Veendam Live in the Caribbean Dec 2017

[Crew News]

I have updated my website with the my photo review of the Ms Veendam:

 

http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/photo-reviews/ms-veendam-on-board/

 

As requested, here is a photograph of my Gala Night lobster tails:

 

Edited January 4, 2018 by Crew News

[carlyshenk]

Thanks so much for the great live report and the wonderful photos! I enjoyed everything!

 

Carol

[OlsSalt]

Just back from the Veendam Cuba cruise, which included HAL President Orlando Ashford who "was on vacation". Agree with CrewNews, Veendam was in fine shape and sailed without any of the mechanical vibrations we had noticed were quite intense on our recent Maasdam cruise - on the same Navigation Deck location. I tried an inside cabin on Deck 10 this time since I was traveling solo on this cruise - #031 and it was very quiet. Though I will not use an inside cabin again, and sorry I did not take advantage of the last minute "up grade" to a lower deck ocean view cabin.

 

I just missed sensing the outside too much - and worried all night I would miss my alarm clock to get up the next mornings. That was me - others find inside cabins are the really great way to go. Also because I was traveling this time "solo" with my sister and her friend, who had a lanai cabin, we used Anytime dinning also for the first time for me -DH and I always have the 8pm fixed dining experience. That too left me with a never-again reaction to the busyness and confusions that come with that dining option choice - again just me. But again, this can be the perfect choice for others so these are not complaints - only my own personal preferences

 

The one good thing about anytime dining was getting to dine more formally and also go to the early show which we never do with later dining -just too late for us to stay up until the 10pm shows. We thought all the staff shows were very good - very good singers, superb dancers and well correographed and costumed shows. Plus they added a Cuban quartet on this cruise which helped set the special theme for this cruise.

 

The only thing I really saw that needed serious attention and I know will be corrected at the next dry-dock were the very nice, leather cushions in the special Lido bar seating area - they had become deformed so badly and sagging beyond use so this always welcome part of the ship was essentially unavailable for relaxing. But they have not tampered with the Explorers Lounge or Library on this ship and there were plenty of public seating options, as well as the various other outdoor seating options on the aft Lido deck and around the outdoor Crows Nest areas.

 

Capt Driscoll was a delight and Becca had just the right touch as a relatively new cruise director. Orlando Ashford told the Ask the Captain gathering they expect to get 30 years life from most of the HAL ships, so they will still be investing in the Veendam but there is no plan to replace the smaller fleet of HAL ships (Other than keeping the Prinsendam as long as they can, from other reports).

 

Back in FLL we were joined by both the Konigsdam and the Prinsendam in port the same day - so from big to small and somewhere in between- HAL has something for everyone except those who want the 4000- 7000 passenger behemoths that were also sharing the port that day too.

 

Food was fine, Pinnacle was (as usual) mixed, all the HAL signatures well in place on the Veendam, except add the Christmas crowds and a lot more children in the pools and hot tubs. But it was a perfect family vacation for a lot of people on this end of the year -schools out - trip -I am sure it was alaready cruise of a life time fo those lucky young people. And Santa did get picked up on the ship's radar.

 

They had to have two events for the Mariner's Luncheon - and we even had a few Platinum award winners - 700 days cruising. As well as introducing a gentleman who was now "living" on the ship.

[Jade13]

Just back from the Veendam Cuba cruise, which included HAL President Orlando Ashford who "was on vacation".

.

 

 

How was Cuba, and were there delays getting off the ship?

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[Pcruisefun]

Thanks so much for the Veendam Live posts! It was perfect timing for us. We're doing our first HAL cruise the end of January after 22 cruises on other lines, mostly Celebrity. This gives us an idea of what to look forward to. I loved reading your posts every day and look forward to your photos!

 

Carol

 

Hi Carol,

Are you doing the 14 day that continues on to Cuba? We are also on the Jan 31 and went on the roll call for Feb 7 (which is the 2nd part of Jan 31 14 day). There are a few people on that roll call that are starting Jan 31. I don't believe there is a meet and greet set up for either Jan 31 or Feb 7 yet, but perhaps we can all just pick a time and place.

[carlyshenk]

Hi Pcruisefun,

We are only on the seven night cruise. This is our first HAL cruise and we just wanted to do a short one for our first on HAL. We would love to meet you on this cruise. I did check for a roll call for the Jan. 31 cruise and found there wasn't one. That was surprising to me. Let us know if you'd be interested in meeting for drinks.

