Verbose first-timer's review: Veendam

[Vaca2006]

Family of 4 sailed on the Veendam April 8-15, Western Caribbean itinerary. Our first cruise ever, so the comments that follow are obviously not informed by comparisons to other ships or itineraries. So when I tell you that our vacation was terrific, I might be terribly inaccurate. Perhaps we had an inferior cruise and are too inexperienced to know our misfortune. But I doubt it.

Arrival: Flew from Dulles to Tampa on Ted on Friday night. Flight was crowded and late. Glad we booked the Airport Marriott, which minimized the pain of our past-midnight arrival. After rising and breakfasting, I sauntered down to the baggage claim area and met the ladies in red from HAL who told me the first bus to port would be at 11:30. Strongly recommend this combination of independent air travel with HAL transfer, if you can get a good rate at the Tampa Airport Marriott (I was able to pay with Marriott points, otherwise it would have cost $200).

Embarkation: They unload the luggage before letting pax off the bus. After alighting, you point out your bags to a porter, who will get them to the ship for you. Pax who had not already filled out their immigration forms cause some congestion at the building entrance as they try to get organized. Inside, there are three lines: one for suite pax, one for pax who completed their forms online, and one for the rest. The rest line seems to move faster than the pre-filled line, probably because (1) pre-fillers greatly outnumber last-minuters and (2) whenever a suite guest arrives, he gets the first available clerk from among those who process the pre-fillers. HAL/Port of Tampa should realign the lines so that the suite pax cut in front of the last-minuters instead.

Ship photographers and wine stewards offer their wares before you board. I was pleasantly surprised that the Lido cafe and deck were not a total zoo of early arrivals. We easily found seats and quickly got our food.

Room: we booked pretty late, so that there were only two quads left, both outsides at the aft end of A Deck. At TA's suggestion, I picked the handicap room to hold out the possibility of an upgrade if some other late-booker needed the accessible room. No such luck. We squeezed in OK, son on the sofa bed, daughter on the berth that comes out of the ceiling. I’d like to know how families of four with older kids make an inside cabin work.

Euro top mattress was as good as you've heard. Sofa bed mattress was incredibly hard (good thing DS didn't know what he was missing). DVD player came in handy. Towels and toiletries are Holiday Inn quality, disconcertingly out of place in the "Signature of Excellence" context. Cabin steward Daniel was a model of efficient, unobtrusive service.

Lido Restaurant: See my post about beating congestion in the Lido at http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=6388697&postcount=8. We ate almost all lunches and all breakfasts in Lido. Food was consistently tasty with a wealth of options: at lunch, there are always a few pasta choices, some Asian dishes, a made-to-order sandwich station, and up to three different soups/stews, as well as the desert bar featuring a broad array of cakes, six flavors of ice cream/sherbet, and the famous bread pudding. You could never go wrong with the sandwich of the day. Lots of vegetarian and no sugar added options. Disappointments: tiny glasses at the water/ice tea station and hard, crumbly chocolate chip cookies (DW says they were soft when she sampled the cookies on the kitchen tour; I guess the baker chooses not to use the preservatives that are standard in our forever-soft cookie world), absence of any food – apart from room service - after the “late” buffet ends at midnight. Why can’t they simply leave out the deserts as they do in the afternoon?

The Lido staff are solicitous and friendly, especially greeters Herry and Faizal. My kids really enjoyed clowning with Herry. The desert counter men are also great with kids. There’s always someone offering to carry your tray if you need help, and even if you don’t need it. How about that little coffee cart guy who walks around meowing or singing soft Muslim chants?

Rotterdam Dining Room: I expected it to be opulent and it was. I was most impressed by the consistently wide variety of selections at dinner. A half dozen appetizer choices and as many entrees, 3-4 soups (one cold), with one or two different salads each day in addition to a Caesar. The food never disappointed. Some selections were marked as a "signature" dishes of HAL's executive chef. Some were designated as "Caribbean" dishes.

My daughter always ordered off the kids’ menu but I was proud of my son for trying grownup food every night. The dining roof staff were most obliging. Wine steward Rey is particularly impressive: warm, funny, and knowledgeable. I should also mention that we changed our seating from 8:30 to 8:00 with no trouble even though we waited until late on the second day (after they had already made all the changes that had been requested early).

