Steve Q
March 23rd, 2008, 02:13 PM
Backround: I am 58 and my wife is 55. We have been on six other cruises including Carnival, Princess, and HAL. Over the last three years we have sailed on the Oosterdam, Zuiderdam, Volendam, and now the Ryndam.
We stayed the night before at the Hampton Inn which is only a short block from the pier. We could see the ship in port from our window. It is a nice hotel and the location cannot be beat. In addition, the hotel's free shuttle picked us up within minutes of our baggage arrival.
Embarkation: Very easy. We were on board within 30 minutes of our arrival.
Ship: We thought the ship was in good shape, though it did show a little wear and tear. There is something to be said for a smaller ship. You never had the feeling that any part of the ship was crowded. While we prefer the layout of HAL's larger ships, it is a small matter. For example, the sight lines in the main theatre are simply terrible (forget about sitting upstairs). The intimacy of the smaller ship, however, more than compensated for any shortcomings.
Crew: Honestly, this was the best crew of any ship we have sailed. They simply went out of their way to be helpful, courteous, and friendly. HAL can be very proud. Two crew member worth mentioning were Katherine and Alan in the Crow's Nest. They could not have been more welcoming.
Cabin: We booked an HH guarantee about six weeks before departure. We were upgraded to a DD on the Main Deck. Our cabin steward was terrific.
Food: The food matched any of our prior cruises. Overall, it was very good.
We had Anytime Dining. Prior to the cruise, we mentioned that we would keep an open mind. After ten days, I must state that it really did not appeal to us. It just seemed to be less cohesive. It is difficult to explain but it just did not have to the same feel to it as our other cruises. That is an opinion and I'm sure others will disagree.
It's interesting for a cruise line like HAL that has everything else so organized, and "buttoned up", that they haven't seemed to figure this one out. Every night there was confusion at the check in podiums. In fact, when we sailed on Princess 5 years ago and had open seating, it ran much more smoothly.
We still find Hal to be far better than Princess and Carnival, but we certainly would try to get fixed dining in the future.
Gym: I used the gym almost every day and found it to be more than adequate. The treadmills had individual TV's which made the time pass quickly. Rarely were there many people working out so getting a machine was never a problem.
Entertainment: Overall, the entertainment was weak. Entertainers included Charley Brown (juggler), Chuck Jones (illusionist), Billy Fellows (comedian), and Jim Curry (John Denver impersonator). None of them were particularly impressive. Jim Curry was the best among them and actually put on a pretty good show.
One night they actually showed only a movie in the main Vermeer Theatre. The movie, "In The Valley Of Elah", seemed to be an odd choice for the main theatre considering its controversial theme and past reviews. We did not attend but several other passengers agreed that it seemed to be an odd choice.
Other movies shown in the smaller Wajang theatre include "Elizabeth, The Golden Age", "Assassination of Jesse James", "The Bee Movie, etc.
Ports: We went on only two HAL shore excursions. We enjoyed "The birds, dolphins" tour in Topolobampo. The dolphins were great. At times we felt as though we were at Sea World. We also did the four hour city tour of La Paz. We probably could have skipped that one and just have taken the free bus the city provided.
Loreto was one of our favorite stops. While small, it is very charming. It has a certain untouched feel to it.
We had been to Mazatlan several other times but this was the first time we took a taxi to Old Town. What a pleasant surprise. The cathedral is beautiful as was the recently renovated Angela Peralta Theatre.
In Puerto Vallarta we took a taxi to the Westin Resort. We paid $15 for day passes and had the use of any of their facilities. It was well worth it.
Disembarkation: Easiest we have ever had.
We stayed the night before at the Hampton Inn which is only a short block from the pier. We could see the ship in port from our window. It is a nice hotel and the location cannot be beat. In addition, the hotel's free shuttle picked us up within minutes of our baggage arrival.
Embarkation: Very easy. We were on board within 30 minutes of our arrival.
Ship: We thought the ship was in good shape, though it did show a little wear and tear. There is something to be said for a smaller ship. You never had the feeling that any part of the ship was crowded. While we prefer the layout of HAL's larger ships, it is a small matter. For example, the sight lines in the main theatre are simply terrible (forget about sitting upstairs). The intimacy of the smaller ship, however, more than compensated for any shortcomings.
Crew: Honestly, this was the best crew of any ship we have sailed. They simply went out of their way to be helpful, courteous, and friendly. HAL can be very proud. Two crew member worth mentioning were Katherine and Alan in the Crow's Nest. They could not have been more welcoming.
Cabin: We booked an HH guarantee about six weeks before departure. We were upgraded to a DD on the Main Deck. Our cabin steward was terrific.
Food: The food matched any of our prior cruises. Overall, it was very good.
We had Anytime Dining. Prior to the cruise, we mentioned that we would keep an open mind. After ten days, I must state that it really did not appeal to us. It just seemed to be less cohesive. It is difficult to explain but it just did not have to the same feel to it as our other cruises. That is an opinion and I'm sure others will disagree.
It's interesting for a cruise line like HAL that has everything else so organized, and "buttoned up", that they haven't seemed to figure this one out. Every night there was confusion at the check in podiums. In fact, when we sailed on Princess 5 years ago and had open seating, it ran much more smoothly.
We still find Hal to be far better than Princess and Carnival, but we certainly would try to get fixed dining in the future.
Gym: I used the gym almost every day and found it to be more than adequate. The treadmills had individual TV's which made the time pass quickly. Rarely were there many people working out so getting a machine was never a problem.
Entertainment: Overall, the entertainment was weak. Entertainers included Charley Brown (juggler), Chuck Jones (illusionist), Billy Fellows (comedian), and Jim Curry (John Denver impersonator). None of them were particularly impressive. Jim Curry was the best among them and actually put on a pretty good show.
One night they actually showed only a movie in the main Vermeer Theatre. The movie, "In The Valley Of Elah", seemed to be an odd choice for the main theatre considering its controversial theme and past reviews. We did not attend but several other passengers agreed that it seemed to be an odd choice.
Other movies shown in the smaller Wajang theatre include "Elizabeth, The Golden Age", "Assassination of Jesse James", "The Bee Movie, etc.
Ports: We went on only two HAL shore excursions. We enjoyed "The birds, dolphins" tour in Topolobampo. The dolphins were great. At times we felt as though we were at Sea World. We also did the four hour city tour of La Paz. We probably could have skipped that one and just have taken the free bus the city provided.
Loreto was one of our favorite stops. While small, it is very charming. It has a certain untouched feel to it.
We had been to Mazatlan several other times but this was the first time we took a taxi to Old Town. What a pleasant surprise. The cathedral is beautiful as was the recently renovated Angela Peralta Theatre.
In Puerto Vallarta we took a taxi to the Westin Resort. We paid $15 for day passes and had the use of any of their facilities. It was well worth it.
Disembarkation: Easiest we have ever had.