Disappointing yet Relaxing
Oosterdam Cruise Review to Alaska - Inside Passage
Contributor Level:
Purser
Cruises: 7+ cruises
Reviews: 3
Helpful Votes: 86
Review summary
HAL delivers a good cruise and cruise itinerary, however, they need to add more staff to the Lido Cafe Buffet so lines don't back up so much. Visiting the Hubbard Glacier was the highlight of the cruise - a must see for those cruising Alaska.Embarkation
Smooth and fast embarkation process.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
Main dining room food was okay - desserts were not that good. Dinner took too long (2+ hours).
Lido Cafe Buffet was always serving cafeteria style so lines and wait time to be served were quite long. Food in the buffet was mediocre, at best.
Onboard Activities
Not much variety with on board activities, plus, last item listed on the "Where and When" daily program was 11:30pm. Some activities were not listed due to lack of space on the program (casino promos) so unless we happened to be in the area, we would not know about some of the activities.
Entertainment
The HAL singers and dancers were not to our liking. Stage productions were corny. The guest comedian and magician/comedian were fabulous. And, the band and singers in the BB King's Blues Club were outstanding. Put this group in the Main Stage Production and you'll have a better show!
Service and Staff
Room stewards were very good making sure we had everything we wanted. Waiters in the Main Dining Room and food servers in the Lido Cafe Buffet were always nice, happy and accommodating. Erin, the Cruise Director did an excellent job.
Ship Quality
This was the first time I was disoriented throughout the whole trip while on board. Not sure why. Staff were always cleaning and polishing, yet not in a disturbing way.
Cabin / Stateroom
I loved, loved, loved, our cabin! We had a Signature Suite. The cabin had plenty of room to walk around, the bathroom had a double sink with a shower *and* bathtub/shower so both of us could be in there at the same time. Bed was quite comfortable and the tv was very nice (large). We also had a larger balcony so that was nice too.
Ship tip
Be prepared to stand in line for food.
Thumbs up
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