Our one lunch in the Rotterdam was underwhelming. While there was nothing wrong with the food, the choices - hamburger, jerk chicken breast, pastrami sandwich, fish & chips - were terribly pedestrian compared to the offerings in the Lido for the same meal.

Pinnacle Grill: An absolute delight. DW ordered the porterhouse and it was exactly what it was purported to be: one of the best steaks anywhere. I had a seafood trio (salmon tartare, seared tuna, and scampi) as part of the Food & Wine tasting experience, which was magnificent but way too munificent. I had to pass on the cheese plate at the end and then passed out a little later from all the wine. Waiter Nicolae was charming and grill manager Hans positively doted on all guests. I had not planned to dine in the Pinnacle, but my wife wanted to do something special for my birthday and Hans had been very accommodating to her, getting us our preferred seating time despite the lateness of the request (late on day 2).

Culinary Arts Center: Watched a demonstration by Veendam executive chef Thomas Schumann and Pinnacle Grill chef Petr Nozicka in this impressive facility. They cooked bruschetta with prawns and chocolate volcano cake w/ Grand Marnier whipped cream, and provided full-serving samples of the latter. The demo was shown on TV almost continuously throughout the cruise. DW attended the cooking class. At $29, it may be the best bargain on the high seas. You get to spend an hour and a half with the Executive Chef helping him make (and taste) a full meal. They cooked a mango gazpacho, Tilapia Veracruz style, and crepes with Mexican chocolate sauce.

Greenhouse Spa/Gym: a very attractive facility. The towels, tissues, and even the TP are top quality in the spa; why can't they put this stuff in the cabins? Gym has a full circuit of Cybex weight machines, a lot of treadmills, and a couple of bikes, stairclimbers, and rowing machines. Treadmills have individual TVs. Tip: gym has the easiest access I could find to outside decks at the bow end of the ship. DW had a seaweed wrap and massage in the spa. She was very impressed by the British staff, though a little put off by the hard sell at the end.

Club HAL - short version: it’s as good as it needs to be, but constitutes a slim offering, even with the brand new SOE facility. Long version: see http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=334361.

Lido Pool: Don't read this if you're squeamish. The water in the Lido Pool was unclean. Every time I examined the water closely, I saw bits of mucus and other human debris. Intellectually, I know the chlorine renders these things noninfectious, but that doesn't make it acceptable. As kids are not allowed in the seaview pool, I tried to always come up with something else to do when they felt like swimming. The pool is so small, it needs a better filtration system.

Key West: Been there, done that. At least it offers a last U.S. stop to pick up things you don't realize you've forgotten until after embarking from Tampa.

Santo Tomas de Castilla: This place is going to take off, and people like me will brag that we did Santo Tomas before it went commercial. Don't let the urban/industrial setting of the port throw you. The jungle is only minutes away.

Based on my research on CC, I had planned to make an ad hoc tour to Las Escobas eco reserve. Things are fairly well organized at the port; it's not simply a matter of entrusting yourself to the mercy of a random cab driver. It's only about 20 minutes to get through town and up a mountain where the lovely jungle waterfalls of Las Escobas await. The water is clean and warm enough to swim in. Though it can be crowded, there's plenty of room for to jump off modest precipices into deep-enough pools. We were there and back in time for lunch. I’ve posted a more detailed review at http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=332876.

Others have written about the lovely sendoff that the Guatemalans assemble for the sailaway. It was fun and a little touching to see the cabs all lined up on the quay, lights flashing and horns honking, and the locals waving and dancing as the Veendam set off.

Belize City: We did the Xunantunich Mayan ruins tour arranged by HAL. It's a long trip, two hours in each direction. The payoff is the view atop the 182-foot high pyramid "El Castillo." The guides were knowledgeable and funny. We had a mediocre lunch at a nearby resort, Windy Hill. I just remembered at this moment that there was supposed to be a Marimba show with lunch, but we didn't get it. Nobody complained AFAIK, I guess we were all too tired to remember.

