drpooh
August 29th, 2010, 10:08 PM
Hi everyone! My DH and I returned from the 8/22 sailing of the Veendam this morning, and I thought I'd add my 2 cents...
This was my 4th HAL cruise (Noordam twice, Eurodam once), and my DH's 3rd. We also sailed on the Island Princess, which I believe is in the same general class at the Vista ships. So, this was our first cruise on a ship the size of the Veendam. At first I was slightly taken aback by the small size of everything, but we truly grew to love the ship and she has become our favorite of the four ships we've sailed.
We stayed in an inside Spa cabin on the Veranda deck, all the way forward.
We were pleased with our location as all decks were easily accessible and we got some extra exercise by using the stairs all the time :) As far as it being a spa category--I would not say there was much to that. We had a wooden platform in the shower that was nice, some pedometers and yoga mats that went unused, and I think our furnishings were lighter in color, making the room seem larger and airy. Other than that, it was a pretty standard room. Even the special "spa products" were the same as the shampoo and body soaps that everyone gets.
OK, I want to start with the negatives so I can really focus on the good stuff. Yes, we had no air conditioning. At all. All week. Luckily as I am a frequent lurker on these boards I was prepared for that. As soon as we got to our cabin and discovered the air was not working we immediately went to the cabin steward, let him know, and requested a fan. Twenty minutes later we had a desk fan, which if left on the high setting did a pretty good job of keeping the cabin comfortable. It was not perfect and if the steward turned it off when we were out the room became stuffy and hot again, but it did not take too long to remedy. I honestly don't know what we would've done without the fan. I HIGHLY recommend you either pack a collapsing tent fan or request one right after getting to your cabin.
The second negative experience I had was with the Greenhouse Spa. I had two treatments done, a pedicure at the beginning of the cruise and an exfoliation/massage at the end. The pedicure was the most disappointing--the pedicurist Nakisha acted distracted and annoyed throughout the treatment, making me feel like I was wasting her time. I had upgraded to the "Fire and Ice" pedicure which sounded refreshing, but it was very disappointing. It consisted of a brief scrub with a warming cream quickly rinsed off and then a swipe with a cooling gel. It took all of a few brief minutes but added about $20 to the price of the pedicure. I have received much better, relaxing pedicures at home at a fraction of the cost in a local day spa. It's something I rarely do and was looking forward to it. The exfoliation was largely the same--rushed, careless; the tech Kat Kat seemed to act like I was taking up her time as well. I wanted to remind everyone that they charge very well for their time, and I always tip generously. I deserve to be pampered during these treatments--that's what they are for. Then add the ridiculous hard-sell of products at the end and it all becomes an unpleasant event. As an aside, they no longer have you sign your payment slip at the front desk--the tech brings it to you herself at the treatment area and watches as you add your gratuity. I was very uncomfortable about this and definitely tipped more that I should have just based on their attitudes. I realize that the Greenhouse Spa is not operated by Holland America, but I still made my negative experiences known to them. I will not use those facilities again.
Finally, on to the good stuff! First let me say, I never shout online but this warrants it: THE ENTERTAINMENT WAS AMAZING!!! I cannot believe how much the talent in the shows has been upgraded in the few months between my cruise on the Noordam in April and this one. They had a group of five fantastic singers who were former Broadway and Opera performers (including a former American Idol contestant who has come a long way) and two dancers to compliment them. The shows were professional and engaging, simply miles from the hokey production numbers with average singers from before. On show in particular, called "Encore" and starring the two operatic-quality singers was so emotional and impressive that they received a well-earned standing ovation at the end. I almost went back to see the second show! It also starred the usual Veendam band as well as the Adagio Strings, forming the first Showroom Orchestra I have seen. This is what cruise-ship entertainment should be--consummate professionals with strong material in an intimate setting. I cannot say enough positive things about the direction they have moved in.
I also have to say, the food on this cruise was much better than in previous cruises. Every dish I had, save one appetizer, was delicious, including the desserts. I don't know if it is a product of serving a smaller group of people, or if the kitchen staff is better prepared, or we were just lucky, but foodwise this was our best cruise.
Contrary to the seemingly overwhelming anti-Retreat opinions I've read on these boards, I actually really liked the Retreat. Yes, there were tiles that would disappear through the day, but by the morning we noticed they were usually back in place. However, I loved the feeling of lounging in the wading pool with water rushing around my chair, and I enjoyed the relative seclusion of the area. It seemed to be the only kid-free area on the cruise (and there were alot of kids :( ).
Bermuda was fantastic. It was our first time there, and we fell in love with the island. I especially loved the experience of docking for several nights in the same port. It took away the urgency of trying to squeeze in enough activity in a short period of time, allowing a more leisurely attitude of strolling and taking pictures, riding city buses, and wandering on and off the ship. It was also my first experience with docking right in the heart of the town, which took my breath away the morning I woke up and saw the beautiful buildings of Front Street right outside the windows. We will certainly go back!
