Somewhat "Live" - Nov 19th Oosterdam 31-Day SA Cruise - Miami to Buenos Aires

[Heartgrove]

Sorry to hear of all the problems. Amazing what a week and sailing on a ship at 3/4 capacity makes. It was the first time in 20 months that the Oosterdam has called at a US port. The USCG was conducting an inspection while in Miami which may have impacted boarding. We sailed on the crossing and other than patchy WiFi, didn't have these problems. Reloading WiFi through Navigator seemed to improve reception. Actually was very good in the middle of the Atlantic! (???) We were served quite a few Pork dishes in the MDR and Lido but all very tasty.

 

The crew that we spoke to all were anxious to sail to South America. Our room stewards on Deck 7 with 29 staterooms to care for (most Neptune Suites) were very good! Clean towels and ice in the evening everyday. It seems that the more senior stewards work on decks that have suites as our two had 15 and 8 years respectively with HAL. Not sure why the crew turnover other than maybe their contracts were for the Med sailings/Transatlantic and are now over.

 

Hopefully the cruise will improve.

 

 

[Ken the cruiser]

Sorry you’re having to deal with all of these issues. Hopefully, all will smooth out as your cruise unfolds. Do I dare ask how the entertainment has been?

[GeorgeCharlie]

 

For the first week it was a repeating cycle of comedian, magician, & the Step One Dance Company. Did not go to any of them. Comments heard seemed to indicate they were nothing special but did provide something to do for a while. 

 

Looks like this week they are starting off with a Neil Diamond imitator. 

 

Heard good comments on a violin player in the Lincoln Center Stage. Lynne went to Billboard Onboard a couple of times and found the piano players to be not very good.

 

[boatmad]

I think there was a misunderstanding on the towel replacement.  Towels will be replaced daily, but towel animals ( decorative) will only show up on dressy nights.

[kazu]

On 11/26/2022 at 9:43 PM, GeorgeCharlie said:

 

His comments on the labour front, is that the old, experienced staff were just not coming back. 
One of the causes of this is that hundreds of them, across all the cruise lines, ended up being trapped on the cruise ships and were not able to go home - some for more than a year - while receiving little, or no pay! 

Now, there’s no way these people will ever come back.

He says that right now about 80% of the staff are new and inexperienced. And it shows in the service levels. On the first evening, we talked with the waitress in one of the bars. She said both her and the bartender just arrived that day and neither had any experience working on cruise ships. When we saw her last night, she had yet to receive her name tag and had no idea when she would get it.

In the Lido there are two salad stations back-to-back. There were new guys at both stations, with a more experienced girl, who would run back and forth between the stations trying to help them. There are samples of several types of salads displayed, with the name of the salad shown on small sign behind them. On the back of the sign is a list of ingredients. Sounds okay, except the poor guys had no idea what most ingredients were, so if the girl wasn’t there, people were having to tell him what to put in.

On top of that, there are many different types of dressing in small containers. The guys had a schematic showing what was in each of the containers. Unfortunately, it seems whoever filled the containers did not follow the schematic!

 

Same for breakfast – you ask for a sticky roll - and you get a panic look from the guy, until you pointed to what you wanted.

 

Unfortunately, it appears that HALs head office is still not showing their staff that they have much interest in whether they want to return for another contract. 

Apparently, when the ship arrived in Miami there were about 150 people who were to go fly home, as their contracts was up. Common occurrence – except in this case HAL neglected to get US visas so they could get to the airport. This resulted in them having to stay on the ship until they could fly home from either Aruba, or Panama.

 

This also gives some indication as to of how full the ship is. Seeing the berths for the staff who were supposed to go home in Miami, where taken over by the replacement staff. Apparently, the staff which were staying on board until Aruba/Panama were staying in empty passenger cabins. Prior to boarding they were saying the ship is at 100% capacity – so I wonder where these empty cabins came from? Some of the ones we talked to on the ship were really pissed, as this was not the first time this has happened. Some of them had to cancel special events they had arranged for when they got home.

 

Overall, you have to feel sorry for the frontline staff. They seem to get little help from their supervisors, and they seem to be left to themselves to find out how to do their job. I don’t want to formally complain about our room attendants, as I’m sure as over the next few weeks they will evolve into good attendants.

