We have taken a Holland America cruise in the past, in January 2016 on Nieuw Amsterdam to be specific, for the 'Dancing with the Stars' theme cruise early that month. We were impressed by the quality of the line back then and knew we had to take another cruise with them in the future. Mom and I chose this cruise as it aligned with Syracuse University's spring break dates for March 2017. The Oosterdam was a ship in super condition since the refurbishment done in Spring 2016. Oosterdam's Crows' nest, Queen's lounge, MDR, pool areas (main and sea view), Casino and Billboard Onboard, Lincoln Center Stage, and MainStage were all kept in beautiful condition throughout the voyage.

After a enjoying a relaxing day either in port or at sea, we would settle into our nightly routine. This routine included pre-dinner drinks at the Crows' nest, followed by dinner which was always good and served our needs, then head to either B.B Kings' Blues Club or Billboard Onboard for entertainment, and then hit up the casino to try our luck. One night we did try the Pinnacle Grill and must say it was spectacular. The steak offerings and the baked Alaska desert alone are worth the cover charge for the specialty restaurant. Entertainment options at night got an upgrade since we first went on Holland. Billboard Onboard was always full of life and energy at night, and the two pianist/singers there kept the crowd's attention and got some to sing along! B.B King's was amazing as always and is a staple for many at night, got the crowd going, got floor dancing to start, along with audience participation. Our issues with the casino were that it has horrible odds of winning and that there are far too many cruisers for machines in this sector of Oosterdam.

The itinerary for our 7-day leg of the 21-day voyage included stops at: Cozumel, Mexico; Roatan Isle of Honduras, Santo Tomas de Castilla in Guatemala, and Costa Maya, Mexico. Our favorite stop was easily Mahogany Bay, Roatan Isle. Beautiful beach, great ocean- very calm and inviting for a swim, and nice little restaurant off the beach area where we grabbed Jerk Chickens and local Honduran beer to enjoy for lunch. Helpful hint: absolutely do a tour in Santo Tomas, you will not regret it. Guatemala is a developing country that will hopefully one day have much to offer tourists in the way of things to see. We booked a shorex through the shipboard offerings called "A Tale of Two Towns", where you got to see Puerto Barrios, Santo Tomas, and Amantique Bay Resort. I definitely recommend getting off the ship this day to both experience this location in Central America, and educate yourself on a new port stop. Read more