12 years ago we started our first cruise with this line (to Norway) and we loved it , after few cruises with other lines we decided to go back to Holland America , because of our first good experience with them. This time we were unpleasantly surprised that for 12 years the standards have dropped significantly , instead of improving. On the first minute of the cruise we were very disappointed to ...
The only thing that saved this cruise was the eclipse. This was my third cruise with HAL in three years 2 were on the Eurodam and then this one. I loved my other 2 cruises but this one really soured me on cruising.
Confusing info: We received an email about boarding times which had people instructed to board at 3pm which was all aboard time. It was revised to 2:30. I’m sure this contributed to ...
Overall a very mediocre cruise - nothing special
Cruised with Holland America 10 years ago and it's not as good then.
The points: 1) We were also charged for Crew Appreciation even though our Have It All package booked through IGLU stated this was included. It was only removed after we queried this with Guest Relations, although we did tip the cabin staff personally.
2) During the cruise, ...
We’re do I start, this our first cruise and our last with Holland America. First the good, outside cabin good with great steward; have it all package good value and Wi-Fi actually worked throughout the ship. Specially dining was excellent. Band in the rolling stone lounge excellent but that’s about it. Dining in the main venues was an experience to be missed. Lack of organisation and it appeared ...
Good crew, great route, good excursions, good food, but HAL does not protect the health of its passengers. So many sick people by the time we reached the middle of our 31-day cruise. Packed into the mainstage theatre shoulder to shoulder, it was a chorus of sick people coughing and hacking. Both of us got sick for over a week and most of the people we met on the ship were also sick with the ...
On the positive side, the crew are excellent. Cabin stewards, waiters, food servers and front desk attendants are patient, polite and helpful. The food is Ok but not as good as pre-Covid. The lecture/education part of the cruise seems to have been abandoned by Holland America. We used to see it as university-of-the-seas but no longer. Entertainment is also OK but well reduced in quality. One ...
Holland America Oosterdam 31 night cruise: March 5 to April 5, 2024. This cruise was advertised as including a day of "Scenic Cruising Cape Horn". We made our final payment on Feb. 2. Then, on Feb. 5, we were notified that the ship would NOT be doing the Cape Horn cruise! "For operational reasons". As it turned out, the schedule produced by Holland America is not doable. The Captain told us ...
Our cruise was good. This was the longest cruise we've taken, 31 days. Our stateroom was nice. The bed was comfortable, although we did have it joined and there was a line down the middle. It wasn’t annoying though. Maybe if they put a mattress pad on then that would conceal it. We might have been able to get one but I didn’t ask. The pillows were really comfortable. There was plenty of room in ...
Cruising is a game of expectations as with most things in life. Having previously sailed on freestyle ships, that are often looked down on, we expected a little more from our first Holland America experience. So this review is more related to how we were disillusioned with “traditional old school” cruising.
Embarkation in Hong Kong. Not a drop of water or morsel of a snack for guests waiting ...
We cruise a lot and travelled on the Holland America line before covid and it was fine. However this most recent trip was disappointing and an exercise in money-grabbing. The menu did not change the entire trip, that is to say French onion soup was the ONLY soup on offer for the duration - how difficult is it to make another type of soup? On the first day I asked for the herring but was told it ...