| No need to fly across the country to get a cruise | | | | itinerary included three days "at sea." The Oosterdam |
| when you live in or near California. | | | | is like a floating 10-story grand hotel with several fine |
| This is the ideal scenario for the first-time cruiser | | | | and varied restaurants, pools and fitness facilities, a |
| who wants a no-muss, no-fuss way to test the | | | | spa, shops, nightclubs, bars and countless nooks and |
| cruise waters. Our recent cruise on Holland-America | | | | crannies. The ship has been carefully designed for |
| out of San Diego was an excellent example - a | | | | maximum comfort and painstakingly decorated to be |
| 45-minute drive from our suburban San Diego home | | | | bright, colorful and airy, while maintaining a feel of |
| and we were ready to board our ship to the Mexican | | | | tasteful elegance. Whether in port or at sea, each |
| Riviera. | | | | day had a list of activities that ran the gamut - from |
| Longtime cruisers will tell you that ships and itineraries | | | | ping pong tournaments to art shows, from Catholic |
| each have their own set of demographics, and often | | | | mass to classic rock happy hours, from yoga to wine |
| - mainly because of school vacations -- the customer | | | | classes. |
| age range changes according to time of year. Some | | | | There's so much to do on a ship like the Oosterdam |
| routes are all about the ports while other routes such | | | | that we actually began feeling a little guilty for just |
| as the Mexican Riviera tend to attract vacationers | | | | wanting to relax. But not that guilty - we were in |
| more focused on the ship itself. | | | | total control of our vacation and, on any given day, |
| And then each cruise line has its own particular niche. | | | | did just as much or as little as we pleased. |
| With Holland America Line, the niche is "premium" - | | | | Since we had a 5-year-old with us, our activities |
| what the line suggests is a more elegant cruise, but | | | | often involved the Lido Deck swimming pool where |
| not so formal that travelers feel out of place. Holland | | | | the kids on this cruise loved to congregate. Our |
| America likes to compare its level of service to that | | | | cruise, we were told, was somewhat unusual for |
| of a Westin or Four Seasons hotel. | | | | Holland America - there were a total of about 180 |
| "Premium means you'll pay about $100 more," said | | | | children on board, a higher number than usual. The |
| Noel DeChambeau, director of marketing for the line's | | | | Holland America Line in general has a little older, more |
| Alaska route. "But it will be worth it." | | | | upscale demographic. But again, that can change |
| Holland America is now experimenting with using | | | | according to ship, time of year and cruise itinerary. |
| larger ships on the San Diego-Mexican Riviera route | | | | A real convenience for parents is a relatively new |
| that we sampled - an itinerary that includes Cabo San | | | | addition to the ship's services called Club Hal. We |
| Lucas, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta. Our ship was the | | | | were able to leave our daughter at Club Hal for hours |
| Oosterdam, one of Holland America's newest and | | | | at a time if we needed to. The Club Hal people teach |
| largest and only in service since 2003. While this was | | | | the kids arts and crafts, or play games with them in |
| not our first cruise, it did seem to us the | | | | an elaborate facility jam-packed with games, toys, |
| Oosterdam's odyssey along the Mexican coast would | | | | movies and just about anything else kids could want. |
| be an excellent, reasonably priced way for | | | | Of course the proof is in the pudding: our daughter |
| Californians to sample big-time cruising. | | | | couldn't wait to go back the next day. |
| In San Diego, we parked our car less than 100 yards | | | | It will come as no surprise that a major shipboard |
| from the ship and began the high-tech boarding | | | | activity is eating. There's no way to get around it - a |
| process. Each passenger presented identification and | | | | cruise like this one on the Oosterdam will tempt you |
| then digital photos were taken. From that point | | | | morning, day and night with a wide variety of dining |
| forward, each time the passenger presented his new | | | | options ranging from casual to elegant. In addition to |
