Volendam Review

4.0 / 5.0
591 reviews

Mostly great!

Review for Asia Cruise on Volendam
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goddessofchaos
First Time Cruiser • Age 80s

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Sail Date: Mar 2017
Cabin: Large Interior Stateroom

This was our first cruise and we chose it because of the excellent price. We Book an inside cabin and because it ended up being a handicap cabin we had extra space. It would probably be nice to have a window, and perhaps next time we cruise we will do that. The biggest complaint about the cabin is the single outlet poorly placed over a desk. I was warned ahead of time so I did bring a power strip although we found it necessary to get an additional extension cord from the steward. An extension cord will definitely be a part of our packing on our next cruise.

I was happy to find that the Vollendam was a relatively small ship as it was easy to traverse and we enjoyed meeting up with people we got to know at dinners. I do not think I would enjoy having the kinds of additional activities found on a larger ship.

One important thing that Holland America line should do is to update their website. Some information was out of date or incorrect. A huge mistake was information given out about the requirements for a visa to enter Shanghai. Late last year China revised there Visa requirements to allow cruisers to enter the country without paying a large Visa fee I did you get information from Cruise critic and followed up with information from the Chinese Embassy stating that no visa would be required. I called Holland America to find out how they will handle it, and after first being told I would need a visa, the person I spoke with came back and said that it would not be required. When I arrived to embark, I had to sign some kind of waiver stating that I was aware I might not be allowed ashore. It seems that Communication is not particularly up to date on Holland America. I know that China was very difficult to deal with, but if I was able to get information them I am sure that the cruise line also could get the same information and not create so much havoc. We met people who had paid the Visa fee for the two days admission to Shanghai and were not happy to learn that they did not have to pay that amount. I was not willing to pay Close two $200 just to go ashore for a couple of outings.

Cabin Review

Large Interior Stateroom

Cabin MM

As this was a handicapped designated cabin, it is larger then the standard cabins and had a spacious shower. I only saw one of the other cabins which was an ocean view, and it was nice but not as roomy. We did not specifically designate this cabin and had requested a guarantee cabin not knowing just what to expect. I think we were fortunate.

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