Veendam mini review

[Sirdar]

DW and I (3 star cruisers) were on the Veendam for the August 5 cruise to Bermuda. This was our 5th cruise on Veendam and our third consectutive summer aboard to Bermuda. Obviously, we don't have major problems with HAL or Veendam.

 

A few observations however based on our experience.

 

Overall our trip was pleasant and we received good value for the money. We will (I hope) sail HAL again in the future.

 

Since we opted for HH category we were assigned cabin 405 which is on deck 6 aft. I believe this is underneath the Rotterdam dining room and we experienced considerable noise from above. It was quite impossible not to be awakened around 5AM. Not HAL's fault (you get what you pay for) but just a word to future cruisers. Fortunately, we had no problems with faulty A/C, toilets or burst water pipes which seem to affect other passangers.

 

We were offered an upgrade to a Lanai cabin (at extra cost) but declined. As I enjoy the deck chairs on the Promenade as a place to read I was very displeased to find that apart from the deck chairs reserved for those in Lanai cabins there were precious few for other pasangers (about 4 on each side of te ship by my count). A big negative there for HAL. The one time I did get a free chair, some painters came along and painted the window moldings right around where I was reclining. Needless to say, the smell was not pleasant. Again, you get what you pay for so I suggest that those who want to spend time on a lounge chair on deck spend the extra money for a Lanai cabin or accomodations with a private balcony. The chair hogs elsewhere on the ship seemed to be out in full force as usual but since I'm not a sun or pool guy this was not an issue for me.

 

Fiinally, a word about the dining room service. It was at best uneven. On one evening we waited a full hour from the time we ordered before the appetizer as delivered. Generally poor marks to HAL for service here although the food quality remains good.

 

I'm sorry HAL will not be returning to Bermuda with a small ship. I think many who have not visted Bermuda will not find it quite as nice an experience aboard one of the very large sahips that can only go to the Dockyard.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thank you for your review.

 

Glad that you didn't have any problems with the AC or plumbing.

 

We are all noticing that with the cutbacks, service in the dining can be bad at times.

[George C]

Thanks for the review, service in MDR is not the best on almost all of the major lines.

[whogo]

As I enjoy the deck chairs on the Promenade as a place to read I was very displeased to find that apart from the deck chairs reserved for those in Lanai cabins there were precious few for other pasangers (about 4 on each side of te ship by my count).

That was my complaint, too. I hated to see reserved chairs sitting empty while the others were unavailable. Thanks for the review.

[mamaofami]

Thanks for your review. Lots of deck chairs were available on my cruise since no one wanted to sit out there because of the smell from the paint.

[erewhon]

Thank you for your review.

An hour is a long time to wait for the appetizer to be delivered.

[vivavegas]

Thanks for the review! Glad you had a pleasant cruise!:)

[3rdGenCunarder]

I'm glad you enjoyed your Bermuda cruise. I agree it's sad that HAL has given up this itinerary. I don't want to sail on a huge ship and be docked out at the west end. I'm soooo glad we did this cruise while it was available.

 

I have to question your deck chair count. Both Maasdam and Veendam have lanai cabins, and on both I could find plenty of deck chairs (and I'm not counting the ones with the obstructed view). I made a point of looking because there had been so much discussion about the reserved chairs.

 

I am very sorry to hear that you had to wait an hour for your meal to be served. That is just not acceptable. I think any time this happens, passengers should speak to the maitre d'. I know that nobody wants to get a waiter in trouble, but I'm seeing more and more posts in which people comment on problems with MDR service. HAL needs to know that their cuts have gone too far and that service is slipping. If you don't want to speak to the maitre d', then mention it on the questionnaire. Don't say "our waiter was slow." Say "There aren't enough waiters and it makes service too slow." or something like that.

[portofrome]

Thanks for your review.

[kazu]

I'm glad you enjoyed your Bermuda cruise. I agree it's sad that HAL has given up this itinerary. I don't want to sail on a huge ship and be docked out at the west end. I'm soooo glad we did this cruise while it was available.

 

I have to question your deck chair count. Both Maasdam and Veendam have lanai cabins, and on both I could find plenty of deck chairs (and I'm not counting the ones with the obstructed view). I made a point of looking because there had been so much discussion about the reserved chairs.

 

I am very sorry to hear that you had to wait an hour for your meal to be served. That is just not acceptable. I think any time this happens, passengers should speak to the maitre d'. I know that nobody wants to get a waiter in trouble, but I'm seeing more and more posts in which people comment on problems with MDR service. HAL needs to know that their cuts have gone too far and that service is slipping. If you don't want to speak to the maitre d', then mention it on the questionnaire. Don't say "our waiter was slow." Say "There aren't enough waiters and it makes service too slow." or something like that.

 

I agree with Kathy - if we have an issue we address then and there. Give them a chance to fix it;)

 

Thanks so much for your review and comments. Appreciate you taking the time to share your experiences with us and sorry to hear about the MDR experience. Welcome home

[GregnChris]

It seems silly to have chairs sit empty just because they are "reserved". If you cannot find an open, unreserved deck chair, I don't see any problem with using one of the reserved chairs, as long as you are willing to quickly vacate it if/when the "owner" asks to use it.

 

Greg

[Typhoon1]

Thanks for sharing your insightful thoughts.