What about the Statendam?

[CroneWynd]

I see a lot of reviews and threads about their cruises, from people who have cruised other "dam" ships... why is there almost nothing about the Statendam?

 

On the review site, there are few reviews, and they are rather old.

 

DH and I are sailing the Statendam in May, and I'm starting to get a little nervous. Is it so bad a ship that no one will talk about it? :confused:

[yiddishkopf]

We have taken 2 Statendaam cruises - One around New Zealand ending in Australia and last spring from Osaka/Kobe to Vancouver. My SO and I enjoyed each cruise very much. The ship is lovely and the staff was great. Wherever you are going, you will have a wonderful time on the Statendaam. My very favorite is the Ryndam but I think that is because it was my first HAL cruise around South America. We've also been on the Prisendaam and it is a great smaller ship. I'm not too hard to please -- put me on a ship, have someone clean the room daily, have food put in front of me at regular hours and I am as happy as a person can be.

[billroddy]

3 problems. (but should be fixed by the time you sail.)

The escalator never worked, but they tried to fix it.

Elevators were erratic; stuck in one for 20 minutes. One or more always being worked on.

I thought public rooms were too cold, others may disagree.

Lots of sweaters though in the Rotterdam Dining Room.

Bill

Ancient Mariner.

[SarasMommy]

3 problems. (but should be fixed by the time you sail.)

The escalator never worked, but they tried to fix it.

Elevators were erratic; stuck in one for 20 minutes. One or more always being worked on.

I thought public rooms were too cold, others may disagree.

Lots of sweaters though in the Rotterdam Dining Room.

Bill

Ancient Mariner.

 

Did you sail just this past October and November? Because I was on the Statendam in April 2007 and at that time the escalator didn't work and the elevators were erratic (I ended up taking the stairs a lot, which isn't a bad thing after eating so much :D).

 

I don't recall the temperature in the public rooms being a problem, but maybe I just didn't notice.

 

Regardless, she is a nice ship and the problems she had during our sailing weren't anything that negatively affected my general experience.

[Rutland Gate]

We've been on the Statendam twice, most recently from Australia to New Zealand during February - March this year. The ship is very well kept, and during our time on it there were no shortcomings or deficiencies we noted. A smaller ship than the Vista Class, it very much maintains the traditional Holland America Line feel.

[billroddy]

We sailed Oct 25 for Florida. That's a long time for the escalator not to be working. On my trip they were welding to try and fix it.

Bill

 

Did you sail just this past October and November? Because I was on the Statendam in April 2007 and at that time the escalator didn't work and the elevators were erratic (I ended up taking the stairs a lot, which isn't a bad thing after eating so much :D).

 

I don't recall the temperature in the public rooms being a problem, but maybe I just didn't notice.

 

Regardless, she is a nice ship and the problems she had during our sailing weren't anything that negatively affected my general experience.

[Live4cruises]

We were on her this past March/April Kobe - Hong Kong and loved it. She was recently out of dry dock, very clean. We usually take the stairs, but had no trouble with elevators when we did take them. I'd happily sail on her again (and again!).

[WeLoveCruising]

FYI, the escalators on all the S-class ships are off just as often as they're working. They're unnecessary anyway, IMHO. They're being replaced by cabins in the upcoming enhancements.

 

Billroddy, I read your story about being stuck in the elevator, that must have been pretty scary / frustrating. We're on the Statendam next week, I hope the elevators are working properly.

 

For me, I'll bring a wrap and welcome that cold dining room ;)

[CroneWynd]

Oh, good... when you come back, please post a review! :)

 

I'm pretty easy to please, too... though I tend to get a little testy if the plumbing or electric doesn't work properly. I'm really interested in the crew, and the service level onboard. Since we have dietary restrictions, it is most helpful to have staff that are seem to sincerely make an effort to accommodate, rather than be resentful of having to adapt.

 

Thanks! :)

[Barocl]

Just returned from 26 days on the Statendam. Food great, service tops, but there was a terrible smell at times around the ship.. The front office said they were working on it. This smell was present on the coastal from Vancouver tho I never noticeed it on these boards. I was warned by some passengers that took that cruise and they wondered if the problem was fixed. Sorry to say no, not while we were on. I surprised it hasn't shown up somewheres on a thread because almost everyone on the 26 day voyage was complaining. Take care.

