The Glorious Veendam 11/26/05-12/10/05

[ryansmemom]

For the past two weeks 100 lucky CC’s had the opportunity to call the MS Veendam home. She is a grand ship! Beautifully decorated and lovingly maintained. She is going into dry dock in three weeks for a major overhaul that will include a spa upgrade, installation of a Windstar Café and Culinary Arts Center and lots of other upgrades. I assume there will also be a heavy application of spit and polish and other improvements as well. The Veendam is almost perfect as she is. Upgraded, she will be breathtaking.

 

Of course, the Veendam, like any other non-living thing in and of herself is limited, regardless of how wonderful she may be. It is the people who work onboard her that make the Veendam the outstanding cruise ship on the seas.

 

Everyone we encountered was professional, warm, friendly and genuine. It was clear, from the very beginning that they were dedicated to making our cruise a seamless pleasurable experience. Here are some of the people that made a difference to us personally:

 

Captain Albert Jan Schoonderbeek, Master of the Veendam was a gracious and very visible host. He ran a very tight ship and the respect and admiration the crew have for him was evident. His wife was on board. While we only had two formal nights, we did have a beautiful Black and White Ball. He also handled the two yes two fire alarms with grace and aplomb. The first was during our dinner, 8:30PM. We are in the dining room and we hear the dreaded 7 shorts and a long. We take our cue from the dining stewards and remain calm. Captain Schoonderbeek announces that there was a fire in a trash receptacle in a crew cabin and that it has been extinguished. The response time was 30 seconds. At 2:30AM the next morning, only hours later, the alarm sounds again waking us all from our sweet, sea induced dreams. Captain Schoonderbeek informs us that there is an alarm due to excess smoke in one of the incinerators. The problem is brought under control in 10 minutes and we are told it is safe to go back to sleep. We never had to leave the safety of our cabins or our beds. The crew, however, were on full fire alert and at their stations. Given these emergencies, personally, I did not feel in danger. I took my cue from the crew and they were very reassuring in that they were calm and did not feel that what was happening was anything to be concerned about. As far as Captain Schoonderbeek, he was a wonderful host, very personable, very friendly and very easy to talk to. He is a gentleman who seems concerned that his guests are happy and safe. He has no airs about him. He is a very nice man and a competent Master of the Vessel. We were in good hands.

 

The Hotel Manager was Nicolaas Burger. Chimera and I had several opportunities to meet Nick Burger and found him to be a true gentleman who is dedicated to the comfort and contentment of his guests. He runs a tight hotel department. He is also very accessable. The hotel staff on the Veendam seems very happy to me. They seem like professionals, doing their jobs in a meaningful way. They have just the right amount of structure set out by the company to keep the product consistent, yet they are able to express their own personalities. They also seem content. When you are with people for fourteen days, you can see the reality of who they are. These people had stressful moments, we all do, but for the most part, they are content. Nick helped us though a few problems. None of them involved ship’s personnel. I have been a customer of Diamonds International for years. I have spent well; lets just say 1 1/2 carat diamond was one of the purchases. I went into the same store, in Aruba this cruise and was treated horrifically. No hospitality at all. A saleswoman latched on to me like a leech. I picked out 3 bracelets and she refused to give me any prices until I chose the one I wanted to purchase. We walked out. Nick has written to DI and HAL corporate and I will as well. By the way, I did get a spectacular bracelet at Bernard Passman. We also had a misunderstanding about debarkation; Nick cleared that up immediately for others and us as well. The ship runs like clockwork. He is a marvel.

 

Our concierge was Rochelle. What a sweetheart. What a dream. Rochelle just lit up the room. Whenever we walked into the Neptune Lounge we felt as though the sun had just risen for Rochelle. Her welcomes we warm and genuine. She joyfully fulfilled every request. High Tea on Thursday, yes, invitations sent, guests escorted. Champagne and hors d’overes yes invitations sent. Popcorn? Yes how many bags. Is my husband back on the ship? I’ll just find out. I need some straws, please. Right away. The good news for Rochelle is she is being promoted to Supervisor. She deserves it. The guests will miss her. However, they will have Pam, her assistant who takes over this cruise. Pam is wonderful and I know she will do well. She took very good care of us.

 

The Pinnacle stewards work in the Neptune Lounge during the day. We had two of the best. Adi and Noviar. They were both incredibly attentive. We saw them in both venues. We had 2 breakfasts in the Pinnacle and that gave us another opportunity to see them. What set these two men apart was their sense of humor. They were both very light hearted and always enjoying the moments while providing excellent service. We also had good laughs.

 

Our cabin Steward was Yani; Yani was a terrific cabin steward. Over the course of 2 weeks he had a chance to learn our little quirks. And like all HAL employees he is a quick study. He was comfortable to be with. Everything was perfect. We were so very comfortable. It’s good to be pampered like that. He even did the cute towel animals. One night he made us a dog and put my sunglasses on it! Too Cute!

