Veendam Live in the Caribbean Dec 2017

Another sea day en route to St Thomas ibegan and ended in sunny warmth.

Lido Market breakfast continues to be a real pleasure with no lines and no waiting for a table. I did see some pre-cooked waffles but did not try them yet. There was a waffle iron so freshly-cooked ones could probably be requested. I do like the hand washing stations with the swirling rubber pads to tickle your fingertips. The waitstaff offered coffee every five minutes to everyone in their section and other beverages were quickly delivered.

The kitchen tour was interesting and the first where we walked among the preparation tables with food exposed. Rows of sandwiches being assembled, pastries of all types, and salad makings being chopped definitely made me feel hunger pangs. There was not a dedicated Room Service preparation spot as the equipment from other locations in the kitchen are shared.

My lunch was a salad with turkey and I remain unhappy with the salad bowls that are so deep that a fork cannot scoop the smaller contents without tipping the bowl. My minibar now has a Ziploc bag with various cheeses for evening snacks.

I spent the afternoon visiting CC members in their Neptune Suite. FWIW their veranda table was 28-inches wide for those contemplating bringing a tablecloth.

Dinner in the Canaletto had excellent service and the Zuppa de Pesce is still my favorite item on the menu. My fish was large with crispy skin. I opted to not eat the fingerling potatoes and save room for my pistchio gelato. The stripped shirts for waiters are gone and replaced by tiny-checked shirts that raise the ambiance of the restaurant. A dividing wall in the restaurant is a giant mirror and the Manager suggested I sit with my back to it unless I wanted to look at myself while I ate.

The ship internet speed remains poor but this post is being created via my cell phone in St Thomas.

Christmas decorations are now appearing throughout the ship.

More later.

Until other Caribbean cruiser report what they had for dinner, I am unable to confirm the applicable menus. Just know that I will keep trying to find the answers.

Thanks so much Roger, I really appreciate it.

Thanks for the reports, Roger!

I'll risk going out on a limb here and say that 99.9 % of Cruise Critic members understood what the OP was saying. :rolleyes:

Count me in! [emoji6]

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We are sailing with only 800 passengers

Zowie. That's only 64% of capacity, if my figures are correct. Shows why cruise fares are low in early December. I never tell a cruiser that he can order all the food he wants for fear that I will be kept waiting while a waiter brings him entree after entree and dessert after dessert. Thanks for the live thread, Crew News, lots of good information.

Zowie. That's only 64% of capacity, if my figures are correct. Shows why cruise fares are low in early December. I never tell a cruiser that he can order all the food he wants for fear that I will be kept waiting while a waiter brings him entree after entree and dessert after dessert. Thanks for the live thread, Crew News, lots of good information.

I always choose the first of the season before the schools start vacation for the prices and lower passenger numbers.

Multiple courses information is never given by me at a table where I am sitting. It usually happens in an elevator or the Lido Market. The two couples that I advised about the availability of egg white omlets still stop me and thank me.

I am a firm believer that the more new cruisers know, the more they can take advantage of all that is available.

About the lunch salads in the Lido.......do they still have two sizes of salad bowls???....one was very deep all around but the other was somewhat slanted so it was deep on only one side. We always preferred the slanted bowls....smaller but more convenient to use.

About the lunch salads in the Lido.......do they still have two sizes of salad bowls???....one was very deep all around but the other was somewhat slanted so it was deep on only one side. We always preferred the slanted bowls....smaller but more convenient to use.

Salad bowls are large and deep, I have only seen the slanted bowls on the Nieuw Amsterdam.

About the lunch salads in the Lido.......do they still have two sizes of salad bowls???....one was very deep all around but the other was somewhat slanted so it was deep on only one side. We always preferred the slanted bowls....smaller but more convenient to use.

we had both sizes on the Westerdam and the Rotterdam.

I too prefer the smaller, slanted ones :)

FWIW Mr Ashford and his family will be aboard for the next cruise on the Veendam that will be stopping in Cuba. Other HAL VIPs are also expected.

St Thomas day dawned in sunshine and bright blue skies. The warnings of high humidity came true and the added 84 degrees made for a quite muggy day.

St Thomas allowed me to use my cell phone so my first task in port was to download the 538 MB driver for my scanner whose driver was corrupted.

I noticed some damage to the roofs of the buildings at the port and the obvious lack of large palm leaves. While there, the shops near the port lost power and emergency generators kept Haversight Port area going. The cable car reportedly was not working. Having been to St Thomas before, I opted to walk around the port area. I counted 45 jewelry shops and a Chinese restaurant. I overheard several shop keepers discussing the lack of inventory available in their shops.

