We traveled on the Ms Veendam Oct 28 - Nov 4 from Tampa with stops at BELIZE, SANTO THOMAS GUATEMALA, and COSTA MAYA. From the minute we entered the stateroom we were happy-the bathroom was large by ship standards and had a tub! Lots of storage, adaptable closets, drawers, and very comfortable beds and bedding. Our Cabin steward was efficient and all but invisible during the voyage.

Service aboard in the public areas was very good and probably the friendliest in our 10 cruises. Staff is mainly Filipino & Indonesian. They remembered your name after the first time and always stopped to make sure your needs were met. Our waiter at dinner could have been better - we frequently had to ask for water and ice tea refills which never would have happened on our Celebrity experiences. Other passengers we spoke with were quite satisfied with their dining room waiters however. The food was above average in both taste, presentation, and variety. The dining highlight however, was without a doubt the dinner in the Pinnacle Restaurant. The atmosphere, food, service, were all outstanding and made an incredible dining experience. We tried to make reservations for a second night, but were unable to since they were overbooked after the second day at sea to our regret. We will book earlier next time!

The overall 'feel' on the Veendam was relaxed, spacious, and easy. We were initially concerned about the smaller ship size (1258) but nothing was crowded, there were abundant activities, you never fought for a deck chair, and the public areas were very well appointed. We were particularly impressed with the Explorations Cafe - extensive library, music listening area, internet access, game tables, DVD checkout, and coffee bar. The recent upgrade of the ship made this area one of our favorites. Read more