 |
 |
|
Note - this page contains multiple reviews.
Name: Dennis Margel
Email: dmargel@ibm.net
Age: 49
Occupation: Management
NumberOfCruises: 22
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Holland-Statendam
SailingDate: 3/3/99
Itinerary: Southern Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 75
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 85
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 94
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 80
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 97
DeckService: 85
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon: 80
CasinoStaff: 83
PrivateIsland: 90
GoodForFamilies: 75
LoungeService: 95
TenderService: 97
GoodForSeniors: 93
BeautySalonStaff: 90
EntertainmentLounges: 87
WheelchairAccess: 92
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 85
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon: 90
EntertainmentPoolside: 75
CruiseActivities: 85
Casino: 87
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 96
EmbarkDisembark: 97
DiscoNightclubs: 88
DeckSpace: 82
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 80
SpaceRatio: 97
OverallCruiseValue: 92
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 04 Apr 1999
Time: 15:39:19
Remote Name: 166.72.224.192
Remote User:
Comments
Holland America - Statendam - 10-Day Southern Caribbean Cruise March 3, 1999
Background Info: We are in our late 40's and have been on over 20 cruises -- mostly on
Holland America but we've
also been on NCL and Princess. We usually cruise with one or two other couples. This
cruise was a "Family Cruise"
which means we took our children along. The "children" ranged in age from 12 to
22 with most at the high end. Our
group totaled 10 people.
We began our vacation on March 2 with a pre-cruise stay at Pier 66 Hotel in Ft Lauderdale.
We booked our air and
hotel on our own because it was substantially cheaper. It seems that the air packages
offered by the cruise lines
are awfully expensive anymore. Being on our own, we took a taxi from the airport to the
hotel. The cab fare was
about $9 (without the tip). It took 3 taxis to get us all to the hotel. By 1:30 in the
afternoon, we were sitting poolside
at the bar having lunch and enjoying the sunshine (being from Pennsylvania the Florida
weather was a real treat).
We spent the afternoon laying around by the pool relaxing. In the evening, we went to the
Holland America Desk in
the Lobby and checked in for our cruise. It is nice to get that out of the way. It was
very smooth and the ladies
there were very friendly. They gave us our embarkation numbers and stamped our tickets. We
were ready to
board!! But... the ship won't be ready to board for another day. For dinner, we went to
the California Cafe which is
right next to the Pier 66 Hotel. It is very expensive and the menu didn't meet the varied
interests of our group. They
made wood fire baked pizza but it was only listed as an Appetizer. A number of us ordered
it -- it was rather poor.
After dinner, we walked across to the Hess mini-market and picked up some beer and snacks.
We spent the rest of
the evening sitting poolside enjoying the company, the weather, and the refreshments.
The next morning, we awoke all rested and ready to cruise. The weather was gorgeous! We
ate breakfast in the
hotel coffee shop -- they have the absolute best orange juice!! We drank a couple quarts
of it. After breakfast, we
went up to the observation deck atop Pier 66 Hotel. It looks out over the docks where the
cruise ships dock. There
was the Statendam... loading supplies and waiting for us. It was the only ship in port. We
checked out of the hotel
around Noon and made arrangements to have our luggage brought out front and to have taxi
cabs summoned. It
took a while for the taxis to arrive but in no time we were on our way to the ship. The
taxi fare to the ship was about
$9. The luggage was turned over to the porters and we got in line to go through security.
The line moved quickly
and smoothly. By 1:00 PM we were waiting to board the ship. Boarding began at 1:30 PM. We
had Embarkation # 1
so we were on the ship by about 1:45 PM. The embarkation was very smooth. Of course our
luggage wasn't in our
room yet. We met our Cabin Steward who promptly changed the locks so that we would have 4
keys -- Holland
America Service! The adults in our group had all been on the Statendam before so we knew
our way around. We
took the "kids" on a short tour and the ladies headed to the Beauty Salon to
sign up for a massage. The best time
slots go fast -- we've learned to book appointments as soon as possible. While waiting for
the ladies to get signed
up, we ran into Ariel, a Bar Waiter that we knew from a previous cruise on the Statendam.
He took good care of us
on that cruise and we knew we would be well taken cared for on this cruise. We followed
him upstairs to the Crow's
Nest which is our favorite bar on the Statendam. We were pleased to find that the
Bartender at the Crow's Nest was
Willy, the same guy from our last cruise. It was like a family reunion! Before sailing,
there was the mandatory life
boat drill. It was done in a very disciplined manner and it was crowded. I can't ever
remember seeing that many
people at a boat drill. After boat drill, we unpacked. There were four of us (all adults)
in a Category L cabin.