Well, I apologize that I tend to be a bit verbose. If anyone has any specific questions for me, ask away! I'm quite sure I've forgotten alot of good things!
Amy
This was my 4th HAL cruise (Noordam twice, Eurodam once), and my DH's 3rd. We also sailed on the Island Princess, which I believe is in the same general class at the Vista ships. So, this was our first cruise on a ship the size of the Veendam. At first I was slightly taken aback by the small size of everything, but we truly grew to love the ship and she has become our favorite of the four ships we've sailed.
We stayed in an inside Spa cabin on the Veranda deck, all the way forward.
We were pleased with our location as all decks were easily accessible and we got some extra exercise by using the stairs all the time :) As far as it being a spa category--I would not say there was much to that. We had a wooden platform in the shower that was nice, some pedometers and yoga mats that went unused, and I think our furnishings were lighter in color, making the room seem larger and airy. Other than that, it was a pretty standard room. Even the special "spa products" were the same as the shampoo and body soaps that everyone gets.
OK, I want to start with the negatives so I can really focus on the good stuff. Yes, we had no air conditioning. At all. All week. Luckily as I am a frequent lurker on these boards I was prepared for that. As soon as we got to our cabin and discovered the air was not working we immediately went to the cabin steward, let him know, and requested a fan. Twenty minutes later we had a desk fan, which if left on the high setting did a pretty good job of keeping the cabin comfortable. It was not perfect and if the steward turned it off when we were out the room became stuffy and hot again, but it did not take too long to remedy. I honestly don't know what we would've done without the fan. I HIGHLY recommend you either pack a collapsing tent fan or request one right after getting to your cabin.
The second negative experience I had was with the Greenhouse Spa. I had two treatments done, a pedicure at the beginning of the cruise and an exfoliation/massage at the end. The pedicure was the most disappointing--the pedicurist Nakisha acted distracted and annoyed throughout the treatment, making me feel like I was wasting her time. I had upgraded to the "Fire and Ice" pedicure which sounded refreshing, but it was very disappointing. It consisted of a brief scrub with a warming cream quickly rinsed off and then a swipe with a cooling gel. It took all of a few brief minutes but added about $20 to the price of the pedicure. I have received much better, relaxing pedicures at home at a fraction of the cost in a local day spa. It's something I rarely do and was looking forward to it. The exfoliation was largely the same--rushed, careless; the tech Kat Kat seemed to act like I was taking up her time as well. I wanted to remind everyone that they charge very well for their time, and I always tip generously. I deserve to be pampered during these treatments--that's what they are for. Then add the ridiculous hard-sell of products at the end and it all becomes an unpleasant event. As an aside, they no longer have you sign your payment slip at the front desk--the tech brings it to you herself at the treatment area and watches as you add your gratuity. I was very uncomfortable about this and definitely tipped more that I should have just based on their attitudes. I realize that the Greenhouse Spa is not operated by Holland America, but I still made my negative experiences known to them. I will not use those facilities again.
Finally, on to the good stuff! First let me say, I never shout online but this warrants it: THE ENTERTAINMENT WAS AMAZING!!! I cannot believe how much the talent in the shows has been upgraded in the few months between my cruise on the Noordam in April and this one. They had a group of five fantastic singers who were former Broadway and Opera performers (including a former American Idol contestant who has come a long way) and two dancers to compliment them. The shows were professional and engaging, simply miles from the hokey production numbers with average singers from before. On show in particular, called "Encore" and starring the two operatic-quality singers was so emotional and impressive that they received a well-earned standing ovation at the end. I almost went back to see the second show! It also starred the usual Veendam band as well as the Adagio Strings, forming the first Showroom Orchestra I have seen. This is what cruise-ship entertainment should be--consummate professionals with strong material in an intimate setting. I cannot say enough positive things about the direction they have moved in.
I also have to say, the food on this cruise was much better than in previous cruises. Every dish I had, save one appetizer, was delicious, including the desserts. I don't know if it is a product of serving a smaller group of people, or if the kitchen staff is better prepared, or we were just lucky, but foodwise this was our best cruise.
Contrary to the seemingly overwhelming anti-Retreat opinions I've read on these boards, I actually really liked the Retreat. Yes, there were tiles that would disappear through the day, but by the morning we noticed they were usually back in place. However, I loved the feeling of lounging in the wading pool with water rushing around my chair, and I enjoyed the relative seclusion of the area. It seemed to be the only kid-free area on the cruise (and there were alot of kids :( ).
Bermuda was fantastic. It was our first time there, and we fell in love with the island. I especially loved the experience of docking for several nights in the same port. It took away the urgency of trying to squeeze in enough activity in a short period of time, allowing a more leisurely attitude of strolling and taking pictures, riding city buses, and wandering on and off the ship. It was also my first experience with docking right in the heart of the town, which took my breath away the morning I woke up and saw the beautiful buildings of Front Street right outside the windows. We will certainly go back!
Well, I apologize that I tend to be a bit verbose. If anyone has any specific questions for me, ask away! I'm quite sure I've forgotten alot of good things!
Amy