About Us: We are 60 and recently retired. This was our 28th cruise but only our 2nd on Holland America. We sailed with them to Alaska in 2008 and had a marvelous time.
Pros: The ship was immaculate. Embarkation and debarkation were effortless. Cabin was ready at 12:30. Balcony cabin was clean, well designed and the shower was fantastic. Loved the chairs on the balcony. Anytime dining ...
Let me first start off with the good: The crew was very nice on the ship (except the guest services). They pamper you like you are a Saint, even if you do not want it. The ship was clean and neat. They communicated very well with the guests on all activities and upcoming shows. There were plenty of elevators and the ship was not overly crowded. The rooms were good size and the internet was decent. ...
We took this cruise as a "back-to-back" cruise with a 15 Day Panama Canal cruise on the same ship. We changed cabins from aft port hole to aft interior. This was to try out these types of cabins, and see what the experience is like without a balcony of our own - and honestly, to see if these far less expensive cabins would serve us as well as the balcony / suite cabins. We found that the two ...
I'd avoid Holland America line if you are not an old age/white person. You will be ignored at bars, restaurants, will be seated at undesirable seats and get bad service if you do not fit their expected profile above. Took us 45 minutes to get a glass of wine. They'd flatly refuse to seat you at a window in a walk-in dining place to keep the seating just in case somebody more desirable shows up. ...
The original itinerary was changed two months prior to departure for three ports and we were not allowed to exchange or get a refund. The embarkation was a nightmare. Long, long lines with people in walkers and wheelchairs waiting over an hour. The food quality in the main dining room was horrible. The Lido buffet constantly had long lines and wait times. The theatre entertainment consisted of ...
We have been on 45+ cruises and this ranked at the bottom. We requested a wheelchair assist and all that happened was we got shuffled through the regular access points. Finally we saw a wheelchair go by us. We asked about our assist and was told we were in the wrong waiting area. We eventually got a wheelchair up to the ship. We all agreed that the Cruise Director be demoted. Shows that people ...
We are 3 star, almost 4 star mariners. We like Holland America for its itineraries and its staff. Let me be clear: for the most part we enjoyed our cruise. Our cabin was very comfortable and spotless. Our stewards were very customer oriented. Our excursions were great fun. However, from the beginning things were not as good as they used to be. Embarkation with Orange Status should have been ...
We chose this cruise because it ended at our home port of Vancouver BC .
It was also our first cruise with the Holland America line.
Prior to boarding we had to sit on rows of chairs the were so close together that gave us a feeling of clostaphobia.
Upon embarking we were informed that our suites had not been made available due to cleaning etc, so we had to find a spot to sit untill ...
We chose this transatlantic cruise and this ship because we wanted transportation to Europe, did NOT want to visit a lot of ports, wanted to relax at sea prior to a heavy sightseeing itinerary once we arrived, and for the entertainment and food advertised.
We were wholly disappointed. We were disappointed to the point that we would not want to travel on Holland America again.
The embarkation ...
I am incredibly disappointed with HAL. I have traveled multiple times with this line and was always delighted.
That is not the case with my recent sailing on the Nieuw Amsterdam. Cleanliness was not a priority. In my cabin room, debris, old contacts, and gooey stuff were left in the trashcan, the bathroom floor wasn't clean, and neither was the area around the sink. The countertops in the ...