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Elegant and spacious, Volendam takes her décor cues from the garden. Her grand public spaces are graced with floral fabrics and tapestries, as well as huge vases of fresh floral arrangements. While on board, explore the wonders of nature in BBC Earth Experiences. Enjoy regional cooking demonstrations and food and wine tastings with Port to Table programming. Relax with a spa treatment at the Greenhouse Salon & Spa. Or dine in one of our selection of fine restaurants.
A nice smaller ship experience. Approximately 1400 people. Not so great entertainment, and the gym facilities need a little updating. The machines are rather old. The cabin Stewart and the rest of the staff are very accommodating. Booked this cruise because it was flying only one way. We were a little disappointed in the cabin. Booked a certain class of cabin and was supposedly upgraded to a better cabin, but it was worse. Still plenty of storage area and not overly concerned about the cabin. Entertainment is not quite like it is on the larger ships, but is mostly acceptable. The crew is very diligent about cleaning everything every day, vacuuming, and wiping everything down. The food is very good, but the pinnacle special dining is a little overpriced, as are some of the excursions. Not sure about children’s program as we do not travel with children and they were not very many children aboard.
Volendam is a beautiful ship. It is on the smaller side, 1400, which has both pluses and minuses. On the plus side, the ship is easy to get around. We never had a hard time finding a table at the buffet, even on sea days, or lounge chairs by the pool. On the minus side, the food selection was smaller than on larger ships and there were times of the day when there were few or no food options available. (From 10-11:30 am there is no food available. From 4-5:30 only the grill at the pool. ) Holland has cut back on staff in the dining room, as maybe all lines have, and service at dinner was sometimes slow. There were not as many entrée options at dinner as there used to be. One big plus with Holland, for us, was the classical music trio and the piano bar, offering alternatives to the shows. The shows on our voyage were uneven. The in-house singers/dancers, six of them, were very energetic. The comedian wasn't too funny and the magician weak. The Cape Breton Thunder, did two shows; they were terrific. One drawback was that smoking was permitted in the casino. The smoke drifted over to the piano bar and was unpleasant.
We took this cruise since it was departing from Boston, which is close to us and it’s itinerary. Embarkation and disembarkation were smooth and well run. We really enjoyed Newfoundland and could have spent more time there and less in Halifax. The highlight of the trip for me was a visit to the Crow’s Nest officers club museum in St. John’s (google it). We also had a very enjoyable private day tour in Corner Brook of the Gros Morne National Park, the scenery was spectacular. Another pleasant stop was the port of Saint Pierre and Miquelon which was a quaint little French island. After a moderate walk to town we enjoyed a bottle of French wine purchased at the liquor store on a restaurant outside deck. That was necessary since most restaurants are not open after 1:00pm….a very laid back place, Our only complaint was an apparent shortage of crew in the main dining room which resulted in longer waiting lines and slower service. We did notice that on this cruise the average age was 80+ with a large percentage having mobility issues. Otherwise the crew did a wonderful job.
We flew into Montreal on Friday, June 20 and stayed at Humaniti Hotel, a beautiful newer property. Saturday, we took an Uber to the ship and boarded about 1:00. We dropped our carry-ons in the room and then spent a couple of hours strolling Old Montreal and having lunch. Sail away was at 7:00, as the next Port was Quebec City and it isn't very far. We had done the Volendam 7 night from Boston to Montreal last summer, and decided to do this 10 nighter as it had several different ports. The problem was that we had nice weather in Montreal, Quebec City, and Portland. In all of the others we had very "cool" temperatures (40s and 50s) with a lot of rain. In some of the ports, there is not really much to do unless you take a shore excursion. When we reached Boston, we selected the last departure time (9:00) and took Uber to the airport, which is very close. Despite the weather, we had a very enjoyable cruise. We had an inside cabin (we usually have a balcony) and slept so well that on 2 days we actually slept through the breakfast serving time. The crew was very good and the food, for the most part was very enjoyable. There was a Happy Hour each day from 4 to 5, and it was well attended. The biggest change I noticed from last summer was the entertainment. We enjoyed a very funny comedian (everyone was laughing), a good song and dance ensemble, a hilarious magician/comedian who did 2 shows and I still am trying to figure out some of his illusions, an amazing pianist, and, best of all, Breton Thunder, who are a "rock" band from Nova Scotia. They did 3 different shows. I have always found Holland to be somewhat lacking in entertainment, compared to other cruise lines, but I went out of my way to find the cruise director and thank him. The entertainment was totally different from what we experienced on Volendam last summer. There was also a classical trio (played some concertos and some rock and roll), the house band, and a piano "sing-a-long" lady. All were extremely talented. Volendam is a smaller ship, but a lot of entertainment was available. If the itinerary was good, I would not hesitate to cruise on her again. Being smaller means it can go places the larger ships cannot. Except for the rain, it was a very enjoyable cruise.
