Are we Holland America material??

Looking/considering a Western Caribbean cruise aboard the Veendam. The itinerary looks great featuring Banana Coast and Santo Tomas de Castilla. I haven't seen this itinerary anywhere else, We are 52 and 31 years of age.. You can see what/where we've been over the last few years. Definitely would book at the very least a Veranda cabin.

How do you think we'd fit in? Have basically enjoyed EVERY cruise. If this were once of HA's newer/larger ships I don't think I'd even be asking this question..

Thanks!

You won't find a climbing wall or a hairy chest contest :)

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We were on the Veendam this August - our first cruise. We loved it. It's an older ship but it's very well maintained. We had a nice, quiet inside cabin - great for us because we're both light-sensitive and didn't want a porthole or a verandah. The food was very good in the main dining room and the Lido buffet. We enjoyed the entertainment and the various lounges. The crew members were very friendly. We liked the elegant decor in the public areas. The only negatives were crowding issues in the Showroom at Sea theater, the Lido buffet and the main dining room. We dealt with that by arriving at the theater 1/2 hour early, going to the buffet before or after the rush and making reservations at the dining room.

This is not a ship that's going to provide you with a thrill-a-minute. But if you're ready for a relaxing vacation, you'll enjoy the Veendam.

Your ages don't really tell enough. Like mentioned, if you are looking for a bells and whistles type of ship experience, late or loud entertainment, you won't get it on HAL. It's quieter with more subdued surroundings, entertainment and mood.

That said, service is good, food is ok and if the ports are to your liking, go for it. Just know how it compares to other lines. You don't mention which lines you have cruised before. That would help for us to point out differences.

My 1st cruise was for my 30th birthday - and happened to be HAL due to itinerary and price. Had a wonderful time as not into big group activities and needed to relax due to my job. Not into the bar scene, extreme sports, being overly wild and crazy but give me great ports, good books, a bit of dancing, awesome service and wonderful food any day! Thoroughly enjoyed the stories of the then 'older' passengers. We have now joined their ranks, still cruising HAL - and occasionally telling stories. Have tried several other cruise lines and HAL's service keeps beckoning us back.

You should have a wonderful time.

Your ages don't really tell enough. Like mentioned, if you are looking for a bells and whistles type of ship experience, late or loud entertainment, you won't get it on HAL. It's quieter with more subdued surroundings, entertainment and mood.

That said, service is good, food is ok and if the ports are to your liking, go for it. Just know how it compares to other lines. You don't mention which lines you have cruised before. That would help for us to point out differences.

See OP's signature for that info.

OP I agree with no bells and whistles entertainment wise but in the end only you can decide. I'd say try it and see especially if you like the itinerary.

Hi Chill,

I don't think that your ages will matter as much as the fact that you seem to prefer the larger ships.

There will be fewer choices on the smaller ship.

Have you checked out the deck plans and the amenities?

Ira

Yes, as long as you have a credit card in good standing.

You might want to consult the dress code on HALs website, as it is more formal than most of the lines you have sailed. Onboard atmosphere is more sedate, as has been mentioned.

One of the things I really appreciated on our recent HAL cruise, which we hadn't had except in suites on NCL, is the extensive room service menu. We ate a full, hot breakfast in our cabin every day.

We were so happy with HAL that we have booked two more cruises, including one on the Maasdam, which is three years older than the Veendam. The ships are beautifully maintained.

Chuck .... As long as the cruise is very port intensive, you should be fine cruising on HAL! :)

LuLu

It's more up to you than HAL or anyone else IMO

If someone (a couple) gets on a ship with a good expectation, isn't unreasonable in their expectation and makes up their mind to have a good time, anything short of sewerage running down the hallway, a severe incident or really serious out of the usual conditions........ they will have a good time.

Age is not relevant to your enjoyment IMO

We started sailing HAL in our early to mid-forties and it suited us well from our first HAL cruise forward. We were always self-entertainers. We never sought organized games and activities.

Everyone is HAL material.

We were Carnival cruisers prior to our first HAL cruise. After the first HAL cruise, you'll never settle for anything else.

Looking/considering a Western Caribbean cruise aboard the Veendam. The itinerary looks great featuring Banana Coast and Santo Tomas de Castilla. I haven't seen this itinerary anywhere else, We are 52 and 31 years of age.. You can see what/where we've been over the last few years. Definitely would book at the very least a Veranda cabin.

 

How do you think we'd fit in? Have basically enjoyed EVERY cruise. If this were once of HA's newer/larger ships I don't think I'd even be asking this question..

 

Thanks!

We actually chose HAL because it IS more subdued. The last few cruises we were on were RCCL and Carnival. When we would walk by the pool, there ALWAYS was a band that was WAY too loud (and the obnoxious kind too) to even sit close to the pool and enjoy it.

