HAL's Veendam - a great disappointment!

[FlotationDevice]

We were on Veendam in January for our third HAL cruise, this time from San Diego to Tampa via the Panama Canal. We were happy to pay about $1,000 per day for a suite, but Webster defines "suite" as a group of rooms and we received a simple cabin with veranda. Horrendously overpriced, crowded, uncomfortable.

 

During our two weeks aboard, our cabin had plumbing failures, air conditioning problems (the wrong knob was on the thermostat and the ship could not fix it!). As examples of seaborne silliness:

...The peephole in the cabin door was too high for my 5' 5" wife

.....to see through it.

...We got soaked on the verandah when crew flooded the level above us.

...The sign in the passageway pointed the WRONG WAY to our lifeboat

.....station.

...An excursion in Guatemala was an exercise in discomfort and frustration

.....with terrible planning and even worse execution.

...The television was not much bigger than a computer monitor, with no

.....high-def. Images were so blurry it was impossible to read text, including

.....safety information!

 

Another passenger told me that the Veendam was headed for the scrap heap or to be refurbished, and the ship's condition supported that story with deferred maintenance and shoddy condition.

 

We will not trust HAL again. In fact, we have asked our TA to ignore HAL on all future cruise proposals.

 

On this cruise the food and service were both excellent, and we enjoyed the entertainment, but that did not make up for the problems.

 

I prepared a careful and even-handed critique for HAL that was intended to be helpful. It offered suggestions regarding the issues we experienced and offered photographs to help management. HAL took almost a month to respond with an apology and an offer of a $250/passenger discount on a future cruise. I did not ask for any consideration, but that offer was insulting.

 

FAIL!

[ddlb]

This is the funniest review I have ever read on Cruise Critic. Thanks for posting!

[Hlitner]

This is the funniest review I have ever read on Cruise Critic. Thanks for posting!

 

Am not laughing. And yes, we have cruised on the Veendam. Personally, we are shedding some tears.

 

Hank

[sppunk]

Sounds like the Veendam we know and despise.

 

Sorry,

[mek]

Sorry you had problems on your cruise. I went back and read your first posts and it sounds like you were looking forward to this trip. Some of your issues would bother me and others, not so much.

 

Why don't you share some of your problem photos with us?

[Krazy Kruizers]

We sailed on the Veendam before she had all the changes. She was a lovely at one time and didn't have any problems.

 

Over the last couple of years there were a couple of itineraries that interested us. I made it a point of reading as many reviews as possible. Most we're not good.

 

Sorry you encountered so many problems.

 

Hope that your next cruise on a different cruise line will be better for you.

[OlsSalt]

Did you have a Neptune Suite or a Vista Suite - big difference in what you get? Sorry you came to this cruise on this ship with such unmet expectations. Websites do provide visuals and deck plans for all the cabins up front. Did your TA not provide these before you signed up? No, there are no "two-room suites" on this class ship except the single penthouse suite - the Pinnacle suite.

 

The Veendam is an older ship, all of them are up for sale and some have been refitted. It is also going into dry dock in a few months for regularly scheduled maintenance. Routes through the Panama Canal are much closer to the equator when any ship's A/C system gets stressed.

 

It would not be accurate to claim this ship and all those in her class are shoddy and heading to the scrap heap, as once sold they are getting refurbished under different names and are continuing to sail(P&O?)

 

Your travel agent is the one who failed not preparing you for this smaller and older ship and letting you know exactly what your "suite" looked like. Verandah cabins are premium for this route so they will be pricier than on other itineraries.

 

Agree, best you try another cruise line. The older and smaller HAL ships still have their fans so no reason to have people take spaces on them if this simply does not work for them.

 

It is always unfortunate to hear anyone had such and unhappy time when all of this could have been easily disclosed to you upfront, so you had a better idea what to expect or not make the booking in the first place. Though the placement of the cabin door peephole is so new, it is unlikely that unwelcome aspect of your cruise would have been properly disclosed to you upfront

Edited February 19, 2016 by OlsSalt

[whogo]

We were on Veendam in January for our third HAL cruise, this time from San Diego to Tampa via the Panama Canal. We were happy to pay about $1,000 per day for a suite, but Webster defines "suite" as a group of rooms and we received a simple cabin with veranda. Horrendously overpriced, crowded, uncomfortable.

I think the Pinnacle Suite on the Prinsendam is the only true suite in the Holland America fleet. Neptune Suites should properly be called Neptune Cabins and Signature Suites should properly be called Signature Cabins. Someone who likes saying he stays in suites will be along in a moment to defend the practice.

