Not kid friendly.

Item: Nieuw Statendam
Rating: 3.7
Author: abbychic75

Nieuw Statendam Cruise Review to Caribbean

abbychic75

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 2-3 cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 7

Overall rating:

3.7 out of 5

14 Night Western & Eastern Caribbean (Ft. Lauderdale Roundtrip)

Sail date: February 24, 2019

Ship: Nieuw Statendam

Cabin type: Inside

Traveled as: Family (older children)

Reviewed: 5 years ago

Review summary

The ship was beautiful and the staff was amazing. Reasons I would not take another cruise with Holland America are: (1) Not kid friendly; (2) No activities for individuals under the age of 60; and (3) They charge $14.50 per person, per day for house keeping services whether you use it or not and even if you have tipped. This was a shock and unexpected, as other cruise lines do not charge this fee.

Embarkation

4 out of 5

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

3 out of 5

However, the buffet served the same items every day.

Onboard Activities

1 out of 5

I went on this cruise with my 13 year old. There was absolutely nothing to do for him. I'm 44 and there weren't any activities catering to my age group. This cruise line caters to retired individuals in the age range of 60+.

Entertainment

3 out of 5

The dance company was amazing!

Children's Programs

1 out of 5

There was no entertainment for children of all ages.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

Ship tip

If you have children or are under the age of 60, this is not the cruise for you.

Thumbs up

Ports of call

Ft. Lauderdale (Port Everglades), Florida

4 out of 5

Half Moon Cay, Bahamas (Private Island)

4 out of 5

No excursions.

Thumbs Up 0

Ocho Rios, Jamaica

5 out of 5

Yes, I would recommend doing the Blue Hole Adventure. It was amazing and the guides are awesome.

Thumbs Up 6

George Town, Grand Cayman

4 out of 5

We participated in the Seven Mile Beach Getaway. It was not nearly enough time, about 2 hours. I would recommend taking a taxi and stay as long as you would like. There is no fee to go on the beach.

Thumbs Up 8

Cozumel, Mexico

1 out of 5

I booked a 3 reef snorkeling tour for me and my 13 year old son, but nobody picked us up from the designated pick-up location. My son was absolutely devastated and tears were flowing. I would NOT recommend booking through Safe Snorkeling Cozumel.

Thumbs Up 2

Disembarkation

4 out of 5

Fast and painless.

3 Comments

seamyst 5 years ago

Shame on you for blaming HAL for a lousy cruise that wasn't kid friendly! You didn't do any research beforehand and have only yourself to blame!

Thumbs Up 3

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Dadm 5 years ago

Most lines charge this fee per person per day.

Thumbs Up 1

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dmckee7 5 years ago

I’ve cruised with different cruise lines and they have all charged a set amount per day that includes housekeeping and tips. We’ll be on the Nieuw Statendam next month (first time with Holland America) and I’m pretty sure $14.50/day is comparable to other cruises.

Thumbs Up 0

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Other reviews of this sailing

New ship...great food...good entertainment