Questions: First Time on Holland America - South Pacific

[mikjr]

Hello HAL cruisers...

 

We are not first time cruisers.... having cruised on Celebrity, Princess, and Carnival in the past.

 

BUT... we just booked our FIRST cruise on Holland America... 30 day roundtrip cruise from San Diego to Hawaii and Tahiti on the Statendam.

 

So... what can you tell me about HAL, the Statendam, and the itinerary? I have checked the Roll Call board and have found nothing on this cruise.

 

Any info would be appreciated.

 

thanks...

[jhannah]

Welcome to cruising HAL style! You will find a wonderful small-ship ambiance on the Statendam. Holland America ships are elegant without being stuffy. Their crews are simply outstanding and place the cruise experience a notch above most other lines, IMO. The itinerary sounds wonderful! You're sure to enjoy it.

[sassyredhat]

JR~~~~We have sailed Statendam twice. Once was to Hawaii, but we didn't do the whole South Pacific.

 

We really liked the ship. She is smaller, fewer passengers---has beautiful, huge, floral arrangements throughout the ship.

 

There are artifacts on display, such as a cannon from 1600.

 

The food was gourmet, and as always with HAL, the service was outstanding.

 

We had a balcony cabin, but I am told HAL's cabins are larger than your other two lines. They had ammenities in the bathroom, but can't remember all of it. They do not have the soap and shampoo dispensers in the shower. Those are in little bottles which get replaced as you use them. (at least in verandah category)

 

It is a more subdued clientle---a different experience. But that's what makes each cruise fun.

 

I know you will enjoy this cruise.

 

Pat

[leoandhugh]

We did this same cruise in Jan '06 on the Amsterdam and it was wonderful because we enjoy all the sea days. We had an overnight in Honolulu and in Papeete which gave us an opportunity for seeing the night life and eating dinner ashore. The stops at Bora Bora and other islands in French Polynesia were interesting and we used some of the ship's shore excursions. We had been to Hawaii before on Statendam RT from SanDiego so it was a return trip to the islands. While the food on HAL is generally very good, I would not consider the food in the dining room as "gourmet". In the Pinnacle Grill, yes.

Be prepared to enjoy the ship and all it has to offer on the many sea days because they come in groups of 5 or 6 at a time which drives some people stir crazy. Not us, that is what attracts us to those longer cruises:)

[mikjr]

Be prepared to enjoy the ship and all it has to offer on the many sea days because they come in groups of 5 or 6 at a time which drives some people stir crazy. Not us, that is what attracts us to those longer cruises:)

 

Thanks for all the info... we really enjoy the sea days... and love the long cruises.

[FRANKIEDNYC]

:) Did This Cruise On The Ryndam, Almost Identical To Statendam In Jan 07, Best Cruise We Ever Took Nice Mix Of In Port And Sea Days, Especially Enjoyed South Pacific Islands Bora Bora, Moorea And Nuka Hiva. You Will Also Become Shellbacks On This Cruise As You Cross The Equator A Very Fun Ceremony Takes Place.

[kakalina]

We have done this cruise twice and sailed on the Statendam eight or nine times. Here is a link to the review of this itinerary from last months cruise http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=38417 . Hope this will help some. If I can help in any way just ask. We do have a roll call going on that board.

[mikjr]

I do have a few specific questions... we've cruised several times on both Princess and Celebrity, having had good experiences on both.

 

We got a heck of a deal on this cruise to the South Pacific, so we're now going to try HAL. We have always heard good things about HAL.

 

I have been reviewing the boards and have found some older reviews and comparisons... but nothing real current. Anyway a few specifics:

 

1) Coffee on both Celebrity and Princess are pretty bad. We either bring our own coffee maker or purchase a card for the specialty coffee house.

 

How is the coffe on HAL and do they have coffee cards?

 

2) Princess will allow you to bring a couple of bottles of wine on-board.

 

What is HAL's policy on bringing beverages on board?

 

3) I know food is very subjective... but to me it's either good or bad. Princess does Italian very well, Celebrity has some great fish dishes.

 

What kind of food does HAL specialize in?

 

4) All ships have some bad and good quirks... For example, during the HOT summer cruises, Celebrity will have cold towels when you come back onboard from shore... OR Princess charges for Ice Cream, where Celebrity is always free.

 

Any thing like that on HAL that we should know about??

 

Anyway... that's a few of the specific questions I have for now... anything else you might want to add would be helpful

 

thanks

[mikjr]

Does the Statendam have a good disco or dance area? yes... we're middle aged, but not dead!

 

thanks again

[kakalina]

OK Here we go.

1. We don't drink coffee, however many friends who do have said they only use the pay for coffee in the Explorations lounge. They use a Dutch brand of coffee.

2. You can bring all the wine, water and/or soda aboard you want at no charge. There is a corkage fee for wine brought to the dinner table of $15.

3. Food is very subjective. You will see alot of beef, lamb and fish. The speciality dining in the Pinncle Grill is chops and steaks and well worth a visit.

