Thank you for an awesome review. We normally sail RCCL. We have one cruise booked around Greece for next July. But as we are coming from Australia we wanted to do another cruise. Found a HAL cruise out of Lisborn which looks great. So this was great to see. Most of the other cruise lines were going to places we have already been to. Cunard had one that suited but thought would be too stuffy for us and too demographic older than us.
These people are so nice I don't believe it's possible for them to say what was not good. Still a good walkthrough, with a layout very similar to a Norwegian cruise ship I went on a couple years back.
We are sailing a transatlantic on Oosterdam in April and it will be our first time on Holland America, so we have been unsure of what to expect compared to the other cruises we've done. Your video is the best and most comprehensive description of the ship that I have found. Thank you so much for putting this together.
We just finished our first HAL cruise on the Noordam…34/35 day cruise across South Pacific to Australia. The 2 ships look almost identical (a few differences) but not significant. Except the Crows Nest on the Noordam is 100% bar, games, lounging, staring at the ocean …no sales… and deck 11 is undeveloped which was lovely (no extra costs). A very comfortable ship, easy to get around, lots of places to sit & enjoy. Food was excellent. I would say that the crew usually makes the ship & the HAL crew on the Noordam was outstanding… Hopefully it will be the same experience on the Oosterdam in April (we will be on that cruise too!). We have also done one cruise on Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Celebrity, & Princess & have enjoyed our last cruise the most.
Jim, I just booked your sailing Palm Sunday then saw your review/note this morning! I’m sailing on my own out of Fort Lauderdale. My husband having a big surgery may 5 so I’m going to spiritually cleanse and ready myself! I’m looking for a table of 5.7.9 to dine with if can advise. Kathy
My wife and I will be celebrating our 35th Wedding Anniversary on the Beautiful Mediterranean from Athens to Barcelona in October 2024 aboard the ms Oosterdam. CAN'T WAIT!!!🥰😍😘❤
Thank you for your review of the Oosterdam Stuart and Christina. Going on the ship in a few months and was worried it was an old ship and you have reassured us with your wonderful experience. You both have a fantastic presentation style. Look forward to your next reviews.
Thanks for such great comments very reassuring! Yes it’s an older style ship but the food and staff were lovely and we had a brilliant time. Hope you enjoy it too🥂
Thanks for all the info. We have sailed with HAL in the past and can attest to all of your observations and experiences. We are joining the Oosterdam next month and sailing part way round South America. Now I REALLY can’t wait!
Thanks for the feedback. We are currently on Nieuw Statendam and the service and team togetherness isn’t a touch on Oosterdam, we much preferred it. We have friends who just disembarked a 2 week Europe cruise on Oosterdam and absolutely loved it. Yes it’s older and doesn’t have all the flash areas and speciality dining options but it has a sprinkle of magic 🪄 that this one doesn’t have. Have a great time 🚢🎉
Thank you for this informative review. We just booked our mediterranean cruise for this summer and I'm so glad I checked out this video. I can't wait to go!
Stuart and Christina, thank you so much for your insightful video about the Oosterdam. We've sailed on many of Holland America's other ships making travel videos and enjoying ourselves, but hope to sail on the Oosterdam in the future. Your observations are very helpful. Great presentation as well. We'll try to learn from your experiences and video!
Thanks so much for the great comments, it gives us confidence to carry on! 🥰. She’s an older ship but we loved sailing on her. We read yesterday that Oosterdam is the second best ship in the fleet for customer satisfaction and we can believe it too. Thanks again ❤️
@@theposhtravelblog the crew are absolutely the heart of the operation and have been the defining feature of many of our trips. We had the opportunity to interview a group and they really gave an honest appraisal of the job. A couple of them we’d met on previous voyages and it was like meeting up with old friends! You might appreciate this. Why Do We Love the Crew on Holland America Cruise Ships? ruclips.net/video/S5cgZl1qFbc/видео.html
We just booked a 25 night cruise on the Oosterdam, going from Fort Lauderdale to Athens for April, 2024. The itinerary stops in the Azores, Spain, France, Italy, Sicily, Malta, Greece, and Turkey, with a total of 16 port stops. We ended up getting a "Large Interior Cabin" on Deck 1, and happens to be just below the Billboard Onboard and casino area. I want to say that this video was very helpful in all respects, but especially the walkthrough on Deck 2 seeing the area that will be just above our cabin. I don't think Billboard Onboard should be that loud, and the Rolling Stone venue looks to be a bit more aft of the casino. In any case, they'll likely be finished each night about my bedtime. Fully agree about the food, this will be our third cruise and we just love the dining venues - all of them!
