Another Veendam Review

[Sirdar]

DW and I just returned from the 7/11 sailing to Bermuda so I will add my observations to those already posted.

 

Overall we were quite pleased by the cruise and would not hestitate to reccomend HAL to others contemplating a Bermuda cruise. This does not mean that we did not experience some negatives but overall we found this a good experience for a reasonable price.

 

This was our sixth Bermuda cruise having previously gone there aboard ships no longer in service (Celebrity Horizon, Pacific Princess and Norwegian Crown).

 

Embarkation- We arrived at the pier around Noon and were aboard in about 40 minutes.There waere 2 lines, one long (to which wew were directed) and one short( presumably for Suite passangers). The only issue was that 2 of our travelling companion were directed to the short line and were aboard in 10 minutes and THEY were in the same category as the rest of oou group of six. No explanation or rhyme or reason for this. Give HAL a slight negative on this. We proceeded to the LIDO where the usual cattle drive was underway during lunch. Our friends who got aboard before us secured a table in the Retreat area and we all managed to grab lunch and relax.Not a luxurious experience but what the heck we had an outdoor seat in the shade!

 

Condition of the Ship- We had sailed the Veendam to the Western Carribean just before its refitting (and it looked tired then) and were pleased with its present condition. We found the public areas, including the WC's to be clean and in good shape. yes, some parts of the ship were warmer than others but never IMO uncomfortably so. Our stateroom was, likewise in good shape with no a/c or toilet problems. The public area WC was always clean and in good condition. The "poolette" in the Retreat area was being

 

Staffing-- the reduction in staff is noticeable but our stateroom was kept quite clean and I know the stewards were hard working. In the dining room the service was good and friendly but noticeably slower than on past cruises. We needed a full two hours to get through dinner, dessert and coffee.

 

Food-- I know that food is a subjective thing so let me say that it was good as far as I am concerned. Everyone in our party of six found something to like every night. We had fixed late dining and so I cannot comment on the wait some people who had "as you wish" dining experienced. we tried Canaletto one evening and enjoyed the food and the experience. Lunches in the LIDO were sandwiches and salads for us and we liked them. ONE BIG CONCERN. On our last night, one member of our party became quite ill with food poisoning. As one of us in our party is a Medical Doctor I feel comfortable with attributing this episode to food poisoning and not some other cause. In fact the ill party was the only one to have selected a particular meal and become ill. Whther other passangers became ill in the middle of the night I do not know. Our Dr. friend addressed this ssue with the ship front office and they were completly unconcerned. A BIG NEGATIVE here for HAL customer relations. As he treated the member of our group who was ill without the need to consult the ship Dr. we don't know what the response would have been on that end. He did report the incident the next day to the Medical Office. Had I been the one to get sick I suppose my overall feeling about the cruise would be more negative but these are the facts as they happened. One final observation cerned the pizza served in the retreat area. It is definately the worst I have ever eaten on any ship at any time. If you are big pizza fan this may be a concern for you.

 

Entertainment-- Romeo in the piano bar was quite entertaining and the showroom entertainment generally good with the comedian Joe Yannetty quite funny.

 

Any questions, just ask

[IRL_Joanie]

Thank you for your great review, the good and the bad!!!

 

I am sorry that your friend got so ill from food poisoning and that the front desk seemed to be so unconcerned. That is a BIG NO NO!!!

 

Sad to hear that the pizza was not that great either. I've raved about HAL's pizza to so many people... now.. I hope it was just the one time you tried it (keeping my fingers crossed!!)

 

Again, Thank you for your review!!

 

Joanie

[portofrome]

Thank you for your review.

[family cruisers]

I have to ask this ... what is that one food to avoid ?

We've made our Pinnacle reservations . Did you try that restaurant ? If so your thoughts there as well please.

 

We too have sailed on the NCL Crown and loved that little ship. How would you compare the Veendam to the Crown ?

 

Thanks for your honest / fair review.

We sail in 41 days, first time on HAL.

[MikeT718]

One final observation cerned the pizza served in the retreat area. It is definately the worst I have ever eaten on any ship at any time. If you are big pizza fan this may be a concern for you.

 

Well you me very happy that I did not wait to get my pizza one afternoon:D

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thank you for taking the time to write your review -- both the good and the bad.

 

Sorry that your friend got food poisoning.

[Sirdar]

I have to ask this ... what is that one food to avoid ?

We've made our Pinnacle reservations . Did you try that restaurant ? If so your thoughts there as well please.

