First cruise? You'll love it. Experienced cruiser? You won't. Post-pandemic cruising has really changed the way HAL does things - or should I say, doesn't do things.
Nieuw Amsterdam Cruise Review to Caribbean - Western
I'm not sure Holland America is for us anymore. They do treat the elderly well, so maybe when we get older...... For right now, we might check out another cruise line that hasn't made so many cuts. I do understand that this business is trying to recover from their Covid losses ... but too many services are now sub-par.
Embarkation
3 out of 5
Used Verifly App as requested by HAL. Made no difference. We sat in that huge room with hundreds of others and waited for them to call our group number so we could board. Terrible sound system - we had to move to understand what number they were on. No one actually "welcomed us" at the terminal. Very impersonal treatment.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
2 out of 5
Waiters in the MDR and The Pinnacle Grill are overworked. I felt sorry for them, most tried their best. Not only are they lacking assistance, but there no longer are wine stewards to help with the drink orders. We were really surprised that this is the situation in the Pinnacle as well. This specialty restaurant should make you feel pampered and special. Our waiter was good, but had too many tables. No wine steward. We waited 20 minutes for our finished plates to be taken away so we could order dessert. The maitre 'd, at the reception podium needed help as well -- someone else to show you to your table. The podium was often vacant as he was busy doing other things. We were not seated until 7 pm, even though our reservation was for 6:30. The bar waiters were also over worked. We often waited 15 minutes to be served a cocktail. And in the Crow's Nest we had to join a line to order for there were no waiters. They didn't even have someone to clear and clean the empty tables. We only went to the Crow's Nest once for it also has become the Coffee Bar and Game Area. Crowded. Confusing. They needed to open more bars before early dinner -- so crowded!! And remember when they went around serving hot hors d'oeuvres during happy hour? No more. Another cost cutting measure I'm sure. But they will bring your peanuts.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
We enjoyed our week's pass to the hydro-pool and thermal suite. Very relaxing. But more activities are needed on this ship.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
Loved the Lincoln Center performances. Small, intimate venue with a very talented String Quartet. They has a good variety of show themes. About 35 minutes each. Enjoyable. The other Entertainments were lacking -- I guess the main singer for BB King didn't make the ship. And the Dance Company had an injured dance so their troupe of six was only five, and that affected the performances for they were unbalanced with empty spotlights shining. We remember when there used to be live piano music at the bars - and maybe even a small combo for dancing at night. No more.
Service and Staff
2 out of 5
WIFI was unreliable. Didn't work the first 36 hours. Emails were possible, but texts were rare. Our room steward was always busy and worked very hard -- new policy on HAL: they only service your room once a day now. And forget about nightly turn down service or chocolates on your pillow with towels animals on your bed. Those days are gone. The Guest Services desk seems to always have a long line ... but the staff is incredibly kind, patient, and helpful.
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
Over all, pretty good.
Cabin / Stateroom
3 out of 5
We love being on the aft and having a balcony. Great views. Cabin, and bathroom, needs updating but we liked our cabin.
Ship tip
Don't expect too much. Be patient. Make sure you have lunch at the Pizza Place as well as a burger and fries at the Dive In.
Easy. Fast. Starting on the third day, you could pick up your Colored Luggage Tags. You actually could choose what time you wanted to disembark! Glad we got our red tags for 8:30 early, for they ran out of that time by Friday.
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