Not my cup of tea

Item: Nieuw Amsterdam
Rating: 3.8
Author: dhayes413

Nieuw Amsterdam Cruise Review

dhayes413

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 34

Overall rating:

3.8 out of 5

7 Night Alaskan Explorer (Seattle Roundtrip)

Sail date: August 28, 2021

Ship: Nieuw Amsterdam

Cabin type: Inside

Cabin number: 7113

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 3 years ago

Review summary

As this was our first Alaska cruise we enjoyed it but we are used to the energy level of Carnival cruise line.

Embarkation

5 out of 5

Even with the new checks for COVID testing embarkation went extremely quick. The only negative was my dad was wearing a green shirt and the photographer didn’t say anything so our embarkation photo had him blending in the background.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

3 out of 5

It was hard to get enough to drink (tea) as they did not allow self serve. The chairs on lido were very heavy and close together making it very difficult to get in and around tables. The food was good but for those with a less “refined” palate you had to search for the normal food.

Onboard Activities

3 out of 5

It seemed like everyone went to bed at 9pm. Not a lot of activity. There were no hours posted for the pools or hot tubs so we didn’t try those in the evening.

Entertainment

3 out of 5

We didn’t see any real entertainment after our 8 PM dinner time. We did try the two comedians but didn’t find them funny. They had a lot of trivia and we did one it was OK so we didn’t really try the rest of them.

Service and Staff

4 out of 5

Our cabin steward was amazing. The rest of the service staff were pleasant but never around when I needed a tea refill or drink.

Ship Quality

3 out of 5

There was a leak on the 3rd floor in the ceiling. The whole trip you had to walk around a bucket. I know things happen but it did have me concerned. Otherwise the ship seemed clean but we watched their “disinfecting” routine of one of the areas and was appalled. The crew member sprayed a stream, not a mist, as she walked around the room. Not sure what she was trying to kill but if it was in the 10 feet between streams she missed.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

Even though it was an interior room it was spacious and clean.

Ship tip

Don’t depend on the app, there were a number of happy hours listed on the paper form not on the app and we missed them.

Thumbs up

Disembarkation

5 out of 5

Very smooth.

Traveler Photos

11 Comments

Cruisers4Lyfe 3 months ago

Thanks for sharing

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Gwbigdog 2 years ago

Thanks for sharing your cruise with us.

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jojo625 3 years ago

Thanks for sharing and glad you enjoyed your trip. When we want relaxation and elegance, we cruise with Holland or Princess. When we want fun and excitement, we cruise Carnival or Norwegian. I absolutely love cruising with different lines, just so much fun to see what each one has to offer.

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jameeh 3 years ago

Thanks for the informative review. I haven't sailed on Holland so I think I'll wait a bit longer before I book a more sedate cruise 🥱

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AuntPinkie 3 years ago

Appreciate your feedback. Glad you enjoyed your cruise.

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izrgreen 3 years ago

Thanks for sharing

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grammakuku 3 years ago

Yes going from carnival to Holland America is quite a leap…

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javawoody 3 years ago

Thanks for the review

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Curt34 3 years ago

Thanks for the review. Glad you enjoyed your cruise even though it wasn’t a great one.

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LovemyCarnival 3 years ago

What about the beauty of Alaska?

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cruising2004 3 years ago

Thanks for sharing

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