Persistant sewage smell and average food, but nice staff

Item: Veendam
Rating: 3
Author: Scoot119

Veendam Cruise Review to Canada, New England, New York

Scoot119

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 29

Overall rating:

3 out of 5

Verified Review

7 Night Canada And Ne Discovery (Montreal To Boston)

Sail date: September 24, 2016

Ship: Veendam

Cabin type: Inside

Cabin number: 823

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 4 years ago

Review summary

We were located on A deck in the aft part of the ship, in an interior stateroom. We ususally pick an interior stateroom on cruises like this because most of our "vacation" time is spent out of the room (on deck, tours, etc...). Our hallway experienced persistent sewage odor, reported to the crew, and supposedly due to a bad valve. The odor improved, but remained noticeable. Thankfully, it was barely noticeable in the stateroom. We were a bit disappointed with the food in the main dining room, which we thought was "average". In the main buffet area on Lido deck, it always seems like someone kicked an ant hill...people scattering, getting in each other's way. Why are the coffee condiments always placed in an access pathway between the dining and buffet food areas? It's very congested. It's also very difficult to get anything from a bar area (like a soda pop or even a bloody mary) if you go to an early breakfast. Not open. On the good side, the staff was always nice. Don't expect any help with shore excursions if you signed up using the Delta Skymiles providers. The ship only concerns itself with excursions organized by them. Next time, I might consider an "all inclusive" cruise where you don't pay any more for your drinks or excursions. The bill at the end of this one was out of this world!

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

3 out of 5

Onboard Activities

3 out of 5

Entertainment

5 out of 5

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Ship Quality

1 out of 5

Cabin / Stateroom

1 out of 5

If this was a "large" interior stateroom, I would hate to have to use a small one. I'm not big, but two normal people can hardly turn around in the room. They need a taller shower tray to prevent from flooding your bathroom floor during a shower. The TV service was spotty. There was only ONE electrical outlet for the entire stateroom. Would be nice if there were room to store your luggage under the bed or in another nearby location.

Ship tip

Check out the signature or premium beverage package on day one and then do the math. If you think you'll end up spending more than $45/day per person on "beverages" (and they ain't cheap), it might be worth it. Even so, the wine included on the lower-end signature package is not exactly the best.

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