Volendam Cruise Reviews - Reviews

It is well maintained, clean, large enough to meet lots of people vs. mega size ships.

The ship was very clean and well maintained. It was very nice in it's layout and decoration. The ship was nicely decorated for the holidays which added to the festive atmosphere. Our outside stateroom was well planned with more than enough storage and closet space and a nice bathroom with bathtub.

The Volendam is a comfortable, elegant ship with excellent, and friendly, service. I liked the size (about 1200 passengers), and the familiar surroundings, like the Amsterdam, which was our first cruise ship. Our inside cabin was spacious (after our steward took out the chair we didn't need), with plenty of room for storage. I appreciated the self-service laundry on our deck, which, like everything else on the ship, was clean and thoughtfully organized. I don't know if other ships do this, but there is hand sanitizer available at many places on the ship, and everyone is expected to sanitize before entering any dining area, and upon returning to the ship from shore excursions. I find this reassuring! Every member of the staff we encountered was pleasant and helpful, and we enjoyed meeting other cruisers. It was a ten-day cruise in mid-December, so there weren't a lot of children, and those that were onboard were well-behaved. My only negatives were that the air conditioning was too cold (at least in our cabin we could control it ourselves), and the Internet connection was very slow, which was frustrating considering the price per minute. Otherwise, I would take this cruise again, and will definitely cruise with Holland America again.

theboat neid a claine up

Larger cabin then competition (inside), extremely confortable matress and pillow, nice size ship, not croud and chairs always available anywhere, lido dining was improuved and service was very good with make to order which is rare on low price line, nice wlk around promenade deck with long wooden chair covered by matress a nice plus, very good food. Holland was our prefferred line with Celebrity ( 35 cruises overall ) and the waiter in the dining room was overwhelm, the bosboy was seen 5 times on a 10 days cruise, you could imagine the service suffer, we complained and saw a little improvement but not at all what you would expect on a cruise line. The pools deck was not maintained clean at all time, papers and glass and plate could stay up to 2 hours without been taken!

the service we received from Cruise Only and the staff of the Volendam were both first class. We particularly liked Aruba and the rainforests of Domanica. We opted to take a taxis and the drivers were very knowledgeable about their island and were well worth the $50 for three and a half hours in their company.. A big thank you for all those converned in giving us a very memorable trip.

Although we had a great time the friendliness and all out go get them was not present as it was before Carnival bought this line.

The Volendam is a lovely gracious ship. The passengers are muture and the staff worked well with the needs of the passengers. The activities and entertainment were geared to all types of people. This trip was at the top of our list and we have taken 29 cruises. I must restate that generally,the passengers were in the 50 years of age and over group.

The ship is designed very well. All seats are leather, and it feels like you are at home away from home. We enjoyed the ports of call and the staff. Although we were the "young" couple on board, we enjoyed our company and got to know a lot of people.

All the cruise personel were great, friendly and very helpful. We did not have a bad experience on board the Volendam. Would certainly go again.

This is one of the most beautiful ships on which we have cruised. There were many large fresh flower arrangements. Everything appeared to be spotless. The Explorations Library is the largest I have seen on any ship and has a huge selection of books as well as games, DVD's, and other materials.

I have one problem. When I made my reservation I was told that I would receive 2 bottles of wine served at dinner and dinner at the Pinnacale Grill. When we boarded the ship there was no conformation about the wine or the dinner so I went to the front desk they said they would ceck on it and there was nothing that said we were entitled to it. She then said she would check with the main office of Holland America Line. After 4 days of going back checking she made a call to and spoke to Johnathan Dobeson and he told me that it was some mistake of cruises only and that he would send us a check for the amount of the wine and the dinner which was $90.00. we still have not receive the check . I was so embaressed I felt like I wanted something that I was not intitled to. I hope this will be settled soon. Thank you. Mrs. Castagna

Being first time cruisers we didn't really know what to expect. Imagine our pleasure when we were treated royally by the staff and crew of the beautiful ms Volendam. Everything exceeded our expectations from the very comfortable stateroom to the absolute efficiency of the staff and crew. The food was prepared to satisfy the most exacting gourmet and served with the most professional demeanor. We took advantage of every opportunity to go ashore and enjoy every port of call and were never disappointed by any of the on-shore excursions offered. We were also surprised at the many on board activities provided by the entertainment crew as well as the nightly shows in the Franz Hals Lounge. Having the option of varied activities or just doing nothing but soaking up the sun at the various pools and other lounging areas made the that we could tailor to our own personal enjoyment. Yes, this was our first cruise but it certainly won't be our last and you can bet we'll make sure we cruise with Holland America the next time.

Upon entering the Volendam, there was a sense of tranquility, a peacefulness that beconed me to just breathe and let go. We all have stressors in our lives and when planning a vacation, you want to be in an environment that will allow you to just relax and be. On this ship you can. The colors were cheerful, the staff were welcoming and smiling and the ambiance was breathtaking. I was afraid to blink because I knew it would be over before I knew it.

This was our second cruise on Volendam and we were not disappointed. The ship is lovely and to us a perfect size. The ship was very clean with hand sanitizers everywhere. Public areas were always immaculate and the rest rooms were very clean considering the use they receive, at least the ones I was in.

The ship was very nice! The rooms were large and the beds were cozy! They had alot of activites on board! Mostly for the older folks on board! The ports of call were great! I really enjoyed skagway, the railroad excersion was amazing a must do!

I recently returned from an Alaska cruise on Holland America Line (HAL)'s Volendam, having taken my mother along as a 70th birthday gift. Both she and I have taken other cruises over the years, but this was our first on a Holland America ship. We were greatly impressed. The staff were unfailingly cheerful, helpful and personable. I did not encounter any grumpy staff member the entire time. Our outside cabin was beautiful, and the beds were wonderfully comfortable. The food was excellent, and our table steward went above and beyond to ensure that we were happy. The entertainment was excellent. I went to all but one of the shows, and I'm sorry that I missed one. They were all great! The ship itself is so elegant, with artwork and fine furniture throughout. The shore excursions that we took were top notch, and the ship's staff really worked hard to get everybody off the ship quickly so as to maximize our time ashore. On the negative side, I found the ship photographer's photos to be somewhat unflattering (probably poor use of lighting or perhaps from using digital instead of real film) and very expensive. They were four dollars more than similar photos we bought last year on a Carnival cruise. Another issue was the ship's staff insisting that passengers use hand sanitizer upon entering an area where food was served. There was concern about gastrointestinal illness aboard the ship, which is understandable, but I happen to wash my hands with soap and water, and I dislike the smell of the hand sanitizer, especially when I would get a whiff of it every time I lifted my fork to my mouth! We had to line up and hold our hands out to be squirted with a glob of Purell before being given a tray for the buffet or being seated in the dining room. Overall, however, we had a wonderful time on the cruise, and we would definitely travel with Holland America again. In fact, my mother insists that her next cruise will be with HAL.

Ship was very comfortable, rode smoothly, the right size ( 1500 people), food good.

The overall expierence on the Volendam was awesome. The crew was incredible and very helpful with anything we needed. I was very impressed with their professional attitudes and the Entertainment was superb. The Lead Singers should be on Broadway.

The Volendam is a beautiful, well appointed ship that handles the number of passengers gracefully. There is never a sense of crowdedness. Everything is easily accessible and the crew helpful and abundant.