A few questions regarding the Oosterdam

[mrintegra]

Hey all,

 

Your first reaction to reading these questions will be "These people need to go on Carnival". Unfortunately, we were one of the ones that were booked on the infamous Splendor in early January and those plans literally went up in smoke (the story). Looking around with 30,000 other Splendor refugees, the cruise prices in the region have shot up dramatically. One ship is standing out as a viable option for a reasonable price, the MS Oosterdam traveling to the Mexican Riviera. So, were looking to book our group on the MS Oosterdam and I have a few questions regarding the ship and cruise line.

 

1. I observed on the web site that the ship has a basketball hoop, but how is it? full court? low nets?

 

2. How strict is HAL on smuggling booze on to the ship? (I know every cruise line has a policy against it but I have done it tons of times with RCCL, CCL, and NCL with not one problem.)

 

3. How big is the gym (approx) and what kind of cardio equipment does it have?

 

4. How late are the bars/disco open on this ship?

 

5. Is there any late night (2am-ish) dinning options?

 

6. Why is this cruise set at such a low price, does this ship usually fill up?

 

7. I know this Q will be hit or miss, But what is the usual age group for a January Mexican Riviera Sailing?

 

8. How quiet are the stateroom, specifically the balcony rooms?

 

9. Are the drink prices comparable to other cruise lines?

 

10. How does this ship compare to other ships traveling the same itinerary, such as the RCCL Mariner of the Seas, Carnival Spirit, or Carnival Splendor?

 

11. Is there a late night adult comedy show?

 

12. Does the sports bar get the full NFL football package?

 

13. Does the casino have real poker tables?

 

14. How is the music on the ship from the bands?

 

15. Is there any kind of cigar bar or area?

 

 

THANKS SO MUCH! for any help/advice in advance.

[ccruisequeen]

Hey all,

 

Your first reaction to reading these questions will be "These people need to go on Carnival". Unfortunately, we were one of the ones that were booked on the infamous Splendor in early January and those plans literally went up in smoke (the story). Looking around with 30,000 other Splendor refugees, the cruise prices in the region have shot up dramatically. One ship is standing out as a viable option for a reasonable price, the MS Oosterdam traveling to the Mexican Riviera. So, were looking to book our group on the MS Oosterdam and I have a few questions regarding the ship and cruise line.

 

1. I observed on the web site that the ship has a basketball hoop, but how is it? full court? low nets?

 

2. How strict is HAL on smuggling booze on to the ship? (I know every cruise line has a policy against it but I have done it tons of times with RCCL, CCL, and NCL with not one problem.)

 

3. How big is the gym (approx) and what kind of cardio equipment does it have?

 

4. How late are the bars/disco open on this ship?

 

5. Is there any late night (2am-ish) dinning options?

 

6. Why is this cruise set at such a low price, does this ship usually fill up?

 

7. I know this Q will be hit or miss, But what is the usual age group for a January Mexican Riviera Sailing?

 

8. How quiet are the stateroom, specifically the balcony rooms?

 

9. Are the drink prices comparable to other cruise lines?

 

10. How does this ship compare to other ships traveling the same itinerary, such as the RCCL Mariner of the Seas, Carnival Spirit, or Carnival Splendor?

 

11. Is there a late night adult comedy show?

 

12. Does the sports bar get the full NFL football package?

 

13. Does the casino have real poker tables?

 

14. How is the music on the ship from the bands?

 

15. Is there any kind of cigar bar or area?

 

 

THANKS SO MUCH! for any help/advice in advance.

 

As far as I can tell, you can bring on as much wine/champagne/soft-drinks with no smuggling needed (vodka/beer is another story)

[sail7seas]

Sorry for your disappointing cruise on Splendor. Happy all are safe.

 

Drinks prices on HAL ships are comparable to other cruise lines.

 

[mrintegra]

As far as I can tell, you can bring on as much wine/champagne/soft-drinks with no smuggling needed (vodka/beer is another story)

 

 

If i bring hard liquor I usually store it in water bottles or cleaned out mouth wash bottles. I never with the other lines had a problem bringing 60+ beers on.

[IRL_Joanie]

Gonna start you off with Photos from the Oosterdam and then go read your questions and try to answer what I can.

 

There are 3 pages of photos, Page 1 are staterooms, Page 2 are Handicapped Staterooms only and Page 3 is Public Areas of the Oosterdam: http://joanjett2000.topcities.com/HAL/Oosterdam/index.html

 

Joanie

[mrintegra]

Gonna start you off with Photos from the Oosterdam and then go read your questions and try to answer what I can.

