Our cruise was booked via Mail Travel/Jetline Cruises on 10th May 2016 for a 14 day cruise with departure on 26th February 2017 with anytime dining. All confirmed – no problem, or so one would think. My wife and I were travelling for the first time with Holland America with two other couples – for one couple it was their first cruise experience.

We all started by sitting down in October deciding what trips we wanted to do including jet skis, boat trips etc. These we booked but within a week two of these had been cancelled and another was cancelled a month or two later – good start.

Anyway, we got our flights to Miami, stayed at a nice hotel and then travelled down to meet the Nieuw Amsterdam in Fort Lauderdale. Boarding was good, we unpacked and then, feeling hungry, we met up at 7.30 in the bar for a pre-dinner drink. Whist socialising, we noticed there was a very long queue leading to the dining room. Read more