Oosterdam Review
Rating by category
Additional details
This is not so much a detailed review as it is some notes and observations of my trip to Alaska on the Holland America's MS Oosterdam. We did the 11-day Denali, with the sea portion first, and the land portion second.
- Arrived in Vancouver to find that Delta tore open my checked piece of luggage forcing me to buy a new suitcase in the very expensive downtown area. Fortunately I found one on sale at a Bay Harbor store near my hotel.
- On-board staff was from Indonesia/Philippines. Nearly everyone worked hard, wore a smile, and was very patient and professional. There were a few exceptions though. Biggest complaint was that the language barrier could be an annoying problem. HAL really needs to make sure that crew members working in contact with customers have at least an average command of english.
Cabin Review
The cabin was small but nice, clean and had a lot of hidden storage. Not enough outlets for two people to be able to charge devices at the same time though. There was one outlet in the bathroom, and one in the cabin by the small desk. Loved the verandah and can't image cruising without one.Blackout curtains could have been better. Fortunately I had some spring clips along and was able to keep the curtains clipped together to help block out light, especially as we moved farther north and it was light out later.Two people trying to move around at the same time could be a challenge, with one having to move between beds or squeeze out of the way for another to pass. Especially if someone was coming out of the bathroom, while another was getting something from the closet. Watch out.