My wife and I are fairly experienced travelers and have cruised several timers in the last 4 years but never on Holland America. First off, the Nieuw Amsterdam is a truly beautiful ship.Understated elegance is how best to describe the decor. The boarding process in Venice went extremely smooth and since our cabin was not yet ready, we joined others for lunch in the main dining venue ( Manhattan Room ). Service,food presentation and overall ambience were perfect. Our cabin was more than comfortable and the bathtub in the bathroom was great.The layout of the cabin and all the amenities were very comfortable. We choose 'Any time' dining and that worked out perfectly for us.We never waited more than 10 minutes for a table and were always extended a complimentary glass of champagne to offset the wait.We also ate several nights in the specialty restaurants and found them to be worth the extra cost. The Tamerind was a favorite and our dining there will be remembered for the attention to detail in food preparation, quality of the food and the special service. The entire staff of the ship are great. Always friendly, helpful and accommodating. I could not think of anything lacking in how we were treated.Please remember to appreciate your cabin stewards and any other personnel that you interacted with on the cruise. They are the best ! All public rooms are tastefully decorated and inviting. Food in all venues are first rate and the wait staff are always present to assist with any special requests. The ports are mostly special with exception of Argostoli. Many of the passengers that we interacted with -questioned why we had to waste time at this stop.. We only signed up for one Holland America tour due to the inflated costs and mundane tour details. We booked shoe excursions on our own with several other couples and found them to be more reasonable in costs and more enjoyable in the choice of itineraries. The one H-A tour was the Venice Jewish Ghetto tour. A total waste and rip off.We spent probably 3 times the cost of or doing it on our own and would have seen so much more. The H-A tour took us to several synagogues, that were empty of any ritual objects and we were not permitted into the synagogue museums ( which did contain the religious objects ) nor the book stores. We were given perhaps 10-15 minutes to walk around the square, before being led back to the tender-which basically wasted time cruising around the canal before heading back to the ship. If you are jewish or are interested in the history of the Ghetto-do it on your own,save money, see the necessary and come away with appreciation of what you have seen.Holland America should be ashamed for foisting this type of 'tour' on unsuspecting passengers ! All other ports were great-if you knew what you wished to do and planned accordingly every port was jammed with visitors so be prepared.Still they are a must to see and experience. The one main complaint voiced by many, many passengers had to do with the temperatures thru out the ship. The cabins should have individual controls, otherwise you always hear the fans whirling 24/7-A real annoyance.Almost every part of the ship was freezing-especially the main dining venues ( Manhattan and Lido ) and several times fellow passengers left their meals due to the discomfort of freezing temps. Also many people were sneezing, coughing and blowing their noses due to being sick-most likely caused by the uncomfortable and unhealthy air-conditioning. On our cruise there were only 14 children including teens-probaly because of schools already starting. Be also prepared to share your voyage with a very senior passenger list. This is not a cruise for young families or those looking for a swinging crowd. For the most part, a sophisticated make up of passengers who know what to expect. If you do your homework before booking and are willing to forgo the H-A tours it is the cruise to remember and cherish with a loved one.