Amazingly, we had enough space to store all of our clothes! Then to the Sail Away Party on
the back deck... the
band played as we steamed out of Ft. Lauderdale past the Condominiums where they blew air
horns and waved
goodbye to us. It is such a great send off. I wonder if the cruise lines pay those people
in the Condo's. We ate
second seating dinner and had a table for 10. The menu was great... 6 Appetizers; 3 Soups;
2 Salads; 6 Entree's;
and 1 Healthy Choice. It makes it hard to decide what to eat. My son usually ordered 2 or
3 entree's because he
couldn't make up his mind. The service was excellent as usual. Showtime consisted of a
brief appearance of the
Statendam Cast (dancers/singers), the introduction of the cruise staff, and a short
performance by Chris Archer,
Banjoist. The Cast was fine but the Banjoist was a little boring. He played a 4-string
banjo which I didn't like as
much as the sound of a 5-string banjo. We made our contribution at the Casino, which is
well equipped to take
your money... Roulette, Craps, Blackjack, Caribbean Poker, and a 7 Card Stud game were the
featured tables. For
us gambling wimps, there were slots ($1, .25, .10) and video poker. We ended the night
dancing in the Crow's Nest
Bar which becomes a disco at night. Willy, the Bartender, took very good care of us.
Thursday we stopped at HAL's private island, Half Moon Cay, Bahamas. We all tendered to
the island. Some of our
group snorkled. The rest of us walked around, took pictures, and returned to the ship. We
aren't "beach people".
HAL did a very nice job in creating this private island. The beach is very nice and there
are excellent facilities.
Prices for the various activities is reasonable. Back on board we found some steamer
chairs on the side deck and
took a nap. Because of the number of us sharing cabins, we would take turns showering and
dressing for dinner.
Those of us not showering/dressing hung out in the Crows Nest where the JP Quartet played
instrumental music
for dancing. Of course we had to have some hot Cocktail Appetizers which is a daily treat
in the lounges before
dinner. After another excellent dinner, we went to the show which was a Comedienne named
Bobbi Baker. We
weren't rolling on the floor laughing but she was very entertaining. After the nightly
contribution to the Casino, it
was back to the Crows Nest for dancing. At 2:00 PM, Willy offered us sandwiches -- just in
time, too, because we
were starving!!
Friday was a day at sea. A day for relaxation... a little reading and a little napping.
While laying on a lounge chair, I
lost my credit card case with all my credit cards in it. That created some undesired
stress when I realized it was
missing. While trying to retrace my steps, we got a phone call in our cabin from a deck
steward who found the
case. I claimed it from him and tipped him well -- and made a new friend for the rest of
the cruise. As usual, a sea
day means formal dress at night and, this being the first day at sea makes it the perfect
opportunity for the Captain
to throw his Welcome Aboard Champagne Reception. There were plenty of photo/portrait
opportunities while we
waited in line to meet the Captain. Once at the party, there was plenty of free champagne,
white wine, and other
drinks. And I mustn't forget the Cocktail Appetizers... I don't know how we had any room
for dinner! But we did. The
Show featured the Statendam Cast in a production titled, Personality. They featured a
number of singing stars from
the past 50 years. They sang and danced. The dancing was fine but there was very little
live singing. Many of the
songs had lip synching, especially the back up singers. After the show, the JP Quartet was
doing a Salute to Billy
Joel. They performed many of his hit songs and did so flawlessly. It was very enjoyable --
my wife and I are big Billy
Joel fans. We made our rounds at the Casino and the Crow's Nest. We were beginning to find
that the Crow's Nest
wasn't closing until after 3:00 AM... and who can leave a bar that is still open?
On Saturday, we docked at St Thomas, US Virgin Islands. We were docked at Havensight which
has a shopping
mall right at the dock. A few of us stayed on board to enjoy the ship. The rest went
ashore to shop. There were 17
shore excursions available... helicopters, bike rides, submarines, party boats, touring,
golf, scuba... I got tired just
reading the list! We sailed out of St Thomas at 5:00 PM and then it was time for
cocktails, appetizers, and dancing
in the Crow's Nest. Is this a tough life or what? After dinner, showtime featured, Pascaul
& Angela, Spanish
Dancers. I imagine many people were bored silly but I became a fan of Flamenco Dancing
when visiting Spain
many years ago. So, I really enjoyed them. Then, the obligatory stop in the Casino
followed by partying the night
away in the Crow's Nest. We didn't think the Crow's Nest would ever close. The Hotel
Manager was partying in the
Crow's Nest so the Supervisor on duty didn't have the nerve to make a "last
call". We finally left at 4:00 AM. We
later found out from Willy that the bar finally closed at 4:30 AM.
Sunday we docked in Roseau, Dominica. All the shops were closed because it was Sunday.
But, there was a small
straw market set up right across the street from the dock. We seriously considered hiring
a taxi to take us to see
the Trafalgar Falls, the Emerald Pool, and some other sights. But we didn't have much time
at this stop. The ship
sailed at 3:30 PM and we didn't get off the ship until around Noon. The taxi driver told
us it would take 2 and a half
hours for the trip. That was cutting it too close for us so we declined. We tried to visit
the straw market but the taxi
drivers were swarming all over us. Each of us had at least 2 drivers pestering us. We
quickly tired of that and ran
for the ship. The craft sellers lost a lot of business that day because the taxi drivers
wouldn't let anyone shop at the
straw market without pestering them. If I did this again, I would book one of the ship's
tours. There were 13
excursions available ranging in price from $24 to $69. The evening show was a vocalist,
Robin Fellows. She had
an excellent voice but I didn't really care for her selection of music. She was definitely
playing to the 70 year olds in
the audience. At 11:30 PM, there was a 70's Disco Party in the Crow's Nest. The DJ, Jazzy
Jeff, played Disco music
from the 70's and a few of the cruise staff were on hand to get everyone dancing. Needless
to say, the party went
on 'til past 2 AM.
