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Name: Michael J. Marcelletti
Email: mjmar@btc-bci.com
Age: 35
Occupation: Pharmaceutical Lab Analyst
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: Yes
Ship: Holland-Veendam
SailingDate: Feb 23, 1998
Itinerary: Solar Eclipse Cruise
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 100
CabinComfort: 100
FoodRoomService: 90
CruiseStaff: 100
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 85
FoodMidnightBuffets: 99
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 80
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue: 65
GoodForHoneymoon: 100
CasinoStaff: 80
PrivateIsland: 95
GoodForFamilies: 90
LoungeService: 95
TenderService: 50
GoodForSeniors: 100
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess: 100
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 75
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 65
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities: 100
ShipCleanliness: 98
EmbarkDisembark: 100
DiscoNightclubs: 85
DeckSpace: 100
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio: 100
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 07 Mar 1998
Time: 15:13:58
Remote Name: 207.0.83.247
Remote User:
Comments
This was a special charter for the Solar Eclipse, so our cruise was a little different
from other cruises. That said, here we go.
I have have a lot of good things to say about the ship. It is new and beautiful lady to
sail on. The art and antiques on the ship is very classy and
tasteful, and overall, the colors, design and appointments were very well done. Deck space
was ample, which was particularly important for our
cruise since on Eclipse Day, you had about 1900 out on deck, plus cameras, telescopes,
tripods and etc. Captain Mercer was also quite gracious in
allowing as many of the crew and staff as possible to enjoy the eclipse.(This included the
Phillipino and Indonesians too, not just the
Euro-Americans).
Food was excellent, both in quantity and quality. The buffets for breakfast and lunch
included lots of fresh fruit and salads, along with a variety of hot
foods. Out by the main pool, there were hamburgers, a taco bar and a stir-fry/pasta bar.
The one time I ordered room service was for some cheese
and fruit for a party, which were well done, but the crackers I ordered were only saltines
in wrappers, so I would have to mark down that experience.
I did find the fact that soft drinks were well over a dollar a bit annoying. I feel that
anything other than alcohol should be complimentary. (However, all
the juices you could drink were free). The midnight buffets were very good, and the
chocolate buffet was extraordinary. The one negative about the
food was that the salads generally were heavy on the greens, and light on everything else.
However, when my roommate asked for more cheese
and other items one night, they brought him a bowl overflowing with more of what he wanted
and they did it in just a couple minutes. (The
presentation was good too). Also, when he asked for plenty of blue cheese one night as he
ordered, they brought him the salad of his dreams!
Service was also very good. Juana, our main steward, was very friendly and eager to make
us happy. Eric, the 2nd maitre-de (spelling?) would come
over and schmooze us everynight, and while it wasn't neccessary, it did add fun to the
meals. My cabin stewards did an excellent job, and they went
out of the way to help me with a party I had in my cabin.(They also did a great job with
the clean-up after the party).
The cruise staff was great. For instance, on the Captain's Gala Night, I didn't have a
date to be photographed with, so I asked one of the cruise staff,
Jeanie, who is a lovely young woman, to pose with me for a couple of photographs. She was
very obliging, and she didn't just stand there, she smiled
and looked sincerely happy and excited, which really made the portraits. I could go on,
but I think this shows how hard and well they worked.
There are other things I could go on about, but I do want to talk briefly about the (very
few) negatives.
The only downsides were these: some of the shows in the main lounge were mediocre, some
shore excurions were overpriced, there were a
shortage of excursions (although this cruise was different and there was a tremendous
demand for them), and one day, one of the tenders was just
allowed to bang against the ship all the time we were loading and waiting, which might
have been about 15 minutes. I don't have any problems with
motion sickness, but that shaking around on the tender really started to annoy me. Also,
an older lady was knocked down and was in pain because
of it.
Overall, I would rate the experience as excellent. Aside from solar eclipses, I plan to
cruise in the future, and Holland-American will be the first
choice. Also, I would like to sail on the Veendam or one of her sister ships. The size of
the vessel was just about right for me. It was large enough to
have any facility I could want, but not so large that it was difficult to get around.
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