Oosterdam Cruise Reviews - Reviews

Oosterdam October 7th good good cruise ship very laid-back Cruise director hardly seen or heard from very relaxing vacation entertainment was okay food was excellent that ports were fabulous the ship was clean and tidy the service in the dining room was fabulous the room Stewart was great I can't say enough good things about Holland America and the ship.

Loved everything about this ship, crew and staff. Our Neptune suite on deck 7 was incredible and the lounge was a huge hit with us for coffee and tea every morning. Days at sea were so relaxing, after going to the gym, it was the perfect place to hang out and read. Although there are over 1900 passengers onboard it never seemed overwhelming. The ship has been refurbished and it looks lovely. The 3 ports were great Cabo was by tender, we stayed onboard at mazatlan and did a fun foodie tour in Puerto Vallarta.

Did 12 day Mexican Riviera. Outstanding service, delicious food (best burgers on the lido 🍔), room service spot on, stewards exceptional. Need more fun things for 40 crowd. Cruise director was a huge disappointment to say the least. Had a balcony and the room and bathroom were a good size. Bed was very comfortable. Embarkation/Disembarkation was a breeze. Our room was ready when we got on at noon. Just not a 5 star due to cruise director.

While a smaller ship, it was perfect for this venue. The ship was easy to navigate and the staff was wonderfully friendly and helpful. The venues were fine but we were most interested in quiet and alone time on this trip. We opted for a Signature Suite with In-Suite Upgrade package. It was the perfect solution for our needs. Included two bottles of wine and a bottle of liquor as well as an onboard credit. Also included dinner at the Pinnacle Grill (highly recommend), free laundry service, welcome bouquet of flowers, champagne and breakfast at the Pinnacle in departure day. A great value and well appreciated. The ship was recently upgraded so our cabin was stunning. However I still found the ship to be out of date and in need of additional upgrades. With that said, this was the perfect ship for our Alaskan adventure and we would recommend it to anyone wanting a more intimate cruising experience with less frills.

We had great weather and wonderful service. This was a very enjoyable, hassle-free vacation. Overall, Holland America provided a great experience for my wife and I.

This was our first cruise and it was fantastic! Thank you Holland America. the crew of the Oosterdam was great, food was excellent, our obscured window cabin was a good bargain and the activities where stellar.

This was our first cruise, we had an excellent time and probably the best vacation we've ever had, normally by the end of the vacation you're ready to go home, but we are sort of Sad it ended

We thoroughly enjoyed this cruise. It was our 15th cruise but first on Holland America. The food was great, the ship was nice, and the employees were friendly and so accommodating. I will definitely cruise on Holland America again. Here are some quick points I liked: Embarkation/debarkation was a breeze from Seattle Lido and dining room had good food. Lido hours on a couple of port days seemed to be more flexible than other ships I have sailed on. Test kitchen was interesting Comedian and comic magician were funny Billboard Piano duo were great Band in BB King bar was excellent!! Crowes nest was a nice quiet area for coffee, drinks, reading and board games. Nonsmoking casino. In fact ship seemed to only allow smoking outside in one area at back of ship. Beds were comfortable Ship was small but we found plenty to do to fill our days Excursions seemed typical. Whale watching from Juneau was pretty good. Saw a few whales from afar. I would recommend excursions at this port. We walked Sitka on our own once the complimentary bus shuttle dropped us off in town. We walked the nature path to the raptor center (less than a mile). The nature path crossed a stream where thousands of salmon were running. We also took a cab to Fortress of the bears which is a habitat for rescued bears. Ketchikan - we did an excursion that combined the Lumber jack show with a bus ride to Totem Bight. This gave us zero time for exploring the town. If I do this again, I would get my own tickets to the lumberjack show (which was great) and walk around the town. I didn't get much from Totem Bight. Ketchikan is a great port for walking around all the shops. VIctoria - took the bus for ten dollars round trip into town. Plenty of shops and restaurants there.

