May '07 Europe - Veendam or W-dam

[PaganView]

My parents are planning their first cruise in Europe next May. HAL has a sale starting tomorrow for a couple sailings they are considering and I was hoping some of the experienced cruisers here could give pros/cons for these ships on the Europe schedule. They can only go for 10-12 days sailings with pre- and post-cruise stays so their choices are limited. They sailed Zuiderdam last year and loved it, so Mom is thinking HAL would be a good option for Europe as well (other option is Princess, can't get her to spring for Oceania). Any and all feedback is appreciated!

[grannynurse]

Hi Elizabeth,

If your folks loved the Zuiderdam they will really like the Westerdam. If they are looking for a smaller ship then Veendam would work and provide a more intimate and cozier atmosphere. She's more than 200 feet shorter so that means less walking. Veendam is an older ship but none the less beautiful.

Perhaps itinerary is more important to them. Veendam has some very nice 10 day Baltic cruises round trip from Copenhagen and the weather would be cooler. I would not do the mediterranean in the hot part of summer and Westerdam does mostly RT cruises from Rome. Veendam does some from Venice and it looks like an interesting itinerary.

Try to find out what they really feel is most important to them to really "make" their vacation and go from there. Hal does Europe very very well.

Hope this helps,

GN

[RuthC]

All things being equal I would take the Veendam over the Westerdam because it's smaller, easier to get around, and more intimate.

Trouble is in Europe I doubt that all things are equal. This is an area of the world where itinerary is primary over "the ship is the destination". Where do they want to go?

I agree with grannynurse that a Baltic itinerary is a wonderful voyage; but it's very busy. Talk about "port-intensive"! Are your parents up to that?

I also agree with her about taking a look at when vs where. The Med in Summer is hot, Hot, HOT! In later Fall it's much nicer.

Whatever they decide they are sure to have a lovely time. Good luck in the planning.

[grannynurse]

Ruth,

Thanks for the vote of confidence, notice I didn't use the "K" word.

Don't you think that most of the in-Europe 10 days or fewer itineraries are port intensive?

Our transatlantic next October starts with 6 port days. Do you have any idea if they delay the first formal night? Two of the port days have 8pm sailing times (Livorno and Barcelona, days 1 and 4).

Thanks,

GN

[RuthC]

grannynurse, I'm afraid I took a double dose of stupid pills and have no idea what you mean by "K-word". :rolleyes:

Yes, I agree that most of the Europe itineraries are port intensive, regardless of the length. I remembered doone's advice from way back in '01 that it's better to try and book 1/2 day tours, or at least alternate half- with full-day tours. There's so much to see and it can be exhausting.

With all the trans-At's I've done I can't ever remember one that was loaded with ports up front. I suspect there may have been some, but they were the turn-around point for me, so I didn't really notice. I believe the '05 round-trip was heavy on ports from the turn-around, but I don't remember how the formal nights were scheduled. Dang memory starts to go, doncha know.

Want me to pull out the old daily programs and look it up?

[grannynurse]

Ruth,

I can't believe that You have memory problems, I'm the one that's not a KID anymore, maybe I am at heart but my broom is small.

NO NO , NO need to look up anything. I was assuming you knew of instances when first formal nights were delayed, but now that I rethink this there will be 4 formal nights and they probably wouldn't delay for 6 nights and cram the formal nights into the remaining 10 days. I guess they could though, (7 of them are at sea). but I bet they won't. Yeah, I'm going to have to plan my outings carefully.

GN

[PaganView]

Thanks for your responses GN and Ruth. I guess I should have indicated that both the ships are running on the Eastern side of the Med at that time and there are a few ports in common. Mom and Dad have never been to that area and there is no one port that is a must-do for them. But I was hoping for suggestions!

 

Mom teaches so September is not an option for them. They thought May would be a better option than June, July or August.

 

Thanks again for your input.

[grannynurse]

Elizabeth,

I would consider whether they would rather board in Rome or Venice. The airport in Rome (FCO) is quite a distance (50-60 miles) from the port at Civitavecchia. I don't know the distance from the airport that serves Venice to the port. I'm pretty sure both would include an overnight flight and maybe a hotel stay.

Both have 10 day itineraries that are similar. May should not be too hot but Greece can be very uncomfortable in the summer.

What about price? If it is a big factor Westerdam would most likely be cheaper because it has a bigger choice of cabins.

The Veendam is a more traditional HAL ship than Westerdam. It has fewer public rooms and 2 less passenger decks. The cabins and verandas are larger but there are fewer cabin categories. It does not have the SS category or all the Veranda cabin categories VC-VH, just A to BC. It is an S class ship, sister to Statendam, Ryndam, and Maasdam, built in 1995, I think. I personally like the S and R class ships but do like the Westerdam for different reasons. She's a class act and is very well organized and well run. HAL really has great European itineraries. You won't go wrong with either choice.

If you are looking for more specific answers please ask. We were on Westerdam in September and have been on all classes of HAL ships. We're going back to her in October for the transatlantic from Rome.

GN

[European_CruiseGirl]

About the weather: May or June is (most likely) not going to be a problem weather wise as the really hot temperature will normally kick in in late July early August. July and August are also the busiest summer holiday months in Europe so much less "local" tourists wandering around in May/June. Good choise of timing!

 

I'm a big fan of Vista class ships. Don't actually know why... Perhaps it's a price thing... :o I love to have a balcony cabin and those are much cheaper on the Vistas. And I feel that the approx. 40sq more that you get on the older ships (comparing let's say a VC to B) doesn't really feel anywhere.

 

But what I would do before making my mind is to review the itinenaries really carefully, studying the excursions and deciding based on those. :)

[grannynurse]

European cruise girl,

I'm really dreading the transfer from FCO to the port after traveling for 16 hours or longer from the USA. I'm trying to decide whether to get a hotel in Rome or in Civitavecchia. Do you have any thoughts on this?

Thanks,

GN

[European_CruiseGirl]

European cruise girl,

I'm really dreading the transfer from FCO to the port after traveling for 16 hours or longer from the USA. I'm trying to decide whether to get a hotel in Rome or in Civitavecchia. Do you have any thoughts on this?

Thanks,

GN

 

Hi GN, is your cruise leaving the next morning you arrive to Europe? If so I'd choose Civitavecchia. No reason to pay lot's of euros for a room in Rome. You will be too tired to go out and see some sights anyway. But if you have at least one extra day - I'd choose Rome. Absolutely. Just be sure to leave to Civitavecchia quite early in the morning on the embarkation day as the traffic can be sometimes quite heavy.

 

Have a wonderful trip! :)

[Copper10-8]

The cab/bus ride from the port of Venice to the airport is about 30 minutes. I agree that itinerary and time of the year are the big factors with a European cruise. Unless you absolutley don't care for the Vista's, both Zuiderdam and Veendam are great ships. Don't have a 2007 schedule in front of me but Rotterdam is usually also in Europe, very nice ship! If you really want a great experience for your parents, consider Prinsendam in Europe.