 

We too have sailed on the NCL Crown and loved that little ship. How would you compare the Veendam to the Crown ?

 

Thanks for your honest / fair review.

We sail in 41 days, first time on HAL.

 

The dish that apparently was the cause of the food poisoning was a shrimp dish served on the last night of the cruise. I do not have the name of it. It was not the traditional shrimp cocktail but rather something served on a dinner plate with rice and some kind of vegetable. Hard to say how isolated this might have been since seafood left standing can go off rather quickly.

 

As to the comparison between the Veendam and the Crown I would say that if you liked the Crown you will like the Veendam. This was our third Veendam cruise and the size of the ship better reflects our taste than the newer larger ones. While we were not happy with the tendering into St. Georges, this itinerary better reflects what we knew of Bermuda cruising from the past, than the mega ship we saw stranded aou in the Dockyard for their entire stay.Also, overall I think the Veendam has better food than NCL.

 

We did not try the Pinnacle grill so I cannot comment on the Cuisine. I did notice that it was well frequented and I'm sure that you will find many reviews on this site.

[family cruisers]

Thanks for your reply.

We LOVED the crown , especially the size of it. Smaller and to us more intimate and personal attention to detail. We to do not enjoy the larger ships with all the bells and whistles.

I will say We do enjoy the Carnival pride and it's size. Food on that ship is exceptional in their MDR"s.

Wasn't impressed with RCCL explorer of the seas. Too big.

 

Looking forward to HAL and our new experience with this line.

 

Thank You .

Carrie

 

The dish that apparently was the cause of the food poisoning was a shrimp dish served on the last night of the cruise. I do not have the name of it. It was not the traditional shrimp cocktail but rather something served on a dinner plate with rice and some kind of vegetable. Hard to say how isolated this might have been since seafood left standing can go off rather quickly.

 

As to the comparison between the Veendam and the Crown I would say that if you liked the Crown you will like the Veendam. This was our third Veendam cruise and the size of the ship better reflects our taste than the newer larger ones. While we were not happy with the tendering into St. Georges, this itinerary better reflects what we knew of Bermuda cruising from the past, than the mega ship we saw stranded aou in the Dockyard for their entire stay.Also, overall I think the Veendam has better food than NCL.

 

We did not try the Pinnacle grill so I cannot comment on the Cuisine. I did notice that it was well frequented and I'm sure that you will find many reviews on this site.

[MikeT718]

I also was on the NCL Crown the year prior to it being sold and on the Pacific Princess (The old Love Boat) and out of the 3 ships the one that I liked the best was the Princess. It only held 640 pax it was a great little ship. The cabins were not the greatest we had one of the 6 mini suites and it was not much bigger then a HAL Veranda Suite. But the service was top of the line which included the food and you really got to know a lot of the crew because they were so close to you

[many cruises]

Thank you for writing your review. I'm so sorry that someone got food poisoning. We will stay away from that shrimp dish on the last night. Please tell us what cabins you were in...we are all very concerned about the air conditioning & plumbing problems. Thank goodness you didn't experience them! They have been repeatedly discussed in almost every Veendam review posted...hopefully, HAL is reading these reviews.

[family cruisers]

I too am very concerned about the Air conditioning.

 

Thank you for writing your review. I'm so sorry that someone got food poisoning. We will stay away from that shrimp dish on the last night. Please tell us what cabins you were in...we are all very concerned about the air conditioning & plumbing problems. Thank goodness you didn't experience them! They have been repeatedly discussed in almost every Veendam review posted...hopefully, HAL is reading these reviews.

[ResearchLady]

I am sorry that someone got food poisoning. We had no major food issues. I tried all the seafood meals, especially those in the dining room. And, we really liked the pizza. We went several times, and each time the slices were very tasty.

 

And, for entertainment, after the piano man from the Caribbean Princess, no one can ever beat him so we didn't stay long when Romeo played.

[queennightmare24]

We also just got off this cruise and before everyone thinks i am just a complainer let me say all and all I had a great cruise and would go back in a heart beat. Now i will just point out a few issues that we had. Two members in our party also got food poisoning. We think it was the mayo on room service late thursday. Also we were not so lucky with our room. We were in cabin 48 and our a/c didn't work correctly for the whole trip. It was rather warm and stuffy and was dripping some days. We called down to front desk and they kept sending people up and we didn't have any luck with it. Now other members in our traveling group had no issues with their rooms. Also we had some toilet issues. everytime u went to use it there was no water in it so you had to flush it first, then water would get in it so you could go, we called once on this and they came and fixed it but then it happened again and i was pretty much done at this point calling the front desk. Also our refrigerator in our room didn't keep anything cool either. Other then that it was a wonderful time and i had made the decision that nothing was going to ruin my trip and it didn't, i just know it would for some people.

