The Statendam is a smaller ship carrying approx. 1200 passengers. We booked an HH category and was upgraded to a C category. We had an outside ocean-view room. We looked out onto the Lower Promenade deck and then the ocean. Surprisingly, we had a great view. The windows had tinting so you could see out, but the folks on the track couldn't see in. Only at night with the lights on could you see- we simply closed the curtains. The room stayed fairly dark with the curtains closed. We were leery of the noise from the track outside our window, but jogging was not allowed. Our room was clean, as was the bathroom, we were fortunate and didn't have the moldy tile that some people have mentioned in their reviews. I was impressed with the closet space- more than any cruise we have taken in the past. I know the Statendam is going in for a "face lift" the end of the year. Honestly, it was our stateroom that needed the biggest makeover. And that was mainly the love seat that looked like it had resided in a frat house in a previous life and the bed sheets were looking a bit ragged. The only negative I have about our cruise stems from the stateroom. If you get room 391- TAKE EARPLUGS! It is not because of the track outside of the window, it is because the room is located directly under the bakery area of the galley. You hear constant noise from above until midnight and then it picks back up- around 3:30am. We visited the front desk and discussed the issue. They could not move us because the ship was at capacity. However, within 2 hours we received chocolates and two letters from the hotel manager and the restaurant manager apologizing for the inconvenience. They assured us they spoke to the staff about being more quiet- I would have to say the noise level did go down a little. The other issue surrounding the stateroom was the lack of temperature control. For whatever reason, the last two days of the cruise we did not have air conditioning. The room was a virtual sauna. Again, management brought us a fan and profusely apologized for not being able to move us to another room. Last, smoking was very evident in the staterooms around us. All of the stateroom doors have vents in them which let in the hall air which most of the time reeked of smoke. But even with those "negative" things, we loved our home away from home. We spent a lot of time there watching movies and taking naps. The movie channels supplied were great. We watched more movies than I can count.

I was very pleased at how well the ship has been kept. It was immaculate and in amazing shape. Everything sparkled...the ship had a very home-like feel to it.

We did not go on any excursions- our trip plan was to stay put on the ship and enjoy the scenery as we sailed by. The on-board activities were geared to an older crowd and people appeared to have taken advantage of the activities and appeared to be having fun. The only activity I took advantage of was the Digital Photo Workshop. It was incredible! The class is FREE, the software is FREE. There is a computer lab with 16 stations. The "Techspert" was John and his lovely partner Kathleen. They were great! The class is offered through an agreement with Microsoft- you learn how to edit the very pictures you take throughout the cruise, you learn to make a movie, build a website and create a vacation blog. I am a bit of a techie but I am proud to say that the class is designed so that the newest user to the more advanced user can learn. Don't miss this opportunity if you cruise on this ship! Read more