Nieuw Amsterdam Review
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There was a drill for the crew when we came aboard and all the elevators were unavailable. Neither of us handle stairs very well and if we had to climb more than two decks we wouldn't have been able to do it. The Greenhouse Spa was wonderful. I can't believe that sleep is possible in concrete and tile lounges but somehow I only managed 2 or 3 pages in my book before I zonked out. The therapy pool was good for my wife - some maintenance issues that were fixed in a few days. The jet in the center of the pool was way too strong but the people responsible for maintaining it insisted it was "just fine"; we disagree. If you prepay for the Greenhouse you may find a lower price advertised don't worry, call customer relations and they will fix it quickly.
We were mildly disappointed that we couldn't get into Tamarind for dim sum. The venue is small and only available for dim sum 3 days in the 14 days of the crew.
Enough negativity. The ship was spotlessly clean, the food was excellent, the service impeccable, all up to Holland America's high standards. We booked the cruise largely for the 8 sea days. They were wonderfully restful. All in all one of the best of our 41 cruises.
Cabin Review
Deluxe Ocean-View Verandah Stateroom
The cabin was clean and spacious and the cabin attendant kept it that way without intruding. There was a little extra storage above the sleeper sofa, easily accessible to me but not to my wife; she's 4'9'", I'm 5'11". The sofa was showing its age. It was impossible to get the cushion on properly or to stay in place. Otherwise exceptional. During a 5 week dry dock they installed a new TV system and the crew was still learning how to operate it. In cabin movies were very good and plentiful, with new movies added almost daily.
Port Reviews
Malaga
Not much to say here. We didn't get off the ship. I was not feeling well so we decided it made lots of sense to stay aboard and have another restful day.
Palma de Mallorca (Majorca)
Left the cruise terminal and the Hop On Hop Off bus was right there. Long line but we stayed with it and were the first to board the second buss. Found out if you're 65 or older Hop On Hop Off has a 50% Senior rate.