I recently completed a transatlantic cruise on the Holland America Oosterdam.  While on the ship, I made a video to capture what it was like to be on a transatlantic cruise.  Our cruise was 14 days long.  It was a repositioning cruise for the Oosterdam, which had spent the winter cruising in South America.  We departed from Fort Lauderdale on April 5th and were at sea for 6 days before getting to the Azores, then another 2 days getting to Spain, and then ending in Barcelona.

I really enjoyed the sea days. There were things to do every day – classes, events, talks, work outs, and group meetings.  It was easy to join in and participate.  We were also blessed with great weather which made it nice to sit out on deck and enjoy the sea views.

I found the sea days to be very relaxing.  We weren’t visiting a new port every day.  I could set my own pace.  The 14 day cruise length was perfect – it felt like two cruises – the transatlantic part for the first week and then the Azores/Spain part the next week.

Below is my video.

What I Liked The Most

I liked the ship.  The Oosterdam is a medium size cruise ship that holds 1,900 passengers.  It wasn’t a a behemoth like some of the newer ships that hold over 6,000 passengers.  There were no rock climbing walls, water slides, or mini golf.  It felt like a classic ocean liner.  It was small enough so public spaces weren’t crowded.  There was plenty of spaces to find solitude.  Although the ship was full, dining areas were not crowded.  The food was great.  The ship was well maintained and we had no issues with the accommodations or spaces on the ship.

I liked the crew.  All the ship’s personnel that we encountered were super friendly and very helpful.  The ships officers were very visible and engaging.

I liked the people I met while on the cruise.  I met about 4-6 new people each day – usually at the meals in the Main Dining Room.  Everyone was super friendly and engaging.  Many were veteran cruises with Holland America.  It was great to listen to people talk about their prior adventures in cruising.  I could see how cruising was a lifestyle with some.

I liked the itinerary.  I chose this cruise because of all the stops in southern Spain (Cadiz, Malaga, Cartagena, Alicante, Barcelona).

And lastly the weather.  We crossed in early April and the weather was sunny and mild with daytime temps in the mid to high 60’s.  The seas were relatively calm with gentle rolling waves.

What I Liked The Least

The ship still had areas where smoking was allowed – in the back by the Sea View Pool area.  I avoided that area of the ship because because of the numerous people smoking.

I did witness some isolated incidents of poor behavior by a few of the guests.  It wasn’t pervasive.  It was mostly in the area of lack of courtesy or bad manners – things like jumping the food lines, touching food in the buffet line, and coughing.

We lost 6 hours over the course of the cruise because of the time zones we traveled through.  Every other day we lost an hour setting the clocks ahead to adjust for the time zone.  It made the mornings come earlier and earlier.  This happens on an east bound transatlantic cruise.  On a west bound cruise, it’s easier gaining an hour every other day.  I dealt ok with it but by the end of the cruise, I was glad it stopped.

I’ll Do It Again

I had such a good time, I decided to book another transatlantic cruise for next year.  While on the ship, Holland America offered a low deposit deal when you book your next cruise.  My wife will be joining me on this next one.

If you have any questions about this cruise, please post them in a comment and I’ll do my best to respond.