Decent cruise, calm atmosphere and calm sea. Holland America gave decent cruise for the money.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
The process went smoothly and quick even if we had to show the vaccination proof plus the within-72-hours-negative-test. May be it helps that there were not such a big crowd as usual.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
We did not pay extra for any food or drink. It seems to us that food choices in the buffet and in the dinning rooms are not as good as on cruises before the pandemic. Example, we took cruises with Holland and Celebrity in 2019 and Feb 2020, their dining room offered escargots appetizers and crime brûlée for dessert everyday. This cruise there was no creamer brûlée and only one dinner having escargots.
The food in general is good but just similar to what we can get in any decent cafeteria on land. Drinks are tea, coffee and lemonade. Anything extra you have to pay. It was an Alaska cruise and no crab leg dish at dinner unless you pay extra for it.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
We did not use the pool or hot tub. Too windy to use the tennis/pickleball court. We attended a few trivia pursuit games. No other activities offered interesting to us.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
All lectures on destinations were conducted by the cruise director with pre recorded documentary talk from experts local or otherwise. There were plenty of music, blues, pops and band music. There two dances for stage show. The best entertainment is a couple of comedians and a magician but the shows were held in a small stage with limited seats so half of the audience had to stand for these hour shows.
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
The personnel are nice and friendly. They are happy to see us.
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
The Nieuw Amsterdam is clean and well maintained but the public toilets are not easy to find on decks 1,2 or 3.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Adequate for an inside cabin. As there is no neighbor, it’s very quiet.
Smooth and easy even though they did not provide the shuttle bus people with the list of names of people paying for transportation to the airport after cruise. We had to show the bus driver the cruise receipts showing we paid for the service
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