Our first cruising experiences years ago were with HAL and always enjoyable, but after our 12/13 cruise on the Ryndam we were disappointed. We have done our more recent sailing on Disney,Celebrity,Princess and Carnival. We expected the Ryndam to be a step above maybe the Carnival Fascination, another older, small ship. Not so.

We were especially puzzled by the setup in the Lido. No trays are available; not a buffet, but a series of separate stations where you stand in line, are handed a plate/bowl (or both) of your choice, which you must carry to your table. Then you go back to the next station, back to your table, and so on. The same for a drink and then dessert. Yes, a staff member will help IF one is available, but you still must make multiple trips. And some of the plates are HOT!! Just hope that by the time your meal is assembled, some of it still is - hot. The selection of food in the Lido at 11pm was so small it was pitiful.

We weren't impressed with the the quality or selection of the food, including the desserts. This included the dining room as well as the Lido. Read more