 

There are 3 pages of photos, Page 1 are staterooms, Page 2 are Handicapped Staterooms only and Page 3 is Public Areas of the Oosterdam: http://joanjett2000.topcities.com/HAL/Oosterdam/index.html

 

Joanie

 

Thank You and WOW!!!! That's an impressive collection of photos and stateroom info.

I'm going to spend a while sifting through all of it!

[rochelle_s]

I can't answer all your questions but here is my experience;

 

As previously mentioned you can bring all the wine/champagne you would like. You can also order bottles of liquor for your cabin. I found the prices for these reasonable, mind you I am Canadian so I am used to very high liquor prices. As an example a bottle of Bacardi was $35.00.

 

Once I had a bottle of scotch in one of my cases of wine. I had no intention of drinking it, as it was a gift for someone post cruise. The wine was given over with my checked luggage at the pier. When the case of wine arrived in the cabin the scotch was still there, so I did not have to collect it post cruise. Sorry have no other experience bringing liquor on.

 

The hours of the bars, in my experience, has varied from ship to ship. I think itinerary and passenger compliment plays a big part in this. I will say though the latest I have ever seen the nightclub open on HAL has been on a Mexican Riviera cruise where the passengers did seem younger than other cruises I have taken with them. The nightclub had a good mix of 30's. 40's and on up crowd. You mentioned a 'group' so you could pretty much make a party wherever you are. When I was on the Oosterdam the sports bar was open till at least 1 am every night....no football at that time (April/May).

 

The gym was similar in size to other ships I have been on. Sorry I cannot tell you the name brand of the equipment.

 

There is an evening buffet in the Lido nightly that starts at 11 pm. This stays open till about midnight. After that it is room service only, but they do have a pretty good 24 hour room service menu. You can find a copy of it here on the HAL boards.

 

I have found the drink prices comparable to other cruise lines and in a lot of instances they have been less expensive. They have new alcohol beverage cards you can purchase for a 10% savings;$50 card costs $45 or $100 costs $90.

 

When I did the Mexican Riviera cruise there was indeed a late night comedian.

 

I usually enjoy the music on Hal. It might not necessarily be suited to a group looking to 'party', in which case I am sure the DJ in Northern Lights can play just about anything you might like to hear.

 

The poker table on the Oosterdam in '09 looked like a real poker table but was actually electronic. Each seat has a screen. I did not play but it was busy most nights.

 

If I recall correctly cigar smoking was outside by the aft pool bar.

 

Finally I almost always find HAL cruise prices quite reasonable and I am sure that they always hope to fill the ship.

 

It is unfortunate that prices have gone up so much for the area since the Splendor's misfortune. That's supply and demand for you. Too bad Carnival Corp didn't offer some type of discount (for cruise lines under their umbrella) to those in the position of having to make alternate travel arrangements.

 

Whatever line you decide on have a wonderful cruise!!

 

Rochelle

[CrusinAgain]

You might also give the Sapphire Princess a look. She would be in between Carnival and HAL I would say. There was one deck party when we went and she has Skywalkers Disco for the younger adults. Also there are 3 venues for shows or game style shows in the evening and a 24 hour buffet. There is generally a late night adults only comedian show on Princess. I am about to go on the Oosterdam so can't offer a comparison but I have been on Carnival several times. I do know Hal's beds are like Carnival's and Hal's cabin setup is like Carnival, while Princess is a bit different offering a large area of privacy with a large opened closet next to the bathroom. I doubt you could go wrong on either ship.

[mrintegra]

You might also give the Sapphire Princess a look. She would be in between Carnival and HAL I would say. There was one deck party when we went and she has Skywalkers Disco for the younger adults. Also there are 3 venues for shows or game style shows in the evening and a 24 hour buffet. There is generally a late night adults only comedian show on Princess. I am about to go on the Oosterdam so can't offer a comparison but I have been on Carnival several times. I do know Hal's beds are like Carnival's and Hal's cabin setup is like Carnival, while Princess is a bit different offering a large area of privacy with a large opened closet next to the bathroom. I doubt you could go wrong on either ship.

 

I have no problem with Princess and I had a great time on their ship. But a couple in our group had a bad experience with Princess a couple years back and they will never sail with them again ever.

[DutchByAssociation]

Hey all,

 

Your first reaction to reading these questions will be "These people need to go on Carnival". Unfortunately, we were one of the ones that were booked on the infamous Splendor in early January and those plans literally went up in smoke (the story). Looking around with 30,000 other Splendor refugees, the cruise prices in the region have shot up dramatically. One ship is standing out as a viable option for a reasonable price, the MS Oosterdam traveling to the Mexican Riviera. So, were looking to book our group on the MS Oosterdam and I have a few questions regarding the ship and cruise line.

