Veendam Fantastic from Quebec to Boston!

[respondeat.cruiser]

DS and I had a fantastic cruise from Quebec to Boston starting on May 11th. We went to celebrate his finishing his freshman year, to see new places and to relax.

 

We'd been on the Veendam before, with the whole family, from NYC to Bermuda. And this is our first time repeating on a HAL ship. I thought it was really cool to look out a window and see the Chateau Frontenac and know that I'd previously seen the Berumdian Parliament through that same window.

 

On that Bermuda cruise, it was occasionally uncomfortably warm inside the ship. There was no such problem this trip, but then again it was occasionally uncomfortably cool outside, so that may be the answer. And the Veendam's critics will be happy--or will they be?--to know that the black net in the dining room is gone. It didn't really affect me in the first place, but as they removed it section by section, day by day, I did start to really appreciate the subtle and beautiful light fixtures previously obscured.

 

On to the cruise itself!

 

We stayed in an ocean view cabin on A deck in excellent repair, and had a four-top for two in the fixed first-seating. We both easily and happily finished two entrees every night! The best meal was, easily, surf and turf on the last formal night. But that should be removed from the running, just like Oprah won't take anymore Emmys. So then, I'd say the best entree was a game hen stuffed with goat cheese and spinach. Delicious!

 

Quebec was fantastic and I wished I'd had even more time there, especially to get outside the city. We toured the Governor General's secondary residence inside the Citadel. It gave us a great lesson on Canadian political history, and the residence is filled with excellent contemporary Canadian art, and features stunning views of the river. And they let us take the tour for free! Because they ran out of tickets! Now that's a great taste of Canada for you.

 

Anyone traveling with kids should strongly consider going to the Musee de Civilsation. It's just across the street and two blocks down from the cruise terminal. Reasonably priced, child and student discounts. They have an excellent exhibit on the First Nations. But the kids will love the exhibit on the history of video games, sponsored by Canadian software company Activision. It's very informative, and you can actually play the games! If that doesn't make the kids happy, I don't know what will.

 

We had an excellent sea day in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. The next day we were in Charlottetown, PEI. DS and I rented bikes and rode all around the town and its outskirts. We got the bikes from the tourism center. And I think bike shops let you rent too. Doing this over, I'd plan out a route in advance. But wandering aimlessly was fun too.

 

We stopped for mussels at the restaurant nearest the dock. Incredible! They had the subtle mussel taste we know and love. Returned the bikes, and reboarded the ship for lunch. Then I ran around downtown Charlottetown. Province House, their state legislature, is free and open to the public. It has a very informative video on the 1864 conference in that very building where the Canadians got together and decided to create Canada. Beautiful architecture.

 

The next day, off of Sidney, I woke to rough seas and howling winds. I was in the gym at 6:45 am when Captain Bas von Drumel got on the PA system. I knew what he was going to say before he said it--we weren't making our call on the port. Oh well. I needed another sea day. I love them, and I am used to two of them on a seven day cruise. A perfect day to nap and read on the lido deck. With the roof closed, it was warm and I didn't need to worry about sunscreen. Perfect.

 

At this point, some of the older passengers started complaining that there wasn't enough to do aboard the ship. I'll admit, the schedule each day did seem a little thin, and many things seemed to happen simultaneously. But if you're bored then you're boring. And if you're bored on a cruise ship then I really think nothing will help you. In any case, I enjoyed doing virtually nothing that day.

 

That night, our waiter brought us each a glass of champagne with the Captain's apologies. We were in good spirits, and asked our waiter to please tell the captain we forgive him.

 

We also got a refund of $17.95 pp. Just fine.

 

I really can't comment on the shows. The only one I went to was the comedian who was hilarious, but I can't remember his name. Usually, I'd go back to the pool after dinner. The sun shone till past 8:00, and I loved to swim and to read and to write in perfect peace.

 

The next day was a wet one in Halifax. We toured the citadel. It was fantastic. In the citadel is an excellent museum of Canadian military history. Our guide was a retired Colonel and Medical Aide. Very colorful and very informative. Well worth the hike up the hill. Their Province House is also free and open. In Halifax, they formed the first responsible government in Canada, which seems to mean that they formed a reasonably representative democracy that taxed and spent. Sometime in the 1830's I think. I want to look up whether Benign Neglect continued in Canada past the French and Indian War, and if that's why they were content to remain in the British Empire.

