I'm an experienced cruiser who has been all over the world several times. This is my first cruise review. And I'm writing it because the experience I and my partner have had with Holland America is, in a word, sickening....

When we boarded the ship in Port Lauderdale, an announcement was made regarding the occurrence of gastrointestinal disorders (GI) among the previous passengers and crew, and everyone was advised to take"necessary precautions." (I should add that after getting my doctorate, I studied at Harvard University's School of Public Health.) Despite taking all reasonable precautions, we were not unaffected and were holed up in our stateroom for a couple of days.

At the peak of our affliction, the ship decided to block the toilets, resulting in unwanted hours of anal retention, followed by a frenzied dash from floor-to-floor seeking a working WC, located, finally, only near the fitness center on the top floor. As you might imagine, this was an extremely unpleasant experience. Read more