Looking for good reviews for Volendam

[Ellencruise]

Just booked New England cruise on Volendam in 2024. Anyone have any good reviews about the ship? 
I’ve just read some awful reviews and am worried.

[sfaaa]

How recent are these awful reviews? I was on Volendam 2 months ago and have no complaint. It is a smaller older ship which lacks some bells and whistles of a mega ship but everything was in good shape, food was good and service was great. 

[Ellencruise]

8 minutes ago, sfaaa said:

How recent are these awful reviews? I was on Volendam 2 months ago and have no complaint. It is a smaller older ship which lacks some bells and whistles of a mega ship but everything was in good shape, food was good and service was great. 

Oh that’s good to hear. The reviews were from winter and spring 22-23.

[Susanmaz]

We were on the Volendam in May and had a perfect HAL experience. The ship is older, but the size and passenger number are perfect. The crew and staff were wonderful, courteous, helpful and always smiling. The food was very good and MDR and Lido and Pinnacle Grill service excellent. We got home and booked a holiday cruise on her again.   The shows were great. AND she has a library. 

[OlsSalt]

4 hours ago, Ellencruise said:

Just booked New England cruise on Volendam in 2024. Anyone have any good reviews about the ship? 
I’ve just read some awful reviews and am worried.

 

What did you read that worried you the most.

Ship, crew, cabins, food, entertainment, itinerary?

 

She is among our favorite HAL ships, along with her sister ship the Zaandam. We would follow her anywhere. And we  have.

 

Though once on a comprehensive Asia Explorer cruise, I mentioned to another passenger  isn't this a lovely ship and  a great cruise? I had my ear chewed off by that couple, complaining without end this was the worst ship they had ever been on ..... no fully staged broadway productions, no ice capades ....etc. etc.

 

Get the picture? Depending on what you are looking for matters.

[Ellencruise]

7 hours ago, OlsSalt said:

 

What did you read that worried you the most.

Ship, crew, cabins, food, entertainment, itinerary?

 

She is among our favorite HAL ships, along with her sister ship the Zaandam. We would follow her anywhere. And we  have.

 

Though once on a comprehensive Asia Explorer cruise, I mentioned to another passenger  isn't this a lovely ship and  a great cruise? I had my ear chewed off by that couple, complaining without end this was the worst ship they had ever been on ..... no fully staged broadway productions, no ice capades ....etc. etc.

 

Get the picture? Depending on what you are looking for matters.

True so true, reviews are on CC review board

[Mary229]

I sailed on the Volendam Feb-March 2023.  We did find it was showing signs of age far more than its sister ship the Zaandam which I sailed in the fall of 2022.  The crew keeps it spotless though and the decor is pleasant.

 

the reviews from early 2023 probably spoke about Air Conditioner problems and there were some. I generously attributed it to the extreme climates the ship was sailing.  In the course of two days it went from the severe cold of the Antartica to the scorching heat of Buenos Aires .  It did seem to even out as the journey progressed. 
 

When I was aboard they were also having trouble maintaining the pools and hot tubs.  I was disappointed as spending time in the hot tub is one of my daily rituals. 
 

those were the only two areas of concern, granted, not minor, but it would not prevent me from sailing again on the Volendam. 

[LadyBerard]

16 hours ago, Ellencruise said:

Just booked New England cruise on Volendam in 2024. Anyone have any good reviews about the ship? 
I’ve just read some awful reviews and am worried.

We are booked on the Volendam for July 20, 2024, and after reading the poor reviews, thought about switching to Emerald Princess.  However, we prefer small ships, and love the seaview pool area on Holland ships.  We also do not want to cruise with a lot of children on board.  Decided to keep our Volendam cruise and not switch.

