Veendam Panama Canal

[mickeyfitz]

We just returned on Monday from the Veendam's 15 day Panama Canal transit from Tampa to San Diego and all I can really say is that we loved the Veendam and its staff. This was the 6th Hal ship we have cruised on and it was without doubt the best overall experience we hace ever had because of the crew. As always, our dining room stewards were great and our stateroom steward was competent and efficient, and the bar staff in the Ocean Bar and Crows Nest were wonderful. In addition, the Crows Nest DJ "Jazzy" Jeff Davis unexpectedly went out of his way to acknowledge and make our anniversary special based upon a casual comment we had made to him, as did the Cellar Master Ingo. We love the S Class and R Class ships, but the Veendam crew was really something special, not just in their competence, but in their attitude and willingness to go the extra distance.

[Jemery]

This was our first HAL cruise, and will not be our last. We understand now why the Veendam is so many people's favorite ship. From the captain to the room steward, this was a first-class operation. If only they sold prints of the Stephen Card paintings in the forward stairwell, expecially Veendam II.

[RuthC]

If only they sold prints of the Stephen Card paintings in the forward stairwell, expecially Veendam II.

Not the same, of course, but would a book do? There's a beautiful book Holland America---The Spotless Fleet that's available. I purchased my copy on the Noordam.

It's chock full of photos of Stephen's paintings. A lovely coffee table book to pick up and enjoy.