Volendam -Suites

[Krazy Kruizers]

Color - gold patterned carpet. Sofa and 2 chairs were orange with a blue swirl. There wasn't any swath to cover the white duvet. Instead one of the old twin size bedspreads was placed over the bottom of the bed.

Dressing room lights - I am used to 2 switches to turn on the lights in this area. On this ship there was only 1 for everything. Can't remember how they were on the Zaandam.

Living room lights. The lamp light on the stand beside the sofa closest to the verandah is also on the same switch as the enclosed light in the case at the end of the sofa.

Kleenex box in the dressing room is covered with a plastic marble toned cover. Had the same thing on the Statendam. Better than looking at a paper box.

Shampoo/Conditioner were downsized the first 10 days. We had 2 oz bottles. Even the lotion was a 2 oz bottle. At least we started off with 2 of everything. After using a 3rd 2 oz bottle of shampoo we got the 4 oz bottles.

We had plenty of towels - 4 -6 bath towels everyday.

Besides the old hair dryer in the bathroom, there was a new one in the dressing room drawer. Both were powerful. This was the first time in a long time that the bathroom dryer was actually powerful.

The verandah furniture has seen better days. Both lounge chairs and 3 of the chairs at the table had white paint splattered on them. All of the furniture is badly chipped. One lounge chair was broken.

On the first 10 days of our cruise, nearly every day the Lido windows were washed at 6 AM and the water came down onto the verandahs and lay in pools most of the day. There wasn't an extra carpet mat in the room by the door to absorb the water as you came in from the verandah. Therefore the main carpet by the door remained soaked the first 10 days. The second 10 days the verandah was only cleaned twice.

Neptune Lounge - there wasn't any cheese or plain yogurt available for breakfast. The muesli was the worst - very milky and hardly any fruit (it was the same in the Lido). At lunch time there weren't any chicken wraps like we have gotten on other ships.

The ocean side of the plexi-glass railing on our verandah was never cleaned in our 20 days aboard the ship.

The suite cocktail party for both segments was held from 7:15 - 8:15 in the Neptune Lounge. All the hot appetizers were brought out at 8 after the majority of the people had left. This happened both times.

The suite buffet was held the last sea day at 12:30 in the Explorer's Lounge. Appetizers were served with our cocktails before we went through the buffet line. They had raw shrimp, deviled eggs, more appetizers, rolls, butter, luncheon meats, little sandswiches like we get in the Neptune lounge, fried shrimp, chicken sate', sumatra beef, chateaubriand, various sauces, caviar, cheeses, various desserts including marzapan, and crepes suzettes. The menu was the same both times. This was one of the best buffets that we have had.

At the end of the second segment, we discovered that the Neptune Lounge had mixed nuts. They were hidden in a cupboard and you had to ask for them.

[peaches from georgia]

You didn't really mean RAW shrimp did you? I will bet it was boiled shrimp.

[sail7seas]

You've done a wonderful job with your reviews....AS ALWAYS.

 

I enjoyed reading it all and appreciate all of your time and effort to share so much information with us.

One would have to search really hard to find any fault and why would one want to?? :confused: after you so generously posted such comprehensive information. I think you did a fabulous job.

 

Thank you, KK.....I think it terrific you go into the detail you do. For those of us who have sailed alot, it is the details we most want to hear about.

[Burnsey]

Thanks for the information about the furniture on the veranda....Like I said on the Rotterdam this past Feb. it was not good!!! I'm hoping that the Volendam will have a dry dock before next Feb.....Love the ships but they are getting older!! Thanks and have a wonderful cruise..:))))

[LAFFNVEGAS]

 

washed at 6 AM and the water came down onto the verandahs and lay in pools most of the day. There wasn't an extra carpet mat in the room by the door to

Neptune Lounge - there wasn't any cheese or plain yogurt available for breakfast. The muesli was the worst - very milky and hardly any fruit (it was the same in the Lido). At lunch time there weren't any chicken wraps like we have gotten on other ships.

 

 

KK I had to laugh when I read this because I know your DH and I both love the muesli, I too had the worst muesli at least the first couple of days. Mine was the opposite. All fruit mostly apples slices and no muesli and so dry hardly any cream and honey. It was more like an apple salad, finally on days 5, 6 and 7 that it was finally what we were acustom to with HAL. I also like having yogurt and our Neptune also did not have any. They did have the chicken wraps though. I actually thought that the items available in the Neptune were far more limited than previous.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Burnsey

The Volendam is scheduled to go into dry dock from Dec 4 - 19, 2005.

I have no idea what actually will be done at that time.

I do think that the Java Cafe will be gone and the new Explorations Cafe will be installed.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Lisa

I am glad to hear that the muesli improved on your cruise. DH tried it before I did on the first day and never touched it again.

Last summer someone mentioned that there were supposed to be changes in the food in the Neptune Lounge.

This was the worst we have had there. At most only 3 trays of mini sandwiches were put out and they would be gone within a short time. Then you had to wait for the next delivery.

The changes don't seem to be for the better.

[dakrewser]

Last summer someone mentioned that there were supposed to be changes in the food in the Neptune Lounge.

 

This was the worst we have had there. At most only 3 trays of mini sandwiches were put out and they would be gone within a short time. Then you had to wait for the next delivery.

 

That's quite different from our recent experience on the O'dam when there was almost always one and sometimes two Pinnacle stewards in the NL continuously making sure there was plenty available. It does amaze me how different things can vary from ship to ship...