I haven't cruised with Holland America since 2006, so I hardly knew what to expect this year. Meanwhile, I had cruised with Royal Caribbean, Princess, MSC and Celebrity, with the latter being my favorite. However, the Nieuw Amsterdam is my new favorite and HAL is my current favorite cruise line.
The pros: Exquisite food, especially in the Pinnacle Grill and Tamarind; excellent service; friendly staff; understated elegance; best bed I've ever slept in; outstanding breakfast room service (always hot and on time); intriguing art displays; fun dealers and pit bosses in the casino; friendly and accomplished bartenders; happy hours; great variety of entertainment; bath towels the size of beach towels; great toiletries; and fast and efficient embarkation (and my stateroom was ready by noon!). I especially loved the Crow's Nest and Exploration Library, where I spent a few hours each morning reading and having delicious espresso and cappuccino.
The cons: Canaletto specialty restaurant had zero ambiance and a couple misses on food. The Internet was too expensive and too slow, as usual on cruise ships. Disembarkation was rather messy for a few of us who required wheel chair assistance. In fact, I was the very last passenger off of the ship, an hour after my scheduled departure time.
Wonderful stateroom. I enjoyed having a bath tub, although I don't take baths. But the bath tub gave me a roomy area in which to shower. The mid ship location was terrific. The bed was so comfortable!