While returning to the ship, my cell phone told me that a software update was available and required a WIFI connection. Using the ship’s WIFI connection would take forever and not be cost effective so I opted to take advantage of the free WIFI at the pier entrance. The update took nearly 20 minutes with a blinking warning to not move from the WIFI connection so standing in the heat and humidity of the day made me very thankful for the ship A/C.

The ship elevators continue to be a major gripe from those waiting so long to catch one of four elevators in each bank that seem to be doing all of the work.

Elevators are entered whether they are going up or down rather than waiting too long.

Internet speed remains some of the slowest that I have encountered on a HAL ship.

The Captain promised good weather for the day in St Kitts.

The day in St Kitts started in bright sunshine. Breakfast remained very enjoyable with no lines and no waiting for tables.

Unlike previous cruises, the Veendam stopped at the commercial terminal rather than with the other cruise ships near the shopping area. Free shuttles were provided back and forth to the shopping area.

My excursion to the British Brimstone Fortress was filled with mixed feelings. The ride to the fortress in the 11-passeger Nissan vans with very cramped seats over bumpy roads was most uncomfortable. The walk up to the fortress was taxing but the view was well worth the climb. Our excursion guide offered to take folks from the ship back to the shopping area since it was on her way home.

My crab legs dinner at the Pinnacle Grill was very good. My Caesar salad was mixed at my table. With few diner, the PG ManagerThe waiter’s white jackets have been replaced with the same vests/ties as the MDR waiters but with blue shirts/ties instead of the white shirts worn in the MDR.

As I left the PG, a chef, Rob, asked me how I liked my meal and what I would like to see changed. We ended up talking for 20 minutes in the hallway where he heard about chocolate purses, steak Diane, and chocolate bombs. When I asked if he was the head PG chef, he said that he worked for Rudi Sodamin and was on board to modify some recipes for the first Cuba cruise in a week as well as to ensure Mr Ashford is kept happy. Rob asked when I was going to eat next in the PG and said that he would take off his chef’s jacket for something “special”. I am making a list of my suggestions.

The elevators remain very slow to arrive even though we are in a reduced passenger mode and the internet speed is very slow with several minutes required to just login.

Throughout the cruise, the crew is performing ship maintenance at every port. The interior of the ship looks excellent and more Christmas decoration are being put up each day.

More soon.

Just catching up here - many thanks for your time and effort to post such great information here. I often go to your site to look up information, view your photos, etc. and appreciate how you have made it so easy to link to it.

Does Veendam have either the pop up Sel De Mer or De Librje in place of Le Cirque ?

Thanks

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Are the plugs in the walls of the Veendam 3 pronged or 2 pronged? I am trying to figure out what kind of extension cord I need. I am going on the Cuba trip January 3

Another day in the Caribbean started in bright sunshine as we docked in St Lucia. The Lido Market breakfast lines were again not an issue and lots of tables were available.

My catamaran excursion was a short walk from the bow of the Veendam and the boat was only partially filled which allowed lots of room to wander for photographs. No shoes were permitted on the outer decks to prevent slipping and damage to the smooth finish of the boat. The boat sailed around the island to Soufierre so the Pitons were very much in view. There was a mix up in the buses so we watched as the passengers from two other buses left the port. We boarded my favorite Nissan buses and my knees pressed hard against the seatback in front of me for the short ride up the hill. We stopped at a former sugar/coconut plantation to see how they operated in the last centuries. Since I have been there before, I opted to take pictures of flowers for my annual Caribbean flower calendar gifts.

On the way back to the ship, we had lunch aboard the catamaran where we enjoyed chicken wings, fish fritters, tuna and egg sandwiches, and cake. Water and punch were free and Carib beer cost $3. We stopped at a small beach resort for swimming and snorkeling. Paddle boats with local resident merchants surrounded the catamaran trying to convince us to buy shells and shell jewelry. Two venders got into a shouting match over “territory” that lasted 20 minutes and when I took a photo, the most vocal vendor demanded $5 for the privilege. One of the paddleboat vendors stated that, “God sent me with gifts for Christmas and God expects you to buy them. One passenger with negotiating skills worked with that vendor before telling him he was not interested.

The Explorations Café provided two chicken sandwiches (small) and a large chocolate chip cookie for my afternoon snack.

The Veendam left the dock at 4:30 PM and sailed to the Pitons where it did a complete circle to allow all to capture photographs in the pending sunset golden light.