Very relaxing. Best vacation ever as far as decompressing. Entertainment was lacking but the Lincoln center was exceptionally good . Tia was a delight to meet And have lunch with ( viola player ). Loved that aspect. Mani entertainment , other than the comedian , was subpar . Dancers were great but main singer was Off Key the entire cruise .

Art auction was fun. Bought 2 pictures. Massage was good entertainment good. We had an announcement Man over board. That was scary and interesting. Ended up being a fisherman boat. Salad and ice cream were fresh and delicious. The towel animal creations were adorable. Bought the book on how to make them. We wanted to talk to the captain. The conceirge wouldn't let us. Very disappointing.

We really enjoyed our experience in Alaska. The best highlight I think for me was the Hubbard Glacier. What a great experience. Also we saw a lot of Orca whales on our way to Victoria, it was a beautiful day for sailing and whale watching.

Overall had a very good time. Some issues with the ships cruise director, not very informative. Each day had to go in hallway to hear what was being said.

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.

Our second Alaska cruise in 10 years. Not much has changed. Weather was better last time, but this is an amazing part of our country. We used to live in Anchorage so I can tell you there is a whole lot more to see than what you see on this cruise.

Top notch service and a great way to visit Alaska easily. I highly recommend anyone to try this cruise at least once just for the Alaska and Holland America experience. This was my first cruise ever. The food was great too.

Overall, great experience for first taste of Alaska. Want to go back for more including Skagway and train to Dinali

This was my 7th cruise on 5 different cruise lines. First time on Holland America. The ship is attractive both interior and exterior. It has a classic cruise ship look from the outside. The inside has been updated. While not opulent it has quality furnishings like solid wood deck chairs, statues, wood, brass, etc. The staff was helpful and always made contact (good morning, good afternoon, etc.). This ship suffers from some of the same things most other ships do, in trying to keep prices down. The wait staff at meals is spread too thin but work hard to get meals delivered in a reasonable time. But they always seem a tad rushed. The food was OK, but not memorable. The buffet had a reasonable but small selection (pasta, seafood, and a few other dishes). Good ice cream options but most desserts were pretty basic in the Lido Market (buffet). Not unlike most other ships' buffets. We didn't have the meal package so I can't comment on the extra charge restaurants. The main dining area's food was good if not plentiful. They typically had a limited number of selections for each course (3-5) and you can of course order multiple items. Entertainment was weak. One comedian was good and the BB King lounge had a group that was excellent. If you like Jazz you will love them. Embarkation and Disembarkation was very fast compared to other cruise lines and handled professionally. Overall, it was a good cruise for the money but not the best I've taken. I'd consider HAL again but would not be at the top of my list. 

On a seven day cruise, we were on the ship for 3 1/2 days.  Two of our days in port were short days (7-12:30 & 6:00 - 11:30).  I don't know if they were trying to save on port charges or just keep us on the ship, so we would spend more money aboard ship.

The ship board WIFI was worthless.  Slow, expensive and wouldn't open most applications.

There was a good quantity of average food.  The Cruise line  has a "Culinary Council".  They do a good job on naming the entrees, but only an average job of implementation. 

If your expectation is lots of belly filler, you will be satisfied.  If your expectation is to have any level of a culinary experience, you will be disappointed. 

The food quality is closer to elder care, than fine dining.

The Fly in, Fly fishing excursion in Juneau, AK was awesome and the highlight of the trip.  Pretty pricey at almost $500 per person, but worth it.

Cabin steward & wait staff at dinner were the hardest working people on the ship.  Very attentive & friendly. 

Glad we did it, so we can check that one off our list.  The nicest thing I can say is, "I've taken five cruises and this one is in the top five".

May 14-21,2017 It was our 1st cruise to Inside Passage Alaska. Had an aft suite. Great views, wonderful food and an all around terrific experience! 😎

The scenery was amazing - Alaska is truly a beautiful place.  Everyone should experience it at least once! We are normally Carnival cruisers.  We were not impressed with Holland America.