Way beyond our expectations! We're looking forward to the next one, and fear we've been spoiled beyond what other cruise lines can offer! Why would they require 150 characters minimum? I think my first two sentences tell it all!
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Easy and fast, since we had reserved a suite and had priority boarding.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
Clean, spacious, well-run and well-staffed. We especially like that the buffets were not "self-serve" where everyone is pawing through all of the food. You simply tell them what you want as you walk through, and they plate it for you. Much better!
Onboard Activities
2 out of 5
There weren't very many activities that appealed to us.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Our concierges, Joyce and Fretzel, were amazing and treated us like valued family members. Our room stewards, Iwan and Asep, kept our suite perfectly clean and tidy. In the dining room, Dolly was a great waiter. He was always available and always had a huge smile. Kudos to all of them!
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Unlike on some ships, there were not a lot of areas where "you can't get there from here". They don't have two-floor areas (such as dining rooms) amidship so you have to go up & over to get to whatever feature is situated forward/aft of them. Everything on board was clean and tidy, and my husband and I both remarked about how nice it was to have cloth towels in the public bathrooms. Excellent
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Our suite was everything we could have wished for. Roomy, exceptionally clean, and full of nice features such as binoculars, umbrellas, robes & slippers, and spa-quality bathroom amenities. Our cabin stewards, Iwan and Asep, did an exceptional job of keeping it clean and tidy.
We did a half-day salmon fishing excursion with Salty Sea Charters, which was not offered through the cruise line. Josh was an excellent captain, and we're so glad we selected his charter, although, being a single-boat operation, he's not big enough to be on the ship's list of excursions. Well worth the "risk" of booking outside of the Holland America list.
LOL! Nice review! I agree - HAL is the best! I recommend the Nieuw Amsterdam and the Koningsdam as well if you haven't already sailed on them. Both are beautiful ships. And we're looking forward to sailing their newest ship, the Nieuw Statendam in 2019!
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