Volendam Review

Great crew, the rest, not so much.

Review for Asia Cruise on Volendam
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ABY-SBY
6-10 Cruises • Age 80s

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Additional details

Sail Date: Nov 2017
Cabin: Large Interior Stateroom

We chose this 42 day cruise as a one-time trip to the Far East. It was supposed to include stops in Korea, which were prevented by Chinese sanctions, so that it was slightly disappointing before it even began. Things just seemed to go wrong whenever possible. We were awakened at 3am in Shanghai by an announcement that there might be contamination in the water (false alarm), we were kept in Shanghai an extra 38 hours by a storm without the ability to go ashore. No extra entertainment, other than a one hour open bar on sailing. The air conditioning went out and the captain blamed mussels in the inlets which had been acquired in Alaska and had to be flushed. There was a lack of organization in dealing with disembarkation in several ports, mainly blamed on the local officials, but often with the help of the staff. Although the cruise was 58, 42, 28 or 14 days, the entertainment was repeated every 2 weeks. The shows cast was talented, and the performances spirited, for such a small group, and quite entertaining the first time around. Additional entertainment was mixed. The repeating of a BBC documentary did not do much to enhance this aspect.

The kitchen was light on no sugar food, having only no sugar added, and it ran out of ice cream 2 weeks before the end of the cruise. The food in the dining room was excellent, but portions were very small, and the service exceedingly slow. Several times meals lasted over 2 hours.

Ashley Wade and her trio in the Ocean Bar were excellent for their Jazz, and she had a great rapport with her audience.

Cabin Review

Large Interior Stateroom

Cabin I

Cabin and bathroom size are good. Plenty of storage for the 42 days we were aboard. The furniture was functional and presentable. The TV should be upgraded. There was only one electric socket for 110w and one for 220w. No USB outlet. There were several problems with room, however. 1) There was no hot water in the sink for much of the cruise, until the shower equipment was replaced after a second complaint. 2) there was a leak in the shower. 3) The air conditioner leaked, and we had to put out buckets until it was fixed.

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