Volendam - the ship

The Volendam colors remind me of the old days when everything was dark and bland. Most of the carpeting throughout the ship is dark blue with either a light blue swirl or a patteren in it. Most of the chairs are solid colors - gold, blue, orange, etc. The benches in many of the lounges are done in flowered patterens.

The Sky Room, Club Hal, was locked up. It appeared to have a butterfly motif - we were able to see 2 new IMAC's in there.

The atrium - the 3 deck solid glass center piece is an eclectric mixture of colored glass and lights. As you walk around, it gives the appearance of changing colors.

Outside the Half Moon Room, in a case, there is a glass dress decorated with coins - very unusual.

Between the library & Half Moon Room there is a long table with 2 Delft vases holding artificial white tulips. In between them was a huge display of real flowers.

Across the hallway in a wide alco are 2 more Delft vases holding artificial parrot tulips - check out the lighted blue handles.

In the hallway past the Marco Polo (Pinnacle) restaurant, the walls are lined with commenorative plaques & pictures from various ports of call.

All over the ship are huge vases and urns - not all Delft.

And of course, everywhere you look there are lots of displays of fresh flowers.

There's just something about the Volendam that I find very comfortable, but still quite elegant. She's my favorite of the five ships in the HAL fleet on which we have sailed.

Thanks so much for providing so much detailed information about the Volendam. We just booked her to sail next Jan 12 and are quite excited. This will be our first cruise with HAL.

Toni

tlm

When you sail the Volendam Jan 12, 2006, she will have been in dry dock - scheduled for Dec 4 - 19, 2005 and will have the new Exloration's Cafe.

tlm - we are also on the Jan. 12 sailing, love the Volendam probably the ship we like the most.

There is something inviting about that ship. She is very nice and yet very homey. I, too, am quite fond of the Volendam

tlm - we are also on the Jan. 12 sailing' date=' love the Volendam probably the ship we like the most.[/quote']

 

We sailed on the Century this past January and found it to be just what we wanted in a cruise. It was a small ship,which meant less people; the food and service was fantastic and the passengers were a little older. We're hoping the Volendam will be as good if not better.

 

Toni

Her 10 day itineraries for 2006 are identical as this years. If they wer different we would book er her again in a heartbeat.

tlm - we are sailing on the Century Jan 2, then Volendam on the 12th. We live in Western Canada, it so far for us to travel that 10 days just isn't long enough. Would like to get your thoughts on the Century. We sailed X 7 or 8 years ago, so am sure it has changed.

tlm - we are sailing on the Century Jan 2' date=' then Volendam on the 12th. We live in Western Canada, it so far for us to travel that 10 days just isn't long enough. Would like to get your thoughts on the Century. We sailed X 7 or 8 years ago, so am sure it has changed.[/quote']

 

The Century was fantastic. We were in a Sky Suite on the Sports Deck so the verandah was huge. We had my mother with us and at no time did we feel crowded. On the verandah we had three lounge chairs, three regular chairs and a large round table which we had breakfast at every morning. We had the services of a butler however we didn't use him for very much other than serving breakfast and lunch.

 

The ship is in wonderful shape with hardly any wear or tear. The food was very good and the portions were quite big. Service was impecible and if you needed anything, all you needed to do was ask.

 

Toni

:confused::)Going on first HAL in Nov on Volendam. Lots of questions as we switched from Celebrity to Princess last month and was disappointed.

How is the coffee? Is it brewed or from a liquid?

What are the prices for mixed drinks and how is the choice of brands?

Can you get a full breakfast in mini-suite or just continental?

How are the selections in the shops?

Can you buy cigarettes by the carton in gift shop and take them w/you?

Do they have NY Times by fax available?

How are the TV selections?

Did any shore trip stand out?

If you ordered flowers for you cabin, were theywell designed?

Thanks to all who can help me with these questions.:eek:

To - M Steve

Coffee --- I'm from Seattle and am picky about coffee and I think HAL's

coffee is fine.

Breakfast - You can order a full breakfast in your room

Shop Selections - Same junk that you find on any ship

Cigarettes - Don't smoke so that one goes by me.

NY Times - Each day you will get a copy of the abbreviated NY Times under

your door.

TV - Selection is good. CNN is the international version - two movie

channels and about 5 or 6 additonal misc. channels.

Shore Excursions - Good selection and well run.

Flowers - Room flowers are fine - The ship does have several spectacular

flower arrangements in the public areas.

You'll have a good time.

Thanks Ron

Now I don't have to answer questions.

We don't get mixed drinks - either Absolut or Stoli's on the rocks - $4.75 for barely 1 and 1/2 ounces!!! Grey Goose is $5.25 per same size drink.

HAL drinks have gone down hill the last couple of years and the prices have gone up!!!

The Volendam had the martini bar only once in 10 days - and then you got a good drink - ANY BRAND - $4.75. And the bar tender was a little more generous.

Krazy Kruizers, I just booked the Volendam for next February for my entire family, 22 so far. As you know also, I just got off the Volendam a week ago, and the itinerary for the Volendam is not the same in 2006 as it was in 2005. Two of the ports are repeated, but I believe its just St. Thomas and Half Moon Cay. Did I miss something?

doone

In 2006 the Volendam is doing the same itinerary every 10 days - not 2 different ones like we just did.

She does the Southern Caribbean Seafarer:

At sea

At sea

Aruba

Curacao

At Sea

Dominica

St Thomas

At sea

HMC

That is identical to our second segment.

Thanks, I mis-understood your post, your right.

What are the dining times at the buffet for breakfast and lunch? We're use to eating later in the afternoon and I read somewhere (can't remember which thread) that the buffet isn't open as long as on RCCL or Princess. Is there any other place besides room service where you can get some lunch later in the afternoon around 3PM?

The Volendam is our favorite ship and we are scheduled for another sailing in October. She is comfortable and elegant. I do agree with one poster -- shops are pretty bad. But that's truly an extreme negative.

A question for recent passengers....Have they upgraded the mattresses and bed covers yet? I know the full upgrade won't be done until November, but I seem to remember that all ship's bedding has been upgraded. Is this correct?

SF

Breakfast times in the Lido depends upon port times. If the ship is scheduled to arrive early for a port then the buffet lines will open around 7. Otherwise they don't open until 7:30.

Lunch is usually from 11:30 - 2.

Sandwiches and salad bar are open to 4.

Pizza and hamburgers, hotdogs until 5.

KAJOKG

We were in a suite and the mattresses and linens were the new European ones.

Don't know about the rest of the cabins.

KAJOKG

 

We were in a suite and the mattresses and linens were the new European ones.

Don't know about the rest of the cabins.

Thanks for your reply. Were you in a full suite or a Verandah Suite? We will be in the Verandah Suite.

I mentioned in my previous post about the shops being an extreme negative...I just read it over and it's misleading. What I meant is that the shops are extremely unimportant -- to me at least.

Full suite - 7008.

We are also on the Jan 12 cruise. We had booked the Century again as we were on the same cruise with Toni in January this year. But after meeting her we became such good friends that we decided to go with them on our first HAL. We are also hopeful that HAL will be as good as the Century cruise was.

Patti

Thanks for the meal times. What time does the buffet breakfast stay open until?

KAJOKG, which October Volendam sailing are you on? We are sailing on Oct. 26. I have started a thread on the roll call board, but so far no others have signed on.

We were on the Volendam in 2000 and loved her. Looking forward to this trip. We had the wonderful new bedding on the Westerdam in Dec. in a Verandah cabin. Hope it is in our Main deck cabin on the Volendam.