| Holland-America card to leave or re-board the ship, | | | | sit-down restaurant style dining for all meals, the |
| the photo appeared on a computer screen, giving the | | | | Oosterdam features an area on the Lido Deck that |
| crew a visual confirmation that the card indeed | | | | offers several cafeteria-style or deli-style stations |
| matched the passenger. This process took us about | | | | where you can order breakfast and lunch. Menus |
| an hour, but was relatively painless when you | | | | change daily so there is always a wide variety of |
| consider the Oosterdam was boarding the equivalent | | | | American dishes as well as Italian, Asian and many |
| of two small towns like the one we grew up in -- | | | | other offerings. An upscale restaurant, the Pinnacle, is |
| about 1800 passengers and 800 crew members. | | | | available for a small additional charge. |
| That passenger-crew ratio provided an ample degree | | | | No matter if it was casual or dress-up, dinner on the |
| of personal service throughout the seven-day cruise. | | | | ship was always a festive occasion and we enjoyed |
| The smiles and warm welcomes we received from | | | | catching up with our shipmates on the day's activities. |
| crew members upon boarding the ship were just the | | | | On this particular cruise there was plenty of time in |
| beginning of a non-stop effort by cabin stewards, | | | | port and we enjoyed spending shore time in the |
| waiters, cruise directors and many other crew | | | | three sunny destinations. Cabo San Lucas, while hot, |
| members to pamper each one of us for our entire | | | | was charming and picturesque. In Mazatlan, we spent |
| stay on board the ship. Whether it was just a | | | | time in a primitive fishing village with a wide, almost |
| cheerful "good morning" or a brief conversation about | | | | deserted beach. And, of course, Puerto Vallarta is |
| the day's activities, encounters with crew members | | | | one of the most popular seaside destinations in all of |
| were always warm, and the staff seemed genuinely | | | | Mexico and we enjoyed soaking up local culture by |
| interested in making sure we had a great vacation. | | | | shopping and listening to well-played flamenco music |
| Holland America likes to boast the line's average | | | | over drinks and Mexican food. |
| stateroom is about 25 percent larger than the | | | | But once our week at sea reached its all-too-swift |
| competition and, based on our personal experience, | | | | conclusion, we realized the ports of call were really |
| that seems accurate. The room we had - a Deluxe | | | | just fun diversions and not the meat of this particular |
| Verandah Outside - was much more spacious than | | | | trip. We were among those who felt the real |
| we remembered from earlier experiences on other | | | | destination on this trip was the ship itself. As Cruise |
| lines. About 67 percent of the rooms on this ship had | | | | Director Jason Venner put it: "Every person who sails |
| verandahs. | | | | on it, loves the Oosterdam." |
| The verandah proved useful on our trip - we would | | | | AT A GLANCE |
| often sit out there and read or watch the scenery | | | | WHERE: These "experimental" big-ship cruises leave |
| go by, lulled by the gentle ocean waves splashing | | | | out of downtown San Diego. |
| against the ship's hull. Inside our stateroom, space | | | | WHAT: Among the most recent additions to the |
| was used quite efficiently: our room included a king | | | | Holland America fleet, the Oosterdam has a regular |
| size bed, a pull-out daveno/bed, bathroom with full | | | | weekly cruise schedule to Mexico during winter |
| bathtub, several closets and a desk area. Satellite TV | | | | months. |
| beamed in CNN and several movie channels as well as | | | | WHEN: This Oosterdam Mexican Riviera schedule |
| TV camera views from the bow and stern of the | | | | continues through April, then resumes in October. |
| ship. Just down one floor was the Internet Center | | | | Other Mexican itineraries are available. |
| where, for 40 to 75 cents a minute, passengers | | | | WHY: This is an easy opportunity for Californians to |
| could keep in constant touch with the outside world | | | | sample big-time cruising without flying across the |
| through email and the internet. | | | | country. |
| In addition to our three port days, this particular | | | | |