Cruise Ship Reviews

Holland America

Veendam

ABOUT THE SHIP

Writer Lisa Costantino based this independent review on her 7-night Alaska cruise departing from Vancouver, British Columbia.

Launched in 1996 and still in her prime, the midsize Veendam is all about familiarity and comfort. Although fine art and artifacts embellish the corridors and the Rubens show lounge sparkles with glitz, most interiors are modest, activities are geared toward simple pleasures, and the crew is jovial rather than obsequious. That’s all to the good, because Veendam’s appeal lies in her accessibility -- hometown life transplanted onto 55,451 tons of floating frivolity. This is not Mardi Gras, but a small-town pageant.

Heard on the deck: “I’m so excited to finally take a cruise. My husband’s such a terra-firma kind of guy.”

Why Veendam?

· Lessons in leisure: Learn to make napkin origami or a martini James Bond would love, play roulette or do the boot scoot boogie, all from a crew happy to teach skills from the useful to the plain silly.

· Posh nosh: With intimate seating and a fine Pacific Northwest menu -- from Alaska king salmon to Grand Marnier chocolate volcano cake -- the Pinnacle Grill offers a retreat for the epicurean set.

· Elbow space: Passengers on Veendam cruises are a relaxed lot, spending a good deal of time in the lounges and retiring early, making an oceanview treadmill, a last-minute salon appointment, or a perfectly placed deck chair a cinch to find.

Who should go
Anyone put off or intimidated by showy sophistication will love this affordable cruise, which offers pampering, but not overdone; spectacular destinations that aren’t too exotic; and a down-to-earth atmosphere. The cruise line’s reputation for carrying a complement heavy on retirees may be well-founded; however, during summer months and school holidays, you’ll find families with tots and teens mingling easily with the 60-and-older crowd.

Who shouldn’t go
Affluent cruisers looking for luxe environs and high-society mingling should look and book elsewhere. Additionally, party-hardy types will be disappointed with the tame revelry and singletons will find scarce opportunity to meet kindred souls.

INSIDE EDGE

Hits and misses

· Don’t miss: The elemental sailing experience -- twilight on the forward observation deck, watching the sun sink into the boundless sea

· Best part of the ship: Unbeatable views, smooth cocktails, and a diverse crowd at the Crow’s Nest

· Best experience: People stopping in their tracks and smiles breaking out whenever the captain's booming voice and trilling “R”s burst from the intercom -- never have navigation reports been so riveting

· Best shipboard activities: The fitness classes, which you’ll need to burn off all those calories

· Needs improvement: Healthy options -- the salad bar is limited, the veggies cooked in fat, and despite designated smoking areas, the smell of cigarettes can pervade in some areas

· Activities to skip: The daily golf tourneys on dinky mini-golf-like “holes” set up on the carpet in the atrium -- better to take up shuffleboard for the week

How to meet the captain
Rub elbows with the man in charge by attending the captain’s reception on the first formal night of the cruise. This meet and greet takes place about an hour before each dinner sitting; free champagne and an opportunity to have your picture taken with the ship’s commander create a festive social event. If you want to dine with the captain, you’ll need to book one of the posh suites to merit an invite.

Tip: Repeat cruisers automatically become members of Holland America’s Mariner Society, with perks including special receptions hosted by the captain.

DINING

The Rotterdam
With deep red interiors cooled by ocean views and enough silver and Rosenthal china to inspire donning the finery every night, the two-tiered Rotterdam bespeaks simple elegance. Attentive wait staff provides unobtrusive service to tables of 6, 8, and 10, whose diners mull over selections of seafood chowder and surf and turf, Thai spring rolls and rotisserie duck. Tiramisu and cheesecake top the desserts of choice. The sole vegetarian option, however, ranges from not bad to stodgy. Open seating and a bistro-style menu make breakfast and lunch a more casual affair.

Lido Restaurant
How food from the same kitchen can be so varied in quality is a mystery. Your local family restaurant probably serves better fare than this casual buffet. But it’s fast, easy, and open from early morning to 7:30 PM, with late-night snack buffets and ice cream. While breakfast offered at least an omelet station and plenty of fresh fruit, lunch fared poorly, with tepid entrées like pork piccata and seared perch, overcooked veggies, hard rolls, limited salad and pasta bars, and surprisingly unpalatable pizza. Dutch dishes popped up daily, including hutspot and a herring bar. Desserts, thankfully, were reliably delicious.

Pinnacle Grill
Well worth the $20 outlay, this showcase for surrealistic modern art is the dreamy romantic spot you won’t find anywhere else onboard. Service is impeccable, tables small and adorned with white orchids. Starting with an amuse-bouche, savory appetizers, creamy soups, and designer salads arrive in carefully timed procession, followed by entrées such as cedar-planked lobster, Delmonico rib-eye steak, and wild mushroom ravioli. Too full for dessert? Order coffee, accompanied by a tray of chocolate truffles.

