"Because of pandemic, I wanted to dine with social distancing, and that was a challenge on the ship - even though we were at half capacity.We booked a Neptune Suite because we wanted a larger balcony with chaise lounge chairs and table and chairs, but ended up with a SQ category with tiny balcony (the chairs provided didn't even fit on the balcony and there was no table or chaise lounge chairs)...."Read More
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 ...
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 ...
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 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; ...
This was our first cruise on HAL. We had always understood HAL to be a superior line for service and food, although otherwise quite low key when compared to the other popular lines. To say we were disappointed would be an understatement.
Embarkation in Ft. Lauderdale was quick and efficient with no long lines and waits. It was odd that we were informed that the boarding passes we printed at ...
Chose this cruise for the itinerary. Good combination of port stops and days at sea. First night started out rough in the dining room. Table for two basically on top of another table for two. Waited almost 15 minutes before the waiter acknowledged us and finally took a drink order. Waiter delivered wrong apps, wrong meal and the wrong dessert. Food on first night was ehhhh. Stay away form ...
We have been on numerous Holland America cruises, on many of their ships on all types of itineraries, including Northern Europe and the Caribbean. This past cruise was so disappointing primarily for one major problem. Yes, it was a southern Caribbean itinerary with stops on the private island, Curaçao and Aruba, with three full sea days. The weather on those sea days were nearly perfect for ...
We choose this trip specifically because it was visiting Curacao, which I had never visited. Additional stops were made in
Aruba and the private island. Our favorite activities on the ship are the casino and spa so a larger ship best met our needs.
Embarkation: We travel to Fort Lauderdale the day prior to the cruise and stay a hotels close to Port Everglades. You receive a designated ...
The ship is beautiful and service is very good. I give it only three out of five because of the challenges of sailing during the pandemic, and because we were disappointed in the suite. We booked a Neptune Suite because we wanted a larger balcony with chaise lounge chairs and table and chairs, but ended up with a SQ category with tiny balcony (the chairs provided didn't even fit on the balcony ...