4. Excellent ice cream and cookies are available at no chage for most of the day. During hot cruises they always have iced washcloths at the entrance to the ship for cooling off and wiping down.

5. The Crows Nest is where the action is late at night. The action greatly depends on the demographics of the pax. Sometimes it is packed and full of fun other nights there is noone there but staff after 11pm. There is almost always a theme each night, ei disco, dancing through the decades, line dancing, salsa etc.

I think you will find the service on HAL above and beyond anything you may have experienced elsewhere.

[funlovin'cruiser]

How is the coffe on HAL and do they have coffee cards?

thanks

 

The coffee in the Lido and in the Dining Room is Dutch - it's called Brechenhorst (sp?) In talking with the Culinary Operations Manager on board the Ryndam during the last South Pacific cruise (David), they tend to water down the coffee a lot because for some reason, guests insist on complaining about how strong the coffee is in the Lido instead of pouring less and then adding hot water. As I like stronger coffee, I tend to drink the espresso from the dining room or order from the Explorations Cafe which uses Torrefazione Italia coffee. This is a coffee company here in Seattle owned by Starbucks. SB lets them operate on their own as they did before they were bought. The coffee is great. You can buy coffee cards from the bar member tending the coffee cafe.

 

Just as an FYI - HAL is negotiating an agreement with Starbucks regarding the "baristas" on board. Right now, they are bar servers and are trained on board and just rotate from serving in say the Crows Nest once cruise and then the cafe the next. Needless to say, coming from a coffee worshiper, it can sometimes be hit or miss. To counteract this and to add more "Signature of Excellence" HAL will actually bring on board Indonesian baristas that have been trained by Starbucks in their facilities in Jakarta - they are hoping that this will create a standard across the fleet. Therefore, the Filipino barstaff will no longer be serving in the cafe.

[mikjr]

Just as an FYI - HAL is negotiating an agreement with Starbucks regarding the "baristas" on board.

 

To counteract this and to add more "Signature of Excellence" HAL will actually bring on board Indonesian baristas that have been trained by Starbucks in their facilities in Jakarta

 

WOW... this sounds great! I love good coffee... especially on those long cruises.

[ninkb]

DH and I also did this cruise, only on the Ryndam, Jan 07. We loved it and agree with the many things already said.

 

One thing not mentioned were the excellent lecturerers onboard. We had a team; one taught "above the water line" and concentrated on the stars. Lectures in the day; stargazing in the southern hemisphere by night. The other taught about life in the sea as well as the volcanoes.

 

Ice cream - Princess and Celebrity can't hold a candle to the variety and quantity of IC put out daily by HAL. In the hot weather, there's nothing like a good IC treat about 3:30pm!!!

 

I think the food is on a par with Celebrity's and above what we had on our one Princess cruise (everything was doused with same "brown sauce"). The menus offer plenty of choice. We've also been able to ask for something to be served to us again the next night because we liked it so much. Talk to your waiter about what is available for those things you really like.

 

Enjoy your cruise. Most people will never get such an opportunity!

 

:):):) ninkb

[btobey]

I've been enjoying reading this thread; we leave on our first HAL cruise next month, so it's great to hear about all of HAL's special perks! :)

[7continentKaren]

You should probably read the RECENT reviews. We just got off Statendam a month ago. The air con and sewer pipe problems reported in the last year are still an issue. Many of the cabins had poor to no air and we went from Auckland to Osaka, Japan, throught the equator. The sewer pipes leaked, one after another, for over a week impacting the air in the library, Explorations Coffee Cafe and the 8th floor dining room. Not nice. We received $100 for being in a noisy room - pick carefully - as we had the kitchen overhead. However, no one to my knowledge, received anything for inoperative air con.

 

Food was fair, not as good as Carnival Glory (on that ship in Jan, 2008). Not as good as Westerdam or Prinsendam. Free ice cream most of the day was a treat and my husband loved the daily bread pudding on Lido. We RAN OUT OF FOOD. Imagine that. Not all food, just fresh fruits and vegetables, because 3 containers did not arrive on time in Auckland. The chef did not want to pay retail on the islands so he shredded the only veggies he had, root vegetables, and called it salad. This went on for at least 10 out of the 25 days. That aside, the chef was not good, esp at lunch. Boring. It got to be great laugh at our table as my husband got sucked into ordering a dessert every night that was flavored with liqueur. HA! No taste of it in the Grand Marnier Souffle, etc. I can't say there was any sort of speciality. Once in a while we had an Indonesian dish (Dutch used to own Indonesia and in the old days of HAL, they would put on a Rice Table - very elaborate). Mexican buffet was up all afternoon on Lido. I only gained 2 lbs over the 25 days. Tells you something. I gained 5 lbs on Glory in just a week.

