We sailed to the Eastern Caribbean on the Holland America Nieuw Amsterdam. At age 52, this was my first cruise. I was very excited and had expectations of having a great time. I was very disappointed. The ship was boring. At one point, I considered booking a flight back home from the first port with an airport. I didn't because I already paid $3,000 for the two of us to take this cruise and the flight from San Juan back to Atlanta would have cost an additional $1,000 per person. So, we stayed on board with the hope that it would get better. I short, it didn't. The food on the ship was fair at best and the service at the two main restaurants (Manhattan and Lido) wasn't great either. The bar service was horrible. They acted like they were doing you a favor when bringing you a Diet Coke. The entertainment was non-existent. Come on, hiring a few dancers to teach a few guests the foxtrot? That's NOT entertainment. Also, every time you blinked, they were hitting you up for an upgrade or for a purchase of something. On a positive note, I loved our Butler. He worked very hard and provided great service. Also, I loved Half Moon Cay. The island owned by HAL is absolutely beautiful. The shore excursions and ports were wonderful. Anytime we were off the boat was enjoyable. Lastly, I really enjoyed meeting the other passengers. Everyone was very nice and polite, especially the folks we met from Europe. I loved the high-class clientele. I was just disappointed that the flagship HAL ship was unimpressive. Next year, I will fly directly to the Bahamas and stay in an all-inclusive resort. Overall, I felt like I paid for a luxury cruise and got a discount cruise.