My husband and I are in our late 30's and have no children. This is our fifth cruise but our first on Holland America. We have cruised on Celebrity twice and Royal Caribbean twice. The reason we decided to try Holland America was because of the deals that were available. I couldn't believe the great deal we got and this will go a long way toward making us loyal Holland America fans.

We live close to the port so that we didn't need to stay in a hotel. Embarkation was a little chaotic when we arrived curbside by cab but once we were inside it went fast.

The ship is a little smaller than the jumbo ones that I have been on but does not feel crowded. There were only two things that I did not like about the ship: 1. The size of the jacuzzis are too small. They do have one jacuzzi that is larger but the 4 others are quite small. This is fine if it is just me and my husband but when others join you it is very cozy. 2. They do have a larger whirlpool in the Greenhouse Spa but when we inquired about it was $30 a day! Celebrity has the same type of large whirlpool on their ships and you do not have to pay for it. The fitness center was a little small but was well appointed with a combination of cardio and strength equipment. Read more