Waterfalls and an angel in white: Review of Veendam 8/19/2012 NYC to Bermuda

[sppunk]

When I tried to use my HAL keycard to purchase gasoline this afternoon (literally, I swiped it through the pump instead of my AmEx), it hit me our vacation was over.

 

We sailed the Veendam to Bermuda on her 8/19/2012-8/26/2012 voyage from New York City. What led us to book this cruise was a) the fact docking in Hamilton after this week is basically not possible and b) we are an easy train ride into NYC so logistically it's easy-peasy.

 

In this review, I'll touch on several issues but mainly on the HAL product and Veendam itself. Since Bermuda's a bygone destination for HAL I won't devote much time to it. I'll break this review down in a few subtitles that won't necessarily be in order as the events transpired, and I won't be doing a day-by-day recap as I find them hard to read for those seeking general information. Instead enjoy my unique breakdown of information which I happily provide all my CC friends. This might get long, so apologies in advance. Feel free to pelt me with questions, I'll do my best to help you out.

 

A little about us: We're around 30 and have and 59 days on a dam ship. HAL is our favorite line by far, we are DINKs who are journalist and designers.

 

THE NITTY-GRITTY (some people love this stuff)

Captain: Marco Carsjens

Hotel Manager: Douglas Hernandez

Cruise Director: Dan Bernbach

Executive Chef: Dean Carosella

 

A 'TECHNICAL' EMBARKATION

We arrived at the Manhattan Cruise Terminal around 10:45 a.m. to find wonderful staff who quickly and enthusiastically ushered us through the process. We were settled into the waiting around around 11 a.m. ... and kept waiting. At around noon they called for S card holders (suite guests) for boarding but within 5 minutes stopped. Staff announced there was a technical delay due to an inspection and boarding should begin in 20-30 minutes. An hour later (ha!) another announcement saying there are other issues and HAL will be providing light snacks and water to the terminal area. As they hauled out the snack (a granola bar) at 1:50 p.m. they announced the all clear and boarding began.

 

Unfortunately hundreds of guests weren't able to get into the terminal and were left waiting outside with no seating. For those passengers this was definitely a bad start to a cruise. For us, it was just a minor hiccup that didn't effect us at all.

 

As it turns out, the delay was caused by two factors: 1) A surprise US Health Inspection and moreso 2) a main water line break in the main galley. The water line fed the dishwashers so they were unable to have clean dishes, hence no boarding capabilities. Once boarded the Lido was an absolute zoo with very limited silverware, plates and glasses were nearly non-existent for the most part.

 

Unfortunately this was a bad start to the cruise and seemed some people were insanely grumpy. Live and let live is our motto, so I don't understand the anger here.

 

A bit more information is available in the thread I started on our embarkation morning:

 

MS VEENDAM

When booking, I was fully aware of some of the stories relating to the Veendam, including A/C issues, plumbing issues, et al. We're easy-going people who aren't deterred by much so booking was never a concern. The public areas are in our opinion in fine shape. The ship is 16 years old, so yes there are minor blemishes here and there but I know and you know your own home has these so who cares?

 

They did some port-side painting for a few days in Hamilton that made sitting on the balcony (we faced port) a little tough on occasion. I must say though the outside of the Veendam looks very good, especially given the age and South American itinerary that is extremely demanding and tough on any vessel.

 

However, internally there are definite issues going on with her. I know personally of four broken water lines (the main galley, the one in our room - see below), one on Deck 5 midship and another on Deck 10 forward. I didn't hear much about A/C problems, but there were certain sections of the ship where the A/C definitely didn't work (center staircase from deck 9-11 for example). I chalk these issues up to shoddy workmanship and not a lack of care by HAL. I'm convinced HAL knows about all these but can't do anything about them except drydock here for a very extended time. And well bean counters don't get paid to lay up a ship with no passengers, so alas ...

 

The crew have been beat down by Veendam and it is obvious she's the red-headed stepchild of the fleet. Check out my CREW section for more details on this comment.

 

Food was mostly good, our Pinnacle lunch wasn't great (my Alaska halibut sandwich was awfully dry) but the dinner lamb skewer was as-always very tasty). Main Dining Room anytime dining was painful for the first two nights but then got a bit better. Service was good, we were in and out in 1:30 most nights (table of 2 each night).

