Veendam Review
Rating by category
Additional details
Background Information: We booked this cruise only 3 weeks before departure, when other vacation plans fell through. We had a group of six, which included four adult nieces and nephew, and two friends. We booked it because we could drive from Ontario, Canada to NYC in less than 9 hours, and therefore didn't need to book a last minute flight.
Hotel Info (if any): We stayed at the Hampton Inn & Suites in Parsippany, New Jersey. We love Hampton Inn, and it was only 40 minutes from the cruise ship terminal.
Ship Info: I loved that the ship was small, and easy to get around. It seemed to have everything that the larger HAL ships have, but just on a smaller scale. The decor in the stateroom hallways really could use some updating. The pictures on the wall and the decor are cheap looking. I wish they hadn't taken out the second pool at the back of the ship. The hot tubs are OK, but they take up a lot of space, and it would have been much nicer to be able to enjoy a pool in the warm weather.
Cabin Review
Verandah Suite
We paid about $1,300 for a veranda, which seemed high to me. We only paid slightly more in June 2012 for a veranda on the Zuiderdam to Alaska. But the room was very nice.
It seemed larger than other verandas that we've had. The couch was a full size couch, and not just a love seat. And there were 9 drawers in the desk area, so there was more storage room than we could actually fill.
The balcony was quite deep, but had metal instead of glass facing the ocean. Which meant the view while sitting/lying down wasn't as good. But the balcony did have a lounger plus chair.
Hard to control the temperature in the stateroom. The thermostat seemed to have no control over the temperature.
Great location, just steps away from the elevators and stairs at the front of the ship.