We just returned from the 7 day Boston to Quebec cruise on the Holland America Veendam. This was my first cruise though my wife and mother-in-law, who I travelled with, had been on small ship cruises to Alaska and Germany before. My expectations and perspective are based on research on Cruise Critic and other web sources and supported by conversation with other more experienced cruisers on the ship.
Overall I rate the experience as a 3 of 6 - middle of the road but frankly just not good enough. Some very good, some great, but most just OK or less. The ship was well maintained but was certainly past its prime. The staff (mostly from the Philippines) were consistently friendly, helpful, and made a great effort to know your name and personal preferences.
The itinerary was good - Boston, Bar Harbor, Halifax, Sydney, Charlottetown, and Quebec, but the short times in port (average 8 AM to 4 PM) made visiting very hectic. The HAL excursions were expensive and we chose not to use them, a good decision based on comments from those who did.
Good stateroom. Small but functional except for the excess of furniture and throw pillows that made the cabin smaller and just got in the way. Bathroom was a good size and storage space was adequate. The opening to the public promenade was not an issue at all but was a plus. Window tinting worked well to preserve privacy