Costa Maya: we joined another family and caught a cab to Mahahual and found a portion of beach that seemed best for the small kids (i.e., not near any of the obvious party-hardy joints). We staked a claim to a palapa with a table and watched the kids gather shells and enjoy swimming in the shallow, reef-protected waters. The place did not have a name and, since the service was below average, you probably don't want to go there anyway. But our palapa was in a lovely setting, amid a small grove of coconut trees a few yards from the gentle waves.

Hey, why does docking at Costa Maya seem a much louder and longer process than at the other ports? Certainly, if you’re trying to sleep at the aft end of A deck, it’s worse than having a construction crew outside your window.

Entertainment: I caught four shows, two featuring the Veendam cast of singers/dancers, comic juggler Adam Kario, and the farewell show featuring a reprise the three headliners: Kario, comic magician Bruce Block, and impressionist lounge singer Paul Tanner. I was very pleasantly surprised by the talent of the Veendam cast. I came in with low expectations, assuming that cruise ship song and dance types would be approximately at the level of theme park entertainment. Not so! The level of talent I’m used to is that of national touring companies for popular Broadway musicals, and the Veendam cast measures up to that standard. The two shows were Ultimate Broadway, a medley of show-stoppers with a very diverse mix of old standards and samples from newer hits, and Party Gras, featuring woo-hoo par-tay fare such as “Hot Hot Hot” and “Jump in the Line.”

Adam Kario is about as good as you can expect a comedy juggler to be. We laughed throughout and the juggling was masterful. Highly recommended for all ages.

We missed Bruce Block’s show and regretted it because he was the talk of the ship. Or, more accurately, everyone was enthralled with Block’s talking rabbit, Skippy a la King. You’ve got to see this. Fortunately, we caught Skippy in the farewell show, along with his master’s light-blue jokes, some rather forgettable magic, and a corny parody song about buffet dining set to the tune of “Don’t Rain on My Parade.”

Like Block, we only saw Paul Tanner in his reprise in the final show. He did a dead-on impression of Neil Diamond in a medley of hits, then a very pedestrian Elvis Presley imitation with “Fever.” Tanner closed with Kenny Rogers’ “Love The World Away” that was very soulful and stirring, though it didn’t sound anything like Rogers.

Explorations Cafe: What a grand SOE addition! I loved the wealth of brand-new travel guide books in the library; it’s like hanging out in the travel section of Barnes & Noble. Too bad the books are locked up after 10pm. My kids enjoyed the music stations and I enjoyed that they did not once ask to borrow my iPod because the stations are better! True, the high-speed internet was sometimes frustratingly slow. But when you’re on vacation, it’s pretty easy to take that in stride, setting aside whatever you wanted to accomplish for a better time. I did manage to use up about 200 of my 250 minutes, mainly keeping my work inbox relatively clear (I hate coming home to hundreds of messages).

I didn’t rent any DVDs (we brought several of our own) but it was nice to know a large movie library was available to us if we wanted. Surprisingly, the E cafe was almost never crowded. Not once were we unable to get a computer or a music station or a well padded lounge exactly when we wanted it. I guess the crowd was not as interested in the cafe’s indoor sedentary pursuits as I would have assumed. Anyway, I’d be very interested to know whether there are significantly better libraries/internet centers on other cruise lines.

Disembarkation: Remarkably rapid. I had requested a 9:00 departure and they called our group before 8:30. Our bags were waiting for us and customs only asked for our declaration form. The National/Alamo shuttle showed up less than 10 minutes after we exited the building. Since our flight was not until 8:00pm, I used an Emerald Club freebie so we could spend the afternoon at the beach. For those of you with a similar schedule, I recommend Sand Key Park in Clearwater Beach, which has lots of meter parking, clean restrooms, and concessionaires selling food and renting puptent cabans, umbrellas, and chairs. We returned to TPA at about 4:30 and killed time shopping, using the free wi-fi, and dining at the unremarkable Wharf seafood restaurant. Flight back to Dulles was early.

There are probably lots of things I meant to say but forgot. That’s more than enough for now, though. My family thoroughly enjoyed our HAL Veendam cruise and I would happily do the same cruise again. I feel that I should sample at least one other line, but I remain terribly prejudiced against ships much larger than the Veendam. Apart from the ultraluxury lines, there don’t appear to be many ships of the size I want. We’ll see.

