My VEENDAM to BERMUDA PowerPoint REVIEW

[chiapet]

Great family vacation from NYC to beautiful Bermuda on the classic Veendam with impeccable food and service!

 

BACKGROUND

* DH, DW, 2 DS (13 & 9) from South Jersey

* lots of previous cruise experience

 

EMBARKATION

Pier 90 at Manhattan Cruise Terminal (55th St & 12th Ave entrance)

* drove 2 hrs from South Jersey arrived ~11:30am

* parked @ Pier 90 rooftop for $245/week (Visa & MC accepted)

+ easy luggage drop off with porters at roof parking lot

+ NO wait at x-rays or check-in

+ seated waiting area with water & lemonade offered

+ waited only ~15min. until boarding #27 called & onboard by noon

~ be prepared to complete the medical statement prior to entering x-ray/check-in area

 

CABIN

Oceanview 694 (cat. E) – Main Deck (5) Aft Portside

+ cabin was ready immediately upon boarding

+ luggage was in our cabin right after lunch ~2pm

+ great location 2nd from end with access to aft open area

+ portside cabin with beautiful view of harbor while docked in Hamilton

+ lots of storage with 6 drawers and 2 large closets

+ additional 2 large, deep drawers under bed

+ 2 night stands with 2 drawers each also

+ 2 twin beds (may be pushed together), 1 sofa bed, and 1 trundle bunk above twin

+ small round stool seating with storage inside

+ lots of fluffy pillows & comfortable bedding

+ bath tub with shower in bathroom

+ in-cabin full-sized hair dryer with 220V plug

+ desk-top cosmetic mirror with hinged arm pull-out

+ ordered ahead refrigerator plugged in under counter with add’l 220V power strip

+ AC worked very well after we learned how to use the thermostat :)

~ turn thermostat clockwise=warmer and counter-clockwise=cooler even though the dial numbers seem counter-intuitive to that

~ only 2 outlets on counter: one European-style 220V outlet & 1 American-style 110V outlet

[chiapet]

RESTAURANTS

 

MARINERS EMBARKATION LUNCH

+ 12-1:30pm Rotterdam Dining Room – deck 7 aft

+ no wait to be seated and food served promptly

~ very limited menu

 

ROTTERDAM MAIN DINING ROOM

+ 5:15pm & 8:00pm Fixed Seating – deck 8 aft

+ 5:00pm-9:00pm Open Seating – deck 7 aft

+ open seating reservations could be made up to 3 days in advance

+ rotating menu choices were pretty good

+ all food was excellent quality and presented very well

+ requests for multiple dishes and even entrees as apps were graciously accommodated

+ formal nights Monday Captain’s Gala Dinner & Friday Farewell Dinner Surf-n-Turf

+ our walk-in wait averaged 20-30 min.

+ given pager and flute of champagne for your wait

+ complimentary cappuccino and espresso with dinner but sometimes very weak and flavorless

~ open seating reservations are for 5:15, 5:30, 8:00 times only

~ must make open seating reservations by 4pm

~ open seating walk-in long lines between 6:30-8pm

~ much longer wait if requesting table to yourselves

~ pager had no reception in cabins and other parts of ship

~ slow getting food at peak times

 

LIDO BUFFET

+ food was adequate

+ lots of ice cream/sorbet flavors with toppings too

+ also had soft-serve in addition to hard ice cream

+ Eggs Benedict station had numerous options

~ options differed slightly on both sides

~ required cover-up and footwear

~ check daily menu as food not always presented well and/or could not be seen easily

~ food served for first few days then became self-serve

~ beginning/end of lines were not always apparent so many people came from both directions

 

TERRACE GRILL

+ great location for access while at mid-ship pool

+ self-serve taco and condiments bar on many days during lunch

~ sometimes long lines waiting

 

