Ok...put my mind at ease

[Danno]

Shortly after 911 :( my wife and I sailed the beautiful Volendam...we had a great time but there were a few things that stopped us from booking again..I'm really hoping these issues were an out of character for this cruiseline, as we would like to try HAL again...

a)in the diningroom the food was bland and over cooked...the buffet was very good
b)the ship was seriously under staffed
c)many of the pax were VERY hard on the staff...made me uncomfortable

I could list all the good things but it would take me quite some time to type it in.

Any thoughts.

[robntawn]

Shortly after 911 :( my wife and I sailed the beautiful Volendam...we had a great time but there were a few things that stopped us from booking again..I'm really hoping these issues were an out of character for this cruiseline, as we would like to try HAL again...

a)in the diningroom the food was bland and over cooked...the buffet was very good
b)the ship was seriously under staffed
c)many of the pax were VERY hard on the staff...made me uncomfortable

I could list all the good things but it would take me quite some time to type it in.

Any thoughts.

Here are my thoughts. We did the Alaska Volendam cruise in August 2005 and 2006, and I just got back yesterday.

a) Quite the opposite in my opinion. The Dining Room food was quite good, with many different choices of entrees and starters. Soups, salads, and desserts were limited as far as choices, but still good. The Lido had very few selections, was always quite crowded, and never enough places to sit. Room service was quick and efficient, and always on-time or early. Pinnacle Grill was great, as usual, although the menu needs to be updated.

b) There did not seem to be a problem with the level of service for us. Employees were busy, but there was always someone around to assist passengers, and staff did not seem burnt out to us. LOTS of smiles.

c) Here I will agree with you. There were lots of old, crotchety, and downright rude passengers on board. Lots of griping with security measures and complaining about their bills. To HAL's credit, the employees of the Volendam were patient and level-headed and never engaged in confrontation with rude passengers.

[middle-aged mom]

Shortly after 911 :( my wife and I sailed the beautiful Volendam...we had a great time but there were a few things that stopped us from booking again..I'm really hoping these issues were an out of character for this cruiseline, as we would like to try HAL again...

a)in the diningroom the food was bland and over cooked...the buffet was very good
b)the ship was seriously under staffed
c)many of the pax were VERY hard on the staff...made me uncomfortable

I could list all the good things but it would take me quite some time to type it in.

Any thoughts.

I have only been on one cruise, ever, and that was recently on Holland America's Zaandam, which is a sister ship to Volendam. It doesn't appear, however, that my inexperience is going to stop me from putting in my two cents here.:rolleyes: Which ship do you think you and your wife might be going on?

To address your questions:

Within the last two years, HAL has hired a new culinary consultant, Rudi Sodamin. Here is his resume from the HAL website:

http://www.hollandamerica.com/media/executiveTeam.do?member=rudiSodamin

My family and I found the food on HAL to be good overall, not exceptional, but good. We enjoyed our meals in the main dining room. We didn't eat at the Pinnacle Grill restaurant, nor did we eat much at the Lido buffet. We did take advantage of the excellent refreshments offered throughout the day in the Neptune Lounge, as we were suite guests.

I try very hard to be considerate of those who are providing for my comfort and well-being. I didn't observe anyone first hand being rude to staff, although that doesn't mean it didn't occur.

On our cruise (August 18-25), there were 1,544 passengers (we had a number of families with children utilizing the extra berths), and there were 800 crew members. The ship didn't feel understaffed to me.

:) Bon Voyage, no matter what line or ship you choose!

[HeatherInFlorida]

Danno!!! I thought I was on the wrong board when I saw your name!!!:D

I am probably HAL's greatest critic on this board (because Celebrity is still my favorite). I love HAL in so many ways, but personally I just don't think HAL's food in the DR is up to Celebrity's. I agree the Lido Buffet is definitely excellent and I would say better than Celebrity's. Also the ice cream really is much better:D .

Having said that I haven't cruised on HAL since late 2004 and I've heard they're making great strides in the DR. I'll be on Prinsendam this December and will be reviewing that cruise when I return.

I don't feel the entire ship is understaffed, but I do believe they under-staff the DR. To me there is nothing like dining on a Celebrity ship. By the end of the cruise I feel practically related to our waiter (or in love;) ). On HAL they stretch the wait staff too thin so I come away thinking our stewards were very nice and worked hard, but it just wasn't special.