A big thank you to all on CC who answered my questions as we prepared for our first cruise, and an “Ahoy there!” to the CCers I met on the Veendam.

Lee

[Old As Dirt Mom]

Wow! What a thorough and articulate review! Thanks for all the links to your other posts as well. Thanks for all the wealth of information. We're going on our first cruise this year as well, so your review is very helpful:)

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thanks for your review.

 

When we were on the Ryndam last November, those receipes that your wife did in the cooking class were the same ones done at our cooking demonstration.

 

And the free cooking demonstration receipes were the same ones that we had on the Amsterdam a couple of weeks ago.

[the2ofus]

The cooking demonstration and class have received such raves that I think it is a must-do on my next cruise.

[shipcafe]

Family of 4 sailed on the Veendam April 8-15, Western Caribbean itinerary. Our first cruise ever, so the comments that follow are obviously not informed by comparisons to other ships or itineraries. So when I tell you that our vacation was terrific, I might be terribly inaccurate. Perhaps we had an inferior cruise and are too inexperienced to know our misfortune. But I doubt it.

 

Arrival: Flew from Dulles to Tampa on Ted on Friday night. Flight was crowded and late. Glad we booked the Airport Marriott, which minimized the pain of our past-midnight arrival. After rising and breakfasting, I sauntered down to the baggage claim area and met the ladies in red from HAL who told me the first bus to port would be at 11:30. Strongly recommend this combination of independent air travel with HAL transfer, if you can get a good rate at the Tampa Airport Marriott (I was able to pay with Marriott points, otherwise it would have cost $200).

 

Embarkation: They unload the luggage before letting pax off the bus. After alighting, you point out your bags to a porter, who will get them to the ship for you. Pax who had not already filled out their immigration forms cause some congestion at the building entrance as they try to get organized. Inside, there are three lines: one for suite pax, one for pax who completed their forms online, and one for the rest. The rest line seems to move faster than the pre-filled line, probably because (1) pre-fillers greatly outnumber last-minuters and (2) whenever a suite guest arrives, he gets the first available clerk from among those who process the pre-fillers. HAL/Port of Tampa should realign the lines so that the suite pax cut in front of the last-minuters instead.

 

Ship photographers and wine stewards offer their wares before you board. I was pleasantly surprised that the Lido cafe and deck were not a total zoo of early arrivals. We easily found seats and quickly got our food.

 

Room: we booked pretty late, so that there were only two quads left, both outsides at the aft end of A Deck. At TA's suggestion, I picked the handicap room to hold out the possibility of an upgrade if some other late-booker needed the accessible room. No such luck. We squeezed in OK, son on the sofa bed, daughter on the berth that comes out of the ceiling. I’d like to know how families of four with older kids make an inside cabin work.

 

Euro top mattress was as good as you've heard. Sofa bed mattress was incredibly hard (good thing DS didn't know what he was missing). DVD player came in handy. Towels and toiletries are Holiday Inn quality, disconcertingly out of place in the "Signature of Excellence" context. Cabin steward Daniel was a model of efficient, unobtrusive service.

 

Lido Restaurant: See my post about beating congestion in the Lido at http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=6388697&postcount=8. We ate almost all lunches and all breakfasts in Lido. Food was consistently tasty with a wealth of options: at lunch, there are always a few pasta choices, some Asian dishes, a made-to-order sandwich station, and up to three different soups/stews, as well as the desert bar featuring a broad array of cakes, six flavors of ice cream/sherbet, and the famous bread pudding. You could never go wrong with the sandwich of the day. Lots of vegetarian and no sugar added options. Disappointments: tiny glasses at the water/ice tea station and hard, crumbly chocolate chip cookies (DW says they were soft when she sampled the cookies on the kitchen tour; I guess the baker chooses not to use the preservatives that are standard in our forever-soft cookie world), absence of any food – apart from room service - after the “late” buffet ends at midnight. Why can’t they simply leave out the deserts as they do in the afternoon?

 

The Lido staff are solicitous and friendly, especially greeters Herry and Faizal. My kids really enjoyed clowning with Herry. The desert counter men are also great with kids. There’s always someone offering to carry your tray if you need help, and even if you don’t need it. How about that little coffee cart guy who walks around meowing or singing soft Muslim chants?

