Veendam Review
Rating by category
Additional details
We chose this trip because of the itinerary. There was only one sea day and the port days were long so you didn’t feel rushed. It wasn’t a “relaxing” tour because we wanted to see everything, and we did. We figured we walked over 100 miles all total, and many of our shipmates did more. Just lots to see!
Embarkation was a little confusing if you were on your own getting to the port, but not bad at all. It was very quick. Of course, it was raining so the picture was taken looking like drowned rat! Disembarkation was a breeze.
The Veendam is an older, small ship so the entertainment is lacking. We aren’t big at doing the shows and stuff, but if you are keep that in mind. We love trivia and it was there. The pool was never crowded. We didn’t eat in MDR, we did the Lido and the food was very good. The service was a little lacking everywhere, they seemed to need more servers everywhere.
Cabin Review
The room size was fine and the fact the door was coated on the outside so it was mirrored we could leave the drapes open. We didn’t use the lanai as much as we have the balconies in the past. 2 times when we tendered they used the lifeboats outside our room so it was noisy and a little inconvenient. The main problem was the maintenance they did that blocked our door a couple of times. The room was fine, however and the bed was comfortable. The temperature was fine.
Port Reviews
Rome (Civitavecchia)
We got to Rome 5 days before the cruise. Our first adventure was with Bryan of Italy Beer Tours. We did 3 craft beer bars and lunch. A great initiation to the city. We also took the early Vatican Highlights Tour with The Roman Guy. It was just right. Only about 2.5 hours and we got a good feel of the place. We did The Roman Guy tour of the Arena Floor Colosseum with Roman Forum. It lasted about 3+ hours and was a lot of walking. Very informative and would highly recommend but not for people with disabilities.
Naples
We took the train to Pompeii and did a walking tour using Rick Steve’s app and his narrated walk. We found his walks to be a little confusing at times, but we thoroughly enjoyed Pompeii. We were told to do Herculaneum too, but we were walked out by the time we finished Pompeii so we didn’t. You really need a tour guide or follow the written guide handed out at the visitor’s center. There is so much to see there!
Santorini
We were going to do the local bus to Akotori but decided to just wander the town of Thira. We didn’t go to Oia and we were told we missed a beautiful location. We enjoyed our walk. We did the Museum of Prehistoric Thera and it was very well done. We had lunch overlooking the Caldra and enjoyed a relaxing day.
Kusadasi
Wow! We didn’t want to go to Turkey because of the political unrest but we are glad we did. We did a tour with Tours By Locals and shared a van with 5 other people. The total cost was 300 euros which was great. Our guide, Erkan Z, was excellent. We saw Ephesus, Virgin Mary’s home and went to a lovely lunch. And of course we did a rug place. They were beautiful, but we couldn’t afford one! The city is modern and clean and friendly. It is 95% Muslim but not all fundamentalists. We would go back in a heartbeat. It is also inexpensive.
Crete (Heraklion)
The reason we chose this cruise was for the long stay in Crete. We took the local bus to Knossos and did a wonderful walking tour. We used the app IZI Tours called “Knossos Palace: the Labyrinth of the Minotaur.” It was so perfect, we highly recommend it. I think it cost like $2.99 to download and you don’t have to be online to follow it. It was like having our own tour guide. We then went to the Museum in town and walked a lot. The experience was all we hoped it would be. It wasn’t real hot the day we went. If it is on the day you go, where a hat! There is no shade.
Athens (Piraeus)
I am sorry, but I hated Athens. It is crowded, dirty and awful. We went to The Acropolis and it was like downtown NYC. It was so crowded trying to walk up to the Parthenon that I got claustrophobic. I got separated from my husband and we didn’t find each other for over an hour. Rick Steves recommends getting there before 9 or after 4-5. That may help. We took the Hop-On bus and it was a constant traffic jam. Sorry, this wasn’t my thing.
Nafplion
What a beautiful place. We got on the Hop-On and went to the fort above the town. It was interesting with beautiful views all around. We wandered the town when we got back and enjoyed a relaxing day.
Venice
Venice is a must see place. It is unique and beautiful. Our favorite place was Doge’s Palace and we took the Secret Itinerary tour then explored the museum. It is beautiful. We did the regular stuff, like the San Marco square, wandering and shopping. We did a Rick Steves boat tour down the Grand Canal, which was nice. Then we took a Veronality Tour out of Venice to 2 Percecco wineries. We would recommend it.
Argostoli (Kefalonia)
We joined a group aboard The Queen Bee https://kefaloniatrips.com/ It was a petty trip. This is the first time we have taken a boat tour during a cruise and we wouldn’t do it again. Just our particular taste. The tour was wonderful though. I wanted to snorkel, but it was too chilly. The food was great. The hosts were hilarious. It wasn’t for us, but if you love boat tours, I highly recommend this one!