Our 1st HAL cruise!!

[travellovers2]

We're taking a Med cruise next month and I have to say HAL has an itinerary we could not refuse! This was a last moment decision we made this weekend due to a trip to Japan that we decided to cancel.

 

As you can see by my signature, we're not newbies to cruising, we have cruised 27 times before with several other lines.

 

So our 1st HAL experience will be on the Oosterdam. Yesterday someone asked me: "which dam ship are you sailing on?" Funny! :D

 

I have a very important question. Do they have a good hairdryer on this ship or a box one? :D Ok, it may sound petty, but I have long hair and 13 days using those old box hairdryers is torture! So if that's what they have then I will bring my travel hairdryer.

 

We prefer to book ship tours so we have 3 shore excursions booked. The other places seemed doable on our own.

 

We also booked the Pinnacle Grill for our sea day. We didn't care much for the menu for Le Cirque and Canaletto didn't spark our interest either.

 

We're in our 40's and 50's and love to cruise! It's the best way to see more of the world.

 

Any information you may have for this ship or HAL as a whole, is certainly welcomed and very much appreciated. :)

Edited April 25, 2016 by travellovers2

[travellovers2]

Another question, DH wants to know. We chose open seating. Do they have tables for 2? We don't mind sharing, but sometimes we prefer to be on our own.

Edited April 25, 2016 by travellovers2

[Krazy Kruizers]

Yes -- there are tables for 2 in the Open Seating. You can make reservations for 3 days at a time. The times for reservations are from 5:15 - 6:15 and 7:30 - 9 on most ships. Check with the dining room manager to make certain your ship has these same times.

Some of the hair dryers are poor. If you get one that isn't powerful, ask your cabin steward for another one. I also have long hair and have had to do that several times.

Haven't been on the Oosterdam in a few years.

[puppycanducruise]

Just wanted to wish you a wonderful cruise.

Hope you enjoy HAL.

[sunsetbeachgal]

We have taken HAL cruises in Europe in 2015 and 2014 as we also found itineraries we couldn't resist. In both cases it was an excellent experience. Hope yours is as well!

Edited April 25, 2016 by sunsetbeachgal

[galensgrl]

DH and I had our first HAL cruise last year on one of the older ships, the Veendam. It was wonderful, the service was what we noticed the most. It is attentive without being intrusive, and the staff is friendly. We came home and immediately booked the cruise we will be embarking on in a few days. We are also hoping to fit in a Bermuda cruise later this year, as you can see we really like HAL LOL I see you will be on the Koningsdam, the newest ship. It looks wonderful, here's hoping you have a fanstastic trip. Cheers!

[FloridaTourist]

We're taking a Med cruise next month and I have to say HAL has an itinerary we could not refuse! This was a last moment decision we made this weekend due to a trip to Japan that we decided to cancel.

 

As you can see by my signature, we're not newbies to cruising, we have cruised 27 times before with several other lines.

 

So our 1st HAL experience will be on the Oosterdam. Yesterday someone asked me: "which dam ship are you sailing on?" Funny! :D

 

I have a very important question. Do they have a good hairdryer on this ship or a box one? :D Ok, it may sound petty, but I have long hair and 13 days using those old box hairdryers is torture! So if that's what they have then I will bring my travel hairdryer.

 

We prefer to book ship tours so we have 3 shore excursions booked. The other places seemed doable on our own.

 

We also booked the Pinnacle Grill for our sea day. We didn't care much for the menu for Le Cirque and Canaletto didn't spark our interest either.

 

We're in our 40's and 50's and love to cruise! It's the best way to see more of the world.

 

Any information you may have for this ship or HAL as a whole, is certainly welcomed and very much appreciated. :)

we are currently aboard the Oosterdam right now. The hairdryer is fair at best. They have since given us another one. But my wife brought her own and she was doing her hair the same time as the lady next door and across the hall were doing theirs. They blew the fuse. My wife ended up having to do it in the hall way while I made a mirror out of the phone camera.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[jhsocal]

How did that hallway routine work out? Is there a power source that was not affected by blown fuse? LOL I am usually in my undies when drying my hair.

[travellovers2]

I think I better bring my hair dryer.

 

I read that this ship was in dry dock just recently. Are the cabins in good condition?

Edited April 25, 2016 by travellovers2

[travellovers2]

Thank you for all the good wishes. We're looking forward to this cruise.

