My husband passed away in April. Not wanting to spread a Thanksgiving at home, a booked the holiday cruise for me and Alex, my son, which came with a total on board credit of $400. Alex spent six years in the Navy and has returned to college. At 26, he is younger than most HAL passengers. We took the Amtrak from Tampa on the day before and stayed at the Fort Lauderdale Marina Hilton. The cruise package included breakfast and transportation to the pier. It's a wonderful hotel, great service, beautiful room and a fantastic buffet breakfast. We received a complimentary upgrade and had a great room overlooking the intercoastal. Dinner at Nanking was awesome, with the wasabi mashed potatoes a delight. Sunday morning brought rain, which slowed down traffic and transportation to the pier. We arrived around noon, as did everyone else. Embarkation took about a half hour. For my guaranteed signature suite, we were assigned to deck five next to the glass elevators. I was concerned about noise as well as privacy on the balcony, but that was unfounded. It was quiet and the balcony could not be viewed from the elevator.
The previous year, my husband and I had taken the the Eurodam on the same voyage. Two years ago, we sailed on the Nieuw Amsterdam and I was a bit wary and mentioned this to the Holland America cruise consultants. In the stateroom, I found some wonderful gifts, dinner reservations had been made for us at all the specialty restaurants and two one hundred dollar beverage cards helped to easy the journey.
The first night we ate at the Pinnacle, where the food is also great. A server mistakenly knocked over my son's drink, which spilled on his iPhone. The charging case was damaged. Holland America not only provided reimbursement before we left the ship. Also, a front desk staff member lent him her iPhone charger so he could charge his phone.
Roomy and quiet. Great location in the middle of the ship. Second shower a bit small.
Don't bother to leave the port
Love it. Beautiful beach
Most shops are the same
Lots of cruise ships