Holland America is our 1st choice for cruising but the Volendam didn't meet expectations. As usual the service employees were attentive and friendly. The itinerary and the excursions were also excellent. The problems on this cruise were all ship related. The ship had been in dry dock supposedly being refurbished. They didn't stay in dry dock long enough as there were numerous problems. Numerous rooms got flooded, there were strong odors in many of the cabins, a section of railing broke off at the stern on the lido deck, air conditioning/thermostat problems, mini-bars were empty and never filled, and noises and vibrations were some of the worst I've experienced. Our suite didn't appear to be refurbished as some cabinet hinges were broken, the make-up mirror was old and corroded, the phone by the bed didn't work, and the TV was so old it had no USB or HDMI ports so you couldn't view the pictures on your camera through it. Disappointed.