Live From The Veendam Daily Report

[Pilot70D]

Sorry for the delay in keeping up the Live From The Veendam reports but internet access has been down for the last two days. Also this is a port intensive part of the cruise so in keeping with my 'never doing today what I can put off until tomorrow' philosophy I am a little behind. More will follow on Basse Terre (a complete bust), Barbados (really good) ans St. Lucia (all wet).

 

Pilot70D

[sandydownunder]

Thanks for the posts Pilot70D.

We are following with great interest because our dear friends Peggy & John from NC are on this cruise. Maybe you'll meet them. They are cruising with another couple from Atlanta (I noticed it's your home too )

Cheers,

Sandra

[RuthC]

Thanks a lot for the posts you are making. I'm enjoying every word and looking forward to the next installment.

[gillianrose]

Is the Captain of the Veendam now still James Russell-Dunford? We found him to be very personable.

 

About the verandahs on the Veendam, unless they have taken a blow torch to her, she doesn't have see-through verandahs, as you mentioned, but rather metal. You have to stand up to see the sea below.

 

Looking forward to reading more...

[Pilot70D]

LIVE FROM THE VEENDAM DAY 6

 

Day six meant that we had arrived at Basse-Terre. This port was a complete bust. The shopping was poor (at best) as were some of the excursions according to what we heard from other passengers.

 

This is a new port for Holland America furthermore they had to change to a new company for the shore excursions. According to the lady who is the Excursion Director the old company treated the passengers so badly that HAL was forced to refund everyone’s money that went on one of their shore excursions. While the new company has treated people much better the quality of the excursions at times left much to be desired.

 

Our dining room tablemates booked the Planter’s Day Tour. This is a four hour tour during which time one gets to tour a working banana plantation and then a rum distillery. The tour description euphemistically states, “One or two photo stops will be made.” What they didn’t tell you is that as soon as the bus or taxi comes to a stop you will be completely surrounded by vendors hawking their wares. Unfortunately things get worse at the distillery.

 

There is a scheduled bathroom break while visiting the distillery. What was left unsaid was the filthy conditions of the loo. The facilities were literally sort of a one-holer outhouse but located in the distillery building instead of a small wooden building out back with a new moon carved in the door. Most of the men elected to venture outdoors given these conditions. Another lady overhearing our conversation told us that she too ventured out into the bushes because of the conditions she found indoors.

 

On yet another excursion things got even worse. When the group reached one of their shopping stops there was a mixed bag of vendors and a crowd of spectators. The spectators started chanting Yankee Go Home, Yankee Go Home. The vendors placed themselves between our tourists and the chanting spectators. Furthermore the vendors got the spectators to shut up and then move away but it was truly an ugly incident.

 

We didn’t book any of the tours so we decided to go out in town and do some shopping. The merchants weren’t overtly rude but it was pretty clear that they don’t like Americans. Many of them did border on but didn’t quite get to open hostility. Still no one smiled and a couple of them simply refused to talk to Americans. Now possibly there is something of a mitigating circumstance. Let me explain. The main commercial street was blocked off from vehicular traffic because of the Veendam’s visit, foot traffic only. Most of the shops on this street are regular shops that do not cater to cruise ship passengers. Shops like shoe stores, clothing stores, drug stores and so forth. For these merchants their customers stayed away in droves because of the tourist presence. Still a little courtesy goes a long way.

 

Message to HAL if anyone’s listening – HELLO HAL, WHY GO WHERE WE’RE NOT WANTED? There are enough other really nice stops down here in the Caribbean that we don’t need to waste a day of our cruise time in a port where we aren’t wanted. Let me be so bold as to suggest St. Thomas, St. Maarten or St. Croix to name three.

 

Anyway time now to put the bad stuff behind us and think about our next stop which is Barbados. Barbados is another dynamite stop with lots of good shopping, snorkeling, diving, dining and beach activities.

 

Everyone have a great day out there.

[sail7seas]

Sorry to hear your day in Basse-Terre was so unpleasant.

We've been there twice and agree it is not a port I'd be in any hurry to return to.

 

The first time we were there was about 3 years ago and I didn't feel safe there at that time.

 

Sounds as things have not improved.

 

I thought HAL had stopped going there. Apparently they have decided to return there...at least sometimes.

 

Hope you enjoy every minute of the rest of your cruise.

 

Thank you for taking time from your vacation to post for us.

 

 

 

 

 

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Very much enjoying you report and your great sense of humor:D . We will be a short 4 day Coastal on the Veendam next September . Thanks so muc for the postings:)

[elmorejj]

When we were on the Oct 29th sailing of the Veendam, Capt. Russell-Dunsford mentioned that it was the first stop in Guadeloupe in 11 years for HAL. I was last there 12 years ago, didn`t like it then and I`m sure I wouldn`t like it now. We stayed on board at that port. Not only don`t the Guadeloupeians dislike Americans, they absolutely dislike the British, so I figured why would I want to give them any of my money. It is definitely a port that should be removed from future HAL sailings......just my opinion..........jean:cool:

[sail7seas]

The Captain is mistaken.

 

Tomorrow...or when I feel like it, I shall go through my cruise papers and I will site the exact ships and dates of the two times we were there. ...and it was far more recent than 12 years.

[the2ofus]

The Noordam visited Guadaloupe in December 2001 during our 14 day Circle Caribbean cruise which sailed out of Tampa. We did not choose a tour in Guadaloupe, because nothing looked interesting. We walked around the streets close to the area where the ship docked. The shop salespeople were not very friendly.