Hello. I will be on that cruise, too. I have been on HAL about 6 times. Very pleased with the quality and every facet of their ships. My name is EDWARD.
Thank you for the tour. Great job commenting on all the aspects of the cruise. We have been on the Koningsdam before and it was excellent. We will be on the Oosterdam for a European cruise wondering how the noise level is on deck 8 if you would care to comment. Thank you
I had heard that this ship had a BB king lounge so I have expected that the billboard would be my place of choice, but know I know it has a rolling stone lounge, I am super excited! great video!
Lincoln center and BB King association has ended. A replacement has not been made at 31st January. Seriously HAL get this sorted....oops this may be the cruiseline that is sold by Carnival.
@@angelwingz892 we saw BB King performances every night as of our cruise on our Statendam cruise last week, and they still called it BBKing, but I agree with your sentiment.
Thank you for a lovely review. I am planning a Mediterranean cruise with HAL in 2024. Travelling from Australia so lots to plan. Just did a coach tour of Europe which was superb but looking forward to a cruise next time.
Thank you very much for this video. Really helpful and informative. I didn't realise you could extend your cruise on some cruise lines, that sounds a great idea. I had never considered Holland America before but certainly would now.
Thank you so much for this video. It was very helpful and informative. It is making me lean more towards this ship for our Mediterranean cruise. We have searched different cruises and lines and your video was one of the best i have seen. Thanks again. You both were so wonderful.
Thanks for such great comments! We’ve just returned from Celebrity Reflection and that was also very good. Bit more sedate on Holland, food had the edge on Holland in the main dining room,but the ship was older and the Celebrity was newer and fancier. We loved both though! If you want great service, delicious food, and a calmer more low key atmosphere then Holland is great, if you like it a bit more happening and more bells and whistles then Celebrity is the one. We have a video on our channel for Celebrity. Have a great cruise 😊
@@theposhtravelblog I will definitely have to check it out. Celebrity and Princess were two others we were looking at, so anything that can help narrow it down is a plus. Also, when do you think the best time is to travel to the Western Mediterranean, like Naples, Cannes, Rome, and Santorini? Those are some of the stops we are looking at/are the common stops on many itineraries. Our age range will be 39-65 travelling.
@@trinabolls8423 Western Med is best early September, weather can be changeable later in the month and into October. They usually have some good deals right at the end of August, when the kids are going back to school and before the prices increase due to the adults/retired start travelling. Happy hunting! 😊
I was on this ship a few times. One time it was completely filthy, wore out, hallways all scratched up and carpet destroyed and with broken furniture in our room, terrible food all around just overall the ship was decrepit feeling. I complained wholeheartedly for good reason and we got 50% off the next cruise and a signature suite upgrade.
Great video 👏 Do you have a review of the rooms and floor choice? A video of early arrival at port with activities? Packing video? Just planning a European trip on Oosterdam .. any advice and videos to watch would be great.
Thank you so much for doing this, very informative. You did a very quick tour of the promenade deck, can you confirm if there is a smoking area anywhere on this deck?