Monday was Port of Spain, Trinidad. This is a really big city. Upon exiting the terminal
building, we were swarmed
with taxi drivers. There was a straw market set up right outside the terminal building and
we tried to do a little
shopping there but the taxi drivers drove us nuts. We finally headed into town to a
shopping area that was
recommended to us on the ship. The city was big, dirty, and noisy. Some of us tired of
shopping very quickly. We
considered going to a beach but it was a 45 minute taxi ride (each way!). Not being beach
people... and not being
taxi riding people... we decided against that and returned to the ship. The ship offered 9
excursions ranging in
price from $34 to $129. There was a special afternoon showtime featuring a steel drum band
called, The Garth
Nicolas Entertainers. We didn't see that show because we were lounging outside on the side
deck. But, later in the
day, a steel drum band began playing on the dock right along side the ship. There were
about 10 or 12 steel drum
players and their synchronization was totally amazing. We sailed out of Trinidad as the
steel drum band played
their hearts out. Despite being in port all day, the dress code for the evening was
Formal. The show featured the
Statendam Cast in a production called, Could It Be Magic? It was a mixture of singing,
dancing, and magic tricks --
very entertaining but I get irritated by the lip synching. I wish they would sing
everything live! After the regular
showtime, there was a special show put on by the Indonesian Crew (Dining Room Waiters and
Cabin Stewards).
This is a tradition on Holland America. The Indonesians and the Filipinos alternate shows.
They do such a great
job. In the Casino, we ran into another Bar Waiter that we knew from our cruise on the
Noordam last March. He
made sure we were taken care of while in the Casino. In the Crow's Nest, the Cast showed
up to join the dancing. A
number of the Cast were apparently Gay and a number of passengers openly displayed Gay
tendencies. I believe
each person is entitled to live their own lifestyle but I don't think that people should
publicly display their sexuality
and emotions. Things really got out of hand with Cast and passengers stroking each other,
kissing, and dancing
promiscuously. I later heard that many complaints were registered about this behavior but
it continued almost every
night for the remainder of the cruise. It got to where the Gay contingent took over one
side of the Crow's Nest and
the non-Gay took over the opposite side.
If it's Tuesday, it's Martinique. We docked at Fort-de-France. Some of our group were so
frustrated by the
swarming taxi drivers and not getting to do anything on the islands that they booked us
all on a ship's excursion for
Martinique. We took the Martinique By Land and Sea Tour for $59/person. They advertised
the tour as being part
coach (or taxi), part tram ride, and part catamoran ride. Given the number of people on
the tour (10 in our group
alone), we expected to have a coach (bus). Instead, we were all separated and jammed into
taxi cabs. There were
four of us in our cab. We were supposed to make several sightseeing stops. Our taxi only
stopped once (twice if
you count getting out at the end). Apparently, the other taxis followed the itinerary more
closely and stopped
several times. Our taxi arrived in St Pierre before all the rest so we just sat around
there waiting for the rest of the
tour group. We boarded a tram that drove around the streets of St Pierre while an audio
tape played that told the
story of the volcano eruption in 1902. The Volcano Museum was a real disappointment. Then,
we boarded a small
tour boat (not a catamoran as advertised). They played music over the PA System and served
drinks out of a
cardboard box -- not as romantic as it sounded in the description. Upon our return to the
dock, some of us had
enough touring on Martinique and returned to the ship. The others took the water ferry to
the Meridien Beach
Hotel. The beaches at Martinique are topless (in some cases clothing optional) -- needless
to say, my son enjoyed
his trip to the beach at Martinique. After dinner, the show featured the Comedy Juggling
of Craig Douglas. He was
excellent -- a very skilled juggler and extremely funny. This was probably the best show
of the entire week. After
the show, we stopped in to the Explorer's Lounge to catch the end of the Rosario Strings
performance. Of course
we also enjoyed the complimentary chocolates and special coffees. We ended the night in
the Crow's Nest, again.
On Wednesday, we anchored off the coast of Basseterre, St Kitts. We decided to get off the
ship and hire a taxi to
take us to Brimstone Hill. What a difference this island was! No swarming taxi drivers
here. It was very professional.
We hired a driver who agreed to take us wherever we wanted to go, all afternoon,
$15/person (somewhat better
than the $59/person we paid for the tour in Martinique). This ended up being the best time
of all. The driver was
named Wally. He spoke very good english and made a point of carefully enunciating all his
words and speaking
loudly enough for everyone to hear him. All ten of us fit comfortably in his van.
Throughout the entire drive out to
Brimstone Hill, he pointed out the various sights and explained the history surrounding
what we were seeing. He
was like a talking encyclopedia -- dates, names, he didn't miss a beat! After touring
Brimstone Hill (which has an
admission charge of $5/person), Wally took us on a tour of the beaches and resorts at the
southern end of the
island. He was ready to go on to other sights but we were beat and had him return us to
the ship. We tipped him
well for an excellent tour. If you are ever there, ask for Wally. Brimstone Hill was
awesome. Some people say... if
you've seen one fort, you've seen them all. Brimstone Hill proves those people wrong. The
ship offered 11
excursions on St Kitts. My daughter took the Horseback Riding Rainforest Adventure
($79/person) along with
another member of our group. They really enjoyed it. The evening show was before dinner
for second seating
diners. I really hate when they schedule the show before dinner. The reason we book second
seating dinner is so
we are not rushed from the afternoon's activities to be dressed by 6:00 PM. So, they put
the show at 6:45 PM and
we had to give up watching our sail-away from St. Kitts to get ready in time for the show.
