Nieuw Amsterdam Review

Quiet Relaxing Cruise with Delicious Food & Outstanding Children's Pro

Review for the Eastern Caribbean Cruise on Nieuw Amsterdam
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CruisingMommyT
10+ Cruises • Age 50s

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Sail Date: Mar 2015
Cabin: Interior Stateroom
Traveled with children

My husband was really wanting to book a spring break cruise, and this was the best price for a 7 night that was rated well. It cost a little more than we might normally pay, but we wound up having to get two rooms, so that was part of the reason. We went out of Ft. Lauderdale, which is 37 miles from us, so we didn't need to stay in a hotel. As you go into the port, there is a security checkpoint, so have your cruise documents and identification ready to show to the person there. My husband dropped us off and then dropped our van off at the nearby Park-n-go (I think that's what it was called - they have these yellow vans that pick up and drop off every (it seems) three or four minutes). They brought him back pretty quickly. The check-in was very smooth. We were there at 1, and the majority of the people were already on the ship. The terminal is not as cavernous as the one in Miami, and doesn't have a huge waiting area like that one, either.

Our rooms were ready when we got on. We dropped off our things in our rooms and then headed for the Lido, where they had a nice buffet. Everyone's luggage except mine was delivered fairly quickly. I called the front desk and they told me to call back around a certain time to see what was going on if it hadn't been delivered. They then had me go by the front desk and check in a small area amongst some "unidentified" suitcases, and mine was there. The luggage tag had come off. They were apologetic and nice about it.

On a side note, as I waited to check for my luggage a fairly senior aged woman walked by, talking very loudly on her phone, "This is horrible! There are children all over the place!" The couple behind me was taken aback, because my two girls were standing there, and they said, "We were actually disappointed that we hadn't seen any young people until now." A few minutes later, she was complaining into her phone that the food was "disgusting." Trust me, it was not; it was delicious. Just remember that some people can never be pleased, no matter what you do! We were a bit concerned after that, thinking that all of the senior citizens would be frowning at our kids, but overall, the guests were kind to the kids and would talk about how our daughter reminded them of their 12 year old, or something like that. If you bring your children, just remind them to be polite and respectful. When we were in Half Moon Cay, my son and youngest daughter actually spent around 45 minutes standing in the crystal blue water visiting with a much older couple and they all had such a nice time. My son had older ladies coming up to him and his friends and commenting on how well behaved they were being. One lady approached him and his friends while they (yes 14 and 15 year old boys) were at the main dining room tea. She said, "I'm a teacher, and I wish that MY students had been as well behaved as you boys!" I'm sure that there were still people who were unhappy to see children, but it certainly didn't negate our trip. But...I digress.

Cabin Review

Interior Stateroom

Cabin J

This room was such a nice surprise. I actually think it was a Deluxe interior stateroom. It was huge, especially for an interior room! You could do a square of a square dance in the room if you move the table and chair! There are three closets with shelves that are movable. It was very, very clean. The twin beds were pushed together with the nightstand on each side. They have 2 drawers and a shelf on them. There's a phone with the time on it. The reading lights and bedable and bright. There are 2 drawers under the bed for storage. There's plenty of luggage space under there, too. The sofa in the corner is large and has a pull out twin bed that was set up by our steward each night. My daughter loved it. The vanity has a mirror and is poorly lit. There's a refrigerator that is full, but has room for a few personal water bottles. There is a makeup mirror, tv, and DVD player. In addition, there is a chair and small coffee table. The bathroom shower is very small, and the spa amenities (shampoo, condition and body wash) are really nice. They also provide you with extra body lotion if needed, and of course and shower cap! It's a quiet room and the AC gets pretty cold, so you'll find yourself adjusting it a lot. I'd book that room again if it meant a big savings, because it was perfect for me and my girls My husband and son stayed in a smaller room, but were happy.

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