 

1. I observed on the web site that the ship has a basketball hoop, but how is it? full court? low nets?

I believe half and if memory serves standard height

2. How strict is HAL on smuggling booze on to the ship? (I know every cruise line has a policy against it but I have done it tons of times with RCCL, CCL, and NCL with not one problem.)

Unlimited wine and champagne, you can bring soda and water on... seriously, I wouldn't recommend anything more than the extremely generous current policy

3. How big is the gym (approx) and what kind of cardio equipment does it have?

Would recommend looking at the virtual tours on the website for this one. Much of the equipment is Precor though.

4. How late are the bars/disco open on this ship?

Until "close" basically is varies depending on the crowd

5. Is there any late night (2am-ish) dinning options?

Room service is 24/7 and completely complementary

6. Why is this cruise set at such a low price, does this ship usually fill up?

Prices are based on demand, the economy, etc. Prices are lowered if necessary close to sailing because the goal is to always sail full. Well, that's one of MANY goals...

7. I know this Q will be hit or miss, But what is the usual age group for a January Mexican Riviera Sailing?

Variable, but keep in mind for any cruise the following questions:

"What age groups would typically be able to get away for __ days at this time of year?" That will give you a good idea

8. How quiet are the stateroom, specifically the balcony rooms?

All rooms are reasonably quiet, but with any ship any time it's recommended you look at what's to both sides of you as well as above and below.

9. Are the drink prices comparable to other cruise lines?

Compared to the Splendor cruise I took last month where I met John Heald, HAL prices are considerably less than CCL in terms of alcohol but soda prices were nearly identical

10. How does this ship compare to other ships traveling the same itinerary, such as the RCCL Mariner of the Seas, Carnival Spirit, or Carnival Splendor?

Splendor is much larger and more "loud" decor, Spirit Class is the same ship platform but again a Carnival ship so a "louder" decor and trademark things like waterslides, etc. No knowledge of RCCL ships whatsoever

11. Is there a late night adult comedy show?

Sometimes the later show when a comedian is featured will be "R Rated" and indicated as such in the Explorer

12. Does the sports bar get the full NFL football package?

Primary sports coverage is ESPN international. It'll review a lot of sports but what specifically is SHOWN can vary. Most MAJOR games at the different times of year are shown but it's based on satellite availability and all those factors...

13. Does the casino have real poker tables?

I believe they are primarily video poker but there might be some other variations that are there as well? Good question for ship services as I believe they have the specific breakdowns by ship

14. How is the music on the ship from the bands?

I've always liked it. HAL Cats are more like a party band, the Neptunes will play most of the dance music and the Adagio Strings are a classical quartet. There's also the DJ

15. Is there any kind of cigar bar or area?

Bar, no. But you may smoke cigars on the outside decks (this does NOT include the midship pool which will at times have the sliding dome open)

 

THANKS SO MUCH! for any help/advice in advance.

 

See above in red

[mrintegra]

I can't answer all your questions but here is my experience;

 

As previously mentioned you can bring all the wine/champagne you would like. You can also order bottles of liquor for your cabin. I found the prices for these reasonable, mind you I am Canadian so I am used to very high liquor prices. As an example a bottle of Bacardi was $35.00.

 

Once I had a bottle of scotch in one of my cases of wine. I had no intention of drinking it, as it was a gift for someone post cruise. The wine was given over with my checked luggage at the pier. When the case of wine arrived in the cabin the scotch was still there, so I did not have to collect it post cruise. Sorry have no other experience bringing liquor on.

They have new alcohol beverage cards you can purchase for a 10% savings;$50 card costs $45 or $100 costs $90.

 

It is unfortunate that prices have gone up so much for the area since the Splendor's misfortune. That's supply and demand for you. Too bad Carnival Corp didn't offer some type of discount (for cruise lines under their umbrella) to those in the position of having to make alternate travel arrangements.

 

Whatever line you decide on have a wonderful cruise!!

 

Rochelle

 

Rochelle,

 

Thanks for the help, do they let you bring the bottle to your room right after purchase? The other cruise lines will not deliver the bottle to the room until the last night of the cruise. That will help me save more luggage space for important things like clothing. I also may invest in the "bar card". It also looks like all 10 of us are officially booked on this cruise! At the end of the day were getting the same cruise for alot cheaper and our group will make it a blast in the new environment!

