We selected this cruise because of the ports offered and the price point. We enjoyed our excursion on Grand Turk which involved a tour of the island, lunch and conch fritter making as well as a stop at Governor's Beach with chairs and umbrellas included as well. It was almost like being on a private beach! Our St.Thomas Tour was lackluster at best. Maegan's Beach was CROWDED and you had to rent your own chairs/umbrellas. We assumed we would be brought back to the ship by lunchtime, but instead were dumped off in town to shop for TWO hours to help the local economy I guess! We selected this tour above the others because it did NOT list shopping in the ITINERARY! We would have rather spent those 2 hours enjoying lunch and the pool onboard the ship! San Juan was fun to explore on our own! We walked to the fort and spent time in Old San Juan.Our last port was canceled (Half Moon Cay) due to a health emergency with a passenger. We ended up in Grand Turks again for a few hours so that the passenger could receive medical attention.

The Nieuw Amsterdam is a smaller ship and does not have huge shows. It did however showcase an excellent comedian as well as an extremely talented singer. The highlight of the entertainment was the BB King Allstar Band! High energy, get up and dance music every night! We wished the ship had a larger venue for them as it was difficult to find a seat! Most popular place on the ship.

Pools were small. No fancy cruise director or even any music poolside. Read more