Volendam
Holland America Line
Ship Reviews
Based on 29 reviews
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First cruise experience
July
Pros: Incredible staff, beautiful and interesting ports, efficient transfers from sea to land, excellent food, many options during the day
Cons: Slightly limited social activities during off times and limited communication for accessing the app and information on the ship.
Recommended: Yes
The Volendam was an excellent first cruise experience. We loved the attention of the staff, the size and comfort of our room, the destinations and excursions on the trip and the specialty food choices. The staff was so pleasant and helpful. Each member of the team made us feel welcomed, seen and appreciated. It was such a pleasure to meet them and we appreciated their attention to details for us. The specialty dining places- the dining room, the Canaletto, the Pinnacle Grill were amazing! The choices and the staffing were so incredibly accommodating and provided food that we can never replicate. So good! The staff that took care of our room was so kind and we loved all of the special information and candies they left behind. It was so fun to come to the room to see the bed made or pulled back. We are not used to being so spoiled. It was amazing and special. Our couple minor concerns are the rotating choices of food in the Lido Deck buffet. The first couple of days were great but then it was the same choices throughout the week. I would like to have seen some variety in the main dishes. The other concern was the social activities. There were limited choices. I do not have a specific recommendation for changing this. We did not feel super socially connected. But we made our own fun! There is a lot of nickel and diming on this trip. Everything is tipped and expected. We did the upgrade in drinks but still felt that everything was additional. We are paying a tip each day per person in the room and then additionally tipping for drinks. It added up to a sizeable bill at the end of the week.
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Just giving feedback
November
Pros: Needed to be on the ocean again
Cons: None
Recommended: Yes
V365 voyage. The cabin stewards served me well. There was no refrigerator and I was keeping medicine cool with ice. Sam and August (Agus). Did a great job refreshing the needed ice.
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Another great Holland America cruise
September
Pros: Relatively small ship, friendly efficient crew, informative lectures, great food
Cons: Ship is fairly old and in some places showing its age such as pool.
Recommended: Yes
We are loyal Holland cruisers because it offers great itineraries at fair prices, demographics of passengers are compatible
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Jerry & Patty
August
Pros: The service was outstanding
Cons: None
Recommended: Yes
The ship was awesome, the staff could not have been more accommodating, the food was great..lots of things to do at all times...they kept you informed on a daily basis of what was happening. Very impressive!!
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3 day cruse Vancouver - Skagway, Alaska
June
Pros: small ship, smooth sailing, nice room
Cons: cleanliness, ship credits,
Recommended: Yes
Very nice room. The first night when I pulled back the sheet, there was a washed Kleenex laying on the bed. Were given ship credits of $100 each along with cancelation of an excursion at $35 each. Wow, $270!! Did not know we would be charged gratuities of $16 per person per day. Was glad we had credit to pay for that! We were also told that we would be arriving in Juneau 3 hours early due to a medical issue. So using up our credits shopping was cut short. Also didn't know that the whole next day, as we traveled to Skayway that we would not be able to use our ship credits to shop. I heard others left behind large amounts of credits also. Use your credits wisely and fast. Maybe these credits should also apply to the many land shops owned by Holland Am in these port towns.?? We were also told the $70 for the canceled excursions would be coming back as dollars in our account vs ship credit. Still waiting on that.
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14 Day Volendam Cruise
March
Pros: The itinerary, the staff and crew of the ship and the excursions
Cons: Food and Entertainment
Recommended: No
The entertainment was mediocre and one comment from a fellow cruiser that was on the 72 day cruise proceeding ours was "what entertainment?" On his trip before it was far better. The food choices in the main dining room were lacking. It is our first cruise that 40% of our choices were an extra charge. Lobster was never offered for 14 days without paying extra but turkey was offered twice as a choice. The food that we had was very well prepared and in good portions. The meals we had in the specialty restaurants were excellent. The food choices in the cafeteria were great and delicious. We found all the staff and crew members to be beyond excellent and well trained. We were always greeted with a smile and there were many instances we were greeted by name which was a nice personal touch. obviosly
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Grand Voyage South America
January
Pros: The perfect itinerary with excellent ports of call. The Volendam is the perfect size ship, especially for a long voyage. There was always something to do yet very restful and relaxing when you wanted it to be. They had great entertainment and guest speakers.
Cons: The main issue I heard from everyone was the horrible internet speed. Lets blame that to locations. And there a lot of complaints as to removing the refrigerators from the staterooms.
Recommended: No
Holland America had delivered an experience of a lifetime. The entire South America experience was beautiful and amazing. The Antarctica viewing and experience was unbelievable and will never be forgotten. The captain navigated the Antarctica and the Amazon with unbeatable skills to ensure optimal pleasure and safety. Very nice "pillow gifts" on Gala nights to pleasant & helpful staff.
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