I never noticed the passengers being hard on the crew. But one of my favorite parts of cruising HAL is its passengers. I've made lifelong friends on HAL ships.

Try HAL again! I don't think you'll be disappointed. Wait! One caveat ... I don't think the Vista Class compares favorably at all with the M Class. So stick with the S class and you can't go wrong.

[bepsf]

I agree that the food was not wonderful a few years ago - I was really disappointed in the quality of the food on my first HAL cruise, but it seems to get better each time I return.

In my opinion, there's plenty of staff to go around - occassionally there can be too many bar-staff in certain venues at certain times and not enough in others - but generally it all works out.

[Danno]

Danno!!! I thought I was on the wrong board when I saw your name!!!:D

Try HAL again! I don't think you'll be disappointed. Wait! One caveat ... I don't think the Vista Class compares favorably at all with the M Class. So stick with the S class and you can't go wrong.


Oh oh...what is Westerdam?? And I've avoided M class so I don't have a yardstick to compare.

[fb0075]

Just off the Noordam --and the food was WONDERFUL!!!
No Heather --I have been the bigest critic-HA
FRANK

[RuthC]

Welcome back to the HAL board, Danno. As the song says: it's been a long, long time.

I well remember your thoughts following your HAL cruise. I disembarked the Amsterdam on 9/7/01 and cruised again in 1/02; I could see a difference then. Since then I have seen the cruise experience improve, then drop again somewhat. It has varied with the experience of the staff.

You were told after your cruise that your experience then was an aberration. I thought that was true then, and still do. The only way you can be more certain is if you sail HAL again.

btw---the Westerdam is a Vista-class ship. The Vista's are larger than the R-class with a different deck plan.

[Copper10-8]

Shortly after 911 :( my wife and I sailed the beautiful Volendam...we had a great time but there were a few things that stopped us from booking again..I'm really hoping these issues were an out of character for this cruiseline, as we would like to try HAL again...

a)in the diningroom the food was bland and over cooked...the buffet was very good
b)the ship was seriously under staffed
c)many of the pax were VERY hard on the staff...made me uncomfortable

I could list all the good things but it would take me quite some time to type it in.

Any thoughts.

Haven't had any serious issues (bland and overcooked) with the food in the dining room and/or the Lido. I think things have improved (in the dining room) since Master chef Rudi Sodamin took over in Seattle. On the average you're looking at a choice of four appetizers, three soups (both warm and chilled), one salad (would like to see some more choices here), seven entrees and nine desserts.

The understaffing issue seems to have been taken care of. Have had no problems with extended waiting on recent cruises. I'm prety sure those problems materialized when HAL was bringing mutiple new ships into service.

Complainers (my favorite topic) - they will always be there and yes, they can be hard on the staff (to the point of bringing some of the ladies in the Front Office to tears). I've been very close on more than one occassion to tell these fine folks to go take a hike on a tall mountain or to at least get a life. Some folks are never happy and take it out on the staff

I'd say give HAL another try and draw your own conclusions. Good luck to you!

[newmexicoNita]

Shortly after 911 :( my wife and I sailed the beautiful Volendam...we had a great time but there were a few things that stopped us from booking again..I'm really hoping these issues were an out of character for this cruiseline, as we would like to try HAL again...

a)in the diningroom the food was bland and over cooked...the buffet was very good
b)the ship was seriously under staffed
c)many of the pax were VERY hard on the staff...made me uncomfortable

I could list all the good things but it would take me quite some time to type it in.

Any thoughts.Danno, we are going on the Amsterdam for the first time back on HAL in 20 years. Here is my feeling from talking to those (friends and cliants) who have cruised the line in the past 5 years and these are just a handful mind you: I do think the food is bland, that is what I have heard, overcooked I don't know. I know of a couple who didn't like NCL because compared to HAL the food was too spicey and another gal who thought HAL didn't even know what a salt and pepper shaker was: again, we all know food is subjective. As for understaffed, aHAL claims to have a great ratio of crew members to passengers: maybe their claims are quite the way other see the service. As for the passengers being hard on the staff< I haven't heard that but wouldn't be surprised as I think the repeaters on HAL are a little different than other mass marketed lines. Again, this is simply my opinion and based solely on what I have heard. I guess, like you, we will find out soon. NMNIta

[HeatherInFlorida]

I'm really glad that everyone feels the food has improved and I'm looking forward to it. But even if he hadn't, I would still cruise HAL because food is not the most important aspect for us.

