Veendam problems?

[Ineke]

We're waiting to board the Veendam, amd were chatting with some folks who had just disembarked. They were telling us that due to mechanical problems, they missed their last 2 ports and had 5 sea days instead. Since our cruise only has 3 ports, we are a bit concerned... Hopefully they will sort it out while in San Diego today.

[catl331]

We're waiting to board the Veendam, amd were chatting with some folks who had just disembarked. They were telling us that due to mechanical problems, they missed their last 2 ports and had 5 sea days instead. Since our cruise only has 3 ports, we are a bit concerned... Hopefully they will sort it out while in San Diego today.

I sure wish it was the Veendam going to P&O instead of the Ryndam! Good luck on your cruise. :)

[sammiedawg]

I sure wish it was the Veendam going to P&O instead of the Ryndam! Good luck on your cruise. :)

 

I totally agree. We had fourteen days summer of 2013 on Ryndam and thhe ship was in good shape overall. Much better and nicer than Veendam or Prinsendam.

[janmcn]

Problems should be fixed in SD. One port was missed due to current/wind problems that caused the Veendam to be late into Ft. Lauderdale and therefor late to leave, so late into next port, etc. That caused a change in itinerary. The last port (Cabo) was due to an engine that had a problem during routine maintenance that caused us to not have enough speed to allow more than a few hours in Cabo...hence the decision to eliminate that port also. We received a 20% refund according to what we paid that could be used towards our next cruise. I've never had compensation for missed ports before, so this was quite an amazing response. I wish you a very fun journey. We had our best Panama Canal cruise out of 3...beautiful day. (Our past ones had been rainy!) Enjoy. Mario, your Cruise Director is THE BEST.

[DAllenTCY]

Veendam departed on time today at 4pm. All scheduled port stops are expected to be on time. Temperature at the pier reached 79 degrees.....sky is blue....seas are calm.

Wish you were here!

David

[PathfinderEss]

I sure wish it was the Veendam going to P&O instead of the Ryndam! Good luck on your cruise. :)

 

Totally agree with you cat, problem is they can's sell her because no one wants her.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Veendam departed on time today at 4pm. All scheduled port stops are expected to be on time. Temperature at the pier reached 79 degrees.....sky is blue....seas are calm.

Wish you were here!

David

 

David, I wish I was there too :) But it is might nice in Las Vegas. High today was 73 and we are going to hit 80 by the end of this next week :D Next weekend the highs are all low 80s the only way to make it any more perfect would be if a cruise ship could get to Las Vegas ;)

[Rotterdam]

After sailing on HAL ships since the 1970's we quite after the Bermuda cruise we took on Veendam several years ago...along w/ the cutback in service & maintainence by Carnivore Corp and the replacement of the aft pool & additional cabins we had enough.

 

I do not know what passengers today expect or experience but certainly 5 years ago the ship was in such disrepair it was disgrace. Even the Amtersdam sailing on a world cruise right now - March 2015 - cut back on food, service & upkeep its not worth a $ 70 a day per person cruise.....

 

No matter the marketing or cheap passengers..it shouldn't be!

[Rotterdam]

it sewage leakage that's occurred & outside the MDR is one of the areas where buckets have been placed! Mind you not the only place but the MDR has been repeatedly noted!

 

 

After sailing on HAL ships since the 1970's we quite after the Bermuda cruise we took on Veendam several years ago...along w/ the cutback in service & maintainence by Carnivore Corp and the replacement of the aft pool & additional cabins we had enough.

 

I do not know what passengers today expect or experience but certainly 5 years ago the ship was in such disrepair it was disgrace. Even the Amtersdam sailing on a world cruise right now - March 2015 - cut back on food, service & upkeep its not worth a $ 70 a day per person cruise.....

 

No matter the marketing or cheap passengers..it shouldn't be!

[Koali]

We were on the Veendam on Feb 7-21 from San Diego to Ft lauderdale. We arrived late to some of our ports and left late at most ports. I heard that there were some engine problems and we could not go at max speed. Additionally, the wind was crazy some nights, over 60 knots and we had to go slower for safety. We arrived 4 hours late in Florida and we missed our flight. Luckily we were able to get on the next one for free. Holland America was willing to reimburse any change fees too even though we did not book our flights with them. Glad that we did not go on the cruise after, I would be really disappointed to miss some ports.