 

Rotterdam Dining Room: I expected it to be opulent and it was. I was most impressed by the consistently wide variety of selections at dinner. A half dozen appetizer choices and as many entrees, 3-4 soups (one cold), with one or two different salads each day in addition to a Caesar. The food never disappointed. Some selections were marked as a "signature" dishes of HAL's executive chef. Some were designated as "Caribbean" dishes.

 

My daughter always ordered off the kids’ menu but I was proud of my son for trying grownup food every night. The dining roof staff were most obliging. Wine steward Rey is particularly impressive: warm, funny, and knowledgeable. I should also mention that we changed our seating from 8:30 to 8:00 with no trouble even though we waited until late on the second day (after they had already made all the changes that had been requested early).

 

Our one lunch in the Rotterdam was underwhelming. While there was nothing wrong with the food, the choices - hamburger, jerk chicken breast, pastrami sandwich, fish & chips - were terribly pedestrian compared to the offerings in the Lido for the same meal.

 

Pinnacle Grill: An absolute delight. DW ordered the porterhouse and it was exactly what it was purported to be: one of the best steaks anywhere. I had a seafood trio (salmon tartare, seared tuna, and scampi) as part of the Food & Wine tasting experience, which was magnificent but way too munificent. I had to pass on the cheese plate at the end and then passed out a little later from all the wine. Waiter Nicolae was charming and grill manager Hans positively doted on all guests. I had not planned to dine in the Pinnacle, but my wife wanted to do something special for my birthday and Hans had been very accommodating to her, getting us our preferred seating time despite the lateness of the request (late on day 2).

 

Culinary Arts Center: Watched a demonstration by Veendam executive chef Thomas Schumann and Pinnacle Grill chef Petr Nozicka in this impressive facility. They cooked bruschetta with prawns and chocolate volcano cake w/ Grand Marnier whipped cream, and provided full-serving samples of the latter. The demo was shown on TV almost continuously throughout the cruise. DW attended the cooking class. At $29, it may be the best bargain on the high seas. You get to spend an hour and a half with the Executive Chef helping him make (and taste) a full meal. They cooked a mango gazpacho, Tilapia Veracruz style, and crepes with Mexican chocolate sauce.

 

Greenhouse Spa/Gym: a very attractive facility. The towels, tissues, and even the TP are top quality in the spa; why can't they put this stuff in the cabins? Gym has a full circuit of Cybex weight machines, a lot of treadmills, and a couple of bikes, stairclimbers, and rowing machines. Treadmills have individual TVs. Tip: gym has the easiest access I could find to outside decks at the bow end of the ship. DW had a seaweed wrap and massage in the spa. She was very impressed by the British staff, though a little put off by the hard sell at the end.

 

Club HAL - short version: it’s as good as it needs to be, but constitutes a slim offering, even with the brand new SOE facility. Long version: see http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=334361.

 

Lido Pool: Don't read this if you're squeamish. The water in the Lido Pool was unclean. Every time I examined the water closely, I saw bits of mucus and other human debris. Intellectually, I know the chlorine renders these things noninfectious, but that doesn't make it acceptable. As kids are not allowed in the seaview pool, I tried to always come up with something else to do when they felt like swimming. The pool is so small, it needs a better filtration system.

 

Key West: Been there, done that. At least it offers a last U.S. stop to pick up things you don't realize you've forgotten until after embarking from Tampa.

 

Santo Tomas de Castilla: This place is going to take off, and people like me will brag that we did Santo Tomas before it went commercial. Don't let the urban/industrial setting of the port throw you. The jungle is only minutes away.

 

Based on my research on CC, I had planned to make an ad hoc tour to Las Escobas eco reserve. Things are fairly well organized at the port; it's not simply a matter of entrusting yourself to the mercy of a random cab driver. It's only about 20 minutes to get through town and up a mountain where the lovely jungle waterfalls of Las Escobas await. The water is clean and warm enough to swim in. Though it can be crowded, there's plenty of room for to jump off modest precipices into deep-enough pools. We were there and back in time for lunch. I’ve posted a more detailed review at http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=332876.

