Ryndam fans: Qs for spring break cruise

[Cerinda]

HAL newbie with inquiring mind asks ...

 

How have your experiences with Club Hal been on Ryndam? Are sitters available through the concierge? hotel desk? How kid-friendly is the dining room menu?

 

Is it safe to assume there will be children and teens aboard a 10-day cruise during spring break?

 

Is the aft pool adults only?

 

When and where are there opportunities for dancing (foxtrot, waltz, rhumba, cha-cha) to live music?

 

What about dancing to recorded music? Is the playlist weighted toward jazz standards? 70s disco? contemporary pop?

 

Are well-behaved teens welcome in the lounges? Dancing opportunities for them?

 

Movies?

 

Two formal nights or three?

 

Suite perks include tea and hors d'oevres? laundry/pressing/dry cleaning? priority tender tickets? parties/receptions?

 

Adjacent S suites' balconies connect? table large enough for breakfast for two? for three?

 

Breakfast and lunch served in the dining room?

 

Where do you find espressos and lattes?

 

TIA, Cerinda

[Jana]

Hi Cerinda,

 

It looks like you are getting nicely squared away for your spring break cruise!

 

It's almost two years since I was on the Ryndam and she has undergone her Signature of Excellence transformation since then, but I can probably answer some of your questions.

 

If you are getting S-suites on Ryndam, they are nicer and bigger than S-suites on the Vista class ships. The S-class are smaller and more traditional ships. I think the balcony enclosures can be opened by the room steward but I am not sure.

 

Babysitting is available upon request. They don't have a dedicated babysitter service, there are off-duty crew members who volunteer to be on the list. I think the charge is like $5 or $6 an hour. There is a Club Hal, not big, but nice, with lots of ocean lore, crafts, computer games etc. There WILL be kids on board, but not as many as on a Carnival and/or Royal Caribbean ship going out of San Diego during that week.

 

The aft pool is quiet and lovely but I don't believe it's adults only. In fact, if it isn't, that is where I'd take my youngsters because they'd be less likely to disturb people at the Lido pool.

 

We found the Crow's Nest at night to be the place for contemporary music. You are not going to find hip-hop in the clubs or lounges, but while we were on Ryndam, the evening music in Crow's Nest ranged from 1960s oldies to contemporary pop with a terrific band and singer from the Phillipines.

 

I think the Java Cafe is no more and is now the Windjammer where you pay for your coffee. It's reasonable though. And all the HAL ships now have WI-FI so if you have laptops with wireless accessibility, you can "keep in touch" with a package that costs as little as .40 cents a minute.

 

Your "well-behaved teens" will be welcome in the lounges; Crow's Nest is where they are likely to find dancing.

 

There is now a Neptune's Lounge on Ryndam so yes, you get the hors d'oeurves and other goodies. I know you get pressing on the first day if you need it, not sure about free laundry.

 

The Wajang Theatre still exists on Ryndam, there will be first-run movies with fresh popcorn. There are three (I think) movie channels on the television, and in your suite you will have either a VCR or DVD player and can get movies from the library or front desk.

 

Breakfast and lunch is served in the dining room or in the Lido cafe or in your stateroom; you can order a full breakfast, and you can also order dining room dinners from room service.

 

The S-class ships are very elegant, small and comfortable. You will have a fantastic time.

 

Jana

[Cerinda]

Jana,

 

Thanks. Sounds like my kind of atmosphere (except that DH and I were hoping the Crow's nest featured music for ballroom dancing -- guess you just can't have everything, even on vacation!).

 

Cerinda

 

 

Anybody know whether there are two or three formal nights?

[Jana]

Cerinda,

 

They do have big band music, but I think it's in the Ocean Bar. I might be wrong.

 

I seem to remember two formal nights on the Mexican Riviera sailings, but I might be wrong. I know that they are more casual than the European or Transatlantic sailings. The Website doesn't say.

