Oosterdam Disappoints

[cynalan]

My wife and I recently returned from an Alaskan cruise on the Oosterdam. Although we would give the ports of call 5+ stars, sadly I must report that the ship was a great disappointment. This was our third HAL cruise... and probably our last. Each successive cruise on HAL showed further cuts and cost containment rendering the line inferior to other options out there.

 

Now I will admit to bias. One of the primary reasons that my wife and I like to cruise is for the entertainment and activities on board. Well... these were few and far between and what was scheduled usually conflicted with dinner. Sure, there were a couple of presentations, culinary shows, etc. but very little scheduled pool side, trivia usually held at 7:30 pm, etc. The CD was all but absent, only providing a brief introduction to shows with time worn jokes. At the end of the show, most CDs would highlight the next day's activities... nope.

 

The Vista Lounge presented only two production numbers both of which were mediocre... a mishmash of songs thrown together with no story to speak of. Sets were minimal, costumes poor, dancers below average - though I will give credit to the singers who were superb - when they weren't lip syncing to prerecorded music and vocals. No show band. Three of the shows in the theatre were not really shows at all: 1. movie night; 2. dancing with the stars (sorry, but I do not view watching fellow passengers dance on stage as entertainment.) 3. Philipino crew show.

 

Lounge entertainment was generally good: We really enjoyed Adagio - a piano/violin duet, the BB King Allstars, and the pianoman. One lounge band... The Band, should have been called "The Bland". No vocals and a sound similar to a one-man electronic keyboard. HalCats no longer exist.

 

Food was good in the MDR though the Lido Buffet was average at best. The Pinnacle Grill was inferior to specialty dining restaurants found on other ships.

 

We chose this cruise as HAL was the only line to include the Yukon in the land package.

[erewhon]

Thank you for your comments. Did you mention these on the survey after your cruise?

 

Sorry that you had such a disappointing Oosterdam cruise.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Sorry you were disappointed in your cruise.

[1ANGELCAT]

My wife and I recently returned from an Alaskan cruise on the Oosterdam. Although we would give the ports of call 5+ stars, sadly I must report that the ship was a great disappointment. This was our third HAL cruise... and probably our last. Each successive cruise on HAL showed further cuts and cost containment rendering the line inferior to other options out there.

 

 

 

Now I will admit to bias. One of the primary reasons that my wife and I like to cruise is for the entertainment and activities on board. Well... these were few and far between and what was scheduled usually conflicted with dinner. Sure, there were a couple of presentations, culinary shows, etc. but very little scheduled pool side, trivia usually held at 7:30 pm, etc. The CD was all but absent, only providing a brief introduction to shows with time worn jokes. At the end of the show, most CDs would highlight the next day's activities... nope.

 

 

 

The Vista Lounge presented only two production numbers both of which were mediocre... a mishmash of songs thrown together with no story to speak of. Sets were minimal, costumes poor, dancers below average - though I will give credit to the singers who were superb - when they weren't lip syncing to prerecorded music and vocals. No show band. Three of the shows in the theatre were not really shows at all: 1. movie night; 2. dancing with the stars (sorry, but I do not view watching fellow passengers dance on stage as entertainment.) 3. Philipino crew show.

 

 

 

Lounge entertainment was generally good: We really enjoyed Adagio - a piano/violin duet, the BB King Allstars, and the pianoman. One lounge band... The Band, should have been called "The Bland". No vocals and a sound similar to a one-man electronic keyboard. HalCats no longer exist.

 

 

 

Food was good in the MDR though the Lido Buffet was average at best. The Pinnacle Grill was inferior to specialty dining restaurants found on other ships.

 

 

 

We chose this cruise as HAL was the only line to include the Yukon in the land package.

 

 

As you posted this same response on the other thread Oosterdam Southbound , I feel I need to respond to some of your comments.

1. It is the FILIPINO CREW SHOw. NOT PHILPINO.

2. The crew show and movie were the same evening. This was Haines, when we were scheduled to be there until 9:00 .

3. DWTS was the last eve as is the practice on all voyages.

As to the other evenings, there was a comedian and illusionists.

As far as to your other comments about trivia,yes there was Pub Trivia at 7:30 each evening. However, trivia was also scheduled during the day.

What poolside activities would you want to see crossing the Gulf of Alaska and in Glacier Bay. This is scenic cruising! Also, what about the 4th of July BBQ on deck. It was packed.

Just needed to vent.

