MS Oosterdam - what a disapointment (dirty, worn out, noro virus)

[KroozNut]

Other than less than enthusiastic threads started by people like the OP on the HAL board, CC's "official" reviews contain a wide range of less than glowing assessments. These include:

Average: 144

Poor: 69

Terrible: 37

 

Those same 'official' reviews also contain a 'wide range' of 'Excellent' (451) and 'Very Good' (212) reports; which you inadvertently (or maybe purposely) neglected to mention.

[Fouremco]

Those same 'official' reviews also contain a 'wide range' of 'Excellent' (451) and 'Very Good' (212) reports; which you inadvertently (or maybe purposely) neglected to mention.

Not at all. I was simply responding to your request: "Please help me find where the Oosterdam was not getting positive reviews.. other this OP's disgruntled thread?" QED

 

BTW, I provided a link to all reviews, good, bad or indifferent.

[grsnovi]

Sailed on the O twice: once to Alaska and once to Mexico. On our first trip we had the most excellent hotel manager ever as well as meeting the incomparable Hunky Dory. When we sailed her next, Hunky Dory was again a crew member and he remembered my wife by name! Needless to say we have very fond memories of the Oosterdam and would easily sail her again.

[DFWGUYZ]

Did she receive the larger televisions in I, J, L, K, M, MM, N categories in this current dry dock?

[KroozNut]

Not at all. I was simply responding to your request: "Please help me find where the Oosterdam was not getting positive reviews.. other this OP's disgruntled thread?" QED

 

BTW, I provided a link to all reviews, good, bad or indifferent.

 

And I was responding to your original comment that "the Oosterdam is getting positive reviews once again.", implying that she had not been getting positive reviews all along, which clearly is not the case.

[moorerf]

We booked on the Oosterdam for March 2019 and when I saw this post, I got concerned! But it has since come out of dry dock and refurbishment correct? How did recent passengers find the ship overall? We have never been disappointed with HAL, and of course are looking forward to our cruise!

Just got off the Oosterdam (april 30 to may 12) med cruise. The ship was in fine shape, the food was good, the service was great, the crew was very friendly, the fellow passengers were nice and our cabin was lovely. We had a wonderful time, enjoyed all our ports, all our meals and although if you wanted to look everywhere in detail and find a bit of rust or a speck of dirt we did not and thus had a grand time.:)

[KroozNut]

Just got off the Oosterdam (april 30 to may 12) med cruise. The ship was in fine shape, the food was good, the service was great, the crew was very friendly, the fellow passengers were nice and our cabin was lovely. We had a wonderful time, enjoyed all our ports, all our meals and although if you wanted to look everywhere in detail and find a bit of rust or a speck of dirt we did not and thus had a grand time.:)

 

(y)(y)

[Krobertson6687]

:rolleyes:I find that often on older Holland ships. A great alternate is room service from the formal dining room on your balcony. Or go to Lido earlier or explain your issues to travel agent and see if you can get few comp meals in other dining rooms. The formal dining are is open for all meals and does not require formal dress other than evening. And the station chefs will usually take basic requests. But you are correct. My comments to Holland have fell on deaf ears so often we are considering a switch to Princess. We took 3 Holland cruises in corner Neptune’s in last 12 months. You would think that alone would warrant a reply.

[kazu]

You are going to get s survey from Holland shorty. I complained about their lack of info on the land portion and some disability issues. I did get a personal response. We were on the Noordam in June this year in Neptune. Any little thing that was wrong they immediately fixed. We were given free dinner for all 9 of us at specialty restaurant. All your complaints on the food lines were the same on Noordam. We got around it by having a lot of room service on the balcony. Even evening meals from formal dining room was available. Neptune has its own Concierge that makes everything you want happen. Plus they have great snacks and food free everyday. No lines. I know that ship is older and it was mid season maybe service tried. I did overhear personal talking about how low on staff the Alaska cruises were this season.

 

 

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Well colour me confused :confused:. I have bolded where you said you got a personal response and how any little item that was wrong was attended to.

 

:rolleyes:I find that often on older Holland ships. A great alternate is room service from the formal dining room on your balcony. Or go to Lido earlier or explain your issues to travel agent and see if you can get few comp meals in other dining rooms. The formal dining are is open for all meals and does not require formal dress other than evening. And the station chefs will usually take basic requests. But you are correct. My comments to Holland have fell on deaf ears so often we are considering a switch to Princess. We took 3 Holland cruises in corner Neptune’s in last 12 months. You would think that alone would warrant a reply.