[maxout]

Mayo has been acid stabilized for years, yet the myth of mayo being the cause of food borne illness persists. Typically it is added ingredients, poorly handled that are actually the culprit.

 

http://www.dressings-sauces.org/Mayonnaise_Dressings.html

[TracieABD]

Thanks for your review. Sorry to hear about the food poisoning. My heart goes out to the person and their family. (Been there, done that--- definately DON"T want the T-Shirt).

[Sirdar]

Thank you for writing your review. I'm so sorry that someone got food poisoning. We will stay away from that shrimp dish on the last night. Please tell us what cabins you were in...we are all very concerned about the air conditioning & plumbing problems. Thank goodness you didn't experience them! They have been repeatedly discussed in almost every Veendam review posted...hopefully, HAL is reading these reviews.

 

DW and I were on A Deck (deck 4) midships on the Starboard side. As I said earlier, we experienced no issues with A/C or the toilet. Our friends were also on A deck on the Port side a little further astern. They too had no problems. The dining room was noticeably warm on some occasions (we ate on the upper level, Deck 8). Whatever problems Veendam has seem to be spotty.

[babygirl722]

Thanks for your review. It's always good to hear about the good and the bad.

 

Would love to know more about the tendering in St. Georges. What exactly is the issue? Is it that everyone tries to get off at the same time? Would we better off waiting for the later tender? I'm traveling with 3 children and it would be good to get this right...or as right as possible!

[3rdGenCunarder]

Thanks for your review. It's always good to hear about the good and the bad.

 

Would love to know more about the tendering in St. Georges. What exactly is the issue? Is it that everyone tries to get off at the same time? Would we better off waiting for the later tender? I'm traveling with 3 children and it would be good to get this right...or as right as possible!

 

We were on the second or third cruise that used the tenders. We had heard about how bad it was the first time, so we went to the showroom early. They sent the tour passengers off first, on a ferry that holds about 250 people. Then they sent down everyone who was waiting in the showroom. We hustled out quickly, as we wanted to make sure we got on and if possible got a seat on top (success for both, if sitting on a tarp-covered stack of somethings counts as a seat--we were fine with it).

 

It does take quite a while to load, and after everyone had made their way down from the showroom, we could hear announcements that there was space on the tender and it was leaving in xx minutes. It left one minute after its scheduled time. I was very impressed that it worked out as it did. DH went in on the second tender and said there weren't many people on it. (Do the math. 250 on the tour ferry plus 750 on our ferry leaves 300-something left on board)

 

I don't know how old or how patient your kids are, so here's my general thought on the issue.

 

We went in early June, so not many kids. Depending on your kids' tolerance of waiting, I'd try to get on the first tender as early as possible. Sitting up top, the kids can see the lifeboats and the people at the railing, and try to look in the windows. That might keep them amused while the rest of the pax board. (And they'll love the view on the ride into St Georges) Do your thing in St Georges, and take a lunchtime tender back.

 

The bigger problem is the return ferry. DH took the 3 or 3:30 ferry (I forget the time) My friend and I took the 4:30 (I think that's the time) ferry. Both were crowded, and it can be a long, hot time waiting. After time ashore when the kids are tired, the wait for the ferry is likely to be your worst problem. That's why I suggest going back on the lunchtime ferry. Not crowded yet, and then you can lounge on deck in the afternoon.

 

It's a wonderful trip, and I hope you and the kids enjoy it!

[Lucyt1207]

we were in stateroom 49...we had a few days where the A/c could have been a bit cooler and one day when one of the fire sprinklers was dripping, but when we called the front desk, it was repaired very quickly. We had friends in 615 and they had no A/C or toilet problems either.

 

 

 

We also just got off this cruise and before everyone thinks i am just a complainer let me say all and all I had a great cruise and would go back in a heart beat. Now i will just point out a few issues that we had. Two members in our party also got food poisoning. We think it was the mayo on room service late thursday. Also we were not so lucky with our room. We were in cabin 48 and our a/c didn't work correctly for the whole trip. It was rather warm and stuffy and was dripping some days. We called down to front desk and they kept sending people up and we didn't have any luck with it. Now other members in our traveling group had no issues with their rooms. Also we had some toilet issues. everytime u went to use it there was no water in it so you had to flush it first, then water would get in it so you could go, we called once on this and they came and fixed it but then it happened again and i was pretty much done at this point calling the front desk. Also our refrigerator in our room didn't keep anything cool either. Other then that it was a wonderful time and i had made the decision that nothing was going to ruin my trip and it didn't, i just know it would for some people.

