The Veendam is a smaller cruise ship (~1200 passengers + crew), but that is our preference. We were surprised by how little you felt the ship move. Been on other smaller ships and you felt more movement/rocking. The food was good and staff pleasant. We'd do this cruise again!
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Embarkation was real easy and went quick. There were no real lines once you went through security check point. Everyone was real helpful. I was impressed that we embarked early at 12:30pm and were able to go straight to our cabin; past cruises embarkation started at 1:00pm and you had to wait until close to 2:30pm before you could go to your cabin.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
The main dining room was nice. We ate breakfast and dinner here every day/night. When open for lunch we ate here too. Food was good.
The only drinks we had were at the 6:00pm Martini sampling at the Martini Bar. This was a nightly thing and the bartenders were real good and engaging.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
While we didn't use the pool, basketball court or other onboard activities, they were ok. There is only 1 pool and it was generally occupied by a lot of kids.
In my opinion, the basketball court and tennis courts were not located in good areas. Reason being, they weren't isolated from normal walking paths so people could walk through these areas and interrupt play. Not to mention these were right above the lido deck so in the case of basketball, when there was activity you heard it in the lido dining area.
We did go to the America's Test Kitchen for their demos on "sea days". This didn't run while docked in Bermuda. I found it informative and interesting. The host was engaging and down to earth which made the demo real good. If you have a chance to go to one of these shows on a cruise it is well worth the hour.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
We enjoyed the juggler and ventriloquist, but were not impressed with the rest of the entertainment at the evening shows. This was the first time, we didn't go and/or stay for the entire after dinner show and we have been on about a dozen cruises.
Children's Programs
no kids
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Loved the staff we interacted with.
Our room stewards were always around (so it seemed). Whenever we left in the morning for breakfast our cabin was made up by time we returned. When we left our cabin for the 6:00pm pre-dinner martini sampling, the cabin was turned down.
We did the set dining assignment and went to dinner at 7:45pm. Our waiter and asst waiter were both great. Had a blast talking with the waiter while he took care of us. He made the dining experience great and could not do enough for us. The waiter and asst waiter gladly accommodated a couple who joined us for dinner the last couple of nights for dinner. We met this couple on the cruise and since this was their 1st cruise which they had the free-style dining. Also, we wanted them to experience the set dining option to see which they preferred for future cruising.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Overall, the layout was good. As mentioned above the only thing that didn't make sense is where the basketball and tennis courts were.
Everything was well maintained and cleaned. I must say, this ship had some of the best cleaned glass; we were always running into someone who was cleaning all of the glass in the stairways. The Lido deck dining area crew did an amazing job cleaning up tables so others could use.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
We liked our cabin and its location on the ship. There was a ton of closet space and we could have hung every piece of clothing we brought if we chose to. Decent size bathroom so you didn't feel cramped.
The only small little gripe was the size of the TV.
Love Hamilton and the fact there was plenty to do right when you got off the ship. Shopping and restaurants across the street, as well as the ferry and bus terminals were within a few blocks.
This was our 4th cruise to Bermuda, so we love this island and did not do an excursion. However, we did walk to Fort Hamilton and take the bus to the Aquarium/Zoo, We also went to St George and the Royal Naval Dockyard using public transportation.
Like embarkation, this was really easy. One of the easiest disembarkations in my opinion. We were off the ship based on the time we selected. Clearing customs was really quick. Finding luggage once off ship was relatively easy for they had everything by color; the hardest part (and it wasn't hard at all) was to sift through all the luggage in your color group in order to find your luggage.
*Cruiseline.com is not a booking agent or travel agency,
and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. Our partners
(travel agencies and cruise lines) provide prices, which we list for our
users' convenience. Cruiseline.com does not guarantee any specific rates or
prices. While prices are updated daily, please check with the booking site
for the exact amount. Cruiseline.com is not responsible for content on
external web sites.
Contact us
Submitting...
Need help from a personal vacation planner?
Loading...
Find the perfect cruise with weekly tips and cruise deals for as little as $30/night!
Sign up for weekly cruise deals
Join other subscribers and get the best
cruise deals of the week in your inbox every Thursday.