The captain was the best; he socialized with the guest on a daily basis. One night the storm with lightning, thunder and wind was tremendous, but the ship did not sway. The wind blue rainwater into the Lido deck that crated a river that was four inches deep. It ran down the elevator shaft and the crew filmed it, so we watched the video the next morning. By breakfast time they had the water all wet-vacuumed up. So, it was safe to eat and go on as usual. Only the center elevator was out of service for about 4 days. Food was good, entertainment and service were excellent. The game room, puzzle room and library were huge and so many could enjoy. There were two other large rooms set up for games as well. They had a 50% off happy hour each day from 4 - 5p.m. each day. That meant there was no need for the drink package for us. Cabin was clean and comfortable. Older crowd but some families with children as well. Very enjoyable time. The Volendam is Holland America's oldest ship but it was clean and neat, and I am planning on using Holland America in the future.
A nice smaller ship experience. Approximately 1400 people. Not so great entertainment, and the gym facilities need a little updating. The machines are rather old. The cabin Stewart and the rest of the staff are very accommodating. Booked this cruise because it was flying only one way. We were a little disappointed in the cabin. Booked a certain class of cabin and was supposedly upgraded to a better cabin, but it was worse. Still plenty of storage area and not overly concerned about the cabin. Entertainment is not quite like it is on the larger ships, but is mostly acceptable. The crew is very diligent about cleaning everything every day, vacuuming, and wiping everything down. The food is very good, but the pinnacle special dining is a little overpriced, as are some of the excursions. Not sure about children’s program as we do not travel with children and they were not very many children aboard.
Volendam is a beautiful ship. It is on the smaller side, 1400, which has both pluses and minuses. On the plus side, the ship is easy to get around. We never had a hard time finding a table at the buffet, even on sea days, or lounge chairs by the pool. On the minus side, the food selection was smaller than on larger ships and there were times of the day when there were few or no food options available. (From 10-11:30 am there is no food available. From 4-5:30 only the grill at the pool. ) Holland has cut back on staff in the dining room, as maybe all lines have, and service at dinner was sometimes slow. There were not as many entrée options at dinner as there used to be. One big plus with Holland, for us, was the classical music trio and the piano bar, offering alternatives to the shows. The shows on our voyage were uneven. The in-house singers/dancers, six of them, were very energetic. The comedian wasn't too funny and the magician weak. The Cape Breton Thunder, did two shows; they were terrific. One drawback was that smoking was permitted in the casino. The smoke drifted over to the piano bar and was unpleasant.
With refined amenities and Holland America Line signature Mariner’s Dream bed gracing each elegant stateroom, the ship offers six grades of staterooms. Most are ocean-facing, many featuring teak-lined verandas for dining alfresco or private sunbathing.
Holland America Line invites you to dine "As You Wish". To savour Italian cuisine one night and a perfectly grilled porterhouse steak the next. To take your place in the Dining Room at a specific seating time or be spontaneous, following your desires. Onboard, there are restaurants to suit every mood, along with the flexibility to choose the dining style you prefer.
Boasting an expansive range of enrichment facilities and opportunity, Holland America Line's ships are bound to offer something you'll want to know more about. Why not have a go at the Digital Workshop powered by Windows and learn how to enhance your holiday picture or how to easily share them.
Every day aboard a Holland America cruise ship brings a wealth of cruise activities and indulgences, along with the freedom to partake in as many-or as few- as you please. It's an opportunity to try something new that surprises you, every day.
Dabble, discover, daydream- do everything, or do nothing at all.
Whether you want to workout in the Fitness Centre, learn yoga, pamper yourself with a massage and spa treatment, or enjoy a game of basketball, there's a perfect onboard activity for everyone.
Holland America Line's youth activities program, Kids Club, offers an array of entertaining events for kids and teens ages 3-17, supervised by a full-time, professionally trained staff. They'll have an opportunity to join other kids their age for arts and crafts, sports, video game competitions, scavenger hunts, challenging team games and themed parties.
Note: Kids Club is not offered on cruises of 25-days or longer, including all Legendary and Grand Voyages. We will offer a selection of children’s activities throughout these longer voyages for any children who may be onboard.
Safety Comes First
Safety is our primary concern and strict policies are in place for effective supervision. Adult guests are not permitted to remain in Kids Club unless attending to a special-needs child.
Please note: During voyages with a high number of families onboard, we will make all efforts to accommodate interested parties. However, participation in our program cannot be guaranteed. Hours of operation may change to better serve our guests.
