Veendam.....January 3, 2005 Some Comments [Archive]

sail7seas

January 19th, 2005, 01:35 PM

Given the limitation in the number of words permitted in each post, I shall break this into several sections.

As always, I will make few comments re: the ports as we never do shore excursions anymore. Others can share far more valuable info in that regard.

Our Itinerary was:

Tampa; two sea days; San Juan, Puerto Rico; RoadTown, Tortola, BVI; Basse-Terre, Guadeloupe (switched to Pointe-a-Pitre); Dominica; St. Thomas; sea day; Half Moon Cay; sea; Tampa. (12 days)

For the first time, we flew Jet Blue. It was the most convenient scheduling for us to get to Tampa and we were as pleased with that airline as we are with any these days. Our outbound flight was 43 minutes late but they got us there safely and in reasonable comfort. Our return flight was on time. (We like the tv's at each seat and the leather seats are fairly comfortable).

We stayed three days pre-cruise at Marriott Waterside in Tampa and were very pleased with that property. It is attractive, comfortable, friendly folks, clean and a full service property. They have a nice gym open to guests 24 hours a day; a outdoor pool on the third floor ; and about the best bathroom lighting I have enjoyed in any hotel. I would definitely recommend it and thank those on this board who recommended it to us. (GulfCoaster, TampaMike and Uncialman and others shared some very helpful info and gave very good info). We had a most pleasant stay there and very much enjoyed our time in Tampa. We were on the 21st floor and had a great view of Tampa piers. GREAT weather made for enjoyable walks and full enjoyment of the city.

We arrived at the Pier at about 10:50 and immediately processed our documents. We then sat for something like 30 minutes (I'm not sure how long) embarkation began. Lido was serving lunch and cabins were ready for occupying at about 1:00.

Captain and Hotel Manager sent a gift bottle of Chase -Limogere Brut which we found in our Suite when we boarded.

Our Suite was in excellent condition. Everything worked and we did not require any maintenance/repairs at all.

We enjoyed a nice Welcome Aboard Suite Party in the Neptune Lounge that night.

We were appreciative our table request had been granted and we happily went to Main Seating Upper (8:00 P.M.). We had a fabulous Dining Steward (Imam) and very, very good Assistant (Bruce). They served us very, very well and we could not have asked for anything more. Despite the fact this was Imam's last cruise before he left for vacation and surely was very tired, he always had a beautiful smile and gave us great service.

See Part II (I'll talk about Menu changes etc)

sail7seas

January 19th, 2005, 02:14 PM

Part II

We received copies of the dinner menu each morning and I noticed there was a difference between these menus and those we had seen recently on seven day cruises.

There were 7 entrees offered every night in addition to always available "Daily Alternatives" of Caesar Salad, Grilled Salmon, Broiled Chicken Breast and Grilled Sirloin Steak. A baked potato was always available and any entree on the menu could be ordered without sauce (or on the side).

There was a comfort food selection offered each evening included the 'infamous' meatloaf.

Some of the dishes we saw disappear from other ship's menus appeared on Veendam's and I was happy to see Calf's Liver, Beef Wellington and Bami Goreng offered. ..

(Happily) We had Dutch Night complete with the traditional hats we are accustomed to.

We thought the food to be very, very good.....some to be excellent.

I eat rather simply these days.....far more than in the past and for me to find tasty, low fat, well prepared dinners was great. This was the best food we have had aboard a ship in a long time IMO We were perfectly content with the dining room on our recent Maasdam and Zuiderdam cruises, but this dining room was noticeably better IMO

We felt it time some new choices were added to the menus and it is good to see their new Chef Rudi is beginning to do that.

There was a nice bread basket each evening which always included a whole wheat choice.......that matters to us. I don't care for (and rarely eat) white bread products.

On to other things.......

We received a notice on January 4 (the second day of our cruise) that the dry cleaning machine was broken. It did not matter to us but I never heard if it was repaired during the cruise and if it became possible to send out things for dry cleaning.

We sent laundry out about 4 times and it always came back within 24 hours, nicely done, folded beautifully (or hung) and presented in the nice baskets they have used in recent years.

Our first port was to be San Juan and we were due there at 2:00. Captain made an announcement that there would be several problems regarding our San Juan call. We had extreme winds and rough seas which slowed the ship in addition to the fact there was an engine down that had to be repaired when we reached port. They needed a 'specialist' to oversee the repair. Therefore, our arrival was considerably delayed. Apparently the specialist was at the dock as planned as the repair was successfully completed.

Shore Excursion Office was not aware it was 3 King's Day and that because the City of San Juan is named for one, it is a big holiday there. All tours they had sold had to be cancelled and credits were issued to shipboard accounts. Seeing as we did not arrive until about 3 hours late, it did not matter the stores were all closed due to the holiday as they would have closed as normal end of business day anyway. Obviously, no one could do the rain forest tour as it was dark by the time we got to San Juan.

We also left San Juan late as there was a medical emergency and they had to wait for an ambulance to reach the ship (through the crowd of people celebrating in the city). It was about 1 A.M. until we sailed.

More to follow in Part III

doone

January 19th, 2005, 02:40 PM

S7S, I am flying Jetblue for the first time in March, I am glad you found them to be a good airline. Do they have first class on that airline?????? I know you enjoy first class on airlines, that's the reason I am asking.

sail7seas

January 19th, 2005, 02:46 PM

No,Doone. They do not have first class. We flew them because, as I said above, they had the best non-stop flight from Boston to Tampa. Their scheduling was the best.

Can't speak for anyone but me, but I would much rather fly non-stop than make a connection.

ekerr19

January 19th, 2005, 02:47 PM

Sail-

Thank you! I've been watching for this - and it does not disappoint! I can't wait to read on... :)

doone

January 19th, 2005, 03:03 PM

S7S, I agree with you on that I would rather have a direct flight vs. stops, but I remember you saying, a while back on a thread to me, that you wouldn't fly Delta because they had no first class, but they had direct flights to Ft. Lauderdale. I guess I was just a bit surprised, but glad you enjoyed your experience on Jetble. I'll look forward to my flight in March.

sail7seas

January 19th, 2005, 03:05 PM

To FLL, we had the choice of going AA first class non-stop. There was no non-stop AA flight to Tampa.

