What an extremely pleasant surprise! Our only other trip with HAL had been on the Masdaam. That ship was old and limited and the average vacationer had been collecting Social Security for a very long time.
Upon arrival at the terminal, we could see that this ship was going to carry a wider mix of passengers. Embarkation was amazingly quick. We were at the Lido Buffet before noon. And promptly heard the announcement that cabins were ready! Earliest ever for us.
The cabin was nothing special but the bed was pretty comfortable. The bathroom featured a tub/shower and high end soap/shampoo/lotions. We had a balcony we seldom used, but I'm still glad we were on a verandah deck. Our steward was professional and responsive.