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Nieuw Amsterdam Cruise Review to Panama Canal, Central America

Aikentraveller

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 4-6 cruises

Reviews: 3

Helpful Votes: 99

Overall rating:

4 out of 5

Verified Review

16 Night Panama Canal Westbound (Ft. Lauderdale To San Diego)

Sail date: April 09, 2017

Ship: Nieuw Amsterdam

Cabin type: Oceanview

Cabin number: 4114

Traveled as: Singles/Friends

Reviewed: 7 years ago

Review summary

Get rid of Cartagena! or at least the tours. We sat on a bus until we got to stores-stopped and got to shop (badgered by peddlers). Got back on bus, went to one museum and paid $54 each for this.

Liked everything else- Corinto in Nicaguara is very poverty stricken - but the folks there are nice. We enjoyed the Costa Rica experience - train and mangrove boat

ride. Mexico excellent and appeared very clean.

Enjoyed going thru the Canal. That was on my bucket list.

Staff on the ship was outstanding as usual. Managed to gain six pounds eating two desserts on the Lido deck at lunch.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5

Onboard Activities

5 out of 5

Love the trivia. Unfortunately there is so much to do that there are a couple of things scheduled at the same time. There is only one Scrabble Board. Definitely need to purchase at least five more.

Entertainment

3 out of 5

We enjoyed the comedians and the musicians. Could live without the dance and singing group that performed three times

Children's Programs

5 out of 5

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

Stewards were excellent. Sorry we didn't take one without obstruction as there was a lifeboat outside our window and often there was a crew member as well, doing something to the equipment on the boat.

Ports of call

Half Moon Cay, Bahamas (Private Island)

3 out of 5

If you've been to the Caribbean before- this is nothing but a stop to stretch your legs. We walked around. Nothing much to see but beach and beach grass.

Thumbs Up 0

Cartagena, Colombia

1 out of 5

Don't bother with excursions. Total waste of time

Thumbs Up 0

Enter Panama Canal At Cristobal

5 out of 5

Panama Canal Transit

5 out of 5

Exit Panama Canal At Balboa

5 out of 5

Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica