09/04/2024
Just got back from our first cruise on Holland America. We were on one of their newer ships, the Nieuw Statendam! Here are a few of the positives:
1. The ship was very nice - great layout and easy to maneuver. We didn't even see everything!
2. Our stateroom attendants were fantastic. Above and beyond the norm!
3. The pool areas were very nice - the mid-ship pool had a retractable roof which would be perfect in inclement weather (we had beautiful weather so it was always open!) The aft pool was smaller but easy to access via stairs instead of a ladder and the water was much deeper! It took many people by surprise!
4. The food was decent - we only went to the main dining room the first night - the same food was in the buffet, so we figured why bother! The quick service options were actually the best in our opinion. The Dive-In (burgers and hot dogs) and the pizza/deli were very good!
5. The entertainment was excellent in the B.B. King Lounge, it was mediocre in the other venues. We did not see any of the shows, but heard the magician was decent. There are no big production shows on this ship.
6. They had many art activities and things to do during the day. We sat by the pool and relaxed, but there were other things to do!
7. We could just go get towels when we wanted/needed them. We were trusted to just return them - imagine that!
Now a few negatives:
1. Babies in the pool - with diapers! There were signs stating that children could not wear diapers and had to be potty trained. MULTIPLE times there were babies less than 6 months old in the pool. Officers/attendants would tell them they had to get out and the parents would just ignore them. The last full day there was an "accident" in the mid-ship pool - no doubt because of the diapers! The pool had to be drained, cleaned and refilled!
2. The service was lacking in general. We found a few good servers who were fantastic, they just needed more of them!
3. The number of children on the ship was much greater than what we had expected. We knew it was Easter week, but there was absolutely nothing for children to do on the ship other than the pools. If I were a parent this would be the LAST ship I would take my children on....but to each their own!
4. This cruise was a great deal - we paid fo the "Have It All" package and got a drink package, wifi, a specialty dinner, and a shore excursion credit included. If you like to sail and have some "extras", it is worth considering.
5. Signing receipts constantly....very annoying. It annoyed us on Carnival, so we knew that it would also annoy us on Holland America!
Will we go on Holland America again? More than likely....are we rushing to book it today? No. We will definitely keep an eye out for itineraries or deals! There is value in trying something new!