Should I book the Veendam??

[crusinbanjo]

22 hours ago, majn said:

I booked for December 2019 with a non refundable deposit and got even braver and booked the airlines Round trip. I’m a bit nervous after all the reviews but I’m also excited. Hope you have a marvelous time. Fingers crossed!!

Don’t be nervous, Veedam is one of our favorite HAL ships.  Mrs Banjo and I sailed on her in May in the Adriatic and are booked to be on her again in October.  The ship is not brand new, but still in nice condition and is very comfortable.  

[Maya_C]

On 8/23/2019 at 5:45 PM, majn said:

I booked for December 2019 with a non refundable deposit and got even braver and booked the airlines Round trip. I’m a bit nervous after all the reviews but I’m also excited. Hope you have a marvelous time. Fingers crossed!!

We liked the Veendam so much on our June 2018 cruise to Bermuda that I checked where else that ship was going. We ended up on a Greek Island cruise in May 2019 in a Lower Promenade cabin, oceanview not lanai. Those OV rooms have more storage than the lanais, but the. We liked the location a lot and would book on that deck again. Yes, it's an older ship and the elevators could be better, but its smaller size means no crowds getting on and off the ship. We had Select Dining, didn't make dinner reservations, and never waited more than a minute to be seated, except when we asked for a two-person table (5-10 minute wait). The dining room was quieter and the service more efficient than on the Celebrity Summit, our most recent non-HAL ship. The MDR food was comparable on the Summit and the Veendam, though the Summit had a better buffet, larger because it carries 50% more people.

 

Here's a photo that will show you what the view is from 385. Straight on, it is fully obstructed, but look either left or right from the window and you will see the ocean.  

The view from 383 is below

Even if you've booked, you can switch to another room, but these two HH rooms have better views than the ones fore and aft on that deck. 

~Maya

[majn]

1 hour ago, Maya_C said:

We liked the Veendam so much on our June 2018 cruise to Bermuda that I checked where else that ship was going. We ended up on a Greek Island cruise in May 2019 in a Lower Promenade cabin, oceanview not lanai. Those OV rooms have more storage than the lanais, but the. We liked the location a lot and would book on that deck again. Yes, it's an older ship and the elevators could be better, but its smaller size means no crowds getting on and off the ship. We had Select Dining, didn't make dinner reservations, and never waited more than a minute to be seated, except when we asked for a two-person table (5-10 minute wait). The dining room was quieter and the service more efficient than on the Celebrity Summit, our most recent non-HAL ship. The MDR food was comparable on the Summit and the Veendam, though the Summit had a better buffet, larger because it carries 50% more people.

 

Here's a photo that will show you what the view is from 385. Straight on, it is fully obstructed, but look either left or right from the window and you will see the ocean.  

The view from 383 is below

Even if you've booked, you can switch to another room, but these two HH rooms have better views than the ones fore and aft on that deck. 

~Maya

Thank you so much for the pictures/views. We booked 385 and 387. I searched all over and could not find them anywhere. You are good!!! Thanks for those pics. So very helpful. 

[Copper10-8]

On 8/22/2019 at 10:16 AM, OHCruiser said:

............................. If I never see a McDonald-oid triangle of hash browns again it'll be too soon.............................

 

 

I beg your pardon! My very first job was flippin' burgers and making scrambled egg breakfasts at Mickey D's. Those hash browns were never triangle-shaped!  Come on now! 

 

[rafinmd]

5 hours ago, Maya_C said:

We liked the Veendam so much on our June 2018 cruise to Bermuda that I checked where else that ship was going. We ended up on a Greek Island cruise in May 2019 in a Lower Promenade cabin, oceanview not lanai. Those OV rooms have more storage than the lanais, but the. We liked the location a lot and would book on that deck again. Yes, it's an older ship and the elevators could be better, but its smaller size means no crowds getting on and off the ship. We had Select Dining, didn't make dinner reservations, and never waited more than a minute to be seated, except when we asked for a two-person table (5-10 minute wait). The dining room was quieter and the service more efficient than on the Celebrity Summit, our most recent non-HAL ship. The MDR food was comparable on the Summit and the Veendam, though the Summit had a better buffet, larger because it carries 50% more people.

 

Here's a photo that will show you what the view is from 385. Straight on, it is fully obstructed, but look either left or right from the window and you will see the ocean.  

