Our Oosterdam Experience 11/7 ~ 11/14/04

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thanks for the wonderful review.

We also enjoy the hazelnut crusted Brie and escargot.

We have always enjoyed every meal that we had in the Pinnacle on all ships.

When I read the first reports of your cruise, I got worried that you hadn't tried the chocolate volcano cake in the Pinnacle.

Isn't Jonathan Mercer a wonderful captain? We met his wife and him several years ago on the Ryndam.

[HeatherInFlorida]

Thanks for the wonderful review.

 

We also enjoy the hazelnut crusted Brie and escargot.

 

We have always enjoyed every meal that we had in the Pinnacle on all ships.

 

When I read the first reports of your cruise, I got worried that you hadn't tried the chocolate volcano cake in the Pinnacle.

 

Isn't Jonathan Mercer a wonderful captain? We met his wife and him several years ago on the Ryndam.

Yes, Captain Mercer was wonderful and very down to earth, I thought. He was always so gracious and happy to engage in conversation. I particularly liked that he would give so much information over the PA system as to what was going on whenever things were obviously "not quite right".

[KCat]

Great review Heather. We are sailing on the O in December so I was wanting to hear your remarks on the ship. This is our first time w/ HAL, last year we sailed w/ NCL, so I don't think we will be disappointed (not having any past experience w/ the smaller HAL ships).

 

Do you have any tips for a first time HALer? (Thanks):)

[Aussie Gal]

Heather,

 

Thank you for posting such a great review when you have been so sick. It was good to read such a detailed review even though we will probably never sail on her as we do like the smaller ships.

 

Jennie

[Thoth]

Great review Heather!! I was on the Oosterdam to Alaska back in July. I liked everything about that ship except that it was so darn big! I can understand where you are coming from in liking the regular sized HAL ships since I have sailed on the Maasdam and Statendam.

[ugagrad98]

Heather,

Thanks for the review! We leave on the Oosterdam Sunday, and are really excited. We've been on the Zaandam and Veendam, and now looking forward to experiencing the Vista class.

[barefootguy]

Heather,

Glad you had such a GREAT time!!! We were on the O'dam when it did it's first E'Carib of the season & LOVED IT!

 

You wrote our review, except for the crew... Our guys were not getting off the ship soon, but ALL were SUPER! Room steward, dining, maitre'd.. All Wonderful!!!

I really think that if you treat a person nicely, they will return it many times over... Even if they are heading ashore soon...

[HeatherInFlorida]

KCat and Ugagrad, I hope you have fabulous cruises on the O'Dam. It's hard for me to believe that you won't unless you're very high maintenance. I really think my only major complaint was the food which I still think is just so-so. I really wish I'd simply ordered a couple of appetizers and left it at that.

 

Also, I meant to mention that seating in the Lido at lunchtime was always a problem. We found we had to find a table first where one of us would "camp out" while the other(s) got their food.

 

KCat, hmmmmm ... hints for the 1sttimer. Let me think:rolleyes: . We all loved the hamburgers and tacos at the Terrace Grill at lunchtime. Don't miss that. And if you ever need a snack pick-me-up, head for the pizza ... all different varieties and we loved it.

 

Also, check out both sides of the ice cream stations because they don't always have the same flavors. IMO, they don't have mint chocolate chip nearly enough:) .

 

If you haven't already made a reservation, do take advantage of the Pinnacle Restaurant. It's worth the money (and I don't part with extra $$$ easily).

 

Don't miss Fred Klett if he's still there. I think he was part of the first night's show when they promise he'll be back later in the week. If they're on the same schedule and have the juggler in the Showtime Lounge and Fred in the Queen's Lounge on the same night, go see Fred.

 

Oh!!! One more thing, if you're doing the Eastern Caribbean. It was a bit of a shock when we got to our cabin late Tuesday night and found out we had to set our clocks forward. I wasn't counting on losing that hour so keep this in mind. We got it back Friday night.

Always remember, this is MHO only!!!:D Have a great time.