And....Delta Express (it was not yet Song) was far different than Jet Blue.

:) Do not overstate my 'enjoyment' of Jet Blue. ;) These days, I put up with flying. I do not enjoy flying any of the airlines the way they have become.

doone

January 19th, 2005, 03:07 PM

Oh I see. Well, I have flown Delta Express and Song, I'll see how different Jetblue is from them. I always had a great experience with Delta Express, Song was a different story.

HeatherInFlorida

January 19th, 2005, 03:18 PM

Sail, so good to see you writing this review. I've been looking forward to it! And of course it does not disappoint. I'm so happy about the food! It will be interesting how you feel it compares to the Oosterdam when you sail her. Look forward to the rest!

Doone, JetBlue and Song are very different. Song has tried to "copy" JetBlue but has not done so in my estimation. For one thing, there is slightly more space between seats on JetBlue. When I flew Song they did not yet have the satilite TVs installed. Perhaps they have now.

localady

January 19th, 2005, 03:19 PM

Thanks for your comments S7S.:)

I must admit, I too found the food to be more varied on our last cruise and I fet it there was a definite improvement in the food in the dining room on the Rotterdam in December. (Not that it was bad before at all.) We are excited about our cruise on the Veendam in November, nice to see that you found her to be "up to snuff". Look forward to the rest of your review!:cool:

dakrewser

January 19th, 2005, 03:23 PM

Your long anticipated review does not disappoint! And it's nice to hear that the Veendam is still the lovely ship that hooked us on cruising - and HAL.

But hurry up with the rest, I have to leave Saturday morning! :rolleyes:

dramamama

January 19th, 2005, 03:25 PM

Sail: Sure hope you are feeling better and relaxed after returning home from the Veendam. I am so sorry we did not have the opportunity to meet. We also had the late seating, upper dining room (Table 64) and I agree that the food was wonderful. I even ate the calf's liver and loved the Bami Goreng. This was by far the best food I've had on a cruise.

After dinner we usually attended a show and then headed for the casino. We never returned to our stateroom before 1:00 AM. By then, the ship was all but deserted.

Can't wait for your continuing story.

sail7seas

January 19th, 2005, 03:31 PM

In the past, I have read about pax who very much enjoyed breakfast on their veranda with a white tablecloth and their breakfast set out by the steward who delivered it. We have never enjoyed that until this cruise. We've been in "S" cabins well over a year's worth of days and this was the first time a steward did this for us and it was WONDERFUL!! I felt so spoiled and even if I just had a bowl of cereal, I enjoyed it so much more set out so nicely. It was a pleasure to linger over another cup of coffee and enjoy the quiet, unstressed time with DH.

Was it coincidental that our Assistant Waiter in the Dining Room was the same steward who brought our breakfast every morning? If so, it was a wonderful coincidence as he is a delightful fellow and took such good care of us. Thank you, Bruce. :)

We had a special treat. It seems there was a photographer aboard the ship who was there to take cabin photos for the new HAL brochures. He needed to have access to an "S" and they were all booked so we said we didn't mind if he used ours for the brief time necessary. As we chatted with him and his assistant (both fantastically interesting people), we learned he has sailed on over 120 ships taking photos for brochures and advertising etc We had alot of fun with him while he waited for just the correct moment to have the best light coming through the windows at sunset.

(He had us set out a personal item on our bureau so when the brochures come out we would be able to indentify that really was our cabin.....of course, it will be teeny tiny in the picture but we will know it is there. :) )

Because the bedding has changed and the cabins have been redecorated, the old photos were no longer representative. There is now a beautiful strip (like a runner) across the foot of the bed over the duvet rather than the full bedspreads that used to be in place. They look very attractive IMO

I really have to comment about the flowers on the ship. They were so beautiful I really had to pause so often just to 'smell the roses'. I found it impossible to simply pass on by these gorgeous arrangements. I can't guess the thousands of dollars these blossoms cost but they are so well worth it IMO Mid-way through the cruise, fresh flowers were loaded in Barbados and these were really beautiful. We arrived back to our cabin to find a huge bouquet on the table of ginger and daisies and mums and the most interesting greens like I have never seen before. I got so much pleasure from those flowers!! Even the bud vases in the dining room had special blooms....and the larger tables had such beautiful centerpieces. Hard not to notice them all.

Captain Schoonderbeek did all he could to give us as smooth a ride as possible. There is no way to control rough seas and we did have some rough weather. He told us on the loud speaker that he chose a longer route to go from Guadaloupe to Barbados as it would be smoother (but longer) to sail inside the chain of islands but the North Atlantic was rough. As he said, he needed to put the pedal to the metal.

Local steel drummers played on the dock the afternoon we were in Barbados and it was great. We liked hearing the music from our veranda.

Weather was a mix. We had some pelting rain and loads of bright, beautiful sun. DH is a sun lover and got more than enough pool time to make him happy and very tanned. :) Lots of humidity when there has been rain.

Better end this before it gets too long and cuts off....

To be continued.

doone

January 19th, 2005, 03:32 PM

Heather, yes, Song does have satellite tv's in their planes now, I still wasn't impressed with them, sounds like Jetblue won't disappoint me.

sail7seas

January 19th, 2005, 03:51 PM

Dave....I'm so happy you are into really short countdown. Hope you have a wonderful time. Hopefully, I will have told everything there is to tell by the time you head to O'dam. :)

Dramamama......I so hoped, even by accident, we would meet. I know I would have enjoyed meeting you. After dinner, we often stopped for a few minutes in the Casino and then went to Ocean Bar. We were among those who headed to bed by about 11:15 or so. We don't always do that but we did turn in early this cruise on most (but not all :) ) nights. We were in Ocean Bar every night before dinner except for the few times we had special events. We were always seated at the bar (even though we do not smoke). We like to be at the bar and often get to meet folks there.

sail7seas

January 19th, 2005, 04:29 PM

Part IV

Odette was the Concierge in the Neptune Lounge and she is jewel. Such a lovely young woman and so eager to assist and keep everyone happy. :)
We found her to be delightful and she quickly and ably handled the few things we requested of her.