 

Lido however very often didn't have normal glasses for water. No where. Three times we had to use mugs for water. I found that odd.

 

A VERANDAH SUITE WITH A VIEW OF THE OCEAN AND A WATERFALL AND A SPIDERWEB WINDOW

When boarding, we immediately went to our aft A verandah suite to check if we had a working toilet and A/C. And, hooray, we did! Our luck ended Wednesday, unfortunately. To be specific, it ended around 4:30 a.m. Wednesday morning to the sound of a waterfall. Now since the ship was docked in Hamilton for several days, and knowing the Front Street pier has no natural beautiful waterfall, this perked my ears. I got out of bed to the source of the noise - our bathroom - to discover no leak. Except then I noticed my feet were wet ... the carpet from the front door to the bed was soaked with (I certainly hope!) water. Yet there was no visible leak. Our tub and toilet and sink drained perfectly, so the leak was internal in nature. I called the front desk and they quickly sent a maintenance man who said they'd replace the carpet and fix the issue. Alas, this never happened. The carpet wasn't replaced but instead we were joined in our room with a large fan and even larger dehumidifier for the rest of the voyage. These were loud of course but made passing through the hallway an obstacle course only my cat Pixel would be nimble enough to successfully navigate. This photo shares the tale well:

 

 

Also our balcony windows were severely cracked – they will no doubt shatter completely soon with the vibration of the ocean. Our steward said he's bugged maintenance for months to fix it but no luck yet. Here's hoping it doesn't shatter completely because that's a serious safety hazard if so.

 

We didn't ask for any compensation, but were gifted a free lunch in Pinnacle and a bottle of wine (which we returned because we don't drink wine). I'll be writing a letter to HAL about this, and again will not be asking for any compensation. It is my thought that me reporting my first-hand observations is part of my duty to a service company. I expect it from my clients, so I feel HAL should expect it from us.

 

These were minor inconveniences that didn't ruin our cruise at all. Annoying? Sure. Ruin? Of course not. However the problem was never fixed—it stayed wet even as we disembarked this morning so take that as you will. Our final bill was soaked when we woke up because they slid it under the door in the middle of the night.

 

THAT OH SO WONDERFUL CREW

This was our 8th HAL cruise, and this crew is one of my favorite. They care for each other, they care for the passengers, they care for Holland America. You can sense this when you walk by them, talk with them, order from them, etc. Our room steward Frederick is a true gentleman, a pleasure to meet, a wonderful soul and great steward (of course). God bless you Frederick and your oldest son who is competing as a national Math Olympiad!

 

As we talked with the crew, it became apparently many (I could specifically name seven, several high up in the chain) employees who were counting the days until they could get off the Veendam. Many knew, literally, how many days left they had in their Veendam contract. This struck me odd since the crew seemed to interact so well. After talking extensively with one staff person (not a steward, server, bartender, entertainer, salesperson/store employee, casino employee FO employee or anything - hint, hint, hint) it hit me: The crew have huge battles against the Veendam that kick their butts and they simply are fatigued from dealing with the issues and hearing about passenger complaints about the issues. This is the most troubling part of this cruise for me, when your wonderful staff can't wait to literally jump ship (many mentioned the Volendam as their intended target) you have a serious problem somewhere.

 

However, this crew is EXCEPTIONAL given their attitudes while deep down they are eager to move on themselves. I don't think this is a negative of the crew and actually a positive: They love their company, their career and us - the passengers. We loved Captain Marco, he was always out and about chatting with guests and seemed extremely personal.

 

It restored my faith HAL's crew, despite what we say here about cutbacks, are still the best on the ocean among the mass market lines. By. Far.

 

AN ANGEL IN WHITE (Bermuda in a nutshell)

I mentioned I won't say much about Bermuda. And I won't really, except the island is gorgeous, easy to get around and full of friendly and laid back residents. For us it was just too hot and humid to enjoy, hence this story.