[sculptress]

DW and I just returned from the 7/11 sailing to Bermuda so I will add my observations to those already posted.

 

Overall we were quite pleased by the cruise and would not hestitate to reccomend HAL to others contemplating a Bermuda cruise. This does not mean that we did not experience some negatives but overall we found this a good experience for a reasonable price.

 

This was our sixth Bermuda cruise having previously gone there aboard ships no longer in service (Celebrity Horizon, Pacific Princess and Norwegian Crown).

 

Embarkation- We arrived at the pier around Noon and were aboard in about 40 minutes.There waere 2 lines, one long (to which wew were directed) and one short( presumably for Suite passangers). The only issue was that 2 of our travelling companion were directed to the short line and were aboard in 10 minutes and THEY were in the same category as the rest of oou group of six. No explanation or rhyme or reason for this. Give HAL a slight negative on this. We proceeded to the LIDO where the usual cattle drive was underway during lunch. Our friends who got aboard before us secured a table in the Retreat area and we all managed to grab lunch and relax.Not a luxurious experience but what the heck we had an outdoor seat in the shade!

 

Condition of the Ship- We had sailed the Veendam to the Western Carribean just before its refitting (and it looked tired then) and were pleased with its present condition. We found the public areas, including the WC's to be clean and in good shape. yes, some parts of the ship were warmer than others but never IMO uncomfortably so. Our stateroom was, likewise in good shape with no a/c or toilet problems. The public area WC was always clean and in good condition. The "poolette" in the Retreat area was being

 

Staffing-- the reduction in staff is noticeable but our stateroom was kept quite clean and I know the stewards were hard working. In the dining room the service was good and friendly but noticeably slower than on past cruises. We needed a full two hours to get through dinner, dessert and coffee.

 

Food-- I know that food is a subjective thing so let me say that it was good as far as I am concerned. Everyone in our party of six found something to like every night. We had fixed late dining and so I cannot comment on the wait some people who had "as you wish" dining experienced. we tried Canaletto one evening and enjoyed the food and the experience. Lunches in the LIDO were sandwiches and salads for us and we liked them. ONE BIG CONCERN. On our last night, one member of our party became quite ill with food poisoning. As one of us in our party is a Medical Doctor I feel comfortable with attributing this episode to food poisoning and not some other cause. In fact the ill party was the only one to have selected a particular meal and become ill. Whther other passangers became ill in the middle of the night I do not know. Our Dr. friend addressed this ssue with the ship front office and they were completly unconcerned. A BIG NEGATIVE here for HAL customer relations. As he treated the member of our group who was ill without the need to consult the ship Dr. we don't know what the response would have been on that end. He did report the incident the next day to the Medical Office. Had I been the one to get sick I suppose my overall feeling about the cruise would be more negative but these are the facts as they happened. One final observation cerned the pizza served in the retreat area. It is definately the worst I have ever eaten on any ship at any time. If you are big pizza fan this may be a concern for you.

 

Entertainment-- Romeo in the piano bar was quite entertaining and the showroom entertainment generally good with the comedian Joe Yannetty quite funny.

 

Any questions, just ask

 

THanks so much for giving an honest and thorough review of your experience on the Veendam. Hubby and I have also been to Bermuda on several cruises on Celebrity Zenith and Horizon. This will be our first on the Veendam to Bermuda.

 

Thanks again for the heads up on your friend getting sick on the food on board. You didn't mention though what he/she ordered. Could you tell us please so we won't order it. Thanks:cool:

[bermuda triangle]

Thank you for your review. I am sorry your friend became ill, I am however wondering how exactly your friend made a diagnosis of food poisoning vs. a virus without lab analysis. I am not trying to be contrary, my DH is an MD, and since many symptoms of food poisoning and viruses overlap I wondered how he came to his conclusion of food poisoning.

If your ill friend went to the ships doc, I believe lab work would have been done for a definitive answer and much like a local health dept and a restaurant if in fact it was food poisoning (and other people were ill) they could have traced the source and removed it. I understand it was the last day and this is difficult to do, but the front desk, think of as an average hotel clerk-maybe not the right people to go to when ill, unless it was an emergency and someone needed to get in touch w/ the doc asap.