 

And now, it sounds like no one has replied (my bolding) and no action was taken. Your posts seem to conflict unless I have missed the boat!

[iancal]

We are big believers in voting with our feet and with our wallets. We also believe in bringing issues to the attention of the vendor when they occur. Problems and challenge can occur with any vendor.

 

We find that the true test of a vendor is how they respond to issues and communication. No prompt response, no follow up to communication leads us to stop dealing with the vendor. Does not matter if it is a cruise line, hotel, or a retail store.

[ZN1300]

I wish this tread would end. It started in July 2017 pre dry dock. That being said..

Krobertson6687 said they may go to Princess. We cruised the Pacific Princess last year. A B2B Venice to Ft. Lauderdale. Met some wonderful people but the management of the ship was lacking. When we boarded we made a reservation to have dinner in the steakhouse the evening of my DW's birthday. When we went to the restaurant they didn't have a reservation for us and suggested that we made it for another evening. They didn't honor the premium drink package we purchased and gave us a number of different reasons why they wouldn't. In Rome, they chase passengers out of the MDR, some just sitting and others just getting their dinner, because they needed the room to have the safety drill for the newly boarded passengers.

 

 

 

The NCL Sun was, by far, the worst ship we've cruised on. The Pacific Princess is next. Any ship with any line can have problems. That's a ship management. With the Sun it was Corporate. Any ship that's in drydock is a ship not making money. NCL decided the passengers be damned, they were going to do the refit at sea.

[Jammu2]

Booked on Oosterdam for May 2019. I, too, hope to see some better reviews going forward.

 

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[Tennessee Titan]

Just for the record: Oosterdam came out of drydock on April 2, 2018 (we went on the TA on the 3rd). The shop was clean, looked and smelled new. Absolutely no complaints.....

[Reagan0712]

Just for the record: Oosterdam came out of drydock on April 2, 2018 (we went on the TA on the 3rd). The shop was clean, looked and smelled new. Absolutely no complaints.....

 

I was on same cruise through to Venice. Ditto to most of above. Worst issue was the cluster when we disembarked at Venice. No order what so ever in getting passengers onto buses to airport. Lots of walkers being used as plows in their owners efforts to be the first on the bus.

[Tinknock50]

I was on same cruise through to Venice. Ditto to most of above. Worst issue was the cluster when we disembarked at Venice. No order what so ever in getting passengers onto buses to airport. Lots of walkers being used as plows in their owners efforts to be the first on the bus.

Don't mean to laugh, but the visual with the walkers is funny....and I often travel with the disabled. :)

[Reagan0712]

Don't mean to laugh, but the visual with the walkers is funny....and I often travel with the disabled. :)

It is funny now, wasn’t then. And, it wasn’t my intent to disparage all disabled people, I have two in my family.

HAL should have had serpentine lines set up rather than having over a hundred people being thrown together like a herd of cattle. I guess HAL’s opinion is that the cruise was over and we were no longer their problem.

[Boatdrill]

To the best of my knowledge, HAL has nothing to do with shoreside operations in Venice. That department belongs to Intercruises. a company that HAL hired years ago when they got out of overseeing their own ground operations. Intercruises staffs ports around the world for HAL and other lines as well. It's no secret that at some ports customer service took a nose dive when HAL handed off this vital part of their guests' experience.

You can email the Intercruises Regional Director Mediterranean and let her know of your experience.

http://www.intercruises.com/contact-intercruises/mediterranean-europe/1/18

[ZN1300]

To the best of my knowledge, HAL has nothing to do with shoreside operations in Venice. That department belongs to Intercruises. a company that HAL hired years ago when they got out of overseeing their own ground operations. Intercruises staffs ports around the world for HAL and other lines as well. It's no secret that at some ports customer service took a nose dive when HAL handed off this vital part of their guests' experience.

You can email the Intercruises Regional Director Mediterranean and let her know of your experience.

http://www.intercruises.com/contact-intercruises/mediterranean-europe/1/18

 

Here again this brings to mind our NCL Sun Cruise. It was from Valparaiso Chile to San Francisco. Loved the itinerary but the ship, to use a legal term, sucked. And when we arrived in San Francisco there were no taxi's. NCL apparently didn't tell the port that the passenger ship Sun was coming to port with passengers.

