I have cruised around 13 times, usually loyal to Royal, so I was nervous to try Holland America because I felt the vibe would be too low key for me. While the energy on the outdoor decks was too low key for me, the energy at the various music venues and main stage was just perfect. All other aspects of the cruise and ship were also perfect, so this was pretty darn close to a perfect cruise.

We added this cruise to our winter itinerary only about 3 weeks before departure because we were scheduled to be out of the country. We chose this particular cruise because the dates were perfect and 11 day itinerary took us to some islands never visited.

First, the condition of this 2 year old ship was sparkling clean and new. The attention to every detail in terms of design, cleanliness, and maintenance has been meticulous. I was surprised to learn that our last minute upgrade to a balcony room landed us on the 4th deck and an extra large balcony. Our room was very clean and our bathroom seemed larger than usual (but not suite size by any means). Read more