Veendam

We sailed late June to early July. No problems with the ship. Lovely voyage. Only issue was Lido Manager and poor response from front desk. I would grab a lanai on this ship again in a minute.

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Actually, there is no "long documented" history of Veendam issues. There is your version, and hundreds of others who have continued to sail on these ships who leave very satisfied.

Oh,sorry but there is a well documented history right here on cruise critic. Going back at least 7 or 8 years.

Oh,sorry but there is a well documented history right here on cruise critic. Going back at least 7 or 8 years.

A few one-off reports are anecdotal, not a well documented history of ongoing problems. I believe the worst problems happened shortly after the addition of the aft cabins a number of years ago, which was obviously remedied. Yes, when passengers stuff things down the toilets that don't belong they can clog up. Yes, when passengers leave verandah doors open, it screws up the the ventilation for other cabins. Yes, when the Veendam is traveling in the equatorial zones for a few days it can stress the A/C system.

Still waiting to learn more about the "power surge" which may be one more one-off situation caused by something dock-side, and not the ship itself. Stay tuned and we will both learn more.

I actually don’t know what caused the surge. In addition to the electrical issues (which I mentioned are mostly resolved), there was enough smoke coming from one of the AC units that the fire doors closed to the impacted area and the fire teams were called to their stations. Again, this was while we were in port. I didn’t give every detail from that first day because the captain concluded it was safe to sail. I’m just focused on what the continuing experience is for us. So, while things seem generally fine, my comment regarding seaworthiness was really about whether this event might have some lingering impact.

We ate at the buffet for lunch today and all appeared fine. We’re going to the main dining room tonight. The coffee machine in the Neptune lounge has been fixed.

Quebec City is beautiful and very easy to access. My mom (83) was able to walk without issue (lots of short steps - would be difficult with someone truly mobility impaired) and we took the funicular up to the town. The lower town was also very picturesque and lots of cute shops.

Oh-and all of the passengers have received a $100 OBC for the inconvenience. That came unsolicited and was announced in the same letter that I can’t seem to upload.

I actually don’t know what caused the surge. In addition to the electrical issues (which I mentioned are mostly resolved), there was enough smoke coming from one of the AC units that the fire doors closed to the impacted area and the fire teams were called to their stations. Again, this was while we were in port. I didn’t give every detail from that first day because the captain concluded it was safe to sail. I’m just focused on what the continuing experience is for us. So, while things seem generally fine, my comment regarding seaworthiness was really about whether this event might have some lingering impact.

Thanks for the updates and please keep doing them as time permits. I am very interested to see if the problems are being completely resolved, or if they might linger over the next 6 weeks. Glad they gave you the OBC, and hopefully the rest of your trip turns out great.

Thanks for the updates and please keep doing them as time permits. I am very interested to see if the problems are being completely resolved, or if they might linger over the next 6 weeks. Glad they gave you the OBC, and hopefully the rest of your trip turns out great.

gulp.

But seriously, they put the ship to sea. I'm pretty comfortable especially given the posts so far - and frankly, on a $399 cruise if they gave me $100 back I'd take that deal every day and twice on Sunday.

Tracking the Veendam live - currently docked in Quebec 8/27: https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/home/centerx:-71.198/centery:46.816/zoom:13

Veendam heading down the St Lawrence River - 21.4 knots

Ramada, thank you for taking the time to keep us updated! We will be boarding in Boston on Saturday and hope issues are 100% resolved by 4 pm! Enjoy the rest of your cruise.

Today we are at sea. The first gala night was postponed; we’ll have that tonight instead of last night. So far, the only new issue of which I’ve become aware is that Club HAL has not been open due to safety concerns (I’m guessing lighting). My niece hasn’t attended but I got the letter this morning that they are setting up satellite locations throughout the ship.

The dining room last night still seemed dimly lit and the Neptune Lounge is still also a bit dark.

We’re having a good time. We watched a DVD in the room last night. They have a great selection of movies.

Hope they offer an "Ask the Captain" session in the Showroom. That will be interesting to learn more. You are having a very unique experience. Thanks for your ongoing detailed reports.

Ramada, thank you for taking the time to keep us updated! We will be boarding in Boston on Saturday and hope issues are 100% resolved by 4 pm! Enjoy the rest of your cruise.

Greetings. Perhaps we will see you onboard!

Alex

Thanks for update and I am so sorry you are having this experience. So, I am new to HAL and the cruise will be a NYE surprise present to my husband. Now, I am worried! Am I bringing him on a dated ship that is not sea worthy?? What will the night life be like? We too are Celebrity and Royal cruisers. Will NYE be dull? Wondering if I should look elsewhere but chances are slim that I will find anything at this late date. Please keep the updates posting and I will hold my breath with some good reviews ;p

I’m presently sailing on the Veendam and was looking at CC to see whether anyone had shared our experience on the ship so far. Nothing jumped out but this string (I’m on my phone on WiFi-which is pretty good). All I can say is that It’s been interesting.

