This was out first cruise, and after much study, decided on HA Oosterdam. We went with teo other couples, and had a GREAT time.
Embarkation in San Diego was seamless. It did help that Neptune Suite affords you priority boarding. :-) The Neptune Lounge had a very nice welcome champagne and hos d'hoeuvres party as well.
Side note: the Neptune Lounge is a quiet place to relax; also, there is a ...
I was impressed! I was a bit scared of the "older ship" but the Oosterdam did not disappoint! She was stylish, glamorous, and artfully appointed. Food was stunning in the Lido Market, the Vista Dining Room, as well as The Pinnacle (specialty restaurant). The cabins (we sailed in a Signature Suite 8073 with larger veranda!) was very comfortable. Bathrooms were new and well equipped. The ...
We are seasoned Carnival cruisers looking for a change, we are both retired in our mid 60's We cruised Oosterdam out of San Diego to Mexican Riviera. We are now hooked on HAL!
We drove to San Diego the day before departure and utilized a park n'cruise at Comfort Inn with free shuttle to/from the port. We walked the boardwalk at the San Diego Harbor and had a nice meal at Mitch's on the ...
Cruise was a gift to us, but glad we went. Outstanding food and service, entertainment lagging except for the Boardwalk piano players and BB Kong’s. Needs more at sea activities. Nice casino. We did excursions from vendors at the ports rather than through the ship. I would sail on the Oosterdam again, would take more books to read, and study up on excursions! We returned rested and content ...
Sitting in our Signature Stateroom as I write:
1. Signature Stateroom, really a mini-suite, is very nice, but those aft and mid-ship are under the Lido and Pool Deck and are noisy when activity above.
2. Theater seats get uncomfortable after about an half-hour.
3. Bring your own Splenda; there will be none on-board - only Stevia.
4. Carpeting in lobby and passageways showing its ...
My wife and I just completed a 17-day cruise on February 22 on the Oosterdam from Fort Lauderdale (February 5) to San Diego. The food and service were great. The ship was clean and crisp. The staff was always friendly and helpful. The headliner shows each evening were top notch. The Lido Market was well organized, much better than other cruise ships. However, we probably will not book ...
The Oosterdam is one of the older Holland America ships but is attractive, well maintained, and comfortable and has probably the best service, certainly the friendliest service, of any of the Holland America ships that we have sailed on. The officers, too, are unusually cordial and went out of their way to greet and chat with guests. What I liked best about this 17-day Panama Canal transit cruise, ...
This was our 12th cruise, 2d on HAL. What a disappointment! Ship is tired, scuffed, dirty and smelly. Needs a major renovation. Design is dated, but more important it's just old and not well maintained. The ambience of the ship transferred to many (but by no means all) of the staff, many of whom seemed just as tired as the ship and were simply going thru the motions. The food was ...
We wanted a cruise where we didn’t have airfare to contend with. We can drive from Phoenix to San Diego, leave our car in a hotel that stores it for free, and take the free shuttle from the Best Western Yacht Harbor ($137 a night) to the cruise port. Perfect. This was only seven days but it only cost $1249 so we were very happy with that part of it.
We love absolutely everything about this ship ...
We sailed on the Holland-America Oosterdam’s 18-day Panama Canal cruise (January 15-February 5, 2020) from San Diego to Fort Lauderdale. My wife and I are in our 70’s, and we are four-star HAL Mariners.
We had temperatures that were mostly in the 70’s and 80’s and lots and lots of sunshine. (There was very little rain during these 18 days.) We packed sunscreen and some 30% Deet insect repellent ...