Review of the Vendaam

[cricri7]

Hi....I just came back from the Vendaam cruise to Bermuda from July 4th to 11th. I just loved Bermuda so much. It is beautiful!! I have been to a couple of Carribean islands, but they don't hold a candle to Bermuda. I found it beautiful, clean, safe and efficient. I took the public bus to go to Horseshoe bay (5$ both ways) by myself and loved it. I also took a shore excursion with the ship (west end highlights and scenic south shore). It was in a cab. I liked it a lot also. Bermuda is easy to get around without the excursions if you want to stay on land. I would probably not book other excursions when I go back...you notice that I did not write if but when I go back. I liked it that much!

 

As for the ship, it was a great cruise with very high points and a couple of low points. I feel bad mentionning the bad points because I don' want to complain about such a great trip but Holland should read those reviews to better themselves.

 

I was traveling by myself ( a 42 year old woman) and I noticed that there were not many solo travelers. I have no problems with being alone, I read 5 books during this vacation and many magazines, so it was no problem being surrounded by families and couples. I met some very interesting and nice people. I was seated with other people 6 nights out of 7. On the other night, they left me alone at my table but I just read and watched the sea. Staff seemed surprised that I was by myself but everyone was very nice. I did not have fixed dining but I ended up making reservations for the same table on the 4 last nights. The maitre d' almost did not want to give it to me but I just smiled and stayed there so he ended up giving it to me instead of me staying there;)

 

I loved the food but expected more Holland being a 5 star cruise line. I cruised on Carnival and found the food to be as good as on Holland and the desserts are even better on Carnival. Don't get me wrong, I ate very well but there was no "wow" factor. The staff in the dining room is very nice and attentive. Widodo, my waiter, was very funny.

 

My stateroom was on A deck, a large inside and I loved it. It was clean and spacious. The room stewards were always there, smiling and efficient, even if they have one of the hardest jobs on board.

 

The waiters at Mix, Emerson and Joseph, were nice and fun to talk with. I had a glass of champagne every night after dinner! I can't talk about the shows because I was going back to my cabin early after a glass of champagne and some time in the Explorations cafe. I loved that place. It is almost like a library. People whisper and go there to read or to play board games. It was one of my favorite places on board with Deck 6 where you can walk around and lounge on a chair while watching the water and falling asleep like I often did!

 

The low points were the air conditioning in my room that was never very cold. I even had to ask for a fan the first night or I would have had to go sleep on a deck!

 

The other low point and it was the worst for me....the pool....there is only one pool and you have to share it with the kids. Don't get me wrong, I love kids (I am a teacher) but I love them when they respect the rules. There was a board where it was written that you can't jump, splash, dive or run...well...they did all of the above and the parents and the staff did not say anything. I found it irritating because the kids were making bombs and splashing the older folks who did like me and got out of the pool. I tried telling a couple of kids to read the rules but they simply ignored me. Depending on who reads this review, some will be on my side and others will give me grief but I talked with other people who complained to the staff about it. Many complaints were lodged to the staff but they did not do anything. The retreat is a bust in my opinion. They should replace it with another pool.

 

I have a question for those who kept up with this long review and are used to cruising on Holland....when there are 2 pools, do they assign one to the kids and another one to the adults like they do on Carnival? I prefered Holland but the high point with Carnival for me was the adult pool and the fact that the staff enforced the rule.

 

This was one of my greatest trips. I was able to spend a couple of days before and after in NY, which is my favorite city, so it was 10 heavenly days for me:)

[3rdGenCunarder]

So glad that you enjoyed your cruise. It's easy to fall in love with Bermuda. There's no place quite like it. I completely "get" your feeling of when you go back, not if.

 

We were on Veendam a month before you were. We enjoyed the promenade deck and never bothered with the pool or the "giant footbath," as some posters have called the retreat. That early in the season, we didn't see many kids around the ship.

 

Kids in pools are often a problem. I see it where I swim. There are lap swim areas, and kids aren't supposed to be jumping in and out of the water. But they do. And unless one of the adult lap swimmers says something to the guard, nothing gets done.

 

The situation is worse on the ship because the pool is small. The parents don't make the kids follow the rules, and the staff are reluctant to say anything for fear of offending the parents. And if another passenger says something to a kid, WOW! The parents go ballistic. (I've seen it happen to people on planes and trains. Parents of ill-behaved children can be very nasty, "Who the #$%^ are you to tell my kid what to do???")