We did our own thing in each port as it’s so easy, but when you make the booking or look online to check the cruise you can get a list of excursions and prices there. Will remember for next time though when we do a video, thanks for the feedback 🙏
Hi if you’re into clubbing all night until the small hours of the morning it may not be lively enough for you! However they have got the Rolling Stones lounge where a band plays and that gets quite lively. There are a couple of nice pools, hot tubs, and a good gym. We just loved the destinations and made the most of the days. Food great in all the restaurants. Also there’s a bar near the casino with back to back pianos and that’s good fun. We are now on an NCL cruise and it’s absolutely go go go all day and all night entertainment! Oosterdam is a lot quieter to be honest, but it is nice ship and has a lot going for it. Staff are great. We are sure you’ll have a lovely time! 🤩🥂
@@Joemama.. probably will be as Baltic attracts a different crowd to the Med and we are on the Getaway which is a huge family ship! We loved Oosterdam and we are sure you will too. We love cruising full stop!😂🚢🥂
It would have been filmed on changeover so pretty quiet, but kids and teens ummmm maybe a bit quiet! Just been on NCL Getaway … kids and teens heaven!!!!! 🎉
Just subscribed as thought your vid was wonderful. We are looking at doing our first ever cruise and this ship has an itinerary in 2024 that suits us. I do have a question though, did you have to book separate flights or do HAL organise for you? Many thanks again. GJ.
Thanks for the great comments 🤗 HAL will arrange flights and transfers to the ship as part of the package (which means you have full protection should there be a flight delay etc), we booked our own flights however and just checked in at the ship on the day. Holland America are lovely, more traditional cruising and definitely a 5* experience. We are currently on Norwegian Cruise Line and it’s so relaxed (shorts and flip flops in the dining room!) and noisy, loads of kids etc! Still we are having a good time and will be posting full videos shortly. We are UK based travel agents so if you are UK based we can help you book your cruise. If you live elsewhere then contact HAL or your local agent and they will assist. Great choice for a first cruise 🚢 🤩
@theposhtravelblog we are UK based, so that's great to know. Thank you. I was looking at the HAL website, but no mention of flights within the package. Thank you for replying in the middle of a cruise. Probably distraction from all the kids. 🤣
You can find us at www.aquamarinetravel.co.uk we are affiliated with Travelstop in Suffolk if we can help then please call anytime our number is on our website page. HAL will package with flights but it’s separate to the quotes for cruise only on the system. You then have full protection via ABTA and ATOL for the holiday. If we can help then don’t hesitate to ask 😊
😂 no we didn’t get seasickness, in the summer months in the Med you don’t tend to get rough seas so all good. It’s 1964 passengers so it’s a good sized ship. We did Italy Croatia and Greece and loved it! 🥂
Hi Bradd, you had to be fully vaccinated and show proof of double jab. Unvaccinated can now travel on most cruises with just a test 48 hrs prior to departure, best to check with them as things are constantly changing. Ps we didn’t say anything bad as we didn’t experience anything bad!😂👍
Was on this ship in Oct-Nov. was very unhappy with the ship. We had a waterfall outside our cabin door. Got dripped on every time we entered or left our room. It took them 6 days to fix it. The food was not really that good. Nothing to do on the cruise. Shows were 2nd class. I would never use this cruise line again.
So what did you not like? The ship looks rather dated to me. The food looked good but the restaurants were rather drab with low ceilings, horrible carpets and curtains obstructing the view. I think I’ll stick with Viking,
@@trav9401 the service was the worst ever. Our room stewards were fine and their were random people that were excellent but we had so many problems with our room and everytime we went for dinner you just had to wait forever to be served. You would order a drink and were lucky to get it within 30 minutes. Dinner took too long. Nothing like a typical HAL cruise. Just had daily frustrations and we never experienced that before. Not to mention the people in the middle of our two cabins got Covid. They spread it to us. I had a fever for two days. ...non stop issues
First time on HAL. We chose this because we are meeting a Virgin cruise in Athens. The MDR looks grim. I'm guessing we will go to specialty restaurants which seems to have better decor. Cabana at the retreat booked for whole cruise. I'm pretty sure HAL won't be for us.
@@theposhtravelblog One of the things we realized while sailing the Noordam the past 5 weeks is that there are so many outstanding staff that are not face to face with the passengers. That amazing food was made by someone, those clean dishes were washed by someone. I think our 35 day cruise worked hard for us to get to know so many (as they were frequently part of the Entertainment ) which I thought would be dorky but it really wasn’t. We pay the $15.50 per day per person gratuity plus tipped extra to those who touched our hearts.
