Veendam: A Modern Classic

[dougnewmanatsea]

 

Yesterday I enjoyed a lovely visit and luncheon aboard Holland America Line’s Veendam. The 55,758 gross ton, 1,266-passenger Veendam was built in 1996 as the last of the four Statendam-class ships, following sisters Statendam (1993), Maasdam (1993) and Ryndam (1994). The first ships built for HAL after the company was acquired by Carnival Corporation and its first new ships in a decade, they can be considered to be the first “modern” HAL ships, and they introduced concepts like the atrium and private balcony to the fleet for the first time. Virtually identical except for decor and artwork, the success of the four Statendam-class ships inspired the design of the Rotterdam-class ships that followed (Rotterdam in 1997, Volendam in 1999, and Zaandam and Amsterdam in 2000); while they are longer and have a different hull design, their accommodation design borrows heavily from the Statendam-class ships creating a continuity between these eight ships that make up almost two thirds of the HAL fleet.

 

Click here to continue reading.

[RuthC]

Lucky you going aboard for lunch! Sounds like you had a good time.

Of course you noticed the major differences between the S-class and the R-class ships are the dead end on Promenade Deck on the S-class (I'll agree it's a nuisance), the superior location (IMHO) of the Pinnacle Grill on the S-class, and the big difference in the Piano Bar/Lounge.

Other than that, once you've been on one of the eight ships you can find your way around any of them.

[JimVrhovac]

She has long been one of our favorite ships. Sailed on her enagural voyage and probably 15 since then. Have 3 cruises booked on her now.

 

It is the ships personality that makes it so special to us...

 

Ruth & Jim

[dougnewmanatsea]

Lucky you going aboard for lunch! Sounds like you had a good time.

I always enjoy ship visits! The worst part is having to get off after only a few hours :) .

 

Of course you noticed the major differences between the S-class and the R-class ships are the dead end on Promenade Deck on the S-class (I'll agree it's a nuisance), the superior location (IMHO) of the Pinnacle Grill on the S-class, and the big difference in the Piano Bar/Lounge.

I really like the S-class Pinnacle Grill but it is very nice on the R-class too... I prefer both to the Vista-class location. But the location on the S-class means Explorers has been shrunken rather significantly.

 

I do really like the S-class Piano Bar. It is nice on the R-class ships also but on the S-class it is a really intimate room of the type you rarely find on ships this large.

 

Altogether I think they are all very, very nice ships and as I said I would gladly sail in any of them any time.

[sail7seas]

She'll be in Boston :) tomorrow on her way south for the fall/winter.

 

[cruisinbulldog]

Have to agree she is special..She was our introduction to HA cruising..On that sailing we had only about 900 pax on board,it was wonderful.. Wish she would do some cruises out of NYC..:rolleyes:

 

Bulldog

[RuthC]

She'll be in Boston :) tomorrow on her way south for the fall/winter.

 

I think she's heading to Montreal on a New England/Canada first. Don't know how many of them she has this year, though.

She was in Newport today; too bad it was a lousy day. :(

[sail7seas]

Tomorow is supposed to be awful in Boston...... torrential rain. Too bad as Boston is such a great port call, as is Newport.

[Mollynme]

3 weeks from right now, we'll be on her sailing between Boston and Bar Harbor. This will be my second voyage on her and I am looking forward to introducing some of my family to her. :)

[sail7seas]

I think she's heading to Montreal on a New England/Canada first. Don't know how many of them she has this year, though.

 

Of course....... How could I forget? No HAL ships in the Caribbean mid-April through mid-October. :(

[dougnewmanatsea]

I think she's heading to Montreal on a New England/Canada first. Don't know how many of them she has this year, though.

After her current cruise ending 19 Sept. in Montreal she has another cruise down to New York, then another cruise New York to Montreal departing 29 Sept. and finally a Montreal to Tampa repositioning on 9 Oct.

[jrzebird]

Of course....... How could I forget? No HAL ships in the Caribbean mid-April through mid-October. :(

 

 

I don't think she heads south until the beginning of November. My son and his new bride are joining her in Florida for a 14 day cruise, which originates in Boston. At least that was my understanding.

[hammybee]

Love your signature.

[sail7seas]

According to the 2007 Cruise Planner, Veendam does a 12 day Canada/New England cruise embarking October 9. That cruise originates in Montreal and doesn't even call at Boston. Disembarks in Tampa. She does a 7 day Western Caribbean cruise embarking October 21.

 

[Jade13]

Lucky you going aboard for lunch! Sounds like you had a good time.

 

Of course you noticed the major differences between the S-class and the R-class ships are the dead end on Promenade Deck on the S-class (I'll agree it's a nuisance), the superior location (IMHO) of the Pinnacle Grill on the S-class, and the big difference in the Piano Bar/Lounge.