The view from 383 is below

Even if you've booked, you can switch to another room, but these two HH rooms have better views than the ones fore and aft on that deck. 

~Maya

Just curious where you got those photos.  I took them and am pleased to see them being used but I like to keep track of where they are online.  By the way Mjan, here's the one for 387, probably the best of those cabins.

 

 

Let me add that I've sailed the Veendam twice and was very happy with here.  She had some real serious problems after they did their number on the aft pool.  Those problems have long been corrected but I don't think people will ever stop reporting on them.

 

Roy

Edited August 25, 2019 by rafinmd

[Maya_C]

1 hour ago, rafinmd said:

Just curious where you got those photos.  I took them and am pleased to see them being used but I like to keep track of where they are online.  By the way Mjan, here's the one for 387, probably the best of those cabins.

 

 

Let me add that I've sailed the Veendam twice and was very happy with here.  She had some real serious problems after they did their number on the aft pool.  Those problems have long been corrected but I don't think people will ever stop reporting on them.

 

Roy

 

Hi Roy,

I got the photos from the site called Crystal, HAL, and Other Limited View Cabins: https://limitedviewcabins.wordpress.com/.

Is that your site? If so, thank you for making this helpful information available. I intended to put only the link to the photo in my message on this board, but as soon as I typed the link, the photo itself showed up automatically. I didn't mean to insert photos without giving attribution. :-)

~Maya

[rafinmd]

27 minutes ago, Maya_C said:

 

Hi Roy,

I got the photos from the site called Crystal, HAL, and Other Limited View Cabins: https://limitedviewcabins.wordpress.com/.

Is that your site? If so, thank you for making this helpful information available. I intended to put only the link to the photo in my message on this board, but as soon as I typed the link, the photo itself showed up automatically. I didn't mean to insert photos without giving attribution. 🙂

~Maya

Yes, it is my site.  The Crystal pages get a lot more traffic, and I'm glad to see some people are at least occasionally using the HAL pages.  No problem, I was just wondering if there was another route to get to it,

 

Roy

[majn]

Thank you!! Very helpful. I’m actually feeling a lot better about the cabins. 

[OHCruiser]

4 hours ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

I beg your pardon! My very first job was flippin' burgers and making scrambled egg breakfasts at Mickey D's. Those hash browns were never triangle-shaped!  Come on now! 

 

 

Perhaps my description was off:  these were McDonald's hash browns in the shape of a triangle..........Same texture, same flavor, same salt content.

[Copper10-8]

45 minutes ago, OHCruiser said:

 

Perhaps my description was off:  these were McDonald's hash browns in the shape of a triangle..........Same texture, same flavor, same salt content.

 

Without a doubt! From a Ron Dons hash brown cheerleader, salt content et all! 

[Biorag]

I'm booked on the Veendam for October Montreal to Fort Lauderdale....I have every confidence that althought she may be an older ship, I will have a great, relaxing holiday. I've sailed many times with HAL and Disney, both have always been awesome.

 

 

 

[crusinbanjo]

That is the same cruise that Mrs Banjo and I will be on.  We were last on Veendam this past May and we had a wonderful cruise from Venice to Rome.  The ship is in nice condition and is one of our favorite HAL ships .

[Cruise4food]

On 8/25/2019 at 7:44 PM, rafinmd said:

Let me add that I've sailed the Veendam twice and was very happy with here.  She had some real serious problems after they did their number on the aft pool.  Those problems have long been corrected but I don't think people will ever stop reporting on them.

That “time problem” is a very important element to watch for in the CC forums. Some info is timeless, but much is time sensitive. The key is guessing which is applicable to a given post.

[genmasjoy]

We like the Veendam.  Have cruised on her twice and will be doing so again in November.  It has the atmosphere of a being on a ship at sea, unlike the large floating hotel type ships which are more like a  mall with hotel rooms.  We enjoy getting to know other passengers.  Since it is a smaller ship,  there are more opportunities to socialize with the same people.  I enjoy the piano bar and the main evening show.  The casino is small but has a good selection of slot machines.  I like the lunch options of the taco bar, the hamburger/hotdog stand, or pizza to order which are all on deck and don't require changing out of a swimsuit to enjoy.   It is also much easier to disembark and embark at the port calls, since there aren't so many people at one time trying to find their tour.  It has a relaxed atmosphere.  We have also cruised on RCCL, Disney and Princess. but we enjoy the Veendam as well.