[ottahand7]

We were on her December 27 through March 18 2023.  Having sailed 6 other HA ships we loved the intimate size of the Volendam.  Plenty of lounges to tuck into the read and enjoy the scenery.  We found the bars of adequate size, finding a seat in the Ocean Bar could be a problem right before dinner.  Probably happens on all ships. We don't do a lot of shows but the seating was comfortable and didn't find any bad views.  Easy to get on and off in the many ports we visited.   Every cruise is different, our fabulous crew and chef got off right after we did.  We ate in the MDR most of the time and the food and service exceeded expectations after we were given  an assigned table near a couple of quiet service areas for early dining rather than just walking in.  We tried breakfast once and it was a total flop, too long and cold coffee.  Lido every morning after that.  Persistence on locating a table will be required during shorter duration cruises when everyone tries to squeeze everything in during their precious time onboard. This is a common issue on all HA ships. Some of the wonderful MDR meals and Lido eggs Benedict. 

Edited August 1, 2023 by ottahand7

[TiogaCruiser]

We were on her April 15-beginning of May 2023. We loved her. No complaints from us (other than the classical music was pre-set and the program repeated 2-4 times during the afternoon and evening. The most they played in the evening was 2 same sets. 

[Cruising-along]

4 hours ago, Mary229 said:

the reviews from early 2023 probably spoke about Air Conditioner problems and there were some. I generously attributed it to the extreme climates the ship was sailing.  In the course of two days it went from the severe cold of the Antartica to the scorching heat of Buenos Aires .  It did seem to even out as the journey progressed. 

This is probably my biggest worry, we have 136 days booked on the Volendam next year (all warm-hot weather locales).  I prefer the Pinnacle class ships especially for longer cruises (one will be 94 days, the other 42) but we also cruise for the itinerary more than the ship so we'll still have a great time and make our own entertainment. 

But I do hope they've gotten the A/C situation under control.  

[Ellencruise]

Thank you to all who posted the positive reviews and comments.  I feel much better about my latest booking!

[Crew News]

i was aboard in May and have no complaints.  The ship may not have as many entertainment and dining options as the Pinnacle-class but the compactness was very appealing.  The balconies that span the aft on Decks 6 and 7 are a photographers dream.  Here is a link to my photos of the Volendam to give you an idea of what to expect:

 

Volendam Photos

[3rdGenCunarder]

8 hours ago, Ellencruise said:

True so true, reviews are on CC review board

 

The problem with those reviews is that you have no context. If you read these boards, you get a sense of what the different people are like. Some are quick to criticize while others are quick to defend. So reviews and "live from" threads are more useful.

 

Some people who post reviews on the review board might do that and never post anywhere else. They may be people who never came to CC to do research. Then they're disappointed and post an unhappy review. 

[Ineke]

3 hours ago, Crew News said:

i was aboard in May and have no complaints.  The ship may not have as many entertainment and dining options as the Pinnacle-class but the compactness was very appealing.  The balconies that span the aft on Decks 6 and 7 are a photographers dream.  Here is a link to my photos of the Volendam to give you an idea of what to expect:

 

Volendam Photos

CrewNews-  did the Volendam get a lovely new library like most of the HAL ships did? I notice the pictures of the Explorations Cafe showing all the bookshelves.

[Kaylabayla00]

I read all the negative reviews prior to sailing Volendam in July so I was looking for the 'bad things'.  They simply didn't exist.  It's a wonderful small ship.  The food was good and the service was great!  For an older ship it does have its oddities like fewer outlets in cabins but the public spaces look modern/updated  and the ship has a really nice vibe.  Would sail her again.

[Crew News]

2 hours ago, Ineke said:

CrewNews-  did the Volendam get a lovely new library like most of the HAL ships did? I notice the pictures of the Explorations Cafe showing all the bookshelves.

Unfortunately, I did not pay attention but do remember seeing books.  Whether that is considered a library, I cannot say.

[Mary229]

The Volendam does have a library.  There are books an available plus a book exchange table. There is an extensive game library. 

[Dancing Shoes]

We sailed on her R/T Alaska in 2018.  We are booked for Aug 2024 New England/Canada.  We liked the food, entertainment, and ease of getting around the ship.  The covered panorama deck is great.

[OlsSalt]

There are consistent experiences of "stressed A/C systems" on this class ships when traveling into the tropics zones and near the equator. They will not instantly chill your cabin to 68 degrees. 75 degrees is within the  company range for cabin comfort.  

