Veendam Review

4.0 / 5.0
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Calm seas to the Antarctic

Review for South America Cruise on Veendam
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chess palace
2-5 Cruises • Age 70s

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Sail Date: Dec 2012
Cabin: Large Ocean-View Stateroom

We had a very enjoyable cruise on the Veendam for three weeks over Christmas and New Year from Rio to Santiago including three days along the Antarctic Peninsula. The itinerary was superb and we were very fortunate that neither the weather nor politics prevented us from reaching any of the destinations en route. We went from +35 degrees at start and finish in Rio and Santiago down to days of 0 degrees or below in Antarctic. In many ways this was a trip of a lifetime at a very reasonable cost. There are many great memories, such as watching penguins jumping off icebergs, seeing the highlights of Rio from the sea, the endless stunning vistas of the Chilean fiords ... but perhaps the pick has to be counting down to midnight on New Year's Eve in the showroom -- with the curtains open and still full daylight outside -- and a snow-capped, mountainous Antarctic island drifting past outside the window just as the clock struck.

I have commented below on many aspects of the ship and cruise, mainly for UK readers as it was our first chance to compare the US-based Holland America line (HAL) with the more British--style operators Fred Olsen and P&O which we had travelled on before.

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Large Ocean-View Stateroom

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