Worst part... the show
wasn't worth it. The show was the comedy and impressions of Paul Lennon. It contained
practically no original
humor at all!! After dinner, we ended up in the Piano Lounge where a guy named Kemble was
playing and the
crowd was singing along. We had a really good time there. Kemble was very entertaining
with both his piano
playing and his humor. At 10:45 PM, the Cruise Staff hosted a Fabulous 50's and 60's Party
in the Crow's Nest. We
missed the beginning of that but arrived in time to enjoy dancing to some Oldie's. Once
again the Gay Cast
members and passengers took over one side of the Crow's Nest and openly displayed their
affection. We did our
best at ignoring it and hung around until the bar closed sometime after 2 AM.
Finally, Thursday was a Sea Day. Time to recover from all those island stops. We spent the
day eating, reading,
and napping. A few of our group participated in ship activities... trivia contests, dance
lessons, etc. My wife and
daughter had their massages. It was an all around relaxing day. Dress for the evening was
Formal. The
"Repeaters" Party was in the evening. That is the traditional party for Holland
America Alumni. Another opportunity
to drink free champagne (and other drinks). We certainly took advantage of the
opportunity. At dinner, we had the
traditional Parade of the Baked Alaska. The show after dinner was the Statendam Cast
performing Barry Manilow's
Copacabana. The Cruise Director, Edwin Rojas, talked this show up all week as the best
show ever performed on
the high seas. Never before has any cruise ship put on a show like this... yada, yada,
yada. It didn't live up to the
billing he gave it. I've seen much better shows on NCL. Most of the music was recorded and
so was a lot of the
singing. It is such a shame because they have a very talented orchestra on board. They
used to play all live music
for the shows on Holland America. Now they use all this recorded stuff. It's not the same.
Are all the other cruise
lines doing recorded music and singing at their shows?? At 10:45 PM, they put on the Dutch
Dessert Extravaganza
with chocolate galore. The Cruise Director, Edwin, promoted the extravaganza promising
chocolate covered
strawberries. Most of the ladies in our group went to the extravaganza. The line was very
long. By the time they got
to select their desserts, there were exactly 3 chocolate covered strawberries left. They
were very disappointed. I
think they should continue to restock the desserts as long as there are people in line. At
the Crow's Nest, the Gays
were in full swing. They tried to entice our kids to join them by promising them free
drinks -- pretty sad. It kind of
spoiled our last nights in the Crow's Nest.
Friday was another Sea Day but not as relaxing as Thursday. The day started with the
Disembarkation Talk (which
a member of every family is supposed to attend). That was preceded by Sea Quest (to
attract attendance at the
disembarkation talk) and followed by Snowball Bingo. We skipped it all and tried to catch
a nap. We spent the
afternoon filling out the Cruise Questionnaire and putting together Tip envelopes. Holland
America has a no tipping
required policy but we always reward those that provide us excellent service. I like this
policy because I get to pick
and choose who I tip and how much I tip. We are not cheap. We ended up tipping eleven
different people. That's
probably why we get such excellent service from waiters that we have met on previous
cruises. They remember the
people who took care of them. The show was scheduled before dinner... supposedly for the
convenience of the
passengers who may want to pack their bags after dinner. I always pack before dinner.
Maybe we are in the
minority!? The show featured Craig Douglas and Paul Lennon. We were late in arriving
(because we were packing)
and missed Paul Lennon (darn!) and caught part of Craig Douglas' act. After dinner, the
Waiters sang a good-bye
song, handed out copies of menus, and took pictures with everyone. It is always sad to
have the cruise come to an
end. Of course we had to stop in the Casino one last time and try to win all of our money
back. Needless to say, we
didn't succeed. Then to the Crow's Nest for the final night. With the Gays there in full
force, we didn't stay too late.
Instead we walked around the ship one last time and took silly pictures with the statues
and the cannon. The bags
had to be out in the hallway by 1:00 PM; we took care of that between dinner and the
Casino. Wake-up on
Saturday is early so we all turned in around 1:30 PM.
Saturday -- Disembarkation... we had #14 so we expected to be waiting around a long time.
We were very late in
arriving at Ft Lauderdale which delayed the whole process. Delta Air Lines and US Air both
have check in on board
the ship in Ft Lauderdale which is really convenient. We went to the check in and got our
boarding passes and our
baggage tags. We had a lot of time before disembarking so we took a look at some of the
Verandah Cabins for
future reference. Then we hauled our carry on's to the side deck where we waited for our
number to be called.
