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We arrived in San Diego on Friday night before our cruise and checked into the Courtyard Marriott on Landing Road near the airport on the recommendation of my sister who lives in San Diego. The hotel provided a free shuttle from the airport and this Courtyard is new and very nice. The breakfast buffet the next morning was delicious and well worth the cost.
My sister dropped us off at the terminal about 1:30 PM and we only waited 5-10 minutes in line to get checked in. Holland America allows you to take wine on board and we took 5 bottles, including champagne, and went straight to our room, which was ready. We had booked a superior veranda suite which was roomy and had a huge balcony with a table and 2 regular chairs and 2 more comfortable padded chairs. We liked our room and were pleased with the stewards, even though we rarely saw them. One morning we ordered breakfast room service and it was delivered early and hot.
The Oosterdam is a nice ship, but is showing some wear and tear. We ate primarily in the main dining room and all meals were good. The menu selections were numerous, but the service was spotty. We ate at the Pinnacle Grill one night and it was a nice atmosphere, but the food was about the same caliber of the main dining room.
We enjoyed the Elton John impersonator the best of the shows we attended. My wife went to several technology workshops and was very impressed with the instructor and what she learned about her computer and camera. Only one sea day was warm enough to be outside and we enjoyed the adult pool deck. However, it was crowded and only one small hot tub was working.
Christina did an excellent job discussing the various ports and was available each day to answer individual questions. She was very helpful and researched the location of a spa that I asked her about. We really enjoyed all of the ports and I will review them individually in the port review section.
Disembarkation was a breeze and the luggage handling went without a hitch and we took at taxi to the airport which was cheaper than the shuttles.
In summary, the Oosterdam is a good ship and an excellent value for the money. It is not as nice as Celebrity Solstice, but then again, it is not as costly.
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