I walked down one flight of stairs from my floor to the MDR for the second Gala Night (blue menu). My filet mignon was cooked perfectly and the lobster ravioli was a nice addition. As is my norm while cruising, I ate only half of my chocolate cheesecake.

Elevators seemed to be working better with much shorter wait times but the internet took a long time to just login to the ship account. External connections have been taking five minutes to connect and several more minutes if you wish to change to even websites with only text.

The Veendam laundry remains outstanding with regular service returning items 10 hours after turn-in.

The food and service remain very good with the more compactness of the ship a treat.

The Veendam currently has Le Cirque but it is supposed to switch to Sol de Meer next month.

Plugs are three-pin with one of the flat plugs a bit larger than the other.

More later.

Still enjoying and living the cruise vicariously me darlin:) Cannot wait to see your photos of my most favorite island in the Caribbean:)

Joanie

Another great morning on the Veendam with puffy clouds and blue skies on the way to Barbados.

With an early port day, I went to the Lido Market at 7:00 AM for breakfast and found only half of the preparation/serving sections closed. Only had to wait for three fellow passengers to receive my eggs Benedict and there were lots of free tables.

Disembarking was delayed about 15 minutes while awaiting clearance from the Port Authority. A packed shuttle bus transported us to the Port Terminal where our excursion bus for, “Best of Barbados” awaited. It was a treat to ride on a bus only 2/3d occupied and lots of leg room. The excursion visited the tallest spot, Signal Point. For a panoramic view of the island. An interesting fact learned on the excursion was that females were seven times the male population on Barbados.

The last stop of the excursion was an estate featuring a room filled with old cameras and optical instruments. Before departing a rum punch tasting was held with refills for those interested. Chicken and fish appetizers were served. With the two stops, I was able to capture hundreds of flower pictures for my Caribbean flower photo collection.

Internet still slow and taking five billable minutes to access a URL page. Elevators are now running more often and waiting times usually less than one minute.

My flat-iron steak for dinner in the MDR was perfectly cooked.

With popcorn in hand, I found a seat in the theater to watch “Home Again” but, along with a number of others, just could not get into the plot and left the show.

My Room Steward discovered that providing me a champagne bucket filled with ice could make the ice last nearly all day by wrapping the sweating metal container with a towel.

I now have all of the various bar menus currently used by HAL. The Lido Market uses the same wine menu as the MDR.

Food remains very good and the service always good.

More later.

Another great morning on the Veendam with puffy clouds and blue skies on the way to Barbados.

 

With an early port day, I went to the Lido Market at 7:00 AM for breakfast and found only half of the preparation/serving sections closed. Only had to wait for three fellow passengers to receive my eggs Benedict and there were lots of free tables.

 

Disembarking was delayed about 15 minutes while awaiting clearance from the Port Authority. A packed shuttle bus transported us to the Port Terminal where our excursion bus for, “Best of Barbados” awaited. It was a treat to ride on a bus only 2/3d occupied and lots of leg room. The excursion visited the tallest spot, Signal Point. For a panoramic view of the island. An interesting fact learned on the excursion was that females were seven times the male population on Barbados.

 

The last stop of the excursion was an estate featuring a room filled with old cameras and optical instruments. Before departing a rum punch tasting was held with refills for those interested. Chicken and fish appetizers were served. With the two stops, I was able to capture hundreds of flower pictures for my Caribbean flower photo collection.

 

Internet still slow and taking five billable minutes to access a URL page. Elevators are now running more often and waiting times usually less than one minute.

 

My flat-iron steak for dinner in the MDR was perfectly cooked.

 

With popcorn in hand, I found a seat in the theater to watch “Home Again” but, along with a number of others, just could not get into the plot and left the show.

 

My Room Steward discovered that providing me a champagne bucket filled with ice could make the ice last nearly all day by wrapping the sweating metal container with a towel.

 

I now have all of the various bar menus currently used by HAL. The Lido Market uses the same wine menu as the MDR.

 

Food remains very good and the service always good.

 

More later.

Roger, you have put so much time and efffort into sharing your cruise with us. Ift is appreciated. I am very much enjoying your reports.

Thank you for them.

Just got caught up.

Excellent reporting.

Our cabin stewards know I like ice all day long, so they take the wine bucket, put a towel around it, a plate over the top and wrap it in plastic wrap -- ice really lasts long.

As I opened my curtains while we were entering the Grenada Harbor, I was met with blue skies and bright sunshine.

Elevators were very efficient, or I was just lucky, as I waited only a few seconds after pushing the call button. Again, no lines in the Lido Market for breakfast.

