Overall, I was a bit disappointed in my recent western Caribbean cruise on HAL's Veendam. First, let me say that my review is probably influenced by the weather which is not under the control of the cruise line. We had winds up to 45 knots and many passengers, including my husband and I, spent at sea days with motion sickness. The captain had to cancel a port of call due to weather which added another choppy sea day. But there are many things HAL can control. The food in the Rotterdam dining room in the evenings was the best I have had on a cruise ship. Unfortunately, the Rotterdam was not open for lunch on at sea days which left us with the Lido buffet, pizza or the poolside grill. None of those options were up to standards in my opinion. The drink machines were scarce and some of them didn't work properly. The "free" drink offerings were too limited as well. I have been on other cruises that offered a variety of beverages throughout the day at the drink machines. The staff in the Rotterdam were terrific but the staff behind the lines in the Lido were cold and reluctant to serve you. The room steward did a good job and the one port excursion we did take was ok. Our room was too hot to sleep comfortably. When I asked maintenance to look at it I was told that it was with acceptable range. They offered a fan which we gladly accepted. The ship is small which means that the venues are also small. The theater is too small for the number of people they are seating. We found that we had to arrive 30-45 minutes early just to get a seat - any seat. I realize they cannot change the footprint to enlarge the theater but they could offer more shows to accommodate all the passengers comfortably. The entertainment was not the best I have seen but we did enjoy the pianist. The embarkation and disembarkation processes were very smooth and hassle free which we appreciated. Would I take another HAL cruise again? Yes, if the itinerary and price were right. But I do think this cruise line needs work on this ship and on this staff.