 

Tuesday we docked and were given the all-clear to get off and enjoy Bermuda around 10:15 a.m. A little later we walked off toward the ferry (a 5-10 minute easy walk) in order to ride out to the Dockyards to tour the Maritime Museum. As we waited in line for the ferry, my wife started feeling a little "off" so she knelt down until we started boarding. As we approached the ferry she needed to sit down for a minute she said, so we sat until everyone had boarded. We got up to walk on and as we entered the ferry my wife lost her vision and couldn't move well. She tried to sit on the floor to no avail and, seeing this, a passenger near the door jumped up and helped me get my wife to the seat.

 

A minute later, my wife leaned her head back and had a seizure. At this point the passengers and crew realize she's sick so they return the ferry to the dock. A man helps me get my wife to the floor and out of nowhere an angle dressed in white comes up and says turn her on her side, and out of nowhere pulls two bags of ice and places them on my wife. Then, I was handed by someone - no idea who - a huge stack of napkins that were soaked in cold water. The woman in white told me she's a nurse practitioner and she's here to help (she instructed us her to get her on her side). At some point we are handed no less than 4 water bottles from passengers all around for her to drink. We pour water down her throat which I'm convinced saved her life.

 

Because of the ice literally out of thin air, the cold napkins, and these bottles of water my wife regained her vision and consciousness enough to walk off the ferry on her own power.

 

The ferry dock worker was there with a wheelchair and ready to call an ambulance—thankfully we were able to sit down for 20 minutes and everything was then fine. Turns out she hadn't drank any water that morning or the night before and just had a small heat stroke.

 

To anyone on the Tuesday morning ferry to the Dockyards (around 11ish), you are all saints. To the woman in white, you are angel and I wish I knew you so I could send you every bit of money in our savings account. May God bless everyone who helped me that day, you truly do not know what you all mean to me.

 

This episode summed up Bermuda, a caring and kind country who looks out for each other. Thumbs up to you!

 

THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF VEENDAM (or our fellow passengers)

The flooded room didn't get us down, the cracked window didn't get us down, our little medical emergency didn't get us down. What got us down was this voyage's passengers. Never in my life (and I've been on 25 or so cruises total) have I interacted with a group that was so hostile, vile, rude and self-centered than this trip. From the moment we boarded until we picked up our luggage, the attitude was so off-putting I doubt we ever sail from a NY/NJ port ever again.

 

A few "high"lights:

 

a) The guy who punched the other guy for cutting in line at the Lido to grab a piece of toast.

b) The 40-or-so year old man that belittled the female Explorers Lounge bar staff member so much she cried, you are a class act. Yes it was definitely her fault the ship didn't have Newcastle Brown Ale, yelling at her in your manner will make it appear like Manna from Heaven.

c) During Cooking with Stripes (with the Hotel Manager and Captain) several people took the Q&A as an opportunity to demand compensation for delayed boarding and the lack of glasses at the lido.

 

We are NEVER ones to pay much attention to other guests, but this trip was different. I don't know if it was just we were in the wrong places at the wrong time, but it was unpleasant and I felt so sorry for HAL's staff who had to put up with this nonsense. For shame.

 

ENTERTAINMENT

We don't do entertainment on cruises. However I must say Piano Man David Anthony (he played nightly in Mix) was exceptional and the best we've had on a ship. He is really, really good.

 

WOULD WE DO THIS AGAIN?

We are devout HAL cruisers. This trip didn't deter that. However, we won't sail Veendam again. We will sail every other ship in the fleet, but Veendam is a cursed lady at this point and extensive time in drydock is needed to weed out her problems. The onboard staff can't fix her, they need dedicated engineers with weeks of free time and no passengers to work on her guts.

 

It's sad because you never want to see the crew work so hard on something they can't fix. But that's what is happening and it's sorta heartbreaking in a way.

Edited August 27, 2012 by sppunk
Correcting image link

[sppunk]

I should add having room stewards handle the water mess irks me a bit. I think maintenance should do this, not a steward.

[3rdGenCunarder]

Wow, you must have been terrified when you wife became ill so suddenly. How fortunate that there was someone who knew what to do. The people of Bermuda are caring and wonderful!

 

It's sad to hear yet another story of Veendam's decline. We were fine on her in her first year to Bermuda. So much has changed in only 2 years. I can't believe they were letting the cracked window go unchanged. Safety issues usually get quick attention. I wonder if they're letting her go because they're quietly looking around for potential buyers?

