New to HAL...some questions??

[AmyBeth68]

Hello :). I am looking at booking a cruise for next year. We are somewhat experienced cruisers, most recently on Princess. I'm looking to *possibly* jump ship and try HAL ;)...pun intended! We do have children, who have also cruised in the past, but don't need all the fancy bells and whistles of the larger "kid friendly" ships such as Carnival and RCCL. As long as there is some sort of childrens' program, where my kids aren't lost in the crowds, then they will be happy. My DH and I are looking for a ship/cruise line that has quality cuisine, staterooms and overall level of service.

From my research at this point I really like some of HAL's itineraries, and their price point is very competetive IMHO. I am very interested in the W. Caribbean itinerary on the Veendam. I'd love some input from experienced HAL cruisers about this ship. The CC review that I read about this ship isn't great, but I thought I'd come here to get some information since that review may be a bit dated. Also, if anyone would recommend a different ship, please feel free to chime in :).

Thanks in advance for any input you can give me!!!

[obriendan]

We have sailed on the Ryndam twice and she is a sister ship of the Veendam. We have been on six (going on seven) HAL cruises and have been thoroughly satisfied with them all. We particularly like the size of the Ryndam, much more intimate and less crowded feeling than the megaships.

The sevece on HAL is very good to excellent. The friendliness of the crew is something to be experienced. Always a smile and a hello! Several times on cruises we have been recognized by name by crew members from previous cruises. We have been on two cruises on Cunard (QE2 & QM2). While they were quite good, We didn't feel that the service was up to the level we experienced on HAL. The atmosphere on HAL is very relaxed, with many things to do but also many quiet areas just for relaxation.

[localady]

From all accounts the Veendam is a wonderful ship! :cool:

If you are looking for a more sedate cruise with less people then the Veendam should be great for you. The rooms are larger that Princess but there tend not to be as many HAL sponsored activities. I just adore sitting on a non-plastic chaise on my generous veranda balcony and I am reminded of one of the many reasons I enjoy HAL.:)

It depends when you sail as to how many children are aboard. We are cruising during Easter week on the Zaandam and know there will be a lot of kids on that cruise. If you cruise during the school year though, you will find less kids and generally an older crowd. We have not cruised on the Veendam yet, but will cruise the Veendam for 14 days this November. I have previously cruised on her 'Sister' ships, Ryndam, Maasdam and Statendam and enjoyed each. :cool:

[AmyBeth68]

Wow...thank you both so much for your quick reply :). I forgot to mention that we will be cruising over Easter/Spring Break. As you can tell I'm a bit of a planner...since this cruise will be over a year away :(...but I feel it's really the right time to start planning so we can get the cabin, dining time, etc of our choice.

I also forgot to ask about Half Moon Cay. We have really enjoyed Princess Cays in the past, I was curious about HAL's "private Island". I thought I read something about a children's water area perhaps...not sure if it's my imagination but I couldn't find that again.

[yes2sail]

Hi AmyBeth, as you must know from CC everyone expects/looks for different things that may be important to them (though perhaps not to others). As you can see, the boards are filled with disputes from folks who want different vacations. I've been on several cruise lines and each has pluses and "areas to improve" IMHO. I was on one HAL cruise and the kids club was closed, NO one with kids on board! But Spring break week should be different. Some CCers are complaining about no matches on board the ships. Folks on the last cruise I was on were complaining that there was no "no smoking" area on the decks or pool area. Each cruise line differs and what you see on one line may not be what you get on an other!

[obriendan]

We've been to HMC four times and is is truly a beautiful spot. Many CC'ers say it is the best one. They have recently put in some kind of water park but I'm not familar with it.

[tiffnco]

AmyBeth,

Can't address the child issue as we don't have any...but Half Moon Cay is the most beautiful spot on earth IMHO.

We love HAL and always feel like it's a great vacation value.

HMC can't be beat though!

[doone]

I sailed on the Veendam a few years back with my entire family, it was a wonderful cruise. My family enjoyed that ship and crew so much, we are planning a 10-day cruise next February on the Volendam. I think you will enjoy the Veendam, I know we certainly did.

[localady]

HMC is our favorite stop in the Carribean. For the younger kids there is a water park and for the older kids there is snorkeling with stingrays, horseback riding or aquatrax depending on age. My favorite thing to do on HMC is just to walk the lovely crescent shaped beach...the sand is soft with no coral and is wonderful to walk along barefoot! :cool:

If you book early, you can reserve a cabana. It would be lovely for a family, we have had one with friends. We tried to get one for March, but they were booked solid 5 months in advance!:eek:

[CaptData]

I'm just back from HMC. The water park was fun for the kids (Water Slides). The Sting ray thing is nice but has about 9 ft on water. You must wear lifejackets. Some four or five fish (same type) there with the rays which are in an enclosed area. The net has larger holes in it but to small for the stingrays to get out. They have squid which you can feed the rays with. There is a little coral but not much yet.

[stevenpgol]

We just returned from spending Presidents' week on the Veendam. Club HAL is the "Kids' Club." I know that Holland America is in the process of revamping the Kids' Club. On the Veendam, there isn't (yet) a dedicated room for the kids, so depending on time of day, activity, etc., the kids may move around ship from one locale to another. My 8-yr-old son absolutely loved the Club, but his age group was 5-8. I'm not sure that it "works" to have such a spread in these activities. Sometimes, the 9-12 year-olds would join them. My 14-yr-old daughter did not have as good a time, because some of the activities for that 13-17 year-old group never "came off as advertised." Apparently, if no teenager would show up within 15-20 minutes of the designated time, the counselor was released to perform other tasks...on several occasions, my daughter went to the designated area, maybe saw another teenager or two, they didn't see a counselor, then just wandered the ship for a while, before hooking up with us. If your kids are 7 & 9, then you shouldn't have any problems at all (as long as they are familiar with either "day camps" or have some minimum amount of social skills). The entire Veendam staff was extemely attentive to our kids' needs. Also keep in mind that there will be fewer kids on Holland America than, say, on Carnival or Disney or Royal Caribbean....I believe that it a plus, not a minus, so that the kids receive more individualized (and small group) attention.

[Sigtau21]

I will be on the Veendam May 15, in Alaska. WHat kind of music will I find in the form of live entertainment? Will I be able to find any Jazz? If so, Where?

[K&RCurt]

You might want to check the thread on the SOE upgrades. I believe the Veendam is scheduled for this prior to yor planned cruise, if so, the Club HAL area will be added.

Here's a photo of the kids area at HMC, taken in January.

[K&RCurt]

Here's the SOE schedule link:

http://www.hollandamerica.com/pdfs/SOE_update.pdf

Looks like the Veendam is scheduled for "Spring 2006" so they upgrades may or may not be in place depending on WHEN in the Spring of 2006 the drydock takes place.