[DaveOKC]

My wife and I recently returned from an Alaskan cruise on the Oosterdam. Although we would give the ports of call 5+ stars, sadly I must report that the ship was a great disappointment. This was our third HAL cruise... and probably our last. Each successive cruise on HAL showed further cuts and cost containment rendering the line inferior to other options out there.

 

Now I will admit to bias. One of the primary reasons that my wife and I like to cruise is for the entertainment and activities on board. Well... these were few and far between and what was scheduled usually conflicted with dinner. Sure, there were a couple of presentations, culinary shows, etc. but very little scheduled pool side, trivia usually held at 7:30 pm, etc. The CD was all but absent, only providing a brief introduction to shows with time worn jokes. At the end of the show, most CDs would highlight the next day's activities... nope.

 

The Vista Lounge presented only two production numbers both of which were mediocre... a mishmash of songs thrown together with no story to speak of. Sets were minimal, costumes poor, dancers below average - though I will give credit to the singers who were superb - when they weren't lip syncing to prerecorded music and vocals. No show band. Three of the shows in the theatre were not really shows at all: 1. movie night; 2. dancing with the stars (sorry, but I do not view watching fellow passengers dance on stage as entertainment.) 3. Philipino crew show.

 

Lounge entertainment was generally good: We really enjoyed Adagio - a piano/violin duet, the BB King Allstars, and the pianoman. One lounge band... The Band, should have been called "The Bland". No vocals and a sound similar to a one-man electronic keyboard. HalCats no longer exist.

 

Food was good in the MDR though the Lido Buffet was average at best. The Pinnacle Grill was inferior to specialty dining restaurants found on other ships.

 

We chose this cruise as HAL was the only line to include the Yukon in the land package.

 

I am sorry to hear that your cruise disappointed you. Of course we all have different expectations and no one cruise line can be the "best" for everyone.

 

HAL is not known for its activities and entertainment, so your disappointments do not surprise me. We like the quieter atmosphere and lack of constant PA announcements that you often find on other ships, plus we feel that the crews on HAL are fantastic.

 

Thank you for your comments, I hope that you can find a cruiseline that better suits you.

[RMLincoln]

I think that most here will agree that entertainment is not the strength of HAL. We also like Adagio Strings and we are disappointed that they have been reduced to a duo. The new ship will have the Lincoln Center Stage with classical ensemble every night but one ship in a fleet is rather limiting. I'm not a big fan of DWTS - they used to have a talent show in the afternoon on the last sea day and now it's an evening show, a good time to pack. IIRC the Oosterdam and her sister ships have not had a live band on stage for the shows, just the recorded music, which I think is a great loss.

 

HAL doesn't usually have much in the way of poolside antics, which we think is a good thing but I usually go to trivia in the afternoons.... pub trivia is a nice time for those who eat later but we now eat earlier.

 

I'm looking at the Alaska land/cruise tours for next year and I'm disappointed that there is less in the Yukon than there used to be so we may do something on our own.... or go with the flow of what's offered be it HAL, Princess or Celebrity.

 

I hope you find a cruise that better meets your desires. NCL and Celebrity are better known for their entertainment. Thank you for posting. Enjoy, m--

Edited July 10, 2015 by RMLincoln

[janmcn]

Agree that this is not the cruise line for you...

We cruise HAL for itineraries, cabin size, great beds, library, quiet, and staff.

We are happy when the singers are good, but don't expect anything great.

Adagio is always nice, guitar players and piano bars a dependent on talent they have for that particular cruise...some have been fantastic, others mediocre.

Food is "OK" but that works for us since we are not going to go home with pounds to lose.

Oosterdam was great on our AU/NZ to Seattle cruise and we'll be back next year.

[Viesczy]

As you posted this same response on the other thread Oosterdam Southbound , I feel I need to respond to some of your comments.

1. It is the FILIPINO CREW SHOw. NOT PHILPINO.

2. The crew show and movie were the same evening. This was Haines, when we were scheduled to be there until 9:00 .

3. DWTS was the last eve as is the practice on all voyages.

As to the other evenings, there was a comedian and illusionists.

As far as to your other comments about trivia,yes there was Pub Trivia at 7:30 each evening. However, trivia was also scheduled during the day.

What poolside activities would you want to see crossing the Gulf of Alaska and in Glacier Bay. This is scenic cruising! Also, what about the 4th of July BBQ on deck. It was packed.

Just needed to vent.

 

1Angel, take it easy, they didn't like the cruise that you were the CD on or anything.

 

Things pointed out to them after the fact won't change the experience they had. Everyone's experience is unique to their point of view.

