Veendam - Similar to a 3rd world country???

[FredT]

Our first HAL cruise was on the Veendam to Antarctica about 7 years ago, and in the months prior to the cruise we were peppered with horrible reviews. Needless to say we were worried.

 

Turns out that cruise was the best we had ever been on, and we were stunned when we kept seeing additional reviews trashing the ship. (One from our sailing, complaining about hallways filled with buckets, musty smells, rotting carpets, surly crew members... NONE of which we saw in the 15 days aboard.)

 

But then again, both my wife and I go on each cruise enjoying the positives, unlike many we have shared tables or shore excursions with, who seem to actively LOOK for things to complain about...

[KroozNut]

We were considering a B2B New England/Canada cruise in August. The Veendam itinerary is great. However, when we read the ship's reviews we have been very concerned!

 

Be afraid.... be very afraid! :rolleyes: Whatever you do, you definitely don't want to get anywhere near the Veendam! :cool:

[KIWICRUZER]

I was on the Veendam for 48 days with 10 other friends in Feb 2017 , fantastic crew, good food , yes it is an older ship but well maintained.But we all had a great time and loved the Veendam, Personally I have done over 500 days on many various cruise lines , so hopefully I know what I am talking about.

I have been on a Seabourn cruise where the ship was only 4 months and 15 staterooms flooded, it happens!

Remember it is like living in a small village and repairs and maintenance goes on.

 

 

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[snoopyud]

Anyone recently visited the gym on the Veendam. Is it small and crowded? Is there enough treadmills and eliptical units? Is it a small area. and congested? Thinking of the 49 day to Amazon and we exercise daily. Thanks

[digitl]

I am also going on the assumption that the folks in the kitchen and dining room can/will not serve you food at the perfect temperature. Always.

 

We disembarked Veendam last week and cool food in the MDM was a constant issue.

[digitl]

What really ‘made’ our cruise was Barry from Boston in the Mix Piano Bar.

 

Simply too loud and over excited.

[digitl]

I'm wanting to remain healthy & well on vacation.

 

As do all of us, but your thread title is unacceptable.

[digitl]

But as others have mentioned, buckets in the hallway, plumbing and ventilation issues happen on every ship, and on every cruise line. It's not just the Veendam.

 

On our recent trip on Veendam, despite having the thermostat turned up to maximum, our cabin was cold and remained so for at least six days despite daily reports to the Front Desk. It's not that the issue was present, it was the lack of a positive response that disappointed.

[OlsSalt]

On our recent trip on Veendam, despite having the thermostat turned up to maximum, our cabin was cold and remained so for at least six days despite daily reports to the Front Desk. It's not that the issue was present, it was the lack of a positive response that disappointed.

 

Again after taking the cabin temperature dutifully every day on our last Veendam cruise, 75 degrees was either cool or warm in subjective perception depending on both humidity and outside temperature. I suspect the front desk did whatever they could besides tell you to put a sweater on.

 

I am sorry you had this complaint because you do want to be comfortable and have systems work to your own personal comfort level, but when people post a subjective termperature complaint but don't put it in context or objective terms, it is frustrating to everyone. You may well have been in the established temperature range and there was honestly nothing more they could do about it.

[digitl]

Again after taking the cabin temperature dutifully every day on our last Veendam cruise, 75 degrees was either cool or warm in subjective perception depending on both humidity and outside temperature. I suspect the front desk did whatever they could besides tell you to put a sweater on.

 

I am sorry you had this complaint because you do want to be comfortable and have systems work to your own personal comfort level, but when people post a subjective termperature complaint but don't put it in context or objective terms, it is frustrating to everyone. You may well have been in the established temperature range and there was honestly nothing more they could do about it.

 

I do know the difference between a warm cabin and a cold cabin and our cabin was cold. This was not 'subjective': the Front Desk checked the temperature with a thermometer and confirmed that we were not alone. As for putting it in context or being objective: I did say that the thermostat was turned up to maximum. I also said that the issue persisted for at least six days which means that it was eventually fixed. That 'everyone' would be 'frustrated' at an accurate report is difficult to believe. What is frustrating is to see a response that makes so many unwarranted inferences.

[iancal]

Absolutely. It as inane as "I was on that ship X months ago and had no issues". Or even better was the response I read to someone whose AC was not working and could not sleep. Some poster actually suggested to the poor woman that she was not really hot, she simply perceived that she was hot because of the temperature in the area where she was cruising.

 

Ships are huge, lots of floors, lots of sections of cabins. I certainly would not assume that the ship was perfect simply because I had no issue in my cabin area. Some people cannot believe that there could be an issue with their favourite ship or cruise line unless they personally experience it. Everything else is a exaggeration, can be excused away, the cruiser is too fussy, or is simply not true. Seems strange to us.

Edited May 13, 2017 by iancal

[OlsSalt]

I do know the difference between a warm cabin and a cold cabin and our cabin was cold. This was not 'subjective': the Front Desk checked the temperature with a thermometer and confirmed that we were not alone. As for putting it in context or being objective: I did say that the thermostat was turned up to maximum. I also said that the issue persisted for at least six days which means that it was eventually fixed. That 'everyone' would be 'frustrated' at an accurate report is difficult to believe. What is frustrating is to see a response that makes so many unwarranted inferences.

