xznwfd
January 30th, 2005, 06:17 PM
The horrible shock of being off the Volendam is finally wearing off, and this is just a quick highlight of our trip. I'll publish a full review soon, but I know when I was anxiously waiting for departure day to arrive, I lived for new postings that said ANYTHING about the beautiful Volendam, and I want to repay some the the joy I found in reading those posts. So here are the high (and a very few low) points:
The Volendam is in beautiful shape. Sure, I noticed a tiny tear on our couch that had been sewn up, and there was a small crack in the frame of the TV set. But our room, and the ship in general, was immaculate. No mold, no dust, no dirty underwear from a departed guest lurking anywhere in our room. Our balcony glass and railing was washed clean of salt every day. The public areas were equally immaculate. The crew was constantly cleaning, vacuuming, and polishing every inch of the ship. Howard Hughes himself would have been comfortable in any area of her - due, in part, to hand sanitizers in every corner.
The crew was wonderful. They seemed busy, but we didn't run into a single person who wasn't friendly and seemed happy to see us. The service was outstanding. Waiters that served us in the Pinnacle remembered us at high tea, and were gracious and friendly. The waitress in the Crows Nest remembered our drink choices from our visit on Departure day when we came back 7 days later. The size of the staff may have been cut, but they never showed it in any way.
The food was excellent, everywhere we ate. We ate in the Pinnacle 3 times, and the volcano cake was perfect every time. I still dream about it. The dining room had a great selection, served promptly by our charming and attentitive waiters. The Lido was awesome, a huge selection of fresh choices, all delicious and hot or cold as they should have been. Anyone who went hungry should be sent to their room for a time out (and room service was always on time, hot and good, and exactly what we ordered).
The captain was a doll, very witty and charming. Dottie, the Cruise Director, was very efficient, even though I did agree that her voice wasn't the most melodious I've ever heard. So sue her.
The hot stone massage in the spa was the very best massage I've EVER had, bar none (and I consider myself a massage expert). If I could have fit Kari in my overstuffed suitcase, I would have. She didn't try and oversell products; in fact, on my second visit, she didn't try to sell me anything at all. Everyone working in the spa was delightful.
We got our Mariner tiles, along with a great Marnier reception, with wine, bloody marys, juice and champagne. They served great snacks, and the GOOD mixed nuts, with no peanuts. There were 2 people at the reception with over 700 days on HAL, that should say something.
Yemin was the best room steward we've ever had. He was almost invisible, except when he would pop out of another room to say "Good Morning, Mrs. Cathy!" We always came back to a spotless room (and, as I was traveling with my best friend Joan, 4 suitcases, and a frightening amount of cosmetics, hair products, and shoes, this was no small feat.) We never had a single complaint about him or his service.
The stops were awesome. Dominica was the most beautiful island I've ever seen. We took ships tours on Dominica and Barbados. Both were perfect, without a glitch. Worth every penny.
The Pinnacle was one of the best restaurants I've ever eaten in, on ship or on land. Great food, great service. (Did I mention we ate there 3 times?)
Were there any lows? Well, they did make us get off on the 24th. The unlimited laundry cost $70 instead of $49, as I had read on another post. But, there was unlimited pressing for $30 for the whole cruise, and they lost money on us for that service. We didn't win big in the casino. And we were too full of wonderful food to stay up and watch the shows.
Those are our highlights, and I promise to work on the full review. I got my pictures developed today, and have been happily reliving the trip all afternoon. If anyone has any specific questions in the meantime, I'd be happy to answer. I kept a journal, and saved all the daily newletters and spa and fitness information, so hopefully I can answer as accurately as possible.
If you have a Volendam cruise booked, I'm jealous. If you're thinking of it, don't wait! It was my best cruise ever! :D
Cathy
The Volendam is in beautiful shape. Sure, I noticed a tiny tear on our couch that had been sewn up, and there was a small crack in the frame of the TV set. But our room, and the ship in general, was immaculate. No mold, no dust, no dirty underwear from a departed guest lurking anywhere in our room. Our balcony glass and railing was washed clean of salt every day. The public areas were equally immaculate. The crew was constantly cleaning, vacuuming, and polishing every inch of the ship. Howard Hughes himself would have been comfortable in any area of her - due, in part, to hand sanitizers in every corner.
The crew was wonderful. They seemed busy, but we didn't run into a single person who wasn't friendly and seemed happy to see us. The service was outstanding. Waiters that served us in the Pinnacle remembered us at high tea, and were gracious and friendly. The waitress in the Crows Nest remembered our drink choices from our visit on Departure day when we came back 7 days later. The size of the staff may have been cut, but they never showed it in any way.
The food was excellent, everywhere we ate. We ate in the Pinnacle 3 times, and the volcano cake was perfect every time. I still dream about it. The dining room had a great selection, served promptly by our charming and attentitive waiters. The Lido was awesome, a huge selection of fresh choices, all delicious and hot or cold as they should have been. Anyone who went hungry should be sent to their room for a time out (and room service was always on time, hot and good, and exactly what we ordered).
The captain was a doll, very witty and charming. Dottie, the Cruise Director, was very efficient, even though I did agree that her voice wasn't the most melodious I've ever heard. So sue her.
The hot stone massage in the spa was the very best massage I've EVER had, bar none (and I consider myself a massage expert). If I could have fit Kari in my overstuffed suitcase, I would have. She didn't try and oversell products; in fact, on my second visit, she didn't try to sell me anything at all. Everyone working in the spa was delightful.
We got our Mariner tiles, along with a great Marnier reception, with wine, bloody marys, juice and champagne. They served great snacks, and the GOOD mixed nuts, with no peanuts. There were 2 people at the reception with over 700 days on HAL, that should say something.
Yemin was the best room steward we've ever had. He was almost invisible, except when he would pop out of another room to say "Good Morning, Mrs. Cathy!" We always came back to a spotless room (and, as I was traveling with my best friend Joan, 4 suitcases, and a frightening amount of cosmetics, hair products, and shoes, this was no small feat.) We never had a single complaint about him or his service.
The stops were awesome. Dominica was the most beautiful island I've ever seen. We took ships tours on Dominica and Barbados. Both were perfect, without a glitch. Worth every penny.
The Pinnacle was one of the best restaurants I've ever eaten in, on ship or on land. Great food, great service. (Did I mention we ate there 3 times?)
Were there any lows? Well, they did make us get off on the 24th. The unlimited laundry cost $70 instead of $49, as I had read on another post. But, there was unlimited pressing for $30 for the whole cruise, and they lost money on us for that service. We didn't win big in the casino. And we were too full of wonderful food to stay up and watch the shows.
Those are our highlights, and I promise to work on the full review. I got my pictures developed today, and have been happily reliving the trip all afternoon. If anyone has any specific questions in the meantime, I'd be happy to answer. I kept a journal, and saved all the daily newletters and spa and fitness information, so hopefully I can answer as accurately as possible.
If you have a Volendam cruise booked, I'm jealous. If you're thinking of it, don't wait! It was my best cruise ever! :D
Cathy