JMO!

I am glad you enjoyed your trip despite illness and a qwerky toilet!

Laura

[Sirdar]

Thank you for your review. I am sorry your friend became ill, I am however wondering how exactly your friend made a diagnosis of food poisoning vs. a virus without lab analysis. I am not trying to be contrary, my DH is an MD, and since many symptoms of food poisoning and viruses overlap I wondered how he came to his conclusion of food poisoning.

If your ill friend went to the ships doc, I believe lab work would have been done for a definitive answer and much like a local health dept and a restaurant if in fact it was food poisoning (and other people were ill) they could have traced the source and removed it. I understand it was the last day and this is difficult to do, but the front desk, think of as an average hotel clerk-maybe not the right people to go to when ill, unless it was an emergency and someone needed to get in touch w/ the doc asap.

JMO!

I am glad you enjoyed your trip despite illness and a qwerky toilet!

Laura

 

As I am not an MD I cannot explain how a clinical diagnosis is reached when lab tests are not involved. I do believe that the swiftness of the onset of symptoms and likewise their departure following the obvious voiding were key elements when related to the time of the consumption of the suspicious food. As my friend is a medical school professor I was inclined to accept his judgment on the matter.

[Sirdar]

Thanks for your review. It's always good to hear about the good and the bad.

 

Would love to know more about the tendering in St. Georges. What exactly is the issue? Is it that everyone tries to get off at the same time? Would we better off waiting for the later tender? I'm traveling with 3 children and it would be good to get this right...or as right as possible!

 

One issue with the tender that was utilized is the fact that it only sits about half the passengers it carries. The boat used was "the Bermudian" which is more of a ferry than a small tender. It holds about 700 passengers but only seats about 300(??). The trip from the anchorage into St. Georges is about 30 minutes. The upper deck is exposed to the elements and thus exposed to either rain or a hot sun (which is what we had) The lower part of the boat is air conditioned but only accomodates a small percentage of the passengers. One hidden element of the tendering is the fact that it is not practicable to return to the ship for lunch thus forcing those wishing to eat to do so ashore. Our tab for a party of six was $150 (sandwich, fries and berr or soft drink). My observation that food costs ashore were generally 2 to 3 times what you might expect in the U.S. depending on where you hail from.

[GeriatricNurse]

One issue with the tender that was utilized is the fact that it only sits about half the passengers it carries. The boat used was "the Bermudian" which is more of a ferry than a small tender. It holds about 700 passengers but only seats about 300(??). The trip from the anchorage into St. Georges is about 30 minutes. The upper deck is exposed to the elements and thus exposed to either rain or a hot sun (which is what we had) The lower part of the boat is air conditioned but only accomodates a small percentage of the passengers. One hidden element of the tendering is the fact that it is not practicable to return to the ship for lunch thus forcing those wishing to eat to do so ashore. Our tab for a party of six was $150 (sandwich, fries and berr or soft drink). My observation that food costs ashore were generally 2 to 3 times what you might expect in the U.S. depending on where you hail from.

 

 

Well, if I should decide to book a Bermuda cruise with HAL onboard the Veendam, upon accessing my stateroom I will firstly check the flushing capabilities of the toilet & then secondly check whether the a/c (or lack therof), will be an issue!

As for the possibility of tendering at Murray's Anchorage into St. George's, I will not be part of that fiasco! I'll happily wait until docked at Hamilton! (If the Bermudian government, in it's wisdom had not sold the second Bermudian ferry, then the tendering issue may not have been so bad)!:mad:

[NordicPrince]

DW and I thoroughly enjoyed our recent trip on the Veendam to Bermuda.

 

We did not experience any problems with the A/C (stayed on lower promenade) and only once did I have to hit the flush button 2x (no biggie)

 

The public rooms were all very comfortable and if you were warm a cool drink was readily available, alcoholic or otherwise

 

If we were warm we went up to the Lido deck, went out to the Retreat or just walked around the Promenade for a little sea air. Isn't that what taking a cruise is supposed to be about?

 

When you think about it we were off the ship most of 4 days: Tuesday (St. George) Wednesday (Harbor Night after dark too) Thurday and Friday AM in Hamilton.

 

So how much can little things throw you off?

 

I will not let small things ruin my fun IMHO. 98% of the total experience is positive.