinness1000]

We were on that exact same cruise out of Tampa over New Years.

 

We had a signature suite which was very nice and spacious. Very comfy beds. Balcony was bigger than needed. Cabin steward and room service staff were amazing. The room service menu btw, is pretty limited, but if you ask, the staff will gladly get you whatever you want. The bathroom was as good as any ggreat hotel. It had a shower stall and a tub. In our opinion though, it would be better to have a bigger shower and no tub.

 

The Lido buffet, is fine, but since it's not very big, it gets old soon. I would suggest using the other restaurants for great food. Even the MDR.

 

We don't gamble nor are we big on entertainment so I can't be a judge there. We did watch the BB King band though and they were amazing!

 

I would highly recommend taking excursions in Roatan and Guatemala. Especially Guatemala since that port town has nothing much of interest to see. We took a local excursion up the river with a boat and visited a Mayan village and also Livingston! An amazing trip! That excursion is not offered by HAL, it's a private local one. They are at the pier, you can't miss them. It was also only 40USD. HAL's excursions are twice that much. It was an amazing trip and so refreshingly non commercialized!

 

I also took a behind the scenes tour on the ship. A little pricy maybe, but well worth it.

 

I watched Jason Bourn in the screening room. Chairs were very comfy and they had popcorn. It's not real big, so if you expect a movie theater experience, you'll probably be a little disappointed, but if you just want to see a current movie for free, well... :)

[Guinness1000]

I forgot to mention that embarkation and disembark was a breeze. We left our room at 8:45am and sat in our car at 9:06!

 

My husband had acupuncture at the spa and he also worked out at the gym. Both places were great! :)

[Hsmama]

what is MDR?

[RuthC]

what is MDR?

The dining room: "Main Dining Room".

[Aquahound]

I am in my early 50's and enjoy sunbathing, whirlpools, spa services, reading on deck or in library, shopping, bingo, casino, on-board movies, on-board musical shows/entertainment, comedy clubs, good food and I am very, very picky about cabin/ship cleanliness and bed comfort.

 

For the most part, I think Oosterdam will be a good fit. However, I think you will be disappointed in the 2 things I highlighted in your post.

 

I haven't been on Brilliance or Rhapsody, but I've been on their sister ships. Both are really nice and both have very relaxing covered pools, like on Oosterdam, that are adults only. Brilliance has a stadium-seating movie theater. Rhapsody has no movie theater. I think Brilliance is the prettiest of the 3 ships.

 

In this case, I would lean toward Rhapsody. But if the price difference really is that great, Oosterdam is a good choice.

[socagirl1]

I cruised on the Oosterdam from Dec 16, 2016 - Dec 23, 2016. This was my first Holland cruise and I was impressed. The ship is kept very clean. I felt the service was very good, everyone smiling. There are lots of spaces to read a book (outdoors and inside). My bed was very comfortable (and I'm picky about sleeping) and I slept very good on this cruise (I was mid-ships). My hubby and I were in a balcony room - not a suite and it was fine for both of us. I felt the food on the ship was good - not stellar - but good. I did have dinner in the Pinnacle Grill one night and it was probably one the best steaks I've ever had. Everything else I ordered for dinner that night was really good too (salad, sides and desert - if you like coffee, get the French Pressed coffee for dessert.. WOW!) Service was very good at the Pinnacle. We enjoyed the BBK Blues band and dueling pianos. Never made it into the big production shows. I'm not a casino person but it seemed rather small to me. One night we decided to call it an early night and watched a movie on TV in our room. I bought the week spa access for myself at $149. I think it was well worth it for unlimited use of steam rooms, dry sauna, heated loungers and big whirlpool. Sometimes it was difficult to get one of the heated loungers but just ask the desk personnel when the slowest times are for the thermalsuites, they will let you know.

 

In Guatemala, make sure you do the Rio Dulce cruise as someone mentioned earlier. 40 US dollars is a good price, I think I paid 60 for the same excursion with no included lunch. You may get wet on the boat ride to the river so dress accordingly (see my post under Caribbean-Guatemala). And if you have a bad back you may not want to do this excursion - rough boat ride. Also, check out the Yellow Port building when you dock in Guatemala. They have vendors in there and you can barter with them. The same purse I saw in Roatan for $35 was $20 in Guatemala. My husband picked up a bulls hair belt for $14.. one of kind!

 

In Costa Maya we walked out of the extensive/expensive port facilities and took a cab ($2 US per person) to Mahahual. I emailed Steve at Tropicante in Mahuhual before I left for vacation and told him what day I was arriving and what time to expect me. When I arrived I had a table in the shade on the beach and had really good nachos, ceviche and Margaritas for lunch. Lots of touristy shopping in Mahahual on the Malecon (Tropicante is along the Malecon). Then I took the $2 taxi back to the crowded port to the ship. I never felt in danger or anything. We got there rather quickly off the ship and by the time the other ships came into port, you could tell it was a popular place to be. Just watch your time, Holland doesn't spend much time in port here.

 

On Roatan I again walked through the "homogenized" port to the taxi stand and got a taxi to the West Bay Beach (about 30 pp round trip). I wanted to see Roatan. We went to Bananarama on the beach. Once you arrive at Bananarama, tell them you're going to have lunch and drinks at the bar - they will try to sell you either a beach chair for $10 or a "free drink" at $10. You don't need either if you are doing lunch. They had really fresh sushi there for cheap and try a Monkey LaLa drink (like a mudslide). The bartenders at the main bar at Bananarama were really nice and you can walk up and down the beach there. There are beach vendors but they aren't as pushy as the vendors in Negril Jamaica. If you are really adventurous you can take a $3 water taxi to West End (the town). Back on the beach, some of the best snorkeling is just "left" of Bananarama all the way down to the end of the beach. Bananarama will rent you snorkel and fins if you need them. You can also email them before you leave to set up a taxi and a snorkel package..check out their website. There are also other hotels that offer "day packages" at West Bay Beach, check out Trip Advisor for more info.

 

I really enjoyed my cruise on the Oosterdam and the ports we visited. I am looking forward to my next cruise either on Holland or Princess.

 

Teressa

[dogo88]

We've been on the Oosterdam before and we agree with the comments about the ship from other posters on this thread. We took the same cruise two years ago on the Ryndam and totally enjoyed Central America. March looks to be a good time to go there since it's just before their rainy season. At least that is what we were told by the locals. Weather was hot which is what we wanted.

 

One tour that we took in Guatemala was to the Tikal ruins. It's a long tour and expensive. But boy oh boy was it ever worth it. According to our Dr. it's a "bucket List" trip and we agree.

 

Dan

[St Pete Cruiser]

I was on the Oosterdam Nov 25 cruise. My review is posted under the member reviews.