The coffee machine was as wonderful as ever but the nibbles were a little less interesting and tasty then we have enjoyed in other Neptune Lounges. Certainly of very little consequence, as we had more food than any reasonable person could possibly need. But, DH sometimes enjoys the little shrimp canapes and the caviar treats he has seen on other ships. I sometimes treat myself to a small slice of the lemon pound cake that is a real treat for me.

STRAWBERRIES Okay.....I'll take the jokes that are sure to follow from this paragraph. :) I have never seen so many beautiful, luscious, sweet strawberries anywhere. They had the best berries we have ever enjoyed in any hotel or on any ship ever and I LOVE berries. Presumably their food storage temperatures and conditions are absolutely perfect as approved by USPH and I can attest their fruit storage is ideal. They kept those berries fresh and tasty for days and days longer than my kitchen frig handles them. Huge, juicy blackberries, blueberries and strawberries.....THANK YOU VEENDAM. I loved the berries. (Captain didn't seem to mind my digging into the supply :) ) and there was no Mutiny.

Our cabin Steward, Dodi, was wonderful. He introduced himself soon after we arrived at our cabin and he took excellent care of us. I like for our room to be made up early in the morning, if possible. When we met him, I asked if that were possible telling him what time we would be out of the cabin each morning. We left each day by the time we told him we would and he ALWAYS had our cabin cleaned early for us. That makes a big difference for me. DH likes to sit at the pool more than I do and I enjoy quietly reading in the cabin while he suns.

As I said, our cabin was in excellent condition and we had no mechanical problems at all. One evening we received a notice saying they would be cleaning carpets the next day. Ours looked fine to me but it was nice to know they keep on top of doing things like that. We were not inconvenienced in the least and I don't even know when they came in to do it. There was a very faint trace of a cleaning solution smell when we returned so I know they were in. That scent was not unpleasant and was gone within an hour or two.

Because our cruise was more than ten days, we had an evening Mariner's Party. It was held on the last formal night and it was a treat for us. We have not had an evening Mariners Party for some time as we have been on cruises of ten days or less. There were about 900 Mariners aboard.

I'll be back with more.....

HeatherInFlorida

January 19th, 2005, 04:37 PM

Sail, you are outdoing yourself!!! Parts III and IV have me so involved I feel I'm there ... especially your description of the flowers.

On strawberries, they have to have been our Florida strawberries. I have been so amazed at our strawberries this year. I can't bring enough into the house. DH said he has never experienced such sumptious strawberries so you'll get no comment from me!!!

I love your review because it covers areas often missed in some reviews. Really enjoying it.

Question: (and some may call me stupid) ... Is the Veendam an "S" class? How many passengers on her? Tks.:D

grannynurse

January 19th, 2005, 05:28 PM

Hi Sail,
I had forgotten that you were gone and put some messages on my Zaandam review posts for you.

We took your advice and booked a suite and were ever so happy. Everything you said was true. Even tho we didn't have the Neptune yet, we had excellent concierge service and follow-up.

We also had access to the King's room for breakfast and lunch, and yes, we had an afternoon cocktail party and a Pinnacle Grill suite luncheon.

Thanks for all your excelllent advice, it really made our trip.
I also had a short bout with the Norovirus. There were at least 20 cases on board. I used every sanitizer on board as I passed by them, and still got it.
I hope you are feeling better.
Love, GN

DFD1

January 19th, 2005, 05:31 PM

Sail: Thorough and interersting. Thank you so much. Glad you liked Tampa. We always enjoy sailing from there.

sail7seas

January 19th, 2005, 05:33 PM

GN....I'm so happy you enjoyed yourselves so much and very sorry that you, too, had a bout with the virus. Thanks for your up to date info re: Zaandam. That is the only ship that does not yet have a Neptune so I'm happy to hear they are still using the Neptune for Suite breakfasts and they have arranged Concierge Service. I was not aware of the accomodations being made until they get the Neptune Lounge added to the ship.

You're probably a bit spoiled now :) and will want an "S" the next time. ;) .

I'll go look for your Zaandam thread. I'm still catching up on the Board.

No one is more aware or more careful than we are about washing and using the sanitizers. I am about the last person one would expect would get it. Thankfully, we were able to keep DH from catching it. I'm finally feeling better but it was unpleasant.

sail7seas

January 19th, 2005, 05:35 PM

Yes, Heather.

Veendam is an "S". She is the fourth in the series. First came Statendam, then Maasdam, Ryndam and finally Veendam in 1996 (I think).

She (and her sisters) are 55,451 gross tons and carry 1,258 pax.

I love the four of them. They're a great design IMO

HeatherInFlorida

January 19th, 2005, 06:14 PM

Thanks, Sail. And I do feel foolish because I should have known that. As you may recall, we sailed on the Maasdam in November 2002 and it was one of our most favorite cruises of all time. There is a huge difference in the number of passengers and the cabins are so much larger.

I think we're going to have to get ourselves over to Tampa one of these days.

sail7seas

January 19th, 2005, 07:52 PM

PART V

We dined in Pinnacle at least twice...maybe three times? We thought it excellent. There is a mixture of Indonesian and European stewards and it was wonderful. I had the filet mignon and really enjoyed it. DH had the rib eye and said it was great. The room is comfortable and attractive IMO. I thoroughly enjoyed our evenings there.

Captain made an announcement about day 6 or 7 or something like that saying there was gastro-intestinal illness aboard. It is highly contagious as we all know and he made it clear that pax who contracted it should seek care in the Infirmary and quarantine themselves in their cabin. Even though someone with the virus usually starts to feel better in about 24-36 hours, they are contagious for about 72 hours.

Seems we had some very selfish, inconsiderate folks aboard who once they began to feel better left their cabins and continued to spread the germs around the ship. If they had stayed put, the virus would have been contained early and it would have been well under control. But because they were out and about and in Lido handling 'communal serving pieces' in the buffet line; in the casino using slot machines; pushing elevator buttons; holding on the handrail as they walked down stairs etc etc, many others contracted the virus and it got out of control.

NO ONE IS MORE CAUTIOUS ABOARD A SHIP to always wash my hands often and to use the hand sanitizers VERY often. I never touch the water faucets in the ladies room after washing my hands but use my elbow or a cloth to shut the faucet off. I never open the door with my clean hands. I use the hand sanitizer before I go through the salad bar line and again after before I begin to eat.