 

Carol

[Krazy Kruizers]

I tried to find the Mariner's Brunch -- no luck -- not the one on embarkation day which is now open to all passengers not just Mariners.

[Crew News]

For those interested in the Mariner's Brunch menu for the Caribbean:

 

http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/here/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Mariners-Society-Luncheon-Caribbean.pdf

[OlsSalt]

Yes.

 

http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/here/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Mariners-Society-Luncheon-Caribbean.pd

 

Several of us at our table really enjoyed the new "flatbread" entree option on the recent Veendam - looked a bit strange, a little hard to cut up the first few bites but then became more easily manageable as a finger-food with a very delightful, fresh and complex taste of what appeared to be a combination of unlikely ingredients.. Very nice new addition to the often too heavy Mariner lunch mid-day options in the past.

[OlsSalt]

How was Cuba, and were there delays getting off the ship?

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

I used the HAL shore excursions both days, and there were no delays at immigration or money changing. And a surprisingly lovely cruise terminal. I believe there were delays in clearing the ship at first but that is out of HAL's control. And we did have our shore excursion time changed at the last minute. But overall, after several months of confusion and concerns about Cuba, it all went very well. Main thing to be aware of is the 10% surcharge when exchanging US dollars - this does not apply to Canadian dollars or Euros - etc.

 

I only exchanged 40 Euros total which was enough for two days of tips and a few souvenir purchases. However, even though discouraged it was not unheard of to directly use US dollars - for tips too, keeping in mind when the tour guide exchanges them he/she is also subject to the same 10% penalty, but we also heard there are emerging "black markets" for both US dollars and bartering, particularly for US brand toiletries or toothpaste.

 

Keeping in mind always this is not encouraged and probably illegal - you are only allowed to bring ashore what you would need for "personal use". I don't like doing anything that encourages tourist "begging" myself, but just wanted to report on what we learned in comparison to what we were told ahead of time. So sticking the the rules, you can do just fine in Cuba. No reason to try and cut corners during our very short (too short) stay.

 

At the end of the Cuba visit when I had a few remaining Cuban CUC's, the shop keeper quickly calculated how many US dollars were necessary to round out for my last purchase leaving the port in Cienfuegos. That saved me from either taking away useless CUC's, or standing in line to get them exchanged before departing. In Cienfeugas, there was a stall selling hand made models of the classic old US cars for about 5 CUC's each, depending on the size of the model - a bit crudely made but a sentimental reminder of this very affectionate part of the Cuba experience.

[Pcruisefun]

Hi Pcruisefun,

We are only on the seven night cruise. This is our first HAL cruise and we just wanted to do a short one for our first on HAL. We would love to meet you on this cruise. I did check for a roll call for the Jan. 31 cruise and found there wasn't one. That was surprising to me. Let us know if you'd be interested in meeting for drinks.

 

Carol

 

Hi Carol,

 

A few of us have set up an informal 'meet & greet"for after the lifeboat drill up in the Crows Nest on Jan 31st. About 20 minutes after the drill ends toallow all to head back to their staterooms to stow the life jackets.

 

PS; Do yousnorkel? I am looking at a private snorkel trip on GrandTurk. We are on a wait list because we are only 2 and they need a minimum of 4people. Not sure if you might beinterested but the link to the company is here:http://www.grandturkscuba.com/grand-...se/snorkeling/

 

Peggy

[Crew News]

Hi Carol,

 

A few of us have set up an informal 'meet & greet"for after the lifeboat drill up in the Crows Nest on Jan 31st. About 20 minutes after the drill ends toallow all to head back to their staterooms to stow the life jackets.

 

PS; Do yousnorkel? I am looking at a private snorkel trip on GrandTurk. We are on a wait list because we are only 2 and they need a minimum of 4people. Not sure if you might beinterested but the link to the company is here:http://www.grandturkscuba.com/grand-...se/snorkeling/

 

Peggy

 

Life jackets are not taken to the Passenger Safety Drill on HAL ships so ou can go straight to your M&G after the drill.

[Krazy Kruizers]

For those interested in the Mariner's Brunch menu for the Caribbean:

 

http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/here/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Mariners-Society-Luncheon-Caribbean.pdf

 

Thank you Roger.

I don't know why I couldn't find it before.

[carlyshenk]

Hi Peggy. I used to snorkel. But I don't any more. Just not physically able to snorkel from a boat. I love it off shore. I hope you get enough people to be able to go, but I just can't do it. But we will try to make it to the meet and greet after the drill. Did you notice that life jackets are not required? So, you can go directly to the meeting from the muster.

 

Carol