Repositioning cruise with great entertainment

Volendam Cruise Review to Canada, New England, New York

Cruises: 4-6 cruises
Reviews: 3
Helpful Votes: 44

Overall rating:

4.7 out of 5
Verified Review
Volendam

14 Night The Atlantic Coast (Montreal To Ft. Lauderdale)

Sail date: October 05, 2024

Ship: Volendam

Cabin type: Suite

Cabin number: 6117

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 29 days ago

Review summary

This was a repositioning cruise so the ports changed a couple of times after we booked. We went to NYC instead of Boston, Eastport instead of Bar Harbor. It was cool to cruise past the Statue of Liberty. It is a small ship so we did get some noticeable movement when out of the coves. We really hoped to see more leaf color but it had not been cold enough yet. Loved Nova Scotia and look forward to returning.

Embarkation

5 out of 5
One of the easiest embarkations we have had.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

4 out of 5
HA generally has better food and this trip was up to par. The specialty restaurants were excellent. The bars were good except they ran out of Glenmorange scotch which is my husband's go-to drink.

Onboard Activities

4 out of 5
The assistant cruise director made the game nights really fun. The trivia contests were over crowded as usual. You had to get to the venue very early to get a seat.

Entertainment

5 out of 5
The band in the Ocean Bar was fabulous - we sat in 2 sets every night. The stage shows were all good, even the comedians. The piano bar player was a good pianist but couldn't sing.

Children's Programs

We didn't have any children traveling with us - very few children on the boat.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5
All the staff were friendly and helpful. The future cruise person did not have a good system (lots of waiting around instead of scheduling a specific time) and didn't have many suggestions - just wanted to book cruises.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5
The elevators were very fast. The common areas were clean. The only complaint was that they allowed smoking in the casino that permeated other common areas. The ship was going into dry dock for 3 months so things may be changed around.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5
We were in a Vista Suite so the room was large with a large veranda. It had a jetted tub with shower. Lots of storage. We had chosen a guaranteed room, hoping for an upgrade, and would not have chosen this room as it was very near the front elevators but it turned out great. Once the door was shut we didn't hear much noise.

Ship tip

If you like to do trivia, arrive at least 30 minutes ahead of time. If you plan to book a future cruise do your research before getting on the ship.

Ports of call

Montreal, Quebec

5 out of 5

Cruise St. Lawrence River

5 out of 5

Quebec City, Quebec

5 out of 5

SAGUENAY, QUEBEC, CANADA

5 out of 5

Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island

5 out of 5

Sydney, Nova Scotia

5 out of 5

Halifax, Nova Scotia

4 out of 5

EASTPORT, MAINE

4 out of 5
They did passport clearance on the ship. The town was very small but a nice walk around. It was Sunday so some shops were closed. The others were very crowded. Wish I had done an excursion.

Portland, Maine

5 out of 5

New York, New York

5 out of 5

Ft. Lauderdale (Port Everglades), Florida

5 out of 5

Disembarkation

5 out of 5
Very organized.
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1 Comment

Ladyjunecliff     25 days ago

Love your itinerary. Port changes are necessary sometime. Appreciate all the details. I agree, smokeless casinos are the best! There are some ships that have them. Thanks

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