HAL on oosterdam (7 nights mexican riviera)
Oosterdam Cruise Review to Mexico
Contributor Level:
Purser
Cruises: 2-3 cruises
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 45
Review summary
it was a nice cruise. the staff was wonderful. although, for first timers, there was not enough information assimilated. gala nights were totally not followed. still, we will definitely cruise again but we would look for more incentives like onboard credit or prepaid gratuities.Embarkation
we got there around 2pm for a 5pm embarkation and it went very smoothly.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
this is my 2nd time on HAL. although my 1st cruise was 2009, i felt the food was better back then. also the portions seem to be smaller in my most recent cruise. i was actually disappointed with our meal at rudi's sel de mer. the dining room was probably the most consistent; here is where i found the portions to be small.
Onboard Activities
did not utilize much of the onboard activities. try ping pong for about 5 mins, the paddles were very generic. the sports deck was sub par. pools were small and crowded.
Entertainment
the main stage had a couple of okay shows. the lincoln center stage was always crowded. we spent a good portion of the entertained by billboard onboard.
Service and Staff
this is where HAL shined, their staff and service.
Ship Quality
no complaints
Cabin / Stateroom
nice size, i thought we would get an update having booked so early. it looked to be a full ship.
Ports of call
we love san diego. did not need excursion. we stayed 2 nights in san diego before flying home.
Thumbs Up
3
the ATV excursion was a lot of fun. but walking around the marina, we were solicited by so many tour groups.
the stone island excursion was a hit. it included a tour of the town as well as a couple of short activities in stone island. it also came with lunch and drinks.
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico Did not visit port
Disembarkation
it look a bit longer to disembark. there were quite a lot of people leaving on the expedited group. also the back log of people waiting for the elevators blocked others who just wanted to use the stairs.