This ship was a let down. We stayed in a suite, but it’s old and not well maintained. Typical HAL, mediocre cruiseline in every aspect. I am Dutch by the way….
We’ve traveled on 8 cruises. Celebrity, Princess, Royal Caribbean and Holland America. By Far Holland America was the absolute worst!! I have seen multiple videos talking about how wonderful and how much they have improved! Either you have been paid to make this video or you have not traveled on others! Celebrity by far is the best. By day 4 we were angry that we paid the same price as we would have for the other cruises. Absolute disgrace! Might as well brought bags of books and took a ferry! Holland America had the worst service, worst entertainment, OK food. Celebrity had 5 star across the board! This review is just weird! Travel others then get back with us!
If you looked at our channel you will see we have travelled on others! This year Celebrity, NCL and Explora. Maybe you just had a bad experience as we thoroughly enjoyed our time on Oosterdam and currently have friends on there who have just text us and said it’s the best holiday of their lives! Loved Celebrity but HAL just as good in our opinion, and yes that’s our own personal opinion and for your information we were NOT paid for to go on the ship, we pay for our own cruises. In fact this weekend we are joining Nieuw Statendam for a Mediterranean cruise and can’t wait! So I guess it’s down to personal opinion and our opinion is the staff were wonderful, the food was wonderful, and ok I agree the entertainment on Celebrity is better but that’s not the be all and end all for us, it’s the overall package. Sorry you had a bad experience on HAL as they are a very good cruise line and we love them!
Christina's voice is just perfect for these videos - soothing, sincere and very British.
Thank you for an awesome review. We normally sail RCCL. We have one cruise booked around Greece for next July. But as we are coming from Australia we wanted to do another cruise. Found a HAL cruise out of Lisborn which looks great. So this was great to see. Most of the other cruise lines were going to places we have already been to. Cunard had one that suited but thought would be too stuffy for us and too demographic older than us.
These people are so nice I don't believe it's possible for them to say what was not good. Still a good walkthrough, with a layout very similar to a Norwegian cruise ship I went on a couple years back.
We are sailing a transatlantic on Oosterdam in April and it will be our first time on Holland America, so we have been unsure of what to expect compared to the other cruises we've done. Your video is the best and most comprehensive description of the ship that I have found. Thank you so much for putting this together.
We just finished our first HAL cruise on the Noordam…34/35 day cruise across South Pacific to Australia. The 2 ships look almost identical (a few differences) but not significant. Except the Crows Nest on the Noordam is 100% bar, games, lounging, staring at the ocean …no sales… and deck 11 is undeveloped which was lovely (no extra costs). A very comfortable ship, easy to get around, lots of places to sit & enjoy. Food was excellent. I would say that the crew usually makes the ship & the HAL crew on the Noordam was outstanding… Hopefully it will be the same experience on the Oosterdam in April (we will be on that cruise too!). We have also done one cruise on Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Celebrity, & Princess & have enjoyed our last cruise the most.
Jim, I just booked your sailing Palm Sunday then saw your review/note this morning! I’m sailing on my own out of Fort Lauderdale. My husband having a big surgery may 5 so I’m going to spiritually cleanse and ready myself! I’m looking for a table of 5.7.9 to dine with if can advise. Kathy
@@kathyvandelaare5235 Unfortunately we had to cancel this cruise. Good luck to your husband and enjoy your trip!
Fabulous review. Just booked for this ship cannot wait. Thank you.
Have a great cruise 🎉
I booked an MS. Oosterdam cruise because of your review. Eastern Mediterranean 10 days next October. Thank you so much!
My wife and I will be celebrating our 35th Wedding Anniversary on the Beautiful Mediterranean from Athens to Barcelona in October 2024 aboard the ms Oosterdam. CAN'T WAIT!!!🥰😍😘❤
We are doing that cruise in September to celebrate our 50th!
looks like a nice ship.i love food.... might book a cruise in october.
Thank you for your review of the Oosterdam Stuart and Christina. Going on the ship in a few months and was worried it was an old ship and you have reassured us with your wonderful experience. You both have a fantastic presentation style. Look forward to your next reviews.