Every night around 2 or 3am, this drunken newlywed couple would scream obscenities at each other in the hall way after the bars closed. We talked to some of our neighbors and they heard them too. We all called security but no one did a thing about it.

At the ports, they were usually geared to power drinker with those types of bars close by. When we were in Grand Cayman, it was the same kind of loud music by their pool with the servers pushing shots to everyone.

We're both 47 and neither one of us are "partiers" although we like to have a good time in intimate settings.

We actually chose HAL because it IS more subdued. The last few cruises we were on were RCCL and Carnival. When we would walk by the pool, there ALWAYS was a band that was WAY too loud (and the obnoxious kind too) to even sit close to the pool and enjoy it.

 

Every night around 2 or 3am, this drunken newlywed couple would scream obscenities at each other in the hall way after the bars closed. We talked to some of our neighbors and they heard them too. We all called security but no one did a thing about it.

 

At the ports, they were usually geared to power drinker with those types of bars close by. When we were in Grand Cayman, it was the same kind of loud music by their pool with the servers pushing shots to everyone.

 

We're both 47 and neither one of us are "partiers" although we like to have a good time in intimate settings.

Interesting. We like to cruise on RCI as well as HAL (not the huge behemoth ships, but their version of midsize - Mariner and Radiance) - and we have a wonderful time on them - we're no spring chickens, being very late 60's and mid-70's. You just cannot generalize about anything, including cruise lines, based on one or two incidents you may have had. I have a very genteel friend who regularly cruises on Carnival and loves it.

Interesting. We like to cruise on RCI as well as HAL (not the huge behemoth ships, but their version of midsize - Mariner and Radiance) - and we have a wonderful time on them - we're no spring chickens, being very late 60's and mid-70's. You just cannot generalize about anything, including cruise lines, based on one or two incidents you may have had. I have a very genteel friend who regularly cruises on Carnival and loves it.

Oh, I'm not saying I won't ever cruise on them again, we are planning on one next year, I am sure I will still enjoy it. I've never been on a cruise I haven't liked. I was just saying my personal experience with the loud music at the pools and the screaming in the halls, well, we just don't care for it.

As far as generalizing lines, Carnival is known as being a low budget cruise, thus they attract a clientele that is noticeably different from RCCL, Celebrity and Holland.

I think you will fit in just fine.

I agree with most of what has been said, but you should give some thought to the demographics of HAL ships. The passengers on HAL are older than what you have experienced thus far and the entire cruise experience is geared to that crowd. This may or may not bother you, but you need to be prepared for things to move more slowly. If you are the patient type and don't mind waiting behind an elderly person who can't make up his mind at the Lido or who needs more time getting on and off the bus, it might not be an issue for you. But the fact is that excursions are very, very slow paced and the entertainment and activities on board are geared toward an older crowd. If your idea of rock and roll is Chuck Berry or Bill Haley, then no problem. If you are low maintenance and can entertain yourselves, then the presence of a lot of people from a different age group may not be relevant. But you should be warned that it definitely changes the atmosphere on the ship and some people will find this quite frustrating.

We have sailed HAL about eight times and love it. We have been on a couple of Carnival cruises and it made us appreciate the food on HAL. Yes, the cruisers are usually older, but I prefer not to dodge kids running down the hall. :)

My question would be about the ports on this itinerary. I did just a LITTLE research the other day because I was considering this cruise and it sounded like they are fairly new, manmade areas around the dock. Can anyone comment on the Banana Coast and Santo Tomas?

Just my personal opinion, but I don't think the Veendam is reflective of the HAL fleet - at least I hope it isn't:eek: -S.

We were on a nice, unique itinerary on the Maasdam in 2012. At the time, we were in our late 40s. We traveled with friends who were in their late 30s and early 40s at the time. Everyone had a great time. It was our friends' first cruise ever. We never found ourselves wanting for things to do. We had a handful of late nights in the Crow's Nest, but since it was a pretty port intensive cruise, three or four late nights out of 14 days was just about right. While there aren't as many bars, lounges, and other venues on the smaller ships, you do wind up with a greater chance of finding a party on them. This might seem counter intuitive, but anyone who wants to be out past 11:00 PM on the small ships tends to be in the same place.

Ironically, the passengers on that sailing were younger, on average, than the passengers who sailed with us on a 10 day Noordam cruise in March. I think the unique Caribbean itineraries are a selling point for a wide variety of ages.

I would say that you should give it a try.