[erewhon]

Sorry to read of the problems you experienced during your Veendam cruise.

 

Hope your next cruise will be trouble free. Which cruise line will you sail with?

[chefestelle]

I'm sorry to hear everything went so badly. We were just on her in December in a verandah suite. They are definitely small but I had seen the measurements when I selected the stateroom. The ship was certainly showing signs of age but she was being well cared for when we were aboard. Unlike you, our stateroom had no malfunctions and I'm sure that added to the discomfort. I didn't even notice if we had a peephole but I would never use one anyway. Nor do I have any need for a tv so I didn't notice its size or suitability. I would not have been happy to get soaked on my verandah. What on earth were they thinking? Anyway, sorry it worked out so badly but I certainly know why her devout followers will sail on her til she's sold!

[sail7seas]

I'm sorry for your disappointing Veendam cruise.

Last I sailed her was about 2 years ago, we were in a Neptune Suite and luckily all plumbing and a/c etc operated properly.

 

Some of the things that were unpleasant for you would bother me, too.

 

Thanks for sharing your comments with us.

[Lizzie68]

Did you have a Neptune Suite or a Vista Suite - big difference in what you get? Sorry you came to this cruise on this ship with such unmet expectations. Websites do provide visuals and deck plans for all the cabins up front. Did your TA not provide these before you signed up? No, there are no "two-room suites" on this class ship except the single penthouse suite - the Pinnacle suite.

 

The Veendam is an older ship, all of them are up for sale and some have been refitted. It is also going into dry dock in a few months for regularly scheduled maintenance. Routes through the Panama Canal are much closer to the equator when any ship's A/C system gets stressed.

 

It would not be accurate to claim this ship and all those in her class are shoddy and heading to the scrap heap, as once sold they are getting refurbished under different names and are continuing to sail(P&O?)

 

Your travel agent is the one who failed not preparing you for this smaller and older ship and letting you know exactly what your "suite" looked like. Verandah cabins are premium for this route so they will be pricier than on other itineraries.

 

Agree, best you try another cruise line. The older and smaller HAL ships still have their fans so no reason to have people take spaces on them if this simply does not work for them.

 

It is always unfortunate to hear anyone had such and unhappy time when all of this could have been easily disclosed to you upfront, so you had a better idea what to expect or not make the booking in the first place. Though the placement of the cabin door peephole is so new, it is unlikely that unwelcome aspect of your cruise would have been properly disclosed to you upfront

 

I am curious to know how the air conditioning and plumbing failures could have been disclosed to the OP upfront.

[sppunk]

I am curious to know how the air conditioning and plumbing failures could have been disclosed to the OP upfront.

 

By telling the OP they were booked on Veendam?

 

/ducks

[Topsham]

Wrong direction to your cabin?

 

What cabin number? Which lifeboat number?

 

MAJORITY of the SUITES on Navigation Deck.... would be using the FORWARD stairs.

[sail7seas]

Could have been a Vista Suite. OP may have seen the sign for directions to Neptune Suites which are forward of the Vistas. IF OP was in a Vista Suite, they would probably use aft stairs. I am guessing they read the wrong sign for their cabin.

 

[jtl513]

We were happy to pay about $1,000 per day for a suite, but Webster defines "suite" as a group of rooms and we received a simple cabin with veranda.

I think all mass market cruise lines and many hotels are guilty of this practice.

 

The last time we were on the Veendam (2011) we had toilet problems and witnessed several water leakage problems around the ship, and decided that we would not sail her again.

Edited February 19, 2016 by jtl513

[SonnekeH]

So sorry to hear about your disappointment on your Veendam Cruise. Hope your next time cruising will be more to your liking, on whatever ship you sail.

Funny thing about those peep holes........I recently cruised on the Zuiderdam, and the peep hole was wayyyyyyyyyyyyy up there, and I am 5"2'.......and then I remembered they were that high on the Westerdam as well, on a previous Cruise. They are probably that high on ALL HAL ships? Not that it bothered me, I never felt the need to use them.

I also experienced a waterfall on my veranda, from the deck above. Luckily I had just stepped back from the railing, or I would have been soaked. I phoned the front desk in a panic, thinking there was a major water leak! But it turned out to be an over enthousiastic scrub of the balcony 1 deck above me.

It never ruined my Cruise. I had a fabulous time. Wish I could afford to cruise more often......:)

[Keith1010]

Thanks for your review.

