My husband of thirty-six years and I, both in our fifties, in medium good health, nonsmokers, and light drinkers, we stayed in the Deluxe Suite which we try to do every time since once you have tried them you can't go back. This is our fourth cruise with Holland America or HAL.
We read on Cruise Critics this was an old ship but we had no idea what shape it was in. When the seas were rough it creaks worse than an old woman's bones. The first night the fire alarm went off because the dryer caught fire, it was brought under control quickly. The exterior is pretty rusted in many places but they have a crew of about five working on scraping and puttying and painting so you constantly have workers around and the smells of paint and varnish.
Room: Since we signed up late room selection was limited and we ended up under the upper floor of Deluxe Suites and at the front making the rough seas felt even more. Sadly the folks upstairs were running track so there was constant thumping. Our room was spacious but not like some of the newer ships, the furniture worn and the bathroom sliding door had to have a sock stuck into it to keep it from rattling all night when closed. Our stewards kept it quite clean but we found a tube of ointment in the sheets on our thirteenth day of cruising that WAS NOT OURS! Needless to say it freaked me out since I had hoped they changed the sheets between us and the last occupants. I just kept telling myself not to think about it. Plenty of closet space but the bed was too low to put our suitcases under so took up room in the closet on the floor. The mattress was oh so old not like the newer ships, it was so bowed from wear I kept feeling I would roll off the bed, also two singles together so lump in the middle. The balcony was very shallow and no table to have lunch on, bummed hubby out totally, a single chair with rusty tiny table so gross, and a couple of rattan chairs and small table. The TV on the bed side was tiny so we never used it; the one in the living room side was flat screen and Bose speakers very nice. On sea days we watched TV series of "Rome" and "The Tudors" from the ship library for free, comes with the suite. Sure would have been nice if they had full couches instead of leather loveseats, too short to lie on comfortably, there was more than enough room to accommodate a couch. Toilet was separate which I liked, bath fine but side of tub are quite high to step over but there is a handle to hold on to.
Room: Since we signed up late room selection was limited and we ended up under the upper floor of Deluxe Suites and at the front making the rough seas felt even more. Sadly the folks upstairs were running track so there was constant thumping. Our room was spacious but not like some of the newer ships, the furniture worn and the bathroom sliding door had to have a sock stuck into it to keep it from rattling all night when closed. Our stewards kept it quite clean but we found a tube of ointment in the sheets on our thirteenth day of cruising that WAS NOT OURS! Needless to say it freaked me out since I had hoped they changed the sheets between us and the last occupants. I just kept telling myself not to think about it. Plenty of closet space but the bed was too low to put our suitcases under so took up room in the closet on the floor. The mattress was oh so old not like the newer ships, it was so bowed from wear I kept feeling I would roll off the bed, also two singles together so lump in the middle. The balcony was very shallow and no table to have lunch on, bummed hubby out totally, a single chair with rusty tiny table so gross, and a couple of rattan chairs and small table. The TV on the bed side was tiny so we never used it; the one in the living room side was flat screen and Bose speakers very nice. On sea days we watched TV series of "Rome" and "The Tudors" from the ship library for free, comes with the suite. Sure would have been nice if they had full couches instead of leather loveseats, too short to lie on comfortably, there was more than enough room to accommodate a couch. Toilet was separate which I liked, bath fine but side of tub are quite high to step over but there is a handle to hold on to.