Nieuw Amsterdam is my least favorite Holland Ship. Very dead, little music. Dominican Republic is a beautiful country , but you must take excursions away from the port. Beaches and villages are worth the trip.
Embarkation
3 out of 5
Excellent embarkation with no lines in the terminal. Mariner Society members get a full menu lunch in the main dining room.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
Food is excellent and the service is too. Bar staff is great. Try the pub crawl/bar hop. Ask the beverage staff about their events.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
Actually I'm referring to the Crow's Nest bar, but Holland America is removing this wonderful lounge and replacing it with their excursion desk and events. The view was incredible and the staff the best I've met on any ship. Ian and Jeremy were the best. Bad move Holland, very bad
Entertainment
1 out of 5
Terrible, terrible, terrible. You couldn't find any music on the ship after 9pm unless you liked the screeching singer in the BB King lounge. No singer in the Crow's Nest, not steel drum band at all on the ship, the violinist stopped playing at nine. Deadest ship I've seen in forty plus cruises.
Children's Programs
No children with us
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
All were excellent except a snippy guest service woman
Ship Quality
2 out of 5
Deck 11 has three venues, but you need to take different stairs or elevators to access each. It's a bit confusing at first. The first week in December and this ship had no holiday music or decorations. After multiple people enquirer, the stuck a few rec balls in the flower arrangements on the guest services desk. The also blocked off stairways to install new carpet. I'd suggest they wait until they are in dry dock.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Great location near aft end of ship. Balcony was a nice size. Steward kept it spotless and did best towel animals I've seen.
You need to take excursions to enjoy the island. Cabaret Beach was very nice. The town square is okay. We also stopped in Samana and our tour to Las Teranas was wonderful
St. Thomas is not in the UK. St. Thomas is slowly recovering from the storms. Our favorite restaurant (Gladys' Cafe was open and most of the shops. Homes are still without power, but the islanders are happy the ships are back
Best private island of all the lines (I've not been to Disney's). It's gorgeous and there are plenty of pavilions for the buffet. Minimal lines too. The beach is beautiful
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