Christmas Cruise on the Ryndam

[sharondelvuk]

Greetings to all that will be traveling over the holidays on the Ryndam! My mother and I will be on our first HAL cruise. Last year we spent the holidays on a newer Carnival ship. This will be my mom's four cruise and my nineth cruise. I am a little concerned with the ship going into dry dock shortly after our time at sea; are they keeping the ship "ship shape"? I have been on ships just before they "retire" or "refitted" and the interior seems tired:(

[CowPrincess]

We deliberately booked a 14 day cruise on the Ryndam just a couple of weeks before she drydocks. One cabin we had was getting tired, but to me, the intimacy of the ship, the ease of navigating around, and the excellent crew, more than compensate. I'm not big on looking at the minute details, so haven't noticed much "tiredness" in the public areas, that a few others have mentioned. I suspect that if one took a magnifying glass to ANY ship, even the newest, one could find areas that are imperfect. We love the Ryndam, and would cheerfully sail on her again (before our next booked cruise :) )

[velvetred]

I recently spent 14 nights on the Ryndam to Alaska. I loved the smaller size of the Ryndam. I did not leave the ship with the impression of a worn and tired out ship. Were there some areas that could use a touch up? Sure, but nothing that majorly detracted from my enjoyment of the cruise. The most annoying thing I noticed was that a few of the recliners in the Crow's Nest did not work properly (in a permanent state of recline or loose in the back). We had some spots of mildew in the corner grout of our shower as well. One day the waffle iron wasn't working but it was up and running the next am. Also, we had a plumbing issue with the toilet but the front desk promptly sent the plumber. We were told the plumbing system is very fragile so don't be surprised if you have an issue with the plumbing.

I can't recall any other issues - mainly, I recall having a wonderful and relaxing cruise spent with family including 20 y.o. dd and 18 y.o. dear niece (dn). The wrap around promenade deck with its quarter mile lap is refreshing and the library is fantastic compared to some of the other ships I have sailed. I loved having fresh fruit in the cabin and my dd and dn made good use of the cabin's dvd player. The Pinnacle Grill is well worth missing a night in the dining room - food and service were great. Room service offerings were much better than other cruise lines I have been on (NCL, Costa, Carnival, Princess, RCI). Entertainment was good to very good but generally not excellent as it has been on some of my other cruises. The crew on the Ryndam are first rate IMOH and the only place I noticed a slow down in service was in the evening a couple of nights for open seating in the dining room. I liked the Ryndam so much that I have rebooked her over spring break (after sailings on the Eurodam over Thanksgiving and on the Carnival Triumph in January). I only wish I had more vacation time to spend on HAL ships.

So, my take is this: if you think a few imperfections will ruin your cruise then I recommend booking another ship but if you want a relaxing cruise on a well run and well loved ship keep your booking on the Ryndam.

[sylteach]

I was on the Ryndam in early September in an inside room on the Navigation Deck. We had no problems with our cabin and our stewards said they gave us the same service they give the suites that surrounded us. Everyone that we saw on the ship was friendly towards us. We were amazed that there were no lines whereever we went. I would recommend this ship to anyone who was looking for an exceptional cruise experience.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

With all the decorations at Christmas -- which will "awe" you -- no need to worry about the ship.

She will be great and you will have a great Christmas cruise.

Enjoy!!

[cdkempton]

We did a Christmas cruise on the Ryndam a few years ago and loved it. Very festive. We've just returned from the Ryndam in Alaska and loved it just as much. There are spots of wear and a few things that need attention but absolutely nothing that would take away from the wonderful service aboard the Ryndam. Enjoy!!!