Thanks for such great comments very reassuring! Yes it’s an older style ship but the food and staff were lovely and we had a brilliant time. Hope you enjoy it too🥂
Great, detailed video! thank you!
Thanks for all the info. We have sailed with HAL in the past and can attest to all of your observations and experiences. We are joining the Oosterdam next month and sailing part way round South America. Now I REALLY can’t wait!
Great review and very helpful. We’ve booked a 26 night transatlantic in 2025 on it !!!
Thanks for the feedback. We are currently on Nieuw Statendam and the service and team togetherness isn’t a touch on Oosterdam, we much preferred it. We have friends who just disembarked a 2 week Europe cruise on Oosterdam and absolutely loved it. Yes it’s older and doesn’t have all the flash areas and speciality dining options but it has a sprinkle of magic 🪄 that this one doesn’t have. Have a great time 🚢🎉
Also about time you guys did a cruise out of Australia.
Thanks for the video…doing the South America cruise onboard Oosterdam later this year and was wonderful to see your video!
Thank you for such a detailed description! After reading cruise critic I was getting a bit worried 😂 but loved your overview and pics of the ship.
Thank you for this informative review. We just booked our mediterranean cruise for this summer and I'm so glad I checked out this video. I can't wait to go!
Have a fantastic time and enjoy the wonderful food! 🎉🥂
Did u go one your cruise yet?
I did go on the cruise. I loved it!@@lindabloomfield2262
Stuart and Christina, thank you so much for your insightful video about the Oosterdam. We've sailed on many of Holland America's other ships making travel videos and enjoying ourselves, but hope to sail on the Oosterdam in the future. Your observations are very helpful. Great presentation as well. We'll try to learn from your experiences and video!
Thanks so much for the great comments, it gives us confidence to carry on! 🥰. She’s an older ship but we loved sailing on her. We read yesterday that Oosterdam is the second best ship in the fleet for customer satisfaction and we can believe it too. Thanks again ❤️
@@theposhtravelblog the crew are absolutely the heart of the operation and have been the defining feature of many of our trips. We had the opportunity to interview a group and they really gave an honest appraisal of the job. A couple of them we’d met on previous voyages and it was like meeting up with old friends! You might appreciate this. Why Do We Love the Crew on Holland America Cruise Ships?
ruclips.net/video/S5cgZl1qFbc/видео.html
We just booked a 25 night cruise on the Oosterdam, going from Fort Lauderdale to Athens for April, 2024. The itinerary stops in the Azores, Spain, France, Italy, Sicily, Malta, Greece, and Turkey, with a total of 16 port stops. We ended up getting a "Large Interior Cabin" on Deck 1, and happens to be just below the Billboard Onboard and casino area. I want to say that this video was very helpful in all respects, but especially the walkthrough on Deck 2 seeing the area that will be just above our cabin. I don't think Billboard Onboard should be that loud, and the Rolling Stone venue looks to be a bit more aft of the casino. In any case, they'll likely be finished each night about my bedtime. Fully agree about the food, this will be our third cruise and we just love the dining venues - all of them!
Just booked the same cruise today. Did you get the 150 Anniversary Have it All package? It runs until tomorrow.
Hello. I will be on that cruise, too. I have been on HAL about 6 times. Very pleased with the quality and every facet of their ships. My name is EDWARD.
Thank you for the tour. Great job commenting on all the aspects of the cruise. We have been on the Koningsdam before and it was excellent. We will be on the Oosterdam for a European cruise wondering how the noise level is on deck 8 if you would care to comment. Thank you
Oosterdam is an older ship but we quite enjoyed the style and the crew were excellent. Have sent you a message regarding deck 8 suites ❤️
Very good introduction! Just paid and look forward to enjoy this ship. Thank you
We have friends on there now having a blast 🥂🚢 Enjoy your cruise 🤩
Thanks for the information. My wife and I enjoyed your vlog and will join her parents for a cruise on the Oosterdam next year.
Thank you! Leaving on the 2nd of April on this very ship, I found your reviews to be very helpful!!!
