Oosterdam Review

Getaway Cruise

Review for the Mexican Riviera Cruise on Oosterdam
User Avatar
dr1234
2-5 Cruises • Age 70s

Rating by category

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

Additional details

Sail Date: Apr 2011
Cabin: Deluxe Ocean-View Verandah Stateroom

From the time we entered security from the street until we were in our stateroom was literally 15 minutes. Everyone was friendly and efficient. This couldn't have gone better.Entertainment included energetic, polished and exciting production shows. Dancing was fabulous and the lead singers were great particularly when singing duets. Peter Peterkin (the Rockin' President) offered a fabulous hour of musical impersonations from Barack Obama to Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson and more. He came back for a encore show the last day of the cruise, receiving a standing ovation both times. Leo Ward put on a very flashy magician show and later offered a follow-up show to teach the audience a few tricks. Kevin Jordan delivered a somewhat dark comedy show which received lots of laughs, although I was somewhat offended by his jokes involving small children and cruelty to animals. A Beatles tribute on the last night by one of the lead singers was great.Darlene and the HAL Cats performed on the Lido deck and Ocean Lounge with 70's, 80's, and 90's music throughout the cruise.We could sing along with just about every song. Karaoke existed, but wasn't a big deal on this cruise. We enjoyed the Filipino show put on by the staff.The disembarkation talk at the end of the cruise was nicely done and ended with the staff singing a farewell song to the audienceFood in the Lido restaurant was served quickly with a good selection from hamburgers and fries to beef tenderloin and trimmings including soups and salads and a desert and ice cream bar. Service was quick--we never waited more than a few minutes to be served. The Vista dining room offered efficient and warm service. The menu offered several appetizers, soups and salads along with six or seven entrees each evening. The presentation and taste of each serving was always done very well. The last night with the staff's show was fun.The Culinary Arts Center was a pleasant surprise with food preparation demonstrations from visiting and cruise ship chefs as well as wine tasting and decoration demonstrations. Craig, who ran the Tech Center, was very approachable and able to teach to the level of audience.Ports of Call on this cruise included Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas. Puerto Vallarta best area is Old Town which is a 120 peso taxi fare from the ship (or a 6 1/2 peso bus ride--the bus can be caught about 1 block from the gangway. Just look for a bus with Centro to get into town and a bus marked Walmart in the window to get back to the ship). Old town offers a mile long beach front walk called the Malecon lined on one side by shops, discos, restaurants and bars and on the other side by the beach with impressive sand sculptures and rock pilings (once you see these, you'll know what I mean). We stopped by Cafe Roma for Margaritas and to visit Carlos, the head waiter--there is no friendlier restaurant. Beaches are just a few blocks from the ship and also in Old Town. In Cabo we tendered in to the Marina which a literally a mile long walk lined with shops, restaurants and bars. Numerous signs for 6 beers and chips for $10 US. After walking all the way around the marina there is a fabulous beach for strolling or swimming or jet skiing or para-sailing. The town is right off the marina so no need for cabs or buses.Cruise Staff included JT the cruise director who smiled and asked us if we were having a good time, but could work on sincerity and engaging his audience a little more. Amber the party planner was engaging, knowledgeable and energetic. You felt as if Amber would be doing this job whether she was paid or not. Monique delivered the cultural and shore presentations. These were pretty dry and we skipped all after the first, although we had looked forward to a little Mexican culture. Overall this was great cruise on a wonderful ship.

Cabin Review

Deluxe Ocean-View Verandah Stateroom

Cabin VE

Small with adequate closet and storage space for 2 people.

Balcony overlooked the lifeboats which stuck out from the side of the ship.

Bathroom has a shower-bath which was an improvement over the usual shower.

1 Helpful Vote
previous reviewnext review

Find an Oosterdam Cruise from $685

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.