 

Thinking of that, it was great to learn about big moments in American history from a new perspective. For example, in Quebec, the French and Indian War is called the Seven Years War. And the history lessons you learn have a very different, and extremely valuable perspective.

 

Also in Halifax, the Art Gallery is currently free because half the exhibits are closed. But the Maud Lewis exhibit is open, beautiful and inspirational. Lewis suffered from debilitating juvenile arthritis, and made tremendous paintings regardless.

 

Also, the Maritime Museum has excellent exhibits, including the only intact deck chair from the Titanic. You can even sit in a replica! I learned that passengers rented them for 12-hour periods, and tipped for preferred spots. They could be reserved in advance by writing to the company HQ.

 

I was a little surprised to learn that the add-on/up-sell existed all the way back then. Told my dad about this, and he waxed on about the good old days on Home Line, when he would rent a deck chair from the deck steward by the pool. "None of this business where you put out a towel in the morning, and come back to the pool in the afternoon!" Maybe this is the way to solve the problem when it's bad. But we didn't have enough people on deck this trip to worry about chair hogs. To be relatively young!

 

The next day we were in Bar Harbor. Clearing immigration was a breeze once it started--half an hour late. I just feel sorry for the fools who lined up an hour early. Now you know, don't worry about getting a good spot. The line will move quickly. And this was the best tendering operation I've experienced on HAL. So don't worry about that either.

 

DS and I walked across the exposed sand bar that put the "bar" in Bar Harbor, over to Bar Island. We hiked all up, over, and around that island, which is actually part of Acadia National Park. Then it was time for lunch, and we found an excellent restaurant with the "downeast special" of NE clam chowder, a 1.25 lb lobster, and blueberry pie ala mode for $23. Beyond belief! The lobster was the best I've ever had. So fresh that there was meat on the sides of its chest, tenderer than even the claw! And the blueberry pie was so good that even DS admitted, "it's pretty tasty."!

 

I can't remember the name, but when you get out of the tender building, make a left, walk maybe three blocks, and it's somewhere on your left side, advertising this special.

 

I then ran around Bar Harbor and its outskirts. I was hoping to see some puffins. The best I got were some taxidermied puffins in the natural history museum at the College of the Atlantic.

 

Getting off in Boston was a breeze. We stayed the night in the Long Wharf Marriott--we walked there with our bags from the terminal--where we met the rest of our family, and told our stories, and had a great meal at our favorite restaurant in the North End, Cafe Pompeii.

 

It was a great cruise, and I'm sure I'll take it again because the rest of the family wants to go. Next time, I want to focus more on natural history and see the countryside of the ports. I learned a great deal about military, political, cultural and art history. And that's surely a great litany for one week.

 

But for now, I have no cruises booked, and the World Cruise bloggers are all on hiatus. What ever am I going to do?

[KirkNC]

Why book another cruise of course :p. Glad you had a good time. I am surprised HAL has not incorporated selling chair locations (unless that is what the cabanas are for).

[shrimp56]

Thank you for your fine report. We'll be on the Veendam on June 15 doing the trip the other direction.

[Heartfruit]

Thank you for your tip on Musee de la Civilisation. I had it on our maybe list for July but I think an exhibit on video games will convince the rest of the family. My daughter is actually pretty good in fine art museums but it helps if there is something we know she'll really like.

[sail7seas]

What a wonderful review. We've sailed Maasdam, Boston to Montreal to Boston, so many times but this year are sailing Veendam and your review has really made me excited to eagerly look forward to it.

 

I'm thrilled to hear the ceiling netting in MDR has been removed.

 

Thanks for taking the time and effort to share with us.

Welcome back. :)

[mamaofami]

Great review and I'm so happy to hear the netting is down. Those beautiful fixtures deserve to be enjoyed.

[innlady1]

did they replace the glass Murano lights with the lighter weight synthetic ones? That's what I was told would happen when we were on Ryndam this winter.

[PathfinderEss]

Thanks for the review of your Veendam cruise, glad you had a good time.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thank you for your review.

Glad you had another wonderful cruise on the Veendam.

[HamOp]

*snip*

The next day, off of Sidney, I woke to rough seas and howling winds. I was in the gym at 6:45 am when Captain Bas von Drumel got on the PA system. I knew what he was going to say before he said it--we weren't making our call on the port. Oh well. I needed another sea day. I love them, and I am used to two of them on a seven day cruise. A perfect day to nap and read on the lido deck. With the roof closed, it was warm and I didn't need to worry about sunscreen. Perfect.