I'm looking forward to the food.
It looks very luxurious and a great way to wind down. Thanks.❤
Lovely video. Thank you.
Thanks for this. We are on the 28 day starting Oct. 22 and love to see current videos of the ships we are about to sail.
I had heard that this ship had a BB king lounge so I have expected that the billboard would be my place of choice, but know I know it has a rolling stone lounge, I am super excited! great video!
I enjoyed your video on the Oosterdam very much. My wife and I will be on her Nov 5 for a TA. You did an excellent job showing us around. Thank you!
Thanks so much for your lovely comments it means a lot! Have a wonderful cruise and say hi to everyone for us ❤️
My wife and I will be on starting Oct. 22 to Miami. See you on board!
We are sailing on this ship in June on a similar itinerary. This was really helpful, thank you.
Lincoln center and BB King association has ended. A replacement has not been made at 31st January.
Seriously HAL get this sorted....oops this may be the cruiseline that is sold by Carnival.
@@angelwingz892 we saw BB King performances every night as of our cruise on our Statendam cruise last week, and they still called it BBKing, but I agree with your sentiment.
Thank you for a lovely review. I am planning a Mediterranean cruise with HAL in 2024. Travelling from Australia so lots to plan. Just did a coach tour of Europe which was superb but looking forward to a cruise next time.
Thank you very much for this video. Really helpful and informative. I didn't realise you could extend your cruise on some cruise lines, that sounds a great idea. I had never considered Holland America before but certainly would now.
I found this review really most helpful. Thank you.
Thanks so much for doing this! I am going on this ship October 22nd and have been looking for videos like this!
Thanks for the review. Do you remember the opening hours of the gym? Thanks
@@user-pb4dj7sg8s no sorry can’t remember! Some of the gyms on the ships are 24hrs though. Sorry cant help on this one 😳
6am to 9pm I just googled it! 👍🏼
Thanks
My daughter is a fitness instructor that will be her new ship....in the next 2 months....this hrlped so much...to give us peace
They are a great team she will love it! Darren is the hotel manager and he’s a really great guy, the crew love him.
Thsnkyou for a very nice review❤
Thank you so much for this video. It was very helpful and informative. It is making me lean more towards this ship for our Mediterranean cruise. We have searched different cruises and lines and your video was one of the best i have seen. Thanks again. You both were so wonderful.
Thanks for such great comments! We’ve just returned from Celebrity Reflection and that was also very good. Bit more sedate on Holland, food had the edge on Holland in the main dining room,but the ship was older and the Celebrity was newer and fancier. We loved both though! If you want great service, delicious food, and a calmer more low key atmosphere then Holland is great, if you like it a bit more happening and more bells and whistles then Celebrity is the one. We have a video on our channel for Celebrity. Have a great cruise 😊
@@theposhtravelblog I will definitely have to check it out. Celebrity and Princess were two others we were looking at, so anything that can help narrow it down is a plus. Also, when do you think the best time is to travel to the Western Mediterranean, like Naples, Cannes, Rome, and Santorini? Those are some of the stops we are looking at/are the common stops on many itineraries. Our age range will be 39-65 travelling.
@@trinabolls8423 Western Med is best early September, weather can be changeable later in the month and into October. They usually have some good deals right at the end of August, when the kids are going back to school and before the prices increase due to the adults/retired start travelling. Happy hunting! 😊
@@theposhtravelblog thank you so much for the tips. 🤞🏾 Hopefully we can narrow it down soon. Keep coming with the great content.
Wonderful content. Thank you
Thanks for this. I am subscribed so why do I not see your great updaters?
Not sure when you’re subscribed it should be automatic.. will look into it! 👍
I was on this ship a few times. One time it was completely filthy, wore out, hallways all scratched up and carpet destroyed and with broken furniture in our room, terrible food all around just overall the ship was decrepit feeling. I complained wholeheartedly for good reason and we got 50% off the next cruise and a signature suite upgrade.
im going my second time on the OOsterdam in August 8 day mediterranean starting Athens ending Cevitavecchia Rome.
