Ryndam Review
As Holland America's Ryndam pulled away from its dock in sunny San Diego, I raised my glass -- er, coffee cup, as it were -- to the beginning of our cruise to Mexico's Sea of Cortez. The air may have been balmy at sail away but who knew? Ever since boarding the ship earlier that day, we'd been lured indoors by Ryndam's Exploration's Cafe, a library-cum-coffee shop-cum-new-media-outpost.
Explorations is just one of a number of genuinely new enhancements to the nearly ten-year-old Ryndam. In fact, Ryndam's stint at the shipyard was so intense that the ship actually gained 275 tons (of steel), as builders, in an unusual move, added new structure to the vessel.
Other improvements that quickly caught my eye on that first day onboard Ryndam include the Culinary Arts Center, a demonstration kitchen that now shares a stage with the Wajang Theater's movie screen; a sleek (though small) wine tasting nook; and the you've-got-to-see-it teen-only Oasis, where designers have actually added a level to the ship for a Gilligan's Island-style tropical club -- if teens don't cotton to it, I assure you adults will!
Ultimately, after a week spent onboard Ryndam, what was most compelling about its Signature of Excellence transformation was that it gave a mid-sized, middle-aged ship some fresh new flash. And yet the ship also retains its status as a marvelously cozy, moderately sized ship that leads to a uniquely cozy ambience.
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