 

Maybe when there's only one pool, HAL should consider doing what community pools do, have an "adult swim," a time when kids are out and adults can enjoy the pool. Of course, this means you may notbe enoying the pool when you want to, but it's better than being splashed a lot.

 

On our Princess cruise, there was an adult pool. I saw people bring their kids into the pool, despite clearly posted signs. Consideration is a lost art for some people.

[dtiger]

I'm glad to hear you enjoyed your cruise.

 

On my last cruise I found the kids jumping, splashing and knocking into people while their parents did nothing. The crew should stop the kids as obviously the parents don't teach them to follow rules, very annoying.

[English_in_Spain]

On the Noordam there are 2 pools. The lido pool is for families and the aft/seaview pool is for adults only

 

 

On our cruise there were still some people bringing their children to the aft pool. When this happened nothing was done to stop them.

 

I do wish HAL would have the courage to enforce their rules. I know they are afraid of upsetting a passenger but in not doing so they are upsetting others.

[Krazy Kruizers]

On ships where there are 2 pools -- we have often seen children in the adults only pool -- and unfortunately no one enforced the rules.

[Ali70]

I'll be on the Veendam on August 29th and I'm even more excited after reading your review. I'm a 40 year old woman and I always travel solo. What in your opinion are the must see places in Bermuda?

[IRL_Joanie]

I love the review and have your photos on the HAL Stateroom/Cabins page for everyone to see. Thank you so much!!

 

I have to say that I was surprised at a couple of things:

 

1. The Promenade Deck, that is the best photo I have seen from any of the ships of the Promenade Deck. Also, the amount of deck chairs available above and beyond the Lanai reserved ones surprised me. After reading a lot of the reviews post dry dock I did not expect to see so many in such good spots for non Lanai Stateroom users. Thank you for the photo showing their availability:)

 

2. The Lido Pool (midship. Question... There are tables with table cloths at the bottom of the photo.... How in the heck do you get to one of them without having to either swim to one or walk on the pool wall?? I could not see anyway else to get to them...:confused:

 

Thank you for the great review!!

 

Joanie

[cricri7]

Thanks Joanie for the compliment....There were many chairs on the Promenade deck but most of them were reserved for the Lanai staterooms. I found that not many of the people in those rooms occupied the chairs. I thought it would always be busy since it is such a beautiful place but it was quite empty usually. There are many chairs at the end of the deck that you can bring to a place in the middle of the deck. This is the trick if you want a good viewing place and if there are no chairs available. You move it yourself and you are done!

 

Ali....If your budget is limited, you don't have to buy the expensive excursions if you only want to sightsee. In St-George, I took the trolley tour by myself and it cost me 25$ for an hour. It took you around to places maybe you would not have walked to. If you booked through the boat, it cost 49$.

 

In Hamilton, which is more fun because you are docked, I went to Horseshoebay by public bus. You take the number 7 bus and you ask the bus driver to let you off there. It is easy because it is where all the tourists in swimsuit get off....haha...You can go to the shore excursion desk to ask for a map and a bus schedule and Jessi and Todd will explain to you how to get to the bus terminal to buy your tokens. It is a 5 minutes walk from the ship. There are many beaches, Warwick is supposed to be the most beautiful one, but Horseshoebay rents chairs, has a small restaurant and changing rooms. If you are not going to stay long, you can go to Warwick. Don't book the Clearwater beach tour. It only takes you to the beach and costs at least 50$. It is not worth it.

 

When I go back, I will take the bus a bit more to sight see. They are easy to operate, air conditioned and relatively cheap. You can buy a pass for ferry and bus for around 35$ and it will be good for the duration of your stay.

 

To all those who answered me about the pool issue, thank you for being supportive. Like I said, Holland is superior to Carnival but on the pool issue, Carnival wins hands down because when I was on the Valor the staff enforced the rule. I don't really mind parents getting in my face if I tell the kids to stop doing something, which no one did by the way, because I am on the right side of the law:p

[Jade13]

 

 

I have a question for those who kept up with this long review and are used to cruising on Holland....when there are 2 pools, do they assign one to the kids and another one to the adults like they do on Carnival? I preferred Holland but the high point with Carnival for me was the adult pool and the fact that the staff enforced the rule.

