My husband and I took the 37 day Inca Discovery cruise on the Veendam from New York to Rio from October 16 - November 22,2011.During the last 16 days of the cruise(Valparaiso to Rio)the captain announced an outbreak of GI illness and proceeded to close swimming pools , spas, self serve laundries, library, water fountain in gym and no self service at the Lido.There were not enough servers assigned to the Lido which resulted on long lines and very upset passengers. They had hand wash machines everywhere and ordered everyone to wash their hands constantly ,however, no restrictions were placed on the casino.I have no doubt that their decision not to close the casino contributed to the delay in the containment of the contagion.These restrictions were in placed for 14 days out of the last 16 days of the cruise. At our arrival in Rio no attempts was made to disinfect the ship ,nor pillows or blankets or anything else that came in contact with the affected passengers prior to the embarkation of the new group of passengers.No alternatives were offered to the closings such as discounts on laundry fees or bottled water at the gym.

Top management was basically absent during the entire voyage. Captain frank Van der Hoeven was seen at the captain cocktail hour and getting his morning cup of coffee.After the contagion you only heard him on the PA system. There was a Hotel Manager,David Wood, on board but he made himself scarce when it came to complaints.

Condition of the ship- Thermostats in the rooms never worked, toilets overflowed, windows in public areas were dirty and never cleaned, and the tenders used were dirty, some seats were broken and they leaked when it rained .Embarkation and Disembarkation- The process was handled by younger staff who did not know how to time the disembarkation from the time they called the groups in the show room to the gangway, leading to long waits and a lot of frustration. Read more