Once our number was called we headed to the gangway, turned in our ID Card, Disembarkation
Ticket, and
Customs Form, and got off the ship. Our luggage was neatly lined up in the section
designated by the colored
baggage tag we were given. We grabbed our luggage and put the airline baggage tags on
them. A Porter loaded a
cart with our luggage and we followed him out of the terminal. He took the luggage to the
US Air truck and we went
to get a taxi. There were plenty of taxis available. Right before jumping in a cab, we
spotted a Hostess that we knew
from two previous cruises, Yvette. We had a quick visit with her then took the taxi to the
airport. The fare was $11
not counting the tip. Before long we were airborne enroute home dreaming of our next
cruise -- probably in the
Fall... Mexican Riviera Cruise aboard the Statendam, again!!!
Overall assessment of the cruise...
Itinerary... too many ports for my taste. They can forget Trinidad. The other islands are
nice (if you like islands).
Cruise Staff... seemed to be short-handed... didn't see much of them outside of the
activities that they hosted.
Never saw the Cruise Director except when he introduced or ended a show.
Shipboard activities... there was more than enough for me to do (but I don't like doing
activites very much). Some
folks probably would have liked to see more activites.
Food... The food was absolutely terrific. Holland America keeps getting better at this
aspect of cruising. Dinners
and lunches were tremendous but I did notice that they seemed to discourage eating
Breakfast and Lunch in the
Dining Room. Those meals were only served for one hour each in the Dining Room. They did
seem to run out of
some things at Breakfast on the last day -- no bacon (they served Turkey Bacon which is
not edible!); no chocolate
milk; other milk was not available in individual cartons.
Entertainment... nothing to brag about. The bands that played in the lounges were very
good. The Shows would be
much better if they used live music and live singing. The Rosario Strings and Kemble, the
piano player were very
entertaining. Perhaps we should spend more of our time being entertained by them and
forget the Shows.
Embarkation/disembarkation... Excellent... Very smooth.
Any questions... write me... dmargel@ibm.net
Happy Sailing, Dennis
Name: Jim & Grace Weaver
Email: jweaver99@earthlink.net
Age: 44
Occupation: Sysyems Analyst / Lead Quality Auditor
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Holland-Statendam
SailingDate: 05/10/98
Itinerary: 7-day Alaska Inside Passage Vancouver-Vancouver
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 80
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 85
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 100
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 85
FoodVariety: 100
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon: 100
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 75
LoungeService:
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges:
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 75
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 90
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 75
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 100
Stabilization: 100
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 85
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 22 May 1999
Time: 18:15:52
Remote Name: pool525-cvx.ds61-ca-us.dialup.earthlink.net
Remote User:
Comments
This was our first cruise and after our experiences, it certainly will not be our last!
Never in our 17+ years of
marriage have we had such an exciting, memorable, and spirit-nourishing vacation
experience. Let's just get the
negatives out of the way first. There isn't that much. The embarkation was confusing,
noisy and tiresome (there was
no seating while we waited to embark, a period of about 1 hour. This isn't very pleasant
for someone who has
arthritis below the waist.) However, once we got started it proceeded rapidly and we
reached our cabin without
incident. We then ran into our first real problem. The toilet was not functioning.
However, a word to the cabin
steward was all it took. It was repaired while we had a light lunch in the Lido Cafe. The
selection in the Lido was
amazing. If anybody went hungry in that venue, they had no one to blame but themselves. So
much food and so
good, too. The crew was exceptional! They were efficient, yet friendly. Everyone found
time for brief chats and to
answer questions (and we had a lot of questions!) The food ranged from good and satisfying
to truly exceptional,
although the quality tended more toward the former than the latter. We both found this to
be a great time to extend
our culinary appreciation and try things we had never had before such as venison and
cappicola. Our waiter and his
assistant were great. In spite of the fact that their homeland, Indonesia, had collapsed
into anarchy, they were
unfailing in their effort to provide exemplary service. We tried to spend a few minutes
each evening simply chatting
with our wait staff allowing us to learn about them and tell them about us. We made some
friends right away! They
surprised us at the end of the cruise by presenting us with signed copies of our menus
from each evening's dinner.
We were so pleased! Aad, the headwaiter, greeted us by name each evening. Amazing,
considering the number of
people he greeted each day. When our tablemates turned out to be obnoxious, a simple word
to him and a bit of
luck secured us a table for two with an outstanding view out. Each evening, we spent time
in the Explorer's Lounge
enjoying after dinner drinks and the music of the Rosario Strings quartet after they
finished playing in the Rotterdam
Dining Room. We met some truly interesting, nice people there. The tours in each port were
all fascinating. In
Juneau, we were stunned by the mighty Mendenhall Glacier and endlessly entertained by sea
mammals on the
wildlife cruise. In Skagway, we followed the path of the gold miners into the Yukon.
Thrilling! In Ketchikan, we saw
the wildlife of Misty Fjords up close and personal. The day in Glacier Bay was beyond
belief. It was almost as if the
Glaciers had a life of their own. The sounds of calving were awesome! We were enlessly
pampered for the entire
week. We couldn't have asked for more.