[mrintegra]

See above in red

 

Thanks for all the info!!!!:D:D:D

[DutchByAssociation]

Rochelle,

 

Thanks for the help, do they let you bring the bottle to your room right after purchase? The other cruise lines will not deliver the bottle to the room until the last night of the cruise. That will help me save more luggage space for important things like clothing. I also may invest in the "bar card". It also looks like all 10 of us are officially booked on this cruise! At the end of the day were getting the same cruise for alot cheaper and our group will make it a blast in the new environment!

 

Occasionally the shops MAY have a special where you can take a specific part of the purchase to the room... maybe a freebiw bottle that comes with purchase, etc... Not a guarantee though. Bottles can be prepurchased from the website though and those are delivered at embarkation. Prices compared to Washington's are quite reasonable and the bottles are 1-1.25L, not a standard fifth

[DutchByAssociation]

Thanks for all the info!!!!:D:D:D

 

You bet. I like to think I know my ships :)

[2DesertGuys]

I'm just off the Oct 30th sailing the "O" and while I can't answer every question, I'll do what I can. I've sailed the itinerary with RCL Radiance which is a similiar ship IMO

 

1. . How strict is HAL on smuggling booze on to the ship? (I know every cruise line has a policy against it but I have done it tons of times with RCCL, CCL, and NCL with not one problem.)

 

Wine is allowed but I didn't see anyone confiscating bottles of hard booze and you can order "packages" for your cabin.

3. How big is the gym (approx) and what kind of cardio equipment does it have?

Smaller than I've experienced and not much equipment. Mostly walkers., a few resistance machines.

 

4. How late are the bars/disco open on this ship?

 

The casino bar, piano bar, and "nightclub" where the DJ is are all open to "close". On my cruise the later was around 2AM

5. Is there any late night (2am-ish) dinning options?

 

Room service, most food was stopped at 12M

 

6. Why is this cruise set at such a low price, does this ship usually fill up?

 

My sailing was full and probably does so because of the price. I checked out CLL and HAL and HAL was less.

 

 

7. I know this Q will be hit or miss, But what is the usual age group for a January Mexican Riviera Sailing?

 

I don't know about January but my sailing was a solid combination of older and young. I don't think the MR gets the older cruising set as much as say a Med cruise or a 14 day cruise. This cruise attracts younger and people with a set budget in mind and time limits.

 

 

9. Are the drink prices comparable to other cruise lines?

 

Drinks were $5.75 -$6.75 plus $.50 -$1.00 more for a a call brand. This was for vodka tonics or martinis. Every day there was one bar offering half price "happy hour" specials and all bars served small trays of treats during that time.

 

10. How does this ship compare to other ships traveling the same itinerary, such as the RCCL Mariner of the Seas, Carnival Spirit, or Carnival Splendor?

 

I've only sailed the same itinerary with RCL Radiance. Food and service are much better with HAL, activities better on RCL. Ship wise about the same. HAL tends towards traditional crusing, not many "exciting" activities. They're into more relaxing and enrichment programs. The Crow's Nest is the best area on the ship, it's also the coffee bar and internet cafe. Great internet stations.

13. Does the casino have real poker tables?

 

I think they did but I only played roulette and slots and came away with some money! The casino was smaller than what I'm use to.

 

15. Is there any kind of cigar bar or area?

 

Aft, Lido deck pool area (starboard side), maybe the other side. It was well used.

 

 

THANKS SO MUCH! for any help/advice in advance.

[mrintegra]

I'm just off the Oct 30th sailing the "O" and while I can't answer every question, I'll do what I can. I've sailed the itinerary with RCL Radiance which is a similiar ship IMO

 

1. . How strict is HAL on smuggling booze on to the ship? (I know every cruise line has a policy against it but I have done it tons of times with RCCL, CCL, and NCL with not one problem.)

 

Wine is allowed but I didn't see anyone confiscating bottles of hard booze and you can order "packages" for your cabin.

3. How big is the gym (approx) and what kind of cardio equipment does it have?

Smaller than I've experienced and not much equipment. Mostly walkers., a few resistance machines.

 

4. How late are the bars/disco open on this ship?

 

The casino bar, piano bar, and "nightclub" where the DJ is are all open to "close". On my cruise the later was around 2AM

5. Is there any late night (2am-ish) dinning options?

 

Room service, most food was stopped at 12M

 

6. Why is this cruise set at such a low price, does this ship usually fill up?

 

My sailing was full and probably does so because of the price. I checked out CLL and HAL and HAL was less.

