Volendam Cruise Reviews - Reviews

Will not take another cruise on this ship as we feel it is very outdated. Have cruised several years on Holland America but sadly disappointed with the way this cruise turned out. Always do a private balcony but feel like our money spent was not deserving of what our experience was.

Good food, good entertainment, unique items to purchase at very reasonable prices, friendly people, warm weather. Much better than a trip to Florida to be in warm weather

It was a wonderful ship cruise I would mark as absolutely necessary for every human being who wishes for more than just the cruise at sea experience and the sights thereof. The historical endeavors of governments, individuals, and the hard labor of men and women to achieve a true wonder of all time, the Panama Canal, is beyond description in this cruise. Holland America brought to us (especially by dedicated individuals like Captain Turner, Jude and Justin) all one can possibly expect in a cruise plus an educational historical summary of all the areas visited to include entertainment and relaxation beyond description. This cruise was fulfilling, exciting, adventurous, and luxurious beyond my expectations. I extend my personal heartfelt thanks to Holland America and all of the Volendam cruise ship crew.

The cruise provided great shipboard fun and excursion activities. Very diverse food choices and settings. Excursions were offered for all types of people. The towel sculptures were a hoot!

Panama Canal is outstanding, considering it was finished in 1914 and using the original locks and 12 volt motors to open the locks. This is what made the trip worthwhile. Overall was a nice cruise, except the ship was cold and made some parts of the cruise a lot to be desired. The entertainment by the ship's singers and dancers was mediocre. The ships band was outstanding, especially the drummer. The excursions that we went on were very good. The room stewards were excellent. We were disappointed with the food in the dining room; the Lido Deck had better options and the food was hot when you got it. The dining staff tried their best.

Jude did a great job and gave excellent advice. I did not rate the ports of call highly as they were boring.

One of the best cruises we've had in years. Love the Volendam!

Pick your own interests both on board and in ports. We explored Windows 10, America's Testing Kitchen, Mayan ruins, and current cultures.

Other than the noise issue we loved the trip and would do it again. Fix the noise issue, please.

A great first experience! Special thank you to our room service person AEP and to Nancy Anderson, co. rep., who made us feel at ease to answer all our questions!

How can they serve such poor quality food, i.e. Uncooked pizza, frozen seafood microwaved and worst of all most of the food was reheated and served over and over again.

I liked the smaller ship. The staff was accommodating. I thought the activities were rather limited. This was our first Holland America cruise and we would probably not choose this cruise line again.

Think twice about booking a Holland America cruise. We have about 130 cruise days over 5 years with Three Star Mariner status and were treated poorly. We booked a suite with a jet tub and lots of closet space. We were assigned a handicapped suite with no tub and limited closets. We were told nothing they can do, since sold out, right from CEO office. Finally, when we checked in, they assigned a regular suite. They tendered us in Bali, and it took 2.5 hours to get back to ship. They offered us nothing, not even a glass of wine for the inconvenience. They told us not their fault, since they hired a 3rd party. Not our fault either!! New CEO is on cost cutting kick. I always advised my clients as a CPA that you need to be careful, since if you cost cut too much, no one will buy!!! What a difference between them and Oceania. Worth the extra money!!!

It was our worst cruise ever by a mile. Holland America didn't inform us that we needed visas for China so that pretty much devastated our cruise. And whenever we tried to ask for help or for an alternative, the Front Desk ignored us and simply said, "the manager is working on it." On the second to the last day, we received a voicemail stating, "there's nothing we can do." We're still very hurt and very upset over what happened. That should never happen to anyone - there should be all kinds of warnings from Holland America from representatives, in notices, and within the on-line system stating that YOU NEED A VISA FOR CHINA!!!

Overall we had a great and interesting trip. The Filipino and Indonesian crew were very friendly and worked very hard! Others no so much. Embarkation/disembarkation was really well done. The Gala night was great also. The drinking water was terrible, tasted over chlorinated and stale. Had to buy some on land as on board prices are ridiculous. Too many crew members were sitting and eating in the Lido in prime spaces and were not friendly to the passengers around them.

I will never tire of visiting Alaska. This is some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. The day in Glacier Bay is the high point of the trip. Having National Park rangers on board for the day adds to the richness of this experience.

This was a wonderful itinerary at a very reasonable price. We covered 7 countries in 28 days and were able to walk on the Great Wall of China which was the original objective.  I was continually amazed by the beauty of  these countries and the large population of most of the ports. We made a lot of new friends from all over the world.

I ENJOYED WALKING ON DECK 3.FOOD WAS DONE RIGHT BUT BLASE.DININGROOM SERVICE WAS TERRIBLE.SHIP NEEDS DRY DOCK.MOVIES FOR LIVE SHOWS IS TERRIBLE.SINGERS WERE TOO LOUD.TOURS WERE EXPENSIVE & NOBODY TO HELP YOU..

This was a super fun cruise itinerary for anyone who loves Indonesia or wants to explore Indonesia. Highlights were Bogor, Komodo and Lombok. But we also had a lot of fun in Bali and eating all the wonderful food and experienceing the different large and bustling cities of Java. Singapore was icing on the cake. Loved all the festive activities they had onboard. 

Holland America is not for those that want a hyped up Disney experience and it's not child friendly in the sense that others service families on cruises. But they do provide a top notch ship with on shore excursions that concentrate on the culture of the port being visited. Food is very good (especially in the buffet).