"- Private island: You will tender to this option on private vessels.Lunch is served on the island and was a good selection of standard bar-be-que items...."Read More
This was an Eastern Caribbean cruise on the Niew Statendam departing Port Everglades in Ft. Lauderdale on Sunday, 3/26/23.
I was a little worried, as I had read recent reviews that Holland America cruises were not as good as they were pre-pandemic. I also read that the food was not as good.
I am happy to report that all that turned out to be false! I could not be happier with our ...
We were excited to go on this cruise. We had not been on one since 2018. We knew going on that there would be generally older people but wow, there was mostly elderly on this cruise. There are pros and cons about that. The ship was very clean. Crew was very friendly. I’ve had better cruise food but I’ve had worse to. I like the music theme of the ship. I like the variety of music, such as the ...
I chose this date and itinerary because of work/vacation date restrictions. I couldn't go any other date and wanted to try a 7 day on HAL.
The positives: The service in every area is excellent. Every single crew member was pleasant, smiling and friendly. This was the best part for us.
The ship is very pretty and very clean. Even in the Lido Buffet. I loved the hand washing stations and many ...
My wife and I were looking for a deal on a cruise. We found one with HAL. We had cruised with HAL twice to Alaska, but never to the Caribbean, so we were curious if there would be any differences. We enjoyed our Alaska cruise, and this one did not disappoint us.
The ship was kept clean. There wasn't a lot of trash to be found in the public areas. Crew members were friendly and happy to ...
Holland America is my choice for any future cruises. Everything perfect with one exception. It was very frustrating to witness the chair hogs that was an everyday occurrence. I am an early riser, and by 6 am MANY pool deck chairs were already "reserved" by the usual method, and many of them were not used until well pass lunch time. I realize there really is not much Holland can do about that. ...
I just got off the Nieuw Statentdam (aka Hospice of the seas). I've been on dozens of cruises, and this was by far the worst.
The ship had far fewer common areas than any other ship I've been on. It's not an old ship, so why was it designed so poorly? I don't need water slides and go-carts, but at least a few places to sit. They shoved in as many cabins as they could with little thought to ...
Launched in 2018 but dry docked during the Pandemic, the Nieuw Statendam boasts beautiful lines and well designed public spaces. I was told that this 10-night holiday cruise was the most full the ship has been since 2020, and the ship was understaffed. Neverthless, the crew did a great job trying to satisfy demanding passengers. Service was slow in the main dining room, and at times one had to ...
This cruise was a disaster from start to finish…but the worst part of it was the food and the rude waitstaff/bartenders….I was genuinely shocked at how horrible the food was- at least 75% of what we got was inedible…baked goods were dry and tasteless and the items that should’ve been hot were consistently COLD ….i even saw flies on the baked goods…rotten fruit etc…I actually ended up losing ...
We needed a winter getaway, that fit our time frame.
Service in dining room was off for the first 3 days, then they seemed to find a rhythm.
You need to request butter and jam with your toast, you need to request artificial sugar.
They used to come around with tray of danish for breakfast, you have to ask for it now.
The pinnacle dining experience on day 7 was so slow, and the food ...
We have 145 nights sailing on HAL but this cruise line has changed a lot and this will be our last cruise on them. First the PROS: the food is still very good; staff works hard to take care of the passengers; balcony cabins were adequate; embarking and disembarking went smoothly; our wine package was good; room service was very good THE CONS: the staff overall seems understaffed & overworked; ...