We were extremely happy with our first experience on HAL. As a 42 and 46 year gay couple we weren't sure of what to expect. The staff was nothing but friendly, gracious and kind. We are now sold on Holland America!

Embarkation: This was such a great start to the cruise. We arrived at the terminal at 11:00 and were on board in 15 minutes. Very smooth and easy with no issues. Since we were booked in a suite we were able to board right away.

Our accommodations: we booked the Deluxe Veranda Suite SC 4181 cabin and loved every aspect of it. The closet space is more than enough in fact you would be hard pressed to fill it all up on a voyage of 30 days let alone 7 days. It's the first cruise we took when we had empty drawers space! The deep wrap around balcony more than compensated for the long walks to the other areas of the ship. In fact we enjoyed any extra calorie burning we could get so the long walks weren't an issue at all. Upon disembarking we were able to see some of the SA suites on the Rotterdam deck and other than the mid-ship location and proximity to the Neptune lounge really did not feel that much bigger than our SC room. The bathroom was spacious and well lit, the dressing area was adequate and great for additional storage. Placing the bathroom behind the dressing area was smart as it allows one guest to get ready while the other sleeps in and keeps light and noise out of the bedroom area. The room was clean and the only design complaints were 1) The location of the plasma TV which blocked the window view, if it was wall mounted it would open up the space. This would open up views to the deck and let more light into the suite. 2) The drapery was too long and pooled on the floor so it looked a bit cheap and unkempt. 3) Pop in some windows on the side of the room with the bed to capture views and light. 4) Plug outlets should be spaced apart so multiple iPhones, Kindles and iPads could charge. Or add more outlets throughout the room. That is it for the constructive feedback and I think they are minor but just some odd design options. Read more