Volendam New Zealand 11-21-11 mini review

[clr0806]

First off we had a wonderful vacation and the itinerary on this trip was wonderful. Our favorite ports were Akaroa, New Zealand and Burnie, Tasmania. We chose this ship because of the itinerary and I was glad we did. Unfortunately we were not big Hal fans. Previous sailings on Celebrity were far better in terms of service and food. Some complaints-At dinner we were never asked if we wanted anything other than the water they poured at the start of dinner. We had to ask for iced tea half way through dinner. We sat at a table of 8. All of us thought the menus were poor. Lido dining was limited with the same choices as dinner so if you did not find something you liked on the menu you had little to choose from in Lido. We did love Canelleto and the Pinnacle grill. The ship was more worn looking than expected considering it just went to dry dock. Ships tours were expensive. One issue I have is that I really feel water should be included in all day tours that cost $229 per person. I really hated to have to buy and lug around water bottles all day. While I would consider Hal again it would have to be a great itinerary. Husband lost weight first time ever on vacation as the food was just not up to our standards.

[kazu]

Thanks for your review. Sorry to hear about your food and MDR experience. Glad you enjoyed the ports.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Glad you enjoyed the ports.

 

Sorry that the food was not up to your expectations.

[Winters in NZ]

Including bottled water with tours would be a nice added touch, especially with consideration to the profit margin that is being earned by the cruise suits.

 

The Canaletto is a gem... as it was on our last 2 cruises this year aboard the Maasdam and Zaandam.

 

Our previous cruise last year had been with the Celebrity Mercury, ...but we found the food and service to be eqivalent to that of HAL.

 

We have chosen as-you-wish dining the last 2 cruises. Different sizes of tables, different waiters...indeed more variety of table-mates. Unfortunately it won't improve the perceived quality of the food.

 

It's unfortunate that the Volendam had been in dry dock and that you felt it still looked worn. Happy cruising.