‘Just Back’ from 31-Day South American Cruise on the Oosterdam.

[GeorgeCharlie]

In a condensed version, we found the ship to be ill prepared for the cruise.

 

We were told over 40% of the passenger-facing staff were new. Not only new to the ship, but new to HAL, and in many cases, new to the position they were placed in.

 

In addition, the ship was understaffed in most areas we saw. We ate at all the restaurants and only found the Canaletto to be somewhat enjoyable. Most of the Pinnacle Grill tables were vacant, likely due to staffing, and we found the atmosphere to be one of pressuring us to eat and leave asap.

 

The quality of food was dismal. Selection was to a large extent based around pasta, and/or spicy food. For us, pasta soon becomes tiresome, and neither of us enjoy spicy food.  

 

The entertainment and drinks were as a whole very poor in both selection, and/or quality.

  

We had already started seeing small improvements by the end of our cruise, so I would expect things will have reached a somewhat acceptable state by the time you board. 

[GeorgeCharlie]

After a sea day, we arrived Callao (Lima), Peru, Late afternoon on Tuesday Nov 29th. We were there for another 2 full days, departing on Thursday Dec 01st at 6pm.

 

The longer than normal stay was necessary to allow enough time for people to go to Machu Piccho.

 

We had booked tours for all three days we were there. The Night of Lights, the evening we arrived, a tour of the City of Lima on the 2nd day, and then a tour to some Inca ruins outside Lima on the 3rd day.

 

We had used Tours by Locals to book the tours and had booked one guide for the Tuesday evening and Thursday tours, and a different guide for the Wednesday tour.

 

We originally booked the tours in May 2022 and the Tuesday evening show was the Water Fountains Light Show and Dinner & Peruvian Dance Show.  About a month later the guide notified us the Dinner & Dance show was no longer available and suggested a walking tour of downtown Lima combined with the Water Fountain show, which we agreed to.

 

Then a couple of months later we found out the tour guide was no longer offering tours through Tours by Locals. But, Tours by Locals told us he would still be doing the tours we booked with him. In checking what other guides they had available, we found one which was offering our preferred evening tour which included the Dinner & Dance Show. After giving it some thought, we decided to stay with the original guide.

 

Not the best decision, as we found the guide to be more, or less, just going through the motions. The walk through the downtown area was interesting enough, but we found ourselves just wandering around looking at many similar sights, with little in meaningful narrative.

 

As I mentioned, the downtown area tour was interesting, but eventually became a long boring walk.

 

The evening tour mainly consisted of walking around the downtown area for a couple hours, then driving over to see the lighted fountains.
 

A lot of the buildings featured restored balconies.

 

One of the churches we visited.

 

 

 

Other pictures from the downtown area.

 

 

 

The lighted fountain park is a fairly large area, but we only saw a small part of it, as it was after 10pm and we were getting hungry.

 

 

 

You could even get your picture taken in Santa’s sleigh.

 

 

 

[GeorgeCharlie]

One thing stood out regarding our visits to Lima's downtown area, both while we were there in the evening and when we were there the next day, and it was the large number of security personnel decked out in full riot gear, along with various crowd control vehicles.

 

Our guides mentioned that protests were common and we should be okay, as long as we were cautious. We were able to pass through some of the blocked off areas to visit sights, after the guide explained that we were just tourists.

 

Of course, we were lucky, because a few days later, the proverbial "sh*t-hit-the-fan". 😟

 

 

[cccole]

Great condensed version of your review of the ship.

 

We have a booking in December and I will be soooooo disappointed if things have not changed.  Will definitely follow Osterdam reviews before our final payment. 

 

Thank you for letting us cruise with you.  Your posts and photos have been fabulous.  Thank you, Cherie

[Roz]

@GeorgeCharlie, I experienced much the same situation on the Rotterdam back in March as far as staffing and service levels.  Hoping the Oosterdam crew has its act together by the time March rolls around.  If not, 31 days is going to make for a L-O-N-G cruise.  

