It was a real treat to avoid airports, as we drove from CT to Manhattan for this cruise. Arrived about 11AM and had no trouble parking at the pier. A week will cost $210 (note: they don't accept American Express, so bring a Mastercard or Visa). We were a group of 6 adults and a baby, with 3 cabins on deck 4. Check in was fairly quick and very efficient. Staterooms were immediately available, a big plus as on some other cruises we grew tired of lugging our carry-ons about for hours. The cabins have been updated since we sailed on the Veendam several years ago. Much nicer bathrooms, ample storage space, and dispensers for soap, shampoo, and conditioner. HAL placed a pack-and-play in the baby's cabin as requested. We had to arrange for a refrigerator ($2 per day)once on board, as I had assumed the cabins were so equipped.Embarkation lunch in the Lido was typically chaotic (or a bit more so because you can't help yourself to anything the first day---fear of germs. It takes a couple of days for passengers to get into a routine. The food at lunch was ok--not as good as our previous HAL cruises. The food in the dining room at dinner was wonderful. We were given "open seating" which struck me as a real plus with a baby. But herein lies one of my only complaints. There was nothing open about it. We were told we had a choice of 2 dining times (5:15 or 7:45) and they would reserve that time every day of the cruise. How is this different from traditional assigned seating? The staff seemed overwhelmed by passengers attempting to dine when they choose. We set sail and found it a thrill to pass the Statue of Liberty, even though we have done it before. It never gets old. We explored the ship and the only other negative comment I'd make is that a couple of the elevators were positively scary. They came to a halt with shaking and horrible sounds. By the end of the cruise everyone was avoiding elevator 4. I'm sure there were lots of comments on that, and hopefully it's been fixed by now.Having been to Bermuda several times before, we didn't opt for any shore excursions (indeed, they wouldn't be necessary even for a first-time visitor). Our first port was St. George, a very pleasant little place to walk around. A ferry was used as a tender---quite crowed but ok once aboard. We walked to Tobacco Bay and a cold beer never tasted better sitting next to that tourquoise water. That evening the ship moved (about a mile) to Hamilton, where the Veendam docks right on Front Street---a wonderful place to be. We felt sorry for those on other ships positioned out at Royal Dockyard far away from the center of everything. Taxis are expensive and busses are great but slow. Wednesday nights there is a small street fair on Front Street. Just disembark the Veendam and you're right there. Some of our party had a great time scuba diving. Others went to Horseshoe beach ($20 taxi fare with tip each way). Umbrella and chair rentals are steep (as is everything in Bermuda). $11 per item. What beautiful weather in June.After our final day at sea we had a very smooth disembarkation. You can stay in your cabin until called. I'm not sure why so many people insist on clogging the staircases. Baggage was easily located and we were able to spend some time sightseeing in Manhattan before heading home.We find HAL to provide a consistently good experience. It was a perfect setting for a week with far-flung family.