We have been on many HAL cruises (I think 8 on HAL and about 15 overall). We took this cruise because we thought the itinerary was interesting and we wanted to experience this new ship. The itinerary was interesting but the ship was a mixed bag. It was shiny new but they have quite a few kinks that still need to be worked out and there are design features that are disappointing. The embarkation in Amsterdam was really awful and very poorly designed. On the other hand, the disembarkation in Amsterdam was excellent.

Ship - Over all, the ship seems to be a bit undersized for the number of passengers (about 2600). Several of the common areas are cramped. The pool area is tremendously undersized. The pools are exceedingly small and the pool decks are really quite inadequate. This didn't matter on this itinerary since it was very far north and really not swimming weather (although with the pool dome closed a small number of people did use the pool), when this ship goes to warmer climates (e.g. Caribbean), this is going to be a very big problem. Just walking around the ship is also cramped. Many passageways are too narrow. The promenade deck was quite narrow, but there are no deck chairs to get in the way (I guess that since most cabins have verandahs, no need for deck chairs here) so the deck is fine for walking around the ship for exercise. However, views of the water are almost entirely obstructed either by life boats or opaque walls. Deck 10 overlooks the pool but it is almost impossible to walk around there because of the zig-zag design of the space and the placement of lounges. Almost all space is obstructed. Similarly, the Lido Market is quite crowded unless you go at an off time. They did devote a great deal of space to profit centers. Lots of space for the photo gallery, a casino that is ample in space, and a shore excursion area that is huge. But for things that don't generate income, they do not devote much space. For example, there is no library.

Cabin - We had a verandah cabin, as we have had on all of our cruises. This one seemed a bit smaller than most others although it was OK. Storage space was adequate. The bathroom was OK. The shower was quite nice but in order to allow access to all of the sink counter, the toilet is angled toward the shower. So if you are average height or more, you cannot sit straight on it because your knees will hit the shower partition. You quickly learn to sit diagonally. Read more