Nieuw Amsterdam Review
Rating by category
Additional details
After several cruises on other lines and a long time with no cruises at all, we were so happy to be back on a 'dam ship again. Just as we remembered, Holland America Line is the best. We had a wonderful cruise, in large part due to the excellent staff on board. We were pampered at every step and treated like long lost friends. The food has always been good on HAL and this cruise it was better than ever. We had great meals in every venue. Entertainment has been scaled back a bit as the cruise line recovers from the pandemic. We did not go to as many shows as we have before but did enjoy what we went to. Our ports were all beach types. We had only one excursion, a very fun trip to see monkeys in the Dominican Republic. We were disappointed to miss our scheduled stop in Key West but understand that was out of HAL's control. The Nieuw Amsterdam is a lovely ship.
Cabin Review
Superior Verandah Suite
We took advantage of an opportunity to move up a category and were so happy we did. The signature suite was a great size for three people. The balcony was terrific and we spent a lot of time lounging there. The bathroom was great - having two sinks was very handy and the whirlpool bath was a great perk. We appreciated having usb ports next to the beds too - so convinient for recharging phones at night.
Port Reviews
Amber Cove (Puerto Plata)
We spent little time in the port area itself. The usual shops were there. We liked our excursion to see the monkeys very much.
Grand Turk
A really lovely beach right off the pier. The shops weren't anything special - many of the same things one sees everywhere. We enjoyed that they had live music.
Half Moon Cay
Such a beautiful island! The beach is wonderful. We rented a clamshell to ensure we would have shade. The food was very good. The best part of Half Moon Cay for us was meeting the gardener who works on site. He gave us a wonderful tour of the gardens.
Nassau
Crowded, dirty, thronged with people pushing you to buy or tour or... The construction going on made it even worse. I would be delighted to never stop at Nassau again.