My excursion via a very roomy bus over steep hills, blind corners requiring a horn toot before entering, steep declines that would scare a skateboarder, tall speed bumps that required only a creeping speed to avoid rattling everyone’s dentures, passing within centimeters of the oncoming vehicle, market day traffic jams, and roads that seemed a single lane wide lasted nearly four hours with three hours of the above on the roadways.

The stop at a high point to overlook the harbor included more steps to be climbed to capture some good photographs. There were steel drummers playing Christmas music with a tip box played nearby. A passing shower dumped rain just as we returned to our bus. Skies cleared within 10 minutes as we drove and then another passing shower struck. We drove to a waterfall surrounded by vendors selling trinkets and spice necklaces. At the top of the ramp leading to the waterfall, local women had fruit piled on top of their heads and wanted five dollars to take their pictures. A monkey with its handler was also offering pictures for five dollars. The waterfall featured local divers leaping from a nearby cliff if an appropriate tip was payed. There was also a guitar player who strolled alongside groups of visitors creating words related to the visitors clothing worn.

The tour drove by the area where the United States Marines came ashore to oust the Cubans from the island in 1983. Our driver, AKA pumpkin” declared the island population’s admiration for President Reagan who rescued the island from a Communist coupe. Another stop at a former spice manufacturing facility had an amazing demonstration of the techniques for bringing spices to market. I learned that allspice was not a combination of lots of things but a spice by itself. We smelled many spices, leaves, and nuts during the demo. I learned the luffa was not from the sea but rather a dried leaf. No vendors were present since the location was on private property. Spices were available for sale at three small tables.

Our last stop, after nearly one hour of harrowing roads was at a rainforest and a place to claim our free drink coupon. The 30-minutes time was too short to allow any walking into the rainforest as most of those on the excursion opted for restrooms and beverages.

The drive down the steep roads to the port area found the bus in the middle of the local Saturday market which added 15 minutes time to travel a few hundred yards. Pedestrians dashed between the stalled traffic looking for fresh fish for the weekend. The bus unloaded at the entrance to the Port Shopping Mall that need to be traversed before finding the exit doors to the cruise ship.

It must be noted that “Pumpkin” made liberal use of the bus horn at each blind corner but he also added many toots to friends along the way. A passenger commented that he seemed to know someone in every small village on the island as he exchanged waves with many people. “Pumpkin” said he could probably be the next Prime Minister if he wanted to run.

I think a GoPro camera could be placed on the bus dashboard and a thrilling computer driving game be created.

I made it back from my excursion just prior to the Lido Market closing at 2:00 PM. When I finished my lunch, a plate of nacho chips found its way to my stateroom coffee table.

My MDR lamb shank dinner was perfectly cooked and “Cubanized” by adding some peppers and caramelized onions.

The internet remains slow to connect even to only shipboard activities. Web pages are even slower to open. Elevators seem to be working better now. Food and service remains excellent for me with more and more crew calling me by name.

Tomorrow we will be stopping in Guadaloupe around 9:00 AM. With no excursions planned, I will visit the port area and then work on creating my Veendam photo review. Since the movie, “Dunkirk” was shown in the theater tonight, I will be watching it on TV tomorrow.

More later.

Thank you so much for this wonderful review. I will be boarding the Veendam on Friday for the Cuba cruise. If you have a chance will you say a few words about the Christmas decorations that you said were being put up?

I don't think our numbers on the Veendam will be quite as small as yours so I imagine the Lido Market and the elevators will be more crowded. I have not sailed on her but I have sailed on sister ship Rotterdam so I am hoping I will easily remember the layout. We are on the Navigation deck close to the rear elevators so we are hoping that moving around the ship will be fairly simple. Last year for Christmas we cruised on the Koningsdam and were in the farthest cabin forward on the Mozart deck; lots of walking on that one (and a bumpy, windy ride as well.)

Looking forward to reading more before we fly out on Thursday.

St. Louis Sal

I haven’t read through this thread as I haven’t been following CC too much lately so please forgive me if this question has already been asked and answered.

Have the cabins been retrofitted with USB charging ports or, if not, are they scheduled in the next year or so.

Thanks in advance for your answer.

Wonderful reporting - looking forward to the rest of your voyage!

Sue/WDW1972

We are booked on the Veendam in January. This is our first HAL cruise, but our 20th overall.

My DW is asking about the hair dryers in the washrooms- is there one? how good are they? Should she bring her own?

What is the soap and shampoo like that are supplied by HAL.

Thanks for your anticipated responses.