Nice Western Caribbean Cruise

Nieuw Amsterdam Cruise Review to Caribbean - Western

Cruises: 4-6 cruises
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 43

Overall rating:

4.1 out of 5
Verified Review
Nieuw Amsterdam

7 Night Western Caribbean (Ft. Lauderdale Roundtrip)

Sail date: November 18, 2018

Ship: Nieuw Amsterdam

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 6042

Traveled as: Singles/Friends

Reviewed: 6 years ago

Review summary

I have cruised on Holland 4 times now and it is by far my favorite cruiseline. The boats are a nice size with not too many people and you can really enjoy your time on the ship. This was my second time cruising on the Neiuw Amsterdam and enjoyed being back on the ship. The boat is more modern and the balcony rooms are great. Holland has great entertainment because they have a BB King Blues Club on every ship and the live band plays blues, R & B, and rock music. They kept us entertained the entire cruise. There is also good tv entertainment with a host of free movies and tv shows to keep you entertained in your state room. Room service is free for every restaurant but one and that is a nice perk. The locations we cruised too were nice. I had never been to Montego Bay and it was just average to me. Grand Cayman is my favorite. Cozumel would be second. I am not a big drinker and did not want to spend a fortune for the beverage package. Instead was able to purchase a beverage card for either $50 or $100 and this worked very well. You can use it for alcohol and non alcoholic beverages. It does have to be used completely by the end of the cruise or you lose your money. Holland's captain hosts a lunch for those of us in the Mariner's club, which is their rewards program. We had free champagne and also received a nice souvenir coaster. This is a nice touch to show their appreciation. Holland is a part of the Carnival family, but it is more upscale with a smaller chill vibe which is great for those looking for that type of experience. I have been on Carnival, Norwegian, and Holland. Holland is the best for me! All in all we had a good time and will be cruising with Holland in 2019.

Embarkation

4 out of 5

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

3 out of 5
We ate on the Lido deck the entire cruise, and only ate in the dining room twice the entire week. The buffet has a variety which was nice. The food in the main dining room was just okay.

The Dining Room

3 out of 5

The food options were average. It was nice to be waited on and it is more fancier than eating at the buffet. The meals were in 3 course options. You have to make a reservation early to be able to get a table. They also take walk in's.

Lido Market

4 out of 5

Buffet setting but food was pretty good. The lunch options were definitely better than the dinner option. Dinner should have more of a variety. There is also a late night option. The lemonade was horrible.

Onboard Activities

4 out of 5
The ship has 2 pools. There is an adult pool which is nice. Unfortunately, the kids take over one of the pools and splash water all the time, so it is nice to have another option. I went to the fitness center to workout and participated in the ABS class, which was free.

Entertainment

5 out of 5
BB King All Stars were the best entertainment on the ship. Tried to go to one Mainstage show, but it was too crowded and no seats were available. The club afterwards was lightly attended. I think it was because of the kind of music that was played. On Thanksgiving, they showed the football games in the Gallery Bar which was exciting. I wore my Chicago Bears shirt and watched them beat the Lions with some other football fans.

Service and Staff

4 out of 5
The staff was okay. Humid was our waiter in the buffett area on the Lido deck and was great!

Ship Quality

5 out of 5
Ship design was great and it was clean. I never felt that it was dirty.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5
The balcony staterooms are the best option and they are roomy. You can sit outside when you like and enjoy the scenery.

Ship tip

Nice modern ship

Ports of call

Ft. Lauderdale (Port Everglades), Florida

4 out of 5

Half Moon Cay, Bahamas (Private Island)

4 out of 5

Montego Bay, Jamaica

3 out of 5

George Town, Grand Cayman

4 out of 5

Cozumel, Mexico

4 out of 5

Disembarkation

4 out of 5
Was in the last independent group which left the boat between 9:45 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. which is great. We grabbed breakfast before we got up that morning and that was great it was available. They picked up our bags the night before and was able to just walk off the boat.
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4 Comments

Gwbigdog    2 years ago

Thanks for sharing your cruise.

LoveMyPilot    6 years ago

Our disembark time is 7:00 am (my first cruise). Do they serve breakfast that early? Thank you!

LoveMyPilot    6 years ago

What to wear to dinner for Gala Night on the Mexican Riveria?

majmom96    6 years ago

Totally agree! I love Holland America and the Nieuw Amsterdam. But I’m not sure why you didn’t give a five star review? 🤔

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