Very well run ship

Nieuw Amsterdam Cruise Review to Caribbean - Western

Cruises: 7+ cruises
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 24

Overall rating:

5 out of 5
Verified Review
Nieuw Amsterdam

7 Night Western Caribbean (Ft. Lauderdale Roundtrip)

Sail date: April 02, 2017

Ship: Nieuw Amsterdam

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 8046

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 7 years ago

Review summary

This ship was one of the cleanest I've ever seen.  We had wonderful stateroom attendants (Agus and Andri). I loved the therapy pool in the spa.  The food was very good.  I wouldn't say excellent, only because some of the evening meal choices were "ok".  We ate in the main dining room every evening and for breakfast.  The wait staff were all very friendly and accommodating.

I prefer reserved dining for the evening meal.  I'm not a big fan of the open dining concept.  I would like to see more opportunity for reserved dining.  In fairness, we asked for a table for 2 and all but one night, our request was granted.  The lunch buffet was just shy of excellent.  Great choices, very well run and super clean.  They had an Asian station and it had to be the best Asian food I've ever had.  Very fresh, they made it many dishes in small batches right in front of you.  The vegetables were crispy and not overly sauced.  They had a carving station, and on one occasion the meat was too tough to eat.  Other than that one occasion, everything I tried was delightful.

This was our first experience with Holland America.  We would use them again.  It is a mid-size ship (which I like).  They cater to an older crowd, so the pace seemed a little slower than what we've seen on other lines.  Not a problem, very relaxing.  Overall, great experience.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5

Onboard Activities

3 out of 5
Loved the demonstrations from the America's Test Kitchen

Entertainment

3 out of 5

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Ship Quality

5 out of 5
I like the mid size ships. This was one of the cleanest I've ever seen. The staff was wonderful. You could tell it was well managed. The staff were well trained. When we needed something, the staff knew right away what to do.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5
Could be a little bigger. I liked having a tub instead of just a shower. Our stateroom attendants were excellent. Agus and Andri took great care of us.

Ship tip

Don't miss the therapy pool in the spa. It was wonderful!

Ports of call

Key West, Florida

5 out of 5
Was this review helpful? 24

3 Comments

Gwbigdog    2 years ago

Thanks for sharing your cruise.

mazadior    7 years ago

Hi. Did people really dress up for gala night. Just wondered if men wore dinner suits. My husbands not sure whether to take his for our Alaska cruise. Thanks

cece1951    7 years ago

I have been on Holland America and you can request the same table at a certain time every night. You should do this on night one.

Other reviews of this sailing