 

Wow I am so sorry to hear this.  We had really good service on our Transatlantic - especially at the Sea View Bar and Lido.  I would say exceptional.

 

There were some new people, no question and people being trained - but there were a lot of experienced crew.  Sadly a lot of them were getting off in Miami.  One of the good guys was staying on as he was asked to.  He is scheduled to be back on my ship next year so I am hoping that stays in place. 🤞 

[GeorgeCharlie]

3 hours ago, boatmad said:

I think there was a misunderstanding on the towel replacement.  Towels will be replaced daily, but towel animals ( decorative) will only show up on dressy nights.

 

It's been the other way around for us on this cruise. After the first couple of days, we've been having a towel animal every day. Whereas, if we hang the bath towels on the door hooks (where in the past resulted in getting them replaced), they are just left hanging there.

[GeorgeCharlie]

Another quick note regarding HALs logistical skills.

 

The Mariner reception was held at 3pm on embarkation day. With embarkation starting at 1pm, I doubt most people were even onboard by then - let alone having the time to attend. I know we didn't.

[HappyInVan]

IMO, the uneven experiences are to be expected. There's been a lot of disruptions over the last two years. The cruise industry needs several months to recruit and train staff. As the health protocols had only began to ease in September, I would expect the ships to have full crews by spring.

 

Enjoy your cruises. For me, its about the destination.

 

 

Edited November 28, 2022 by HappyInVan

[CurlerRob]

8 hours ago, GeorgeCharlie said:

Whereas, if we hang the bath towels on the door hooks (where in the past resulted in getting them replaced), they are just left hanging there.

FWIW, back in 2019 we noticed the same change - hanging on the hooks meant no new towels. If we left them in the tub/shower, they were changed (I believe you posted that even this didn't work at one point - I have no suggestion to fix that!).  🍺🥌

[Chewbecca]

Hi Bill - sorry you have been having issues. I heard (from the head chef at the cooking demo) there are 1680 passengers on board so around 300 short of full capacity but their largest number since restarting.

 

We found a solution to the kindle / internet problem - I created a hotspot on my phone and was able to connect the kindle to that.

 

Our room stewards (deck 5) have provided the same service as we are used to, didn't realise we had been lucky. We have also found excellent service in the bars (sea view pool, lido, billboard & rolling stone lounge), with plenty of staff. Entertainment is on the weaker side but I expect that with HAL! The RS lounge is very lively every evening. There was initial chaos getting into the MDR but it seems largely sorted now.  We have found the food there to be excellent and the drink service in the MDR is better than we have ever experienced, really fast and consistent.

[HappyInVan]

On 11/24/2022 at 10:16 AM, GeorgeCharlie said:

Will continue on with further comments shortly – Internet permitting!!
 

 

Yes please! 👏

 

Thanks very much for your reporting. Its good to know the good and bad. I might be taking the same voyage!

[seeriteR]

We'll be sailing on Oosterdam starting 10 March 2023 and it will be the reverse of your sailing. I'm interested to hear all you have to report about the ship, ports and excursions! Thanks for doing this!

Jim

[tjcox9]

We were on the previous cruise and were told that 40% of the staff was leaving in Miami. Don't know what the usual changeover rate is, but that does seem high!

[GeorgeCharlie]

 

Our first port was Aruba,

 

We have previously visited Aruba, so we just went ashore to walk around for a while.

 

The port is in the downtown area of Oranjestad. There was a shuttle bus to the port entrance gate, which was a bit of a joke, as it was only a about a 5-minute drive. When we returned to the ship we walked it, which was likely quicker. The bus main value is likely with people who have trouble walking.

 

We also took a ride on their tram, which does a loop through the downtown area and functions in a hop-on/hop-off mode. It is a free service.

 

[GeorgeCharlie]

After Aruba, we did a full transit of the Panama Canal. We were followed through the first set of locks (Cristobal) by the Eurodam. After passing through the locks, we did not see the Eurodam again, so it must of must have been doing just a partial transit of the canal.

 

 

 

[GeorgeCharlie]

 

We have previously done a transit of the canal, so it was a oh-hum passage for us. 

