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As this was our first time sailing with HAL, didn't know what to expect as previous reviews I had read varied considerably, From the time we arrived at the pier in Seattle until we were onboard, it was totally hassle-free, the lines moved freely and there were people to assist & direct all the way. When we did board we found we were able to go straight to our cabin, at 11.30am, which was a surprise considering the ship had only docked at 7.00am.
Every staff member we met through the week were the friendliest, happiest and most efficient I have ever come across, nothing was any trouble! The food equalled any I have had although on our Alaska leg (we were doing back-to-back cruises) the variety in the Lido was a bit limited. (this changed on the next section of our cruise back to Australia). The meals in the Pinnacle Grill were outstanding and our wait staff great! We chose Open dining in the main dining room and always had fantastic service.
The ship never appeared crowded even at peak times when people were going for dinner or shows. The shows we saw were first rate and the other activities were either very entertaining or informative.
Loved the Crows Nest where we visited each day to have coffee from Explorations cafe, catch up with new friends, read or just look out at the ocean.
Port days were well organised and it was easy leaving & returning to the ship, except one day when the line for disembarking was quite long.
Our cabin was not large but certainly had enough space to hang & stow all our things for a 31 day cruise, even enough room under the bed to store our 4 big bags. The cabin was kept immaculate every day by our beautiful stewards, who also topped up fresh fruit & ice every day. We would sail again on Oosterdam & HAL in a heartbeat, it was a wonderful experience.
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