Volendam Cruise Reviews - Reviews

Nice for an older smaller ship. We had a wonderful time! The food was a little better on other cruise lines but we never left hungry, we were always able to find something we liked. The staff is fantastic!

Ms Volendam This is one of those ships you totally call fall in love with. It a classy elegant liner giving you the true classic cruise feeling. It was our first cruise and we had a great time. Since we are younger many ask us if we where the artists. Even the crew thought so. We are not but what we like from HAL is the cultural en informative entertainment. Besides the big shows ;) BCC earth on the main stage was our absolute favorite. We loved the opening dining with different couples. It’s a great way to learn people and hear the most interesting stories. We had a vista suite and it was absolutely great. The room stewards keeps the room up to date. I was also a bit afraid since it’s a older ship. But absolutely no need too. The itinerary from Japan to Alaska to Vancouver was very interesting with Glacier Bay as an absolute highlight.

Great cruise. Be prepared for the time changes. During th crossing, the loss of 1 hour per night and 2 hours 1 day can be rough, not to mention the repeat of a day plays a bit of s mind trick on you.

I recommend HAL to friends who want to take it easy and just relax. This ship's captain has an excellent crew. The ship itself was small and mediocre, but the crew was excellent!

A highly recommended overview of these south asian countries. Lots of time to explore and tour, and many non-HAL options available. This review did not provide the opportunity to review Halong Bay. There we did a taxi to the city in the morning with a quick overview of the city, then return to the boat for our HAL Halong Bay excursion with lunch. The lunch was amazing and the boat tour a must in Halong Bay.

Not sure it was worth upgrading to a balcony for the overall cruise experience. Save your money, stick with a lower cabin and then it becomes value for money. Don’t waste time or money on the specialty restaurants

The cabin could have been 5*. However the A\C did not work and we had to keep the cabin door open so that cooled air in the corridor could get in. Our door on to the lanai deck was broken so we could get no fresh air from that source. Many cabins on our deck, although not ours, had major water leaks which left a disgusting smell in the corridors. Not a great experience when we had to keep the inner door open for cool air. For the first few days aboard there was a strong smell of burnt metal and sawdust. This seemed to disappear after 3 or 4 days but perhaps we just got used to it. My wife, and many other passengers, suffered from a chest complaint shortly after boarding but fortunately she recovered after 5 days. Coincidentally the same time as the A/C was repaired and the smelly dampness was dried up. The ship was just out of dry dock and the repairs had obviously not been completed. There was work going on in many parts of the ship. The wooden rail on the aft pool deck had a 3ft gap which was bridged by a plank of wood screwed in place!!!

Old ship with a lot of problems that were fixed very slow. Guest service poor response. Cabin stewards, food, restaurant service, entertainment were between good and excellent.

Overall a very interesting trip, with exotic stops, would like more time in Bangkok,This was definitely a high light, so much to see and love Thai food.glad we added days in the beginning and end to see bot Singapore and HongKong in depth

First time with HollandAmerica Cruise Liner. Impressed with service on board. Will not discount another cruise with them. Would take more care with choosing tours, either with them, third party or private taxi. Far East was not a previous holiday destination but our brief excursions lead us to look at more inland holidays.

This was a Transpacific crossing as a repositioning cruise which involved more sea time than usual for most cruises. The MS Volendam is smaller than most modern cruise ships, which lends a more communal feel. That being said, it was a great cruise with greater than normal interactions with the ships crew, as well as the hotel staff.

It was an OK cruise. The weather was foggy/rainy most of the time so we didn't enjoy the outdoors of Alaska as much as we expected. The ship itself is old and in dire need of refurbishment. Carpet was old and smells of mold. The decoration style looks very dated. The spa and fitness room were excellent though. The good: Buffet food, spa, fitness room. The bad: Entertainment, Main dining room food, on board activities + they nickel and dime you to death.

Loved this cruise. I would certainly go again, wish it was cheaper. I would have loved to be able to sleep on the deck one night but this is not allowed. Make it possible and I will be back.

Overall a great ship and cruise itinerary . Glacier Bay was awesome as we saw glaciers shearing off. We saw many whales and other wildlife. Ships crew were very good. Our cabin was quiet

Our multi-generational family had a fantastic time celebrating Grandma's 75th birthday with her bucket list trip! The staff was cheerful and polite! There were a variety of activities to keep the five of us as busy as we cared to be! Of course, there was an abundance of good food choices, for which cruises are famous! Our cabin was clean and comfortable! The entertainment was varied and appealing! The experience met our expectation in every way!

We had a great time and was so relaxed, making it a memorable trip. The boating staff were always in a smile when greeting you. The food was gourmet in all dining areas. Hats off to Volendam... Thank you.

Great and helpful staff from cabin stewards, dining room, guest desk and shops. Food and service was outstanding. Lots of activities available on board. Clean and  comfortabe ship. Lots of music of all kinds in different venues aroound the ship.Perfect end after the land portion of the Alaska/Yukon tour. The evening entertainment could be improved - magician and comic good, however, the staff entertainers left much to be desired.

The ship itself was nice. Accommodations were nice. The room Steward did a great job!  However, the food service at the buffet was crappy, and the food quality was not good! Upon boarding the ship we found that they were not ready for us at the buffet! Very unorganized! All the food was not out yet. Only one side of the buffet was open so we had to stand in long lines. You had to enter and exit the same entrance which made it very congested. People were bumping into each other. Food got spilled. Worst pizza ever tasted! No 24 hour pizza bar or ice cream bar. The upstairs Grill was good! They serve fajitas burgers and chicken. But they were not open for breakfast or dinner! Each morning you stood in a long line to get an omelet and there was only one person on each side cooking omelets for 3,000 people! By the time you got your omelette your wife were friends were done eating! Be water and juice and coffee servers were nowhere to be found! So it was Serve Yourself, Or don't drink a liquid with your meal.

A great cruise and we visited very interesting places. A 14 days cruise to short. Perhaps we do this cruise a second time in the future.

Best part of the cruise was the time spent in Glacier Bay.

Worst part of the cruise was the noisy room.

Food was mostly O.K., nothing exceptional.

Entertainment was mediocre for a cruise ship, especially so close to shore.