I got Norwalk.......I am am the last person one would think would contract it. The point is the only way pax do not spread it to others is to follow the instructions of the medical staff and the Captain on down and STAY IN YOUR CABIN if you get sick.

Because of the virus, they went into 'no one serves themselves mode' which was fine but there were not enough stewards to do all the serving, the cleaning that was required, the additional work that it all involved and Lido became most unpleasant.

They cancelled room service for disembarkation morning and when everyone converged on Lido for breakfast, it was horrible. They had two stewards at the continental breakfast section. I went up to get DH and I coffee (tea) (Neptune Lounge was not yet open) and I wanted a muffin and bowl of cereal for him. It was endless standing there waiting for help and then the steward gave other than what I requested and was testy when I asked him to kindly give me a bran muffin as I had asked for. I don't blame him. He was exhausted. I was annoyed and less than happy with this whole virus thing and got truly irritated over something so stupid as a muffin. Me and alot of other folks. We are used to being able to have room service on the last morning. I realize they wanted us all up and out and off the ship so they could get to the cleaning and the stewards who deliver room service were probably busy doing some other work, but I missed having it delivered.

They had to hurry to get us all off the ship as early as they could as they had the 'super-sanitizing' cleaning company boarding to scrub the ship down before it would leave for the next cruise. I can certainly understand that but it did not make for a pleasant last morning.

One final section to come.

sail7seas

January 19th, 2005, 08:24 PM

PART VI

The ship pulled into Tampa early, early, early. They started disembarking pax before 8:00 and got us all off quickly.

We went to Wyndam Harbor Island as we could not get a reservation back at Marriott. (The National Dog Show was in town and some other convention). This Wyndam was very disappointing and we were not at all satisified with the hotel. We were only there for one night thankfully.
We thought we were sleeping in a kennel as the hotel permitted all of those attending the Dog Show to bring their dogs to their rooms. All the rooms were 'barking' as we walked down the hall. This was not the cleanest, most meticulous hotel I have ever seen and I shiver to imagine how little cleaning would be done after all of these dogs left.

We were very happy to be on Veendam and enjoyed ourselves but did have a few downsides. That certainly should be expected as not anything is ever perfect. We found the ship in terrific condition and well cared for. We found a very hard working crew but unfortunately a few crew persons disappoined a bit. Most are the usual wonderful HAL that we all know and most of us love. Some have 'changed a bit' IMO I think the new tipping policy is starting to be reflected in some very few stewards. They are the rare exception but there are some. IMO I found myself on a few occassions being sharp and displeased with something that occured. That just didn't happen in the past when we were aboard a wonderful HAL ship. The pressure of trying to please all of the people all of the time has to be immense. Sometimes we expect too much, perhaps.

We felt that on this cruise, being a 12 dayer, we experienced more of the various features we used to enjoy that have disappeared from the shorter cruises. It was nice to have a Suite dinner again, to have a formal night Mariner's Party in the evening instead of the morning parties of late. The expanded menus were excellent.....

We would go back to Veendam without hesitation and, actually, we probably will around April before she repositions to Alaska.

If you have any questions, I'll try to answer.

Thanks for reading it all! :)

the2ofus

January 19th, 2005, 09:37 PM

Mark5047

January 19th, 2005, 10:15 PM

Thank you so much for reviewing your experience on the Veendam - my wife and I will be taking our first cruise on this boat in about a week. We leave on the 29th. You make me look forward to my trip even more, and we will not forget to pack the anti-bacterial lotion

Pudgesmom

January 19th, 2005, 10:25 PM

Thank you Sail, for a well-written and thoughtful review. I enjoyed reading all of it and now will have to get out a magnifying glass to find your "personal item" in the brochure. :D

I wish they would raise the fares by $10.00/day, and allow us to use a tip for the purpose for which it is intended, service above and beyond the norm.

Beth

LAFFNVEGAS

January 19th, 2005, 10:54 PM

Sail, What a well done and thought out review. It is too bad there were some disappointments and that the virus caught up with you. It does sound like you still really enjoyed yourself which is what we are suppose to do when we cruise. You also did not let the bad things that did happen ruin your whole cruise. It just goes to show that everything in life is not always perfect.
I for one am glad you are back home and on the boards and getting ready to start counting the days till the next cruise.

tim agg

January 19th, 2005, 11:33 PM

As someone else who didn't meet the other CC'ers on this cruise, I can say that my experience runs pretty close to S7S's. Sorry to hear you picked up the virus. We were often across the Ocean Bar, noting that those sitting at the bar itself were having a good time most evenings! I liked your comments about strawberries - for me, it was an extra seeing them have plenty of fresh mango and papaya. The one consolation of having stewards serve food in the Lido is that I noticed a few of the more notorious ditherers actually reach faster conclusions about what they wanted to eat!! While I was sorry we missed Half Moon Cay because of the wind, my biggest disappointment came at St. Thomas - 7 ships (Veendam was the smallest by far) and some 14000 people, many of whom almost obliterated the gorgeous beach at Trunk Bay (St. John ) - it cannot sustain those kinds of crowds. And how a shore excursion crew could miss a major national holiday beats me - but what a great party was still going on in old San Juan - we walked for a couple of hours in the evenng and enjoyed the fun. All in all a fine cruise!

777steve

January 20th, 2005, 12:25 AM

Sail,

Thanks for taking the time to write. I enjoyed reading your account of the cruise. I was especially pleased to be reminded of how beautiful the flowers were on our Westerdam cruise in December ... and I failed to mention that in my own account. I too had to stop periodically and just marvel at the gorgeous flowers that were so well placed and well designed.

Anyway - thanks for that. And I'm sorry about your bout with the virus but glad you're past it now (I hope?).

Cheers!

Vicar

January 20th, 2005, 01:43 AM

Sail,

Loved your review :) Thank you so much for writing it, and welcome back!

Glad that overall you had a wonderful trip.

Hope that you are feeling much better :)

I have flown Jetblue a few times myself and was always happy with them, well as happy as you can be with an airline *LOL*

I can imagine what that hotel was like with all those dogs. YIKES!!

AirGorilla

January 20th, 2005, 03:12 AM

Triple S --

For those of us who are uninitiated, tell us about the Norwalk virus (within respectable boundries, of course). What was it like, and how long did it last?

