This was my 5th cruise with Holland America and the most disappointing experience ever. Embarkation was very efficient but when we arrived to the stateroom, there was a large fan being used to dry the carpet. I later received a call explaining there had been an air conditioning leak in the ceiling. I was promised the fan would be removed during dinner. Shortly thereafter, the "We Are Sorry for the Inconvenience" bottle of wine arrived (I don't drink). I tripped over this large fan while trying to unpack and it was so loud we could not stay in the room. We went to dinner and did not return until 10:15 PM. The cabin steward had serviced the room but the fan was still blowing. I called the front desk for assistance and it took them an additional 30 minutes to come to the room. The attendant seemed puzzled and confused as to what to do with the fan. Additionally, the carpet was still wet.

Overall, the cabin showed many signs of aging. The carpet was stained; deck chairs on the verandah were worn and the furniture in the room was in poor condition.

We bought the Thermal Spa package only to learn that part of the equipment in the thermal pool was out of order. This information was carefully omitted during the sales pitch. The equipment was out of order for the duration of the cruise. Read more