[cruz chic]

Billroddy, I read your story about being stuck in the elevator, that must have been pretty scary / frustrating. We're on the Statendam next week, I hope the elevators are working properly.

 

For me, I'll bring a wrap and welcome that cold dining room ;)

I got stuck in the elevator myself on the first or second day of my Nov.10/08 cruise on the Statendam but didn't have any elelvator issues after that. It is also a cold ship. To me better cold then hot. I feel the Statendam was the most run down ship of any HAL ships I've been on.

[kryos]

We sailed Oct 25 for Florida. That's a long time for the escalator not to be working. On my trip they were welding to try and fix it.

Bill

Maybe I've got this wrong, but I was under the impression that the escalator wasn't supposed to be fixed. Instead, I seemed to recall hearing that at the next drydock they were putting some small inside cabins in that area and ripping out the escalator entirely. I think the cabins will be for onboard entertainers and the like ... because they will be somewhat smaller than standard insides.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[kryos]

I got stuck in the elevator myself on the first or second day of my Nov.10/08 cruise on the Statendam but didn't have any elelvator issues after that. It is also a cold ship. To me better cold then hot. I feel the Statendam was the most run down ship of any HAL ships I've been on.

I spent 35 days on the Statendam this past September/October and I never encountered a problem with the elevators. I also did not see where the ship was particularly run down at all. Sure there were some problems ... like a sewage smell in the aft areas for a few days (broken pipe), but the problem was eventually fixed.

 

As for the cold ... oh, yes, I will definitely agree to that. During the daytime, if you tried to go up to the Crow's Nest to read or have a smoke, it was like being in a refrigerator. But then I've seen that same problem on other ships, including on my Carnival Paradise cruise that I took just before boarding the Statendam. I don't understand why cruise lines seem to feel that the public rooms have to be kept so cold ... especially during periods when not a lot of people are going to be using them. I could see kicking the air conditioning up a bit at night ... when a lot of people may be dancing and partying up there, but during the day? When people are only lounging and enjoying the view?

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[kryos]

Just returned from 26 days on the Statendam. Food great, service tops, but there was a terrible smell at times around the ship.. The front office said they were working on it. This smell was present on the coastal from Vancouver tho I never noticeed it on these boards. I was warned by some passengers that took that cruise and they wondered if the problem was fixed. Sorry to say no, not while we were on. I surprised it hasn't shown up somewheres on a thread because almost everyone on the 26 day voyage was complaining. Take care.

You're kidding, right? They still have that problem? We had it, as you say, on the coastal from Vancouver to San Diego, and then the problem seemed to go away. During the 30-day Hawaii/South Pacific sailing that started from Vancouver, I think I only smelled something unpleasant in the aft portion of the ship maybe once or twice, and that was it.

 

I would have assumed the problem would have been resolved by now. I'm shocked to hear you experienced it on your cruise. Guess it's more serious than the front desk is letting on. But hopefully they'll fix it once and for all when the ship goes in for drydock.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[kayden]

I've been on the Statendam twice and the smell was present BOTH times, in July and Sept! Not good.

 

Also, on the July. cruise, the aft elevators seemed to have many problems with repairs etc. That problem seemed to go away a few months later. The escalators never worked once, which was kind of a disappointment.

 

Since I have not been on any other ship I don't have much to compare it to, but I loved how it was a small ship. I just think it's certainly starting to show it's age.

[cruz chic]

Maybe I've got this wrong, but I was under the impression that the escalator wasn't supposed to be fixed. Instead, I seemed to recall hearing that at the next drydock they were putting some small inside cabins in that area and ripping out the escalator entirely. I think the cabins will be for onboard entertainers and the like ... because they will be somewhat smaller than standard insides.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

They spent a LOT of time trying to fix them. Sure...they will be taking them out but pretty much everyday they worked on them. Why bother. They did work for about the last 2 days of the cruise.