We found a good deal on this 7 day Western itinerary and the following 7 day Southern itinerary, so we booked a B2B. We have sailed on 7 HAL ships but this was the first time on Nieuw Statendam.

Overall first impression was a clean ship, well maintained and modestly modern decor. Our cabin had USB ports, individual reading lights and room light switches by the beds, a nice lighted mirror and plenty of drawer and cabinet space. The surprise was the large shower that was tiled and had a glass door that opened into the shower. There was plenty of room and a nice shower head that made each shower enjoyable.

Captain Noel Driscoll is from Ireland. His daily announcements were easy to understand, informative, educational and even humorous at times. We looked forward to each one as he described not only the nautical information but also certain aspects of navigating the ship in port or at sea. We learned something new each day. He is also the only captain we have ever seen who dines in Lido daily. It was easy to spot him in line and we even spoke with him on two occasions. Many other officers were seen in Lido as well, including the cruise director, Bonnie Ann. She held the EXC talks on board too. Read more