sambamama

Mine just had wine and no lunch.  Lots of people with high numbers, one person had 700 days at sea!  700! 

I have not sailed on her recently, but sailed on her about seven years ago. I've read lots of bad reviews on the Zaandam and the Zuiderdam, but not the Volendam.  I did a 7 day Alaska tour on her.  I have never gone on a HAL cruise where the service wasn't at the very least very good.  The cabins are bigger than other lines, and the ships have less passengers.  I have never been on a HAL ship that had bad food.  The food, IMHO, is always better in the main dining room.  The food has always been good, with a few misses along the way.  Don't miss eating at the Pinnacle!I have over 140 sailing days on HAL.  The ships are older.  I have noticed that, for me, the air conditioning on all HAL ships seems to get warm around 1 am or so, so I ask my stewards for a fan.  Ship toliets can be very finicky.  Don't put things in them that don't belong, and you should be fine. 

I loved the Volendam!  Its theme was flowers, and they had flower arrangements everywhere!  Look for reviews elsewhere, or better yet, just go and make up your own mind.

WOW!  I regard this as a huge cutback, COVID or no COVID!  I vividly remember getting mine, and I was very, very excited.  I was the youngest person getting one, and I think the youngest person in the room!  There were two elderly gentlemen who were at my dinner table who made it a point of going to my ceremony, and I still look at it and remember that night.  I may not get a second 100 night medal with the high single supplement policy now, and my doing much more land travel, and HAL changing so much of what I loved about cruising, but it would be a shame if they got rid of this ceremony.  It is much more meaningful than the Mariner brunch, IMHO!

I got one of these, and they are ABSOLUTELY NOT WORTH THE PRICE HAL charges for them.  At the time, there was  a soothing water fountain.  My fountain was broken and did not work.  My iPod did not work.  There is no room to roll out the yoga mat.  And I got 2 vitamin waters the first day only.  And yes, the balcony is tiny.  I would never, ever book these.  I guess I would accept it as a free upgrade, but that's it. 

I always book inside guarantees and usually book a year out or more.  A few times I got moved up to an outside guarantee six months or so before the cruise left.  I usually got my cabin assignment about three weeks out, but once it was either 2-3 days before and I had no ability to print out luggage tags.  I always book thru a TA, and if I have been moved to an oceanview, I try for an upsell to a balcony.  Right now I am booked for an Asia cruise leaving in a month.  It's the first time HAL contacted me directly for an upsell, and the first time they contacted me about an upsell two categories up (I am booked in an outside, and I have offers for a Signature or a Neptune Suite.)  They've made two rounds of upsells so far, but none for balconies yet.  The last round was a week ago, and no one booked any suites at all-perhaps because our 2 week cruise is part of longer Asia cruises. Perhaps because it's so expensive to fly to Asia, and it's so expensive to stay in Singapore, Japan, etc.

Here is where being a solo really hurts.  HAL used to have all sorts of cruises where the single supplements was 150% or less, and was adding large shipboard credit.  I've looked at other cruise lines.  HAL is the only one holding firm at 75%, and usually it's always 100%. At that price, it's always cheaper for me to take a land tour as I've found a number of no single supplement tours  And even cheaper if I just do it myself.  I just booked a 7 night inside cabin for Alaska for 2025, and it was well over $2000.  That's more than what I paid for my 14 night tour in Egypt and my 10 night tour in Morocco combined.  I just won't be cruising very much, or very much with HAL at those prices.

Also be aware that international carry ons must be smaller than US ones and some airlines enforce this vigorously, especially if you are in economy. 

The two cruises I took that crossed the Atlantic were marketed as Transatlantic. Repositioning cruises are a more general term that can be a TA or a ship sailing from Alaska to Japan or the other way,etc. It is where a ship is moving from the area it was doing cruises to a different are where it will do cruises. Canard is the only line that sails transatlantic with no or one port. However, they have TAs that have multiple ports, too. I think its better to sail in the fall and cross from  Europe to the US. That way you get the 7 days of sea in a row and get rested. The two I took had amazing weather. One was late October  and one was early November. 

The Volendam's theme is flowers, as I remember.  I sailed her when I went to Alaska.  I loved her.  Yes, I realize that HAL is very doubtful to build a 7000 passenger ship, but I am just saying not everyone is love with the Koningdam and her sisters. I don't think I would be very happy on a ship with more than 2400 passengers.  But it's a moot point, most likely, with most all the cruise lines going to near 100% single supplements.  At that rate, it's more economical for me to take land tours, or better yet, for me just to plan my own tours.  And if I want ocean water, go stay by a beach, or book a stay on an island.  It's better for me now that I'm a certified scuba diver  anyway. (Who knew I'd get certified at 64??  Not me!!)

Star lilies are one of the flowers I request because they are so fragrant and they last so long!  These arrangements are all very pretty!!!  When you let the florist have free rein, they usually use a cool vase, which adds to the arrangement. My Christmas arrangement had a big branch in it with a gold beaded chain interwoven through the whole arrangement and around the branch.  It was very unique.

I just called to book one for a  sea day on the Westerdam.  I waited 15 minutes to find out they won't sell day packages in advance.  I have to wait until I board the cruise. I am not sure if I will book at $105, though.  It seems a bit unfair to charge the same price for one person.  I don't think that the price should drop to half, but $70 seems fair.  But in a world where cabins now always get sold at 200%, I am positive cabanas will be sold at the same price.