 

 

That's what I call making lemonade out of lemons. Great attitude!

 

It's folks like you that will enjoy and make the most out of any adverse situation. Well Done!!:)

[Friend100]

Thanks for the review. I enjoy reading it.

[Mr. Boston]

Thanks for taking the time to write such an informative review. We board the Veendam this coming Saturday and your review has helped to answer some questions that I had. Glad you had a nice time and we hope to as well.

[RCT]

Very excited to read your review. We are taking this cruise on the 25th. Glad to hear you were pleased with your cabin. Also staying on A deck, room 789, toward the stern. Is that close to your cabin? What nights were formal nights?

[portofrome]

Thanks for your review.

[innlady1]

Thank you for such a beautifully written review. The Veendam is a lovely ship!

[rafinmd]

Thank you for a very nice review of my next ship. It's interesting how the Maasdam has been virtually worshiped for years while the Veendam has been considered a hulk falling apart and how things have reversed so quickly. Hopefully, the Maasdam will soon be back in top condition and these 2 ships will again both be gems.

 

Roy

[George C]

Thanks for the excellent review, we sailed Veendam last year and enjoyed her

[themerle]

Thanks for sharing your review!

[respondeat.cruiser]

answers to questions!

 

I'm not sure about the light fixtures, glass vs. synthetic. I'd guess synthetic, though, based on the way they had the replacements stacked in that little band platform. Regardless, they look excellent.

 

The formal nights were the scheduled sea day, and Halifax. I saw many more tuxedos than ever before, but felt fine in a suit.

 

We were in cabin 73-something, A deck, port side, amidship.

 

 

Also, a slight correction, to get to the great lobster place in Bar Harbor, make a right out of the tender building and not a left.

 

 

I'm glad my review has been informative and enjoyable. I learn a lot and get a lot of fun out of this forum. So it's nice that I can send that back.

[sail7seas]

Was the lobster restaurant on the opposite side of the street from the water and a new small hotel built just in front of it? It's nagging at me to remember the name and it's eluding me. Don't 'ya hate when that happens? :D

 

[sail7seas]

West Street Cafe...... I think that is the name?

Sound familiar?

[geoherb]

Thanks for posting your review. We were on the same cruise and also had a good time. And reading some of the things you did in port makes me want to go back and see more.

 

As for the lights in the dining room, the new ones are plastic (or some sort of lightweight resin). They had a scaffold set up in the dining room the Saturday we boarded (when we ate lunch there).

 

As for condition of the ship, we thought it was fine, although our room's temperature was a little cool even with the thermostat set all the way over on the heat side. We did eat breakfast with a couple who was not so lucky with their cabin assignment. There was a sewage leak that kept them from their original cabin. They waited over an hour for another assignment. And after they had finished unpacking, they were told they had to move. They ended up in one of the Lower Promenade cabins at the aft (Cat. D). They complained about the noise of people walking around and the noise from the dining room above, the latter being most prevalent before 6 a.m. every morning as the waiters set up the dining room for breakfast.

 

Another couple we met told us about a water leak in the cabin next to theirs. It was bad enough that some of the water seeped into their cabin as well. That happened on the May 4 cruise. The cabin with the leak was not occupied during the cruise. The ship's employees set up fans that ran constantly in it to try to evaporate the moisture.

[mamaofami]

West Street Cafe...... I think that is the name?

Sound familiar?

 

Yes. I think that's it.

[Toad]

Was the lobster restaurant on the opposite side of the street from the water and a new small hotel built just in front of it? It's nagging at me to remember the name and it's eluding me. Don't 'ya hate when that happens? :D

 

 

Sail: I think it is called the West Street Hotel and it is open.

[innlady1]

answers to questions!

 

I'm not sure about the light fixtures, glass vs. synthetic. I'd guess synthetic, though, based on the way they had the replacements stacked in that little band platform. Regardless, they look excellent.

 

The formal nights were the scheduled sea day, and Halifax. I saw many more tuxedos than ever before, but felt fine in a suit.

 

We were in cabin 73-something, A deck, port side, amidship.

 

 

Also, a slight correction, to get to the great lobster place in Bar Harbor, make a right out of the tender building and not a left.

 

 

I'm glad my review has been informative and enjoyable. I learn a lot and get a lot of fun out of this forum. So it's nice that I can send that back.

 

I do believe synthetic...that's what I was told on the Ryndam by the former Hotel Director on the Veendam. I'm sure they look lovely...and are a lot safer than glass!