Other dining options

· Taco bar: The fixings at this poolside bar are plentiful if not much better than a fast-food joint. Likewise for the hamburger/hot dog stand, but at least the kids love it.

· Java Café: Lattes, cappuccinos, tea, or just a good cup of joe are all gratis at this small lounge opposite the Wajang movie theater.

· Room service: Though the menu doesn’t include items from the dining room, the food -- salmon steak, roasted chicken sandwich, a delicious Thai vegetarian wrap -- is unexpectedly good, and delivery prompt.

Best dining

· Dish: The filet mignon at the Pinnacle, touted as tender enough to cut with your fork, and it very nearly is

· Dessert: The Pinnacle’s sensuously warm Grand Marnier chocolate volcano cake

· Restaurant: No surprise, the Pinnacle Grill, for intimacy and exquisite dishes

· Food seminar: The martini-making seminar in the Crow’s Nest, with great sips and tips

How to:

· Get a table for two: Availability is limited, so make your request when you book, or ask the maître d’ well in advance of your dinner sitting. For the Pinnacle Grill, make your request when you book your reservation.

· Celebrate a birthday or anniversary: A word with the maître d’ will get you a lovely cake and well wishes. The ship also offers celebration packages ranging from $119-440, with roses, champagne, couples massage, and other pleasures from which to choose.

· Change seating: The maître d’ can change your seating assignment any day you wish; again, make your request as early as possible to ensure availability.

· Dress for formal night: Plan to dress to the nines, as men wear business suits or tuxes, women dazzle in mostly long gowns, and even teens make it look like prom night.

· Dress for casual night: Casual isn’t much different from informal, with men in slacks and nice shirts and women in pants-and-sweater sets or dresses.

Tips:

· Reserve your Pinnacle Grill date as soon as possible as the restaurant only seats 64 and guests staying in suites get preferred reservations.

· If you’re sensitive to cigarette smoke, avoid the Lido’s alfresco dining area -- even with the retractable roof open, the smoke can be invasive.

· Feeling queasy? Tuck into bed and order room service’s “high seas” menu: Beef broth, broiled chicken with rice and vegetables, apple, crackers, and tea.

· Wine aficionados should consider purchasing one of the ship’s wine packages, which include four bottles for $82, six for $125, or 10 glasses for $34.

· Take the kitchen tour offered the first full cruise day for a glimpse into the massive undertaking of feeding 1,200 people (plus plenty of free samples).

Heard on the deck (from the chef during the kitchen tour): “Our goal is to make you gain five pounds on this cruise.”

CABINS

With oceanview cabins outnumbering insides 5 to 1, most passengers get that window effect of more space along with their ocean views, which helps balance out the bland décor. Twin beds (pushed together to make queens) are augmented by nightstands with phones, reading lights, and music channels. A loveseat (or sofa bed, which, if needed, makes for cramped quarters) faces a dresser/desk with ample drawer space; above it, a 17-inch TV offers several movie channels, plus cruise info ad nauseam. Closets contain full-length mirrors and robes. The bathroom, most with shower/tub combination and handheld shower, is compact, and amenities are minimal: Hair dryer, soap, shampoo, conditioner, and shower cap. Daily deliveries include ice (and drinks at $1.75-2 each), fresh fruit, and a nighttime chocolate.

If you can swing it, book a Deluxe Balcony Suite. In addition to an extra 100 square feet in the quietest section of the ship, you get a spacious private balcony, beds that combine into a king, whirlpool bathtub, refrigerator, VCR, minibar, roomy dressing room, better fruit basket, and entrée into the exclusive Neptune Lounge -- with juice bar, espresso, and wide-screen TV. You also get events with the captain, a bridge tour, free laundry service, and room service that includes afternoon tea and hors d’oeuvres.

Tips:

· When booking, find out your room’s exact location. Some cabins are considerably noisier than others, especially those above the storeroom or main lounge.

· If you need anything fixed or adjusted in your cabin, stay proactive. Requests for repairs can easily be forgotten or relegated to the lowest priority.

· Only six of Veendam’s cabins are wheelchair-accessible (none with balconies), so book early if you require such accommodations. TTD-teletext communications and menus in Braille are also available, and service dogs are allowed onboard.

· Coin-operated laundry facilities are a welcome feature, but for only $12 you can stuff a sizeable laundry bag for 24-hour service. It’s worth it.

ENTERTAINMENT AND PUBLIC AREAS

For the most part, onboard entertainment and activities are small-scale, down-home events that generally find an appreciative audience. Games like Pictionary, team trivia, and a newlywed/not-so-newlywed show attract enough competitors to make watching an enjoyable way to pass some time. The bars, fairly empty by day, fill up in the evenings and range in revelry from sedate to lively, but never more than boisterous. Gaming, however, is a hit no matter what the hour: Slot junkies line the casino’s jangling machines, and bingo players pack the Rubens Lounge to the last seat.

