Veendam to Bermuda

[innlady1]

Awesome photos! Thanks for posting them...

[RedSox5]

Just off the Veendam yesterday- spoke with the hotel manager about Veendam no longer going to Bermuda. He says that things may still change and that he has a meeting with some officials in Bermuda on Wednesday. Sounds weird to me since their itineraries are already out for the next year or so. He also encouraged me to write a letter to corporate saying how disappointed I was that HAL was pulling out of Bermuda... not sure how much good it would do, but I might send one in...

[Krazy Kruizers]

modelman

Great pictures -- thank you for sharing them.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Originally Posted by RedSox5

Just off the Veendam yesterday- spoke with the hotel manager about Veendam no longer going to Bermuda. He says that things may still change and that he has a meeting with some officials in Bermuda on Wednesday. Sounds weird to me since their itineraries are already out for the next year or so. He also encouraged me to write a letter to corporate saying how disappointed I was that HAL was pulling out of Bermuda... not sure how much good it would do, but I might send one in...

HAL has been known to change a ship's itineraries -- we have been caught in that mess a couple of times.

[PathfinderEss]

Originally Posted by jdvmd

Is the Veendam a popular ship? You don't seem to hear too much about her. I am contemplating a Bermuda cruise in May out of NYC and the prices just seem too good to be true.
How would she compare to the Prisendam, Maasdam or Westerdam? Just came off the Westerdam yesterday but the Prinsendam is my favorite. Love the fact that the Veendam is smaller and can dock in Hamilton instead of the Royal Naval Dockyard.
Have been to Bermuda before on Celebrity.
Alternatively, looking at the Maasdam out of Montreal.

The Veendam and Maasdam are the sister ships, they carry 1,200 passengers. The Princendam is Hal's smallest ship, carries 800 passengers and the Westerdam is a different catagory ship then either of the others. She carriers around 1,800 passengers, so she would be the biggest but she is also the newest of this group of ships. Personally if it were me, I would be looking at the Maasdam.

[catl331]

Originally Posted by RedSox5

He says that things may still change and that he has a meeting with some officials in Bermuda on Wednesday. Sounds weird to me since their itineraries are already out for the next year or so.

He's probably talking about 2014 or later.

[innlady1]

Originally Posted by RedSox5

Just off the Veendam yesterday- spoke with the hotel manager about Veendam no longer going to Bermuda. He says that things may still change and that he has a meeting with some officials in Bermuda on Wednesday. Sounds weird to me since their itineraries are already out for the next year or so. He also encouraged me to write a letter to corporate saying how disappointed I was that HAL was pulling out of Bermuda... not sure how much good it would do, but I might send one in...

Interesting, RedSox. A lot of us contacted HAL when they stopped the Noordam to Caribbean cruises going out of NYC after the '08 season...and then they brought in the Veendam to do Bermuda...which people had suggested!

[styles27]

Those pictures are fantastic.

I think NCL makes it work because they spend one less day in Bermuda, therefore they can have their casino and shoppes open more than HAL can. It all adds up.



Isn't HAL pulling out of NYC completely? Not just stopping the Bermuda run, they're abandoning the port in NY too.

It must be very costly for them to run this cruise.

[RuthC]

Originally Posted by styles27

Isn't HAL pulling out of NYC completely? Not just stopping the Bermuda run, they're abandoning the port in NY too.

The E-dam still has NE/Canada NYC to Quebec City (or reverse) on the HAL schedule, so, no, HAL hasn't deserted NYC completely.

[innlady1]

The Bermuda government may be considering making it easier for HAL in Hamilton. We can only hope that's what the HotMan is meeting with them about.

[sail7seas]

Who was the Hotel Manager?

[innlady1]

Originally Posted by sail7seas

Who was the Hotel Manager?

RedSox5 didn't post the Hotel Manager's name...just posted the info (several posts before mine). He was on the 4/22 Veendam to Bermuda.

[styles27]

Originally Posted by RuthC

The E-dam still has NE/Canada NYC to Quebec City (or reverse) on the HAL schedule, so, no, HAL hasn't deserted NYC completely.

I noticed that too...but only 2 cruises, one in September and one in October.

[cruisin'girl]

Going to Bermuda again this summer on Veendam. Can't wait!! We did Canada New England the last few years on Maasdam but want to get Bermuda in again before HAL leaves. I HOPE they may be reconsidering!!!

[Section9]

Originally Posted by sail7seas

Who was the Hotel Manager?

David Wood.

He also mentioned that the other cruise lines have either halved or severely reduced their trips to Bermuda this year and only one cruise line will be going to Bermuda next year.

Also allured that it might be a united offensive by the cruise lines to force Bermuda's hand a bit to at least allow the casinos to stay open while in port.

He was very informative and a great guy to talk with, very personable.

[cruisenanny]

Originally Posted by cruisin'girl

Going to Bermuda again this summer on Veendam. Can't wait!! We did Canada New England the last few years on Maasdam but want to get Bermuda in again before HAL leaves. I HOPE they may be reconsidering!!!

Us too! We can hope

[RedSox5]

Originally Posted by sail7seas

Who was the Hotel Manager?

Section9 is right- his name is David Wood. We agreed that he was very personable and fun to talk to. We thought the pizza making with him and the Captain in the Culinary Arts center was great- they answered questions from passengers in a very honest and entertaining way.

[innlady1]

Our cruise is overbooked by a considerable amount, I guess, and the offers are going out to move to another date. Our TA got our offer yesterday to see if we'd move to 5/27, 6/3, or 6/10. For a 25% discount. She said this was the 3rd offer they'd done. I would think they could come up with something better than 25% for only 6 days out!

From what RedSox said, they had an offer two days prior to the cruise for 50%.

I guess they'll keep "upping the ante" until they get enough takers. So far, no one on our Roll Call is moving.

[sail7seas]

Originally Posted by Section9

David Wood.

He also mentioned that the other cruise lines have either halved or severely reduced their trips to Bermuda this year and only one cruise line will be going to Bermuda next year.

Also allured that it might be a united offensive by the cruise lines to force Bermuda's hand a bit to at least allow the casinos to stay open while in port.

He was very informative and a great guy to talk with, very personable.

Thanks.
We haven't sailed with him yet but after your praise I look forward to the opportunity.

Interesting idea that the crise lines are banding together to force Bermuda's hand re: permitting casinos to open.

I remember last year when bermuda officials took the vote denying the approval and knew then it had to be a bad decision.

We'll have to wait and watch to see if HAL returns to regular Bermuda cruises....... My guess is Yes, they will get better terms and they will sail there again.

However, if they find Veendam and Maasdam both doing Canada/New England and Veendam doing Viking works out well, why would they bother to switch back?

[innlady1]

I mentioned the casino thing to a tour guide who called last night. He was vehemently against it...said if they have casinos, they should be in the hotels so the money stays in Bermuda. Seems short-sighted to me...I would think they'd rather have the business the cruises bring in.

So, that must be where the opposition is coming from: All the locals.