 

You not only can bring a bottle of wine on board but you can bring one each every time you go out. We uncorked a bottle, put the wine in our stemmed glasses and waltzed into dinner. No problem. No fee. After all, we could have bought it in the bar before dinner. Very lax. I did like that about the ship. Ship's wine is very pricy. $28 is a cheap bottle.

 

The ship's excursions are also very pricy. We never used any.

 

It was just in drydock in Nov so is looking pretty good inside. Don't get a room on Lower Promenade unless you like having people outside your window all the time. The silvered glass only works in the daytime AND with no lights on in your room. A couple down the hall apparently had no idea as we were all treated to a view of them in their underwear! Plus half of your view is the solid railing. Your drapes are drawn so much, you may as well have an inside. Not good. We moved. It was convenient for running to the deck to see a whale, however.

 

We had wonderful lectures about the islands of WW II. I don't remember so many on other HAL cruises but, in our case, we had two a day every day at sea. We were so busy I only got one book read!

 

Entertainment was fair. Cruise director also. Service was only fair also. Staff was completely screwed up when it came to tendering and, in the case of our itinerary, processing people with their passports to exit Papua New Guinea. At one point, they told us we could not exit the ship until everyone's passport had been checked, then the started letting people off anyway without making an announcement. Same happened when we entered the U.S. in Guam. Plus a lot of cheaters who would not wait until their floor was called, no consequences. At one point in Guam, the LINE was actually a circle because the staff did not show up to organize it!

 

What is fun on all HAL ships is the quest for DAM dollars. If you participate in some kind of sport (trust me, this is not serious sporting), you get a dollar for participating. My husband even got me up at 7 am to walk the promenade deck for a dollar. At the end of the cruise, you turn your dollars in for loot: jacket, sweatshirt, water bottle, etc. You also end up in a nice group of people you get to know a little better. 1200 passengers still is a large ship for getting acquainted. Be sure to go to your Cruise Critic gathering, usually the first day at sea.

 

We liked the Crows Nest a lot. It is our favorite spot in most HAL ships. The die hard dancers hang out there. A variety of music. Some of it depends on the crowd. Our crowd was quite elderly as the itinerary featured the WW II Islands of the Pacific and we had over 50 WW II vets on board. There is a saying that HAL is for old people and ....their parents! There were plenty of people your age even on this cruise. Just not a lot of kids (3) or 20 somethings.

 

If you love the itinerary, you will love your cruise, despite the annoyances. I know I am already forgetting about the air con!

[kakalina]

Karen, thanks for taking the time to give us a recent update. I must admit at one time or another I have run into all the things you mention. Once they almost had a riot on the ship because the rice and coffee didn't show up on a pallet. The HotMan said the ship could sail without most things but not coffee and rice the staple of the crew. The ship was held up awhile while the crew went out and scavenged local supermarkets. Can you imagine a host of prep cooks descending on the markets and taking all the coffee and rice off the shelves!

[PennyAgain]

I am a coffee and tea fanatic. I find that the coffee on HAL is very good, way above average, but you have to explain that you want real, strong coffee if that is what you really want.

 

Many people want half hot water/half coffee. I heard it ordered that way many times!

 

Once they understand that you want the real thing, you can get it. My dining room waiter on one cruise brought me coffee from the Captain's table as it was strong and rich coffee.

 

The same is true with tea. HAL has a line of tea and coffee they sell on their WEB site. Very good stuff!

 

Very early morning there will be a set up of coffee and pastry that is worth visiting as that coffee is great. I get my coffee and go out walking on deck to enjoy the morning. A fine thing to do!

[hammybee]

Some people are particular about coffee and some people drink swill. Some like it strong and others like it weak. If you were having 1300 people over for coffee, how would you prepare it, to please them all?

[Thrifty]

On our last cruise on another line, they had cappuccino available at all three meals, when the cappuccino machines were working, which was sometimes. No one has mentioned cappuccino; does that mean it's only available if paid for at a coffee bar?

[ldog]

You can get cappuccino free at dinner. They even make it decaf. The rest of the time you have to pay for it at the Explorations cafe.

[jwitt2]

You should probably read the RECENT reviews. We just got off Statendam a month ago. The air con and sewer pipe problems reported in the last year are still an issue. Many of the cabins had poor to no air and we went from Auckland to Osaka, Japan, throught the equator. The sewer pipes leaked, one after another, for over a week impacting the air in the library, Explorations Coffee Cafe and the 8th floor dining room. Not nice. We received $100 for being in a noisy room - pick carefully - as we had the kitchen overhead. However, no one to my knowledge, received anything for inoperative air con.

 

 

If you love the itinerary, you will love your cruise, despite the annoyances. I know I am already forgetting about the air con!

 

We were on this same cruise in Jan. 2007 on the Ryndam (with Frank above) and had poor A/C. As people left the ship (yes, some died, some got very sick) and cabins emptied, we were moved down the hall and still were given a nice shipboard credit of several hundred $$. We have requested the same cabin (the one they moved us to) on the Maasdam for the 35 day cruise this July.