 

There are so many ports that we don't think we'll notice the ship much except on sea days. I hope they have trivia. We love to play that. We have won champagne bottles and a lot of different prices from a man's watch to spa days on different cruises.

[avian777]

... I read that this ship was in dry dock just recently. Are the cabins in good condition?

 

We were on the Oosterdam just before she went into dry dock, and I thought she was in very good condition then, so I can't imagine that she wouldn't be totally "ship shape" now.

 

Smooth sailing.

[Tampa Girl]

Are we allowed to use those onboard?

[VMax1700]

Another question, DH wants to know. We chose open seating. Do they have tables for 2? We don't mind sharing, but sometimes we prefer to be on our own.

 

Yes, they have tables for two. We were on her in March and asked for two toppers each night. Only two nights out of twelve did we have to share. Several nights they cleared a 4 seater and made it into a two seater.

[HELENPSL]

Are we allowed to use those onboard?

 

I always bring my own travel hairdryer and a curling iron. I've never had a problem.

 

Helen

[travellovers2]

DH and I had our first HAL cruise last year on one of the older ships, the Veendam. It was wonderful, the service was what we noticed the most. It is attentive without being intrusive, and the staff is friendly. We came home and immediately booked the cruise we will be embarking on in a few days. We are also hoping to fit in a Bermuda cruise later this year, as you can see we really like HAL LOL I see you will be on the Koningsdam, the newest ship. It looks wonderful, here's hoping you have a fanstastic trip. Cheers!

 

We are looking forward to the Norway cruise on the Koningsdam. It sails out of Amsterdam so we get to visit for a couple of days and hopefully visit Anne Frank's house. :)

 

I think HAL might become our favorite line because we just love how port intensive some of their cruises are. They also have a great variety of ports. When we cruise only for the ship, like we have planned next year to cruise again on the Oasis of the Seas, then we don't really care about the ports, but we still have many places in the world to visit so HAL may help us get some more off our bucket list. :)

[travellovers2]

Yes, they have tables for two. We were on her in March and asked for two toppers each night. Only two nights out of twelve did we have to share. Several nights they cleared a 4 seater and made it into a two seater.

 

Sometimes the tables for 2 are so close to each other that it's just like sharing. :D

[solocruiserfrwa]

If you're drinkers and like Happy Hour, go see Dora and her crew at the Ocean Bar. We had the best time on the TA prior to dry dock last month!!

[jhsocal]

On our Med. cruise a couple years ago,the age demographic was younger than the norm for HAL cruises. Think you will have a wonderful time.

[rebeccalouiseagain]

I'm about to embark on my fourth Holland America cruise- so obviously I have enjoyed them very much. They are smaller ships and are a bit dated IMO. I was a little underwhelmed upon boarding last summer on Maasdam, having gotten off a Princess ship two months prior. These ships don't have the wow factor of some of the other lines. But I found them easy to navigate and it was easy to find each other.

 

The food is edible in the buffet and MDR but we preferred to eat at the Pinnacle Grill and did try Canaletto, which I though was excellent. We did the Le Cirque dinner and I enjoyed it but the escargot didn't agree with me or my son. So I'd avoid that dish. My two sons said they preferred the regular Pinnacle menu better than Le Cirque.

 

The cabins and beds were comfortable.

 

I would bring your own blow dryer. After reading this (I was vacillating myself) I'm definitely bringing mine. I sail tomorrow on Veedam!

 

Trivia is well attended and it was held in the Crows Nest on Maasdam in the late afternoon.

 

The promenade deck is a nice place to read on a comfortable lounger.

 

I did a 12-night European cruise on Zuiderdam a few years ago and had a wonderful time. I think the size of the Holland America ships are nice because you don't have to deal with 3000 disembarking in the ports of call.

Edited April 27, 2016 by rebeccalouiseagain

[lastlook]

We are looking forward to the Norway cruise on the Koningsdam. It sails out of Amsterdam so we get to visit for a couple of days and hopefully visit Anne Frank's house. END QUOTE

 

 

 

In order not to stand in a VERY LONG AND SLOW MOVING LINE just to buy tickets to visit the Anne Frank house, it is important to buy your tickets online in advance, if at all possible.

 

The online tickets are for a set day and time and are very limited, but we are so glad that we did this as when we arrived there last June, we saw the endless line that never seemed to move!!