This was our 9th cruise with Holland America and 2nd on the Nieuw Amsterdam. After a so-so experience on our last Holland America cruise, an Australia & New Zealand cruise on the Oosterdam, we decided to give Holland America one last try. Things worked out much better this time. The Nieuw Amsterdam is in excellent condition and is very well maintained. Service on board from the room stewards, restaurant and bar staff was up to the high standard we expect from Holland America. Other staff, such as staff working on tenders and excursions and the front office staff, were very helpful.

This time around we found the quality of the meals in general was much improved over what we experienced on our previous cruise. The main dining room meals were generally OK and there was sufficient selection for us to find something we liked each dinner. The specialty restaurants ranged from very good to excellent. The Pinnacle is still very good but perhaps not quite as special as it was in the past. The Canaletto (Italian) restaurant is lovely & we found the Tamarind (Asian) truly exceptional, a 10/10. The only hiccup worth mentioning was a terrible initial lunch in the main dining room for returning Mariners on the day of embarkation - service was painfully, painfully slow & there was a problem with table assignment. Very bad 1st impression but fortunately things improved significantly after that.

For this 7 day cruise there were ample activities on at sea days and we also found time to just relax and unwind, which was our main reason for taking the cruise. Unfortunately the weather didn't cooperate for part of the trip - we experienced heavy rain in Georgetown, Cayman Islands and in Cozumel, Mexico, which spoiled our plans in both ports. However, Holland America's private island, Half Moon Cay, remains one of our favorite places & we had great weather & a great time there. The beach is immaculate and I love walking in the soft sand, looking out on the turquoise water and swimming in the ocean there. Total bliss! And we very much enjoyed the vibe in Key West as well. Read more