Holland America Cruise Line

MS Volendam

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Operator: Holland America Line
Year Built / Last Refurbished: 1999 / 2009
Length / Tonnage: 781 / 61,214
Number of Cabins / Passengers: 716 / 1,432
Officers / Crew: Dutch / International
Operating Area: Winter in Caribbean
Operating Area: Alaska, Australia, Asia

The VOLENDAM is the first in a new class of ships for Holland America. At 65,000 tons she was the largest ship in the fleet when she entered service in 1999 and combines the elegance of the HAL's flagship Rotterdam with the best elements of her four Statendam-class predecessors. She is a product of the Fincantieri Shipyards at Monfalcone, Italy and entered service in November of 1999.

Holland America has had three ships named VOLENDAM over the past 126 years.

Volendam I was a 15,000 ton steamer built in 1922 at the Harland & Wolff yard in Glasgow Scotland. She was designed to carry 263 first class passengers, 435 in second class and 1,200 in third class. The Volendam, and her sister ship Veendam II, first plied the West Coast of America up to Canada. They soon moved to routes on the North Atlantic from New York to Rotterdam and conducted cruises during the winter months during the 1920s and '30s. During World War II, Volendam I became the first Holland America Line passenger ship involved in the hostilities when it was torpedoed while in a convoy crossing to Canada on Aug. 30, 1940. With the exception of one casualty, all 271 adults and 335 children were rescued. By 1941 the Volendam I was back in service and ultimately carried 132,551 military personnel to various parts of the world. It continued service as an immigrant ship until sold for scrap in 1952.

Volendam II started life as the Moore-McCormack Liner "Brasil" and was built in 1957 by Ingalls Shipbuilding Corporation in Pascagoula, Miss. She had sailed between New York, Rio de Janeiro, and Buenos Aires and other ports in South America until September 1969, when Moore-McCormack laid her up in Baltimore due the increased competition from jet aircraft. Holland America Line bought the ship in April 1971 for $10 million and took it to Bremerhaven, Germany, for rebuilding as a one-class cruise ship. With the addition of a new swimming pool and refurbished cabins and public rooms for 700 passengers, the ship sailed from Rotterdam to New York as the Volendam II on April 16, 1973.

Both the Volendam II and her sister ship, the Veendam III (former Argentina of Moore-McCormack), were sleek-looking, with a (fake) funnel at the center. Passengers loved the Observatory Bar at the front of the ship above the bridge -- forerunner of the Crow's Nest, the forward lounge that is a staple on most Holland America ships, including the new Volendam III. During the '70s, the Volendam II went through a series of changes. In 1974, it was laid up, due to the oil crisis. It then served a brief stint as the "Monarch Sun," for Monarch Cruise Lines. In 1978 she came back to Holland America as the Volendam again and continued cruising to Bermuda and the Caribbean until being sold in October 1983. Today, the Volendam II continues a long career at sea as the "Universe Explorer."

As a fan of older ships I was curious to see how this newest of HAL ships - we were on voyage number 11 - compared to the classics of the past. Well I am happy to report that despite her boxy profile, her interiors are more classical than modern. Principal architect Frans Dingemans, of the firm VFD Interiors, Utrecht, The Netherlands, designed the interior and the predominant theme of the VOLENDAM's decor is flowers -- from the 17th to the 21st centuries. Flowers are featured in the ship's artwork, doors and other design elements as well as fabrics used throughout most of the her public rooms. The three-deck-high central atrium features a monumental crystal sculpture by Luciano Vistosi, one of Italy's leading contemporary glass artists.

The VOLENDAM has a distinctive funnel design, different from those of the Rotterdam or the Statendam-class ships and more closely resembling those of the Noordam and Nieuw Amsterdam. As on the ROTTERDAM there is a third elevator lobby and a third double staircase which means you are never far from a staircase or elevator.