 

Thank you for providing us with your comments and insights.  

[Roz]

@GeorgeCharlie, I experienced much the same situation on the Rotterdam back in March as far as staffing and service levels.  Hoping the Oosterdam crew has its act together by the time March rolls around.  If not, 31 days is going to make for a L-O-N-G cruise.  

 

Thank you for providing us with your comments and insights.  

[GeorgeCharlie]

Some general comments regarding the fountains.

 

The Circuito Magico del Agua (The Magic Water Circuit) first opened in 2007 and is in the Guinness Book record for the largest fountain complex in the world, displaying 13 distinct fountains and many are interactive. All of the fountains are illuminated at night, many with continuously changing color schemes, with an added choreographed show every Wednesday to Sunday. Unfortunately, we were there on a Tuesday!

 

A couple of the fountains.

 

 

[GeorgeCharlie]

 

After spending several hours walking around downtown Lima Tuesday evening, come Wednesday morning, my poor knees decided they couldn't take anymore. So I decided to stay on the ship and let Lynne go with the other couple, which were on the tours with us.

 

[GeorgeCharlie]

Charlie here, as today George wasn’t well enough to go on the tour. 

We had a full day booked with Abel P. with Tours by Locals. There were only 3 of us plus the driver & guide.

 

We had to again make our way from the ship to the gate on the shuttle, but it was a lot easier today as they seemed to have a route just for the shuttle & people directing the big trucks. We drove to the downtown area & revisited many of places we saw from last night, we walked around from San Martin Square to the Square of Arms (the main plaza), unfortunately here we had to stay to the outside of the square due to threats of protests & a heavy police presence.

 

 

 

In the square there were these young ladies from the Andes Mountains with baskets of treats to sell. 

 

The San Francisco Church was built in the late 1600s and has since become the most well-maintained church in the city. 

We were not able to see much of the outside, as it was undergoing maintenance.

 

Even though the church features beautiful architecture and astonishing paintings, it has become known for its secret passageway that leads to catacombs. Hiding an estimated 25,000 bodies underground, many of the remains are exposed and even arranged in various patterns.The arrangement of the skulls has drawn much criticism. Apparently, it was decided that tourists would find it more interesting if the skulls were displayed like these are. Most local people view it as a desecration of a burial site into something that looks like a Halloween display.

 

 

 

Found out that vultures sit atop the buildings & statues downtown, helps control the pigeons apparently. 

 

 

After all our walking, we drove through the residential areas of San Isidro & Miraflores, where we saw the famous Lover’s Park .

 

 

And the famous statue “The Kiss”

 

And of course, there had to be a cupid. 

 

We also visited the Huaca Pucllana (Pre-Incan temple pyramid of over 1500 years ago) & walked to the top of it – not your typical idea of a pyramid.

 

 

 

Later we walked through Kennedy Square a beautiful park & had a typical Peruvian lunch at a nearby restaurant. 

 

 

The other couple left with another guide to see the Jewish Historic Museum, so Abel took me to the Koi & turtle pond, and the nearby 1600 olive trees that had been planted in the Spanish Colonial era, with an ancient olive press.

 

 

Olive Trees.

 

Olive Press.

 

Apparently, these trees are protected & people are not allowed to pick the olives – seems kind of a waste to me.

 

Since I was the only one left, they took me to the shuttle that ran from the Indian Market to the port gate, so I did see a little of the countryside.

 

[seeriteR]

We are booked for a two day Lima tour that will visit these places. Thanks for the hint at what we will hopefully get to see if our ship docks in Lima at the end of March.

[GeorgeCharlie]

On the third day of our stop in Lima, we took a tour out to see the archaeological complex of Pachacamac, which is located around 40 kilometers (25 miles) southeast of Lima’s city center. 

Pachacamac is one of Peru’s best-kept archeological sites and a great reminder of the remarkable civilizations that preceded the Incas. 

