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Oosterdam Review December 16-23, Western Carib

ken4556

By ken4556,
in Holland America Line

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catl331

catl331

Posted
Posted
Location and Weather are under the Info sub menu.
On the Oosterdam on this cruise (12/16-23) the location and weather were under the Services sub-menu, and I don't think there was an Info option. Bow and stern cams were under Live TV.
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retdon

retdon

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Enjoyed the review and have a few questions. We are booked in march and have been on the O before the redo. Upgraded to a SS from a VA and looking forward to the "sweet" life again.

 

What nights were the gala dress nights?

Was lobster served in the MDR on the second gala night?

Were there any Caribbean pool BBQ or parties, and what night?

What days was the MDR open for lunch?

 

Thanks for you responses, we are looking forward to the ports as we have never been to Honduras or Guatemala. Trying to pick our tours now, we are not beach folks and want to see the area. Linda

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POA1 "Live from...." Rare

POA1

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Posted
AutoBauding? I haven't seen that phrase since my 56kBd modem bit the dust.

 

Thanks for all the Oosterdam info it will be very helpful for us.

It's been replaced by the spinning wheely thing or just buffering... It's nice to know that I'm not the only person who lived in the age of the dinosaurs.

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ken4556 "Live from...." Rare

ken4556

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What nights were the gala dress nights?

 

Sunday might (sea day after Key West) and Wednesday night (Costa Maya port day).

 

Was lobster served in the MDR on the second gala night?

 

Yes, surf and turf was on the menu. It was very good.

 

Were there any Caribbean pool BBQ or parties, and what night?

 

None were offered on our cruise.

 

What days was the MDR open for lunch?

 

Only on day 3, sea day between Key West and Roatan. On Friday, boarding day, and Thursday, the last sea day, the dining room was only open for the Mariner lunch.

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KamiKake

KamiKake

Posted
Posted (edited)

DH and I were on the Oosterdam Dec 23-30. It was my first cruise so I honestly have nothing to compare it too, but we had a blast. We are both in our 40's and found the crowd to be very much our speed. Very relaxing. A few high points for us was the Dive Bar for a fantastic burger or dog and fries! We would have lived there had we found it sooner! Roatan Honduras was our favorite Port of Call. We did the zip line tour and if that is your speed, DEFINITELY put it on the list. The people were great, and the rum is even better! We had a Veranda room and are glad we paid the extra money. I enjoyed standing out on it with a glass of champaign as we pulled into port, and DH who was in the Navy listened to the waves every night and slept like a rock. We found the entertainment great, though do wish there had been a bit more. We really enjoyed the Oosterdam Singers and Dancers, but to each his own. I do second how amazing the dueling pianos were. Those guys were a blast to watch. Boarding was a breeze and we loved that we could go straight to our rooms. We did the expedited checkout and will do that again. We liked not having to put our luggage out the night before, and once again, things were seamless. Very impressed with it!

Edited by KamiKake
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POA1 "Live from...." Rare

POA1

Posted
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DH and I were on the Oosterdam Dec 23-30. It was my first cruise so I honestly have nothing to compare it too, but we had a blast. We are both in our 40's and found the crowd to be very much our speed. Very relaxing. A few high points for us was the Dive Bar for a fantastic burger or dog and fries! We would have lived there had we found it sooner! Roatan Honduras was our favorite Port of Call. We did the zip line tour and if that is your speed, DEFINITELY put it on the list. The people were great, and the rum is even better! We had a Veranda room and are glad we paid the extra money. I enjoyed standing out on it with a glass of champaign as we pulled into port, and DH who was in the Navy listened to the waves every night and slept like a rock. We found the entertainment great, though do wish there had been a bit more. We really enjoyed the Oosterdam Singers and Dancers, but to each his own. I do second how amazing the dueling pianos were. Those guys were a blast to watch. Boarding was a breeze and we loved that we could go straight to our rooms. We did the expedited checkout and will do that again. We liked not having to put our luggage out the night before, and once again, things were seamless. Very impressed with it!

 

You should do a review. You have really great insights and people will appreciate the first time cruiser perspective.

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Marigold252

Marigold252

Posted
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OP, just got off the Oosterdam New Year's cruise...you should have been on it! No rain, youngest demographics of any HAL cruise we've been on. 300 kids and all the parents they brought along. New Year's parties all over, including the BBKing Lido poolside. Great cruise!

