The new ms Oosterdam a destination in its self, where ever you travel!

Story and photos 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 took advantage of the spacious libraries books and videos and checked emails anytime during the day or evening in the large internet cafe.

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 unlike most cruise lines has replaced buffet lines with several food court stations. There is a deli area where you can order sandwiches of every kind and description. A make your own salad bar, Asian stir-fry court and sushi bar, Italian bistro and to top things off there is a dessert bar featuring mouth-watering desserts, ice cream and yogurt. There is also pizza for the kids, including a delicious vegetarian pizza.

In the evening, the Lido takes on a new ambience with table linens and made-to-order entrees . The restaurant also provides table-side waiter service without one having to dress up and go into the formal dining room. Dinner here is served from 6 to 8 p.m. The Lido is also home to the ?once a cruise? Chocolate Lovers buffet. The chef told me it takes a week to make all the desserts! You may want to limit calories, but it?s fun to take a look and taste an item or two.

The Pinnacle Grill, another dining option 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 Filet Mignon and the bone-In Rib-Eye steak, all three entrees were excellent. We had fun sampling the savory delicious starters of Seared Duck Breast and Dungeness Crab Cakes. You?ll need reservations for the Pinnacle Grill, so make them when you board the ship to make sure you experience this extraordinary dining.

But eating isn?t all there is to do on the ms Oosterdam. The casino offers all types of gaming opportunities from blackjack, roulette and craps to slot machines. The Northern Lights Disco is a favorite of the younger crowd until the wee hours. Top notch dancers and singers perform a variety of high energy shows every evening in the Vista Show Lounge. 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 with a band and singers performing nightly. Here, passengers dance or stretch out with their favorite cocktail on reclining chairs, listening to music as the ship sails on.

Days at sea were extra enjoyable because of The Greenhouse Spa. Here, passengers can relax 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, allowing passengers to look out to sea 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 and a grill serves lunch for sun worshippers who don?t want to go inside.

For the shopper, the ms Oosterdam provides plenty of opportunity with guaranteed low prices. From gold and silver to perfume and liquors, passengers will have plenty of souvenirs to take home.

My stateroom on the ship was spacious with 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 had 24-hour room service and fresh fruit in the room each day. Guests with suites have a private concierge area, the Neptune Lounge.

One of my favorite places to relax on board the ms Oosterdam was the Windstar Cafe. The Cafe offers a large menu of Espresso coffees and Cafe Lattes to try.

This 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.

It really didn?t matter to me what our ports of call were on the ms Oosterdam, for me the ship was clearly a destination.

For more information about the ms Oosterdam, check out www.hollandamerica.com or call your local travel agent.


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