 

Derek

[themerle]

This is just another reason to do your homework before choosing a cruise line. We just returned from our cruise on the Maasdam to Canada and New England. We loved the ship and the crew. There wasn't as much entertainment but after a full day of visiting the towns and going on excursions there was just enough to keep us entertained. We enjoyed the food while on board. Sometimes we just opted for the Lido over the dining room. Sadly the specialty restaurant (Pinnacle) was booked on all nights. We would have loved a meal there. We enjoyed the calm atmosphere and the smaller crowds. Sometimes we choose a cruise line with more activity if it's an itinerary that we have been on before.

[SilvertoGold]

We were on this cruise and would agree that the CD was not the best we've had: he was very nice and obviously quite competent, but looked and acted somewhat bored at the regular events, but perked up considerably at both VIP parties. Perhaps he was very near the end of his contract and ready to go home.

His comment at the Mariner Brunch that if you break open the medallions there is chocolate inside was actually not one we had heard before in many, many HAL cruises.

 

The Captain was outstanding, the best for Alaska we have had in 16 cruises there. He pointed out wildlife sightings, did the Grenville Channel route and was very pax-friendly.

 

Entertainment: we don't do much but the BB king Blues and the Explorer's Lounge Duo, both of which were excellent. The rest seemed to me based on my experience of HAL Alaska cruises to be about standard.

 

We dining at the Pinnacle 5 times in 2 weeks and found the manager, the food and the service to be worth going back for, except Le Cirque which was pretty ordinary as far as the food was concerned.

 

I agree with the posters who opine that HAL isn't the line for OPs.

Edited July 10, 2015 by SilvertoGold

[elycelynne]

Just curious -- Who was the CD? I saw the reference to looking bored and one name immediately sprang to my mind and I was wondering if it's the same person.

[MadManOfBethesda]

As you posted this same response on the other thread Oosterdam Southbound , I feel I need to respond to some of your comments.

1. It is the FILIPINO CREW SHOw. NOT PHILPINO.

2. The crew show and movie were the same evening. This was Haines, when we were scheduled to be there until 9:00 .

3. DWTS was the last eve as is the practice on all voyages.

As to the other evenings, there was a comedian and illusionists.

As far as to your other comments about trivia,yes there was Pub Trivia at 7:30 each evening. However, trivia was also scheduled during the day.

What poolside activities would you want to see crossing the Gulf of Alaska and in Glacier Bay. This is scenic cruising! Also, what about the 4th of July BBQ on deck. It was packed.

Just needed to vent.

 

You had to vent because he misspelled Filipino?

 

You had to vent because he said that the scheduled evening entertainment conflicted with his selected dinner time?

 

You had to vent because he thought the food in the MDR was good, the food in the Lido average, and the Pinnacle inferior to speciality restaurants on some other lines?

 

You had to vent because he said that he and his wife were disappointed in the ship?

 

Do you feel better now? Are you done?

 

If so, I'd like to vent about people who vent when others report that their HAL cruise was less than perfect.

[Lizzie68]

The OP gave an honest opinion of their cruise the way they saw it. No need to dump all over them. He/she pointed out the good as well as the bad. Some cruisers would find the information useful when selecting a ship.

[DocF]

I appreciate what the OP said. I certainly hope that we will find our experience more to our liking. As to cuts, all the cruise lines are doing this and some have been done with a cleaver rather than a filet knife.

 

I know what we are paying and I am amazed that they would sell this cruise for the money we are spending. As long as price is a major competitive factor in the cruise industry, we will see cuts. The industry is still over equipped with ships, both newer and bigger and more expensive to build. The vast majority of folks will not even consider a cruise for a vacation (I do not understand that, but then we cruise do we not?).

[SilvertoGold]

DocF

 

HAL needs to fill the ships, so the pricing can vary accordingly. Don't think they are pricing every stateroom, every balcony and every suite for rock-bottom prices.

 

Hope you have a great time. For us this cruise was 10 out of 10 in almost every respect. One of the first HAL cruises in several years where we did not see a bucket or two catching water from leaks! Heard nothing about toilet problems, leaks, A/C problems. The ship is in very good shape in side and out, with a happy crew.

[1ANGELCAT]

You had to vent because he misspelled Filipino?

 

 

 

You had to vent because he said that the scheduled evening entertainment conflicted with his selected dinner time?

 

 

 

You had to vent because he thought the food in the MDR was good, the food in the Lido average, and the Pinnacle inferior to speciality restaurants on some other lines?

