This was our 8th cruise but our first on Holland America, and for the most part, it was fabulous. The Amsterdam is a smaller ship than we are accustomed to, but it was not crowded at all, and the level of service was much higher than expected.

We flew into Seattle the day before, stayed at a hotel near the airport and took the light rail for $2.75 each into the city (Westlake station)where we found a cab which for $10 took us to Pier 91. Boarding was painless. We were in our stateroom by 11:30. Lunch was served on Lido deck and was very good. When we got back to our room, our luggage was there.

The ship is very clean and well maintained with the exception of the plumbing. Our toilet did not function intermittently for the better part of two days, and we had to plan to use public facilities on Decks 3, 5, or Lido, even early morning or late at night. We complained to guest relations and got a cold brush off. Captain Mercer offered an apology on August 22 in an intercom announcement, and some guests, including friends of ours, received a letter of apology and a bottle of wine in recompense. We did not receive anything, and frankly, this exacerbated the "bad smell" associated with the issue. We have since sent a letter to Holland Guest Relations. Please keep in mind that this is a relatively tiny issue, and we love the ship, the staff and the cruise. Read more