 

I'm glad you were able to enjoy yourselves despite your various misadventures. Shame about the rude people. Civility seems to be disappearing everywhere these days.

[canadarocks]

Thank you so much for your very candid review of your cruise. How completely terrified you must have been while your wife was incapacitated. I can only try to imagine how awful that must have been for you....... :(

 

After an experience like that, we are always less critical about minor inconveniences. But I am so sorry that the Veendam was a less than perfect vessel for you. I think you have been more than kind in your criticisms.

 

Smooth sailing to you and your wife from now on sir! :)

[Cruise Junky]

My girlfriend was on this sailing. Judging from her brief e:mail on her way home this will be her first and last HAL cruise.

[travelinjones]

Thanks for the detailed update; so sorry to hear of the "challenges" associated with your cruise.

[monina01]

thanks for the review.

 

Let me first say this was pleasant reading, due to formatting. The use of "white space" makes it so much easier on the eye. Thanks for that!

 

So sorry to hear about your wife, that must have been so scary. Glad it turned out ok, that could have easily been different.

 

And so sorry to hear about the troubles on Veendam. And I am appalled when I read about the attitude of certain passengers. Why do people act like this? I don't get it.

 

I am starting to feel a bit of trepidation about our Jan cruise on Veendam, never thought that would happen.....

[erewhon]

Thank you for taking time to write this review of your cruise.

 

That was a scarey situation with your wife, thankfully the Angel and others were able to help her.

 

We are saddened to read of the behaviour and rudeness of some of the passengers. Feel very sorry for the staff having to tolerate such people.

 

Hope your next cruise will be trouble free.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thank you for taking the time to write your review.

Sadly we are seeing more rude people on our cruises as well -- demanding this and that -- just not good.

So glad that your wife recovered and that the problem was related to her not drinking any water.

Hope your next cruise will be better.

[kazu]

Thank you for your review. Wow - a lot happened and yet you are still positive;) Talk about a great attitude. So sad to hear of the issues on this ship. Thanks for taking the time to share your experiences with us.

 

And welcome home:)

[CtheW0rld]

nice review, thanks.

[mamaofami]

I'm so happy everything turned out OK for your wife. You must have been very frightened. It really shows how important it is to stay hydrated.

 

As far as Veendam, I've already said as much as I will about her. It's sad that she's in such disrepair, but I'm glad you managed to enjoy your cruise in spite of all your difficulties.

[IRL_Joanie]

As I said in your other thread, I am so glad to see your positive Attitude during this cruise. It is a joy to read that even with everything that happened, you still enjoyed the cruise:)

 

Thanks for writing it and telling us in such a positive manner that even we HAL Lovers can understand and bemoan the condition(s) of the Veendam and commiserate with you positively.

 

It is sad that so many people today feel they need compensation for what some of us feel are minor issues, and yet you with major inconveniences/issues do not....

 

Bless you, your wife and all those who aided in her Heat Stoke!!! Thank God she is OK!!

 

Joanie

[mingamonga]

:D

 

Sorry to hear about your wife's scary situation. Glad it was not something serious. And thank you for your extensive review.

 

My fiance and I got married in a civil ceremony in Bermuda on Wednesday.

I reconnected with a friend who lives there,after 16 years. She invited us to dinner at her beautiful home and was a witness (and photographer) at our ceremony. We also had access to a private beach for people in her community and were the only ones there for a few hours. Of the several beaches we visited, including Horseshoe, this private beach was the most beautiful. After our wedding ceremony, she took us out to lunch at Harry's, her favorite restaurant in Hamilton. So she and her partner will always be a major part of our marriage memories.

 

This was my fourth cruise and my husband's first. We live in New York and arrived at the terminal close to 3PM so we were spared all the waiting as it turns out.

 

We loved the Lanai stateroom. The lower promenade deck never seemed too crowded and we loved being able to open the doors to the deck and sit outside on our chairs. We could see out of the room at all times and nobody could ever see in because the outside of the doors is mirrored. We had fun with that! It was like the SVU interrogation rooms!

 

Our complaints did not in any way disrupt our voyage but were annoying factors.

We ordered breakfast in our room every day which was convenient. The other meals were always in the dining room. We found the food ok-very good but not excellent. The wait staff in the dining room was very slow and sometimes a simple request like more coffe or some ice took forever, if it came at all.

