Nieuw Amsterdam Review
Great Eastern & Western Mediterranean experience
Rating by category
Additional details
We took two back-to-back cruises, 12 days each, from Barcelona to Venice and then from Venice to Istanbul and back to Venice. 16 ports, only four sea days, and a couple of overnights (Barcelona, Venice and Istanbul). We're glad we had 24 days on this beautiful ship, because we would not have been ready to leave after the first two weeks. This was our 26th cruise, so we have a basis for comparison.
EMBARKATION DAY: We flew from Florida to Barcelona, arriving at 8 a.m. and taking a taxi to the port. Three big ships were in the same dock area, including ours, so traffic was at a stand-still over the bridge to the dock, driving up our taxi price. Check-in was quick and easy, but then we had to wait until 11:30 while passengers disembarked and we could get on. We were tired and jet-lagged, but the hall was comfortable and food and drink were available for purchase at a bar. When we got on board, we headed for the Lido for lunch and by 1 p.m. our cabin was ready for us to "crash" and nap for a couple of hours. Our luggage arrived promptly. Around 4 p.m. we took the free shuttle to the Columbus statue at the foot of Barcelona's Las Ramblas walking zone and enjoyed a pleasant stroll into the Old Quarter. Shuttled back to the ship for dinner in the Lido and early to bed.
CABIN: We had asked for a "partially obstructed" oceanview and were not disappointed. Our cabin was mid-ship on Deck 4, right off the center elevator. It was the quietest cabin we've ever had and we never felt any ship motion. We had a large double window, floor to ceiling, with clear view out of one side and part of a lifeboat on the other. The wonderful HAL beds lulled us to sleep comfortably each night. We found plenty of storage space, including under the bed, several adjustable shelves and lots of hangers. It took a while to get used to putting your room card in the slot by the door in order to turn on the lights. We could have used more hooks on the wall and a desk drawer. We had a roomy bathroom and tub which was really nice for soaking tired bones after shore trips.
Cabin Review
Large Outside Stateroom (partial sea views)
Cabin 4094 is "partially obstructed" oceanview. We liked it's big windows with only small blockage of view by part of a lifeboat. Very quiet even though we were next to the elevator. Nice big bathroom with tub. Plenty of storage space.