Highly recommend any Holland America cruise if you prefer smaller ships with good food & excellent service!
Embarkation
4 out of 5
More waiting in line than we would have liked, but we arrived nearly an hour past our assigned boarding time due to a flight delay.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
Food was very good in the buffet (ate all but 1 breakfast there & 3 dinners). Dining room was nice, but sometimes food arrived less than the desired temperature.
We did not have much alcohol, “virgin” drinks were good, had to ask for less ice usually to get more of your beverage. Specialty coffees were excellent
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
We really like the Sea View pool & spent time there every day. Played Trivia, watched some of the game shows, attended several talks/presentations at the World Stage.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
EXCELLENT band in the Rolling Stone Lounge!! Step One Dance Co. shows were fantastic. Enjoyed the comedian & the Ocean Bar jazz trio
Children's Programs
We did not travel with children. Very few children on the ship. HAL doesn’t cater to children/families much
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
All staff were very friendly & helpful. Our room steward Ary & his assistant Adrian kept our room spotless, Ary asked us often if he could do anything more for us & always greeted us in the hallway with a smile. Arnie, the omelet chef at the buffet, was a JOY each morning! Big smile, so friendly. The baristas at the Crows Nest were efficient & very pleasant
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
Areas were clean & comfortable, sometimes tables sat to be cleared for quite a while. The ship needs updating/modernizing-specially the artwork, most was uninspiring.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Comfortable & adequate storage in the main cabin, with the exception of the bathroom, storage there was minimal. Need more!
We had not been this low (Deck 1) on a ship ever before & were pleasantly surprised at how quiet our room was. No noise from the ship or from the hallway or above. Easy access to the evening venues just 1 flight up. Elevators were close with minimal waiting despite a fairly full ship. We hadn’t had an Oceanview room before (only inside & verandah on previous cruises) & were very happy with so much natural light & the water view.
Ship tip
Use the elevators that are on the outside of the ship for an ocean view!
Enjoyed Dunns River Falls-the climb was exhilarating & the mineralized water from the mountains is great for your skin! Also went to the beach near the cruise port, beautiful water!
Love Grand Cayman, wish we would have had more time there (have to tender into port so that cuts in on your time & had to be back on the ship at 2:30. HAL should consider an overnight there!! We took a 3 stop snorkeling tour with Captain Marvin’s & had fun, but with an early departure, we only had time to quick look in 2 shops
Got out of the cruise port fast & went to the Mahahual beach. Lots of vendors, but they leave after a polite “no, thank you” & I’d rather buy from them than the shops in the cruise port. Water was wonderful warm!
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