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The Ship is the Destination No Matter Where You Travel

The new Ms Oosterdam offers passengers many options

By Phyllis Steinberg

The new Holland America ms Oosterdam cruise ship arrived at Port Everglades in  Fort Lauderdale for its inaugural sailing in early December 2003. The ship will be making round trip sailings to the Eastern and Western Caribbean in the winter and move to Alaska in the summer.

Not that it makes much difference where you travel. On the ms Oosterman, the ship is clearly a destination in itself.

The public rooms are situated on two decks. Dining rooms are in the aft section with expansive views of the sea. And every passenger appointment seems to be carefully planned. For example, tables for two, circle the awesome two-level Vista dining room. There is a piano player stationed in the center to add beautiful musical accompaniment to every dinner, making for elegance and intimacy at sea.      

This ship has a passenger capacity of 1,848, but you won’t have to stand in long buffet lines or feel crowded because there are plenty of  public rooms, open spaces and  activities to participate in and enjoy. I enjoyed the spacious library where I checked out some books and videos and also spent time in the large internet café, where you can check your emails anytime during the day or evening.

I  was on the ship when it was filled to capacity and never had to wait in long lines for anything. The Lido casual dining area has two buffet lines on most cruise lines. On the ms Oosterdam, the two buffet lines have been replaced by several food court stations. There is a deli area where you can order sandwiches of every kind and description. There is a make your own salad bar, Asian stir-fry court ands sushi bar, an Italian bistro and to two things off there is a dessert bar featuring mouth-watering desserts and ice creams and yogurts. There is also pizza for the kids, including vegetarian pizza, which is delicious. In the evening, the Lido takes on a new ambience with tables linens and made-to-order dinner entrees . The Lido also provides table-side waiter service without having to dress up and go into the formal dining room. Dinner is served from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Lido. The Lido is also place where the Chocolate Lovers buffet takes place once during the cruise. The chef told me it takes a week to make all of the desserts! You may not want to consume that many calories, but its fun to just take a look and taste an item or two.

There is also a Pinnacle Grill, an alternative restaurant that serves Pacific Northwest specialties including prime beef and superb seafood items, as well as fine wines. I ordered the Lamb Rack Chops with Apple Spice Chutney and Drizzled Mint Sauce. My dining companions ordered the Filet Mignon and the Bone-In Rib-Eye steaks and all three entrees were excellent. The starters of Seared Duck Breast and Dungeness Crab Cakes were savory and delicious. We all had fun sampling the starters. This is a culinary adventure not to be missed. You have to make reservations to eat in the Pinnacle Grill, so make reservations when you board the ship to make sure that you get to experience this extraordinary dining experience.

But eating isn’t all there is to do on the ms Oosterdam. There is a casino offering all types of gaming opportunities from blackjack and roulette to slot machines and craps. The Northern Lights Disco is a favorite of the younger crowd until the wee hours. The Vista Show Lounge features top notch entertainment. The dancers and singers perform a variety of high energy shows every evening. The Queen’s Lounge, a smaller theater has a different entertainment schedule and is also used for other activities such as bingo and movies. There is the Crow’s Nest on the top deck of the ship where a band and singers perform nightly. Here, passengers can dance, or stretch out with their favorite cocktail on reclining chairs, as they listen to music as the ship sails on its course.

Days at sea were extra enjoyable because of  The Greenhouse Spa. Here, passengers relaxed in the hydrotherapy pools, steam rooms and sauna. The spa offered a wonderful array of treatments and massages, including massages for two. What could be better than that? The spa rooms had large picture windows, so passengers could look out to the spa as they were being buffed into oblivion.

The ship has two swimming pools, one with a retractable roof in case of rain and many pool chairs on several decks for sunning. The pool area also has a tree lined sitting area. There is also a grill serving lunch for sun worshippers who don’t want to go inside to the adjacent Lido area.

For those that like to shop, there is plenty of shopping on the ms Oosterdam with guaranteed low prices. From gold and silver to perfume and liquors, shoppers will have plenty of souvenirs to take home with them.

My stateroom on the ms Oosterdam was spacious. I had a sitting area, lighted vanity area and roomy bathroom.  Eighty-five percent of the rooms have an ocean view and 67 percent have verandahs. I also enjoyed the premium pillow top mattresses and high quality bed linens. The ship also had 24-hour room service and fresh fruit in the room each day. For guests with suites, there is the Neptune Lounge, a private concierge lounge.

One of my favorite places to relax on board the ms Oosterdam was the Windstar Café. The Café offers a large menu of Espresso coffees and Café Lattes to try. The new ship has something for every age group, including Club Hal for the children, cooking demonstrations for food lovers, a golf simulator and basketball court for sports enthusiasts. There is also a state-of-the-art fitness center with pilates, yoga and stretching classes offered.

It really did not matter to me what the ports of call were for the ms Oosterdam. For me,  the ship was clearly a destination.

For more information about the ms Oosterdam, check out www.hollandamerica.com

Photos by Phyllis Steinberg

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