BACKGROUND This is our 4th cruise and our first on HAL. We chose this cruise because we live in San Diego and thought there could be nothing better than just driving a half hour down to the harbor. HAL even offered a free parking deal. We felt we got a good deal all around. Passengers were myself and my husband , both in out late 50's.

We arrived at the SanPark lot on Sassafras Street about 1:30 and got a shuttle to the pier immediately. It is about a 10 minute drive.Embarkation was very quick and easy - I would say about 20 minutes altogether. Another ship, the Staatendam, was embarking at the same time, so the port was very busy. It was a little hard to get a porter, I did not thnk the port was very well signed.

CABIN. We booked through the ship after research on the internet - and Cruise Critic! - and had been offered an SY suite that was designated handicapped. I knew that they tend to be bigger, so thought we would chance it. It was absolutely great. The nicest cabin we have had. It was the lowest suite level - SY - it was huge, very nicely laid out. Three big closets, a balcony, a bathtub. Because of the handicapped element, it was almost as large as two cabins combined. It was at the very front of the ship, so we had a second window on the front deck - we could see out but it was filmed so that no one could see in. Very light, spacious and airy. The only negative was that because we were so far front, the balcony was extremely windy. I still think overall it was a great cabin. The Oosterdam has three banks of elevators, unlike some RCCL ships with only two, so we were not that far from the elevators. It was very quiet and private - I did not mind the occasional visitor on the front deck because I knew they could not see us. Besides, they were few and far between. I note that the remodel due in April 2009 that you can see on the HAL website will remove this second window - that is a shame. SERVICE. We found the service to be fine. Our cabin steward was Suwaip, very friendly cordial and helpful. We got whatever we asked for; we needed a minor repair on the first day, very prompt to respond. I felt the level of service overall on the ship was very high. Smiling, polite, and helpful. SHORE EXCURSIONS. The ports of call were Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, and Puerta Vallarta. I was surprised how much I enjoyed them, since my overall impression previously had been basically spring break locations with a lot of bars and tourist traps.We did shore excursions at each port and they were terrific. Thanks to other posters on Cruise Critic, we booked privately, using the Sandra and Johann companies in Cabo and in Mazatlan. My husband likes snorkeling, but the shore excursions offered via the ship were pretty limited and short. We were very satisfied in Cabo. We took the Santa Maria and Chileno Bay combined excursion. the subcontractor was Eagle Divers - it was about a block walk from the pier(I did get lost but it was no big deal). The boat was a simple one, not a big booze cruise model, but it was shaded and it was fine with us. You travel about 30 minutes from the pier on a boat along the coastline - the captain was very helpful polite and patient. We went to two locations to snorkel - Chileno Bay then Santa Maria Cove, both well know snorkeling sites. It was outstanding. There were two other couples and us, so it was a small friendly group. They provided everything. You could snorkel, or relax on the beach. The fish were beautiful and plentiful and friendly - we have great underwater photos - the ocean was gentle - just a great experience. We are not real athletic or experienced at this - I wore a life jacket - i encourage anyone to try this - it was so rewarding - you do not have to be young and strong to enjoy this kind of fun. Then the captain gave us an added thrill of a swing by Lover's Beach and the famous rocks to see the seals and the view. We had the same kind of day in Mazatlan - a snorkeling trip to Deer Island. We met at the Aqua Sport Center by the Posada Freeman Hotel in the Zona Dorada - we took a cab - 20 minutes - $15. This was not quite so well organized. We waited a bit - then were taken across the bay to Deer Island for two hours of snorkeling. The vehicle was a beat up looking amphibious tank named El Tiburon - but it moved more like a walrus or manatee than a shark. It was fun. For some reason, I could not use the breathing apparatus very well - as I said I am not that experienced - not sure if it was me or the equipment - but I just decided to enjoy the beautiful day, paddling by the shore and relaxing on the beach with other tourists. We then returned to the beach. One perk of booking with Sandra and Johann was the use of the lovely Hotel Posada Freeman - it is right on the beach with a charming open air shaded bar and patio, and a nice pool with a waterfall, the perfect tropical spot for relaxation. My husband enjoyed himself there with a cool Corona while I went parasailing for the first time - great fun beautiful peaceful not scary - I felt very secure. We kicked back at the bar and had a no hassle taxi ride back to the ship. At Puerta Vallarta we booked through HAL and went ziplining through the jungle. This was so much fun, and so beautiful -I recommend it. An hour ride to the location - you go through the city, then the rural outskirts past little farms with goats and chickens and horses, then you are in the jungle. The Vallarta Adventure staff is young friendly enthusiastic, speaks excellent English - they will make your adventure so memorable. ACTIVITIES. We found the Oosterdam to be a little light on activities. Our previous RCCL experiences were on bigger ships, so maybe that is the difference, but they definitely had more going on. I enjoyed playing trivia, watching pool games, typical ship activities. The Cruise Director Erik, was friendly, high energy - very competent and professional. One thing we did not have were the movies mentioned by those the week ahead of us - I don't know why we did not have any "Movie Nights". Somehow in all the rush of getting ready to leave, I did not sign up for the Cruise Critic get-together - I happened to walk by while you were all together on Sunday afternoon - it looked so enjoyable- I am so sorry I just did not get it done - no doubt it would have made the trip even better. DINING. We chose the traditional fixed early seating. Sat with a lovely family - a mother and two grown daughters. We had excellent personal service - our waiter was Aigong.The food was the best I have had an a cruise ship. I especially enjoyed the Indonesian specialty entree - Bami Gorang. I did not feel rushed, although I did notice we were one of the last tables to finish each night. We were always there to hear the chimes! The Lido food was also outstanding. I missed the soft serve self serve that RCCL has - but the ice cream man was there from morning to night to make you an ice cream cone. We had room service breakfast every morning - we love to have our coffee on the balcony - the perfect cruise experience. It was on time and correct every morning, plus it helps you get up and out if you have a morning excursion. On the first morning we saw dozens of flying fish from our balcony - just wonderful. ENTERTAINMENT It was standard - I love having somewhere to go at night. My husband is not a big fan of the somewhat corny ship shows, but I can go on my own in a safe environment with other friendly people around. The theater was pleasant, the troupe so so - Elton John impersonator was fun - magician was really good. I enjoyed the "American Idol" Oosterdam version. The Philippine-themed crew show was poor, in my opinion. What I did find very disappointing was the level of night life - basically nonexistent. I know that HAL has a reputation of catering to a little older crowd - I thought the actual demographics were pretty mixed, but I think the ship attracts people who just are not wanting a lot of night life. The bars were deserted at night. One cruise guide I use, Frommer's Cruises and Ports of Call, describes HAL this way -if you want to party, you will be alone with the crew. That is just the way it was. Even the piano bar, usually a reliable venue, was empty - at least the couple of times I tried it. DISEMBARKATION. This was a mess. I think it might be again because another ship was also disembarking. The parking voucher came back to bite us. The San Park lot did not have enough shuttles, so there were hundreds of mad, hot, tired people waiting for the free bus. My husband and I finally bailed and took a taxi - it was only $10, so it was a good solution. SUMMARY. Overall, a beautiful beautiful ship with excellent service, fun ports and great food. It leaves from the port in my home town, so the ease and savings of no airfare and no hotel means a lot. We will definitely keep HAL in mind for the next cruise, as long as it it using San Diego's port.