Oosterdam Review
Rating by category
Additional details
This was our second cruise on HAL and our first on a Vista-class ship. Both cruises lived up to HAL's stated mission of creating a once-in-a-lifetime experience, every time, and the two experiences make for complementary observations. Points of comparison:
** The R-class Zaandam provides self-serve laundries. The Vista class ships do not, but do offer several laundry options. Midway through the cruise we availed ourselves of the "all you can cram into a blue fabric bag for 20 bucks" deal, and, as others have noted, it is amazing how much that bag will hold. Although I would expect that midweek must be point of highest demand, the turnaround was amazing. Our underwear and socks were neatly folded, the bundles were wrapped in tissue paper, and the slacks, knit shirts, and t-shirts were all arranged on hangers. It's a small point, but on the whole I would rather have the option of a self-serve launderette.
** I much prefer the dEcor of the Oosterdam. The music/instrument theme of the Zaandam grows tiresome. The ersatz pipe organ in the atrium is a monstrosity. And what's the deal with the Escher etchings in the stairways? For anyone at all prone to motion seasickness, a ship is already a sufficiently unsettling environment that one doesn't need the further disorientation of Escher's spatial anomalies.
Cabin Review
Deluxe Ocean-View Verandah Stateroom
Cabin 8018 put us far forward (5th one in from the bow) and up high (right below the Lido deck). We did not notice exceptional pitching or rolling, but then neither DW nor I am especially prone to seasickness. Thanks in part to the altitude, the views from our verandah were spectacular. The forward part of the Lido deck portside, directly above us, houses the salon; consequently, we never noticed any activity or other noise from above.
The portside location afforded us the opportunity to enjoy beautiful sunrises on the first half of the cruise and spectacular sunsets on the way back. The exterior partition of the verandah is clear plexiglass. I was impressed that the doorwall glass and the verandah plexiglass were kept clean and smudge-free.
Conventional wisdom has it that low amidships is the most stable location on a vessel, and that forward subjects you to more motion and aft to more vibrations. We were surprised therefore to find on three nights, while the ship was underway at or near its top speed, that we were awakened at irregular intervals by sustained shaking of the bed. It was rhythmic but stronger than I would associate with mere vibration.
We had smokers on either side of us, but found the smoke bothersome on the verandah on only one occasion -- IN NO WAY a big deal.
The cabin was spotless when we boarded, and cabin stewards Achmad and Didit were unobtrusively attentive. The cabin is directly across from the steward's facility, which caused no inconvenience whatsoever.
After our previous experience on the Zaandam, where we had to borrow a power strip to overcome the limitations of the single electrical outlet we were afforded, we were pleasantly surprised to find that our cabin had two available outlets at the vanity table across from the sofa and another in the bathroom.
Temperature controls were self-explanatory, responsive, and effective.