Name: Larry Wheaton
Email: wheaton@ibm.net
Age: 59
Occupation: Retired Computer Excecutive
NumberOfCruises: 3
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Holland-Statendam
SailingDate: June 13, 1999
Itinerary: Vancouver/Seward - Inside Passage
FoodDiningRoom: 75
CruiseDirector: 75
CabinComfort: 75
FoodRoomService: 85
CruiseStaff: 80
CabinAmenities: 85
FoodLidoDeck: 78
DiningRoomService: 80
CabinQuietness: 75
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 85
ShoreExcVariety: 65
FoodVariety: 75
DeckService: 80
ShoreExcValue: 75
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 89
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 89
TenderService: 85
GoodForSeniors: 79
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 65
OverallPortsofCall: 75
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 75
CruiseActivities: 70
Casino: 85
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities: 90
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 85
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 80
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 75
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 05 Jul 1999
Time: 02:56:53
Remote Name: slip129-37-17-85.ga.us.ibm.net
Remote User:
Comments
Statendam: Alaska Inside Passage, Vancouver to Seward, June 13-20, 1999, Cabin C86.
My wife and I have previously sailed on a Clipper Lines ship, 7 day expedition type cruise
to the Windward islands and a 14
day trans-Atlantic trip on NCL's Norway. We therefore are fairly new to cruise vacations.
We were interested in seeing
Alaska's inside passage, resting and meeting new people. We also wanted to see the
interior of Alaska and scheduled a
train trip from Anchorage to Fairbanks with an overnight stop in Denali Park.
Being budget minded we used the Internet to request brochures from Holland America Lines
(HAL) and received 5 pounds
of glossy promotional stuff along with a special Internet price offer which we accepted.
We handled all air connections
independently and post-cruise tours ourselves.
My wife and I arrived by air at Sea-Tac airport where we had planned to rent a car and
drive to Vancouver. While looking for
the Hertz counter we spied a HAL rep with a sign directing new arrivals to HAL's (Grey
Line) buses at the end of the
terminal. We tagged along to the checking counter, bought two vouchers for $80, got our
box lunch and boarded the bus for
the 2 hour trip to Vancouver's cruise terminal.
Inside the terminal the embarkation staff were very efficient and friendly. They were
about 400% better prepared than our
Norway trip from Miami to Barcelona. We were given credit card sized, machine readable,
embarkation/debarkation I.D.
cards and were boarded without delay. We found our own way to our standard outside
stateroom.
We were initially concerned about the location on our cabin on the Promenade Deck largely
because of the pedestrian
traffic outside our window. That concern abated quickly when we discovered that the
windows are mirrored on the outside
making them effectively one-way windows and the fact that our cabin was about ten steps
from an exit door to the
Promenade Deck. That allowed us to view all comings and goings from our cabin and still be
outside in less than a minute
when something especially interesting passed by. The only noise we heard was from the
galley one deck above. Somebody
managed to roll around something with steel wheels about an hour after every dining room
service ended. The noise was
disconcerting and probably preventable. Other than that the noise levels in the room were
very quiet. The cabin had plenty
of storage space. The bathroom was small and the combination tub shower was tiny.
Our first project when we boarded was to find someone to help us get on the list to move
to first seating. That accomplished
we lit out for the departure party on the stern deck and were dazzled by the beautiful
Vancouver skyline and mountains that
seem to drop right into the harbor.
Our first port-of-call was Ketchikan. We debarked using our little I.D. cards. The ships
computer blinked a green light on the
ramp indicating it knew we were going ashore. The ships security officer watched
attentively to help passengers get the
card inserted in the reader correctly. We did not use any of HAL's planned tours but did
purchase a dock-side, horse drawn
trolley, tour of Ketchican, a fish hatchery and totem pole museum. The weather was great.
By far the best we encountered
on the whole trip. When we boarded again, the I.D. card reader blinked green registering
us in the ships computer as being
on board. Seems like an overkill to me... but the ships security officer said some safety
law required it.
In Juneau, we arrived to a soft rain. Fog covered all the peaks in the area. We took a
self-directed city tour and shopped.
Other passengers had their air tours canceled due to the weather.
In Sitka, we debarked via the launches. The crew handled this very efficiently. HAL has
their act together here. While we did
not take any tours here we had friends tell us of the excellent fishing they enjoyed.
There is nothing like "wild salmon" when
compared to the farmed salmon we often see at the market these days.
In Hubbard Glacier Bay, we saw the glaciers from the bow deck where the crew served coffee
and hot chocolate. Boy that
warm mug felt good. The captain got the ship as close to the glacier as he felt safe...
but that was still about a mile away.
There was glacier calving to be seen. This is probably the best place to discuss safety
aboard ship. HAL and the
Statendam crew obviously take safety serious. They were very conservative whenever safety
was an issue. Starting with
lifeboat drill and ending with navigating through the rocky shoals of the inside passage.
While we were in Alaskan waters a
smaller sightseeing ship ended up on top of a rocky shoal. NCL's focus on safety was
appreciated.
The cruise terminated at the port of Seward where we debarked for the final time. We
requested an fairly early departure so
we could see a little of Anchorage before we departed by train on the following day at
8:30 AM.
Overall we liked the Statendam. We were very impressed with the crew and the way they kept
their ship exceptionally
clean and neat. The dining room food variety was less than adequate and without flare.
Food was utilitarian and always hot.
