We just returned from our cruise two days ago and wanted to write this review while everything was fresh in my mind.
I was torn between giving an "overall" rating of 3 or 4 stars because we did have a wonderful time, but the ship was disappointing.
We chose this cruise because of the itinerary. We had been wanting to explore Northern Europe for a long time and this itinerary fit it with our plans. I have also been a big fan of Holland America (HAL) since my first cruise in 1983 on the Volendam. I still have the wonderful menus from the cruise, with a different menu theme every night, marvelous food and spectacular service.
Too hot, not enough drawers, mini-fridge giving off a lot of heat, shower was good, position of toilet was cramped, good outlets, comfortable bed, good location.
We toured on our own, taking a ferry to LaBou, a lovely resort town with a beautiful beach and a U-995 submarine to tour that was pretty cool.
We toured Amsterdam on our own, taking the canal bus tour -- an Hop on Hop off tour, on both the red and blue lines. It was beautiful. Of course, we also visited the Anne Frank house, which is a must. Very moving and powerful. We had perfect weather, and the city was gorgeous.