 

 

 

You had to vent because he said that he and his wife were disappointed in the ship?

 

 

 

Do you feel better now? Are you done?

 

 

 

If so, I'd like to vent about people who vent when others report that their HAL cruise was less than perfect.

 

 

Yes I had to.

Yes I feel better now.

Do you?

[cruz chic]

We were on this cruise and would agree that the CD was not the best we've had: he was very nice and obviously quite competent, but looked and acted somewhat bored at the regular events, but perked up considerably at both VIP parties. Perhaps he was very near the end of his contract and ready to go home.

His comment at the Mariner Brunch that if you break open the medallions there is chocolate inside was actually not one we had heard before in many, many HAL cruises.

 

The Captain was outstanding, the best for Alaska we have had in 16 cruises there. He pointed out wildlife sightings, did the Grenville Channel route and was very pax-friendly.

 

Entertainment: we don't do much but the BB king Blues and the Explorer's Lounge Duo, both of which were excellent. The rest seemed to me based on my experience of HAL Alaska cruises to be about standard.

 

We dining at the Pinnacle 5 times in 2 weeks and found the manager, the food and the service to be worth going back for, except Le Cirque which was pretty ordinary as far as the food was concerned.

 

I agree with the posters who opine that HAL isn't the line for OPs.

 

I've heard the chocolate inside joke on my last few cruises. I guess Hal likes to change jokes every 5 years or so :D.

[kazu]

Different people have different experiences on different ships. Different expectations, different needs whatever.

 

so, I understand why there are conflicting reports. I think what counts is that this is most likely not the line for the OP and if entertainment is an issue, I would also not recommend Oceania ;)

 

We have been on all of the Vista ships except the Noordam and the Oosterdam was our least favourite. it was just a combination of things. We still had a great cruise mind you but we far prefer the Westerdam due to experiences on her. Each to their own ;)

[sail7seas]

OP, Thank you for taking the time to share your comments with us.

My experience on all the Vista ships does not match yours but so what? That does not make it any less valid. That is how you experienced that cruise.

 

I hope your next cruise is more to your liking. :)

[cruiseJMO]

OP, Thank you for taking the time to share your comments with us.

My experience on all the Vista ships does not match yours but so what? That does not make it any less valid. That is how you experienced that cruise.

 

I hope your next cruise is more to your liking. :)

 

Different people have different experiences on different ships. Different expectations, different needs whatever.

 

so, I understand why there are conflicting reports. I think what counts is that this is most likely not the line for the OP and if entertainment is an issue, I would also not recommend Oceania ;)

 

We have been on all of the Vista ships except the Noordam and the Oosterdam was our least favourite. it was just a combination of things. We still had a great cruise mind you but we far prefer the Westerdam due to experiences on her. Each to their own ;)

 

The OP gave an honest opinion of their cruise the way they saw it. No need to dump all over them. He/she pointed out the good as well as the bad. Some cruisers would find the information useful when selecting a ship.

I agree with all of you.

OP simply gave their opinions from their experience; and I appreciate them, since we all have different tastes and value some things more important than others.

What I really appreciate is that although they may have been mostly negative opinions, they weren't delivered in a nasty way. It's the nasty reviews that cause me to turn away & not read any more, thus making their review completely obsolete in my mind.

So, thank you, OP.

*Koningsdam does look like a ship you may want to give HAL another shot on.

[HokiePoq]

I think that most here will agree that entertainment is not the strength of HAL. We also like Adagio Strings and we are disappointed that they have been reduced to a duo. The new ship will have the Lincoln Center Stage with classical ensemble every night but one ship in a fleet is rather limiting. I'm not a big fan of DWTS - they used to have a talent show in the afternoon on the last sea day and now it's an evening show, a good time to pack. IIRC the Oosterdam and her sister ships have not had a live band on stage for the shows, just the recorded music, which I think is a great loss.

 

HAL doesn't usually have much in the way of poolside antics, which we think is a good thing but I usually go to trivia in the afternoons.... pub trivia is a nice time for those who eat later but we now eat earlier.

 

I'm looking at the Alaska land/cruise tours for next year and I'm disappointed that there is less in the Yukon than there used to be so we may do something on our own.... or go with the flow of what's offered be it HAL, Princess or Celebrity.