 

After we passed through the Balboa locks, we then sailed over to Fuerte Amador, where they are building Panama City's new cruise terminal. The only area which is mostly completed is the pier. The terminal building, along with access roads and parking areas are still under construction. With the whole area being a construction zone, the only way off the ship was by shuttle.

 

This was an overnight stop for us. We arrived in the early evening of Nov 24th and were to depart at 5pm on the 25th.

 

On the evening of our arrival, the ship provided shuttles into Panama City, with the last return trip to be at 3am.

 

Seeing we were staying in port overnight, we arranged for a private tour to pick us up at 8am. The tour guide notified me at 7am that he was waiting at the pick-up point. Unfortunately, the ship/port authorities had other ideas.

 

They had lined up all the ship shore excursion buses on the pier, which meant the shuttle buses get everyone else who wanted to go ashore where unable to get on the pier until all the shore excursion buses were gone.

 

 

This meant we did not get to the independent tour pick up point until late morning. So, our full day tour became a rushed half day tour. Needless to say, there were many unhappy passengers!

 

This was another case of where the ship's staff demonstrated their lack of skill/interest in addressing issues raised by passengers. Their standard response was that it was not their problem, as what happened was under control of the port authorities and if we had a complaint, to take it to them!!

 

 

Edited November 30, 2022 by GeorgeCharlie

[GeorgeCharlie]

I'm not sure if this is also happening on other ships, the wife of a couple we are travelling with wanted to get some cough syrup, so she went to the Medical Centre to find out if they had any. Medical staff immediately escorted her back to their cabin and administered a COVID test. They also tested her husband and told them they were to wait in the cabin until the test results were known. About 15 minutes later they called to say both were negative, but because she was the one who asked for the cough syrup, she was confined to the cabin for 24 hours until a second test would be done. Her husband was not restricted.

 

They then came to the cabin and did a deep cleaning, replacing all the towels, bedding, glasses, etc.

 

The 24-hour test also came back negative, and she was told she was free to leave her cabin.

 

It's nice to error on the side of safety, but the staff never thought to ask if she may have been inquiring about getting the cough syrup for her husband in the first place!!

[Lido deck main]

5 minutes ago, GeorgeCharlie said:

I'm not sure if this is also happening on other ships, the wife of a couple we are travelling with wanted to get some cough syrup, so she went to the Medical Centre to find out if they had any. Medical staff immediately escorted her back to their cabin and administered a COVID test. They also tested her husband and told them they were to wait in the cabin until the test results were known. About 15 minutes later they called to say both were negative, but because she was the one who asked for the cough syrup, she was confined to the cabin for 24 hours until a second test would be done. Her husband was not restricted.

 

They then came to the cabin and did a deep cleaning, replacing all the towels, bedding, glasses, etc.

 

The 24-hour test also came back negative, and she was told she was free to leave her cabin.

 

It's nice to error on the side of safety, but the staff never thought to ask if she may have been inquiring about getting the cough syrup for her husband in the first place!!

Yes this has been reported.  Bring your own cough syrup or buy from a store at a port, it has been reported even if you buy on ship in the store, they report  you to medical.  

[NCTribeFan]

I'll continue to read this thread but, sadly, I have to cancel my November 2023 sailing.

[GeorgeCharlie]

Our Internet saga continues, with the system being down for maintenance most of the afternoon. Hopefully, it will stay up long enough to do a lengthy post.

[GeorgeCharlie]

Continuing comments on our Panama visit.

 

After finally getting to the tour pick up point, we set off on a tour to one of the local native Embera villages.

 

It was a private tour for six people by a local native guide. He was highly recommended by several past Cruise Critic reviewers, along with top rating on TripAdvisor. Our experience with him certainly backed up his ratings.

 

After about a one-hour drive, we arrived at the river where we boarded a dugout canoe. And no, we did not have to paddle, as it had an outboard motor!

 

 

It was about a 45-minute trip to the village, which was interesting, but the low wooden seats were extremely uncomfortable for us older folks.

 

 

Arriving at the Emberapuru Village we were welcomed to the Embera community with a local music performance.  The village has a population of 128 people.

 

 

We then we had some time to use the local ‘facilities’. 

