We did a 7 day Carribean cruise with ports of call being, Jamaica, Grand Cayman, Cozumel, and Key West. Yes the Venndam is an older ship but I think it's in lovely condition. Being a smaller ship there isn't all the bells and whistles one might find on a larger ship which is one of the big reasons why we chose this cruise. The biggest selling point for us on HAL is the excellent service of the stewards, restaurant and concierge on the ship. These are the people you come in contact with most and all of them make it their mission to make sure you're vacation experience is top notch, and all done with a smile. My husband and I are 'foodies' and we found all our meals highly satisfactory expecially in the specialty restaurants as well as in the main dining room. As a part of trying to keep our calories, ahem, somewhat in check we did not partake of the Lido buffet during our cruise. Did a little gambling in the casino before dinner a couple of nights and although there is still smoking allowed, there is one night it is non-smoking, which was great. We enjoyed the America's Test Kitchen demonstrations as well. There are many activities on board during the day. You can be as active or vice-versa on this cruise.

As far as excursions, we only booked 2. We did the Bamboo Club day at the beach in Ocho Rios which was...okay. Jamaica is a beautiful, rustic and earthy island. The beach we went to was small and definitely would recommend water shoes as there's a mix of sand and rocky soil. The brochure says it's a 30-40 drive but it's more like an hour. Our guides along the way were delightful but the beach experience itself was mixed. Some of the food was good, some, meh. The best was the seafood. The drinks they poured which were included in the price were limited in choice and of questionable quality. We also booked a food and wine tour in Key West but it was canceled. Did some shopping in Grand Cayman and dd not get off the boat in Cozumel. The most enjoyable port for us was Key West, hands down. Terrific food, fun bars and very walkable. There's a lot of history there such as the Truman White House and check out the Peace T-shirt store down the block from there.

If there's one area of the ship that needs a redo I would say it's spa/gym area. There's a huge gym on board to the point of being under-utilized and in the same room is an exercise floor where yoga, pilates mat, and meditation classes are held which is not condusive to having cardio equipment in use 10 feet away from you. The women's room in the spa is more of a pass through and the warm service experienced everywere else on the ship seems to be lacking at the spa. There is a thermal room but the whirlpool is a 3 person pool but in reality either a one person hot tub or you and 2 of your closest friends you don't ming tangling your legs with because yes, it's that small. The thermal package is a 'must' for me but sadly the view from the ceramic tile beds is obstructed unlike other cruise lines I've sailed that have a clear view of the sea right in front of you. As you can probably deduce from this review, we were looking for a cruise to mainly just chill and relax with no firm agenda. This cruise fit us perfectly. Read more