MARINERS BRUNCH

+ invitation-only to 2 possible times at 11:00am or 1:30pm on last sea day

+ Rotterdam Dining Room – deck 7 aft

+ free champagne and gift

~ very limited menu

~ food service very slow

[chiapet]

ENTERTAINMENT

 

SHOWROOM AT SEA

+ Sunday - Listen to the Music (9:30pm)

+ Monday - Bob Mackie’s Broadway (7:30pm and 10pm)

+ Tuesday - Comedian John Joseph (7:30pm and 10pm) … funny

+ Wednesday - Indonesian Crew Show (11pm)

+ Thursday - Street Corner Symphony (7:30pm and 10pm)

+ Friday - Encore Musical Classics (7:30pm and 10pm)

+ Saturday - Comedian Kevin Jordan (7:30pm and 10pm) … funny

~ children should not be seated in first few rows

~ cabaret-style table and chair seating in front of stage

 

OCEAN BAR

+ Cocktails and Dancing with The Neptunes (6:30 -11:30pm)

~ spacious lounge area with small dance floor near Atrium

 

EXPLORER’S LOUNGE

+ Classical with Adagio Strings (7-11:30pm)

~ intimate lounge next to Pinnacle Grill

 

MIX

+ Solo Guitarist Darrel (5-9pm)

+ Piano Man Wil Key (9pm-close)

~ separated into 2 spaces as a piano bar and a pub-like bar

 

CROW’S NEST

+ various entertainment and dancing

~ very large with almost 3 distinct areas: quiet portside, nice TV-viewing starboard, and DJ dance floor aft

~ DJ/music ended usually ~ 1am

 

OTHER

+ various times for BINGO

+ Pub Trivia every night @ 6pm Mixx

+ Name That Tune trivia on various nights @ 8:30pm Crows Nest

+ Big Screen Movie everyday Wajang Theater with free popcorn

+ Wine Tastings ($7.50-15.00) and Mixology ($12.50) classes

+ lots of great technology classes in hi-tech Digital Workshop

+ daily Tai Chi (8am & 5pm)

[chiapet]

ACTIVITIES

 

LIDO POOL

+ cushioned loungers around pool area were very comfortable

+ shaded tables around perimeter with easy access to Lido Buffet and Terrace Grill

+ Lido Bar with sofa-type seating under umbrellas

~ very limited seating esp. shaded loungers

~ pool is very small and sometimes full of kids

~ sometimes a little smoky with BBQ

 

THE RETREAT (for all ages)

+ aft of ship behind the Lido Buffet

+ lots of loungers and some tables in shade

+ jacuzzi spas in raised area in the middle

+ pizza available here

~ could get windy on sea days

~ no real pool

 

HAL KIDS CLUB

+ easy sign-up on embarkation day

+ nice outdoor Oasis and indoor Loft for Teens

+ smaller indoor area for younger Kids(3-7) and Tweens(8-12)

+ sea days: 9-11:30am, 1-4pm, 7-10pm

+ port days: 8-4pm, 7-10pm

+ great Xbox game room and FREE Xbox game rental

~ activities for Teens over 13 were more unstructured and come-as-you-please

~ Tweens could sign themselves out (if parents allowed)

 

FITNESS CENTER

+ small but plenty of equipment with TVs too

+ daily FREE Sunrise Stretch (30min) @ 7am

+ daily FREE Abs, Conditioning, Aerobics, Boxercise classes (30min) @ 7:30am & 5pm

+ Spinning (8am MTWRS), Yoga (9am MW, 4pm S) & Pilates (9am RS, 4pm M) $12/class or $50 for 5

+ cold washcloths were available and refreshing

~ spinning bikes were antiquated and limited to 6 participants

 

SPORTS COURTS

+ small-sized tennis court on deck 12 aft portside

+ small-sized basketball court on deck 12 aft starboard

+ entrances near Club HAL at deck 12 aft

~ only half of basketball court usable since other hoop hung down

~ netting around courts did not always keep balls in

~ bouncing could be heard as bangs in Lido Buffet below

 

