Nieuw Amsterdam Review
Rating by category
Additional details
We were on this ship in May 2018 and were impressed enough to book for this sailing in February 2019. This ship went through a dry dock in December 2017 that updated the decor. They also stopped allowing smoking inside the casino at that time. I had always dismissed HAL as an option because of their smoking policy, so this was a welcome change for me. The only smoking currently allowed is now on an outside deck.
The crew are very well trained, friendly, and personable. They seem genuinely happy to be on board and also appear to get along well with each other. To me, that's always a sign of good management and work environment.
Dining was good to excellent in the main dining room and specialty restaurants. This ship has Tamarind as a restaurant choice, which is excellent (have eaten there four times now). The lido buffet has a nice variety of food that tastes good. As importantly, there is lots of staff around to get drinks and clear tables, which is an area where other cruise lines seem to have cut back. There are also a couple of fast casual options for burgers and pizzas, both of which serve excellent food.
Cabin Review
Deluxe Verandah Suite
Neptune Suites are awesome. Great layout, lots of space, and wonderful bathrooms (tub/shower combo + separate shower + double-vanity sink). The balconies are huge and include two loungers + a dining table with chairs. The different categories (SA, SB, SC) seem to be primarily based on location relative to the Neptune Lounge, which is the dedicated suite lounge. SA are on the same floor as the lounge, SB are on the floor below, and SC are on the floor below but further aft. We were in a SB category in May and in a SC for this trip and noticed no differences in the rooms other than location. Having to go upstairs to the lounge was not a big issue for us at all, and we dropped by several times a day. The corner aft suites on every deck are also classified as SB, presumably because that location is premium for some.