I agree with most of what has been said, but you should give some thought to the demographics of HAL ships. The passengers on HAL are older than what you have experienced thus far and the entire cruise experience is geared to that crowd. This may or may not bother you, but you need to be prepared for things to move more slowly. If you are the patient type and don't mind waiting behind an elderly person who can't make up his mind at the Lido or who needs more time getting on and off the bus, it might not be an issue for you. But the fact is that excursions are very, very slow paced and the entertainment and activities on board are geared toward an older crowd. If your idea of rock and roll is Chuck Berry or Bill Haley, then no problem. If you are low maintenance and can entertain yourselves, then the presence of a lot of people from a different age group may not be relevant. But you should be warned that it definitely changes the atmosphere on the ship and some people will find this quite frustrating.

Granted I only have one HAL cruise to go by but the idea that everyone on a HAL ship is a doddering codger is a gross exaggeration. Also, I didn't find the entertainment to be boring at all. You won't find any hip-hop but all other types (and eras) of music are represented.

I'm going to preface this by saying I hadn't been on a HAL cruise in 14 years and I primarily sail on Princess.

I was just on the Veendam in September. Unfortunately, my cruise was cut in half when they cancelled the cruise due to mechanical problems and made us get off the ship. The cruise was OK. It was a B2B Canada/New England RT which should have been 14 days. I was on for 8 days. Overall, the crew was really good. I really enjoyed the good service and positive attitudes of the crew members. They honestly, for the most part, were delightful. The ship is older and most of it is well kept, but you can see a lot of chipped paint and dings here and there. None of that bothered me. They have a really nice promenade deck and the chairs there are nice, but most are reserved for the Lanai cabins. I could always find one on my itinerary, but I imagine it would be harder to find a chair in the Caribbean. This really is a much smaller ship than what I've sailed recently and I loved that. There is only one pool and the area is small. On a warm weather cruise it will likely be pretty crowded. The buffet area is small, but they had good food with lots of choices. They have limited hours for the buffet and they close the grill and pizza at 5pm. They had good desserts and ice cream in the buffet. MDR food was decent. Pizza is atrocious. Grill food is pretty good. They make the burgers, etc. to order and give you a buzzer. They have a nice taco bar near the grill. People do take dressing nice more seriously than some other cruise lines, but I really didn't see much true formal wear. Demographics were a bit older than I'm used to, but people were very nice and interesting. I was cruising solo and people were very warm. Entertainment was pretty sedate. I loved the big library and all the comfy chairs. There were some negative here and there, but not huge problems. Of course, it was disappointing that the cruise was cancelled, but the captain did the right thing choosing not to sail. The crew and HAL handled everything very well. For me, I'm not anxious to try another HAL cruise, but it really was OK.

I'm going to preface this by saying I hadn't been on a HAL cruise in 14 years and I primarily sail on Princess.

 

I was just on the Veendam in September. Unfortunately, my cruise was cut in half when they cancelled the cruise due to mechanical problems and made us get off the ship. The cruise was OK. It was a B2B Canada/New England RT which should have been 14 days. I was on for 8 days. Overall, the crew was really good. I really enjoyed the good service and positive attitudes of the crew members. They honestly, for the most part, were delightful. The ship is older and most of it is well kept, but you can see a lot of chipped paint and dings here and there. None of that bothered me. They have a really nice promenade deck and the chairs there are nice, but most are reserved for the Lanai cabins. I could always find one on my itinerary, but I imagine it would be harder to find a chair in the Caribbean. This really is a much smaller ship than what I've sailed recently and I loved that. There is only one pool and the area is small. On a warm weather cruise it will likely be pretty crowded. The buffet area is small, but they had good food with lots of choices. They have limited hours for the buffet and they close the grill and pizza at 5pm. They had good desserts and ice cream in the buffet. MDR food was decent. Pizza is atrocious. Grill food is pretty good. They make the burgers, etc. to order and give you a buzzer. They have a nice taco bar near the grill. People do take dressing nice more seriously than some other cruise lines, but I really didn't see much true formal wear. Demographics were a bit older than I'm used to, but people were very nice and interesting. I was cruising solo and people were very warm. Entertainment was pretty sedate. I loved the big library and all the comfy chairs. There were some negative here and there, but not huge problems. Of course, it was disappointing that the cruise was cancelled, but the captain did the right thing choosing not to sail. The crew and HAL handled everything very well. For me, I'm not anxious to try another HAL cruise, but it really was OK.

Have experienced this on every HAL ship and am looking very forward to returning to the Rotterdam for an 83-night cruise next September! The libraries and the service on HAL ships are what I enjoy most. Of course, I have not sailed on Crystal or Silversea.....

Depends on what you want to do, if you enjoy using the spa, the casino and visiting the shops onboard then yes you're ideal HAL clients likewise if you enjoy good food as that's also pretty good but if you like lots of daytime activities great and varied entertainment you may want to think again.