 

Our dining steward Pudji was very good. He was always efficient and always very pleasant. He did a good job. I know he was working very hard. The dining stewards are definitely over worked and have too many tables too cover. As a result the service feels less personal. I really don’t see this as a function of the waiter, it’s the situation. Pudji seemed to be very good at his job, just over loaded. The same can be said for his assistant.

 

Another crewmember who made a big difference to our cruise was Hans, Pinnacle Grill Manager. Hans is a true gentleman who graciously helped us with many small amenities that enhanced our experience. He “upgraded” our table at the Pinnacle so that we had a wonderful view. He was available and helped me personally when I needed assistance due to my disability, regardless of where we were on the ship, and he also facilitated our debarkation so that it would be both physically and emotionally easy for Chimera and myself. Hans is a gracious gentleman.

 

On this cruise, we actually had the opportunity to spend some time with the cruise staff. Our major activity was Team Trivia…. twice a day. And a hot competition it came to be. It was quite cut throat at times. We won 5 times. We actually got some good prizes. Not all of them mind you, but some Here they are: mugs (eh) water bottles (eh) umbrellas (good prize) won these 2 times! And the best of all mag lights (yippee) 2 times and they are dark blue and say, “dam dark” too cute. The cruise staff ran the games. Mostly Allison, who was young, Canadian and cute. I liked her. I had fun. I miss trivia. We met some nice people.

 

The cruise Director was Jason. Nice guy. He ran things very well. He was good. Not in your face. Things seemed to be very well organized. Very few announcements, which is a very good thing.

 

 

One last thing for this installment. We had about 100 CC members. HAL treated us very well. We had our own informal get together on the first sea day in the Crow’s Nest. We had a great time and Jason helped us take some pictures using our cameras. It was great putting faces to names. The next day, HAL threw a party for us. Also up in the Crow’s Nest. This time it was attended and hosted by Jason and Nick Burger and included alcohol and appetizers. It was very nice. They were very happy to have us on board. They want to recognize cruise critic. They do read us. They also tried to get a group picture on Aruba day. Unfortunately, it was poorly planned and only about 1/3 of the people were able to show up. I have the picture and I will post it as soon as I can.

 

I am going to end this for now and continue another time. Fourteen days is a long time. Please ask questions. I know I have just scratched the surface.

 

Linda:)

[localady]

Great review Linda! :D

My comments about the Veendam and her staff mirror yours. I think that the suite bathrooms are in need of a makeover and I hope they address that issue in drydock, but other than that, she was in amazing shape for a Ship that is off to drydock soon.

The staff and crew were absolutely fabulous and we too enjoyed Rochelle's positive energy, she is quite a lovely lady and HAL is indeed lucky to have her!! Herry was a hoot...and Yani, who was also our steward, was fantastic! :D

It amazed me that even the morning after the fire alarm, when the crew been up and at their fire stations at 2:30 am, that the crew was smiling and cheery, showing no sign of the broken sleep they all experienced the night before.

We enjoyed meeting you and Chimera and look forward to sailing with you again someday soon.:)

[Aussie Gal]

Linda,

 

What a lovely review and so informative. I felt when reading it that I was on board the ship with you.

 

We are so looking forward to our 34 day cruise on her in September. I hope we are fortunate to have Captain Schoonderbeek and Nicholaas Burger and the wonderful crew that you had when we sail on her.

 

I look forward to your next instalment.

 

Jennie

[gizmo]

Localady,

 

What was wrong with your bathroom?

[Sage]

Thank you for the well written and detailed review and welcome home. It sounds like you had a wonderful time, and we wish that we could have been there with you.

[elmorejj]

Great review, We were on the Veendam in Oct/Nov and truly enjoyed her. Congrats to Rochelle on her promotion, she really is an asset to the company..........jean:cool:

[localady]

Localady,

 

What was wrong with your bathroom?

 

Gizmo-

Sink was damaged and the tile was worn, loose and exhibiting rust through damaged caulking. The seal around the bathtub was poor and had been redone too many times.....frankly it just appeared run down and like it was time for it's ten year overhaul. Everything, including cabin bathrooms, have a shelf life.

That said, we had a fantastic cruise, with wonderful service! I would highly recomend the ship without reservation! I would think that with a 3 week dry dock maintenance like that will be performed as well as SOE enhancements.:D

[torpeedo]

We were also on the fantastic Veendam cruise! Loved every minute of it and concur with all remarks.

Have to give BIG kudos to Jason Venner, the Cruise Director. He went way out of his way to recognize our CC group. He attended our meet and mingle and as well as the cocktail party. He arranged our group picture on the bow of the ship. He was always asking if we were having a great time and wanted to be sure that we all knew that HAL was appreciative of our patronage. He is going to be the inaugural CD on the Noordam so I believe he is well thought of by the HAL management team. He's young, good looking, and full of energy with a great sense of humor.