 

Others have written about the lovely sendoff that the Guatemalans assemble for the sailaway. It was fun and a little touching to see the cabs all lined up on the quay, lights flashing and horns honking, and the locals waving and dancing as the Veendam set off.

 

Belize City: We did the Xunantunich Mayan ruins tour arranged by HAL. It's a long trip, two hours in each direction. The payoff is the view atop the 182-foot high pyramid "El Castillo." The guides were knowledgeable and funny. We had a mediocre lunch at a nearby resort, Windy Hill. I just remembered at this moment that there was supposed to be a Marimba show with lunch, but we didn't get it. Nobody complained AFAIK, I guess we were all too tired to remember.

 

Costa Maya: we joined another family and caught a cab to Mahahual and found a portion of beach that seemed best for the small kids (i.e., not near any of the obvious party-hardy joints). We staked a claim to a palapa with a table and watched the kids gather shells and enjoy swimming in the shallow, reef-protected waters. The place did not have a name and, since the service was below average, you probably don't want to go there anyway. But our palapa was in a lovely setting, amid a small grove of coconut trees a few yards from the gentle waves.

 

Hey, why does docking at Costa Maya seem a much louder and longer process than at the other ports? Certainly, if you’re trying to sleep at the aft end of A deck, it’s worse than having a construction crew outside your window.

 

Entertainment: I caught four shows, two featuring the Veendam cast of singers/dancers, comic juggler Adam Kario, and the farewell show featuring a reprise the three headliners: Kario, comic magician Bruce Block, and impressionist lounge singer Paul Tanner. I was very pleasantly surprised by the talent of the Veendam cast. I came in with low expectations, assuming that cruise ship song and dance types would be approximately at the level of theme park entertainment. Not so! The level of talent I’m used to is that of national touring companies for popular Broadway musicals, and the Veendam cast measures up to that standard. The two shows were Ultimate Broadway, a medley of show-stoppers with a very diverse mix of old standards and samples from newer hits, and Party Gras, featuring woo-hoo par-tay fare such as “Hot Hot Hot” and “Jump in the Line.”

 

Adam Kario is about as good as you can expect a comedy juggler to be. We laughed throughout and the juggling was masterful. Highly recommended for all ages.

 

We missed Bruce Block’s show and regretted it because he was the talk of the ship. Or, more accurately, everyone was enthralled with Block’s talking rabbit, Skippy a la King. You’ve got to see this. Fortunately, we caught Skippy in the farewell show, along with his master’s light-blue jokes, some rather forgettable magic, and a corny parody song about buffet dining set to the tune of “Don’t Rain on My Parade.”

 

Like Block, we only saw Paul Tanner in his reprise in the final show. He did a dead-on impression of Neil Diamond in a medley of hits, then a very pedestrian Elvis Presley imitation with “Fever.” Tanner closed with Kenny Rogers’ “Love The World Away” that was very soulful and stirring, though it didn’t sound anything like Rogers.

 

Explorations Cafe: What a grand SOE addition! I loved the wealth of brand-new travel guide books in the library; it’s like hanging out in the travel section of Barnes & Noble. Too bad the books are locked up after 10pm. My kids enjoyed the music stations and I enjoyed that they did not once ask to borrow my iPod because the stations are better! True, the high-speed internet was sometimes frustratingly slow. But when you’re on vacation, it’s pretty easy to take that in stride, setting aside whatever you wanted to accomplish for a better time. I did manage to use up about 200 of my 250 minutes, mainly keeping my work inbox relatively clear (I hate coming home to hundreds of messages).

 

I didn’t rent any DVDs (we brought several of our own) but it was nice to know a large movie library was available to us if we wanted. Surprisingly, the E cafe was almost never crowded. Not once were we unable to get a computer or a music station or a well padded lounge exactly when we wanted it. I guess the crowd was not as interested in the cafe’s indoor sedentary pursuits as I would have assumed. Anyway, I’d be very interested to know whether there are significantly better libraries/internet centers on other cruise lines.

