Ryndam (Retired) Review

4.0 / 5.0
0 reviews

Ryndam - The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Review for the Western Caribbean Cruise on Ryndam (Retired)
User Avatar
LovezToTravel
First Time Cruiser • Age 60s

Rating by category

Value for Money
Embarkation
Dining
Public Rooms
Entertainment
Fitness & Recreation
Service
Cabin

Additional details

Sail Date: Apr 2010

This was my 2nd time on the Ryndam. It was enjoyable but a bit disappointing. Our cabin was nice, plenty of room for three people. No complaints with the ship or the crew other than our rarely seen cabin steward. He never came and introducted himself to us. When we did see him we asked to have ice in our room in the late evening but he never brought it. We finally discovered the ice closet across from our cabin so were able to get our own. We went off to breakfast and into port and came back at noon and room still was not made up. We went off to dinner and came back and room not made up. Dining is now open sitting which I was wary of after the terrible experience with it on Norwegain Cruise line but it was good. Our servers were wonderful and very attentive. I was pleased to see that they updated their menu. No more boring Asian or Dutch "theme" nights. I loved that there were items you could get every night like French Onion soup. We did eat one night in the Pinnacle Grill ($15) charge and it was worth every penny. It took 2 1/2 hours but the food, the presentation and the service was exemplary! I highly recommend it. This being my 21st cruise I preferred to relax rather than do activities. Could not afford the shore excursions. The entertainment was a little better than previous HA cruises. I do not like being charged so much for internet service - I got the package of 100 minutes for $55 - way too high in my opinion. As to the ports: I loved Key West but we only had 4 hours there. Not enough time to do much. I wanted to see the Hemingway House and the Pirate Museum (which is moving in July) and have a drink at Sloppy Joes or Capt. Tony's but we did not have time. It would be nice to be able to stay past sunset to watch the sun go down on Mallory Square. The next stop was Belize where we had to be tendered in so my elderly parents could not go in because they both have scooters. I went in but was not very impressed. Mahogany Bay in Honduras was just for shopping. They had the requisite Diamonds International and other stores. It has only been there since November 2009. Very disappointing as you don't get to see much of the real Honduras - just a place created specifically for tourists. I like seeing the native children and visiting a local market when I travel but nothing like that in Honduras or Costa Maya -which is the ugly of the Good, Bad and Ugly of this trip. Another cookie-cutter tourist only place created out of the jungle. Same stores, etc. Only one liquor store that sold only tequila so buy your liquor on the ship or in Belize if you can find a place. Same overpriced stuff and you can bargain with the vendors but now they all ask for a tip. They have tip jars set out and when you pay for your item they say don't forget my tip. There was a store there called Miro that advertised T-shirts 5 for $20. My mom picked out 4 - not much of a selection and we were looking for a 5th. My mom handed the girl the 4 with her $20 bill. We looked at another pile that were $7 and were going to pay the extra $2 but the girl said no. My mom put the $2 back in her wallet and we went back to look for another. The girl went back to the register. Found another and went back to get our shirts and they demanded paymen saying we did not pay them. My mom handed them a $20 but they insisted no. My dad got security which did nothing. The men from the store next to it came over and kept telling me my mother was confused. She was not - I saw her give her the $20. So my mom sat on her scooter out front for an hour telling anyone that went to go in that they ripped you off. Complained to the ship when we got back but they said there was nothing they could do. For the most part the trip was good but except for Key West I have no desire to re-visit any of those ports.

Cabin Review

Outside cabin - Dvd player. Roomy enough for 3 people. Lots of space to put items. Quiet and near elevators.

previous reviewnext review

Find a cruise

Any Month

Get special cruise deals, expert advice, insider tips and more.By proceeding, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

© 1995—2024, The Independent Traveler, Inc.