I would much rather sail on the Volendam than the Koningsdam any day.  I want my Promenade deck open and able to walk completely around the ship.  I want my ship smaller rather than bigger.  I don't want a ship to sell me a single cabin and charge me almost the same price as a regular cabin and have it be half the size.  I tried to sail on the Maasdam, and the Ryndam as much as possible.  I was on the Veendam, but hated it as they butchered her by putting the extension in the middle and taking out the aft pool.  I don't want to sail with 7000 of my closest friends, and I don't want to tender to every port.  I very much regret I never got to sail on the Prinsendam.  And I am thrilled that I am sailing on the old Ryndam which was bought by Celestyal Cruises this fall when I sail around Greece.

You don't have to order the stock arrangements.  You tell them you are giving the florist free rein to do what they like.  You suggest flowers you like, or colors you like and/or a theme. You also say you understand if they don't have them, they can substitute.  Sometimes I just say fragrant ones.  I NEVER HAVE HAD ANYONE REFUSE THAT!  Not in 10 or more cruises!  I always have shipboard credit and decided a long time ago that having a lovely flower arrangement was something that greatly added to my cruise.  I've only once had a floral arrangement last less than 10 days (the flowers started dying after 5 days) and I complained, and they replaced it. 

Princess has no fixed dining. HAL still does. So if you like the experience of sitting with 4- 6 people for the length of your cruise every night, you get that on HAL. I think it may be the only line still doing that. I love having the same waiter every night and the same time. Its a huge plus! The big cabin size and the overall staff friendliness has brought me back to HAL for years. 

According to HAL's pricing of cabins, it absolutely would be worth it. I just checked prices for balcony on my upcoming cruise, and its up to a $2000 difference for a two week cruise. They are pricing the balconies on Deck 10 the highest of all, which is crazy, IMHO! 

It also depends on what the ports are. If you have a port call where the ship does not leave until 9pm and many people are going to a destination not close, it is much more likely to have openings. For example, if your ship is docked and people are going to see Ho Chi Min City in Vietnam, it is more likely. The first and the last day are  the most likely days to have openings. It is also more likely to have openings at 8pm and later and right when they open. 

The best way to order  flowers, especially Christmas arrangements, is to do it onboard the first day. Go to the front desk and do it there. I always just set an amount to spend and tell them to let the florist design his own. You can specify you want roses and greens or carnations, roses and greens, etc. You can say if you want a tall arrangement or shorter. When I ordered my Christmas arrangement, I think I stated $75 and Christmasy. It was huge, gorgeous, and unlike anything I'd seen before- a very modern design. I have been very happy with every arrangement ordered this way. The florist can pick from the best stock he has. It usually comes the same day, too, especially if you  go there first thing. Also, I go to a dollar store and buy cheap stick on cling decals for  my door to add to the festivity and make it easier to find my door. 

HAL always has salads of all kinds for apps and mains. I prefer my veggies that way. One of the best things about HAL is that they will always try to accommodate you. I was eating in the Pinnacle on a formal night and they brought me escargot. They made me vanilla souffle with Grand marnier sauce and sabayon with berries before. 

I found a workaround.  I actually managed to book my 4 Pinnacle reservations on the Navigator app-which I was shocked about.  Even that was not easy, but it got the job done.  I was glad that I did not book the Tamarind taste as they have cut the menu to bits and offer about 4 entrees.  I was thinking about booking a Pinnacle lunch, and the one entree I always wanted to get, the lobster mac and cheese, is off the menu.  The Pinnacle lunch menu is very, very beef heavy and did not tempt me at all.

Well, you can't make dining reservations with Chrome.  What a bunch of junk this website is!  When I logged onto Chat today, there were 76 people ahead of me!  76!!!

Apparently, it DOES NOT WORK WITH FIREFOX, at least with Windows 11 at all.  Imagine telling your customers you need to use a different browser.  What the Heck!!?  How can you even say this?  this is JUST LIKE my local bank.  They have great service, but the worst IT.  Their mobile deposit goes wacko all the time, as does the log in!!!  And since they are closing all the branches, and taking away the ATMs, it is a real problem.  Especially when I go away for two months.

I can log in.  But my account now has no address, or sex.  Worse, I HAVE NO BOOKINGS WHEN I HAVE TWO!  One is a month, and I was going to book 4 Pinnacle dinners as I have $1100 shipboard credit.  HAL always has the worst IT people!

Its my understanding you can't change your booking,  that only the TA  can. HAL on their own upgraded my inside guarantee to a C outside due to some issues from the cruise being cancelled three times and its being paid in full since December 2019, and  I had to agree to let them do it without my TA. 

I always have booked with a TA. Yes, free laundry is absolutely the best thing about being 4 star! I get up sells just about every cruise. To make sure I don't miss out, about 2 months out, I email my TA  and tell her an amount not to exceed and what I want. I usually have an outside guarantee and am trying for a balcony. I am a lawyer, and I am not always available by phone or even text. This way she can grab something right away. 

You are also forgetting that now many airlines fly the plane in from a previous flight. What if that plane does not come? What if your flight crew worked a previous flight and times out? I ALWAYS fly a day early, and usually in the morning and many times two. It just isn't worth it. The money you save isn't worth it. When you miss your cruise, you will be regretting ignoring this advice. One cruise my friend and I flew in 2 nights early. We were the last flight out of our airport. All the rest of the flights along the East Coast the next day never made it for the cruise. Another cruise I took out of San  Diego. There was a big problem in TX. They held the sailing for 4 hours for 200 passengers. Most did not have their luggage and we sailed to Hawaii.