 

Saying a temperature is "cold" or "hot" is subjective. I wish you had stated the temperature, the location and the humidity. That is context.

[iancal]

Not much point in giving thermometer readings!

 

Without doubt there will be some poster who accuses you of having a broken instrument, taking the reading in the wrong spot or wrong time, or some other reason why your reading is incorrect.

 

We accept postings where posters wax poetic about how wonderful the food, the entertainment,the service, whatever is. No one ever seems to accuse those posters of exaggeration or hyperbole. Yet when someone says their cabin was uncomfortable-too hot, too cold, some posters seem to object, don't accept the claim, and ask for temperature readings. More than just a bit silly IMHO.

 

And just imagine, there are some cruisers (like us) who don't travel with room thermomometers in their suitcase.

[digitl]

Saying a temperature is "cold" or "hot" is subjective. I wish you had stated the temperature, the location and the humidity. That is context.

 

No, cold or hot is relative. Are you always this pedantic? Do you always carry a 'delicate instrument' on a cruise to record conditions in your cabin? Has your 'delicate instrument' been calibrated? Some of us are able to decide for ourselves, with absolute confidence, if a cabin is cold or hot without going to such lengths.

[OlsSalt]

No, cold or hot is relative. Are you always this pedantic? Do you always carry a 'delicate instrument' on a cruise to record conditions in your cabin? Has your 'delicate instrument' been calibrated? Some of us are able to decide for ourselves, with absolute confidence, if a cabin is cold or hot without going to such lengths.

 

You beg the obvious conclusion: anyone worried about being "too hot" or "too cold" should not sail on the Veendam or any other ship. There is no guarantee up front they will not be "too hot" or "too cold". How could HAL know what they call "too hot" or "too cold". How would HAL know? How would we know"

 

If this is their requirement and they cannot adapt to whatever they get with an acceptable range of temperatures, then why should they take a risk? They want an answer from a crystal ball and they simply are not going to get it from any one of us or from HAL itself.

 

I stand by my statement and my own cabin temperature diary on the Veedam - 75 degrees cabin temperture, depending on context, felt both cool and warm. The temperature was objective, the perception was subjective. The humidity was objective and it did play a big factor in the perception. The outdoor temperature affected the perception of the indoor temperature. And traveling to different locations lead to different temperature perceptions. Have at it.

 

PS: yes I am pedantic. You ought to see me get started when someone says "their toilet did not work for 10 days."

[digitl]

Worried about hot or cold? Absolutely not. After five expedition cruises in polar regions and many others in hot climes, temperature is not a worry.

 

Perhaps your perception of cold and hot is outside that of the rest of the population and we can get it right. Either way, there is little point in continuing with this: you are trying to tell me how I, my wife, and the Front Desk's thermometer perceive hot and cold, and what the conditions were in my cabin on those days. Something you clearly cannot do.

 

Do continue to take your 'delicate instrument' on your cruises to help decide how you should be feeling.

[JPV072900]

So I went on NCL Breakaway 2 years ago, and I would much rather go on the Veendam than go on the Breakaway again! We're going on the 7/14/2018 sailing from Boston to Bermuda.

 

We got what I think was an incredible deal! Only $800 per person for 2 inside rooms. My wife and I get our own stateroom, and our two teenage boys get their own room!

 

I look forward to there being less people and I look forward to being on an older ship. I'm hoping it will be like cruising used to be.

 

I've read the bad reviews, but I'm not too worried.

 

 

 

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[Lars_NY]

I just got off the Veendam today from a 7-day Montreal to Boston itinerary. It was my first cruise as an "adult" after taking several cruises as a teenager with my family while still living at home. I have to say that my wife and I were blown away by the level of service, food, attention to detail, and entertainment onboard the Veendam. We saw no issues at all and our OV mid-ship cabin was consistently the right temperature (we had 30 degree F days in Nova Scotia and 50/60 degree days others) and had no plumbing issues at all.

 

Being one of the few "youngsters" onboard (we are in our 30s), we seemingly stood out from the rest so quite a few of the more "seasoned" passengers chatted us up. While I didn't directly ask them their impressions of the ship, I got the sense that many were very happy with the particulars of the Veendam. You know how you can talk to someone and just get the sense of their overall enjoyment of something? That's the feeling I got time and time again on the Veendam. Additionally, I did not overhear any mention of plumbing, electrical, or heating/cooling issues at all.

 

While the case can be made that I have nothing to reference my experience onboard the Veendam with, since it was my first cruise, and I would I agree with that in part, but I did go into my first cruise experience with very high expectations. My wife and I travel quite a bit and have experienced luxury hotels and resorts and I have to say the Veendam exceeded all of those. Surely luxury hotels and resorts offer more to do, nicer and more spacious rooms, however when looking at the complete package of what they provide over what I got on the Veendam, it isn't even a contest. As others have stated in this thread, it is really up to personal preference and one's willingness to accept that while the Veendam isn't perfect, you'd be extremely hard pressed to find a ship that is.

