My wife and I have cruised on many different lines and ships. This trip was our first with Holland America. The Nieuw Amsterdam is what I would call a moderate sized ship, especially when compared to the newer “mega ships”. We found the ship itself to be clean and for the most part, well run. It is slightly older, as are it’s passengers!

The food was quite good and we used the dining room for most breakfasts and lunch. The service was above average in the dining room and I would rate it a respectable 8.5 on a ten scale. We learned not to wait for others at our table to be served, because it could be 10 minutes or more before we all had our order. A few times, items were forgotten, but overall a good experience.

We tried all four specialty restaurants for dinner and we liked them all! We agreed with others we spoke to, that Pinnacle grill was by far the best. I recommend booking them twice per cruise! Their food and service was great. We would rate Tamarind 2nd, followed by Canaletto, and Nami Sushi. I emphasize that all were quite good food and really great service! We specifically appreciated Amelia at Canaletto and our servers at Nami and Tamarind, whose names escape us. They were all fantastic. Read more