 

Disembarkation: Remarkably rapid. I had requested a 9:00 departure and they called our group before 8:30. Our bags were waiting for us and customs only asked for our declaration form. The National/Alamo shuttle showed up less than 10 minutes after we exited the building. Since our flight was not until 8:00pm, I used an Emerald Club freebie so we could spend the afternoon at the beach. For those of you with a similar schedule, I recommend Sand Key Park in Clearwater Beach, which has lots of meter parking, clean restrooms, and concessionaires selling food and renting puptent cabans, umbrellas, and chairs. We returned to TPA at about 4:30 and killed time shopping, using the free wi-fi, and dining at the unremarkable Wharf seafood restaurant. Flight back to Dulles was early.

 

There are probably lots of things I meant to say but forgot. That’s more than enough for now, though. My family thoroughly enjoyed our HAL Veendam cruise and I would happily do the same cruise again. I feel that I should sample at least one other line, but I remain terribly prejudiced against ships much larger than the Veendam. Apart from the ultraluxury lines, there don’t appear to be many ships of the size I want. We’ll see.

 

A big thank you to all on CC who answered my questions as we prepared for our first cruise, and an “Ahoy there!” to the CCers I met on the Veendam.

 

Lee

 

I was on your sailing and concur with much of it. Great review! I posted some of my personal photos from the trip here.

[elmorejj]

Great review, I`m glad you enjoyed the Veendam. I have sailed on her many times and really love the ship and crew. Glad to hear that Paul Tanner is on board. Sailed with him several times on the Zaandam out of Canaveral. Very talented fellow. All in all, I enjoyed your review very much...........jean:cool:

[sail7seas]

Thanks for your wonderful review. I enjoyed reading it and am glad you and your family had such a great cruise on Veendam. She's a great ship, isn't she?!!

 

I wonder.......

 

Hmmmm........would you (your wife) be willing to share the receipe for the crepes with Mexican Chocolate Sauce. That sounds Yum and I'd like to make those for a dinner party. Thanks if you have the recipe and are willing to share.

 

Welcome Back!!!!

[Vaca2006]

Thanks for your wonderful review. I enjoyed reading it and am glad you and your family had such a great cruise on Veendam. She's a great ship, isn't she?!!

 

I wonder.......

 

Hmmmm........would you (your wife) be willing to share the receipe for the crepes with Mexican Chocolate Sauce. That sounds Yum and I'd like to make those for a dinner party. Thanks if you have the recipe and are willing to share.

 

Welcome Back!!!!

When I get home from my current business trip, I'll scan the recipe cards and post the images here.

 

Lee

[sail7seas]

Thank you, Lee.

 

That's great. I appreciate it.

 

[Vaca2006]

Here are the recipes from the cooking class. There seems to be a limit on file size. Let's see how this works

 

Lee

[Vaca2006]

It didn't work, I guess because of the file size limits. I'll just set up a photo sharing site somewhere and put the scans there, with a link here.

 

Lee

[Krazy Kruizers]

I had the recipe for the Crepes with the Mexican Chocolate sauce - but I must have thrown it out as I can't find mine.

 

We got to taste them when we were on the Ryndam in November.

[Vaca2006]

OK, here's the duct tape solution. I created a photo album at Yahoo: http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/cruisepix0406/album?.dir=8918re2&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//photos.yahoo.com/ph//my_photos. The recipe scans are there.

 

I'm thiking about scanning other mementos, such as the Daily Programs. I figure they may be helpful for first timers and others looking to see what a day on the Veendam is like.

 

Lee

[sail7seas]

Thanks, Lee.

 

Really appreciate your going to the trouble.

 

[Krazy Kruizers]

I found my recipe.

 

If anyone can't read Lee's recipe, I will type it up.

 

Let me know.

[sail7seas]

That would be great, KK. I have to admit I was struggling trying to read the small print and I really do want to make the crepes. They sound delicious and relatively easy.

 

[kakalina]

I would appreciate it also KK. They sound delicious, I don't suppose they are calorie free. . .??

[Krazy Kruizers]

Okay - I will write it up today.

[PrincessYoga]

OK, here's the duct tape solution. I created a photo album at Yahoo: http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/cruisepix0406/album?.dir=8918re2&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//photos.yahoo.com/ph//my_photos. The recipe scans are there.

 

I'm thiking about scanning other mementos, such as the Daily Programs. I figure they may be helpful for first timers and others looking to see what a day on the Veendam is like.

 

Lee

 

I would love to see menus and daily programmes if you can... Cheers.