Cruise on Holland America’s Oosterdam
by Lyndsay Snowden on 18/08/09 at 10:22 am
We chose to cruise the Mediterranean as a way to totally unwind and relax after a particularly busy work year and having cruised on several occasions previously wanted to try Holland America (HAL) as we understood that they offered the ‘old style’ type of cruising without the climbing walls, waterslides etc offered by other cruise lines which is really not our thing. We also had the opportunity to book a ‘veranda’ cabin on a guaranteed basis for an additional £10 per night which we felt was a bargain and to have a private balcony on which to spend our time, especially when arriving into, or departing from port was one of the highlights of the trip, even more so when we discovered just before departure that we had been upgraded from a standard verandah cabin to a superior suite, which turned out to be the same size as a Hotel Room!.
The Oosterdam in this day and age is a ‘mid sized’ ship and carried 2111 guests and 809 crew and at no time did the ship appear crowded even on ‘sea days’ when there where still plenty of sun chairs available. It also offered an “As you wish” dining option which meant that we could choose to have dinner at the time that suited us best and get a table for two every night rather than having fixed times and having to share a table with strangers. Generally the food was very good, although we did feel that the lunchtime buffet was rather limited.
The itinerary was Barcelona (Spain), Monte Carlo (Monaco), Livorno (Italy), Civitavecchia (Italy), Messina (Italy), Navplion (Greece), Katakolon (Greece), Corfu, Dubrovnik (Croatia) and Venice (Italy) all in 12 days, so it was a bit of a case of if its Wednesday it must be Monaco, but it was an excellent combination of destinations. Cruising past the Island of Stromboli (an active Volcano) and the approaches into Venice overlooking St Mark’s Square are certainly worth a mention.
A couple of things to consider, HAL offer airport transfers on arrival and departure which are at a horrendous price – so much cheaper to take a taxi even for just two people and this way you can travel when you want to and not wait to be herded on to a coach. The ship gave no information for ‘independent’ travellers disembarking at Venice which was disappointing and caused unnecessary stress for those on early flights; however on the day it in fact could not have been easier to make your own way. The cost of the ship transfers in Corfu where also expensive and we found it a relatively easy walk into town (approx 20 minute stroll)
Overall, despite a few niggles the HAL experience was good, although we felt that Celebrity are slightly better as far as overall service is concerned but we would cruise with HAL again providing both the itinerary and the price where right.
Recent Comments