This was the ninth cruise my wife and I have taken but our first on Holland America. We left from New Haven, CT on the bus transfer that the cruise line provided to the Manhattan Cruise Terminal. We found this to be convenient and and more enjoyable than driving the 1-1/2 hours into New York. The bus brought us directly to the cruise terminal where we encountered what had to be the most orderly embarkation process we have taken part in. We were given a number and provided with seating until the number was called. We then proceeded through the usual security checkpoints and and check-in process before boarding the ship.

Once on board we were directed to the Lido deck where we had a short stay until the announcement came that the staterooms were ready. We made our way to our balcony stateroom #4123 on the Upper Promenade deck. We found the room to be of ample size and tastefully decorated. The view from our balcony was a little disappointing however. We had lifeboats to our left and the view down was of some of the ships auxiliary lifeboat equipment. I must confess however that the bed is by far the most comfortable bed we have ever slept on during a cruise. Our stateroom attendant was Widodo who provided us with the best service we have had on any cruise prior to this. He was friendly, helpful, and respectful and did a masterful job working around our schedule. We found the entertainment lacking for the most part. The best shows were the Justin Martin Guitar performances, the Katzenjammer piano shows, and the Ethnic Filipino and Indonesian shows that the crew put on.

The decor of the ship and it's public rooms had a touch of elegance, with dark woods, subdued colors, and interesting artwork. The Explorations Cafe is where you will find a nice selection of books, newspapers, and DVD's to borrow and play in your room. The Internet cafe is also located here as well as a coffee bar. The Vista Lounge provided adequate seating capacity but has a number of poles that block your view from certain seats. The Ocean Bar is centrally located on the Promenade Deck, and spans the area surrounding the atrium. This is a nice stop for a before or after dinner cocktail, with a quartet and small dance floor. The shops are all located forward of the Explorations Cafe, and in order to get from the back of the ship to the front on this level, you have to go through them. The corridors are narrow and crowded and unlike other ships that have more of a mall-like design, these were based on an open floor plan. Despite the confusion the design may present the shops are stocked with plenty of logo merchandise, jewelry and duty-free products. We chose the "As You Wish Dining" that allowed us to eat when and where we wanted. We found this to be an excellent choice, especially on excursion days. We ate most of our meals on the Lido deck, as all the restaurants, other than the Pinnacle Grill, serve the same meals on a daily basis. We found it very relaxing to not have to rush back to our room to change out of our shorts to have a nice meal. The selection of food on the Lido deck for all meals was good and it provided some of the best coffee we have had on a cruise to date. However we did find that most of the soups and some of the entrees were salted a little too much for our taste. Our service staff on the Lido deck consisted of Djasrul, Reza, and Edwin who all provided superior service and good conversation. We did not use the Vista Dining Room but heard that the staff had too many tables to wait on and did not provide the kind of service that was expected of that venue. We did eat at the Pinnacle Grill on two occasions and I would highly recommend it. Despite the $30 "cover charge" the meals and service were impeccable. Read more