And I did mean to say try to stick with the S or the R class; personally I just don't care for the Vista class. If you've avoided the M-class then I don't think Westerdam would be for you. They're comparable in size, but the M-class are just nicer (I'm talking strictly about the ship itself).

There is a vast difference beyond words between Volendam and Westerdam.

[sail7seas]

Hi Danno.......Nice to see you back here on HAL. I remember you and Doone used to have lots of 'conversations'.

Food is so subjective. I think HAL's food gets better and better each cruise.
It's always fun to compare notes with others who have dined on a particular ship and have eaten food from the same Chef. It's hard to compare food if one hasn't even tasted/seen/smelled it. Try it for yourself. Then you can make your own judgment. :) I really think you will be happy.

We sailed Volendam October, 2005 (before her SOE upgrades) and again January, 2006 (after her SOE) and found the food to be excellent. Just our opinion based upon our personal 'taste tests' ;) after eating it for 20 days.

The ship is very beautiful and has a great crew.....adequately staffed IMO to serve dinner just fine to please most people.

[HoneyGV]

Danno!!! I thought I was on the wrong board when I saw your name!!!:D

I am probably HAL's greatest critic on this board (because Celebrity is still my favorite). I love HAL in so many ways, but personally I just don't think HAL's food in the DR is up to Celebrity's. I agree the Lido Buffet is definitely excellent and I would say better than Celebrity's. Also the ice cream really is much better:D .

Having said that I haven't cruised on HAL since late 2004 and I've heard they're making great strides in the DR. I'll be on Prinsendam this December and will be reviewing that cruise when I return.

I don't feel the entire ship is understaffed, but I do believe they under-staff the DR. To me there is nothing like dining on a Celebrity ship. By the end of the cruise I feel practically related to our waiter (or in love;) ). On HAL they stretch the wait staff too thin so I come away thinking our stewards were very nice and worked hard, but it just wasn't special.

I never noticed the passengers being hard on the crew. But one of my favorite parts of cruising HAL is its passengers. I've made lifelong friends on HAL ships.

Try HAL again! I don't think you'll be disappointed. Wait! One caveat ... I don't think the Vista Class compares favorably at all with the M Class. So stick with the S class and you can't go wrong.

I'm with you on this one Heather. I've been on the Volendam several times and I agree with you about the food. I think Celebrity's food is tastier and there's more variety than on HAL. My opinion about HAL's food is it's OKAY and that's fine... I don't cruise to be at the trough all the time. The part that kinda irks me JUST A TINY BIT are the fancy names they put on the menu to describe food that I would say is pretty pedestrian.

I've never experienced the pax being hard on the crew either. I don't understand though why, when sailing the Carrib. they don't have some good island music playing on deck.

I LOVE the Volendam and I would rank in order:
HAL's Volendam
Celebrity's Century
Costa's Costa Romantica

[OceanLiner]

Shortly after 911 :( my wife and I sailed the beautiful Volendam...we had a great time but there were a few things that stopped us from booking again..I'm really hoping these issues were an out of character for this cruiseline, as we would like to try HAL again...

a)in the diningroom the food was bland and over cooked...the buffet was very good
b)the ship was seriously under staffed
c)many of the pax were VERY hard on the staff...made me uncomfortable

I could list all the good things but it would take me quite some time to type it in.

Any thoughts.


We were on the Volendam in March of this year. Myself, wife, and kids ages 8-10 and things went very well.

I do not like buffets at all so I am not one to judge, but the quality did seem good and my wife and kids had lunch there on several occasions and they really liked it. The dinning room food ranged from good to very good, but oddly enough every one of the HAL soups was really exceptional.

There was NEVER a time when the ship was understaffed. No possible way that anyone could have that problem on this cruise!