[Sonora5]

After our experience on the Pacific Princess last year I am very much looking forward to being back on HAL this fall.

[OlsSalt]

After our experience on the Pacific Princess last year I am very much looking forward to being back on HAL this fall.

 

Looking at the smaller Pacific Princess as an alternative to the Prinsendam, at least for itineraries. What didn't you like?

[Seavoyage]

Ug we are reserved on her for an April cruise....that sucks....

[Boatdrill]

Here again this brings to mind our NCL Sun Cruise. It was from Valparaiso Chile to San Francisco. Loved the itinerary but the ship, to use a legal term, sucked. And when we arrived in San Francisco there were no taxi's. NCL apparently didn't tell the port that the passenger ship Sun was coming to port with passengers.

 

Now this is quite a theory. Is it your own theory, or one offered by a grumpy taxi driver ?

 

The Sun managed to sail under the Golden Gate into San Francisco Bay, with a state licensed port pilot onboard, and pull up to the pier without the Port of San Francisco knowing. Yet the longshoremen must have known because they were there to tie up the ship. Were porters available to help with luggage, and buses standing by to take people to the airport ? Someone must have tipped off all these people.

 

It makes more sense that the taxi services dropped the ball, and not NCL.:)

Edited August 4, 2018 by Boatdrill

[HUNKY]

ZN1300 Thank goodness for Uber, which is headquartered in San Francisco!

[ZN1300]

Now this is quite a theory. Is it your own theory, or one offered by a grumpy taxi driver ?

It makes more sense that the taxi services dropped the ball, and not NCL.:)

 

Your theory... Had you been on that cruise you would have a different view.

 

 

There were few porter to assist with luggage in the port. And one in particular was a real putz. Yelling at people, complaining he wasn't getting paid enough to do this all while assuring us he was financially secure and didn't need the job.

 

There was a complete lack of cabs and I never saw any buses. There was just a total lack of concern for the passengers, just get off the ship.

 

 

San Francisco was to be a short dry dock for the Sun. Getting construction materials onboard was paramount, passengers be damned.

 

As our cruise left Valparaiso, at each port more eastern european construction workers and equipment came onboard so by the end of the cruise most passenger felt as if we were in the way of the contractors.

 

 

There was a stench on this ship that smelled like rotting flesh that permeated the back half of the ship. I've smelled bad odors on other ships but it was short lived, this was long lasting. Ceiling panels removed with the insulation all over the floors. Cables being run were hanger from the ceilings or draped along the floor. The water that came out of many showers and sinks was blue which turned some passengers hair blue. We were told by our steward not to drink the blue water.

 

 

This is the same ship that was on the news for the horrible experience they afforded passengers on a Panama Canal cruise. https://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/tourism-cruises/article209005569.html

 

We were in an aft suite and every morning our balcony was covered with large and small globs of black oily soot. For an afternoon treat one day they brought to our room rotting moldy grapes, yum.

 

 

We had an internet package for the entire cruise. It didn't work in our room. Visited the internet concierge and had to argue with him about it. He said we got it, we said we didn't. After a round or two of this the guy said "Listen, it works in your room". And I said "Listen, it doesn't work in our room". He finally said he would have a technician look into it. No surprise to us he found it didn't work in our room. We cancelled the package.

 

There was a sit down with the Captain, Hotel manager and others, where most of the above concerns and others were voiced. We were told "We should be enjoying the cruise and not bringing up bad things". The attitude was if you have an issue get a tissue or bring it up to the priest.

 

When we did get a cab our driver was very nice. Not grumpy at all. She was very nice and told us that the cab company was unaware of the Sun coming in that day.

 

 

We've been to many ports. This was by far the worst. LA is a close second. That's where we went through customs on this trip. We also ended a Panama Canal cruise there a few years back aboard the NCL Star. There were similar problems there too but I wont go there.

 

San Diego is great as are Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Barcelona, and Copenhagen. Plenty of Porters, Cabs and other transport. But since my bad experiences happen at the end of NCL cruises on the west coast I have to point a finger at them.

[KroozNut]

Okay, read your rant, and after careful consideration, I still have to agree with Boatdrill...:rolleyes: