Oosterdam Review

Oh Oh Oosterdam you wonderful DAM ship!

Review for the Eastern Mediterranean Cruise on Oosterdam
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happygoer
First Time Cruiser • Age 80s

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Sail Date: Aug 2009
Cabin: Signature Superior Verandah Suite

We boarded the Oosterdam on Sun. Aug 23rd for a trip of a lifetime. Having sailed with HAL before we expected great service and we werent disappointed. We had been upgraded to a Deluxe Veranda Suite which came with lots of amenities..Concierge service at the Neptune Lounge, Laundry at any time free, Hors d'oeurves every evening and we had breakfast in the Pinnacle Grill every day as an additional perk for suite passengers. We were overnight in Venice so we took it easy the first day and toured Murano and Venice on our own. It was so nice when we returned to the ship to be greeted by the crew with a cool cloth and hand sanitizer. (the sanitizer was all over the ship) The crew were so friendly and so helpful. Our room stewards were Dharma and Juli and couldnt do enough for us. In the dining room (late sitting) we had Bambang and Gatout who remembered our drinks every night and had them ready for us. We also had a shrimp cocktail as an appetizer every night even when it wasnt on the menu. The food was always good and plentiful and a nice selection. We did eat in the Pinnacle Grill twice and were treated like royalty. The head steward Elvira Shuetz was so friendly that we considered her a friend. Sorry but she is taking time off to start a family. She will surely be missed. The eight ports we went to were great. Our first stop was Split, Croatia. We prebooked our tours and this one was the Historic Split and the Riviera. We toured the Palace and the city and had a traditional Croatian lunch of lamb and chicken at a local restaurant that overlooked the waters. Tonight was a formal night aboard ship. The next day we had a day at sea and a day of rest. We pushed the clocks ahead tonight as we lost another hour. Should have had formal night tonight. Our next stop was Piraeus or Athens, Greece. Our tour today was to Athens and the Acropolis. We should have taken the morning tour as it was very hot and a very strenuous tour. After a brief stop at the Olympic stadium we went to the Acropolis (Parthenon) The walk up to it was very steep and slippery. There are no handrails or places to hold on. Our guide was good but didn't give us enough time to stop on the way up. The view was spectacular. But since I live in the Athens of the South, Nashville, and have an exact copy of the Parthenon it was funny to see it in that condition. Come to Nashville to see what it truly looked like. We travelled on to Istanbul and arrived in the late afternoon. We had some free time shop at the grand bazaar which has over 4000 "shops" most of which are jewelry. Every dealer is outside urging you to come inside and look and have a cup of apple tea. We were told on board never to pay the starting price. Since we were overnight in Istanbul we went to a nightclub and had a great time. There were belly dancers, Turkish dancers and a comedian/singer, turkish food and had a fabulous time. This tour was A Taste of Istanbul: Istanbul by Night. The next morning we embarked on an 8 hr tour of the city. Our guide was very knowledgeable and very informative. And we were so glad to have her, her name was Dilek Yarcan. After a tour of the Blue Mosque and the Grand Bazaar we went to a lunch buffet at the Ciragan Palace Hotel. WOW! It was beautiful as we sat out on the veranda and had lunch overlooking the water. It reminded me of Hotel Coronada in San Diego. We saw Topkapi and Hagit Sofia and heard trhe call to prayer as it was Ramadan. It was the Best of IStanbul tour and it truly was. Before returning to the ship we saw a carpet weaving exhibit tired but quite educated on the traditions of Istanbul. Tonight was the second formal night and again most people dressed well and some opted to eat at the Lido and not dress. I think formal nights should be on at sea days as we need to relax after a full day of touring. The following day we arrived in Mykonos, Greece at 1 PM. We were to be there till 11 at night. We did not tour as it was easy to get around and see the picturesque city. Kusadasi was our next stop and toured early. We took the Ephesus and Terrace Houses tours. The Terraces were amazing. The ruins that were revealed show how well most of the people lived in that era. Frescos, floor mosaics and bath houses, and library were all visible along with a stadium. This is not to be missed. And do it early. Santorini was our next stop. The waters were very rough and it was very windy. We had to tender to the port and either take a cable car to the top or a donkey. Some were brave enought to walk up. The town on the top was Fira. It is a very quaint town with very picturesque streets. All of the facilities and homes were white and sitting against the skyline were spectacular. I know the town was used in many a movie as it is a great backdrop. We had a delicious lunch on our own and had tomato fritters and mousaki....yum. Katakalon, Greece was our next and last stop on the cruise. The only thing to see was the site of the original Olympic games. Otherwise like all of the other small towns it is a shopping mecca. Tonight was the 3rd and final formal night. Today we are at sea. HAL provided a great place for us to see this part of the world and they did it well. Their arrangements that got us in the various ports was excellent. We have read that this was not always true but we can say on the last 3 HAL cruise we took it was very organized. Our disembarkment on the last day went so smooth that I wish I could say the same about Delta and their check in policy.

Cabin Review

Signature Superior Verandah Suite

Cabin SY

Great room, lots of closets and larger veranda. Linens on the bed were very soft and comfy. As we were close to the outside elevator it was so quiet we never heard a thing. It was nice having a dressing room and double sinks in the bathroom. The amenities were great. If the opportunity to upgrade to the delux suite dont pass it.

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