Oosterdam Review
Rating by category
Additional details
My husband and I had never been to Europe, so we chose this cruise to get a good "sample" of countries.
The 8 days at sea sailing across the Atlantic were relaxing and a great way to start our trip. The Oosterdam is a beautiful, elegant ship. Our cabin was wonderful (see below).
We loved all the ports except Huelva, Spain. If you dock there, you might want to take an excursion to Seville. We were there on a Sunday, and after taking a (free) shuttle to town, we couldn't do anything but walk, because everything was closed. The map provided did not include all streets, so it was hard to navigate. We walked for a couple of hours and returned to the ship.
Cabin Review
Signature Superior Verandah Suite
We were fortunate enough to have a Signature Suite, with a shower and jetted tub. Even though the stateroom was one that could connect to an adjacent room (thus, lacking one closet), we had more storage than we needed - for 27 days! We actually found additional storage under the bed on one of our last days. That and an entire lower unit were never used. We each had a nightstand, there was a desk AND vanity and many drawers and shelves. We loved having a roomy safe. I really appreciated the individual reading lights on either side of the very comfortable bed. The large flatscreen TV was better than expected, too. The balcony was wonderful, with two padded deckchairs and a table. The only small complaint is that there was noise at times from carts being rolled in the Lido Market upstairs - including sometimes at night and definitely in the early morning (4:00-ish).
Port Reviews
Madeira (Funchal)
Loved Funchal and it's the perfect size to walk if you can. We walked immediately to the tram and had no wait. We just beat a tour group, so were lucky. We enjoyed the ride and the church tremendously. There isn't any reason to pay for an excursion to do this, unless something else you want to do is included. We did not take the "basket ride" down, but went down in the tram. We then walked to the "market" and enjoyed seeing the local produce, products and fish market. Very nice, clean town.
Cartagena (Spain)
We walked from the ship to Cartagena and enjoyed exploring the city on our own.
Monaco (Monte Carlo)
Fascinating city. The wealth oozes out of everything. You have to be fit to explore this town on your own. We walked up and down many times, but it was worth it. First, ventured to see the palace and cathedral. We took the tour of the palace, which was very interesting. We bought a combined ticket to see the prince's collection of cars. After we found it (down the hill, around the town to the left, down an elevator and through a mall!) we really enjoyed the beautiful old vehicles and Grand Prix sports cars in the collection. Found our way then to see the outside of the casino, although the crowds were crazy and we did not go in. Then headed back to the tenders and our ship.