Bars, lounges, and casino
Six bars and lounges may be too many or just right, depending on whether you’re looking for action or a place to read. By far the most animated is the Crow’s Nest, with panoramic windows, dance floor, inventive cocktails, and an understated sophistication. The neon-mad Piano Bar runs a close second, attracting sing-along and name-that-tune enthusiasts. The older set enjoys mellow melodies in the Explorer’s Lounge at night; afternoons, they converge for tea accompanied by the Champagne Strings. And the casino -- with roulette, blackjack, Caribbean stud and three-card poker, and 97 slots -- is busy at all hours, but really revs up as the hour grows late.

Heard on the deck: “This is just like Vegas. Well, Reno, anyway.”

Swimming pools
Veendam’s two swimming pools are attractive, scrupulously maintained, and small enough to be fairly useless for real swimming. But on a warm day they’re good for a refreshing splash. Adults head to the larger aft pool where they can cool off amid snoozing sun-seekers. The Lido pool, with its retractable dome and fanciful dolphin sculpture, is routinely packed with children playing Marco Polo. Kids must be 13 years old to use the twin hot tubs adjacent to the Lido pool (which are usually crammed full of portly, middle-aged men anyway). Towels are abundant, as are lounge chairs, and there’s no reserving.

Shows
With its excellent stadium seating, gleaming granite floors, and dynamic lighting, the Rubens Lounge presents a dramatic venue for its nightly productions -- which makes the Veendam cast seem a little like an amateur troupe performing on Broadway. Still, the cast, and the other musicians, comedians, and magic acts, all get As for effort and earnestness.

Shore excursions
Veendam’s excursion selection is large and varied. Still, you should book up to 60 days in advance (online booking is a snap); the popular ones (e.g., whale-watching and glacier flightseeing in Alaska) sell out quickly. Excursions are well-organized and punctual; arrive at your meeting spot at least 10 minutes early. The shore excursion desk is open the morning of every port call; cancellation and change-of-plan deadlines are generally less than 24 hours before the trip (there’s a 10 percent fee); miss the deadline and lose your refund (shipboard credit only). If an excursion is sold out, get on the waiting list and cross your fingers; there’s usually at least one person who ends up skipping their trip in favor of another beer in a port saloon.

Weddings and vow renewals
There’s no chapel on Veendam (religious services take place in the movie theater), but a Royal Ocean Events wedding planner can assist in putting together an onboard wedding while the ship is in port, or a land-based ceremony. On Alaska itineraries, that can include marrying atop a glacier. Packages with all the trimmings start at $1,295. Vow renewals, which start at $129 and are arranged by HAL’s ship services department, include flowers, refreshments, photographs, and a certificate presented by the captain.

Looking for:

· Quietest spot: The massaging recliners on Upper Promenade Deck; also the library, 24-hour Internet Café, and card room (serving coffee and pastries)

· Liveliest spot: The Crow’s Nest, especially during late-night disco or country-western nights, where waiters dance your drinks over and present your bill as a tiny origami shirt

· Best view: You can’t get any closer to the sights than on the forward observation decks

· Best drink: Smooth as a glassy sea, green as glacier ice, the appletini, with vanilla vodka, sour apple schnapps, and sweet and sour mix

· Best show: Ultimate Broadway may be flashier, but the Filipino Crew Show’s Tagalog ballads and traditional bamboo dance register highest on the charm scale

· Best activity: Gathering on Navigation Deck for margaritas and mingling as the ship sets sail on embarkation day; the buzz is infectious as everyone looks forward to the week ahead

Tips:

· Head to the island-style Dolphin Bar in the late afternoon for 2-for-1 happy hour drinks and hors d’oeuvres.

· Not familiar with roulette or three-card poker? The casino’s genial dealers often hold impromptu clinics in the late mornings.

· The Internet Café offers several packages and pay-as-you-go fees for wireless access, or use one of the six computer stations. Laptop rentals are $20 per day.

· Even on exceptionally sunny cruises, deck chairs are often available. Lido pool chairs get more mileage but still rarely fill up.

· Passengers in wheelchairs have nearly unlimited public-area access (excepting Sky Deck, which has a number of barriers), and elevators are centrally located.

KID STUFF

Club HAL is one of the industry’s most established children’s programs, despite the line’s demographics. Cruises are devoid of youngsters much of the year, but on summertime sailings the kid count is generally around 150. There’s no children’s center per se; meeting rooms host arts and crafts such as origami and T-shirt painting. Supervised activities are organized by age group (5-8, 9-12, and teens) and include volleyball, movie nights, kid bingo, and shipwide scavenger hunts. Also popular with the kids: the Lido pool, video arcade, and ping-pong tables.

