|
This was the second time for us on the Nieuw Amsterdam and our first time in a Superior Suite. We had cabin 6098 which was mid ship, not that we needed to be careful on this cruise, it was like a millpond the whole time.
Firstly the good.
Food in the main dining room has improved vastly.
Visiting the future cruise consultant was quick with no big queue's.
Cabin Stewards great as usual.
Tenders when used were good.
Check in was seamless.
Cabin was spacious and decor not gaudy.
Pinicle and Tamarind was good and even though Caneletto's now has a cover charge, the food is vastly improved.
Service when calling the front desk was swift.
Room service was correct on every order.
Now the little niggles we all get from every cruise.
up-selling in the spa was not clear so you had a shock with the bill.
The Bon Voyage champagne, we knew it was sparkling wine but it has been changed and the quality is terrible.
Entertainment is still the worst at sea on HAL, 1-2 good shows on a 12 day cruise is not great.
Soda cards are not for cans, just the weak flat pumps.
I would rate this cruise a 8.5 out of 10, it was good value, we met lovely people we shared some great times with and that helped as we made our own entertainment, the ports were great even though there was just 2 new ones for us and food was excellent overall. HAL's tours are still overpriced and we did hear of a fight with security after those with private tours were not allowed to disembark until HAL had their tours off the ship, but this did not effect us.
I am glad to have given HAL another chance as they do seem to be changing for the better, they could do with linking systems with Seattle and London as things take a great deal of time to be sorted and the entertainment is a big let down that dominates the conversation of fellow cruisers in the evening, but food, customer service, room service and arranging the Cruise Critic meet and greet were the much better than they previously have been.
I should say we got a good deal on this cruise and see no reason that HAL should charge more than other cruise lines of similar class such as Celebrity, so it is worth shopping around.
|