Our dining room stewards command of English was fair but seldom could explain how food was
prepared (i.e.: grilled, fried,
deep fried etc.). We felt the food on the Norway was far superior as was the entertainment
and port-of- call lectures. NCL's
lecture staff directed most of their effort toward getting passengers on NCL planned tours
and devoted precious little time
explaining the flora, fauna, geology and rich history of Alaska. Norwegian Cruise Lines
Norway lecture staff could run circles
around NCL's.
We did have opportunity to use the medical facility on board ship to treat a bee sting I
received in Kecthikan. The nurse and
doctor were great. They had a large, neat fully equipped office. The cost was $74 for an
office visit and pills that were all
billed to my ship-board account. At checkout I got a letter from the doctor to be used to
get reimbursement from health
insurance carrier. Great service!
Yea we did catch the Yukon Territory Flu during the ground portion of our trip to
Fairbanks. The Center for Disease Control
(CDC) said in a press release that 428 tourists developed acute respiratory infection with
cough and fever between May 22
and June 28. Make that 430.
Obviously NCL's cruise was not involved.
Name: Susan Gray
Email: Kgray@nas.com
Age: 43
Occupation: Receptionist
NumberOfCruises: 0
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Holland-Statendam
SailingDate: 9-6-98
Itinerary: Glacier Discovery Cruise
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector:
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 95
DiningRoomService: 90
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets: 90
CabinSteward: 98
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon: 85
CasinoStaff: 95
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 95
TenderService: 85
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff: 90
EntertainmentLounges: 85
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 85
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon: 90
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities:
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 98
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs: 85
DeckSpace: 98
Stabilization: 98
ShopsOnBoard:
SpaceRatio: 98
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 08 Jul 1999
Time: 11:54:10
Remote Name: pm4-d30.nas.com
Remote User:
Comments
This was our first cruise, my husband and I had no idea what to expect. We went with some
friends, who already had taken
a cruise to the Caribbean on another cruise line. We thought the embarkment procedure was
very organized , we were
escorted to our cabin, and our luggage arrived just as we did. Our cabin steward was
excellent. We had a cabin on the
lower promenade deck, it was spacious, great window view. The one thing we did notice was
the crowd of people we alot
older. But we did not let that bother us. We both think you make your own fun. The staff,
made us feel very welcome, they
knew our names the first night and always greated us with smiles. The lounge staff made us
wonderful orgami creatures,
and on Dutch Night , gave us a white hat with our names and there names and date of cruise
a beautiful drawing of flowes
on it. Alaska was beautiful. The weather was great and all the ports where very
interesting. We only took one tour and that
was in Juneau at there Wildlife Center. We just wanted to explore each port ourselves. The
dinning experience was , well
what can I say , fantastic! Each night we served wonderful delights. I tought it was great
at the end of the cruise that they
gave us copies of the menus for the week, to us the cruise was great. We stayed up late ,
almost everynight and enjoyed
walking around the deck. We are planning another cruise with Holland America at Christmas
to the Western Caribbean and
we are taking our teenagers with us, we hope we have they same if not better experience.
Name: Charles Licis
Email: charlesl@mail.inlink.com
Age: 32
Occupation: Teacher
NumberOfCruises: 0
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Holland-Statendam
SailingDate: July 4 - July 11
Itinerary: Seward - Vancouver Glacier Discovery
Cabin: 592
FoodDiningRoom: 75
CruiseDirector: 85
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService: 85
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 85
DiningRoomService: 80
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 80
CabinSteward: 85
ShoreExcVariety: 89
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 80
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 95
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 75
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 70
OverallPortsofCall: 85
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 85
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 98
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs: 80
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 80
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 22 Jul 1999
Time: 11:52:06
Remote Name: iits01161.inlink.com
Remote User:
Comments
Well, this was my first cruise ever, and I must say that it met, but did not exceed, my
expectations. I traveled with
family and my significant other, it was his first cruise as well. My first impressions of
the ship were good. The cruise
staff was helpful and attentive. With confused looks and a map of the ship, Steve of the
cruise staff suggested that
we start at deck 12 and work our way down to get familiar with the ship. That is how we
found the Crow's Nest bar.
We spent a lot of time there during the cruise. The staff is exceptional. We had great
service from Flor, Rodel,
Ricky and George. We even learned to speak some Tagalo and what life is like for them on
the ship. We spent the
days either relaxing on the lido or the lower promenade, or partaking in some of the
excursions. The best by far
for us was the kayaking in Auke Bay. The evenings were equally relaxing. Dinner was a
disappointment for us.
The food was a bit above average hotel food. I was expecting gourmet meals, but instead I
received small portions
and overcooked seafood. We did discover that the dining room is best in the morning for
breakfast, but getting a
glass of iced tea was nearly impossible. One morning I finally went to the Lido myself and
brought back two iced
teas to the Rotterdam.
The entertainment on the ship was also disappointing. The music was a soundtrack and
rarely did the performers
actually sing live. We often skipped the lounge productions, even walked out of the
Copacabana production. The
most fun we had was in the Piano Bar with Perry Grant. He was terrific! Apart from the
elderly crowd, sometimes
disinterested crowd, he was fun, humourous and witty. It's a shame that we did not
discover him earlier in the
cruise. The Crow's Nest was often dead in the evenings. The country night was a dud and
the disco party after 11
pm was also very, very slow. Most of the passengers were in bed by 10:30 and only the
younger passengers were
out on deck or in the bar.