[Islandbuoy]

The Noordam visited there in the spring season of 2004, we were on the early Feb sailing. We did not take a shore exc, but spent quite a bit of time in town. We did enjoy the market, with no apparent hostility.

[TampaMike]

Is the Captain of the Veendam now still James Russell-Dunford? We found him to be very personable.

 

About the verandahs on the Veendam, unless they have taken a blow torch to her, she doesn't have see-through verandahs, as you mentioned, but rather metal. You have to stand up to see the sea below.

 

Looking forward to reading more...

 

The current Master of Veendam is Dutch. Captain Albert Schoonderbeek.

 

Even the Vista class ships have some balcony rooms that have a structural rail and not the transparent glass. These are typically forward on the lower balconied decks of the Vistas.

[sail7seas]

I think that Captain Russell-Dunford and Captain Schoonderbeek alternate as Master on Veendam. When we sailed Veendam last January, Captain Schoonderbeek was aboard.

 

 

[Deb C.]

Oct. 29- Nov.12 we had Captain Russell-Dunford.

 

He was very good. He kept us posted on weather events, etc. The most talkative (over PA) one I've ever sailed with.

[peaches from georgia]

Captain R-D went on vacation Nov. 19th.

[elmorejj]

Re Guadaloupe, I was only quoting what the Captain announced over the PA.........jean:cool:

[sail7seas]

And we were only pointing out that if he said that, he was not correct.

 

[sail7seas]

We sailed with Captain Russell-Dunford on his very first cruise with HAL and were at the very first Captain's Table he hosted on an HAL ship.

 

 

[elmorejj]

And your point is??:cool:

[doone]

I agree with Elmorejj about Guadaloupe. We were scheduled to stop in Antigua one crise, forget how many years ago it was, but it could have been 11 years ago for sure. Anyways, Antigua was hit with a couple of hurricane's the summer before our sailing and were not accepting cruise passengers. Guadaloupe was substituted for Antigua. I hadn't been here before so I got off the ship and found quickly that the people were not friendly and could have cared less. I walked back to the ship, spent no money and could care less if I ever go back to Guadaloupe again.

[MISSYLOU]

Hello all. I too am enjoy Pilot's posting and I am also on the Veendam. It is a lovely ship and in very good condition. Our cabin steward is also Miftah and he just can't be beat. He has met all of our needs with a wonderful smile and kept the cabin in excellent shape. We have ice brought to our cabin three times a day.

 

The service on board as been excellent as well as most of the food. Can't beat the buffet for a quick bite. Yes it is Herry in the Lido who says "welcome to Herry's tray station". He is a really sweet young man.

 

I concur with comments on Guadalope and wish HAL would take this port off of the map. It only took me ten minutes to realize this was a port I did not wish to tour so I returned to the ship. Looks like such a poor island would be delighted to have tourist dollars come in regardless of the nationality of the passengers. Glad we didn't spend any money in this port.

 

Today we are in Aruba, beautiful port. I must admit I am beginning to find the heat very taxing. Not that I am anxious to return to the cold temps of the midwest, just tiring of the heat and humidity.

 

We fell in love with St. Lucia and highly reccommend a whale watch tour in this port with Chris Hackshaw. Yes we actually saw one sperm whale and hundreds of dolphins. The landscape of St. Lucia is breathtaking. This is one port we would really enjoy returning to and spend a few days. It reminds one of Kuaui.

 

Anxious to read more, Pilot. Keep it coming.

[sail7seas]

Thanks for your nice post, MissyLou.

 

I sure wish we were on Veendam right now.

 

We enjoyed 12 wonderful days on her last January and think her a beautiful ship.....we, too, had wonderful service and a great cabin steward.

 

Enjoy!!

 

[localady]

Hello to all from the Veendam!! Just couldn’t stay away for a full 2 weeks, so I thought I might piggy-back on Pilot’s thread. DH and I have met many of the Cruisecritics onboard and have throughly enjoyed their company. Yesterday Jason, the Cruise Director, arranged to have a picture of our Veentastic group taken on the bow of the ship as we left Aruba after a lovely day of sun and fun. I was there with my fanciest bag on!!

Each cruise I take, I find that HAL has again "raised the bar" on cruising. Didn’t think I could find a crew that could match the lovely group we encountered in July on the Prinsendam, but the Veendam’s Officers and crew have been fabulous! Crew members like Rochelle (the Neptune Concierge), Herry (the Lido steward who remembers almost everybody’s name), Yani (our always smiling room steward) , Jason (the CD), and Grace (the Customer Relations manager) have gone over and above to make our cruise special. All those smiling CC faces have also been a pleasure to meet, it’s so lovely to finally put faces together with names I’ve read for over 18 months in roll call.

I will post a review when we return home. But suffice it to say that other than the rainiest day in recent record on Isla de Margarita (the streets were raging rivers!!), the weather has been good and the company on board the Veendam even better!! Too bad we must depart two days from now...........;)

[Aussie Gal]

localady,

 

It is wonderful to hear how much you are enjoying the Veendam especially after the Prinsendam as we also found the crew and officers on the Prinsendam to be so welcoming and friendly.

 

We are looking forward to being on the Veendam next September for 34 days. It should be a great cruise.

 

Jennie

[Darrell6t]

Seeing your message brought back happy memories of the Prinsendam cruise thos past summer. You may remember that I won the free cruise at BINGO and I have just booked the Veendam for Feb 25 as my prize. Have never been on the Veendam before, but I'm sure it is nice.