This was cruise #7 for us; however, our first with HAL. This was our least favorite of the cruise lines on which we have sailed. Specifically, reasons include, boring/lack luster entertainment, lack of on board activities and poor selection of food choices in dining room. We wanted to have a table for 2; did not want to share. We were made to feel that this was an imposition and unreasonable. ...
We were on the Rotterdam VII for 21 Days (January 25 to Feb 15) for the Seafarer & Wayfarer Collector Cruise. Let me first say that:
I waited to write this for a month - so, I could consider all the issues that we had dispassionately. I’ve tried to be as hones as possible - hopefully it doesn’t come off as some sort of “get off my lawn” rant….
We are 4-Star Mariners - these were our ...
Initially, we chose this 74-day cruise based solely on the “Grand Voyage” itinerary. The ports-of-call for the cruise, most of the excursions we took, and the passengers & locals we met were great fun & exciting. However, Holland America’s cruise ship (the Volendam) was awful - and based on that we would never want to cruise w/ Holland America again or recommend the cruise line to anyone. We ...
The Nieuw Amsterdam is definitely dated. Looks, smells, and feels like an old ship. The Pinnacle class ships are much nicer than this Signature Line ship or the even older Vista Class ships. Will never go on HAL on other than a Pinnacle Class ship.
The entertainment was horrible. Almost non-existent. There is literally nothing going on-- day or night. Main entertainment was watching a ...
The food was sub-par. Some examples are sandwiches with 1 piece of paper-thin meat and fish that had an ammonia taste (meaning it's old and not edible). Most, not all food tasted as if it came out of a can or box-example, coconut shrimp. At best the food was inconsistent, upcharges for steak and lobster in regular dining. little entertainment on the ship. For 16 days, 2 different comedians, ...
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 ...
The loves lost on HAL.
Absolutely dissatisfied and disappointed with HALs commitment to running their operations aground.
Understaffed and overworked.
This ship was severely understaffed and as a result every aspect of operations was negatively affected. Im not sure if the excuses outnumbered the complaints but I did speak to a 4 star mariner who seriously considered disembarking mid ...
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; ...
We scheduled the cruise as a retirement gift for my wife and I as we read many great reviews for food an service. Not True. Stay away, they wasted our money and time, don't let it happen to you.
1. The service was so bad I was convinced that they did not care about us as paying customers.
2. The food in the Lido Market was nothing better than cafeteria food. I was more than convinced they ...