We loved the ship and the food was fantastic. DH had an MD appointment before and after the cruise so we can accurately report an 8 lb gain in tonage as a result of the wonderful cuisine.:o

Have absolutely no complaints and we are going to look towards taking this same cruise again in 2007. ( 2006 all booked up already:D )

[JimVrhovac]

Ruth and I were on the Veendam with linda and Lou and our opinions mirror theirs.

 

It was a great trip with very few flaws. Had a great cruise and look forward to returning to the Veendam in April for another 7 day cruise.

 

Linda you did not mention your new footwear......

 

Jim & Ruth

[Krazy Kruizers]

Welcome Home Linda and Lou!!

Glad to hear that you had a great cruise.

[RuthC]

Thank you for such a well-written report. I sure enjoyed reading it, and wished I had been aboard.

Love those S-class ships! They're so easy to get around, and meet up with the same people over and over again. That's another nice thing about a longer cruise---you can actually get to know some really nice people!

[gizmo]

Gizmo-

Sink was damaged and the tile was worn, loose and exhibiting rust through damaged caulking. The seal around the bathtub was poor and had been redone too many times.....frankly it just appeared run down and like it was time for it's ten year overhaul. Everything, including cabin bathrooms, have a shelf life.

 

That said, we had a fantastic cruise, with wonderful service! I would highly recomend the ship without reservation! I would think that with a 3 week dry dock maintenance like that will be performed as well as SOE enhancements.:D

 

Thanks Localady.

 

My suite on the Veendam was near perfect. I can only pick out 2 things.

 

The air had a problem. It wasn't hot but if you turned it down there was no difference. It was only part way working. We reported it and it was handled. The vent above the bed was clogged.

 

The table on the Verandah needed to be replaced.

 

The bathroom was in A1 condition. There wasn't one single thing in the bathroom that looked worn or needed maintenance.

 

On other ships I found various problems.

Caulking in horrible conditon.

Jaccuzi not working.

Water getting all over the floor everytime the shower was used. (It was not the shower curtain causing the problem.)

 

Over all I thought this ship was in great condition. From what I saw the carpeting looked almost new, not only in the cabin but in public areas. I did not see any signs of wear anywhere in the public areas on the ship.

 

This ship was in much better condition than some of the others I have sailed on.

 

I thought this was funny.:rolleyes:

I sailed on the Volendam when the ship was maybe 2 months old. The carpet in the cabin had a BIG stain. It looked like someone spilled red wine or maybe a can of coke. A year later the carpet still had that horrible stain. Two years later, you guessed it, the stain was still there.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Linda

How were your breakfasts in the Pinnacle?

[localady]

I know I am not Linda (Lucky Lou!!!:eek: ), but I can say that our breakfasts in the Pinnacle were very nice. It was not the place to dine if you are hurrying to an excursion, but it was lovely to have our OJ served in Riedel crystal etc. Hans, the Pinnacle Manager, was very visible and friendly. It was really lovely to have breakfast by the windows in the Pinnacle. :) (Love the Pinnacles' design in the S ships that have windows!!!:cool: )

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Linda, I love your detailed reporting.:) I too feel like I am cruising with you. Sounds like the Veendam is a lovely ship. We will get to have a short sample of her in September while it is only for first four days repositioning we are in a Guarantee S Suite.

 

Thanks so much for taking the time to write you review.

[ryansmemom]

The highlight of any cruise is the people and this cruise had the best people. 100 wonderful CC members onboard. What a hoot. And HAL sweet HAL did well by us. They made us feel welcome. We had our door signs.We had our T shirts.We had our buttons.

 

We had our dear Localady.Yes folks! Just in case you wondered, there is an actual face under that bag. And a lovely face it is. Sherlynn actually wore that bag, beautifully made up for the photos in that horrid heat. I guess that was part of the keep your weight under control on a cruise plan.

 

Chimera and I were initiated into the official Jim and Ruth Vrhovac slipper club. We were presented with the most adorable matching puppy slippers. We wore them with pride to all CC member gatherings. Jim and Ruth also presented Captain Schoonderbeek with a pair of slippers which he appreciated very much.

 

Many of us were entertained daily watching Lou, McFredia's hubby round the Sport's Deck daily doing his miles while reading a book. It's quite windy up there.

 

We really enjoyed seeing Quendrith and her hubby again. Good to see them doing well.

 

We enjoyed the time we spent with 1cruiselvr and her hubby. They are moving soon and in for a big change in their lives.

 

We played trivia 2X a day. Yes 14 days on the ship 28 trivia compititions, We won ome great prizes. We got umbrellas, mag lights, water bottles and of course mugs. Joining us at some of our competitions was Docksider who was a real asset.