[majn]

Thank you

there’s no turning back now

we are going!!

Feeling much more excited after reading all these posts

thanks 

[victory2020]

I did 12 days on the Veendam last month & am looking forward to sailing her again. Older ship but I LOVED it.

[AncientWanderer]

1 hour ago, victory2020 said:

I did 12 days on the Veendam last month & am looking forward to sailing her again. Older ship but I LOVED it.

 

It's so nice to hear this good feedback!  Like the OP, I've been slightly worried about Veendam.  We're taking our daughter and toddler granddaughter to Norway next summer, and for a lot of reasons, Veendam works best for our multi-generational traveling party.  But I kept second-guessing my decision -- thinking I might be blowing it.  

No more worrying.  We're just going and gonna have a great time!

[majn]

That’s how I felt. Had to finally stop second guessing myself. We love traveling and our excitement begins the moment I get our suitcases down from the attic. It’s a cruise. What can go wrong!!??!! 

Enjoy yours as well!!

[RuthC]

19 hours ago, majn said:

Thank you

there’s no turning back now

we are going!!

Feeling much more excited after reading all these posts

thanks 

Have a wonderful time. 

[lizzies_mom]

This thread makes me feel better as well. Lizzie's dad and I will be on the Veendam for a 17 day transatlantic next April. Last year we did a similar itinerary on the Royal Princess, but we are looking forward to being back on a real ship. 

 

For the last few years, our HAL cruises have been on larger ships which have the Lincoln Center Stage. Is there anything similar on the Veendam? It's difficult to find the on website. (Okay, everything is difficult to find on the website.)

[Cruise4food]

On 9/5/2019 at 4:37 PM, lizzies_mom said:

This thread makes me feel better as well. Lizzie's dad and I will be on the Veendam for a 17 day transatlantic next April. Last year we did a similar itinerary on the Royal Princess, but we are looking forward to being back on a real ship. 

 

For the last few years, our HAL cruises have been on larger ships which have the Lincoln Center Stage. Is there anything similar on the Veendam? It's difficult to find the on website. (Okay, everything is difficult to find on the website.)

This direct path to a chart of HAL ships should work to get a PDF you can save locally.

 

https://www.hollandamerica.com/content/dam/hal/inventory-assets/ships/pdf-files/HAL_Ships_at_a_Glance_Chart.pdf

 

[Biorag]

On 9/2/2019 at 8:22 AM, crusinbanjo said:

That is the same cruise that Mrs Banjo and I will be on.  We were last on Veendam this past May and we had a wonderful cruise from Venice to Rome.  The ship is in nice condition and is one of our favorite HAL ships .

Hey, how about that! Maybe we'll manage to cross paths...bonnes vacances to you and Mrs. Banjo

[Crazy For Cats]

I’ve sailed on the Veendam four times and am booked again in December.  If I had listened to all of the negative reports I would have missed out on some wonderful vacations.  We never experienced any of the reported problems.  

[TiogaCruiser]

On 9/5/2019 at 1:37 PM, lizzies_mom said:

This thread makes me feel better as well. Lizzie's dad and I will be on the Veendam for a 17 day transatlantic next April. Last year we did a similar itinerary on the Royal Princess, but we are looking forward to being back on a real ship. 

 

For the last few years, our HAL cruises have been on larger ships which have the Lincoln Center Stage. Is there anything similar on the Veendam? It's difficult to find the on website. (Okay, everything is difficult to find on the website.)

The chart shows  Veendam does not have Lincoln Center, but I would not be surprised if they changed the Explorers Lounge from comfy sofas and chairs in groupings into chairs in rows like they did Zaandam. Maybe someone with recent experience can chime in.

[Cruise4food]

1 hour ago, TiogaCruiser said:

The chart shows  Veendam does not have Lincoln Center, but I would not be surprised if they changed the Explorers Lounge from comfy sofas and chairs in groupings into chairs in rows like they did Zaandam. Maybe someone with recent experience can chime in.

In July 2019, Maasdam, sister ship of Veendam, had the Adagio classical music duo playing in Explorers Lounge. A violinist and pianist performed regularly to large audiences. You can expect that Veendam has her own Adagio players, even though they are not on the chart.