OTHER ACTIVITIES

+ chess/crossword tables in Explorations Café

+ extensive self check-out book library in Exploration’s Café

+ daily Sudoku, Trivia and Crosswords in Exploration’s Café

+ 2 ping pong tables near Lido pool deck 11 portside

+ large deck-sized chess/checkers near Lido pool deck 11 portside

 

CRUISE DIRECTOR & EXPLORATIONS STAFF

+ CD Gene Young was very personable and was always seen everywhere doing a lot of the activities himself

+ DJ Styles, Lifestylist Thomas, Party Planner Sydney, Travel Guide Monique, Techspert Trevor, and Librarian Erika were all friendly and wonderful

[chiapet]

BERMUDA

* purchased a 3-day bus/ferry pass for $28 adult - $14 children

 

HORSESHOE BAY

+ 40min. ride from Hamilton on #7 bus

+ beautiful wide beach with lots of space

+ water was spectacular and crystal clear

+ nice walk along beaches

+ restrooms and showers were available

~ $11 rental beach chairs/umbrellas each with additional $5 deposit

~ long walk down/uphill to/from beach from bus stop

~ food and drinks were very expensive but available

 

ST. GEORGE’S – TOBACCO BAY

+ 1 hr ride from Hamilton on #1, 3, 10 or 11 bus

+ or take ferry from Hamilton to Dockyard then to St. George’s

+ Wench Ducking MTWRS @ noon at King’s Square

+ 15 min. walk from St. George’s to Tobacco Bay

+ walk up Duke of Kent St. passing Unfinished Church along the way

+ very large shallow swimming area great for snorkeling

+ restrooms were available

~ very small beach area

~ very rocky in water with lots of sharp coral

~ rent snorkeling equipment for $10 with additional deposit

~ rent 2 loungers & umbrella for $20 with additional deposit

~ umbrellas were limited and ran out quickly

~ food and drinks were very expensive but available

 

HARBOR NIGHTS FESTIVAL

+ Wednesday night 7-10pm on Front Street

+ great location just in front of ship

+ ongoing music and dancing started at 7pm near stage area

+ lots of food and souvenir vendors everywhere

+ activities for kids also available for a fee

~ crowded near stage so get there early to get close for kids

[chiapet]

DISEMBARKATION

Easy Walk-Off

+ woke up late & had a late buffet breakfast without feeling rushed

+ final statement delivered overnight and was fine

+ deck 5 forward starboard gangway

+ walk-off passengers called first without delay

+ waited in our cabin for our disembarkation color/# group

+ lines disembarking ship moved quickly

+ luggage was easily found in terminal

~ never received information for disembarkation breakfast times

~ disembarkation started late awaiting luggage setup in terminal

~ only 2 sets of 2 customs agents in terminal upon exiting

~ look for the other set of customs agents at the far side of terminal

 

TIPS

* daily program Explorer was delivered outside door on previous day in the late afternoon before dinner

* bring unlimited wine & champagne onboard for in-cabin consumption

* or even purchase wine/champagne in Bermuda to bring back onboard

* no thru- access on deck 7 forward to aft

* check out the Explorer for daily Happy Hour specials in many locations for buy-1-get-2nd-for $1

* get FREE movies to play in cabin DVD player from front desk (only 1 per cabin at a time)

* some promenade deck loungers for general public available near doors

* self-laundry facilities available on decks 5, 6 and 9 for $2 wash & $1 dry

* aft “OSCAR” STAIRWAY (not on deck plans) runs from deck 11 down to deck 5

* large open area on deck 5 aft (not on deck plans) is great for wake watching but no seating

* low starboard aft cabins had view blocked by pink Bermuda building at pier and others on lower decks may also have had a view of the concrete wall while docked in Hamilton port

* please do the MANDATORY lifeboat drill @ 4:15pm embarkation day or else Captain calls your name while making EVERYONE wait on deck for your arrival

* Digital Workshop is in the Queen’s Room deck 8 aft portside

* MIX had a few interactive touch-screen game table tops that were entertaining

* don’t sit in the front few rows during Comedian shows unless you want to be part of the show

* Rum Swizzles were tasty and found best-priced 50oz for $18 across the ship on Front St.

