Ms. Veendam

I am hoping that some of you have sailed on Ms. Veendam and can give me some feedback.

I am looking to take a cruise to Bermuda and HAL seems to have the best itinerary. Not only is it in Bermuda for four days, as opposed to three on the other ships, but it also docks in Hamilton. From what I have been told, Hamilton is a better dock because it is where most of the entertainment is and does not require a ferry. However, I have read some reviews about it being an old ship. While I’m not too picky about that, I have read that the activities are extremely limited. My husband and I are traveling with his brother and girlfriend and we do enjoy the casinos and night activities. We are also mid 30’s to early 40’s, so while we don’t want to deal with a great deal of children, We also don’t want that ship to be “boring”. The other option is NCL Escape, which of course is a brand new ship with tons of activities. Along with those activities, comes more children, less days in Bermuda, and a not so great dock. So, is the Ms. Veendam really that bad or is it worth the older ship for the perks I mentioned?

I am hoping that some of you have sailed on Ms. Veendam and can give me some feedback.

 

I am looking to take a cruise to Bermuda and HAL seems to have the best itinerary. Not only is it in Bermuda for four days, as opposed to three on the other ships, but it also docks in Hamilton. From what I have been told, Hamilton is a better dock because it is where most of the entertainment is and does not require a ferry. However, I have read some reviews about it being an old ship. While I’m not too picky about that, I have read that the activities are extremely limited. My husband and I are traveling with his brother and girlfriend and we do enjoy the casinos and night activities. We are also mid 30’s to early 40’s, so while we don’t want to deal with a great deal of children, We also don’t want that ship to be “boring”. The other option is NCL Escape, which of course is a brand new ship with tons of activities. Along with those activities, comes more children, less days in Bermuda, and a not so great dock. So, is the Ms. Veendam really that bad or is it worth the older ship for the perks I mentioned?

Both cruises appear to be 7 day round trips out of Boston. You won't have much sea time on the Veendam - it is basically a Ferry to Bermuda. When you are in port 4 of your 7 days, you will have only 2 days to enjoy the ship or be bored on the ship. Plus the last night will be more dead with people packing etc...

The NCL cuts out a day in Bermuda and gives you a day at sea.

The difference in mooring location is a 20 minute taxi ride.

Do you want to return to the ship for lunch each day? If yes, points to the Veendam. If not ....location not that important...

If you really want to spend more time in Hamilton, skip the cruise and fly there.

Do you like sea days? If so points for NCL

Since you are opting for a cruise rather than a land vacation, I gather you place some value on the sea days.....

My vote would be to go on NCL, based on my reading of your priorities....more days at sea with more activities at sea - more fun on your cruise.

If you want a floating hotel, go with Veendam, it will be OK for your two sea days...

We did the 7 day Bermuda on the Veendam last summer. Our run was the last of the season and there were about 100 kids onboard, which we were told was the most they had had all season. Even despite the younger crowd, f you're looking for nightlife, things are very quiet on HAL in general, and especially so on our Bermuda cruise. With the 3 overnights, the evening entertainment was even more limited than usual on HAL. That being said, you will have downtown Hamilton literally at your doorstep, and there are quite a few bars and clubs right off the ship on Front street for those in search of nightlife. We would watch each night from the promenade deck as the crew would head out for some fun after their shifts were over for the evening.

For our Bermuda cruise, we were choosing between HAL and Celebrity Summit (also at the Dockyard). I was in favor of the Summit because we haven't sailed Celebrity in many years and really enjoy the line, but DD pushed for the Veendam because it docks in Hamilton. Needless to say, we chose Veendam and I am so glad we did. The location right in downtown Hamilton can't be beat, and it's so easy to pop off and pop back on the ship as needed. The Dockyard is a nice area, but it's very out of the way from the rest of the island. As an added bonus, on our last night there, the Veendam had a front row seat to the Harbor Nights festival on Front street - literally, the festival takes place right off of the gangway. What a treat this was - there was live music and performances from the Gombey dancers, bounce houses and games for the kids, food and drinks, and just a lively, fun atmosphere as the sun set. We saw many cruisers come to Harbor Nights from the Summit and the NCL ship at the Dockyard via the ferry, and they were quite envious of the Veendam's prime parking spot right downtown.

Bermuda is wonderful and the biggest perk of the Veendam is being able to dock in Hamilton. We're already trying to figure out how we can get back to Bermuda on the Veendam sooner rather than later, because we know she won't be around forever. Hope this helps, and good luck with your decision.