Although slightly larger than the Statendam-class ships those of you who have sailed on them will find many of the public rooms in familiar places starting with the Crow's Nest Lounge located forward on the Sport Deck (9). It wraps around 3/4 of ship above the bridge and is a great place to be when the ship is arriving or departing. It's full of original artwork, commissioned for the Volendam and is divided into a number of distinct but adjoining areas so that even if it's crowded it doesn't appear to be. Hot appetizers are served during the cocktail hour making it a popular stop before dinner.

Further back on the Sport Deck is the sliding dome over the Lido pool and paddle tennis courts. Since jogging has once again been banned from the wrap-around Promenade deck the only place you can run is on this deck - which consists of a narrow path around the sliding roof - or on a treadmill in the gym. Immediately behind the pool area is small room called the Sky Room. It's somewhat reminiscent of the Sky Room on the old Rotterdam and is used primarily for children's - Club HAL - activities.

Down one deck is the Lido Deck (8). Forward is the Ocean Spa Gym which is great. It's roomy with sufficient equipment and has a great view over the bow of the ship. The Beauty Salon and Massage adjoin the Gym. Proceeding towards the stern you pass the Lido Pool and Dolphin Bar. One end of the freshwater pool is dominated by a trio of leaping dolphins and the pool is actually large enough to swim a few short laps if you can get there before the crowds. The Terrace Grill is also located in this area and you can get grilled food from about 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Pizza is served for an hour beginning at 4:00 PM. This whole area is under the retractable dome which can be closed in the event of inclement weather.

On our Millennium trip I had the pool to myself and was ready to jump in for my laps when I realized that the water temperature was close to 90 degrees. That might be the fine for a hot tub, but it was too hot for laps so I proceeded past the Dolphin Bar, through the Lido Restaurant towards the un-heated Outside Pool. The Lido Restaurant is large and well laid out and clean tables are always available.

Because the Navigation Deck has been extended aft to accommodate additional staterooms, the outdoor swimming pool is located on Lido Deck, one deck above its location on the Rotterdam and the Statendam-class ships. It was a bit smaller than the indoor/outdoor pool but did provide me with the opportunity to set a personal record for number of laps during my morning swim.

There are two decks of staterooms below the Lido Deck, the Navigation Deck(7) and the Verandah Deck (6). On the VOLENDAM, the Navigation deck was extended to include an additional 48 mini-suites with verandas.

Proceeding down the stairs you arrive on the Upper Promenade Deck (5). The forward part of this deck is the balcony for the Frans Hals Lounge which is named after yet another Dutch Master. The room was inspired by the famous Tuschinski Theater in Amsterdam and is spacious and elegant with dark wood and burgundy colors. The entertainment here ranges from glittering to corny, but what the hell, this is a cruise ship, not Carnegie Hall, and in general, most audiences are enthusiastic. The room is also used for social affairs like Captain's Cocktail Parties, gala functions and rounds of trivial pursuit when passengers wait their turn for tender rides ashore in those places the ship doesn't dock.

Moving on towards the stern you pass the Ocean Bar on the left and the Gift Shops on the right. The Ocean Bar was one of our pre-dinner gathering spots on the old Rotterdam but on the VOLENDAM the room opens to the Atrium so it lacks much of the intimacy found on our former favorite ship.

Next you pass through the Atrium which spans three decks and is highlighted by a very colorful yet subdued glass sculpture. Since we were on a holiday cruise there were Christmas trees and other decorations throughout the ship. Past the atrium on the right is the Casino, Casino Bar. On the left are more shops and the Seaview Lounge which has a small piano bar connected to it. Further back you pass the Hudson meeting room and the Erasmus Library. The Internet Cafe, WebSite is wedged between those two rooms.

On the left side is the Explorer's lounge with is one of the quieter places to catch up on your reading. A salon orchestra plays in the evening and the refined set meet here for after dinner coffee and cognac. Finally, at the stern of the ship is the top level of the Rotterdam Dining Room which seats over 700 people per seating. Again, this is an elegant room with music during dinner and twinkling lights embedded in the ceiling.