 

A model of the site, with the Inca Sun Temple located at the top.

Most of the site is in the process of being excavated.

 

 

Some of the shelters covering current excavation work.

 

For museum-lovers, there’s an on-site museum that displays artefacts discovered at Pachacamac, like ceramics, textiles and other religious pieces, and gives an explanation of the history and importance of the sites and temples in the area.

 

 

 

This enormous site is very impressive, with its great pyramidal temples, buildings, old roads, remains of frescoes decorating the adobe walls and other interesting archaeological structures that were erected over a time period of more then 1,000 years by different cultures, gives visitors am astonishing insight into the society and lifestyle of people living in the area.

 

 

The ceremonial center was dedicated to Pacha Kamaq (Pachacamac), the most important god at the Peruvian coast in pre-Hispanic times. Pacha Kamaq – which translates "The one who animates the world" - was a feared and powerful deity that not only was considered the architect of the world and creator of all its creatures, but also the god of fire and earthquakes.

 

The god-image of Pachacamac was believed to express his or her anger through tremors and earthquakes, and was an oracle used for important matters affecting the State: the health of the ruler, the outcome of a war and so on. 

 

The wooden idol representing Pachacamac, through intricate carvings of a two-faced humanoid, may well have been the oracle itself. It was kept hidden inside a labyrinth and behind guarded doors, and only the high priests could communicate with it face to face. They had to pass through many doors to arrive at the main idol site, which was raised up on a “snail-shaped” (or spiralling) platform, with the wooden carving stuck into the earth inside a dark room, separated from the world by a jeweled curtain.
 

A representation of the curtain. 

 

 

 

[GeorgeCharlie]

After the Incas conquered the coast, they did not attempt to replace the ancient and deeply rooted worship of Pachacamac, but instead they decided to incorporate the gods into their mythology. To incorporate their gods into the equation at Pachacamac, the Incas built a remarkable temple overlooking the Pacific Ocean, called the Temple of the Sun. 

 

We only went as far as the parking lot at the Temple of the Sun. It was a fairly long walk up to the ruins and our guide said there wasn't much to see, as very little of the temple had yet to be exposed.

 

The existing structures, temples and other buildings of the city however were modified, expanded and rebuilt to the needs of the Incas. They erected some remarkable new pyramids and temples, among them the Templo del Sol (the Temple of the Sun) and the Acllahuasi (the House of the chosen women), also known as Mamacona.

The Acllahuasi was a building only for young, chosen maidens, probably comparable to a convent. The principal purpose of these women was to serve the sun god Inti, the Inca priests and nobles, to prepare ceremonies, to be given to or married to great Inca warriors or aristocrats, or to be sacrificed. It was a privilege to belong to the chosen ones.

 

The Acllahuasi.

 

The stairs we climbed in order to get a view of The Acllahuasi from above.

 

Part of the Inca Road.

 

When the Spanish arrived, they had a less than tolerable outlook of the worshipers at Pachacamac and, in typical Spanish fashion, they destroyed buildings, plundered the sacred areas and forced the population to convert to Catholicism.

 

 

[GeorgeCharlie]

 

Like a lot of cruisers, we mainly travel in order to visit new places and to experience some of the local culture and history.

It was here in Pachacamac where I was surprised to learn that, although the Inca Empire was largest empire in pre-Columbian America, it actually existed for only a small slice of South American history. 

The Inca civilization arose in the Peruvian highlands sometime in the early 13th century. The Inca Empire was formed in 1438 and went through five dynasties, until it was conquered by the Spanish, starting in 1533. 

This means the actual Inca Empire lasted little more then 100 years - rather short when compared to Egyptian, Greek, and Roman Empires.

Oh well, another misconception down the drain – all because we had to go and visit another country!!😉😉
 

[GeorgeCharlie]

 

On the way back to the ship we stopped at a couple of bird sanctuaries.

 

The first nature area we visited included a boat ride.

 

 

 

 

The second site was for migratory birds, but it would be several weeks before they start showing up.

