We recently returned from a 10-day Southern Carib cruise on HAL's Volendam. This was our 8th cruise (the second one with HAL), and the experience re-confirmed that no other cruise line comes close when the word "service" is used. From the moment we arrived at the terminal in Fort Lauderdale, we were treated as honored guests by a most professional, competent and delightful crew. Embarkation was well organized and went smoothly. Throughout the voyage, our room steward, dining room & lounge servers were very generous with their smiles and anxious to please; the officers & admin. staff courteous, friendly and always pleasant.
Each of our ports of call (St. Lucia, Bonaire, St. Thomas, Isle de Margarita in Venezuela & Dominica) offered a different flavor and culture, with no language difficulties. We found the people to be delightful at each port and appreciated their helpful suggestions. HAL's private island, Half Moon Cay, was absolutely gorgeous and the B-B-Q with a steel band was enjoyed by all. Immaculate, well maintained, showers conveniently located by the beach walkways. Fortunately, ours was the only ship visiting the island on that day, so we did not experience long lines at the tables set up with a vast selection of food. Mother Nature cooperated with perfect weather and the sea was like a sheet of glass in both directions.
We found the food on board to be most satisfactory, with a selection wide & varied enough to meet anyone's expectations, in both the Rotterdam dining room and the Lido. However, we had been very much looking forward to experiencing the Italian cuisine in the Marco Polo, only to learn that it had recently been changed to the Pinnacle Grill with a "northwest" menu (steak, salmon, etc.), which was a major disappointment, and so we passed on this. Also, since there is now a charge of $20 p/p for the alternative dining restaurant, we thought it foolish to pay extra for food we cook at home.