A Great Fall Getaway

Volendam Cruise Review to Caribbean - Southern

Cruises: 7+ cruises
Reviews: 2
Helpful Votes: 47

Overall rating:

5 out of 5
Volendam

Sail date: November 01, 2006

Ship: Volendam

Cabin type: Oceanview

Traveled as: Singles/Friends

Reviewed: 18 years ago

Review summary

The Volendam was beautifully decorated and made us feel as if we were staying at an exclusive resort. Hand sanitizer was located throughout the ship. Also, laundry washing and drying facilities were available, which we took advantage of because of the length of the cruise (10 nights).We have sailed on more than ten cruises and this cruise was one of the best. We sailed ten nights but could have sailed longer. We hated to disembark the ship.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5
Upon arrival we were directed to the Lido Deck to enjoy a delicious buffet lunch. We were glad to see that there were a wide variety of foods separated by different stations such as breads, salads, ethnic food items, sandwiches and main entrees. The Volendam staff served the food which cuts down on food contamination and that dreded intestinal virus.When we made reservations for the cruise, we requested the 6:15 p.m. dinner seating, however, the 6:15 p.m. seating was not available but when we received our table seating card at check-in, we were happy to see that our original request had been honored. The Volendam had several restaurants including the Lido (buffet), Rotterdam (dining), Terrace Grill (pizza, taco, hamburger, hot dog) and the Pinnacle Grill (formal dining with a cover charge). The food was delicious as well as beautifully presented. The vegetable, fruit and ice craving were talently displayed. A BBQ was held on board the ship as well as on a private island.

Entertainment

5 out of 5
We were treated each night with Broadway talent entertainment in the Frans Halls Lounge. There were singers, dancers, comedians, magicians and musicians who entertained us each night. Activities on board included bingo, cooking demonstrations, wine tasting, karaoke, dancing, kitchen tours, indoor cycling, trivia, golf putting and many other exciting activities. A winning bingo card could win you a free cruise; however, we were not winners. The cruise staff performed for us on one of the nights. The Wajang Theater was available and showed recently released movies with complimentary popcorn.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5
The staff was friendly and helpful and always approached you with a smile. Room service was available twenty-four hours a day and a ten dollar a day gratuity included all services except drinks.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5
The ship was not too large and it was easy to follow the ship layout posted on all decks. The public areas were very clean and our stateroom was located near an elevator which made getting to other decks convenient.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5
Our stateroom was larger than our last cruise and very nicely arranged. We had a flat screen tv in our seating area.

Pros: The friendly staff and delicious food

Cons: Getting up to go through U. S. immigrations at 7:00 a.m. in St. Thomas

Recommends Volendam? Yes!

Was this review helpful? 27

1 Comment

Gwbigdog    2 years ago

Thanks for sharing your cruise.