I had "watched" the Nieuw Statendam being built in Italy (on Instagram) so it was a thrill to be able to sail on her for her final inaugural Caribbean cruise before the transatlantic cruise back to Europe for the summer. There were no disappointments at all. The food and staff were definitely the highlights. I would highly recommend this ship....and don't be afraid of booking an obstructed veranda if money is an issue.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Once we got to the cruise terminal at noon the line-up was short and we got through quickly. The best thing was hearing that our room was already ready and waiting for us! No waiting around like previous cruises. :)
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
Food was amazing! Dining room and buffet were both top-notch with everything tasting fresh. The lido buffet staff were always offering water, juice, coffee and tea, which made it easier than getting our own.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
We didn't use the pools or hot tubs. It was often hard to find empty chairs on the pool deck though since people saved them with towels.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
The live music venues were our favourite, especially Billboard Onboard (piano guys), and BB Kings Jazz band. Stage shows were just dancing (no singing) but very professional! The comedian was funny but there were quite a few younger kids on board due to spring break, and some of his content might have been a bit "much" for them.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Couldn't have been better. We were treated like royalty.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Everything was sparkling clean and obviously new which was nice. I especially like the layout with the music venues all on the same floor as the diningroom, for evening entertainment.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
We chose an obstructed veranda room to save a bit of money and it suited us just fine. We still had a good view if we were standing up. As long as we can get fresh air and enjoy our breakfast on the veranda, we're happy. :)
Ship tip
It's a pretty easy ship to get around on, but review the deck plans beforehand so you'll have a general idea where everything is as soon as you get on the ship. It's easy to remember that the dining room and music venues are are deck 2, the World Stage for shows on deck 3, and the lido deck for buffet and pools on deck 9.
Having the ship dock so close was a bonus so we could go back for lunch after our morning tour before going to the beach. We did a private island tour which was very interesting, and the donkeys roaming everywhere were amusing. For our time at the beach we walked down to Jack's Shack and rented chairs and umbrella for $10 which was a good deal. Absolutely gorgeous aquamarine water! Only problem was that we couldn't stay longer.
San Juan is always a favorite port. We toured El Morro fort on our own and then just wandered the cobblestone streets and went to Forteeza Street to take pics with the umbrellas. So magical!
We went on a Holland America tour to St. John on the "Island Girl" shuttle boat. The staff on the boat were very funny and informative. Once in Cruz Bay we went on open shuttle buses to Trunk Bay Beach where they provided snorkel gear for us to use. Beautiful beach but vegetation still not recovered from the hurricane.
Sadly, a weather system coming from Florida brought rain and the water was too choppy for the tender boats so the pilot made the decision to cancel. It was the only disappointment of the whole cruise, yet totally understandable. There are worse things than being stuck on a cruise ship with unlimited food and activities though. :S
We got a tag for expedited disembarkation as our flight was at noon. No line-ups and got out of the cruise terminal quickly and caught a private shuttle van to the airport.
Good to see a review of an obstructed view verandah. I’ll be in 4095, and this gives me hope that even as a short girl, if I stand up I can see beyond the life boats.
Thanks for the review!!!
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