Fellow passengers are always very amusing. They come up with the craziest stuff ever imagined and if taken with the right drink they can be better than just about any other entertainment. I myself was run over by a motorized cart without so much as a glance back from the owner. Having been on HAL, Disney, and Carnival I can say that each line has it's cranky passengers, but all of them add up to a really great time.

[xeena]

we sailed the Veendam '03 and the Westerdam '04 and are booked on the Amsterdam in Dec....the food has always been good (anything i do not cook and clean up after is GOOD)....we sailed the Miracle last Dec and that was good too !

but there are rude folks everywhere....in the malls, on the roads and on ships. it frosts me to see that.....i have been very close to saying something at those times !! the older i get the less patience i have with rude....OP said it best....rudies should "get a life"

just dont let them take you down....life is too short and so is the cruise !!

[Atomica]

I agree with the above poster: I've seen rude people on ever cruise, with the worst offender last year on the NCL Sun - an older man who screamed at an officer in the gangway after he was politely asked to use the hand sanitizer.

I only 'discovered' HAL last year, so I can't really comment on what it was like prior to that - all I can offer is that I've been very happy with all of them.

[SF49erfan]

We just got off the Statendam last week after a two week Alaskan cruise. We thought the food was wonderful with great choices. I did think some of the hot soups were a little to salty for my taste, (I don't use salt at all, unless it's potato chips:) ), but the cold soups were great. There were always a lot of choices. I really appreciated that lamb was on the menu 4 times (shank, rack, chops, and leg). By the end of the first week, I didn't even have to tell our waiter what I wanted. He would look at me, smile and say baaaa! Each one was very tastey.My DH was in heaven with all the fish choices.

They did not appear to be understaffed. Our waiter, assistant waiter, assistant dining room manager, and wine steward all had time to talk and share stories with us. I feel that we really got to know them, as well as our cabin steward, some of the bar staff, Lido staff, and Explorations Cafe cappacinno maker!

As for rude people - some people are born that way and get their delight out of spreading misery and gloom where ever they go!:eek:

[HeatherInFlorida]

Just to clarify for Sail, Danno isn't considering the Volendam this time ... that's the ship he's been on. He's considering the Westerdam and I was just pointing out there's a vast difference between the two.

My feeling was that since he'd chosen to avoid the M-class Celebrity ships, I don't think he'd particularly enjoy the Vista class.

[sail7seas]

Aha..Thanks, Heather. I need to read more carefully. ;)

I know Vista isn't for everyone. What one thing ever suits all?
I've never been on Westerdam but we had five great cruises on Zuiderdam and we sure do love Noordam....she's a Beauty IMO

[hammybee]

If it sails and is reasonably affordable, I sail it, but always come home to HAL.

Food is subjective and hardly worth comment but that is not going to stop me. HAL LIDO is better than X. HAL has the soup. X has the salad. I give X an edge on entrees. Both mess up veggies. I do not generally eat desert. X has a better presentation. X gets an edge on orchastration in the DR.

The Pinnance Grill is something new for you. I think you will enjoy this experience and it is better than anything going on at X. Once you have dined there then you can weigh in on the threads about tipping in the PC, reason enough to cruise on HAL:)

Service wise, I have not observed a difference in quantity of servers. I do however, believe HAL's service is more consistent and genuine than X.

There are rude folk on all cruises. We had the worst tablemate experience on X. Guy and "ready to die" little Mrs., got up and demanded to be reassigned to another table, upon learning of my profession. ( BTW, I am not a Funeral Director and if I was, I would not ply my trade onboard:)) This guy happened to be from Canada. Given his abrupt departure, he became the object of my observation for the remainder of the crusie- an onboard hobby, if you will.

Last I saw of him, he was touching a crew member, finger to chest, to make a point. Oh yeah. The crew member was a woman. I did not judge this cruise, this ship, X or some, most or all Canadians by this experience.

Beds are better on HAL. The big shows and smaller venues are a crap shoot on either line. I am the one and only that liked the Cirque experience on X. HAL ships have lots of fresh flowers, fabulous art and generally feel better than X.

HAl's passengers, especially during school season, tend to be more mature than X. Generally speaking, formal nights, on both X and HAL, are not what they used to be, especially on shorter cruises. But this can vary from cruise to cruise.

HAL's private island, Half Moon Cay, cannot be beat. If you are into it, perhaps a private cabana may tickle your fancy. Unless you golf, what's the point to Caso de Campo?