Great video 👏 Do you have a review of the rooms and floor choice? A video of early arrival at port with activities? Packing video? Just planning a European trip on Oosterdam .. any advice and videos to watch would be great.
Thanks 🙏 The cabin types we did and they are on our RUclips channel too. Unfortunately not to the other things but given us an idea!! 🙌🙏
Thank you so much for doing this, very informative. You did a very quick tour of the promenade deck, can you confirm if there is a smoking area anywhere on this deck?
Thank you! Not sure on the promenade deck to be honest, but there were designated areas on the ship specifically for smokers 👍
Thank you
Muito bom, obrigado.
we are booked for South America; I wonder if the food choices will be as wonderful as you describe?
We’ve found the Holland food to be really good, we are booked for Nieuw Statendam this weekend so will be reviewing! Watch this space 🤩
What about the excursions? Thanks! Helpful
We did our own thing in each port as it’s so easy, but when you make the booking or look online to check the cruise you can get a list of excursions and prices there. Will remember for next time though when we do a video, thanks for the feedback 🙏
Can you do a video on the excursions?
I’m 20 and am going on this ship next year for a 2 week Mediterranean cruise, do you think there would be enough on the ship for me to do?
Hi if you’re into clubbing all night until the small hours of the morning it may not be lively enough for you! However they have got the Rolling Stones lounge where a band plays and that gets quite lively. There are a couple of nice pools, hot tubs, and a good gym. We just loved the destinations and made the most of the days. Food great in all the restaurants. Also there’s a bar near the casino with back to back pianos and that’s good fun. We are now on an NCL cruise and it’s absolutely go go go all day and all night entertainment! Oosterdam is a lot quieter to be honest, but it is nice ship and has a lot going for it. Staff are great. We are sure you’ll have a lovely time! 🤩🥂
@@theposhtravelblog I actually just got off a Norwegian cruise in the Baltic a week ago and feel like that might be similar to this ship.
@@Joemama.. probably will be as Baltic attracts a different crowd to the Med and we are on the Getaway which is a huge family ship! We loved Oosterdam and we are sure you will too. We love cruising full stop!😂🚢🥂
How come there are hardly any people in your photos & videos? Was it really this quiet? Anything for kids & teens to do on this ship?
It would have been filmed on changeover so pretty quiet, but kids and teens ummmm maybe a bit quiet! Just been on NCL Getaway … kids and teens heaven!!!!! 🎉
Just subscribed as thought your vid was wonderful. We are looking at doing our first ever cruise and this ship has an itinerary in 2024 that suits us. I do have a question though, did you have to book separate flights or do HAL organise for you? Many thanks again. GJ.
Thanks for the great comments 🤗 HAL will arrange flights and transfers to the ship as part of the package (which means you have full protection should there be a flight delay etc), we booked our own flights however and just checked in at the ship on the day. Holland America are lovely, more traditional cruising and definitely a 5* experience. We are currently on Norwegian Cruise Line and it’s so relaxed (shorts and flip flops in the dining room!) and noisy, loads of kids etc! Still we are having a good time and will be posting full videos shortly. We are UK based travel agents so if you are UK based we can help you book your cruise. If you live elsewhere then contact HAL or your local agent and they will assist. Great choice for a first cruise 🚢 🤩
@theposhtravelblog we are UK based, so that's great to know. Thank you. I was looking at the HAL website, but no mention of flights within the package. Thank you for replying in the middle of a cruise. Probably distraction from all the kids. 🤣
You can find us at www.aquamarinetravel.co.uk we are affiliated with Travelstop in Suffolk if we can help then please call anytime our number is on our website page. HAL will package with flights but it’s separate to the quotes for cruise only on the system. You then have full protection via ABTA and ATOL for the holiday. If we can help then don’t hesitate to ask 😊
Any sea sickness? How many passengers can fit on the ship? Where did you go?
😂 no we didn’t get seasickness, in the summer months in the Med you don’t tend to get rough seas so all good. It’s 1964 passengers so it’s a good sized ship. We did Italy Croatia and Greece and loved it! 🥂
What were the covid vaccine requirements you faced, if any, to board the ship or disembark at ports, if you don't mind my asking.
