Oosterdam Recent Reviews

[Abe]

I recently recommended HAL to our neighbors (who are in their late 50's) who were looking for a reasonably priced cruise to Alaska that wouldn't be overrun with kids. I had been on the Oosterdam in 2008 and had a wonderful time on her. The food was great, entertainment was fine, cabin was super, etc. I just read the newest 5 reviews of the Oosterdam for the Alaska voyage that my neighbors booked on my recommendation. YIKES!!! - the reviews were pretty bad.

 

Has anyone been on the Oosterdam very recently that might have a few GOOD things to say about her? I'm going to feel so awful if the quality of the Oosterdam experience has deteriorated so drastically since 2008.

 

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks.

[cruz chic]

Here is a live thread from someone that was just on the Oosterdam. As far as I can remember I think it was mostly positive.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1850115

[Abe]

lorekauf: Thank you so much for the link. The live thread was wonderfully positive and made me feel much better about recommending the Oosterdam.

[Alwv]

We were on the Oosterdam May 19-26 with another couple, and we all agreed that the Oosterdam was wonderful. The ship was beautifully maintained and clean, with excellent service. The food in the MDR was very good (with the exception of some tough steaks), and we enjoyed the entertainment more than any other cruise we've taken. If your friends' experience is anything like ours, they will have a great time.

[Abe]

Alwv: Thank you so much for taking the time to respond to my inquiry. I'm so relieved your experience was also very positive.

[Classiccruiser777]

We returned this Sunday, June 2, from Alaska on the Oosterdam. The food in the dining room, overall service and cabin (especially the beds) were very good.

 

I'm a frequent Cunard customer and, to me, the ship looks a bit worn and I wasn't happy with the Lido at all which looks very dated.

 

This is my second HAL cruise in the last three years and I will take another.

[Abe]

Classiccruiser777: Thanks for your reply. You said the Lido looked very dated and you weren't happy with it at all. Was the food and/or selection not very good? Did you eat most of your meals in the dining room?

 

Thanks

[Classiccruiser777]

Classiccruiser777: Thanks for your reply. You said the Lido looked very dated and you weren't happy with it at all. Was the food and/or selection not very good? Did you eat most of your meals in the dining room?

 

We ate two meals in our cabin (room service) and the rest in the dining room. The Lido food was somewhat limited and the ambiance lacking. Just no comparison to the dining room experience where both the decor and food were far superior.

 

Here's a link to a recent Oosterdam Lido picture:

http://wakdjunkaga.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/lido-restaurant.jpg

 

As I stated I'm a Cunarder and, as a comparison, here's a link to a picture of Queen Victoria's Lido:

http://www.allaboutcunard.com/2007/12/lido-buffet-servery-deck-9-queen.html

 

I greatly prefer the Cunard version but Cunard doesn't offer cruises out of Seattle to Alaska. Please don't take this as a negative review. The Oosterdam cruise was of good value and we thouroughly enjoyed ourselves.

[Abe]

Classiccruiser777: Thank you again for your reply and thank you especially for the photos. The Queen Victoria Lido/Buffet is indeed beautiful and modern.

 

I was very glad to read that you "thoroughly enjoyed yourselves" and thought that the Oosterdam was a good value. That's everything I had hoped for when I recommended the Oosterdam to my friends.

 

Thanks for your posts.

[obriendan]

We were recently on the Oosterdam for the 37 day Auckland to Seattle cruise, March 30 to May 5th. It was a wonderful cruise. The ship is in excellent shape. We did anytime dining and rarely had to wait at all for seating. The food in the MDR room was excellent and usually we were out in an hour and a half. We found the Lido to be very good with a wide variety of things to choose from.

 

We had a varandah cabin, 5047, and everything worked well, AC, toilet , etc. As always, the Indonesian and Filipino service personnel are their friendly and efficient best. They are why we return to HAL over and over again.

 

If your friends go with a positive attitude and ignore the very little things, they will have a wonderful cruise.

 

Dan

[Abe]

Dan: Thanks for sharing your recent experiences on the Oosterdam. I'm so relieved thanks to you and all of the other wonderful CC'ers who answered my request for current info. You're so right about a positive attitude. I'm always a happy camper/cruiser and it sounds like you are too.