The last deck with public rooms is the Promenade Deck (4). Outside you can make a complete circuit of the deck and 3.5 of those make up a mile. There are wooden deck chairs and this one of my favorite places to catch up on my reading. Inside, the lower level of the Frans Hals Lounge takes up the forward part of the deck. While the upper level is theatre seating, the lower level is configured more like a lounge with tables and groups of chairs. Walking towards the stern you pass the photo gallery on the right and the Front Office and Shore Excursions on the left. Continuing toward the stern, on the right side of the ship coffee drinkers will love the variety of coffee and friendly service at the Java Cafe. On the left is the 165 seat Wajang Theatre where movies are shown - with fresh popcorn - and daily religious services are held. There's a small video arcade room on this deck as well directly across from alternative Marco Polo restaurant.

The two-deck high Rotterdam Dining Room aboard the VOLENDAM might just be our new favorite place to dine at sea. The room provides excellent ocean views with windows on three sides but don't worry if you don't get a table by the windows. There is always one available during open seating at breakfast and lunch and during dinner it's usually dark - at least during second seating - so you won't miss anything.

During our trip the food was better than ever. Service was a bit spotty but I expect that will improve as the newer members of the crew gain experience. One of our big gripes - and we didn't have many - was the extreme shortage of sommeliers. It took entirely too long to order wine at dinner and even if you ordered it earlier in the day for that evening's dinner we had to wait for it to be opened.

On certain full days in port there is no dining room lunch service, so passengers must take lunch, if not breakfast, from the buffets in the Lido Restaurant and the Hamburger Bar. Late nights bring ethnically theme buffets like German, French, Japanese and Mexican while Indonesian and Filipino lunch buffets are further HAL signature items. The line's specialty Dutch dinner is also a tradition and has a few items worth eating although I cannot ever remember getting excited about going out for Dutch food at home... Anyway...the VOLENDAM will feed you very well.

Finally, if you don't want to get up early to visit the Lido you can get eggs and bacon as part of room service. That's an improvement from some of our other trips where breakfast was limited to breads and cereals.

A hotel service charge of US $10 per passenger is automatically added to each guest's shipboard account on a daily basis. Passengers can adjust this amount at the end of the cruise by visiting the hotel manager's desk. A 15% service charge is automatically added to bar charges and dining room wine purchases.

Onboard you can expect to see reviews a la Broadway, musicals and both an Indonesian or a Filipino crew show...Beyond that the VOLENDAM lacks for no recreational facility a ship can legally or morally offer... she has the same extensive recreational opportunities ... from working out and aerobic exercise, jogging and stationary bikes to snoozing atop comfy pads on wooden deck chairs, this ship features it all ... Swimmers have the same choice of either of two pools that the passenger in the sister ships get (...both pools were filled with fresh water on our trip - we miss the salt water pool)... there are whirlpools under the retractable dome near the Lido Deck pool.

Do be careful if you don't much like lots of children, because as on many ships today certain holiday sailings find the VOLENDAM carrying lots of kids. On those sailing make sure you get up early if you want to get in a few laps since the little ones tend to gravitate to the pool during the day. Childcare was one area HAL could have done much better on our cruise. Maybe they couldn't get anyone to work over the Millennium but the ship ended up with only one counselor for 34 children between the ages of 5-8. The chilren's program was a lot more informal than the other lines with no sign-in and minimal monitoring of the children participating in the program.

Another thing to keep in mind if you have a specific shore excursion in mind - sign up early! Not sure if it was because of the number of people but many of the shore excursions were full prior to the lifeboat drill. They were able to create additional excursions for some activities but if you ever go on a holiday cruise we strongly suggest you consider signing up immediately after you board (...even before you board if that option is available). This goes for the Marco Polo alternative restaurant as well. By early evening on the first day almost everything was booked with the exception of some tables for the last night.

For those of you looking for more sedate activities, the video library boasts over 300 selections and of course all deluxe cabins and penthouses have VCRs but standard cabins have TV only.