 

I hope you find a cruise that better meets your desires. NCL and Celebrity are better known for their entertainment. Thank you for posting. Enjoy, m--

 

Agree with all but that Celebrity is known for entertainment. We've been on two X cruises this year. I would say the entertainment was better than what the OP described, but way, way below what both NCL and RCCL offer. The lectures, however, were excellent and NCL does not do those. Lounge entertainment was not so hot, just the piano man who was good. Come to find out they are cutting too. There was a stage band as there was when we've cruised HAL every time before. I sure hope this is just the port intensive Alaska itinerary. It is going to be a long 35 days coming up without the stage band and much if any entertainment. Often on NCL we choose the lounge singers over the stage shows having already seen the production shows and not liking magic and acrobats. I have seen some of the same great stage performers on both NCL and HAL (in the same year even). I hate to think these acts are things of the past.

[Fouremco]

Our last HAL sailing prior to an Alaska cruise on the Oosterdam was aboard the Noordam, and our following cruise was on the Nieuw Amsterdam. Although we generally enjoyed our Alaskan cruise, we too were a bit disappointed but had our faith restored on the Nieuw Amsterdam. There was nothing glaringly wrong, just a lot of little things that were off: cabin steward who needed to be asked day after day for ice, even though we asked on day one to have it at the same time every day; MDR staff that didn't display the level of attentiveness that we are used to on HAL cruises; menus that left us wondering what to order, not because of several excellent choice but because nothing really appealed some night.

 

So, it's unlikely we'll pick the Oosterdam any time soon, but we have the Maasdam and Koningsdam booked for the immediate future, with a Celebrity cruise sandwiched in between.

[SilvertoGold]

I've heard the chocolate inside joke on my last few cruises. I guess Hal likes to change jokes every 5 years or so :D.

 

Ah, so it is one of the new edition jokes! They must have a manual.

 

I do know that on one cruise we had a completely hilarious and extremely well-done cooking demo with the CD and on the next cruise there was another one (different recipes, different CD) but you would swear that that CD had seen a video of the first one. I guess the original one was considered so outstanding that the video made the rounds of the ships for training.

[cynalan]

I found it very interesting reading everyone's comments. Obviously, people have different expectations in their cruise experiences. Comments here were very polarized.

 

Perhaps though, not everyone who commented read my post thoroughly. I posted that my wife and I have a strong bias for entertainment, in particular shows in the theatre. We have sailed HAL before and found that quality had decreased significantly since our previous cruises on the Noordam and Niew Amsterdam. I also noted that we took this port intensive tour as HAL is the only line to include a land tour of the Yukon. The comedian was mentioned - old recycled jokes heard a million times but he had a lot of charm and his presentation was excellent. The illusionists were OK though they did one amazing card trick that blew us away. Perhaps we were spoiled as our the shows from our last cruise on the Celebrity Silhouette in March were some of the best we have ever seen.

 

Someone commented about Oceania. We travelled on this line several years ago when we toured Asia and really enjoyed it... even though it had no theatre. It did have several activities on sea days that were NOT scheduled during dinner. We did not expect this cruise to be X or NCL or RCCL, we were just not prepared for how much less was offered on this cruise compared to our first Noordam cruise several years ago that was really great.

 

Thanks to everyone for their criticism and reinforcing comments. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and we all look for different things and experiences. If my post can help someone pick a cruise that will meet their expectations, great. I was not being hypercritical, mean or nasty... just an observation of our experience - all that was good and not so good.

 

Oh yes, thanks for pointing out the Captain. I was remiss in not mentioning him. Captain Peter Bos did a fantastic job at providing daily updates for the ship, pointing our wildlife and giving approximate times for particularly scenic viewing as we sailed through channels. In fact, I recall that he was Captain on our Noordam cruise several years ago.

 

Regards,

 

Alan

 

Oops - had to edit my document. AngelCat - the self appointed grammar and spelling police might have pointed out some errors.

Edited July 11, 2015 by cynalan

[Down-Unders]

As you posted this same response on the other thread Oosterdam Southbound , I feel I need to respond to some of your comments.

1. It is the FILIPINO CREW SHOw. NOT PHILPINO.

2. The crew show and movie were the same evening. This was Haines, when we were scheduled to be there until 9:00 .

3. DWTS was the last eve as is the practice on all voyages.

As to the other evenings, there was a comedian and illusionists.

As far as to your other comments about trivia,yes there was Pub Trivia at 7:30 each evening. However, trivia was also scheduled during the day.

What poolside activities would you want to see crossing the Gulf of Alaska and in Glacier Bay. This is scenic cruising! Also, what about the 4th of July BBQ on deck. It was packed.

Just needed to vent.

 

 

" No comments are to be made regarding spelling or grammar " Please adhere to the guidelines.