12 Night Mediterranean Romance (Venice To Barcelona)
Sail date: July 14, 2019
Ship:
Veendam
Cabin type: Oceanview
Cabin number: 718
Traveled as: Family (older children)
Reviewed: 5 years ago
Review summary
It was long enough to relax and enjoy. There were enough ports we had to pace our activities to avoid being overwhelmed and that worked out. Fantastic staff and felt welcomed by all from ave 4 to 70.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Fastest and easiest ever!
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
Holland America food has become more imaginative and there were options for everyone. We chose the old fashioned same table every night option so we loved seeing Ramos every night and having. Everyone greet us by name.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
We were in port most days and the children made many friends and entertained each other or went to Club HAL. There was one pool and some nice lounges but the adults were low key as was the choice of activities. Fitness center was fine and never crowded. Happy hours and trivia contests were pleasant and fun.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
Piano player was great. Stage show showed effort. Scottish flute player very enjoyable. Other entertainers were also fine but not outstanding.
Children's Programs
4 out of 5
Club Hal was a hit with the four year old. The teens shunned the teen program and made friends with other teens. They have stayed in contact and report watching shooting stars as something they will remember forever. It was a civilized and eclectic group of teens so there were no worries and no complaints.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
100% top notch. Smiles and greetings every step of the way from Ramos in the dining room to Aang who served candy in the dining room and chocolate milk in the Lido to Mark with braces who who showed up here and there with a smile and cheerful greeting to Ko who took care of our room and our diverse needs with a good attitude. We couldn’t be happier.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
Everything was clean and well maintained. It was easy to find things. The elevators were fast and there were almost no lines anywhere on the ship. Things were efficient and enjoyable from embarkation to our final morning.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
This was a comfortable cabin even with two grandparents and two teens. It was much larger and better designed than our cabin last year in Norwegian. The beds were comfortable and there was a tub with a shower and not just a tiny shower.
Ship tip
Expect solid, dependable, comfort and you will be happy. Don’t come looking for crowds of partners and onboard amusement park atmosphere.
We arrived a day early and took a local water taxi out to the islands just offshore. For $20.00 we had 24 hours to island hop and get away from crowds. That was fantastic.
We took a tour to a beach and to the “castle” where there was a great view. We arranged it at the port and ended up with little bus and driver who waited for us at each stop for $140 for the day. For our group that was a steal and we enjoyed being. The only ship on a beautiful and less crowded place.
We took the little train from the port to a winery and a local beach. There were no crowds. The water was beautiful and we relaxed. Apparently everyone went to Olympia so we had the town and beaches to ourselves. The little tourist train was an inexpensive and fun way to get to places we would not have found on our own.
Part of our group took the train to Rome on their own for $14 each round trip on air conditionned first class. They planned ahead and participated in a blessing by the Pope. Some of us stayed near the ship and found an OK beach within walking distance.
Part of our group took a holland America bus tour to Aix en Provence and loved it. The rest of us took the little tourist bus to the beach and enjoyed the park and water.
We took the hop on bus to give everyone an overview and it showed us the highlights and how big the city is. It was a good option for tired feet. The teens liked the gothic quarter and met up with friends from the ship to explore.
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