 

However, 75 degree cabin temperature can feel hotter, just like 75 degree cabin temperature can fell much cooler on colder cruises. (I tested this and kept track once.) Particularly a problem if you have a cabin that is on the afternoon sunny side of the ship when traveling in hotter zones.  As you move out of the extreme zones, the cabin comfort returns. So no, they did not "fix the A/C, though often a technician comes in and fiddles with it if you complain loud enough.

 

If this is deal breaker, then one should cancel their reservations.

 

But if one choose to go to these tropical zones, one should go in with the idea they may actually be experiencing the extremes in temperatures found normally in these zones, and consider this part of the travel experience.

 

I would not "blame" the ship's AC system in this case on these older ships, but accept this comes with the itinerary and ship choice. New ships have installed more powerful temperature control systems. Older ship designs probably assumed these geographical temperature variations were part of normal travel expectations.

[OlsSalt]

Keeping in mind also, the older ships like the Volendam have linked ventilation systems so when someone opens their verandah door to "cool down" their cabin, this will negatively affect all other cabins on that ventilation circuit.  Staff will seek out who is leaving their cabin doors open as they can track the rush of air from the hallways, when complaints are made by other passengers on that same circuit. 

[crystalspin]

3 hours ago, OlsSalt said:

Keeping in mind also, the older ships like the Volendam have linked ventilation systems so when someone opens their verandah door to "cool down" their cabin, this will negatively affect all other cabins on that ventilation circuit.  Staff will seek out who is leaving their cabin doors open as they can track the rush of air from the hallways, when complaints are made by other passengers on that same circuit. 

Ols, is this not true, then, of Pinnacle Class ships? I just semi-scolded (well, informed) someone on my RollCall that leaving her aft door open to hear the wake, would affect the HVAC for the whole section...

 

What about the Vista Class ships? 

[Mary229]

4 hours ago, OlsSalt said:

There are consistent experiences of "stressed A/C systems" on this class ships when traveling into the tropics zones and near the equator. They will not instantly chill your cabin to 68 degrees. 75 degrees is within the  company range for cabin comfort.  

 

However, 75 degree cabin temperature can feel hotter, just like 75 degree cabin temperature can fell much cooler on colder cruises. (I tested this and kept track once.) Particularly a problem if you have a cabin that is on the afternoon sunny side of the ship when traveling in hotter zones.  As you move out of the extreme zones, the cabin comfort returns. So no, they did not "fix the A/C, though often a technician comes in and fiddles with it if you complain loud enough.

 

If this is deal breaker, then one should cancel their reservations.

 

But if one choose to go to these tropical zones, one should go in with the idea they may actually be experiencing the extremes in temperatures found normally in these zones, and consider this part of the travel experience.

 

I would not "blame" the ship's AC system in this case on these older ships, but accept this comes with the itinerary and ship choice. New ships have installed more powerful temperature control systems. Older ship designs probably assumed these geographical temperature variations were part of normal travel expectations.

That was not the case on the Grand South America this year.  There was definitely something wrong with the system.  Our room, first warm then overly chilled,  was wet vacuumed everyday for a week and we had a bucket in our cabin hallway that we frequently emptied.  Meanwhile people down on the other end of the corridor had no ac.  I do think it was the rapid change from warming the ship to cooling  but the transition took over a week and that is not good. The good part is it did resolve.    I have sailed the Zaandam for many weeks and a few cruises and never experienced an issue like this.    I do not criticize HAL quickly but this was a big fail.  
 

My floor had no balconies 

Edited August 2, 2023 by Mary229

[kazu]

On 8/1/2023 at 4:27 PM, Ineke said:

CrewNews-  did the Volendam get a lovely new library like most of the HAL ships did? I notice the pictures of the Explorations Cafe showing all the bookshelves.

 

The smaller ships never lost their libraries to the best of my knowledge.  They remained on the P’dam, and the S & R ships.  (Volendam is an R ship).

[Ineke]

53 minutes ago, kazu said:

 

The smaller ships never lost their libraries to the best of my knowledge.  They remained on the P’dam, and the S & R ships.  (Volendam is an R ship).

Oh, good to know, thanks!