Overall we had an excellent time on this cruise. It was our first Holland America cruise and they did not disappoint. The ship is older (built in 2002), but it is in very good condition and obviously recently refurbished. It is not as big as the newer mega-ships, but we thought this was actually a good thing. Embarkation and disembarkation were both easy and relatively quick (probably waited ...
This was our sixth HAL cruise and it didn't disappoint, just like all the others. The ship is 16 years old, but I understand it has just returned from a re-fit in drydock. The interior looked brand-new. You coulda said the ship was 16 weeks old and I woulda believed it. It seemed everything was new - carpeting, furniture, facilities, new layouts of many public rooms. We were on an Alaska cruise ...
We had done a HAL Southern Caribbean cruise a number of years ago, and enjoyed it; we wanted to go someplace warm and when I saw that Cartagena was on our itinerary, we decided to book.
I had really not wanted to do this cruise; it was a concession to my husband who wanted a change from 5th wheel camping. Here's why: we had been on a few RCCL cruises, one of which was a disaster due to the ...
My husband and I are Five-Star Mariners who have sailed on many of HAL's ships. We chose this cruise for the itinerary--not for the ship. We were on the Koningsdam in November, 2016 and were hoping some changes had been made. However that did not happen. There is still NO library; music from all three venues (especially B.B. King Blues) blast every evening. The main dining room and the theater ...
First of all the veranda cabin was much smaller than on other ships and the great bedding that all HAL customers are used to no longer exists. Instead there is a narrow mattress of twigs, bamboo and leaves (my interpretation) which crackled when you sat on it or during the night when you turned around on it or when you or your significant other left for the bathroom. Absolutely horrible.
The ...
Excursion in Jamaica: Ragge Hill was horrid!!! Do not waste your money. Almost felt "captive" during this excursion. Holland refunded our money. We also had a bad experience on our 1st Gala Night, but the staff made our 2nd Gala Night exceptional!!! The best time was in Half Moon Cay, fantastic time on the beautiful beach. Great BBQ, there is no way you can leave this island hungry. Only ...
This was my 63 cruise. I have sailed on Carnival, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, Princess, Holland America, Disney, Costa, Cunard, and Celebrity. I am 46 years old.
Hotel Info: We flew down one night early and stayed at Bahia Mar Fort Lauderdale Beach – a DoubleTree by Hilton hotel. This was our second time at this hotel. The employees are very nice.
Ship Info: We haven’t sailed on this ...
We chose this cruise for price and we have cruised Holland America a number of times and we like the product .
Food was good the entertainment was good . We liked the Half Moon Cay stop , great beach day . Food was a little funky , every burger or hot dog covered in some kind of sauce . Holland America staff is still fabulous . Bar staff at the pinnacle bar , Rickey was great .
Room ...
The Nieuw Amsterdam is a beautiful ship. I was impressed immediately upon boarding. Granted, I have no idea what she looked like prior to her recent dry dock, but I was generally knowledgeable of what was old and what was new. I think the new changes are wonderful. First of all, the new carpeting is perfect. The color scheme is spot-on and provides an elegant foundation in the public spaces, ...
We went on the 7 day and it was fantastic. Our cabin and stewards were great. We ate at the Pinnacle and the Tamarind and would do so again. The ship was clean, the crew were very friendly. Embarkation and disembarkation were smooth and orderly and went very quickly - other than we had to wait over an hour to get the transfer to the boat from the airport. We loved the entertainment in BB Kings ...