 

Again, my thanks.

[tangerinebunny]

We were on the Oosterdam this May and she's a beautiful ship. We were in 7076 and the service was excellent.

 

Opinions on food are so personal. The Pinnacle Grill was excellent with service to match. The Lido was filled with indifferent employees and pushy passengers (just my take). I've told my spouse that I'll accompany him to Alaska on HAL next year only if I never have to set foot in the Lido. The food served at the Lido evening meal wasn't always of the same quality as that in the MDR; for example, I had a shrimp cocktail that consisted on a few pieces of broken shrimp with a little cocktail sauce.

 

I love the Oosterdam; the staff was wonderful as usual. I didn't notice the worn areas on the ship. But the food on HAL is not improving....

[Abe]

tangerinebunny: Thank you for your feedback on your recent Oosterdam cruise. I agree that food is very subjective. On our last cruise on the Ruby Princess, we found just the opposite - the food in the Lido (selection, flavor and freshness) was far better than the main dining rooms. That's never been the case in the past. Go figure . . .

 

I'm so glad your overall opinion of the Oosterdam was favorable.

 

Thanks for your input.

[cruiselovers20]

We were in the Oosterdam for 27 days in March to visit the s pacific islands, australia and auckland and had a wonderful time! Highly recommended!

[cruz chic]

We ate two meals in our cabin (room service) and the rest in the dining room. The Lido food was somewhat limited and the ambiance lacking. Just no comparison to the dining room experience where both the decor and food were far superior.

 

Here's a link to a recent Oosterdam Lido picture:

http://wakdjunkaga.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/lido-restaurant.jpg

 

As I stated I'm a Cunarder and, as a comparison, here's a link to a picture of Queen Victoria's Lido:

http://www.allaboutcunard.com/2007/12/lido-buffet-servery-deck-9-queen.html

 

I greatly prefer the Cunard version but Cunard doesn't offer cruises out of Seattle to Alaska. Please don't take this as a negative review. The Oosterdam cruise was of good value and we thouroughly enjoyed ourselves.

Nice picture. I think Hal ships do look dated as a rule. I really wish they would be more modern in their decor.

[Abe]

Cruiselovers20: Thanks for your input. I was so surprised that the most recent Oosterdam cruises to Alaska had such poor reviews because the previous reviews including your cruise to Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands had pretty good reviews and ratings.

 

Thanks for taking the time to respond.

[cruz chic]

Cruiselovers20: Thanks for your input. I was so surprised that the most recent Oosterdam cruises to Alaska had such poor reviews because the previous reviews including your cruise to Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands had pretty good reviews and ratings.

 

Thanks for taking the time to respond.

 

You just never know how high maintenance some people are. I read some of the reviews posted there and found it interesting that the poster thought the Alfredo was made from flour and water only. Really? I'm hoping to sneak in a cruise this summer aboard the O but I'll have to wait to see what happens in the near term. I have pleasant memories of the O and I bet your friends will too.

[Wastegirl]

Abe I also saw the recent reviews and thought to myself, were they on the same ship I was in March and will be again in October. I think these negative reviews prove the point that if people have a good time they don't review and if they have a bad time they do (I did review).

 

We had a wonderful time, right the ship is not brand spanking new, extra modern and 5+ star. What it was was clean, comfortable, well maintained and of good 4 star quality. Also, the staff were wonderful and patient, very patient. Being on the Australian South Pacific run, IMO, made a difference to the age of the clientèle and we are a very laid back lot anyway.

 

As for food, as stated previously, it is subjective. I enjoyed the Pinnacle Grill, found Caneletto's fine, nothing outstanding but it was a quiet place where you were served, nice touch. Was not fond of the MDR, though that had nothing to do with the food and more to do with the fact we found it a little rushed. Whereas we enjoyed the LIDO in the evening as it is the quietest dining spot on the ship and you can linger to your hearts content. The actual food was good banquet and above. It was a matter of looking at what was being offered and thinking in your head, will that work cooked on a large scale. Yes the LIDO is old fashioned but that did not worry us.

