Oosterdam Review
Rating by category
Additional details
This 4-day reposition down the Western US coast was the least satisfying HAL cruise we've ever taken.
The atmosphere aboard was truly uninspired. In fact, it seemed as if this short sailing was a Blow Off. The entire crew seemed distracted and disengaged, unlike most crews we've had on other HAL ships. Were they exhausted from the just-finished Alaska season? Were they focused on making the transition to the up-coming winter season? Was there some sort of on-going, behind-the-scenes crisis disturbing the crew? Who knows, but the passengers aboard between Vancouver and San Diego were clearly not their top priority.
The food, in terms of both variety and quality, was sub-par. The entertainment offered was sub-par. The service was somewhat slow, and certainly lacked HAL's usual personal warmth. There were no special events for the Mariners aboard, no Officers' Reception for all passengers, no Good Morning Oosterdam sessions. This cruise seemed like a real strip-down operation.
Cabin Review
Large Outside Stateroom (fully obstructed views)
Cabin 4113 was fine for us. Since we usually select an interior, no-view room, the lifeboat obstructing our window view made no difference to us. The space in this cabin and its bathroom seemed a bit smaller than what we get in category K or L interior cabins, and we felt we had slightly less storage space than we are used to, but we were perfectly comfortable in this cabin. It's location, about halfway between the midships and aft elevators, meant that our hallway was quiet, which was a plus.