In closing, I would probably take another cruise with HAL. The Alaskan cruise was ok, not
as spectacular as
previous accounts. We had fair weather in every port, but we did not see a lot of wildlife
during the cruise. The fact
that the crowd was much older than us did not bother us greatly. The ship's size provided
for several quiet
opportunities on one of the many exterior decks. The last evening especially was very
quiet. I was alone on the aft
pool deck watching the stars while some of the cast partied on the small deck below.
Name: Mark and Karen Miller
Email: kmiller@mitec.net
Age: 47
Occupation: Teachers
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Holland-Statendam
SailingDate: 07/04/99
Itinerary: Alaska Inside Passage
Cabin: FF814
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 80
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 93
CruiseStaff: 80
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 90
CabinQuietness: 85
FoodMidnightBuffets: 85
CabinSteward: 93
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 70
ShoreExcValue: 80
GoodForHoneymoon: 90
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 80
LoungeService:
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors: 95
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 95
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 98
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 80
SpaceRatio: 98
OverallCruiseValue: 93
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 23 Oct 1999
Time: 22:17:29
Remote Name: proxy.mitec.net
Remote User:
Comments
This was our first cruise. It was a gift from my mother who had taken a similar trip with
my late father on HAL 10
years ago. We drove from Omaha to the northwest to see family and freinds before flying to
Fairbanks from Seattle
to start with the land tour. Most hotels and motels offer car parking while on a cruise
with your room fee. It is much
cheaper and easier than the parking lots. We flew in at 3:00 am on an Alaska Airlines red
eye but really enjoyed
watching the sun come up at 1:00 am. We were told that we would have to take a cab at that
time of night, but there
was a HAL representive at the airport who took about 6 of us to our hotels. Ours was older
but remodeled and huge
with full kitchen and juccuzi tub. We highly recommend the riverboat cruise, and the gold
dredge tour was good, too.
We boarded the train to Denali the next day and spent the night in the park. The weather
was warm and we saw few
animals. Denali needs more restaurant options.
We traveled to Anchorage, finishing the train journey, which was
beautiful, if not a bit too long. Had a great meal at the Glacier Brew Pub across from the
Westmark Hotel. Sure a lot
of pan handlers in Anchorage! Traveled to Seward the next day to board the Statendam.
Boarding took a short
time, maybe 30 minutes at most. Our luggage was in the room when we arrived. We had not
eaten since early in the
morning and room service brought cheese and fruit in minutes after my call. Our cabin was
large and comfortable,
and our steward, Ketut, did a nice job the whole trip. The food in the Rotterdam dining
room was good if not always
haute cuisine, and nice portions. If you wanted two meals, you ordered them. We were a
long way from the kitchen,
but had a table on the stern window of the 1st floor of the room and had a wonderful veiw.
We saw whales and great
sunsets. Our waiter brought extra lobster tails on lobster night.
The salads were sometimes warm and soggy, but
that was my only complaint. We enjoyed getting to know the two couples we shared our table
with. We usually
ordered toast and coffee to our room in the morning and then went to the Lido for
breakfast. We had lunch in the
Lido, or at the burger bar on the pool. Room service was always good, and we used it
often. We did not get off the
boat in our first port, Valdez. Frankly, we were worn out from the land trip and snoozed,
and had seen the pipeline
in Fairbanks, anyway. We enjoyed Sitka, but just walked around the downtown area. We went
to the Salmon Bake
and took the tram up Mt. Roberts in Junea. Enjoyed both. In Ketchican we went fishing with
a Hal booked excursion
and caught 9 pink salmon that we had shipped home. A must do if you at all like to fish.
The fishing captain was
great! The Hubbard glacier was spectacular, and I even got a video of a calfing. We also
took the kitchen tour, but it
is just room after room of stainless steel. We are not big drinkers, but enjoyed some
cocktails and music in the
Crows Nest (saw whales there too) and in the Ocean Bar.
We enjoyed the comedians and the Copacabana show,
but being a music teacher and musician, I really get tired of watching all the lip sync.
The leads are live but the
chorus is enhanced, and of course, the background is all canned. I got a big kick out of
the Captain at the
champange reception. This guy can roll his r's better than anyone I've ever heard!, and he
milked it to the hilt. One
incident that was a moment of panic occurred around 10pm our last formal night, which
included the Choclate Buffet
around the Lido pool. The ship suddenly listed heavily right, left, right, and back left
again before stopping. It was
later reported the front stabilizers had mal-functioned. The list was enough to empty half
of the water out of the pool
and all over the deck where the choclate buffet was, creating quite a panic for the crew
to clean up. I guess a lot of
china, liquor, and fruit bowls crashed to the decks on all levels. Things in our room were
fine. Overall, the cruise met
all of my expectations, and I can't wait to go again. Next summer is our 25th anniversary,
and we are in the planing
stages right now. HAL does a great job if your looking for a nice, quiet and refined
experience. You can do as much
or as little as possible.
Want to book your cruise at a great rate?
Click here.
Questions or comments? Mail to webmaster@cruiseopinion.com.
Copyright ©1996-2001 CruiseOpinion.com. Last modified: March 22, 2000.