Sounds like you tried to germ-proof yourself for protection. Is there anything else, in hindsight, that you would have done differently?

Thanks, and happy sailing!

HeatherInFlorida

January 20th, 2005, 09:59 AM

Sail, a wonderful review. So descriptive and thorough. I'm literally laughing as I read about the Wyndam Harbor with all the dogs. I just hope they slept at night. Once I drove north with our Molly and I had to leave the hotel at 4:00 in the morning because she started barking at noises outside and I didn't want to wake anyone.

So again, welcome home! You know how happy I am to see you back. It's never quite the same when you're gone.:o

ekerr19

January 20th, 2005, 12:45 PM

Sail-

Thank you so much for a lovely review. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, and I am pleased to hear the Veendam is being well maintained.

I am sorry to hear you contracted the virus - especially frustrating when one is so careful to avoid it. Unfortunately, I am not surprised to hear of those pax who did not follow instruction and remain quarantined as required.

I can't recall if you have another cruise booked yet... we have decided to give the Ryndam a try after our upcoming Volendam cruise - the kids are anxious to see the new expanded Club HAL and teen areas, though I wasn't too anxious to return to Mexico, it does sound as if they have some new ports.

Again, welcome back - we missed you. :)

kruzkeen

January 20th, 2005, 01:57 PM

[b][color=#008000]Captain made an announcement about day 6 or 7 or something like that saying there was gastro-intestinal illness aboard. It is highly contagious as we all know and he made it clear that pax who contracted it should seek care in the Infirmary and quarantine themselves in their cabin. Even though someone with the virus usually starts to feel better in about 24-36 hours, they are contagious for about 72 hours.

Seems we had some very selfish, inconsiderate folks aboard who once they began to feel better left their cabins and continued to spread the germs around the ship. If they had stayed put, the virus would have been contained early and it would have been well under control. But because they were out and about and in Lido handling 'communal serving pieces' in the buffet line; in the casino using slot machines; pushing elevator buttons; holding on the handrail as they walked down stairs etc etc, many others contracted the virus and it got out of control.

NO ONE IS MORE CAUTIOUS ABOARD A SHIP to always wash my hands often and to use the hand sanitizers VERY often. I never touch the water faucets in the ladies room after washing my hands but use my elbow or a cloth to shut the faucet off. I never open the door with my clean hands. I use the hand sanitizer before I go through the salad bar line and again after before I begin to eat.

I got Norwalk.......I am am the last person one would think would contract it. The point is the only way pax do not spread it to others is to follow the instructions of the medical staff and the Captain on down and STAY IN YOUR CABIN if you get sick.

Because of the virus, they went into 'no one serves themselves mode' which was fine but there were not enough stewards to do all the serving, the cleaning that was required, the additional work that it all involved and Lido became most unpleasant.

I have enjoyed reading about your cruise and sorry that you had a Norwalk problem. I agree with all that you have written. This is a problem that is not going to go away.

I think we have to be even more proactive to protect ourselves. To that end I have revived an old thread VIRUS. I hope that there will be more suggestions posted.

Peggy Sue

January 20th, 2005, 08:27 PM

S7S -- enjoyed reading your thoughtful, detailed review. So sorry to hear you had to endure the virus during your cruise .. that must have been dreadful! On the Volendam last November we appreciated all the attention to sanitation and the availability of hand sanitizers.

Sorry your return home to the MA greeted you with a winter blast! Although, I must say our north shore is beautiful and peaceful when covered with a blanket of shimmering snow.....not the same as the beautiful blues of the caribbean...but still very beautiful in its own right!!

Peggy Sue

SANDY BEACH

January 20th, 2005, 08:58 PM

Great review which I really enjoyed. Thank you for the time you put into it. So glad you enjoyed your balcony dining with white tablecloth. You know this is something I have always wanted but as of yet none of the ships I've sailed have provided this service. I will give it another try on Celebrity's Millennium in three weeks. I do also enjoy the Holland ships and hope to travel one in the near future. Most of all, glad to hear you are feeling better.

mdobbins

January 21st, 2005, 04:17 AM

PART VI

We felt that on this cruise, being a 12 dayer, we experienced more of the various features we used to enjoy that have disappeared from the shorter cruises. It was nice to have a Suite dinner again, to have a formal night Mariner's Party in the evening instead of the morning parties of late. The expanded menus were excellent.....

sail7seas -

Thank you for an excellent review. You hit all of the topics I was interested in. My lovely wife and I will be on the Veendam in November for 14 wonderful days, and we are so looking forward to it. We also have a suite booked.

I'll be anxiously awaiting the new suite pictures for the brochure - do you think that they will be used online at hollandamerica.com?

I know from your previous postings that you and DH don't attend the suite luncheon, but could you please tell me if it was held, and if so, was it in the Crow's Nest? You also mentioned a suite dinner - we attended one on the Statendam in December '02 and it was outstanding! Was it preceded by a cocktail reception and mingling?

One final question. Was the Pinnacle open for lunch? I presume the suite passengers did NOT get a special breakfast or lunch dining area - correct?

Thanks in advance for your responses, and once again, thanks for an enjoyable review! :)

Aussie Gal

January 21st, 2005, 05:01 AM

Sail,

Thanks for a great review of the Veendam. We are thinking of doing the Panama/Amazon cruise on her in 2006 and so were very interested to read of your experiences.

My computer has been down and I have missed the Board for a couple of days but as I have now got it back I am busy catching up. I am sorry you were sick and hope you are feeling well again. Nothing could be worse than being ill whilst on a lovely cruise.

Jennie

sail7seas

January 21st, 2005, 09:58 AM

mdobbins:

Suite dinner was preceded by cocktails. We met at the Java Cafe and stewards passed the usual glasses of wine and champagne but any cocktail one desired was available for the asking. They passed delicious hors d'ouerves. It was all very nice and we enjoyed it. Dinner was delicious....perhaps one of the best Suite dinners we have enjoyed.

There was no Suite luncheon. I am speculating but I believe that one had been planned and scheduled but because of the outbreak of Norwalk, it was cancelled. They probably were trying to limit group gatherings which could continue spreading the virus and most likely needed the stewards who would have served us to be doing other work....such as cleaning and doing the extra serving in Lido.

