Disappointed compared to the previous cruise

Rotterdam Retired Cruise Review to Europe - Northern Europe

smh2

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 2-3 cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 45

Overall rating:

2 out of 5

7 Night Norse Legends (Rotterdam Roundtrip)

Sail date: May 09, 2015

Ship: Rotterdam Retired

Cabin type: Oceanview

Traveled as: Family (older children)

Reviewed: 9 years ago

Review summary

Sales, sales, sales, raffles, drawings, auctions, flyers on the door, when we returned from shore, walking down the hall etc - I felt like a target for advertising the entire cruise.

We had problems with temperature control and toilets in the cabins which were resolved after multiple phone calls.

The windows were dirty and some foggy between panes which made it impossible to take good photos out the windows (all over the ship).

We were in general seating for dinner and got the big frown for asking for a table to ourselves. There was a big push for sharing. You need to set up the tables differently.

The service was good and a few people were outstanding.

I feel like the they dont really want feedback or there would have been forms in the room, An email while disembarking is the worst time for anyone to provide feedback.

The tour guides in Norway were very political (complaining) which I thought was uncalled for.

The tour guide in the Netherlands was fantastic.

The food was full of things that some older people can not eat - bell peppers, tomoatoe sauce and garlic. My Mom had trouble at some meals finding anything she could digest. This is an older crowd and more options to add of not add some ingrediants should be provided. The food was well prepared and delicious.

Crowds were well handled - checking in and out and getting people on and off for shore visits.

I enjoyed the information on the ship and the route that were provided on the tv. The weather was not kept up to date.

The shows were a highlight of the cruise. I really enjoyed them.

I do not plan to cruise with Holland America again. I dont know if another cruise line would be any better or not. My last cruise with Holland America was in the Caribean 4 years ago and that was fantastic.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

3 out of 5

Lots of food my Mom couldn't eat and sometimes no good choices. The food that we got was well prepared and delicious.

Onboard Activities

3 out of 5

Happy Hour was a bargin and the drinks well prepared but other than that, not much that I wanted - just went to a hair cut talk which was good. Some technology classes for ipads and phones would have been nice. WIndows is not used by us as much. I had enjoyed windows classes in the past. Towel folding was fun and shows were good. Nothing else that we did.

Entertainment

5 out of 5

Enjoyed the shows very much

Children's Programs

3 out of 5

No idea

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Friendly except the lady at the desk at the dining room for seating. Especially Michelle the wine steward, the hair dresser from Madrid, and the portrait photographer.

Ship Quality

1 out of 5

Problems with heat/cooling in two rooms - by the way I am a daughter travelling with my Mom - not an option inthe prvious multiple choise question. Also a problem with Moms toilet. Dirty windows (between two panes of glass) - need to be replaced.

Cabin / Stateroom

3 out of 5

Nice layout, comfortable bed and quiet. Room service was great. Heating didn't work correctly for two days and it tood two phone calls to get it straightened out.

Ship tip

Go somewhere where it is warm enought to be outside if you want to take photos during the cruise or better yet, pick a newer ship. Most other passangers on the ship are Dutch and delightful but many events are in multiple languages or just Dutch so pay attention when selecting activities.

Thumbs up

Ports of call

Rotterdam, Netherlands

5 out of 5

Hilton was nice and it's easy to get around the city.

Thumbs Up 0

Eidfjord, Norway

1 out of 5

The bus trip was too long and the waffle people grouchy.

Thumbs Up 0

Alesund, Norway

5 out of 5

Trip to the Islands and then the view from the top. Beautiful place

Thumbs Up 0

Geiranger, Norway

3 out of 5

Pretty and the bus trip was good and informative. It's all about the cruise ships - few people live there. It rains most of the time.

Thumbs Up 1

Cruise Geirangerfjord

3 out of 5

Beautiful but it rained.

Thumbs Up 0

Bergen, Norway

5 out of 5

Tour on your own. It's beautiful and easy to walk around. Lots to see.

Thumbs Up 2

Traveler Photos

4 Comments

Gwbigdog 2 years ago

Thanks for sharing your cruise.

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maisonrose 8 years ago

There are forms and a box at the Front Desk for comments and I have used them.

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maisonrose 8 years ago

Did you fill in the special request forms when you registered for the trip? My no gluten sister had many nice choices and good food, and my ulcer diet catered to a t. Poor mother to have had to accept a normal menu when it was so unnecessary. Also choosing dishes in the Lido make it easier to control your needs, too. I seem to drop the ball, too, when asked for an evaluation, jet lag is my excuse!

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nielseyde 9 years ago

some people can always find somthing to complain about.

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