 

I’m new to Holland America and we chose this cruise because of the itinerary. I’m Elite on Celebrity, Diamond on RCL and have also sailed NCL and Disney.

 

Boarding in Montreal was smooth, our suite (Neptune) is comfortable, though a bit dated. The food at the Lido on embarkation day was great.

 

We were settling into our suite, waiting to muster, and suddenly there was a strange, loud humming noise. Our TV went all staticky. Ship’s whistle blew 7 times, lights dimmed (this was all before we left port). It took some time to hear from the captain that there had been a power surge. I could go into more detail but, to sum up, our 4 PM sailing became a 6 PM sailing then it was announced that we would not sail. We spent the night in Montreal. We were told we would get an update in the morning but when I woke up this morning, we were moving. We arrived in Quebec City at 4 PM today and are spending the night and all day tomorrow in QC. Charlottetown has been cancelled.

 

Most services are up and running but many light fixtures are still only operating at emergency level. The crew is handling it all well but I can’t say I’m thrilled (in the sense of feeling like the ship is truly seaworthy). Not a great introduction to HAL. Happy to answer questions.

Thanks for update and I am so sorry you are having this experience. So, I am new to HAL and the cruise will be a NYE surprise present to my husband. Now, I am worried! Am I bringing him on a dated ship that is not sea worthy?? What will the night life be like? We too are Celebrity and Royal cruisers. Will NYE be dull? Wondering if I should look elsewhere but chances are slim that I will find anything at this late date. Please keep the updates posting and I will hold my breath with some good reviews ;p

If you are genuinely that worried, yes you should rebook something else. Imagine spending your time on a "non-sea worthy vessel". What was the Coast Guard thinking even letting this "dated" ship leave the dock.

Was on the Veendam last NYE - don't remember anything extra much going on, but also was not looking for anything. Maybe the Crows Nest had more of a party. These are not known as party ships - they are travel ships primarily. And safe, sea worthy and comfortable ships with wonderful service. Older people do like them. You have been noticed, this may be exactly what you get.

IF you are looking for a ship with multiple dining venues/options, some reasonable entertainment, and one that is not all tucked in by 10:30 then you might want to consider a different ship for your NYE cruise. I would suspect that it will be a very muted event on this ship.

Check out some of the reviews of this and others on the research section of this site.

Well, after much searching of other lines like Carnival, Celebrity and Royal, at this late date...it is what it is.

I'm going to hold my breath, hope for nice people and make our own fun. At minimum we can cheer the New Year in with the bartenders!

IF you are looking for a ship with multiple dining venues/options, some reasonable entertainment, and one that is not all tucked in by 10:30 then you might want to consider a different ship for your NYE cruise. I would suspect that it will be a very muted event on this ship.

 

Check out some of the reviews of this and others on the research section of this site.

You know what....every single HAL cruise we have been on has been wonderful(we are 3 star, close to 4 star and have a 21 day cruise on for January). You make the most of every experience. If you are not into rock climbing walls, water slides, constant music, games and announcements, you will love HAL. We have never been bored, have loved everything offered and keep coming back for more. You will be fine

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I am not saying that it will not be a great cruise.

What I am saying is that it is important to match your preferences and expectations to what the ship or to the cruise line is best known for delivering those preferred attributes to it's customers.

If fabulous entertainment and multiple dining venues are part of that expectation then I would suspect that there is a mismatch. Does not mean that Veendam is a not a wonderful ship, in wonderful condition.

Today we are at sea. The first gala night was postponed; we’ll have that tonight instead of last night. So far, the only new issue of which I’ve become aware is that Club HAL has not been open due to safety concerns (I’m guessing lighting). My niece hasn’t attended but I got the letter this morning that they are setting up satellite locations throughout the ship.

 

The dining room last night still seemed dimly lit and the Neptune Lounge is still also a bit dark.

 

We’re having a good time. We watched a DVD in the room last night. They have a great selection of movies.

Just curious on how the rest of you cruise has been. Have they fixed all of the electrical problems? If not, has it had any significant effect on your enjoyment of the cruise?

Just curious on how the rest of you cruise has been. Have they fixed all of the electrical problems? If not, has it had any significant effect on your enjoyment of the cruise?

We got on the ship literally after she left. There were certainly no vestiges of any issues with the ship and we spent a great 14 days (back-to-back) for the first half of September, 2018 on her.

A quick assessment was added to the "boards" and I will do a review as well.

We got on the ship literally after she left. There were certainly no vestiges of any issues with the ship and we spent a great 14 days (back-to-back) for the first half of September, 2018 on her.

 

A quick assessment was added to the "boards" and I will do a review as well.