We also found it hard to understand many of the staff members. I think the English competency standard should be higher.

Several of our various table mates felt they were being nickel and dimed, e.g. charged $2.95 for a bottle of water left in the room at the start of the voyage.

I bought 100 minutes of internet time. When I used up the 100 minutes, nothing on the screen indicated that and I was charged for any minutes over 100 even though I had not wanted to go beyond 100. Luckily I found this out after only 8 additional minutes and got the charge credited back. There should be a clock that counts down your minutes online. That's how most places work this.

My sister exerted a lot of effort to send us a bottle of champage onboard to celebrate our wedding day. And spent a pretty penny. We received a $12 bottle of wine in the room. I am looking into this and want her to get her charges credited back.

I have not written off Holland America but would not look to sail the Veendam again. I wish other ships would copy the Lanai stateroom layout.

 

P.S. I agree that David, the piano man, was terrific. There was also a wonderful classical quartet on board. And we liked the passengers we met in the dining room. They added to our voyage. We did open seating which I loved because we got to dinner at almost 9PM each night. And we almost always chose to be seated with others.

[innlady1]

Thank you for your review, spunk. I commend you for making lemonade out of lemons...as someone else mentioned, so many folks these days look for compensation when things go wrong.

That must have been really scary for you and your wife...thank goodness there was an "angel in white" on board the ferry.

Sorry you were stuck with a rude group of passengers. I noticed a few on our cruise in May as well.

We had a wonderful cruise on the Veendam w/o incident...I think that's horrible to have to live with wet water and noise for the entire cruise. I'm shocked they don't save a few empty staterooms for situations like this.

[Staraj]

We were also on this cruise and I have to say, we didn't experience the rude passengers. I though the ship looked pretty good for her age and better than the last time we sailed her. In general the quality of food served on ships has declined over the years. What was a pleasant surprise was that room service food was quite good and hot.

Of course we didn't have the bad experiences that SSPUNK had and are glad everyone is OK. We only used the dining room once on the trip, instead opting for the specialty restaurant twice, Caneletto's once, and room service a few times. We ate in Lido on the last night. That was nice and relaxed.

Our experience with the service was positive and I can't say enough about the service at the front desk.

We would sail Veendam again in a sec to Bermuda. There is no comparison to docking in Hamilton versus Dockyard. I did notice one difference in Bermuda though. We had a couple of not so cheery bus drivers. Even when asked to let folks know when their stop was approaching, they didn't. Other than the drivers, the Bermudians were friendly as always.

As to the delay in NY during embarkation, I admit I was getting a bit antsy and was almost convinced that we weren't going to sail at all, so it was with great relief when we were finally called to board. On a positive note, since boarding was delayed so long, when we got to our cabin, all our luggage was already delivered.

Upon arrival in our room, there was a note welcoming us aboard. It was addressed to us and mentioned that HAL was aware of some issues I raised on past cruises and was addressing them. They probably are trying because this trip the Bloody Marys were exceptional:)

 

If you are sailing Veendam, check out those automatic hand washers on the Lido deck. I need one of those at home.

 

Safe sailing!

[innlady1]

We were also on this cruise and I have to say, we didn't experience the rude passengers. I though the ship looked pretty good for her age and better than the last time we sailed her. In general the quality of food served on ships has declined over the years. What was a pleasant surprise was that room service food was quite good and hot.

Of course we didn't have the bad experiences that SSPUNK had and are glad everyone is OK. We only used the dining room once on the trip, instead opting for the specialty restaurant twice, Caneletto's once, and room service a few times. We ate in Lido on the last night. That was nice and relaxed.

Our experience with the service was positive and I can't say enough about the service at the front desk.

We would sail Veendam again in a sec to Bermuda. There is no comparison to docking in Hamilton versus Dockyard. I did notice one difference in Bermuda though. We had a couple of not so cheery bus drivers. Even when asked to let folks know when their stop was approaching, they didn't. Other than the drivers, the Bermudians were friendly as always.

As to the delay in NY during embarkation, I admit I was getting a bit antsy and was almost convinced that we weren't going to sail at all, so it was with great relief when we were finally called to board. On a positive note, since boarding was delayed so long, when we got to our cabin, all our luggage was already delivered.