 

 

We also stopped at an outlook to view some of the coastline.

 

One of their beaches.

 

A condo building.

 

 

More of the coastline in the distance.

 

[GeorgeCharlie]

 

Some comments with respect to docking at the Callao Industrial Port. The port is large and it's a long drive just to reach the port gates. 

 

Prior to arriving in Callao, there was ongoing confusion as to how the independent tour passengers where going to be able to meet their tour guides. First, they said there would be no shuttle bus to the port gates and people would have to take the shuttle to the Indian Market (well over an hour drive) in order to meet their guides, Then, after we had notified our guides as to the tour pickup point, they then announced that there would be a shuttle to the port gates!!

 

On arrival, we took the shuttle to the port gates, only to find that we were in a logjam of trucks trying to get out of the port. After about an hour we finally made it to the gate!! 

 

At the gate there is a small parking area where you can meet your tour guide, or get a taxi. It is very much a rundown industrial area and does not appear to be a place to walk around in, especially after dark. When we returned from our evening visit into Lima it was well after sundown and our guide made us wait in his vehicle until the shuttle bus arrived.

 

On the second day, it appears they got some organizing done, for they had a new route to the gate which was directed by the police and did not include any trucks. Although, it didn't help, when on the third day, our shuttle driver took a wrong turn leaving the ship, and promptly got lost for a half an hour!!

 

[GeorgeCharlie]

 

As we were departing Lima, we met a Peruvian submarine headed into port.

 

Edited January 31, 2023 by GeorgeCharlie

[QuattroRomeo]

2 hours ago, GeorgeCharlie said:

 

Some comments with respect to docking at the Callao Industrial Port. The port is large and it's a long drive just to reach the port gates. 

 

Prior to arriving in Callao, there was ongoing confusion as to how the independent tour passengers where going to be able to meet their tour guides. First, they said there would be no shuttle bus to the port gates and people would have to take the shuttle to the Indian Market (well over an hour drive) in order to meet their guides, Then, after we had notified our guides as to the tour pickup point, they then announced that there would be a shuttle to the port gates!!

 

On arrival, we took the shuttle to the port gates, only to find that we were in a logjam of trucks trying to get out of the port. After about an hour we finally made it to the gate!! 

 

At the gate there is a small parking area where you can meet your tour guide, or get a taxi. It is very much a rundown industrial area and does not appear to be a place to walk around in, especially after dark. When we returned from our evening visit into Lima it was well after sundown and our guide made us wait in his vehicle until the shuttle bus arrived.

 

On the second day, it appears they got some organizing done, for they had a new route to the gate which was directed by the police and did not include any trucks. Although, it didn't help, when on the third day, our shuttle driver took a wrong turn leaving the ship, and promptly got lost for a half an hour!!

 

Wow, quite the adventure! Made for some long days I bet!

[GeorgeCharlie]

10 hours ago, QuattroRomeo said:

Wow, quite the adventure! Made for some long days I bet!

 

Yes - and Lima was by far the least enjoyable port on our cruise, but we're not fans of large cities.🤠

[idiebabe]

6 hours ago, GeorgeCharlie said:

 

Yes - and Lima was by far the least enjoyable port on our cruise, but we're not fans of large cities.🤠

I agree!  When we were there in 2015 we had to take the Shuttle to a Park to meet our Guides. All our Tours were Private and I was really sorry we didn’t book through the Ship.   All the Ship Tours were picked up at the Ship.  
 

We were also warned about the area outside the Gates.  A few passengers were dropped off a block away from the Gates by their Cabs or Tour Guides and got mugged. That was on our first day there.  After the muggings the Captain would not allow anyone dropped off at the Gates.   In addition there was some kind of protesting going on which took so long to meet up with the Tour Guides.  

[GeorgeCharlie]

The next morning we arrived at General San Martin (Pisco), Peru. 

 

We docked at an industrial port, where there is nothing much to see.

