This was our third transatlantic crossing with Holland America and our favorite (the others were April 2014 on the Noordam Lauderdale/Barcelona and Oct 2014 on the Nieu Amsterdam Barcelona/Lauderdale). This was a short-notice decision, taking advantage of an incredible fare published a month before sailing, for a balcony stateroom just off mid-ship, We booked directly with the cruise line and embarked on what we are calling our "Pilgrimage to Rome". As Catholics, HAL is our preferred cruise line because a priest sails on every ship celebrates daily mass. This being an extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy, we wanted to travel to Rome, to St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City and go through the Holy Door opened only during jubilee years.Timing was such that we spent Easter on the ship and enjoyed an Easter Brunch second to none in the main dining room.

The second reason HAL is our brand of choice is the Filipino and Indonesian crew delivering excellence in service and customer satisfaction on every ship, every voyage. We've sailed on Oceania, Royal Caribbean and Princess prior to HAL and believe the pie dedicated crew sets HAL apart from the others. This trip was no exception.

The food in the main dining room was fantastic - there was no need to try any of the specialty restaurants. We had incredible waiters (Teddy and Enri) - table 39, second seating and dinner was the highlight of our day. Staff went over and above to accommodate my request for daily low fat/low calorie menu selections, offering alternatives not on the regular menu, if desired. Read more