 

Oh, I forgot... dining room food is pretty much "the usual," with nothing particularly "kid friendly." You can get a grilled cheese sandwich, steak, hot dog, hamburger or peanut butter and jelly sandwich though. You don't mention how old your younger ones are nor what kind of palate they have. I found the dining on Ryndam to be blander than I like, but I could almost subsist on the bread pudding at lunch, and the outdoor cafe has wonderful burgers, tacos, hot dogs and grilled chicken breasts. The pizza is so-so.

 

Jana

[gliles]

How kid-friendly is the dining room menu?

 

Are well-behaved teens welcome in the lounges?

Are those 2 comments related? Are you traveling with "kids" and "teens"? If they are "kids" then it is an excellent opportunity to expose them to all kinds of food. If they are teens, then it's too late! Seriously though when we took our 18 year old on her first cruise, we introduced her to escargo and she loved it and yet she is kind of picky. We are taking the next daughter this year and she loves escargot, caviar, anything exotic or unusual so it will be a great trip for her. My youngest (14) won't eat anything he hasn't had before and known to like so when his cruise comes up (graduation) even at 18 we may be asking for grilled cheese in the dining room, I hope not!

 

We cruised the Ryndam about 1.5 years ago and loved it. It was our first HAL cruise and it far exceeded our expectations. We had an outside, not even balcony but the only reason we went is it was a last minute bargain for a 12 day cruise and worth every single penny.

 

The aft pool was adults only but there were always kids in there and no one said anything. They were well behaved.

 

We had been on about 6 cruises at that point and had never been to a movie on a ship but we did on the Ryndam. The theatre was quite comfy, matter of fact, I believe I dozed off once I polished off a big bag of popcorn :eek: .

 

She really is a pretty ship and I thought laid out quite well.

[ryansmemom]

Hi Cerinda

 

HAL does have a children's menu in the dining room. Also dry cleaning and laundry are complementary in S suites. Just fill out the form and put your clothing in the bag provided in the closet. Everything will be cleaned, pressed and laundered and returned to you either on hangers or folded in a nice wicker basket.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

 

Linda

[Cerinda]

The 17-year-old eats everything in sight; the 15-year-old has more discriminating taste (loves escargot); and the 8-year-old is the picky one (sushi, pasta and pb&j). And now I know to pack my dancing shoes for the Ocean Bar. It sounds like the Ryndam will suit all of us just fine!

 

Cerinda

[Jana]

Yes, it's easier to go from a Radisson cruise experience to the Ryndam than say from an RCI cruise on Voyager class.

 

She's an elegant ship, wonderfully laid out. The aft pool is right out the back end of the deck you are on, very convenient.

 

People love the S-class ships, they are really special.

 

Jana

[Esme]

Actually when there are lots of kids on the ship, they do request that they use the Inside Lido pool and leave the aft pool for the adults. Sure there were some kids in the aft pool, but I must say they were well behaved.

 

Jana Ryndam has not undergone the complete SOE program yet, but is a I write in drydock in Victoria, B.C. Canada for 21 days having all the new amenities, like the Greenhouse Spa, Windstar Cafe and other things, installed right now. Very Big project!

[gliles]

The 17-year-old eats everything in sight; the 15-year-old has more discriminating taste (loves escargot); and the 8-year-old is the picky one (sushi, pasta and pb&j).

Isn't that funny? I have 3, 20-18-14 and they are all so different with the food. Sushi, pasta and PB&J, that's gotta make you laugh.

[orcatek]

I've never done spring break, so I can't speak to the specifics of that cruise.

 

My review has everything you want to know about the ship in general.

 

My kids had plenty to eat on the dining menus as they had "kids meals" in addition to standard meals. My kids ate a little of both.

[Jana]

>>Jana Ryndam has not undergone the complete SOE program yet, but is a I write in drydock in Victoria, B.C. Canada for 21 days having all the new amenities, like the Greenhouse Spa, Windstar Cafe and other things, installed right now. Very Big project!<<

 

Hi Esme,

 

Yes, I know. I should have said "will have completed the program by the time you sail..." Sorry I mispoke.

 

I didn't see any "adult only" signs at the aft pool when I was on her, but then, I wasn't looking. I wasn't traveling with kids. Thanks for the info!

 

Jana