* go check out Cairo Nightclub (no cover) across from ship on Front St. after shipboard lounges close

* ship time set forward then back 1 hour on the first and last sea days to match local Bermuda time

* 30min. FREE computer internet access at Bermuda National Library on Queen Street

* public bus/ferry transportation gets you everywhere … pick up the bus/ferry schedule with maps

* MDR dinner menu items could be found in the Lido Buffet as well

* use the hand sanitizer liquid or even the mechanical hand washers found near the Lido Buffet

[cruz chic]

Love the format of your review. When I see a review that's 20 pages long I just can't read it. I know some folks love that but I really don't. This is great! Thx so much.

[innlady1]

Love the format of your review...very helpful for those who are planning a cruise to Bermuda on the Veendam.

Glad you enjoyed your cruise...we loved ours, too!

[chiapet]

Love the format of your review. When I see a review that's 20 pages long I just can't read it. I know some folks love that but I really don't. This is great! Thx so much.

 

You're quite welcome :)

 

And *ditto* for me on the reading of 20 page reviews too ;)

[ManyMore]

Thanks for the review, thinking of the Veendam for next Sunday.

[portofrome]

Thanks for the review.

[johnlcruise]

Great review. Wish all reviews where like this. To the point.

[RuthC]

ENTERTAINMENT

 

SHOWROOM AT SEA

 

 

OCEAN BAR

 

EXPLORER’S LOUNGE

 

 

MIX

 

 

CROW’S NEST

 

 

OTHER

Thank you so much for listing all these out! This is exactly what should be in every cruise report.

 

Glad you had a good time. Isn't Bermuda beautiful.

[kazu]

I think you covered every aspect of the cruise:D Well done indeed:D

 

Welcome home and thanks so much:)

[westview1]

Great review and thanks for posting! We're on the Veendam in August and I've been looking for information about the ship. One question, do the washers have detergent included? I've read you push a button and the detergent dispenses automatically.

[PathfinderEss]

Thanks for doing the 'powerpoint' review of you cruise on the Veendam. Glad you had a good time.

[innlady1]

Great review and thanks for posting! We're on the Veendam in August and I've been looking for information about the ship. One question, do the washers have detergent included? I've read you push a button and the detergent dispenses automatically.

 

That is correct. All you need to bring are dryer sheets.

[chiapet]

Great review and thanks for posting! We're on the Veendam in August and I've been looking for information about the ship. One question, do the washers have detergent included? I've read you push a button and the detergent dispenses automatically.

 

Yes ... the washers have built-in detergent dispensing ... so you don't have to worry about bringing it :)

[westview1]

That is correct. All you need to bring are dryer sheets.

 

Yes ... the washers have built-in detergent dispensing ... so you don't have to worry about bringing it :)

 

Thanks! One less thing for me to obsess about. :)

[vivavegas]

Nice review! Very informative and well written! Glad you enjoyed your cruise!:)

[sail7seas]

Great Review.

Thanks. :)

 

[patrick65]

Thank you for very good review which was short on opinion and long on fact. This review was very useful for someone seeking information. The review was well thought out and organized.

[aliaschief]

Great format and informative review. Than you for sharing your cruise experience.

[trustee55]

Thank you so much!

Even though we have been to Bermuda many times, we have never received information in such a terrific manner.

We will make use of your information while on shore and onboard ship.

 

Happy Sailing,

 

Carol Ann

[Himself]

You had a unique format and a great scouting report. Thank You for sharing it.