Is the Volendam crowded?

[islandwoman]

2 hours ago, TiogaCruiser said:

It looks like your current cruise DID get sold as 3rd and 4th sail free.

 

No.  I am on the 22 day Eclipse and Hawaii cruise, starting in San Diego and ending in Vancouver.

[islandwoman]

2 hours ago, HappyInVan said:

 

The Pinnacle ships have good design features. Unfortunately, my actual experiences were unfortunate.

 

Sorry to hear that you've had such bad experiences.  I hope your next cruise will be better.  Thanks for sharing.

[BobbiSox]

I have booked the 13 day New England cruise on Volendam, departing this coming Sunday. It's a trial run for our 42 day on Volendam this November. I really need to know what I'm getting into. 42 days is a long time to spend on a ship I don't like. I was able to book the same lanai for both. I love a lanai cabin, but I know I will miss the Dutch Cafe.

[terrydtx]

Last November on the Koingsdam we booked CO, fortunately for us, as the lines ever night to enter the MDR were down the hallways past the CO dining room. The most we ever waited to be seated in the CO dining room as 10 minutes. The cruise was 100% booked and there were crowds everywhere. We would never sail on a Pinnacle class ship now without CO for that reason. We will be on the Volendam in August, and we booked CO for the cabin upgrade, but we may enjoy the special lines for CO to enter the MDR.

[57redbird]

We really liked the K with CO on our 35 day cruise in 2023 & have it booked for a December cruise BUT...I found a Caribbean cruise on the Volendam & am having a hard time thinking about going back to a smaller ship without a separate CO....see my signature for the ships we've been on & convince me which one I'd like better, please.  TIA.

[terrydtx]

15 hours ago, 57redbird said:

We really liked the K with CO on our 35 day cruise in 2023 & have it booked for a December cruise BUT...I found a Caribbean cruise on the Volendam & am having a hard time thinking about going back to a smaller ship without a separate CO....see my signature for the ships we've been on & convince me which one I'd like better, please.  TIA.

I see you did a cruise in 2013 on the Zaandam, the sister ship to the Volendam, how did you like the ship for that cruise? We have sailed on the Volendam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Eurodam, Noordam, Oosterdam (twice) and Koningsdam and found each ship to be very different and we liked them all. When we book a cruise, our first priority is the itinerary and then the ship available for that itinerary. That is why we are booked on the Volendam in August.

[Horizon chaser 1957]

A 42 day cruise on the Volendam shouldn’t be crowded. As much as I love HAL, the Konigsdam is my least favorite ship. It’s either HAL pretending to be Carnival, or Carnival pretending to be HAL. I’m not sure which. I find it crowded, noisy, and more mainstream than most HAL ships. There’s more of a HIA party vibe. The crew is more detached than on the smaller ships. My cousin loves it for the same reasons I do not. If you aren’t liking your experience on Konigsdam, you’ll probably love the Volendam.

[LSegars]

It seems many of the crowding issues have to do with the MDR. We had always used open dining until a recent NS cruise on which after a drink was spilled on me accidentally they took us upstairs and said if we wanted, we could have that table for late seating. We decided to try it and realized we usually eat at the same time anyway and if we didn't we could always just go downstairs. As a result there was no wait on either the NS or K in our recent cruises. You walk in and go to your table, no lines. And you get to know the staff who would remember I wanted coffee with my desert even though I usually forgot to mention it untill the desert came. The only crouwding I felt on either was at the Blues Club although that is what you want at a club.

[Kay S]

37 minutes ago, LSegars said:

You walk in and go to your table, no lines. And you get to know the staff who would remember I wanted coffee with my desert even though I usually forgot to mention it untill the desert came. 

Main seating for me every time.  I hate that long line downstairs, waiting for a table.  