Upon arrival in our room, there was a note welcoming us aboard. It was addressed to us and mentioned that HAL was aware of some issues I raised on past cruises and was addressing them. They probably are trying because this trip the Bloody Marys were exceptional:)

 

If you are sailing Veendam, check out those automatic hand washers on the Lido deck. I need one of those at home.

 

Safe sailing!

 

I loved those, too! I wonder if HAL is putting them on all ships?

[sppunk]

Those hand washing stations are indeed awesome - reminds me of something Dyson would invent actually.

 

Thanks everyone for your comments about my wife, she's fine and has no lasting problems. Just a one-off thing, that I can safely say was the most terrifying experience of my life. Again thank you to those who helped me that day.

 

Staraj, so glad you had better luck. That's what it is - luck of the draw and no rhyme or reason to who experiences problems. It's crazy.

 

Which reminds me: I thought it pretty shocking when two people (one crew, one staff) both told me the Veendam needs to be scrapped. They said the crew know the issues and their cause (I tried but couldn't get the answer they held close to their chest), but two people told me she needs to be scrapped and a few more mentioned an extended extensive drydock is necessary.

 

These were unprovoked conversations, so you know when those comments are made there are issues somewhere. What I find interesting is they are working hard as best they can, seem to really admire the captain, so I don't believe one second the issue is crew related. I have to wonder if HAL's and/or Carnival is cutting them off at the knees on Veendam for some reason? It's an odd situation.

[goodearth]

Thank you for the review -- All of it! Your last post really hit on the topic that I'm wondering about. Given the amount of problems that are water related......doesn't that compromise the integrity of the ship? It's all hidden from view except the hull and exterior, yet it's all made of metal that can corrode, rust, or weaken. We were considering one of her S America cruises, but I'm second guessing that idea..........it almost seems like we are all being warned.....and like a used car, there IS a point where you decide whether to keep fixing (or not)........and it sure seems like HAL is just putting duct tape on things that need major body work.........

Edited August 27, 2012 by goodearth

[pampaul]

I was also on this cruise and have to agree with the OP. We were in an outside view room on deck 5. On the second day we had issues with our

AC. They said they fixed it but we could tell that there was no difference so they gave us a pedestal fan and also a bottle of wine. We don't drink though. Thankfully, we didn't have any of the water issues. But I also agree with the OP that in some areas of the ship, you could definately tell that there was AC issues. Some areas were very hot and some areas were actually very cold.

 

Can't remember what time we got to the port but I know that we also had quite a wait to get onboard. No big deal overall though. But I can say one thing though. This was our 4th or 5th time that we sailed out of NY. We normally drive down and park at the port sinced we only about 2-2 1/2 hours away. But this time, we decided to take a bus. The one thing that I HATED and yes, I said HATED was after the cruise, we had to wait for the bus to arrive (which was atleast 2 hours, if not more) and there is absolutely no where to sit. There are literally hundreds of people standing on the sidewalk with their luggage and no where to sit while you wait. I know some people might not have a problem with this, but for someone like me (who is recovering from a knee injury) this was such a pain (literally). I'm sure there's a reason, but I don't know why this port doesn't atleast built a bench along the length of the wall by the sidewalk. Atleast it would give a seating area for all those people waiting. Anyhow...

 

Our cabin stewards were great, as always.

 

The food overall was just okay. We did have dinner in the Pinnalce twice (once was on the Le Cirque night) Both of those dinners were great and we enjoyed the regular Pinnacle night over the Le Cirque though) If we decide to ever to do another HAL cruise, we will probably skip Le Cirque but will definately go to the Pinnacle again.

 

The service in the main dining room was slow at best. Except the last night, we were in and out in less than an hour. There just didn't seem to be enough staff. We had open seating and were usually within the first few families in the dining room each night. So it's not like it was really busy at all. So not sure what the wait would have been for. They would bring over the basket of bread and maybe 10mis later would bring the butter dish. Then maybe 10-15 mins later they would take your order. The did keep the water glasses pretty full on a regular basis though.