I imagine that once the photos of the cabins are completed, they will appear in both the brochures and the same will appear on their site. It was never discussed but it would seem logical that becomes the 'official "S" suite photo".

sail7seas

January 21st, 2005, 10:01 AM

Thanks everyone for nice comments. I enjoyed reliving our great cruise by writing these various posts. I hope they were helpful (or at least enjoyable).

I'm fully recovered and am happy to put the virus behind me. :)
Despite it, I would happily board Veendam tomorrow for another cruise.

grannynurse

January 21st, 2005, 06:05 PM

Guess what! we will be with you on your Maasdam from Montreal to Boston.
I certainly hope we can meet in person.
GN

shaver

January 21st, 2005, 06:53 PM

sail7seas

January 21st, 2005, 07:11 PM

grannynurse.....

That's great! We will be aboard for Boston to Montreal and stay aboard for the return to Boston. AS the time gets closer, we will have to make plans to meet!

sail7seas

January 21st, 2005, 07:13 PM

did the outbreak of the virus affect any staff members that you know of?
i'm curious how sick they have to be before they don't work a shift.
with all the direct exposure that they have with passengers and cabins....

I am only aware of some members of the cast becoming ill from the virus. The lead male singer and one of the ladies at least. They are quarantined to their quarters immediately!!! The night they realized the lead male was ill, they cancelled the show.

They do not fool around with this thing. They everything possible to confine it and limit everyone's exposure.

No one could possibly think they are anything less than manic when they realize there is an outbreak.

I cannot guess what sum of money it cost them Saturday to bring aboard the super-sanitizing cleaning company.

peaches from georgia

January 21st, 2005, 08:31 PM

I remember there were lengthy discussions and some excellent recommendations before you sailed re restaurants in Tampa, sail.

Where did you end up having dinner during your 3 pre-cruise nights at the Waterside and for your post cruise at the Wyndam I think you said?

Esme

January 22nd, 2005, 09:11 AM

I''d like to know also if you have any suggestions as to where we can have dinner as we will be in Tampa in October for a couple of days.....staying at the Waterside.

Do they have a nice restaurant in the hotel other than a coffee shop?

Years ago we used to stay at the Westshores Guest Quarters - HAL used this hotel for their paxs and executives - and they had a wonderful dining room. However, I don't know where that hotel is located or if it's even under the same name - probably not. Every room was a very large Suite. Free full breakfast was included. We stayed there many times and always enjoyed it.

Thanks.

CDRMark

January 22nd, 2005, 09:51 AM

sail7seas

January 22nd, 2005, 09:55 AM

Esme/Peaches:

Marriott Waterside has a very nice restaurant for breakfast and lunch....I suppose they may serve dinner there as well?

They offer a breakfast buffet or order from the menu. The buffet is very inclusive with made to order omelettes and the like. The usual choices of bacon, sausage, hash browns, roasted potatoes with peppers, bagels, cream cheese, english buffins, fruit, scrambled eggs etc etc It was very good IMO but not inexpensive. I think the price was something like $16 pp. I seem to recall reading you have mentioned you have been displeased with breakfasts in the past and once had the price of sausage removed from your check as it was not to your liking. My memory is vague but I seem to recall you wrote a letter when you returned home and they credited the price of your food??? As food is so subjective, I hesitate to recommend you try this breakfast in the event you do not like it as much as we did.

Lunch can be ordered at the pool. There is a large bar area and they take orders for lunch. Menu included the usual sort of sandwiches, burgers, wraps and salads. Fruit and various nibbles also available.

Marriott has a sports bar with the usual food offered that you would find in a casual bar setting. Burgers, wings, fries, nachos and that sort of thing.

There is also a finer dining restaurant with a very nice continental (Italian) menu. Reservations are required on a busy weekend night.

I never heard of the hotel you mention but would not have. We never considered visiting Tampa before and knew nothing about it. The city was a pleasant surprise to us and we enjoyed our stay there. I would like to return.

I do not wish to recommend where you should dine in the evenings. Our tastes rarely coincide and we agree about very little so I do not think what we enjoyed would necessarily please you. I would not want to mislead you into going someplace you would be displeased with or would find to pricey or would not like for any reason.

sail7seas

January 22nd, 2005, 10:06 AM

Sail7seas:

Thank you for sharing your review. So glad you enjoyed the cruise; sorry you succumbed to the dread virus. I am also one who carries a little bottle of hand sanitizer around in crowd situations.
I have heard thru the vendor grapevine that each HAL ship sails with about $10 thousand dollars of fresh flowers aboard, and replenishes as necessary in various ports. DW and I very much appreciated being able to "smell the roses" on Maasdam. I hope this is one 'elegant touch' that does not fall victim to cost cutting.
Cheers
MarkB

I always have a bottle of Purell in my purse.....not just on ships but at home as well. I carry (and use) alcohol hand wipes everywhere. DH and I do not just practice these habits when cruising.

When we advised a Senior Officer aboard that I was ill, he was very surprised as he knows exactly how careful we are.

I stress this only to express to everyone reading about it that EVERYONE is susceptible when there are pax who refuse to cooperate with the medical staff and the senior crew who are very clear to those who have this gastro-intestinal illness' about their need to stay isolated.

The ONLY possible solution IMO is to allow those who cooperate to reamin aboard the ship in their cabins for the mandatory 72 hours. Those who refuse to cooperate and attempt to go 'out and about', should be put ashore at the next port so that they cannot infect others aboard the ship.

Of course, I realize that will lead to them infecting people in local hotels, restaurants, taxis, airports, airplanes and spread it even further and wider........

peaches from georgia

January 22nd, 2005, 10:15 AM

Esme/Peaches:

I do not wish to recommend where you should dine in the evenings. Our tastes rarely coincide and we agree about very little so I do not think what we enjoyed would necessarily please you. I would not want to mislead you into going someplace you would be displeased with or would find to pricey or would not like for any reason.
I'm not sure who this reply is addressing, but if me then I have no idea what you are talking about. I certainly have never had anything taken off a bill re restaurants or know anything about a problem with sausage.

