Harold Horne

Age: 57
Occupation: attorney
Number of Cruises: 6
Cruise Line: Holland America
Ship: Ryndam
Sailing Date: March 16th, 2005
Itinerary: Mexican Riviera

Sailing on the MS Ryndam would have to be compared with spending a week living inside a sewer pipe in a major city. The foul odor at times drove us from our stateroom (twice in the early morning hours), made passage inside the ship more than unpleasant, and made it near impossible to enjoy the evening show as we left Cabo San Lucas. As you walked down the halls the odor was as if someone’s toilet had experienced a major back flow of sewage that had saturated the carpet. Even the staff had to step outside from time to time with a cloth over their face to seek fresh air. [They tried hard to cover up that they noticed the smell, but the smell was so bad you could read the pain on their faces.] The smell was so foul that we were left feeling nauseated.

On the other side, the crew and staff were pleasant and I found the ports of call wonderful. The entertainment was better than usual, per my taste, and the meals interesting. My experience with Holland America (second cruise with them) is that they have no idea what Ice Tea is supposed to taste like and the concept of tea with a meal is beyond their comprehension.

Still, dollar for dollar Holland America provides a decent value...just not on the Ryndam until they fix their sewer system.