Hi Bradd, you had to be fully vaccinated and show proof of double jab. Unvaccinated can now travel on most cruises with just a test 48 hrs prior to departure, best to check with them as things are constantly changing. Ps we didn’t say anything bad as we didn’t experience anything bad!😂👍
over 17 days you need the vaccines and proof
Hi, we’re the pools heated?
We were there in the summer so no need as the water was warm but not sure at other times of year ..
Was BB King band on board?
No they weren’t onboard but there was a great band, can’t remember the name now sorry! 👍
Crows nest oosterdam ship location
Was on this ship in Oct-Nov. was very unhappy with the ship. We had a waterfall outside our cabin door. Got dripped on every time we entered or left our room. It took them 6 days to fix it. The food was not really that good. Nothing to do on the cruise. Shows were 2nd class. I would never use this cruise line again.
So what did you not like? The ship looks rather dated to me. The food looked good but the restaurants were rather drab with low ceilings, horrible carpets and curtains obstructing the view. I think I’ll stick with Viking,
we almost left this boat on day 3...that bad
@S C if you dont mind my asking what about it did you not like? Debating on whether or not to book
@@trav9401 the service was the worst ever. Our room stewards were fine and their were random people that were excellent but we had so many problems with our room and everytime we went for dinner you just had to wait forever to be served. You would order a drink and were lucky to get it within 30 minutes. Dinner took too long. Nothing like a typical HAL cruise. Just had daily frustrations and we never experienced that before. Not to mention the people in the middle of our two cabins got Covid. They spread it to us. I had a fever for two days. ...non stop issues
it had charm but i am with you...
First time on HAL. We chose this because we are meeting a Virgin cruise in Athens. The MDR looks grim. I'm guessing we will go to specialty restaurants which seems to have better decor. Cabana at the retreat booked for whole cruise.
I'm pretty sure HAL won't be for us.
Image of crows nest
Daily tip?
@@theposhtravelblog One of the things we realized while sailing the Noordam the past 5 weeks is that there are so many outstanding staff that are not face to face with the passengers. That amazing food was made by someone, those clean dishes were washed by someone. I think our 35 day cruise worked hard for us to get to know so many (as they were frequently part of the Entertainment ) which I thought would be dorky but it really wasn’t. We pay the $15.50 per day per person gratuity plus tipped extra to those who touched our hearts.
@@theposhtravelblog so the rest of the staff was stiffed than??
Lincoln Center and BB King has gone.
Not tennis on the sports court. Pickleball!
This ship was a let down. We stayed in a suite, but it’s old and not well maintained. Typical HAL, mediocre cruiseline in every aspect. I am Dutch by the way….
We’ve traveled on 8 cruises. Celebrity, Princess, Royal Caribbean and Holland America. By Far Holland America was the absolute worst!! I have seen multiple videos talking about how wonderful and how much they have improved! Either you have been paid to make this video or you have not traveled on others! Celebrity by far is the best. By day 4 we were angry that we paid the same price as we would have for the other cruises. Absolute disgrace! Might as well brought bags of books and took a ferry! Holland America had the worst service, worst entertainment, OK food. Celebrity had 5 star across the board! This review is just weird! Travel others then get back with us!
If you looked at our channel you will see we have travelled on others! This year Celebrity, NCL and Explora. Maybe you just had a bad experience as we thoroughly enjoyed our time on Oosterdam and currently have friends on there who have just text us and said it’s the best holiday of their lives! Loved Celebrity but HAL just as good in our opinion, and yes that’s our own personal opinion and for your information we were NOT paid for to go on the ship, we pay for our own cruises. In fact this weekend we are joining Nieuw Statendam for a Mediterranean cruise and can’t wait! So I guess it’s down to personal opinion and our opinion is the staff were wonderful, the food was wonderful, and ok I agree the entertainment on Celebrity is better but that’s not the be all and end all for us, it’s the overall package. Sorry you had a bad experience on HAL as they are a very good cruise line and we love them!