I do know that our tastes coincide in almost every respect- suites only, midship, we have eaten in many of the restaurants in FLL I have read you mention and are staying at the Hyatt Pier 66, Tower Room, our next cruise and at the Waterside our fall cruise. Which is exactly why I was interested in your opinion re restaurants in Tampa. Sarasota and Naples I know well and could recommend the best; Tampa I am not as familiar with and we will not be driving further south on our trip to Tampa. I was hoping to get your ideas of what you enjoyed outside the hotel restaurants. I know Berns and Columbia were recommended to you, but with 4 nights in Tampa you obviously have opinions of dining that would be of interest to me and many others on the board, I'm sure.

You had asked for dining recs before you went to Tampa and all I was asking for was the same. Can't speak for Esme.

CDRMark

January 22nd, 2005, 10:17 AM

sail7seas

January 22nd, 2005, 10:18 AM

The reference re: sausage was to Esme.

sail7seas

January 22nd, 2005, 10:22 AM

...I don't think by any means your comment on the virus problem was obsessive or overstated; indeed you almost 'soft-pedaled' your own illness. Our comments (mine anyway) were merely due to our concern for a CCer. Your observation that it is spread thru ignorance/selfishness is well noted.
Cheers
MarkB

Absolutely......

My comments are meant to be fully directed in two distinct directions:

(a) EVERYONE is susceptible and no matter how careful you are, you [like me] can find yourself very shocked to succumb.

(b) EVERYONE who contracts this 'stinking' [no pun intended] virus, should think of someone besides themselves and STAY in your cabin. It wrecks such havoc aboard the ship when it spreads that it not only makes others sick but severely impacts the enjoyment of others who do not become ill. I find Lido most unpleasant when stewards have to serve out my salad bar. I don't like telling them I'd like more mushrooms, I don't want carrots, I would like the thinnner sliced onions not the thick slab....... A salad bar is intended to be self-serve and when it cannot be, I cannot enjoy it. THAT IS WHAT I EAT for Lunch everyday. My lunch was no longer the way I like it. And more of the same sort of thing for everyone....

JohnR49er

January 22nd, 2005, 10:48 AM

I'm always sorry to hear of anyone getting sick on their cruise.
Its surprising to me that this type of thing doesnt hapen more often. I suppose the cruiselines are doing something right or these events would be happening more often. As always, a few can cause suffering for many.
I had colds on a few cruises. They always started in the middle of the cruise. I finally figured out that I was catching them on the "flying germ machines" on the way to the cruise. The last few cruises I have driven to the port, and no colds. This virus thing is a lot tougher to avoid I guess.

Cracker Ken

January 22nd, 2005, 08:31 PM

sail7seas - I'm glad all was OK on the Veendam (the virus is a real bummer though, but nothing HAL could do about that). My wife and mother-in-law got on the ship the day you got off. She told me that they didn't get on until about 2:30 due to the sanitization of the ship by the extra crew they brought on board. HAL offered to completely refund anyone who didn't want to take the cruise after the virus outbreak. In addition, they told the crowd waiting to get on that they would reimburse them up to $10 for a meal at one of the nearby restaurants if they provided a receipt. I think that was quite decent of HAL to make those offers.

I'm glad to see that you enjoyed Tampa, and the Marriott Waterside. I was one of those recommending that hotel (I had the pictures), as well as Bern's, Valencia Garden and Columbia. If you tried one of those restaurants, I sure hope you enjoyed it. Hopefully you got a chance to ride the street cars too.

I'll have to remember your experience at the Wyndam Harbour Island just in case someone asks about that hotel someday. I thought Wyndam Hotels would be better than that, but you never know. I stayed on the penthouse floor of the Sheraton Hotel in Charleston, SC one time, and they were having a dog show right there in the hotel conference center. Dogs (big weimeraners) were in rooms all over the place, barking their lungs out :mad: . That was bad, and we still remember it often.

sail7seas

January 22nd, 2005, 09:14 PM

Cracker Ken....

Thank you very much for your excellent recommendations. Your pictures were WONDERFUL and made us eager to get to the Waterside. We were not disappointed in the least and would heartily recommend and return there.

Wyndam is ready for some renovations and a good clean up. The carpet in the lobby opposite the reception desk is so stained and dirty that it gave me the shivers while we sat their briefly waiting for our room to be ready. Our room wasn't much cleaner IMO There was a round, marble topped table in our room that had glass ring marks all over it and needed a good washing. The bathroom seemed clean though.

The trolley is charming and Tampa is a very modern, very nice city and the Channelside area is so pleasant to browse around.

We walked back up to Veendam from our hotel and got a copy of the letter passed out to embarking pax. You stated it exactly correctly. We also chatted with some folks who were having lunch and they were saving their receipt to be reimbursed.

Did you hear if there are any cases of Norwalk on the current cruise? I'm wondering if they successfully got rid of it with the super-sanitizing.

I hope your wife and Mother-in-law have a great time and remain healthy. Please post some comments about their cruise when they return.

Thank you again for your excellent suggestions ....they were very, very helpful to us.

Cracker Ken

January 22nd, 2005, 09:26 PM

Sail7seas - I haven't heard from my wife since she called me on her cell phone before the ship sailed. I'll find out next Saturday and let you know. She did mention that all of the disease prevention protocols were in still place. Let's hope the virus left the ship with the passengers. If not, I'll surely hear about it (especially if DW got it).

I hate it when these virus outbreaks happen. The uninformed public always gets the impression (and the media loves to reinforce it) that it's something folks catch on ships, like it's a virus unique to cruise ships. People tell me I'm crazy for cruising since I can catch these "dreaded diseases" on ships (I think they are just jealous). I wonder what people blame it on when they get the same virus, and have never been near a cruise ship?:rolleyes:

Ken

sail7seas

January 22nd, 2005, 09:30 PM

I quite agree, Ken. While it was not pleasant contracting it while cruising, it will not keep us from cruising again. We are well aware that we could well catch it at any local restaurant, school, nursing home etc etc

gizmo

January 23rd, 2005, 10:59 AM

Looks like an RCL ship has a bad case of Norwalk also.

psw

January 23rd, 2005, 11:42 AM

Good morning to all. About the virus, its nasty and spreads like wildfire. I work in a hospital and our ER has been overflowing with people that have contracted this virus so it is defineatly NOT a ship only problem(we are jo where near a port well in the winter anyway they do sail out of baltimore during the summer months).
My mom was on this sailing, and was just telling me about the outbreak they had (fortunaltey neither she or my step father got it). In particular about a lovely couple in their 80s they dined with, they live close to them in Florida. The woman called to ask if my mom had gotten the virus and to tell her they came down with it the day after they returned. Her husband has a heart condition so off to the hospital they went, unfortunatley he succumed to the virus and died a day later.
Darn I wish they had a spell check on this Im sure I have misspelled several words here.:( So please excuse any that you find..
I also see RCCL has now come down with an outbreak so tis the season..and no vaccine to prevent it..