 

 

We never saw a "Adults Only Pool" on our HAL cruises. The second pool always had a sign that said under age 14 with Adult supervision. I saw the same sign on 4 different ships. It wasn't specifically an Adults Only pool but most "kids" were in the larger pool. I know others have seen an Adults Only sign, so it depends on the ship.

[KWIN]

cricri7

You must be the Veuve Clicquot lover that I met at the Mix & then continued to mis-pronounce you name every time I saw you! It was indeed a great week on the Veendam and was a pleasure meeting you!

Karen

[portofrome]

I'm glad to hear you enjoyed your cruise. Thanks for the review.

[3rdGenCunarder]

I'll be on the Veendam on August 29th and I'm even more excited after reading your review. I'm a 40 year old woman and I always travel solo. What in your opinion are the must see places in Bermuda?

 

Check the Bermuda board for info about Bermuda. Also, there was a thread about "top three" ideas for Bermuda. It might give you some ideas.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1230594

 

Bermuda is wonderful, the people are friendly, and it's a very safe atmosphere. Enjoy your cruise!

[0bnxshs]

The situation is worse on the ship because the pool is small. The parents don't make the kids follow the rules, and the staff are reluctant to say anything for fear of offending the parents. And if another passenger says something to a kid, WOW! The parents go ballistic. (I've seen it happen to people on planes and trains. Parents of ill-behaved children can be very nasty, "Who the #$%^ are you to tell my kid what to do???")

 

Completely understand about offensive children and their parents. One approach I've tried and found to be somewhat more effective is to simply ask the offending children where I might find their parents. This question alone can sometimes correct the offensive behavior. If their parents are available nearby (which isn't always the case), I approach them and explain the issue. While this still will occassionally evoke streams of expletives, by not trying to discipline their children it has worked for me almost 100% of the time in getting the behavior corrected; but whether they storm off with their children or simply ask them to please behave, I've accomplished my purpose.

 

Nice review! Glad you enjoyed. We are booked on the Veendam in Dec. for South America and Antarctica and are ravenous for Veendam info, so thanks!

[senator6]

We were on an earlier Bermuda cruise and saw the same problem with a few children, but mostly with parents. Even before we left New York on mother left her child alone in the aft hot tub for at least 30 minuets- despite the signs.

In our 30 + cruises it has been rare that staff have corrected the children, when it has happened I have always thanked the staff member, it seems most are more concerned with offending the parents than enforcing the rules for the majority.

[cricri7]

Yes Karen....I am the Veuve Cliquot, and Tattinger, lover you saw at the Mix!!! It was indeed a fabulous week. I only met nice people on that cruise. I love traveling alone, like I said I read 5 books during that week, but it is always nice to meet nice people and have a conversation with them....even if they mispronounce my name...haha...It is indeed hard to say in english so I don't mind and find it cute when people mispronounce it. Very nice people hang out at the Mix bar;)

 

I will surely go back to Bermuda!

[3rdGenCunarder]

We were on an earlier Bermuda cruise and saw the same problem with a few children, but mostly with parents. Even before we left New York on mother left her child alone in the aft hot tub for at least 30 minuets- despite the signs.

 

In our 30 + cruises it has been rare that staff have corrected the children, when it has happened I have always thanked the staff member, it seems most are more concerned with offending the parents than enforcing the rules for the majority.

 

 

Hmm, boiled child. Perhaps the mother had been reading Jonathan Swift?

[DTraveler!]

Majority of the time, I fault the parents, not the kids. (It's interesting; one of my kids goes to friends homes more often than they visit ours...why?... because we actually have rules!).

[amster65]

If you take a cruise 2 weeks or longer, not during spring break, and not during the summer vacation period, quess what, no kids. I speak of experience. Will never take a 7 day cruise again.

[3rdGenCunarder]

If you take a cruise 2 weeks or longer, not during spring break, and not during the summer vacation period, quess what, no kids. I speak of experience. Will never take a 7 day cruise again.

 

7-day cruises aren't always busy with kids. As you say, avoid spring break and summer vacation time and you're more likely to have a quiet cruise.

[3rdGenCunarder]

On the flip side of the kid thing (and I hope this isn't pushing drift out to sea), if you see kids behaving nicely, do you ever compliment the parents? A lot of parents find it a bit unsettling to be told how cute a small child is. (Some parents think anyone who smiles at their kid is a pervert) But they're always pleased to get a compliment on manners. Grandparents especially like to hear that.

