Holland America - Oosterdam Reviews

it was a great experience we have nothing ad to say all was great>

Our first cruise. Views of Patagonia and Antarctica were spectacular, all from the comfort and convenience of our balcony. Daily briefings on history and economy of areas visited made it all the more enjoyable. Dining was amazing - 5 star every night.

food was recycled. room had obstructed views. . Horrible

Everything was just fine , in particular the room service and the restaurant services and food was great , the only downside is the time espended in same places , too short in Istanbul too long in Chipre , too short in Alandia , a part of the we are very happy , in particular the service of the crew

A fabulous cruise!

Food was great. Since we did almost all of our own bookings for our various tours, we needed more information sooner. The times we set up for tours were based on the information given ahead of time which was sometimes incorrect, often due to not being informed of the need to tender to reach the destination. This meant last minute phone calls and changes which was very stressful and costly for us. Also we were told we would have 11 days of laundry service, but it turned out to only be 9 days, as it was discontinued two days before disembarking. We were depending on this service to prepare for our time in Athens. It was discontinued without prior notice. Such things make a difference in whether a trip is really great or just okay. They reveal the integrity of the company and effect its reputation and whether we recommend them to our friends. So we will only recommend Holland to others with some caveats. Or Holland should pay attention to these problems and make some needed improvements. Seems like there is a lot of emphasis on getting people to consume alcohol. It is also not good to have a noisy casino area right across from the music trivia and song area. The two types of music/sound are competing unpleasantly and need to be separated. Or at least do not blast music from the gambling area. It was also impossible to get from the music trivia to the evening shows since one began at 7 and lasted to about 7:40, while the show started at 7:30. We had to leave before one was over or miss a bit of the show (if there were still any seats available). This could very easily be resolved by starting the trivia game at 6:30 or 6:45.

Fantastic

The highlight of the voyage (as expected) was 4 days cruise touring the Antarctic Peninsula. The Captain made sure that all the passengers had the opportunity for an immersive experience with the incredible land forms. animals and weather that make this place unique.

Fabulous trip! Exceptional service.

The cruise was good. Our transfers were a nightmare.

The HAL Greek Odyssey cruise was amazing. Everything was great from the boarding the stateroom the food and the entertainment and the ship in general was great. The ports O'call where fantastic. The excursions where very fun and informative. Can't wait for our next HAL cruise.

We were a party of 8 celebrating highschool graduation of 3. First of all, we had an awesome travel agent who managed to coordinate everything. On the ship itself, we liked the smaller size. My husband and I found only one entertainment venue that we enjoyed (Billboard Onboard). Overall the food was quite good. We liked the itinerary, especially the overnight in Istanbul. The ship was clean, but starting to show her age. The wait staff, cabin attendants and all of the crew were competent and friendly.

The ship was showing its age and not up to our usual standards. Service was slow and food mediocre. The itinerary was excellent and that is why we booked it.

A great vacation which we were blessed to undertake. I can't say enough about the hard workers who tended to our every need on board and with a? and welcome greetings to boot. The cruise excursions were hard for me and I chose the easiest I could find but all things considered I would allow myself some down time between excursions should I ever book a cruise of this duration again. One needs to consider the heat, the crowds and walking conditions not always apparent on levels of capability listed. Food was more than ample and delicious offerings and I can't really complain about entertainment because I was exhaused by days end. I especially appreciated Catholic mass offered because that matters to me! Thanks to Matt at Avoya as well for all his efforts. For those who aren't able to do a comprehensive pilgrimage to the Holy Land, these 2 days (as short as the timing went) gave me a glimpse into many of tbe sacred places and enjoyed the Antiquities of Greece.

Our second time on the Oosterdam, third trip with Holland, and appreciate them as a cruise line. There were some great ports/excursions (Naples-Pompeii, Kotor, Livorno-Lucca/Pisa, Taormina-Etna), and some "meh" (Cannes, Marsaille). Dubrovnik was overrun with tourists and a huge cruise ship docked very close to the main gate. But an interesting town to visit, NOT during tourist season. We are very comfortable on the ship, well taken care of by very competent, attentive crew. Food is generally good. We prefer the dining room for dinner, rather than the Lido deck, where the food is always excellent. Entertainment: Enjoyed the dancers, less so the four singing guys, who all sounded alike. We bought the "full package," so probably drank too much (nobody needs 15 drinks a day! Wish there was a "half-package" with fewer drinks.) Overall, we enjoyed the cruise (weather and seas were great), and will sail with Holland again.

Our cruise to Barcelona, France, Italy, Montenegro, Greece, and Croatia was on my bucket list. I would return again and highly recommend.

Terrific cruise.

I’ve never sailed across the Atlantic Ocean and it was an experience for sure. The first few days at sea were very rough but the captain tried to navigate the ship around the bad weather pockets. When we got closer to ports, the cruise was much smoother and the highlight for me was sailing through the Strait of Gibraltar from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean ocean. I only wish that it was timed during the day so that we could see the Rock of Gibraltar, Spain and Morocco in the daylight. Unfortunately the crossing was in the evening and we only saw the lights. The ship itself, the Oosterdam is quite old and in need of repair. There were several bathroom issues: clogs, overflows, rust, broken shower curtain, etc. The crossing gave us lots of time to connect with other passengers. I like that the program provided many opportunities to meet. There was a Single and Solo Travelers gathering (lunch/happy hour) every day. One of the solo travelers that I met on this cruise enjoyed it so much that he booked another cruise 5 days later on the Nieu Amsterdam, only to find that there were not as many meet ups as the Oosterdam. He did say the Amsterdam was a nicer ship.

Even thought we had no luggage on this post Covid cruise, it was the best ever!. The staff were amazing and lent backwards to help us. Holland America is a great size of ship if you want service. The staff were so friendly and attentive from the Hotel Manager to the cleaning crew. Thank you!

Holland America standards are high -- good facilities, good staff, good service, good food, good entertainment, good enrichment programs -- no exception on this voyage! Scenery on this trip was spectacular! Yes, we had to skip a port, and our captain backed us out of an area and detoured us on another occasion -- but all in the name of safety -- and appreciated! I'd do it again!

This trip was the best we could have imagined. Beyond expectations! Great Itinerary, great ship, great crew, great captain, great food, great lecturers', great ports. And scenery - icebergs and penguins- the best!