[ekerr19]

Wow! What can I say - I thoroughly enjoyed reading your review! Have you ever given thought to writing reviews for a travel magazine? I am not kidding, it is wonderful. :)

 

Thank you so much for taking the time to write so clearly and with much thought.

 

DH loves the Hazelnut Brie as well, pleasantly we were able to enjoy it on the Noordam as well. Our appetizers were so delicious and numerous it was often a difficult choosing just one!

 

I hope you are feeling better. :)

[dakrewser]

Also, I meant to mention that seating in the Lido at lunchtime was always a problem. We found we had to find a table first where one of us would "camp out" while the other(s) got their food.

Sorry, Heather, but I put that in the "chair hogger" category. If people would just get their food, sit and eat, then leave - there'd be room enough for all. But if every group stakes out a table while they serve themselves, then there's no room for the more polite among us.

 

-dave

[KCat]

Thanks Heather for the great tips. We are doing the Eastern Caribbean and I hadn't even thought about having to reset our clocks - so thanks for letting me know!

 

If Fred is still there I'll be sure to check him out. :rolleyes:

I'm definitely looking forward to the Pinnacle, I've already made reservations for 2 nights. Actually I'm looking forward to absolutely EVERYTHING!!! :D This next month is going to go by so slowly.

[OCruisers]

I can't believe not one person yelled at me! (At least not yet;) ) .

 

Heather .... Since no one has yelled at you ... thought we would! :D

 

GREAT REVIEW! ENJOYED READING EVERY WORD!

 

Seriously, so glad you all had a wonderful cruise! Appreciate your tip on ordering seafood in the main dining room.

 

Have you planned your NEXT cruise yet?

 

Thanks again! Happy Sailing! OCruisers :)

[Cruising Jake]

Great review! Great style! Now feel better.

[HeatherInFlorida]

Sorry, Heather, but I put that in the "chair hogger" category. If people would just get their food, sit and eat, then leave - there'd be room enough for all. But if every group stakes out a table while they serve themselves, then there's no room for the more polite among us.

 

-dave

Sorry, Dave, I can't agree. Usually I do, but not this round. There were NO tables. So if you got your food you had to stand there with a tray and wait or walk around and search. Trust me, we tried this. The 2 minutes it took for DH to get a pizza and iced tea while I sat with my bad hip is not going to hurt anyone. OnceI got my food first, my back was killing me and I had to walk around the Lido twice, barely able to hold the tray, trying to find a table.

A "chair hogger" is someone who throws their towels down and goes away for 1/2 hour or more. I was sitting in the chair.

 

You obviously don't know me at all because in 60 years no one has ever called me impolite.

[dakrewser]

You obviously don't know me at all because in 60 years no one has ever called me impolite.

And I certainly wouldn't, either, which is why I was so surprised by your posting.

 

Were people simply taking up space at the tables (folks playing cards in the Lido at lunch time really get my dander up!) or were there not enough tables for everyone who wanted to eat at that time?

 

-dave

[HeatherInFlorida]

Happily, no one was playing cards. That would raise my dander as well! There were not enough tables for those who wanted to eat. We tried to vary the times we went there to no avail. Early or late, we would walk in and every single table would have people eating.

 

I was just having dinner with DH and telling him about your post (he says he has to have a word with you;) ) and he reminded me that many people were putting their bags and clothing at tables and going off for their food. Now that (IMHO) would be "chair hogging".

 

But quite honestly, I don't think what we did was wrong or impolite. Mind you, we didn't linger or camp out there for any length of time. We ate and went about our lives. You play with the hand you're dealt and in this case, standing or walking around with a tray for 15 minutes is simply not an option for me.

 

I have to also say, that I never have had this problem on any ship of any size before. So it was surprising to me. Maybe it's due to the fact that no one wanted to eat in the DR!!!:D

[dakrewser]

Maybe it's due to the fact that no one wanted to eat in the DR!!!:D

That was to be my next Q - why bot eat lunch in the DR?

 

:) -dave

[HeatherInFlorida]

As I mentioned in my review, I really didn't like the food in the dining room. So I certainly wouldn't have my lunch there. Besides I didn't want to take the time. From what I've heard many others weren't thrilled either and that's where my theory about why the Lido was so crowded comes from:D .