Tips:

· Families might want to opt for the soft-drink package: $27.50 for unlimited sodas.

· Babysitting is available but book early as space is limited. Rates rival those of your neighborhood teen sitter.

· Teenage girls get a thrill out of makeup sessions in the salon, especially on formal night, and the staff is happy to accommodate.

· Several shore excursions are geared specifically for kids and/or families. Check with the shore excursion desk if you haven’t booked ahead.

Heard on the deck: “I’m so glad there are lots of kids on the ship. I went on a cruise four years ago, and I was the only kid onboard. It was SO boring.”

SPA AND FITNESS

Spa and salon
Typical of the at-sea spa experience, Ocean Spa tacks on a product pitch when you’re most vulnerable: relaxed, glowing, and possibly half-naked. No matter, just decline politely. The treatments-- oxygen lifting facials, ocean wraps, deep tissue massage, manicures, pedicures, and hair and makeup sessions -- are worth the sales plug. If nothing else, book an appointment in the eight-chair salon just for the treat of having your feet exfoliated or hair styled while gazing at the passing scenery.

Heard on the deck (by the salon manager, indicating the salon’s floor-to-ceiling windows): “I could go home and work in a city salon, but it’d be claustrophobic after this.”

Fitness areas
Treadmills, Lifecycles, stair steppers, and a good selection of weights, free and otherwise, are in demand most mornings and then free up quickly as the day progresses. CNN and ESPN make the workout go quickly if the scenery through the picture windows isn’t enough. The exercise studio on the other side of the juice bar is large enough to accommodate the dozen or so daily yoga and Pilates devotees ($11 per class). Classes -- which also include aerobics, step, and stretch and relax, all free -- can morph into one-on-one sessions on port days. Melt your muscles in the gender-segregated sauna and steam rooms.

Elsewhere, Sports Deck’s tennis courts are virtually unused (except by Club HAL), and the basketball hoop sees action mostly from the crew after hours. Lower Promenade Deck’s track does see a regular number of walkers plying its teak boards in the early morning (four laps equal a mile).

Tips:

· Buy an unlimited pass ($50) to specialty classes -- yoga, Pilates, and fit ball -- and receive a fitness video and a session in the Alpha Capsule, an egg-shaped pod with rolling massagers -- an odd but relaxing experience.

· Spa treatments cost more than what you’d pay at home, but most garner some perk, like free touch-ups on nail color or a free massage if you buy some of the (pricey) products.

· Check the spa’s menu board on the last day or two of the cruise for greatly reduced prices on most treatments.

· Prices on fitness consultations such as personal training and body composition analysis, typically $75, likewise are a bargain at the tail-end of the cruise.

AT-SEA SHOPPING

Cruising the mall at sea means browsing Upper Promenade Deck, where you’ll find region-oriented and HAL-logoed clothing and paraphernalia (binoculars are a popular buy, as are “dam ship” T-shirts); region-themed snacks (huckleberry candy and salmon on Alaska sailings); duty-free liquor and cigarettes; and a shopping arcade proffering cruise wear, jewelry (routinely 40-50 percent off), brand-name perfumes and watches, and crystal. Serious about shopping? Make friends with the port shopping ambassador who offers seminars, shopping maps, and tips throughout the day.

Tips:

· Daily discounts grow larger as the cruise grows longer: Find many items at slashed prices and 2-for-1 deals on the last day or two.

· The shopping arcade’s Russian bazaar (which looks more like a jumble sale) hawks Matrushka dolls, Fabergé eggs, lacquer boxes, and a few region-specific tchotchkes as well.

· The Ocean Bar’s daily art auction offers free champagne to interested buyers of fine-art prints or ubiquitous Thomas Kinkade offerings.

· Need a tux? Arrange a rental through the front office.

· Don’t forget to activate your 30-day buyer’s guarantee, good for anything purchased onboard or at any recommended port stores.

ITINERARIES

Veendam's primary cruise offerings include:

Alaska from Seward or Vancouver (7 nights)

Western Mediterranean/Greece from Venice (10 nights)

West Caribbean from Tampa (7 or 14 nights)

Canada/New England from New York or Montreal (10 or 12 nights)

Scandinavia from Copenhagen (10 nights)

SHIP FACTS

· Cruise line - Holland America	· Ship name - Veendam
· Type of cruise - Elegant	· Passenger capacity - 1266
· Decks - 10	· Total cabins - 633
· Private balcony cabins - 149	· Total crew - 557
· Year entered service - 1996	· Tonnage - 55451
· Officers nationality - Dutch/European	· Ship size - Large
· Registry - Bahamas	· Ship length - 720