 

We always had breakfast in the Lido. I had the eggs benedict the first morning. They were okay. Not sure if I liked the hollandaise sauce or not. Was a little different than what I'm used to. Unfortunately, after a morning of some rough seas....let's just say I won't be having eggs benedict for quite some time, if you get my drift. :( So the rest of the week, I basically snacked on some fruit, yogurt or cereal. Hubby had the usual eggs, toast, potatoes, bacon etc. He said it was okay, nothing spectacular. But I do have to agree that it was sometimes a hunting game looking for spoons or glasses in the Lido. Actually, one side had water & ice but no glasses. And the other side had glasses but no ice. :confused: We never did lunch in the Lido. Nothing really ever looked appetizing. We did however, have burgers/fries from the grill. They were fine but boy was that place busy. I also made some chicken nachos from the taco bar too. Those were pretty good too.

 

Entertainment was okay. We've been on 4 other cruiselines and I'd have to say this entertainment was on the low end of the other lines. It wasn't all bad but we did walk out a couple times. Just wasn't our style, I guess. We did enjoy going up to the Ocean Bar and listening to the Neptunes (I'm pretty sure that was their name)

 

Bermuda was beautiful but HOT HOT HOT!!! My lord, I'm used to hot and humid but this was just ridiculous. LOL We did do quite a bit of sightseeing and really enjoyed the island. THE friendliest people you'd ever meet live on this island. They were also very helpful and just genuinely nice. We wanted to go to a beach one day so after taking a taxi tour of the island, we asked the driver to drop us off at a beach that wasn't so crowded. We had done Horseshoe Bay Beach six years ago when we last came to Bermuda so we wanted something less busy. Our taxi driver dropped us off at John Smith Bay Beach. Small and quiet!!! There was literally like 5 other people there when we arrived and there was maybe a total of 15 people by the time we left. Excellent spot. And there's a bus stop right at the top of the beach for easy access back to the ship.

 

Overall, we had a good time this past week. I know everyone has their favorite cruiseline and some are exclusive to their favorites. I'd truthfully have to say that this wasn't our favorite line but still had a great week. We're not sure if we'll come back to HAL, guess time will tell.

[High C's]

We were on this sailing as well, and I'm afraid this is going to be another review that is not overly complimentary.

First the positive:

- we found the staff (with the exception of diningroom staff) were wonderful. Especially our cabin stewards Omar and Gaga. The bar staff were also very pleasant.

- enjoyed being able to stay in our cabin during the debarkation process.

- the layout of our cabin was very comfortable (balcony cabin on Verandah deck) and in particular liked having a tub in the bathroom.

- the cleanliness and maintenance of the ship (in terms of paint, etc) was impreessive, considering its age.

Now for the not so positive:

- air conditioning in room 170 DOES NOT WORK. They came several times and tried to convince themselves it was fixed, but nope. We were given a fan, which at least made it tolerable to sleep. But if you went to the side of the room behind the fan (by the couch) it was unbearable.

- the toilet in room 170 has a mind of its own! Yes, it flushed, but only when it was good and ready. Usually about 5 minutes after you left the facility. We told them about it. Not sure if anyone ever came to check it out.

- food service was just not up to par. We were in the diningroom twice, and after the second try, we didn't bother again. Both times we were there for 1/2 hour before we were ever approached. The first time we ordered our beverages, and then 20 minutes after ordering them the wine steward came over and asked what we wanted. We told him we had already ordered. He said no, the waiter asked him to come and see us and had not put in our order. So now we are 40 minutes in the room, still have our menus on our laps, and have no beverages. I know the waiters were working very hard, but it was still not acceptable to us.

- the slow, uninterested service extended to the Pinnacle Room for us. We went on the very first night. It was half empty when we went (6:30), but service was still painfully slow. The food was "OK". Not great but not bad. It was comicable to us when we got our shrimp cocktail, as the amount of cocktail sauce on each could only be described as "miniscule" at best. When our main meal arrived, we were given our steaks (which we both thought were quite good), and then the tray with everything else on it fell to the floor. When the potatoes and veg finally arrived (again), we found the potatoes cooked but still too hard for our liking, yet the vegetables were overcooked. And again, a "miniscule" amount of sour cream was given after asking for it TWICE. Considering they dropped our first order, I would have thought they'd have wanted to ensure our meal was to our liking when we got it. Nope.

