Relaxing but Holland America is not for me

Item: Nieuw Amsterdam
Rating: 3.8
Author: KH24806

Nieuw Amsterdam Cruise Review to Caribbean - Eastern

KH24806

Contributor Level: Purser

295 Days Till Next Cruise

Cruises: 4-6 cruises

Reviews: 3

Helpful Votes: 109

Overall rating:

3.8 out of 5

7 Night Eastern Caribbean (Ft. Lauderdale Roundtrip)

Sail date: February 03, 2019

Ship: Nieuw Amsterdam

Cabin type: Balcony

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 5 years ago

Review summary

Relaxing. Inexpensive for a week sailing with a balcony.

Embarkation

5 out of 5

We arrived after 1 pm to avoid the crowds. The terminal still had a good deal of embarking guests but the process was fast paced and trouble free.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

3 out of 5

My fault. I prefer simple, non-gourmet fare. The buffet was a better choice for me but at times it was difficult to find a table. Also, for some odd reason, they close the buffet down so we couldn't get dessert or a meal for an hour or so.

Onboard Activities

2 out of 5

There is very limited lounge chair seating by the pool. Many activities are quick experiences such as liquor tasting and sale promotions. No art auction (I don't purchase that much art but I do enjoy the experience). The gym was OK but it was unreasonable to pay $40 to utilize a steam room (spa day package rates)

Entertainment

2 out of 5

I don't care for dueling piano tunes; classical music or jazzy Motown tunes. The theater is not very ornate and first 20 rows were on the same level which was at or slightly below the height of the stage.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Everyone was friendly and did their jobs professionally.

Ship Quality

3 out of 5

The ship was very clean. I didn't like the design; basically there were three decks (2 , 3 and 9). Most other decks were for passenger cabins.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

The cabin was roomy with plenty of space to store personal items and clothing. The bathroom included a nice size shower/bath. You didn't have to be a contortionist to use the toilet. My room was directly below the 9th level buffet. There was a constant noise from a stream of carts moving food and dishes.