Really loved it. Food in the main dining room is very good, so using the specialty restaurants is not necessary, although it adds more great choices.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Because we booked during COVID we took no chance and booked a suite for the four of us (2 adults and 2 young adults). We had priority embarkation and were on the ship by 11h00. Everyone on the cruise has access to their cabin before 12:00, so very fast.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
Food at the Lido buffet is like what we see in other ships. Food in the main dining room is very good and does not really require you to pay extra to get to specialty restaurants, like it is often common with other cruise lines.
Specialty restaurants food is extraordinary and only a bit better than the main dining room. We were very impressed and we tend to be picky when it comes to food.
Pinnacle Bar
5 out of 5
Incredible food. Are breakfast and dinner there. Have not tried their lunch though, but likely to be as spectacular.
The Dining Room
5 out of 5
Accessible by everyone with an upcharge and the food is very close to what you find in specialty restaurants.
Dive-In
4 out of 5
Burger and hot dog joint. Offers lettuce wraps for all their burgers for those who prefer lower carb diets.I only have 4 stars as it would not be fair to give a 5 stars and compare to fine dining venues, but for a burger/hot dog venue, I rate it at the top.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
Onboard activities on HAL are limited, but this is what I expected, so I am not complaining. If you are looking for a program filled with activities, you'll be disappointed.
The lower ranking from me is because on many occasions, the advertised activities did not start on time (not just minutes but sometimes 1 hour late). Others never happened without letting anyone know. HAL could do a better job at sticking to the schedule.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
Great for music and dance lovers. Great dance shows, a dual piano bar with great live entertainment, quartet for more classical music and a blues band for more rythme.
If you are looking for Broadway like musicals, like some other cruise lines, you'll be disappointed.
They also run movies here and there.
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
Staff is very friendly, always happy to say hi, as you would expect in other cruise ship.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
Nice Art Deco style, easy to orient yourself. Most activities are concentrated on the 2nd, 3rd and upper (9, 10, 11) decks.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Ship tip
Great food, but don't expect a lot of activities. So if you like to unwind and relax, it is great.
With almost 2,000 people leaving at the same time, it was really efficient. It took no more than 10 minutes to leave the ship, pick-up our luggage and go through customs.
I can't compare to before with HAL, as it was my first time with them.
I tend to be very critical of the food on cruises. I am not picky, but great food is what I am looking for when I cruise. Others look for fun entertainment, destinations, etc.
On the Nieuw Amsterdam, the food in the main dining room met my expectations, so I was happy and will cruise with them again.
Glad you enjoyed it. Someone on the cruise after years said the food was not good at all. I’m not sure what people expect, or normally eat, to find the food on a cruise ship so terrible.
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