Nieuw Amsterdam Review
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Additional details
Our group of young adults (upper 20s) did a week long cruise on the Nieuw Amsterdam with family and significant others, total of six of us. We chose this cruise because of the price, dates, itinerary and the fact that we had not yet been with Holland America.
Having prepped by reading some reviews and general information, we knew that the ship would scale elderly. There is no getting around this fact and what it entails for the cruise experience. This was the oldest group of people I've ever seen on a cruise. As such, we were prepared for bland food, strange entertainment choices and some other inconveniences along with a slow paced cruise.
We were very wrong about bland food. The food was a true delight and a highlight of the cruise. This is the best dining experience and best food taste, presentation and selection I've ever had, hands down, in comparison to Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian. The range represented from upper-class wedding catering up to true-blue restaurant quality meals. The Buffet was phenomenal and open much more often than rivals' buffets.
Cabin Review
Large Ocean-View Stateroom
Our cabin was on Floor 1 which was awesome. We were very close to the promenade and upper promenade decks which was where most of the action was. This also meant that we did hear a lot of walking above us generally until about 10PM. Our cabin was spacious but the layout made for a tight entrance that opened up in the back.
There was insufficient drawer space, although you will find 1 large pull-out drawer under your bed. There were 3 hanging closets, however, which was very nice.
The bathroom was spacious. We had a tub with a shower and a toilet at a 45 degree angle, with 1 sink for the room inside that bathroom. The water pressure was good. although the water was softened chemically and sometimes even with great pressure and temperature it took too long to wash soap / shampoo out.
The in-room entertainment was unbelievably good. There was a built-in on demand system in the TV that actually worked well. Dozens of movies and TV Shows were available to watch on demand, and most of them were commercial free. We did experience 1 weird commercial that lasted about 7 minutes out of no where.
Cabin stewards were like ninjas and we barely ever saw them after they introduced themselves. They stopped by 3 times a day, making the bed, refilling towels, filling our bowl with fruit and our ice bucket with ice. It was very convenient and a lovely experience.
Port Reviews
Grand Cayman (Georgetown)
Georgetown in Grand Cayman is a fully westernized beach resort island. It does still have slums, but overall its an expensive and fully furnished town. There is great shopping, very limited taxes and tons of duty-free options all over the island. Unfortunately the exchange rate is unfavorable, so your dollar is pretty weak.
Cruises must tender here, as the reefs and beaches close to the island are very shallow.
This island is home to Seven Mile Beach which is lined with high end resorts and some great bars. For $5 per passenger, there is taxi service from the cruise terminal to the mid-way public beach which is very crowded but a lot of fun. You are free to walk along the beach until the crowds thin out.
Cayman is home to some amazing reefs and ship wrecks that are great for snorkeling or even taking a mini submarine.