synodofdort Cruise Review on Nieuw Amsterdam on Mar 17, 2018

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 11

Review summary

We had another wonderful cruise with HAL! Each aspect of the Nieuw Amsterdam was done excellently and we have been reminded of why we love Holland America so much. Our staterooms, 1065 and 1067, were spacious, clean, and we'll furnished. The shower tubs were large and I never felt cramped in the bathroom; there was more than enough space in the wardrobe and drawers for clothes and personal belongings. Our window sill in 1067 was deeper than in 1065, and allowed us to store a room service tray there if we wished, or even sit in and observe the port activity. We were conveniently located in between midship and aft elevators, and had easy access to the front desk, theater, and a quick jog up the stairs to the Lido Marketplace. The food was outstanding, in Holland America fashion, and except for a churro dessert on Mexican night, we couldn't find a single dish that was underwhelming or disappointing. We were, however, disappointed with the coffee available aboard - the room service coffee, in particular, was the worst, and tasted stale. Lido Marketplace's was marginally better, and the MDR's coffee was the best brewed coffee on the ship, although it's quality was really just tolerable, and comparable to Cracker Barrel Country Store in the United States; sufficient for most, but some who are used to better coffee will be disappointed. The espresso bar was likewise underwhelming, although getting a double espresso for $1.95 was about the best coffee, altogether, on the ship. The service was exemplary, and we, once again, felt attached and appreciative of the wonderful crew aboard HAL. Each of the men and women, hailing from Indonesia, Philippines, and Thailand, particularly, did a fantastic job of making us feel welcome and pampered, regardless of their own fatigue/stress. Overall, we were pleased with our experience; we are boring cruisers, though, altogether, and spend most of our time in our staterooms reading or watching movies. The entertainment and activities may be found lacking by those used to Las Vegas-style shows, but we found the Planet Earth 2 show, in particular, to be satisfactory.