 

Our room was clean and comfortable, fantastic room stewards. Entertainment was enjoyable but if you go expecting what you pay hundred's of dollars for at home, you will be disappointed.

 

The bottom line, we had a great time, loved HAL because it was like a ship not a floating hotel (love the Promenade Deck).

[Abe]

Wastegirl: Thank you for your mini review of your March cruise. I am very grateful for your input.

 

I by no means meant to cast dispersions on the recent Oosterdam reviewers for the Alaskan cruises in May. Heck - I've made a few negative comments in my reviews over the years but I just couldn't believe the Oosterdam had completely gone to pot with her repositioning to Alaska.

 

Again, my thanks to all who posted.

[Abe]

You just never know how high maintenance some people are. I read some of the reviews posted there and found it interesting that the poster thought the Alfredo was made from flour and water only. Really? I'm hoping to sneak in a cruise this summer aboard the O but I'll have to wait to see what happens in the near term. I have pleasant memories of the O and I bet your friends will too.

 

Lorekauf: I hope you'll be able to sneak in a cruise this summer on the O and I'll look forward to reading all about it.

 

Thanks.

[Valley Girl of VA]

I was one of those on the ship in February who had written about not a very positive experience on the ship. I have to preface it and say that although I had a great time with all the people I had met and things that I did this cruise was lacking in many ways from other HAL cruises. Food was fine (beef tough), the crew was amazing, the decor is what it is and is not a make it or break it for me but many little things just seemed to fall by the wayside. Many little things added up to our overall somewhat negative experience on the cruise. Just tell them to go with a positive attitude, meet people, and have fun. Everyone's experience is different depending on what your expectations are and your experiences.

[Abe]

Valley Girl of VA: I know what you mean about a lot of little things adding up to make for a negative experience but I was glad to hear that in spite of the things that went wrong you still had a good time. My friends have not cruised much and they're very upbeat so I believe they'll have a great time no matter what.

 

Thank you for replying to my post.

[mrsdoc3]

We were recently on the Oosterdam for the 37 day Auckland to Seattle cruise, March 30 to May 5th. It was a wonderful cruise. The ship is in excellent shape. We did anytime dining and rarely had to wait at all for seating. The food in the MDR room was excellent and usually we were out in an hour and a half. We found the Lido to be very good with a wide variety of things to choose from.

 

We had a varandah cabin, 5047, and everything worked well, AC, toilet , etc. As always, the Indonesian and Filipino service personnel are their friendly and efficient best. They are why we return to HAL over and over again.

 

If your friends go with a positive attitude and ignore the very little things, they will have a wonderful cruise.

 

Dan

 

My cousin and her husband were on this cruise as well. I believe it was their 34th cruise. Not sure I could spend that long on a ship.

[RandyinDEN]

We were on the Big O for the June 2-9 Alaska Inside passage. We liked the ship, found it clean and the staff wonderful as always with HAL. My only complaint is that the 70's colors are getting old for HAL, they really need to improve their color schemes. Unfortunatelly the person that is decorating the newest HAL ship is the same one the did the Nieuw Amsterdam so I don't think there is much hope there.

 

We went to the Pinnacle 5 evenings because we don't like the crowds and noise of the MDR, so if you go try to sit in Agus and Ricky's section. They are very good, attentative, and personable. On the final evening I told Rickey that I couldn't order dessert and was too full. He then brought me a plate with the word "Nothing" written in chocolate. I know that has been done before, but he got a kick out of it and it shows just quickly you cat get attached to the staff.

 

We ran into Peppito at one of the bars on our first day, and remembered him from the Nieuw Amsterdam in 2010. He quickly remembered my wife and I and pulled out his Ipad to show us pictures of his now 2 year old daughter. His wife was pregnant when we first met him, so it was nice to get an update.

 

Enjoy the Big O

[Abe]

Randyinden: Thank you for your input on your recent Oosterdam cruise. I so agree with you about the dated color schemes on the HAL ships. I'll pass along your recommendation about the Pinnacle to my friends.

 

Mrsdoc3: I'm with you. 14-18 days is about the longest cruise I can handle. I hope your cousin and her husband had a great time on the Oosterdam.

 

Thank you both for taking the time to respond.