I am not sure that some of the Vista ships will meet your expectations. If you have some flexibility, consider the Noordam. If you have even more wiggle room, perhaps you can snag the Amsterdam or Princendam before they go to far off places.

In any event, consider coming back to and maybe home to HAL. Your insights, observations and humor are welcome on this board.

[Copper10-8]

Guy and "ready to die" little Mrs., got up and demanded to be reassigned to another table, upon learning of my profession. ( BTW, I am not a Funeral Director and if I was, I would not ply my trade onboard:))

Awwwrighty then Hammie, you let the cat out of the bag and you can't let us hanging here, dude! What's your profession? (unless you're sworn to secrecy in some super duper super secret double probation gotta kill you if I tell you government program) ;)

[newmexicoNita]

If it sails and is reasonably affordable, I sail it, but always come home to HAL.

Food is subjective and hardly worth comment but that is not going to stop me. HAL LIDO is better than X. HAL has the soup. X has the salad. I give X an edge on entrees. Both mess up veggies. I do not generally eat desert. X has a better presentation. X gets an edge on orchastration in the DR.

The Pinnance Grill is something new for you. I think you will enjoy this experience and it is better than anything going on at X. Once you have dined there then you can weigh in on the threads about tipping in the PC, reason enough to cruise on HAL:)

Service wise, I have not observed a difference in quantity of servers. I do however, believe HAL's service is more consistent and genuine than X.

There are rude folk on all cruises. We had the worst tablemate experience on X. Guy and "ready to die" little Mrs., got up and demanded to be reassigned to another table, upon learning of my profession. ( BTW, I am not a Funeral Director and if I was, I would not ply my trade onboard:)) This guy happened to be from Canada. Given his abrupt departure, he became the object of my observation for the remainder of the crusie- an onboard hobby, if you will.

Last I saw of him, he was touching a crew member, finger to chest, to make a point. Oh yeah. The crew member was a woman. I did not judge this cruise, this ship, X or some, most or all Canadians by this experience.

Beds are better on HAL. The big shows and smaller venues are a crap shoot on either line. I am the one and only that liked the Cirque experience on X. HAL ships have lots of fresh flowers, fabulous art and generally feel better than X.

HAl's passengers, especially during school season, tend to be more mature than X. Generally speaking, formal nights, on both X and HAL, are not what they used to be, especially on shorter cruises. But this can vary from cruise to cruise.

HAL's private island, Half Moon Cay, cannot be beat. If you are into it, perhaps a private cabana may tickle your fancy. Unless you golf, what's the point to Caso de Campo?

I am not sure that some of the Vista ships will meet your expectations. If you have some flexibility, consider the Noordam. If you have even more wiggle room, perhaps you can snag the Amsterdam or Princendam before they go to far off places.

In any event, consider coming back to and maybe home to HAL. Your insights, observations and humor are welcome on this board.Thanks for your overall and objective view. I too am or was getting a little concerned about our decision to cruise HAL but now I am feeling better. NMNita

[doone]

Hey Danno, welcome back to the HAL boards old buddy.

I have sailed both the R, S and Vista style ships of HAL. I have enjoyed all style ships, but for different reasons. You may enjoy the Vista Style ships. We sailed on the Zuiderdam and had a great time. Check out the corner aft suites, those are to die for. We had suite 5187, huge verandah, great suite, but there is one draw back, its a long walk from the Crowe's Nest to our cabin, so if mobility is a problem, don't book the aft cabins, if its not an issue, you'd love them.

As most posters have said, food is always subjective. My friend sails Carnival and then tried Celebrity, she hated Celebrity's food, but raves about Carnival's food, so who knows. I just know I have never lost weight on a cruise yet.

[hammybee]

I just know I have never lost weight on a cruise yet.

I did on a RCCL/Norwegian Fjords. In hindsight, it was a benefit.

[hammybee]

Awwwrighty then Hammie, you let the cat out of the bag and you can't let us hanging here, dude! What's your profession? (unless you're sworn to secrecy in some super duper super secret double probation gotta kill you if I tell you government program) ;)

After 25+ on Wall Street, I walked away after 9/11 and returned to the Chicagoland area and ta-da, I am now a Realtor with a little consulting business on the side. The table mate thought all Realtors were @#$%^&*, and more.

