We chose this cruise with the purpose of experiencing the Panama Canal. Cruise ships are not my favourite way to travel but this was a good option as we were traveling with an older relative. The veendam is a mid-sized ship and we think that it was only a little over half full so it was very comfortable being on board. The other passengers are generally older so it does have a genteel feel to it. The restaurants and bars are very good and the ship is well presented and clean even though it is 20 years old. We also liked our balcony cabin.

The major downside of the cruise was the short time in ports and the long bus rides to get to a number of destinations. The shore excursions offered by holland america were also relatively expensive.

That said we did enjoy a number of the ports that we called in at. Read more