[Burnsey]

I was wondering if the green cabana survived the storm. We have it book in Feb 2005. Thanks

[HeatherInFlorida]

Burnsey, I can't remember if the green one was there or not, but I'm absolutely sure it will be by February when you go. Remember they make good money on these; they're going to have them up and working as soon as they can.

[FrankenLouis]

do you recall which nights were formal, semi formal, casual on your cruise? we sail in early Jan on the Oosterdam. Makes planning easier if you know ahead of time. ;)

[HeatherInFlorida]

do you recall which nights were formal, semi formal, casual on your cruise? we sail in early Jan on the Oosterdam. Makes planning easier if you know ahead of time. ;)

Depends which itinerary you're doing. We were on the Eastern and it went like this:

 

Sunday: Casual

Monday: Formal

Tuesday: Semi Formal

Wednesday: Casual

Thursday: Casual

Friday: Formal

Saturday: Casual

 

Enjoy!

[Southwest]

Thanks for taking time to write such a comprehensive review. We're going on the O soon and the information was very helpful. You helped add to our excitement of our pending vacation with your vivid descriptions. I have 2 questions I hope you can help me with. First, what kind of amenities/toiletries are provided in the cabin? Specifically, is there separate conditioner or is it in the shampoo? Is there lotion? Is there a shower cap? Does the hairdryer work well? Is the fridge big enough to hold a couple of bottles of wine? Second, on HMC are there a lot of trees and shade? We are only planning to be on shore for a few hours and don't want to rent a cabana, but if I don't have shade I melt. Thanks in advance for your response.

[HeatherInFlorida]

Thanks for taking time to write such a comprehensive review. We're going on the O soon and the information was very helpful. You helped add to our excitement of our pending vacation with your vivid descriptions. I have 2 questions I hope you can help me with. First, what kind of amenities/toiletries are provided in the cabin? Specifically, is there separate conditioner or is it in the shampoo? Is there lotion? Is there a shower cap? Does the hairdryer work well? Is the fridge big enough to hold a couple of bottles of wine? Second, on HMC are there a lot of trees and shade? We are only planning to be on shore for a few hours and don't want to rent a cabana, but if I don't have shade I melt. Thanks in advance for your response.

Hi, Southwest, I'm glad you enjoyed my review! Such a nice compliment:) . The shampoo is a combination shampoo and conditioner by Royal Dutch (made especially for HAL, it says;) ). I didn't bother with it. They used to have a wonderful Chamomile Shampoo and separate conditioner, but no more.

 

There is a body lotion which I did not like very much. I didn't feel it moisturized at all, but I need a really good moisturizer. They give you as many shower caps as you like (I always take these and save them because I pack my shoes in them;) ) and I did like their soap. Because the water is desalinated sea water, be prepared for incredibly soft water (some will tell you it's hard, but I know my water and it's very soft). This will leave you feeling "slick" as if the soap isn't gone, but that's the way you're really supposed to feel. As a result, your hair goes incredibly limp so if you may need more "stuff" in it than usual. My hair felt wonderful to touch, but it was very hard to manage (I have very fine hair).

 

I felt the hairdryer worked very well and on another thread many spoke of it and for the most part, everyone thought it did a good job on both fine and thick hair.

 

The fridge should hold the wine. They have it filled with sodas and beer and we didn't use it, but I'm sure you can slip your wine in there with no problem.

 

On HMC, you may want to rent the "clamshells" for shade. I think they're $9/day. Ask at the Shore desk about it. There are trees, mostly pine, which have been denuded by the hurricanes, but still do provide some shade. But the shady areas are highly covetted. But the eating area is shaded, as are the bar areas. You should be okay ... especially if you get the clam shells.

 

I hope you have a wonderful time and if you have any other questions, let me know. I'll do the best I can to answer them.

[janisutx]

Heather, I noticed the exceptional quality of your photos. They appear to be a combination of a talented photographer and a superior camera. I am shopping for a new digital camera and would love to know which camera you used. Thanks!