- the ambience was just not comfortable. Specifically, the seating in the theatre and the seating in the Mix (near the piano) were hard benches covered in material. I have sciatica that hasn't acted up in ages, but sitting on these benches was so uncomfortable we couldn't stay. That being said, I tried very hard in the piano bar, as David Anthony (I think that's right??) was fantastic!

- room service. Ugh. We ordered 3 times - twice for breakfast and once mid-afternoon. Both breakfast orders (submitted through the form you put on your door knob at night) were delivered MUCH later than we requested. One order forgot a few things, and the other order was delivered without any cutlery. The order of 2 sandwiches in the afternoon took 1.5 hours to come.

- no COLD soda or water available at the Lido bar. We asked 4 days straight for either water or soda as long as it was COLD. The weather was just FAR too hot to even think of drinking either warm! We were given different reasons why they were not available, but at the end of the day, for us, we found this unacceptable.

I really don't like to sound so negative. We have been on numerous cruises, and realize that "ship happens" from time to time. But this was our first, and possibly our last, experience on HAL. There were just too many little things that added up to us having our least pleasant cruise experience ever.

And I hate to say that because the crew, on the whole, were lovely people.

We made the best of it. We worked around everything and still enjoyed our week away. But I'm afraid that there were just too many things on this cruise that left a lasting impression with us, and that would make us hesitate to book another HAL cruise.

I should note that in conversation with many people, some of whom were 3 and 4 star Mariners, they all agreed this cruise was not up to standards.

Sorry folks. Wish I could have given a more glowing report! :(

[canadarocks]

Wow, how awful an experience for your first time with Holland America Line. :(

We have had four HAL cruises (one on the Veendam before she was "improved" :rolleyes:) and we have never experienced any of the discomforts you describe. I can understand why this has put you off the company though.

[sppunk]

High C's, sorry you had a rough go of it - even worse than us (no a/c is a non-starter for me).

 

All I can tell you is maybe don't completely give up on HAL. Give up on Veendam yes (as we and as you say lots of 3 and 4 star members told us they are doing) but I'd say trying another ship (Amsterdam, Westerdam, Eurodam come to mind) if the price and itinerary fits you would give a better impression of HAL in my opinion.

 

But as you said, the lack of glasses and water in the Lido was insanely odd. I've never experienced that on any ship on any ocean we've sailed.

 

I forgot to mention Veendam did not offer lemonade at any time in the Lido (at least that we saw). That was the first time on HAL we've never seen lemonade not available.

[High C's]

Wow, how awful an experience for your first time with Holland America Line. :(

We have had four HAL cruises (one on the Veendam before she was "improved" :rolleyes:) and we have never experienced any of the discomforts you describe. I can understand why this has put you off the company though.

 

Thanks. I hope I came across as objective, as I really tried to be. We are Elite on Princess, and really are comfortable with that line. So we were aware that we found ourselves "comparing". We were constantly reminding ourselves that because something was "different", it didn't make it "wrong"!! LOL But each day we found something "small" that, once they started adding up, we realized we were just not enjoying this cruise as much as others.

I think the icing on the cake was on the day before disembarkation, the Guest Relations desk called to enquire about the air conditioning. My husband told them it was STILL not working. They then started to describe to him that the further away you are from an a/c unit, the less effective it will be. Therefore, it was not a surprise that we found it warm in that room.

We LOVE to cruise, and it probably hurts us to complain as much as this is going to hurt HAL fans to read!!

I just hope that they either decide to bring Veendam up to standards, or get rid of it out of the fleet. Maybe one day we will try one of the newer ships, as this cruise also made us realize we are "big ship" people. Having only one pool available, especially during a week when there were lots of children on board, was another drawback (but not HAL's fault as we knew before we boarded that this would be the case).

[canadarocks]

Again, my sympathy for your bad experience on the Veendam. :(

 

We've been on 4 different HAL ships and our absolute favorite so far is the Eurodam. We will be sailing on her again in 2 weeks. She is one of the bigger HAL vessels, has two pools, the wonderful Tamarind restaurant, and we really enjoyed her last summer.

 

So if you decide to take a chance on HAL again and if she has an itinerary you like, I can definitely recommend the Eurodam. :)