This cruise was to both the Eastern and Western Caribbean. We had 14 nights on the Nieuw Amsterdam from FLL on the 14 November and we were very disappointed with most of the cruise. I think that the first mistake was to do what HAL view as two cruises in one. The food and entertainment is repetitive and neither is of a particularly high standard. We had been led to believe that HAL were a higher end line, but saw little evidence of it.

The shows in the theatre were very average and the food in the Manhattan was the same. Two of the four of us(two couples) had particular dietary needs (two vegetarians one of whom has a gluten allergy) and HAL seemed incapable of understanding this. The cruise had been booked for six months and we had been assured on numerous ocacsions that they understood and could cater for a gluten free diet. On the first night we were told that "it would be OK tomorrow but could they eat normally tonight". We asked if the helicopter was available to take the coeliac to hospital in that case! They also expected vegetarians to eat meat on that first night. Nowhere near good enough. Despite the fact that we were there two weeks, they never quite got it right.

Verandah cabins are very small and furnished with low quality stuff. The bed is the best thing and the sofa is from IKEA. The whole feel of the Nieuw Amsterdam is not up to the mark. Read more