jross10
July 10th, 2009, 01:00 AM
I just want to mention my wife and I had a wonderful time on Cruisetour 10. ( http://*******.com/lj6vmu ). It was one of the best vacation / cruises I've ever had and I look forward to my next opportunity to cruise on HAL. I've cruised three times on RCCL, once on NCL and once on the American Queen (may Delta Queen Line RIP). The staterooms on Volendam were large and comfortable. Everything was organized well and ran smoothly both on the tour and the ship. I'm sure we did sometime, but I don't remember standing in line or excessive waits anywhere.
I'm 6'5" and was pleased to find I had plenty of leg room on all of the trains and buses (pardon me "luxury coaches"). The tour director and various bus drivers were all pleasant and professional. The buses, hotels and ship were all clean and well maintained. The hotels were non-smoking, but one time a hotel room smelled smokey. Our tour director got us shifted to another room with a minimum of fuss or involvement by us. The beds were some of the best I've slept on. All of the hotel and ship beds were very comfortable, a marked difference from some I've had on RCCL and NCL. I realized on this trip I need a new mattress set at home.
My only disappointment was the food on ship. It wasn't bad, but I didn't consider it outstanding or a special treat. All of the food service staff, both Lido and MDR were excellent. Very friendly and efficient, but overworked and short handed, especially in the Lido. The food was a disappointment, but not enough to keep me from booking on HAL again.
Some specific points:
- Neither we or nor anyone we met got sick and I was impressed by how hard the staff worked to maintain sanitary conditions and encourage the PAX to wash and disinfect frequently.
- There were no trays in the Lido and it was no problem. Of course I wouldn't even expect trays in a quality buffet and only mention it because of the discussions here.
- Skip the Master Chef's Dinner. It's too hokey and the food is even more disappointing that usual. I had read the negative comments here but went anyway, thinking we'd ought to go once just to see for ourselves. I wish I hadn't.
- Don't miss the Salmon Bake around the Lido pool on the last day. That was the best salmon I ate on the whole trip, and I ate a lot of salmon:)
- If you can handle your luggage, use the expedited disembarkation. My wife and I each had one large rolling duffel and a small backpack. At 7:15 we walked straight off the ship and thru immigration without a bump or glitch. At 7:30 we were in a taxi on way to airport. Your mileage may vary:)
- If you get the chance, go to Barnaby's show, just don't come in late :D
I'm 6'5" and was pleased to find I had plenty of leg room on all of the trains and buses (pardon me "luxury coaches"). The tour director and various bus drivers were all pleasant and professional. The buses, hotels and ship were all clean and well maintained. The hotels were non-smoking, but one time a hotel room smelled smokey. Our tour director got us shifted to another room with a minimum of fuss or involvement by us. The beds were some of the best I've slept on. All of the hotel and ship beds were very comfortable, a marked difference from some I've had on RCCL and NCL. I realized on this trip I need a new mattress set at home.
My only disappointment was the food on ship. It wasn't bad, but I didn't consider it outstanding or a special treat. All of the food service staff, both Lido and MDR were excellent. Very friendly and efficient, but overworked and short handed, especially in the Lido. The food was a disappointment, but not enough to keep me from booking on HAL again.
Some specific points:
- Neither we or nor anyone we met got sick and I was impressed by how hard the staff worked to maintain sanitary conditions and encourage the PAX to wash and disinfect frequently.
- There were no trays in the Lido and it was no problem. Of course I wouldn't even expect trays in a quality buffet and only mention it because of the discussions here.
- Skip the Master Chef's Dinner. It's too hokey and the food is even more disappointing that usual. I had read the negative comments here but went anyway, thinking we'd ought to go once just to see for ourselves. I wish I hadn't.
- Don't miss the Salmon Bake around the Lido pool on the last day. That was the best salmon I ate on the whole trip, and I ate a lot of salmon:)
- If you can handle your luggage, use the expedited disembarkation. My wife and I each had one large rolling duffel and a small backpack. At 7:15 we walked straight off the ship and thru immigration without a bump or glitch. At 7:30 we were in a taxi on way to airport. Your mileage may vary:)
- If you get the chance, go to Barnaby's show, just don't come in late :D