 

Other than that, once you've been on one of the eight ships you can find your way around any of them.

 

What "dead end" are you talking about? I recall walking all the way around the Promenade deck on the Veendam. The Pinnacle Grille was next to the upper level of the main dining room. It did have windows.

[Jade13]

She has long been one of our favorite ships. Sailed on her enagural voyage and probably 15 since then. Have 3 cruises booked on her now.

 

It is the ships personality that makes it so special to us...

 

Ruth & Jim

 

Wow! We loved the Veendam, but 19 cruises on the same ship. She must be your favorite?

[michmike]

Veendam was our introduction to HAL in 2002. Still ranks as our best trip, service wise, of the 7 trips we've taken on HAL.

 

Our first cruise, in 2001, was on Celebrity and we haven't been back since. Nothing wrong with X by any means, just that we've found a home on HAL, and the Veendam played a significant role in that.

[u4ea]

Here is a link to Captain Albert's weblog, it's very good.

 

http://www.avidcruiser.com/albert/

 

Mark...

[Vic The Parrot]

I wonder if they got rid of the tread marks on the upper-most observation deck ??

 

 

Last time I sailed on Veendam, that scraped area was pretty hard to miss.

 

But the crew, and everything else made my time aboard special.

(Except for a few certain stewards, and DJ/Assistant CD* that should be shot ..) :rolleyes:

 

 

 

 

But Veendam is an OK addition to the fleet.

If I had my choice, I'd avoid her ... and hopefully HAL will use that ship in the artificial reef program.

[dougnewmanatsea]

What "dead end" are you talking about? I recall walking all the way around the Promenade deck on the Veendam.

That's Lower Promenade Deck... (HAL insists on having three decks with "Promenade" in the name - confusing!)

 

One deck up, indoors, on Promenade Deck, there is a "dead end" aft of the Wajang Theatre, where the meeting rooms are. This area on the R-class ships is where the midships staircase (not present on the S-class) is, so you can at least go up or down one deck if you want to go further aft. On the S-class you have to backtrack to the forward staircase.

 

I wonder if they got rid of the tread marks on the upper-most observation deck ??

I just saw lots of green painted steel.

 

If I had my choice, I'd avoid her ... and hopefully HAL will use that ship in the artificial reef program.

Ouch ;) !

[RuthC]

My son and his new bride are joining her in Florida for a 14 day cruise, which originates in Boston.

That itinerary couldn't happen unless it was a US flagged ship (which the Veendam, of course, is not). The Passenger Services Act would prohibit it.

Sail is correct that the repositioning cruise originates in Montreal.

[dougnewmanatsea]

That itinerary couldn't happen unless it was a US flagged ship (which the Veendam, of course, is not). The Passenger Services Act would prohibit it.

While it's not an actual itinerary, it would in fact be legal to start a cruise in Boston and have additional passengers embark in Florida.

 

What would be illegal would be for passengers who embarked in Boston to disembark in Florida (unless a distant foreign port was visited in between, of course).

[RuthC]

While it's not an actual itinerary, it would in fact be legal to start a cruise in Boston and have additional passengers embark in Florida.

 

What would be illegal would be for passengers who embarked in Boston to disembark in Florida (unless a distant foreign port was visited in between, of course).

Of course, you're correct on both counts. I was picturing a cruise from Boston that ended in Florida, then embarked a whole new group.

Guess what was going on in my head didn't translate to the screen. :o Thanks for clarifying. :)

[sail7seas]

We visited on Veendam today and Captain Albert just joined the ship. I felt bad for guests having to deal with pouring/torrential rain. Boston is such a great port city it's a shame they had such awful weather.

 

:) Didn't dampen our good time.

[dougnewmanatsea]

Of course, you're correct on both counts. I was picturing a cruise from Boston that ended in Florida, then embarked a whole new group.

Yes, the only way that would be legal would be if they stopped at a "distant foreign" port... The nearest of which would be one of the ABC islands. For a ship like VEENDAM that would have to be a pretty long cruise. Most people don't realize how far the ABC islands are from Florida or indeed, the rest of the Caribbean!

 

Earlier this year I did an 8-night Ft. Lauderdale to New York cruise on QM2. Bonaire was our "distant foreign" port. We spent most of the cruise at sea doing well over 25 knots. To put it in perspective, no HAL ship, past or present, could accomplish that itinerary - though ROTTERDAM (the current one) could probably do it given an extra day or so.

 

We visited on Veendam today and Captain Albert just joined the ship.

Yes, on the day I visited her in New York James Russel-Dunford left and Albert came on.

 

I've never met him but I feel like I "know" him since I've heard and read so much about him (not to mention reading things by him). I know he is a real ship enthusiast and he sounds like a really nice guy too!