[57redbird]

Thanks for the replies....I'm waiting for more & waiting to hear from our PCC to see if things will transfer along with the new offer....  Liked the space of the Neptune suite & really liked CO on the K.  Can't remember our experience on the Z except it wasn't unfavorable.  The only smaller ship I didn't like was the Eurodam.

[mcrcruiser]

Anycruise ship could feel crowded when they are filled to capacity .  The space ratios are published .The larger the number the  more space between passengers  . Most often  the feeling of being crowded is at the Lido & MDR  .The luxury cruise lines have the greatest space ratios . Like Seaborn ,Vlking ie 

 

 

[islandwoman]

On 4/17/2024 at 10:32 AM, terrydtx said:

Last November on the Koingsdam we booked CO, fortunately for us, as the lines ever night to enter the MDR were down the hallways past the CO dining room. The most we ever waited to be seated in the CO dining room as 10 minutes. The cruise was 100% booked and there were crowds everywhere. We would never sail on a Pinnacle class ship now without CO for that reason. We will be on the Volendam in August, and we booked CO for the cabin upgrade, but we may enjoy the special lines for CO to enter the MDR.

We have CO on the Koningsdam..  We still have to wait to get into the CO dining room if we happen to arrive at the wrong time.

[Cruising Is Bliss]

9 hours ago, 57redbird said:

The only smaller ship I didn't like was the Eurodam.

 

Same. Did not like Eurodam at all.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

If you compare Square Feet of the ship to the Max number of guests it holds. It's average for a ship that was built years ago 

[crimlarks]

We sailed on the Volendam on their 94 day Grand Australia & New Zealand cruise.  We loved the Volendam, and are booked on the same 42 day cruise you have booked, and the Pole-to-Pole cruise starting in January 2025 (133 days.)

I wouldn't be worried about it being like the Koningsdam.  The crew was fantastic on our 94 day cruise.  We had set time early dining, but decided not to do that on these upcoming cruises, as we thought the 5 PM early dining was too early.

We had breakfast in the MDR on the first morning of the cruise, and met several other nice couples that we got to know as the cruise went along.  The rest of the time we had breakfast in the Lido buffet.  Great omelets, eggs benedict and blueberry pancakes!  And always made when you order - never sitting in a warming tray.  We love this older, smaller ship - or as the captain would say every day at dinner time when he gave the daily update "the beautiful, elegant Volendam".  Love that.

[MISTER 67]

On 4/15/2024 at 10:19 PM, HappyInVan said:

 

The Pinnacle ships have good design features. Unfortunately, my actual experiences were unfortunate.

 

On the K, liquid scrambled eggs were served for several days on two consecutive cruises. Never again. I breakfast early in the morning. Sometimes, there's no waiter. The pax get their own beverages. After a while, the waiters who are there don't bother to offer beverages. 

 

On the Statendam cruise, the ship had just finished dry dock, and the crew should have been fresh. But, the Dive-In only offered pre-cooked hotdogs at the opening hour. Take it or leave it.

 

I had CO, and tried to dine in that restaurant. I gave up after 2 meals because the hostess was so abusive. For the rest of the cruise, the restaurant was half filled at best. I saw the Hotel GM Mustafa Gulbahar standing in the restaurant and gesturing angrily at the empty tables.

 

Don't get me started on the Pinnacle elevators (enough on the Noordam class). The list goes on and on. 

 

I have only one cruise with HAL this year to complete 4-star Mariner. Its on the NA (never sailed this class). My cabin is a partial OV with the long window. That's all I'm willing to pay HAL. Then, its done.

 

IMHO, HAL has been unable to maintain higher prices. The ships are understaff. With the additional crowding from low low fares, and free 3rd and 4th pax, it won't get better.

 

 

I agree, HAL has issues that need to be corrected before we sail with them again and we are 4 Star Mariners who one time were extremely loyal, things starting changing before the pandemic when Orlando Ashford was HAL’s president.

Edited May 8 by MISTER 67

[GonzoWCS]

Following.  Thanks for the information so far.

 

Cheers