This cruise really wasn't our first choice, but when the earthquakes hit Italy we decided to make an adjustment in our "to do list" of cruises and moved a Panama Canal visit to the top, and we're glad we did. We read all the reviews about the Veendam, some of which weren't all that great, but decided we'd give it a go anyway. We're glad we did. The Veendam is smaller, so a more manageable passenger list. We enjoyed the feeling of smaller and didn't miss the crowds. We selected a lower veranda room, with a door to the deck. While that didn't give us a private deck, it did give us an option of sitting outside and watching the world go by. The deck was generally busy, but never packed with folks doing laps. We did a few miles ourselves. The room was spacious enough for the two of us, with a bed that seemed to span a couple counties. (We have a queen at home.) We were midship across the hall from the laundry room, but we didn't hear anything from that area. The room was quiet, with only the sound of ships make when underway.

The crowd tended to the older set. Fifteen days in November isn't prime time for kids, so expect mostly retired or almost retired folks. There were some who were younger, particularly those from outside the United States, but Medicare eligible led the way.

One of the knocks from the reviews we read was the entertainment. While generally not nightlife folks, we attended the main show every night and were consistently impressed with the quality and the diversity of the performances. The dance crew and ship singers were on their final leg and did a great job with the four shows they headlined. We also had comedians, a magician, singers, a pianist, a harpist, and others who were hard to characterize. We didn't have a show that wasn't engaging and entertaining, although magicians are near the bottom of our collective list of acts we enjoy. Each night we could count on a strong 45 minute performance. Read more