 

 

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[GradUT]

We were on the Veendam last July for the Quebec-to-Boston cruise. It was our first time to sail HAL and we enjoyed the Veendam immensely.

[igraf]

This happens across the fleet. We lost a generator on the Westerdam once which resulted in a late arrival back home.

 

There seems to be no end of Veendam bashing on this forum. I recall the Ryndam having its share of problems a few years ago, to the point where I made a mental note to avoid the ship.

 

igraf

 

 

 

 

I sure wish it was the Veendam going to P&O instead of the Ryndam! Good luck on your cruise. :)

[KruzPrincess]

Several cruises on the Veendam were cancelled last fall. I was on the ship when the problem arose. The balance of the cruise was cancelled. More cruises cancelled after that. Now, it's having more mechanical problems. I don't think I'd book the Veendam again after my experience.

[igraf]

The Ryndam has had similar problems in the past:

 

http://juneauempire.com/stories/081202/loc_ryndam.shtml#.VPxubC5j_AM

 

http://***************/ryndam-stuck-off-of-tampa/

 

I suspect that all four S-class ships have similar propulsion systems.

 

igraf

 

 

 

 

Several cruises on the Veendam were cancelled last fall. I was on the ship when the problem arose. The balance of the cruise was cancelled. More cruises cancelled after that. Now, it's having more mechanical problems. I don't think I'd book the Veendam again after my experience.

[HokiePoq]

Some things don't change. Our first cruise on the Veendam was in 2007, one of our first cruises ever. Several cruises before ours had missed ports due to engine problems. Sewage problems were noted. Everything was fixed and we had a great cruise.

Our second cruise on the Veendam is the upcoming Voyage of the Vikings. Now this one cost magnitudes more and if these problems persist there will be much $$$ lost if ports are missed......not to mention 35 days of the summer. Wish they had chosen a different ship for that but since it sells out every year I guess people sign up in spite of the ship.

Here's hoping all gets repaired and future cruises are not impacted.

[janmcn]

The latest report on the Veendam: Just off 2 weeks and found no problems on the ship...our cabin was delightful, verandah was in perfect shape (no paint issues, no poor chairs, etc.), public areas were in great shape...lounge chairs in library all in good shape, etc. So...overall no issues. No sewer smells, no problem with AC (other than the ships...all of them...seem to overdue the AC in public areas.). Food was adequate, but that is not what HAL is known for. No issue with it. Desserts were poor (as usual.) Not a bad thing ;-)

Yes, we had a "mechanical issue" that the Chief Engineer and Captain both explained...not a problem. All engines have to be overhauled every X hours of service and the overhauls are done during the cruises...with this one a problem arose that involved something that couldn't be handled by the crew on board...hence our slower sail (only 18 knots ;-) to San Diego...not really a real issue.

The staff on the Veendam was very good...Cruise Director was the best ever. (Mario Vice). Shop talk fellow, Chris, was the best we've had. Annette, Future Cruise Consultant, was also the best we've had.

Yes, the change to the aft deck is not our favorite, but we will be the recipient of one of those "new cabins" when we sail on the Voyage of the Vikings in July...will have 232 which is an aft corner cabin that should be, from all reports, excellent.

All ships will have problems of one sort or another at any time...but people shouldn't count on years' old comments to choose a ship. We choose by itinerary, and figure that HAL fits our budget and "style" so will continue to happily sail on their ships.

[catl331]

There seems to be no end of Veendam bashing on this forum. I recall the Ryndam having its share of problems a few years ago, to the point where I made a mental note to avoid the ship.

We've been on Veendam twice and the other three S ships once each. Based on our experiences, our mental note is to not go back on the Veendam again. OTOH we would be happy to take another cruise on the Ryndam. Edited March 8, 2015 by catl331

[igraf]

It is much more helpful if you tell us why you have the preference. Different people care about different things.

 

I, like the post above by Janmcn, found the Veendam to be perfectly fine one year ago. No substantial complaints. I have been on other S-class ships and found no overall preference.

 

igraf

 

 

 

 

We've been on Veendam twice and the other three S ships once each. Based on our experiences, our mental note is to not go back on the Veendam again. OTOH we would be happy to take another cruise on the Ryndam.