 

There was a small shopping area set up on the pier.

 

The ship provided complimentary shuttle service to Plaza Paracas in Pisco, which is just across Pisco Bay from where the ship docked.

 

The ship as seen from the Pisco side of the Bay.

 

I did not feel up to taking another full day tour, so I stayed on the ship and therefore, didn't see much. But, Lynne did take the tour and had a great time. She will now post what she saw.

[GeorgeCharlie]

Charlie again – 

Dec 2 – General San Martin

We were met at 9 am at the dock by Lucio (our guide) & Martinez (his helper) from Secrets of Peru in a nice new large comfortable bus for 40, but there were only 20 of us. We had booked the Islas Bellastas & the Paracas Nature Reserves tour with them. 

Our bus took us  to Paracas city about a 30 minute drive from the ship, where we boarded the nice new speedboat for the 2 hour ride/tour of the Ballestas Islands.

 

 On the way we even got a close up of a couple bottlenose dolphins feeding & passed the rock formation known as the El Candelabro, probably created more then 2000 years ago. 

 

 

 

We sailed among the islands spotting many pelicans, Inka terns , Cormorants & even a few Humboldt penguins 

 

 

& many sea lions lazing on the rocks.

 

 

Apparently for this time of year they were females, but on the way back to shore they showed us where a few males hung out on an old ship wreck. 

 

 

After returning back to the dock we had a half hour to wander the Paracas boulevard to shop, eat or even drink the famous Pisco sour – I didn’t try it.  

 

 

 

We then took the bus to the the Pacaras Nature Reserve, where we spent another 2 hours walking on the desert – which unlike most deserts is not made of sand, but rock & only gets 2mm of rain per year. 

 

We stopped for several photo ops of the rocky coastline & walked to the top of one of the hilltops. Some beautiful scenery of the coastline from up there. 

 

 

 

 

We were then taken back to the ship by 3 pm. after a full day – just make sure you put on sunscreen between the water & the desert I was a little sun burned. 

 

 

 You can see how clear the water was & all the food available for the birds & sea lions – this was taken from our 7th deck balcony as we sailed away. 

[Sea42]

On 1/30/2023 at 9:22 PM, GeorgeCharlie said:

 

Like a lot of cruisers, we mainly travel in order to visit new places and to experience some of the local culture and history.

It was here in Pachacamac where I was surprised to learn that, although the Inca Empire was largest empire in pre-Columbian America, it actually existed for only a small slice of South American history. 

The Inca civilization arose in the Peruvian highlands sometime in the early 13th century. The Inca Empire was formed in 1438 and went through five dynasties, until it was conquered by the Spanish, starting in 1533. 

This means the actual Inca Empire lasted little more then 100 years - rather short when compared to Egyptian, Greek, and Roman Empires.

Oh well, another misconception down the drain – all because we had to go and visit another country!!😉😉
 

What a fantastic day! I would love to visit there.

[seeriteR]

3 hours ago, GeorgeCharlie said:

We were met at 9 am at the dock by Lucio (our guide) & Martinez (his helper) from Secrets of Peru in a nice new large comfortable bus for 40, but there were only 20 of us. We had booked the Islas Bellastas & the Paracas Nature Reserves tour with them. 

Once again, thanks for posting about your excursion! We will also be with Lucio on the same tour. I was wondering how close we would get to the Paracas Candelabra geoglyph. Looks like pretty darn close!! Since we are there in March, I'm wondering if the wildlife will be more, less or the same. Guess we'll have to wait and see! 

[GeorgeCharlie]

The figure is 595 feet tall, large enough to be seen 12 miles at sea, so you shouldn't have any problem seeing it. It's actually less then a mile down the coast from where the ship will dock, so you can likely see it from the ship coming, or going from the dock. On the boat ride out to Islas Bellastas you will be passing right by it.

 

I would expect the Sea Lions are there all year around. Other wildlife???

[Ellencruise]

Wonderful photos. Thanks for reporting