Now you know all my secrets.

[doone]

Hammybee, how did you do that????

[Danno]

Hi Doone :D ...nice to be around some old friends again...I figured everyone had forgotten me by now!!

The food is, what it is...if it's GREAT, then GREAT!! If it's fine then that's ok too...I just need a good book, a quiet place, a good bottle of wine, a good attitude, and my wife...I took an option on a cabin today, I'll firm it up next week.

[mydogs]

Hammybee, we share the same profession. I have gotten negative responses also. But, then again when I tell them my first profession was that of a teacher for students with special needs I get this sort of pathetic stare :( . So therefore I now elect to have a table for 2, or when our friends, who also are in the" dreaded profession" cruise with us we get a table for four. I agree with you on your estimate of Cel. and HA. We were always big fans of Cel. until our Infinity cruise last Sept. what a disappointment and thus have returned to HA. But, are thinking of a Cel. on the Century in 2/07. Wew will see how we enjoy our 11/12 on the Westerdam.:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[newmexicoNita]

After 25+ on Wall Street, I walked away after 9/11 and returned to the Chicagoland area and ta-da, I am now a Realtor with a little consulting business on the side. The table mate thought all Realtors were @#$%^&*, and more.

Now you know all my secrets.
gee I thought maybe you were a politician!!!

NMNita

[sail7seas]

After 25+ on Wall Street, I walked away after 9/11 and returned to the Chicagoland area and ta-da, I am now a Realtor with a little consulting business on the side. The table mate thought all Realtors were @#$%^&*, and more.

Now you know all my secrets.

Doesn't your ID in the right corner of your post say: Location - Holmdel, NJ?

[Copper10-8]

Doesn't your ID in the right corner of your post say: Location - Holmdel, NJ?

Probably meant Chicagoland, NJ;)

Thanks Hammie; very anti-climactic;) (not that there's anything wrong with being a realty agent) ! I thought maybe you worked for the IRS as a tax auditor:eek:

[sail7seas]

:D Who knew there was a Chicagoland, NJ???? Well....take that back. You knew!!! ;)

Obviously, I was thinking Ill.

[Copper10-8]

:D Who knew there was a Chicagoland, NJ???? Well....take that back. You knew!!! ;)

Obviously, I was thinking Ill.

Sorry S7S, I don't know - I just made that up:o

[sail7seas]

Geeez.....Can't trust ANYONE these days. ;)

[hammybee]

:D Who knew there was a Chicagoland, NJ???? Well....take that back. You knew!!! ;)

Obviously, I was thinking Ill.

I am in Barrington, Illinois, about 35 miles NW of Chicago in the land well beyond ORD.

It's been 4.5 years and I still have not gotten around to changing the profile. Think a part of me is still in the NY metro area.

[hammybee]

Hammybee, how did you do that????

How did I do what?

How did I work in Wall Street for 25+? I loved my job, the people I worked with and the $ were good.

How did I walk away? I loved my job. Too many people I knew died on 9/11 and there is more to life than $. Not too drag this thread into the dumspter....5 years and 10 days ago I was there and made it home that night and came to this board, that evening, as many did. Doone, you said some things, that night, that resonated with me, and made a difference. And it's about time you knew that. Thank you.

How did I become a Realtor: Got a licence and applied what I know about financial markets to the housing market.

And now.........( deep breath) I am going to find a silly thread that makes me smile. Where is that pesky snorklebear guy?

[Copper10-8]

How did I do what?

How did I work in Wall Street for 25+? I loved my job, the people I worked with and the $ were good.

How did I walk away? I loved my job. Too many people I knew died on 9/11 and there is more to life than $. Not too drag this thread into the dumspter....5 years and 10 days ago I was there and made it home that night and came to this board, that evening, as many did. Doone, you said some things, that night, that resonated with me, and made a difference. And it's about time you knew that. Thank you.

How did I become a Realtor: Got a licence and applied what I know about financial markets to the housing market.

And now.........( deep breath) I am going to find a silly thread that makes me smile. Where is that pesky snorklebear guy?

Hammy, very glad things worked out good for you!! None of us will ever forget!! You take care and be safe!!