[iancal]

We do not have a problem with older ships IF the cruise line does proper maintenance. We just got off the Sun Princess last week. Twenty years old and in tip top shape.

 

We think that HAL has been cutting corners on ship maitenance in order to save money and 'milk' some older ships prior to selling them. Veendam is one. There are a few others. Our sense is that this has been going on for the past three or four years.

 

Our attitude is why even take a chance on them. Much easier to simply select a different HAL ship or a different cruise line. I am always astonished when I see people explain away issues. We want what we pay for and expect the cruise line to live up to the expectations that they have set. Issues such as no ac, plumbing, or mechanical are not part of those expectations.

Edited March 8, 2015 by iancal

[sammiedawg]

We do not have a problem with older ships IF the cruise line does proper maintenance. We just got off the Sun Princess last week. Twenty years old and in tip top shape.

 

We think that HAL has been cutting corners on ship maitenance in order to save money and 'milk' some older ships prior to selling them. Veendam is one. There are a few others. Our sense is that this has been going on for the past three or four years.

 

Our attitude is why even take a chance on them. Much easier to simply select a different HAL ship or a different cruise line. I am always astonished when I see people explain away issues. We want what we pay for and expect the cruise line to live up to the expectations that they have set. Issues such as no ac, plumbing, or mechanical are not part of those expectations.

 

Excellent post! Count me in as astonished when some defend the indefensible. Sewage dripping from ceilings, non working ventilation and plumbing is disgraceful. There is no question HAL is milking the last profits from these old ships and counting on its loyal demographic to keep on booking. On my last cruise we had dinner with group of passengers traveling together, they had been sailing HAL for twenty plus years. They were disappointed in the current product but apprehensive to try anything new.

Edited March 8, 2015 by sammiedawg

[cruz chic]

Excellent post! Count me in as astonished when some defend the indefensible. Sewage dripping from ceilings, non working ventilation and plumbing is disgraceful. There is no question HAL is milking the last profits from these old ships and counting on its loyal demographic to keep on booking. On my last cruise we had dinner with group of passengers traveling together, they had been sailing HAL for twenty plus years. They were disappointed in the current product but apprehensive to try anything new.

 

I am somewhat worried about doing my Veendam cruise in May. I want to go to bermuda so that's the choice I've made. I refuse to do celebrity because their product is very poor. I know that the Veendam has had its problems but these seem to be more from several years ago. I sailed the Veendam in 2010 with no issues but I would never claim that no one else has. I assume there won't be sewage dripping from the walls. I'm not one of the few people on here that dismiss problems by calling people poor travellers.

[GeriatricNurse]

I am somewhat worried about doing my Veendam cruise in May. I want to go to bermuda so that's the choice I've made. I refuse to do celebrity because their product is very poor. I know that the Veendam has had its problems but these seem to be more from several years ago. I sailed the Veendam in 2010 with no issues but I would never claim that no one else has. I assume there won't be sewage dripping from the walls. I'm not one of the few people on here that dismiss problems by calling people poor travellers.

 

Maybe in your opinion! :rolleyes: Personally, my two Celebrity cruises were nothing short of EXCELLENT! ;)

[cruz chic]

Maybe in your opinion! :rolleyes: Personally, my two Celebrity cruises were nothing short of EXCELLENT! ;)

 

Of course it's my opinion. Would I be posting on behalf of someone else:confused:? I also don't go around the boards chastising everyone that posts. You've posted in the past that spa workers were excellent but mentioned in another post that you've never been to the spa so............

Edited March 8, 2015 by cruz chic

[sammiedawg]

Celebrity has pretty good food. The Solstice class ships are highly rated.

Oceania ports periodically at Hamilton, we are considering one for 2016 that crosses from Barcelona. I've seen Bermuda on Riviera's schedule and I think Regatta calls there when they reposition from New England. I don't believe they have any dedicated cruises to Bermuda as they have few seven day trips.

Edited March 9, 2015 by sammiedawg

[ScriptOhio]

I sure wish it was the Veendam going to P&O instead of the Ryndam! Good luck on your cruise. :)

 

Add me to the list of people that totally agrees with that comment. I did the Voyage of the Vikings on the Veendam in 2013. Basically, I enjoyed the cruise; however, and my impression of the ship was an overall lack of maintenance with the ship just being totally "worn out".