This was my first cruise. We flew to Amsterdam and then met friends who had already been on the ship for a week. We sailed to Norway. First of all - Norway - how beautiful! I had never been there before and the fjords were just breathtaking. We did mostly self-guided touring including renting cars with the exception of one port where we purchased the "Waterfall and Waffle" excursion which is highly recommended. Norway is gorgeous and I will have to come back some day.

The ship is huge and in excellent condition. We stayed in an excellent cabin on the Mozart Deck (deck 6). I found it to be roomy, especially with the balcony, well appointed, clean, and comfortable. My only gripe is the small bathroom with a poorly-placed toilet that normal or taller size people cannot sit on without turning sideways.

The food was excellent. I enjoyed the Lido immensely. They had food items at the Lido like prime rib and crab (on certain nights). Try the bread pudding. I will probably sail HAL again just for the bread pudding! The main dining room was overrated in my opinion. The meal took 2 hours which is just too long and the portions are small. The wait staff was amazing however. Read more