HeatherInFlorida

January 23rd, 2005, 12:35 PM

sail7seas - ....... She told me that they didn't get on until about 2:30 due to the sanitization of the ship by the extra crew they brought on board. HAL offered to completely refund anyone who didn't want to take the cruise after the virus outbreak. In addition, they told the crowd waiting to get on that they would reimburse them up to $10 for a meal at one of the nearby restaurants if they provided a receipt. I think that was quite decent of HAL to make those offers.

Cracker Ken, I think it is absolutely amazing of HAL to make these offers!!! It also should exempt them from any complaints by passengers falling ill since they were offered a full refund should they not want to risk it for any reason. And to top that off with a reimbursement for a meal in FLL is just extraordinary.

My hats off to HAL for this!!! Excellent Customer Service:) and they should be applauded. There's no reason in the world they had to do it.

Krazy Kruizers

January 25th, 2005, 03:00 PM

Sail7seas - finally found your review - it was great.

SO SORRY to learn that you came down with the Norvo virus. We have been on so so many ships when the virus broke out - Amsterdam - Ryndam - Statendam. And so far we have been fortunate not to get the virus.

And the virus is going around on the ships. When we were in Ft Lauderdale, the virus was on the Enchantment of the Seas when she pulled in on the 8th of January - made the newspapers.

This morning there was a couple on Good Morning America who had been on the Mariner of the Seas and came down with the virus.

But glad to hear that you are feeling better.

sail7seas

January 25th, 2005, 04:05 PM

We also have been aboard many times when the virus was present and we never contracted it. I believe that since my illness last year, I am more susceptible to getting 'whatever is going around'. Thankfully, because we are so very careful and know the proper precautions, DH did not get it from me.

lipoppop

January 25th, 2005, 06:07 PM

S7S,

I especially enjoyed your review since we were on the Veendam in December and found her to be better than we last cruised with her in 2002. Interesting that we both had the same waiters and cabin attendants- both wonderful. Mila was in the Neptune Lounge and I am surprised that she had been replaced.

Our snow is melting but more is comming tonight. Good luck, you people always seem to get more than us. We only got 14 inches this past weekend.

Krazy Kruizers

January 25th, 2005, 06:22 PM

Sail- did you get a flu shot this year? Have you gotten the pneumonia shot?

Our doctor thinks that because we keep up with all our shots including each year along with already having the Hep A and B, tetnus, diptheria, typhoid, etc., we have been and are building up our immune systems.

DH had a heart attack in 2000 and his immune system is not as strong as it used to be. He was one who never got a cold or anything. I always got bronchitis every year, yet he never got sick. Now when I get an URI he will sometimes get sick.

So - get those shots. It can't hurt and who knows - maybe they will help.

When we were on the Amsterdam when the first major outbreak happen, we were at a table for 4 and the wife of the other couple got the virus. And she stayed in her cabin for only 24 hours. Her husband never missed a meal at the table. She missed only 1 dinner.

Of all people I would never have thought that you would get sick.

Did your DH stay with you and take care of you?

kruzkeen

January 25th, 2005, 07:36 PM

I always have a bottle of Purell in my purse.....not just on ships but at home as well. I carry (and use) alcohol hand wipes everywhere. DH and I do not just practice these habits when cruising.

Sail: Purell is the product I carry with me too. As I mentioned on the VIRUS thread I travel with a plastic bottle of anti-bacterial liquid soap which I use in the stateroom.

This is problem that is going to be with us for until the virus is defeated.

sail7seas

January 25th, 2005, 08:59 PM

I did get the flu shot this year as my doctor considered me in the risk category. I never used to get whatever bug, virus or cold was floating around but I seem to now. I see one of my docs on Friday and will discuss this Norwalk business with him.

DH was with me about 22 out of 24 hours while I was the sickest. He came and went a few times.....like to go to the dining room to tip the stewards. But, of course, we shared the bed/bathroom and when we left the ship, we stayed post cruise in a hotel in Tampa. We were extremely careful and he did not get the 'crud' as I call it. And, boy, did I feel guilty checking into a hotel knowing I was still contagious!!! What was I to do? Sleep in the park?

Believe me..... I am about the last one you would expect would get that virus. That is my reason for stressing how very important it is for those who get sick to THINK OF SOMEONE/EVERYONE besides just yourself. STAY IN YOUR CABIN as requested/required!!!

sail7seas

January 25th, 2005, 09:14 PM

Sail: Purell is the product I carry with me too. As I mentioned on the VIRUS thread I travel with a plastic bottle of anti-bacterial liquid soap which I use in the stateroom.

This is problem that is going to be with us for until the virus is defeated.

Unfortunately, I think it will be defeated just about when they find a cure for the common cold. This virus is just about as common/prevalent/present in our society.

HeatherInFlorida

January 25th, 2005, 09:31 PM

Sail, I always remember my Dad used to call that kind of an illness the "creeping crud" and even the "green death". So charming yet so amazingly descriptive:o

sail7seas

January 25th, 2005, 09:43 PM

That does just about cover it!!!

It is Most Unpleasant.

sail7seas

January 26th, 2005, 12:52 PM

Thank you Sail, for taking the time and making the effort to give a thorough review of your experience and impressions of the Veendam on that sailing.

This info is especially important to me because I hope to be scheduling a cruise for ourselves and two family members in the Fall. They will be taking their first cruise so I want it to be a real showcase of the best HAL offers. Veendam is one of the few ships that has an itinerary they would enjoy in the time frame that fits our needs. Sounds like we would be making a good choice to sail on her.

the2ofus.....

Did you decide to book you family on Veendam? I hope so. I really think you and they will really enjoy yourselves. She's a beautiful ship. Are you thinking of sailing in Alaska or waiting until she repositions back for the Caribbean?

If you have any specific questions, please ask away.