The VOLENDAM offers more deluxe verandah staterooms than the Rotterdam and the Statendam-class ships. She features one penthouse suite, 28 suites, 168 deluxe verandah staterooms, 384 standard outside staterooms and 139 standard inside staterooms. In addition, 23 staterooms equipped for the physically challenged.

While the cabins and suites in the VOLENDAM are similar in design and execution to the private quarters in the other Statendam-class ships they also include the extra four inches of ceiling height found on board the ROTTERDAM. They are all very comfortable, beautiful cabins, decorated in earth tones and with Indonesian inspired fabrics for curtains and bedspreads. The standard cabins on these ships are 196 square foot in size and are well designed with lots of storage space. The penthouse here is similarly an 1,100 square foot apartment featuring terrace, living room, dining room, bedroom and two baths and well equipped butler's pantry! Usually sold out are the ship's 28 ultramodern suites where 563 square feet of space includes sitting area and a large private veranda. The line's "Suite Life" program of amenities and perquisites add a special cachet to these accommodations. Some of the best bargains for the money aboard the VOLENDAM are the 120 deluxe category A and B cabins (284 square feet including veranda), each one provided with VCR, minibar, and sitting area. In the bathroom of every deluxe cabin is a whirlpool bath.

But far more numerous are the 384 outside and 139 inside standard cabins and they deserve special praise because they are among the best at sea. All designed for the long haul traveler, each has a variety of cabin lights and is roomy enough for a sitting area but more important is the availability of ample storage space. Our slept soundly on extra fluffy pillows and the beds can be pushed together to have a roomy queensize. Of course every cabin has its own bathroom, all outsides have tubs, insides showers only and all have a hair dryer.

Passengers seem to like the thick bath and hand towels (and the Line does not skimp if you want more just ask), complimentary fine soaps, shampoos and ginseng body lotion. There aren't any bad cabins aboard the VOLENDAM, just some more desirable than others. If you want a lot of sunlight and demand total privacy, avoid anything on Lower Promenade Deck because strollers tend to peek in, and since the form of the ship has the cabins set back from the ship's sides, they are shaded. Remember ... that one way glass does not always provide anonymity especially at night when it is hopeless as a means to provide a measure of privacy, so keep the curtains drawn unless you get off on exposing yourself to the inquisitive. Cabins in Category E are identical to the more expensive D cabins but all are located midships. The best bargains aboard if you'd like an outside cabin for the price of an inside room, are any of the I grade cabins on Lower Promenade Deck, except the two forwardmost. The 12 other I grade rooms, identical to higher priced category C cabins next door, have picture windows but are sold as inside cabins because they have no sea view.

The VOLENDAM and her sisters count many experienced cruisers among their passengers. Expect the soft, wonderful service from some of the ship's Indonesian and Filipino service crew...though don't expect a deep philosophical discussion with them. They speak English, but more of the kind of English they need for their service industry jobs...though you will find some wonderfully fluent. Even with new tonnage joining the fleet, Holland America's training school in Jakarta turns out competent stewards and hotel crew so you can expect good service... The VOLENDAM operates popular 10 night Caribbean itineraries all winter long so she is more likely to attract an older crowd who can afford the the time and money. Wherever she goes, she is not the ship for the tank top and gym shorts for dinner crowd nor is she the place for the raucous and the wild... During her Alaska season you can expect people of all ages, since quite a lot of extended families choose this beautiful ship for a cruise to our gorgeous 49th state.

Eastern and Western Caribbean sailings during the early spring, late fall and winter.....and two trans Canal cruises a year to position the ship to and from her Alaska season.

We were expecting a lot when we boarded the VOLENDAM with a group of 21 for our Millennium cruise and I am happy to report that for the most part Holland America met or exceeded our expectations. Yes there were a few problems with slow service but by now these are surely history so we encourage you to try the VOLENDAM. She is a beautiful blend of the best of the other Holland America ships and in our opinion she may very well be the finest ship in the fleet.