While we enjoyed the times we could relax (especially on the deck of our veranda) we will not plan a cruise on the Nieuw Amsterdam again. The amenities are considerably less than other cruises we have been on, the food was not very good, and there were a lot of issues with the ship. In addition to the issues we outlined in our cabin review, one or more elevators were under repair at regular intervals.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
We got on the ship easily despite my wife being in a wheelchair. Unfortunately, the decision was made to put our keys by the door of our cabin and a different guest mistook our cabin for theirs. We spent an hour trying to first get in the room and then arranging to get their (the mistaken guests') stuff out of the room.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
The food was OK, not great. Most of it was bland. Even the more culturally-oriented dishes that I have had in the past, like curries, were bland. This was especially true up in the Lido Market, where the food was very plain. The Dining Room had better food but it was still underwhelming in taste.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
We did not use the pools as they were constantly full, with too many children running around. Even the forward pool that was marked as adults only had kids everywhere.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
The quartet was awesome! My group took in multiple performances and we REALLY enjoyed them. We attended several movies in the Main Room (A Christmas Story and Bullet Train) that were interrupted with announcements. It would have been nice if the movies were paused during the announcements.
Children's Programs
We did not have any children with us.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
All of the staff we encountered were GREAT! Everyone we encountered was very accommodating and helpful. The majority were very friendly. No one was rude or dismissive.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
Overall the ship was laid out logically and we could find and access the areas that we wanted to go to. We ran into issues regularly with hallways blocked with scooters (the kind people use who have mobility issues) parked outside of rooms. I am assuming that the proportion of accessible rooms to people who needed them was low.
The ship seemed to be kept clean throughout the voyage.
Cabin / Stateroom
3 out of 5
The cabin we were in was spacious enough after we found the places to stow our luggage under the bed and behind the curtains, We had issues with the water temperature in the shower. We left the temperature selector on the lowest setting (
Ship tip
Maximize your meals in the Dining Room as the food is considerably better.
This was our embarkation and disembarkation point. We received excellent service from the port employees. All steps in the processes were quick and orderly. We boarded the ship and got off the ship faster than we anticipated.
We did not care for Curacao. Our ship arrived at 3PM and the majority of the local restaurants closed at 4 so we had to resort to eating back on the ship. We rented a car to drive around and see what Curacao had to offer. It turned out that the majority of the island is inhabited and the roads are terrible. The people we encountered were nice. It was very interesting to hear the various languages spoken.
Half Moon Cay is BEAUTIFUL! We took the Tram Tour right off the bat and saw a great deal of the island. That tour let us know what was where so we could plan out our day effectively.
The biggest issue we ran into was with lunch at the Island BBQ. Because of the constrained timeframe (serving only from 11 to 1), the lines were exceedingly long. We stood in line for more than 45 minutes to get food.
It was very quick and orderly. I was surprised that we were not even questioned by Customs. I appreciate that the staggering of people allowed to disembark at any one time reduced crowding and lines. We went from on the ship, ready to disembark, to at the curb waiting on our shuttle in less than 10 minutes.
*Cruiseline.com is not a booking agent or travel agency,
and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. Our partners
(travel agencies and cruise lines) provide prices, which we list for our
users' convenience. Cruiseline.com does not guarantee any specific rates or
prices. While prices are updated daily, please check with the booking site
for the exact amount. Cruiseline.com is not responsible for content on
external web sites.
Contact us
Submitting...
Need help from a personal vacation planner?
Loading...
Find the perfect cruise with weekly tips and cruise deals for as little as $30/night!
Sign up for weekly cruise deals
Join other subscribers and get the best
cruise deals of the week in your inbox every Thursday.