 

 

7. I know this Q will be hit or miss, But what is the usual age group for a January Mexican Riviera Sailing?

 

I don't know about January but my sailing was a solid combination of older and young. I don't think the MR gets the older cruising set as much as say a Med cruise or a 14 day cruise. This cruise attracts younger and people with a set budget in mind and time limits.

 

 

9. Are the drink prices comparable to other cruise lines?

 

Drinks were $5.75 -$6.75 plus $.50 -$1.00 more for a a call brand. This was for vodka tonics or martinis. Every day there was one bar offering half price "happy hour" specials and all bars served small trays of treats during that time.

 

10. How does this ship compare to other ships traveling the same itinerary, such as the RCCL Mariner of the Seas, Carnival Spirit, or Carnival Splendor?

 

I've only sailed the same itinerary with RCL Radiance. Food and service are much better with HAL, activities better on RCL. Ship wise about the same. HAL tends towards traditional crusing, not many "exciting" activities. They're into more relaxing and enrichment programs. The Crow's Nest is the best area on the ship, it's also the coffee bar and internet cafe. Great internet stations.

13. Does the casino have real poker tables?

 

I think they did but I only played roulette and slots and came away with some money! The casino was smaller than what I'm use to.

 

15. Is there any kind of cigar bar or area?

 

Aft, Lido deck pool area (starboard side), maybe the other side. It was well used.

 

 

THANKS SO MUCH! for any help/advice in advance.

 

 

Thanks so much too, I love calling it the "O" also! I hope the coffee is better than other ships since the company is based in Seattle. One of the first things we will do is find out that Happy Hour Schedule!!

:D

[2DesertGuys]

I forgot to add, if you are a party try to get you cabins next to each other. Your steward can open panels between cabins and then you have you're own party area!

[DutchByAssociation]

Thanks so much too, I love calling it the "O" also! I hope the coffee is better than other ships since the company is based in Seattle. One of the first things we will do is find out that Happy Hour Schedule!!

:D

 

Coffee in Explorations Cafe is Torreffazione, it's an italian division of Starbucks. Other areas (exception being the espresso machines in the Neptune and main dining room) are Boerkhurst... I don't recall the spelling. It's a Dutch company that's been around a VERY long time.

 

Having spent all but 5 years of my life in Seattle I appreciate all of the coffee onboard. And on days I don't want coffee, the white chocolate hot chocolates are TO DIE FOR!

[mrintegra]

I forgot to add, if you are a party try to get you cabins next to each other. Your steward can open panels between cabins and then you have you're own party area!

 

I know that is like a having a large suite and that is what we were planning to do on the Splendor! But since, we all booked pretty much last minute our group is scattered all over the ship but if we get some cool roomies:) we'll do it.

[mrintegra]

Coffee in Explorations Cafe is Torreffazione, it's an italian division of Starbucks. Other areas (exception being the espresso machines in the Neptune and main dining room) are Boerkhurst... I don't recall the spelling. It's a Dutch company that's been around a VERY long time.

 

Having spent all but 5 years of my life in Seattle I appreciate all of the coffee onboard. And on days I don't want coffee, the white chocolate hot chocolates are TO DIE FOR!

 

I will have to give that white chocolate hot chocolate a try! I'm excited to get some quality coffee on this cruise!!!!:D:D:D:D

[rochelle_s]

Thanks for all the info!!!!:D:D:D

 

 

You are quite welcome. No need to answer your further question because DBA did a wonderful and thorough job of getting you all the answers.

 

Glad to hear you booked. Hope you have an amazing cruise!!!

 

Rochelle

[scottjeanne]

mrintegra: Which January cruise are you on? We will be on the January 8 sailing.

[TiogaCruiser]

But the gyms on volendam and Amsterdam had precor cardio equipment and mostly Cybex weight machines. There was mostly ONE weight machine for each major muscle group. Both had full sets of free weights, foam rollers, balance balls and a Reformer. A. Also had Bosus. The only muscle groups missing in the machines were AB- AD- ductors. (So I bring my own band).

 

HTH, ~TC

[4realrod]

I have group on the Oosterdam 22-29Jan. Based on my research the vessel is similar in design to the Carnival Spirit Class. Remember that HAL is owned by Carnival Corp. We are looking forward to it and my wife and I (ages 55 & 49 respectively) always look forward to dancing in the evening. We are excited also because the ship cruises into Bahia Magdalena for 1.5 hrs of possible whale sightings. This is the only ship I know that does that. If you look on a map the bay is north of Cabo.

[mrintegra]

mrintegra: Which January cruise are you on? We will be on the January 8 sailing.

 

Going on the Jan 8th one and I just got in our roll call!:D