First timer on Volendam, need help

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Dan Tobey

Guest
We have sailed on other ships and lines but never with HAL and the Volendam. We just booked a a great deal for a Gaurantee outside "C" cat. at $400 per person plus port and taxes. We don't know what to expect in the way of food and service. What about dinners other thanthe main restaurants? How is the entertainment, cabin size etc. We love ships like Cunard's Caronia and Celebrity's Infinity. How will the Volendam compare? Thanks for any help.

PS: Is anyone else on this Easter week sailing?
 
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ANSAlberg

Guest
WE were on Volendam for 1/2 of the Pacific Rim cruise last fall -The month of November, basically -and LOVED it. The cabins are good sized with lots of storrage. If there is ANYTHING you can say about any of the HAL ships it is that the crew is "The Best" Funnily enough we were on the Caronia last spring and LOVED that ship as well, tho it is MUCH older and obviously showing its wear & tear. The cruise on the Caronia was my all-time favorite because the itinerary was PERFECT for our needs [ it was the TransAtlantic and we arrived in England RESTED and refreshed!] and we had been bumped up to a full suite and that has NEVER happened before! PLUS we were at Hans Arloe's table- He's the purser -and I have NEVER had so much fun before!!! He is the Host Extraordinaire! [ we even have our "Table-26" pins!] BOTH ships number in my top favorites - but that isn't difficult to do- its SHIP & I was ON it! Anne:daisy:usa:CO
 
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Dan Tobey

Guest
Hi Anne;
Thank you for your reply about the Volendam. After 29 sailings you would think that I would not be worried and just relax and enjoy the cruise. This is my partners first and only my second on HAL. My very first cruise back in 1971 was on HAL's old
Rotterdam V. They were just getting into cruising back then and changing over to the crew they have now. We sat with the Chef Engineer and his wife for dinner and that was delightful. I had a small inside cabin with upper and lower berths but fell in love with cruising.

To date the Caronia is our FAVORITE ship. We have sailed here twice. First time back in 1999 for two weeks in the Med. That was a much younger European crowd, with many only doing 7 days. Then in 2001 we took a 12 day to the North Sea and Russia. Wonderful cruise but much older. The entertainment was not much to our liking but we were part of a group and made our own fun. Both times the ship was in tip top conditon, even more so in 2001 after her late 1999 refit and name change for Vistafjord to Caronia. I is sad to thing that Cunard is not keeping her up to the highest standards. She is one of the last true Ocean Liners, and much better than Cunards QE2.

We are booked on Cunard's new QM2 maiden sailing, 01/12/2004, it wll be interesting to she how Cunard runs here.

Thanks again for the info on the Volendam, if you can forward any more reports on her, please do.

Dan
 
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ANSAlberg

Guest
Dan- Re- Volendam. WE have found that the "dam" ships are all fairly similar in lay-out. What is nice about this is - after you've been on two- you begin to see the reasoning. Walk out of an elevator and you KNOW which way to turn; theater? Right across from the fancy restaurant. Lido deck; restaurant ARRANGEMENT is similar PLUS [ my favorite] where the public bathrooms are in relation to the diningrooms and the theater! Now- The Zuiderdam will NOT fall into that [ nor will the Oosterdam] but MOST of the HAL ships do.
Our gathering place was the Crows Nest and its still my favorite; I don't know how they do it but the wonderful Indonesian staff remember YOU by name AND your wants after the first visit! ALL HAL ships have the "Crows Nest" and its a great sail-away place as well.
The Casino is approx. twice as big as Caronia. NOTHING beats the "Garden Room" on the Caronia -Hal doesn't have THAT!
We get a bit nervous too, on a new ship. Wondering if after all these years SOMETHING will spoil our love of cruising - But that has never even come close to happening. Many cruise reports list failings BECAUSE, I think, They assume you WANT to know what to avoid. Actually We're pretty flexable and I would PREFER to read a glowing report that buoys up my spirits and stimulates my enthusiasm -But that's just me. I found one complainer that was ABSOLUTELY driving me crazy -I could just turn and walk away from her & I did and it was WONDERFUL!
You WILL enjoy the Volendam! ALL the QUALITY is THERE! Anne:daisy:usa:CO
 
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Dan Tobey

Guest
Hi Anne;
Thank you so very much for all the details on the Volendam. I am sure we will enjoy her very much. We too think the Garden Room on the Caronia is the nicest area on any ship. The only other room at the sea that even come close is the International Lounge on the Norway. But still it is a distant second. High Tea with the linens and white glove service in The Garden Room, is the highlight of any cruise on the Caronia. Does HAL do a HIGH TEA on the Volendam?

Good to hear from you,
Dan, Phila. Pa.
 
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ANSAlberg

Guest
Dan- HAL does a number of great things like Tea- One on a TRansAtlantic that we REALLY enjoyed was a demonstration of cooking plus recipes -for Indonesian foods and egg roll -puff pastry/ cream puffs....THat was TERRIFIC. It was mid-morning and I remember thinking "So soon after breakfast- too bad to waste all this food" but 10 minutes after it was over- it looked like Locusts had hit!!! The other was a diningroom demonstration of the artistry of the ice-carvers/food shapes -again; the one that stuck in my mind was a hill of mayonaise with hard-boiled egg penguins skiing down the hill- EVERYthing was food or tied to food......THAT was great fun! I think they tend to improvise on the longer cruises if they have a LOT of "at-Sea" days in a row....regular tea is served on one of the lounges EVERY afternoon at, I believe -3:00.....We usually go and just avoid the food part [ its GOOD- just too much of it!]
We are booked on the Rotterdam TransAt;antic out of Boston July 12 -and the Oosterdam B2B -Venice to Lisbon/ Lisbon to Florida in November. Can't WAIT. My cyber group is going on Carnival Pride soon -34 of us! Boy- Let me tell you; being retired is TOUGH!!!!!!!!! Anne :daisy:usa:CO
 
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ShipMaven

Guest
If this is your first time doing the northern transatlantic crossing on Rotterdam, all I can say is you're in for an eye-popping, spectacular treat - especially around Greenland and Iceland. Be sure to bring your camera and plenty of film or recording media.

:USA :UK :AUSTRALIA :USA
 
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ANSAlberg

Guest
Shipmaven; No- This isn't our first time to the north- but it IS in that direction! Last spring we went to England Via Caronia and loved GETTING there all rested -saved the Jet-lag for coming HOME -now that we're not working that is OK. 6 years ago we came home via that route on the Royal [Princess] and arrived home rested and OK for going back to work........now that we are BOTH retired -we love to ATTACH a trans-ocean cruise to get us the major part of the way home [ we're land-locked in Colorado] and what we've found is we adore the trans-ocean cruises! The more "At-sea" days the better!
It seems to me you have two kinds of cruisers with specific profiles; #1 is the working/busy vacationer. They want a short cruise- quite port intensive. They are willing to be in a suite/luxury cabin for that short time to "Live it up"
#2. is the seasoned cruiser-now retired or having MORE leisure time. The cruise IS the destination -but if they DO go to port intensive- its further away- the Pacific/Australia/Europe/ Mediteranean.....These folks are much more flexable; miss a port? No big deal. Will cruise OFTENER and LONGER but tend to buy into a less expensive cabin or guarantee and hope for the "best"......
Anne ~ retired Library director; THRILLED to see the stuff/places I'd only read about
:daisy:usa:CO
 
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