 

Then, in the local round-house community center we received some various talks regarding the Embera Culture, hand craft as iron wood, Tagua carving, process of weaving baskets, tradition lifestyles, body painting, & education.

 

Lining the inside of the building were tables displaying the local handcrafts, which were, of course, available for purchase.
 

 

We then enjoyed some local Embera food (fried plantain, fried fresh catch tylapia, fruits and a bottle of water) wrapped in leaf – the ultimate disposable food container.

 

 

We then had the chance to walk about the village, along with perusing the crafts tables for any items we may be interested in buying.

 

 

After lunch we were entertained with the Embera ladies Dance performance, which is part of healing ritual and part celebrations. The dances are based on birds, flowers, mountain or local animals dance performances.

 

Following was a group of men playing local instruments such as a flute made from Bamboo; drum covers made of wild leather (the chimbombo); the smaller the Requinta drum which is made of similar leather; the Maraca made of Gorge; the Wiro made from Gorge and Turtle shell.

 

As part of the last activities before departing back to city, we had to earn our return trip tickets by participating in a local dance. Each of us were paired up with one of the locals - with Lynne and I getting a pair of cute younger dancers.
 

 

The return boat/van trip took about the same length of time as it did to go out. Overall, even with 
the tour being rushed, the was very interesting and well worth the time to see.

 

I took a number of videos of the various activities, but with the way the Internet is, there is no way I would be able to post them, so they will have to wait until I get back home and can do a more detailed review of the cruise.
 

 

 

 

[GeorgeCharlie]

In the early evening of Nov 22nd, we waved goodbye to Panama City.

 

[needtravelbuddies]

I’m so sorry to hear about what you are experiencing. I was on the Oosterdam this summer for 24 days Greece, Dalmatian coast, italy and Malta and was seeing staff shortages, reduced service, and apathetic guest services but we were lucky in the food department. I was actually pleasantly surprised by the quality and selection of meals in the dining room and Lido. Perhaps the location was responsible - lots of lovely fresh fruit and vegetables in the Mediterranean, and good fish and seafood, I’m not much of a beef eater, but the filet was good, as was the lamb. I had a number of conversations with one of the head chefs (one of the last Dutch ones on the line) and he was very accommodating in finding requested items, although there were a few items that were beyond his control (real maple syrup instead of molasses-like treacle) but there were many special treats picked up in port (a plethora of cannellonis picked up in Sicily, and fresh baclava and Greek pastries and Turkish delight). Stewards were definitely facing a lot more cabins to take care of (but we only had 1100 passengers instead of 1900) and we didn’t really have many needs. Got chocolate once in 24 days. I sent a very long unsolicited letter to HAL detailing my concerns and they did reply, but I think it’s going to quite sometime before things are back to pre-Covid levels. Hope you at least enjoy the ports! Ours only had 2 sea days, but if we had more, the lack of activities and so-so entertainment would hav3 been an issue. 

[GeorgeCharlie]

Apparently, they are expecting to get some better-quality food in Buenos Aires. Unfortunately, that's when we get off.

 

Was in the Pinnacle last night. We arrived early and even though there were a lot of open tables, we were told (rather rudely) to come back at the proper time. Looked like they were trying to do the best they could considering the staff shortage. The waitstaff were very pleasant and efficient, but service was very slow. The meal was okay, but not up to what I would expect in a higher quality restaurant. 

[GeorgeCharlie]

After a sea day, we arrived at Manta, Ecuador.

 

We had arranged for a private tour for 10 people, visiting a few of the normal tourist sights.

 

First stop was a walk through the Fish Market and Shipyard.

The Oosterdam as seen from the Fish Market.

 

The market is similar to what we have seen in other fishing port towns. The fishermen bring in the fish from their morning catch and prepare them for sale. There is a wide variety of catch here and it is quite a show to watch – especially the birds. There was the expected large number of different birds, all looking for a free meal. Will have to wait until I can post some videos to see what they were like.

 

 

The roof of the market was covered with them.

 

Inside the market building was tables full of various catch

 

Outside the market was a covered eating area where people were able to have food cooked for them.

 

There were several trucks with large ice-filled containers being loaded with fish.