 

When we see a school group in a museum and they're behaving well and doing their assignments, etc, I compliment the teacher. It's kind of funny. I'll ask "Are those your students?" and the answer is usually a wary "Yeeees?" And then the teacher is astonished when I comment on how well the kids behave or how into the exhibit they are. I usually commend the teacher on his/her preparation for the visit.

 

And to get back to cruising. We saw a group of little schoolkids on a ferry in Bermuda a few cruises back. They had their snacks and juiceboxes during the ride. As we approached the dock, the teacher told them to pick up after themselves "and I don't care if you didn't drop it, if you see something on the floor, please pick it up." Try that with American kids.

[cricri7]

I am like you...I often compliment the parents when you are in a situation where the kid is super nice and easy going. I also smile at the parents with compassion when kids have a meltdown, because even nice kids have meltdowns, or make a commentary that he must be tired and I don't get offended when some poor kid is tired.

 

I am a high school teacher and I did 2 big trips, including a cruise, and we got compliments for our students. We did a cruise of the Greek isles and some of the staff told us that they were one of the most disciplined groups they had seen. Teenagers are teenagers and you have to make the rules crisp and clear and have consequences already laid out if you want them to follow the rules. It is as simple as that. We loved having compliments!!!!!

 

I booked the Eurodam for spring break, I do not have a choice to travel when kids do but I looked before booking that it had 2 pools;)

[charleysmom]

A big thank you to all of you who compliment the parents on well-mannered kids. We generally travel with our daughter (my avatar photo, now almost 14). She loves to travel, loves dinner in fancy restaurants, and knows that she doesn't get to do either if she misbehaves so she's generally at her best when we travel. Even when she's tired (as she clearly was in the photo), her tendency is to curl up and conk out rather than whine. We have frequently gotten compliments on her (generally starting with "I was watching your daughter at dinner...) and we never, ever get tired of getting them. It's always a reminder of how sweet and charming she can be when she wants to be... because she's definitely not like that all the time at home!! ;)

[3rdGenCunarder]

A big thank you to all of you who compliment the parents on well-mannered kids. We generally travel with our daughter (my avatar photo, now almost 14). She loves to travel, loves dinner in fancy restaurants, and knows that she doesn't get to do either if she misbehaves so she's generally at her best when we travel. Even when she's tired (as she clearly was in the photo), her tendency is to curl up and conk out rather than whine. We have frequently gotten compliments on her (generally starting with "I was watching your daughter at dinner...) and we never, ever get tired of getting them. It's always a reminder of how sweet and charming she can be when she wants to be... because she's definitely not like that all the time at home!! ;)

 

LOL! That's what my neighbor said one time when I commented on her daughter's sunny disposition.

 

And a big THANK YOU to you for bringing up a child who knows how to behave in public. Kids don't learn good manners by accident, which is why I try to help reinforce good behavior.

[charleysmom]

LOL! That's what my neighbor said one time when I commented on her daughter's sunny disposition.

 

And a big THANK YOU to you for bringing up a child who knows how to behave in public. Kids don't learn good manners by accident, which is why I try to help reinforce good behavior.

 

Sometimes I think that it's such a struggle to be good in public all the time that she lets it out even more at home. But overall, we're extremely lucky. When she was just a baby (3-4 months maybe) I did one of those silly surveys in the parenting magazine that rated your baby's disposition. I can't remember what the label was, but basically said she would be a "roll with the punches" kind of kid. I laughed at it then, but oddly enough it's still true. But regardless of whether it's nature or nurture, I'm pretty happy with the result!

 

 

And back to the Veendam, I'm on her in September with my mom and sister (no kid this cruise!) and was really glad to see the review. Getting very, very excited!!

[3rdGenCunarder]

Sometimes I think that it's such a struggle to be good in public all the time that she lets it out even more at home. But overall, we're extremely lucky. When she was just a baby (3-4 months maybe) I did one of those silly surveys in the parenting magazine that rated your baby's disposition. I can't remember what the label was, but basically said she would be a "roll with the punches" kind of kid. I laughed at it then, but oddly enough it's still true. But regardless of whether it's nature or nurture, I'm pretty happy with the result!

 

 

And back to the Veendam, I'm on her in September with my mom and sister (no kid this cruise!) and was really glad to see the review. Getting very, very excited!!

 

It's a great cruise, and Bermuda is wonderful. Enjoy!