Keith

[KirkNC]

Sorry to hear your discontent, the Veendam was our first HAL ship but that was a number of years ago.

[Topsham]

I have been sailing in VEENDAM since her maiden voyage. Last year I was on twice and the ship was in excellent condition.

 

As for Air con, flooding balcony, blocked toilet, signage, there could be a dozen things that can go wrong. I bet some of these 'problems' will be found by April on board the brand new KONINGSDAM! It is normal on any ship and at any time. 'Ship' happens!

[sammiedawg]

Unfortunately AC and plumbing problems on this old ship date back at least four years when we were onboard, the absolute last time I will sail on her. We were in one of a handful of cabins on our entire floor that had working ventilation and AC, the rest had no AC for most of this cruise around the horn of South America. Our AC was weak. Buckets were in many hallways collecting water leaks. Plumbing problems were discussed at dinner. Ventilation was poor in many areas of the ship. The ship should have been junk heaped four years ago. The cruise after ours was even worse per CC and the ship flunked inspections in FLL.

 

Ship refurbishments do nothing to address mechanical problems, changing out carpet and upholstery is cosmetic. All cruise lines do this on a regular basis.

 

I've noticed they assign popular routes to the Veendam to keep bookings going. However a great itinerary means nothing when mechanical problems affect you.

[david,Mississauga]

It is amusing to see how the definition of "suite" has been changed over the years. It seems all cruise lines have done that. Referring to a HAL Neptune stateroom or a Cunard basic Queen's Grill stateroom as a suite is something most people can tolerate, but many cruise lines now refer to a modest-sized cabin as a suite just because it has a balcony.

 

The term "butler" has been downgraded by some cruise lines. We have twice had a butler on the Queen Mary 2. That man was a butler in that he performed duties you might expect of a butler. He did not clean the toilet and change the sheets. There was a stateroom steward to do that. On some cruise lines the so-called butler is the cabin steward in a fancy uniform.

 

As for older ships, there is no excuse for them to be in shoddy condition just because they are getting long in the tooth. The Canberra of P&O was over 30 years old on our last cruise aboard her and the Queen Elizabeth 2 was in her 40th year on our last crossing. Both of these ships were in very good condition. Everything worked and the service was excellent.

[3rdGenCunarder]

Could have been a Vista Suite. OP may have seen the sign for directions to Neptune Suites which are forward of the Vistas. IF OP was in a Vista Suite, they would probably use aft stairs. I am guessing they read the wrong sign for their cabin.

 

 

If the suite was "overcrowded," it was probably a Vista Suite. IIRC, Maasdam and Veendam have no regular "veranda cabins." They don't have a lot of cabins with balconies, only two decks, so those command a premium price. We've found that the per diem in a Neptune Suite on an "S" ship is much higher than on a Vista ship, and Vista suites are expensive for the space you get. I think the use of the word "suite" is partly marketing hype and partly so that they can give the passengers who've paid a lot for a balcony the double days toward Mariner points.

 

We were in a Vista Suite on Veendam this past fall. Our emergency route took us down a crew stairway to a crew hallway, and then onto the deck. The strange thing was that we emerged TWO STATIONS away from our station, so we had to wriggle our way through the crowds to get to our station. I wonder if OP had a similar experience and thought they were sent the wrong way. I thought the route was poor, but I suppose the layout of the ship (kitchen in the way) caused that.

 

As for peepholes, I think they're that high on all HAL ships. I'm 5'3" and I've never been able to see through one. A question just came to mind--do they have a low peephole in HC rooms in case the occupant is in a wheelchair?

[Topsham]

Failed health inspections. Yes. Should never happen. If something is not do about it, yes, should be out of service. Thankfully whenever a ship is given a failing grade they are given 30 to 45 days to do about it.

 

So... here are a few comments from comments re the latest passing grades.

 

 

VEENDAM.... pass 100%.

 

 

 

 

Quote:

 

 

America Line's cruise ship Eurodam received a perfect health score of 100 from the Centers for Disease Control for the ninth consecutive inspection, topping the list of 32 vessels that earned top ratings in 2015.

 

The CDC inspections are unannounced and occur twice a year on all ships that sail in or out of a U.S. port. Ships must earn a score of 86 or higher to pass.

 

Holland America and Carnival received the most perfect scores, with six ships on both lines getting 100. On Holland America, the other ships included Veendam, Noordam, Statendam, Ryndam (no longer with the fleet) and Nieuw Amsterdam.

[Clarea]

Thanks for your review.