 

There were so many others on board. I have just skimmed the surface.Please forgive me if i haven't mentioned all of you. Please forgive me if I left you out. I left most of you out. I am writing this off the top of my head. We enjoyed being with everyone.

 

More later.

 

Linda

[Krazy Kruizers]

The reason I asked about the Pinnacle was because we were so happy to see that it was once again open for suite passengers for breakfasts.

But we were very disappointed on our recent Ryndam cruises. Besides the service being slow, we were never offered any pastries as we awaited our breakfasts. DH had to keep asking for more coffee. The orange was not fresh squeezed and none of the juices came chilled. Most times there was only one server, being as we were the only ones there the first couple of times. Once there was actually 2 servers when 6 of us showed up for breakfast. Out of 20 days we ate there only 4 or 5 times.

[ryansmemom]

Yonnie,

 

I only had breakfast in the Pinnacle once. That is because I prefer room service augmented with coffe and fresh juice from the Neptune Lounge. However, the Pinnacle Grill staff on the Veendam was truly outstanding. Lou had breakfast twice and he was very pleased. I was pleased the time I had breakfast there as well.

 

Hans, the Matre D' and his staff were perfect in every way. They truly made it seem that it was a pleasure for them to serve you. The atmosphere was very warm and welcoming and the service impecable.

 

The service they provided service in the Neptune Lounge was just as supurb.

 

Linda

[PrincessR8]

I have worked on the Veendam as the lead singer in the production shows and am very glad to hear you had a wonderful time! I don't remember you mentioning anything about the entertainment-I'd love to hear your opinions of the new show they are doing (Club Nevada), as well as the other entertainment!

[Quendryth]

The highlight of any cruise is the people and this cruise had the best people. 100 wonderful CC members onboard. What a hoot. And HAL sweet HAL did well by us. They made us feel welcome. We had our door signs.We had our T shirts.We had our buttons.

 

We had our dear Localady.Yes folks! Just in case you wondered, there is an actual face under that bag. And a lovely face it is. Sherlynn actually wore that bag, beautifully made up for the photos in that horrid heat. I guess that was part of the keep your weight under control on a cruise plan.

 

Chimera and I were initiated into the official Jim and Ruth Vrhovac slipper club. We were presented with the most adorable matching puppy slippers. We wore them with pride to all CC member gatherings. Jim and Ruth also presented Captain Schoonderbeek with a pair of slippers which he appreciated very much.

 

Many of us were entertained daily watching Lou, McFredia's hubby round the Sport's Deck daily doing his miles while reading a book. It's quite windy up there.

 

We really enjoyed seeing Quendrith and her hubby again. Good to see them doing well.

 

We enjoyed the time we spent with 1cruiselvr and her hubby. They are moving soon and in for a big change in their lives.

 

We played trivia 2X a day. Yes 14 days on the ship 28 trivia compititions, We won ome great prizes. We got umbrellas, mag lights, water bottles and of course mugs. Joining us at some of our competitions was Docksider who was a real asset.

 

There were so many others on board. I have just skimmed the surface.Please forgive me if i haven't mentioned all of you. Please forgive me if I left you out. I left most of you out. I am writing this off the top of my head. We enjoyed being with everyone.

 

More later.

 

Linda

 

 

It was good to see you and Lou again as well as Maryann & Lou and for the first time to meet Kathleen.

 

Larry & I enjoyed this cruise very much & look forward to seeing those who join us next year for the TA on the Millenium.

 

Hope to see all Veendamers again!

 

Faith & Larry

[kakalina]

I have worked on the Veendam as the lead singer in the production shows and am very glad to hear you had a wonderful time! I don't remember you mentioning anything about the entertainment-I'd love to hear your opinions of the new show they are doing (Club Nevada), as well as the other entertainment!

The lead female singer was Natalie (sorry I can't remember her last name) she was quite good, I had occasion to speak with her a few times and her training is above average. The lead male Jeffrey Dingle is fantastic. I was terribly impressed with both his vocals and his stage presence. I've seen Showstoppers, Club Nevada and Up on the Roof on both the Statendam and the Veendam and have to say that the Veendam was the better by far.

Trisha

[lka1012]

Is the Pinnacle breakfast only for Suite passengers or can the "dregs in the bowells of the ship" have breakfast there also? It sounds like a great thing.

[lka1012]

Is the Pinnacle breakfast only for Suite passengers or can the "dregs in the bowells of the ship" have breakfast there also? It sounds like a great thing.

[CDRMark]

Great review, thanks!.. We (Maasdam) were in Bridgetown with you. Which ship's crew won the crew soccer match?

Cheers

MarkB

[Basenji]

Envious of you all. Really missed not making this cruise. My best wishes to all and a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year. Nothing planned but we are looking at the Westerdam out of Seattle on May 7th to Alaska.