 

Sent from my SM-G920V using Forums mobile app

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easyboy

easyboy

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Posted (edited)
DH and I were on the Oosterdam Dec 23-30. It was my first cruise so I honestly have nothing to compare it too, but we had a blast.

Thank you for your insight on your first cruise. Glad you had a great time.

Edited by easyboy
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jhsocal

jhsocal

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Ken, Thank you for that comprehensive review. Will be on this ship in the Fall for the first time. Changes in Ocean Bar and Crows Nest are very disappointing. Was there any music option available after 10PM?

Was there any Happy Hour in any of the bars?

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ken4556 "Live from...." Rare

ken4556

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Happy Hour all days except the first night:

 

Billboard Onboard (dueling pianos): 7 pm to 8 pm

Crow's Nest and Ocean Bar: 4 pm to 5 pm

Galley Bar: 10 pm to 11 pm

 

Music after 10 pm:

 

Billboard On-Board: 7 pm, 8:30 pm, 10:30 pm most nights, some nights the times varied.

BB King: 8:45 pm, 9:45 pm, and 10:45 pm most nights, some nights the times varied.

DJ in Queen's Lounge started at 10:30 pm or 11:30 pm each night, depending upon the times of the BB King group.

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JPH814

JPH814

Posted
Posted
Ports

 

Key West – We docked at the Navy Pier, which required taking the trolley to downtown. The trolleys were numerous and we experienced no waits going to and from the ship. We walked around downtown and did some shopping. We saw a beautiful sunset on sail out.

 

One strange thing was the hours of the Lido with our arrival time at 11:00 am. Breakfast was served from 7:00 am until 10:00 am and lunch began at 11:30 am. I cannot figure out why they did not adjust the hours based on our arrival time. On our recent RCCL cruise, they always had breakfast or lunch available as they did a rolling change-over. Not sure what HAL was thinking here…

 

Mahogany Bay – This was the first time I have been and was very impressed. Nice beach and shopping and the people who worked on-site could not have been nicer. My plans to have a nice beach day were interrupted by the numerous rain showers. I finally gave-up around noon and went back to the ship for lunch and then walked back to browse the shops. I wanted to go kayaking, but was not going to do it in the rain. Even with two ships the beach area and shops did not feel crowded.

 

Santo Tomas de Castilla – Having already been here once and doing the city tour, I visited the shops at the end of the pier and spent the rest of the day on the ship. If the weather person did not have rain of the forecast all day, I probably would have done the resort/beach trip.

 

Costa Maya – My brother did not want to go to the water park with all the kids on-board (he was convinced all of them would be there), so we found a beach chair by the pool until the rains came. After having lunch on the ship, I headed back to do some shopping. With three ships in port (the Freedom of the Seas did not arrive until lunch time), the place was very crowded with all the tables and chairs were filled in the bars and restaurants

 

Summary - The Western Caribbean is what it is and one knows that when picking the cruise.

 

Next, embarking, disembarking, and loyalty program.

 

Can you talk a bit more about Key West and the Trolley. I thought it was easily walk-able from the ship to the major areas of the town. Where exactly is the Navy Pier? - I Googled it and it does not appear on a map. Are the trolleys free or for a price?

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feebee

feebee

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Joe - the Oosterdam actually docked at the Outer Mole in Key West when we were on her in Dec. Since this property is leased from the US Navy no one is allowed to walk around on their own and there are free trams/trolleys that run all day long taking people from the Outer Mole to downtown Key West and back again. Drop off point was near the aquarium. Once in the downtown area you could purchase tickets for an actual sightseeing trolley tour of Key West.

 

If you search for US Coast Guard ship Ingham on Google maps you will see a long curving pier that makes a fishhook shape to the left of the Ingham--that is the Outer Mole.

 

Eaton - in Dec. we set out clocks back one hour 2 AM Monday (day of arrival in Roatan) and then forward one hour 2AM Wednesday (day of arrival in Mexico).

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MCC retired

MCC retired

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Posted
a very belated "Thank You" for answering my questions in January. Was there a lunch in the MDR on embarkation day? Usually about noon to 1:30, used to be for Mariners, now open to everyone. We like to avoid the Lido that day.

 

 

We were on this sailing and yes their was lunch in the dining room on embarkation day .

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

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madjohn

madjohn

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Does the Oosterdam still have DVD or Blue-ray players in the cabins? If so which one? I am new to HAL (not cruising) and am learning a lot here. Taking a 18 day Hawaii cruise next December. DW and I are in early 50s. We hang to our self a lot and do our own thing. Any other pointers for this ship would be great. Thanks

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