 

Just my $.02

[3rdGenCunarder]

No, cold or hot is relative. Are you always this pedantic? Do you always carry a 'delicate instrument' on a cruise to record conditions in your cabin? Has your 'delicate instrument' been calibrated? Some of us are able to decide for ourselves, with absolute confidence, if a cabin is cold or hot without going to such lengths.

 

(bold is mine) Hot or cold is relative to what makes you comfortable. If you feel too hot, then the room is too hot for you. If you feel too cold, then the room is too cold for you. In either case, the thermostat should fix that for you. I'm not sure which ship it was, but I think it was Veendam 5 or 6 years ago, when I decided that sometimes thermostats are decorative items and serve no real function, because the temperature in our cabin didn't change when we changed the thermostat. Fortunately, the temperature was never terribly cold or terribly hot, so we were OK.

[digitl]

The issue wasn't about us feeling too cold. The cabin was cold and this was confirmed by crew using a thermometer. As I explained earlier, the thermostat was at maximum for several days and the cabin remained cold. On that basis, there was an air conditioning problem which was eventually fixed when the cabin became warmer. In the words of the Front Desk, 'we have this problem in several areas and are working on it'.

 

Why my simple observation regarding the temperature in our cabin should be doubted by anyone who was not there, and then attempted to be explained away as a problem of perception and/or a lack of objective measurement is beyond belief.

[sapper1]

The issue wasn't about us feeling too cold. The cabin was cold and this was confirmed by crew using a thermometer. As I explained earlier, the thermostat was at maximum for several days and the cabin remained cold. On that basis, there was an air conditioning problem which was eventually fixed when the cabin became warmer. In the words of the Front Desk, 'we have this problem in several areas and are working on it'.

 

Why my simple observation regarding the temperature in our cabin should be doubted by anyone who was not there, and then attempted to be explained away as a problem of perception and/or a lack of objective measurement is beyond belief.

I agree completely. If you're cold then you're cold. You don't need somebody telling you it's all in your imagination.

We just spent 27 days on the NA and found the thermostat adjustment had a hair trigger. Just a little nudge made a difference in about half an hour. However since we passed through so many outside temperature variations going from Fort Lauderdale around the Caribbean and then on to Vancouver, we were always adjusting and my husband was always cold------even if it was his imagination. :)

[KroozNut]

my husband was always cold------even if it was his imagination. :)

 

It was! ;)

[3rdGenCunarder]

The issue wasn't about us feeling too cold. The cabin was cold and this was confirmed by crew using a thermometer. As I explained earlier, the thermostat was at maximum for several days and the cabin remained cold. On that basis, there was an air conditioning problem which was eventually fixed when the cabin became warmer. In the words of the Front Desk, 'we have this problem in several areas and are working on it'.

 

Why my simple observation regarding the temperature in our cabin should be doubted by anyone who was not there, and then attempted to be explained away as a problem of perception and/or a lack of objective measurement is beyond belief.

 

I don't understand. You say the cabin was cold, but you didn't feel too cold? So the cold cabin didn't make you uncomfortable? What am I missing here?

[OlsSalt]

The issue wasn't about us feeling too cold. The cabin was cold and this was confirmed by crew using a thermometer. As I explained earlier, the thermostat was at maximum for several days and the cabin remained cold. On that basis, there was an air conditioning problem which was eventually fixed when the cabin became warmer. In the words of the Front Desk, 'we have this problem in several areas and are working on it'.

 

Why my simple observation regarding the temperature in our cabin should be doubted by anyone who was not there, and then attempted to be explained away as a problem of perception and/or a lack of objective measurement is beyond belief.

 

You had a problem. The staff worked with it and tried to remedy it. I am sorry your experience with HAL ships could not give you exactly what you demanded at any given time.

[slidergirl]

Absolutely. It as inane as "I was on that ship X months ago and had no issues". Or even better was the response I read to someone whose AC was not working and could not sleep. Some poster actually suggested to the poor woman that she was not really hot, she simply perceived that she was hot because of the temperature in the area where she was cruising.

 

Ships are huge, lots of floors, lots of sections of cabins. I certainly would not assume that the ship was perfect simply because I had no issue in my cabin area. Some people cannot believe that there could be an issue with their favourite ship or cruise line unless they personally experience it. Everything else is a exaggeration, can be excused away, the cruiser is too fussy, or is simply not true. Seems strange to us.

 

I totally agree with you. there are a few "ladies" on here who have appointed themselves the experts on everything on every inch of every HAL ship on every cruise. If someone dare express an opinion or an experience that was not absolutely perfect that person will be bombarded with comments meant to negate their experience and make him think he was delusional on the cruise.

I guess I need to add a digital thermometer to my "must pack" list from now on. AND, to ensure that I won't be questioned about the accuracy of my thermometer vs one an "expert" used on a different ship on a different cruise, I will get it calibrated and certified the day before I embark :rolleyes:

 

To the OP: I am sorry that your cruise experience was marred by the issues you had. Yes, I KNOW you had an issue and did not make this up out of whole cloth just to complain. Many of us do believe you.