Overall, a wonderful trip! We love sea days and getting the opportunity to visit Norway was our main reason for traveling. This cruise fulfilled all of that for us.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
I'd have to say that our embarkation was the best we have ever had.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
Food is always excellent on Holland America.
Onboard Activities
2 out of 5
Not much to do. Husband played pickleball and I entertained myself most of the time. Since there were a lot of sea days, I expected that there would be more activities. This is an area that HAL could definitely improve upon. Make the lectures match the itinerary, organize some daytime activities on sea days such as crafts, painting, etc. If you are cruising on HAL, make sure you bring plenty of books although there are few places to sit quietly and enjoy reading them if the weather isn't cooperative for outside reading. I have to say that we loved the new music row and the offerings there. Maybe those locations could be used for some onboard stuff to do as well.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
The band in the Rolling Stone Rock Room were fabulous, as was the group in BB Kings. I thought the pianos in Billboard Onboard could improve. I didn't like the way they "changed" their voices when singing. The theatre performances were good, but not as good as music row.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
The service was always good. There is room for improvement in some venues, but overall, we were very pleased with the attention that we received from all of the staff.
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
There needs to be more space for daily activities. It seems like every available space is taken up for special things (the Microsoft room comes to mind) and there isn't anywhere out of the weather to be able to just sit and read. The crows nest is wonderful, but it was always over crowded (this should tell HAL that they need more of these kind of spaces). The ONLY smoking area on the ship is outside on deck 9 aft and for this particular itinerary it was very cold and very wet. Although you can smoke in the casino every other night (if you are gaming), there needs to be a cigar bar onboard for those days that there is inclement weather. On the days that the casino was non-smoking, it was frigid cold outside...windy and wet as well. I realize that smokers are a very low priority, but something needs to be done about this.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
The cabin was about the same as every other cruise in this class. The lifeboats are right below this deck, so the view isn't that great. But, it is midships and low enough that the movement of the ship isn't a problem. I love the shower design, I think maybe the best we've had.
*Cruiseline.com is not a booking agent or travel agency,
and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. Our partners
(travel agencies and cruise lines) provide prices, which we list for our
users' convenience. Cruiseline.com does not guarantee any specific rates or
prices. While prices are updated daily, please check with the booking site
for the exact amount. Cruiseline.com is not responsible for content on
external web sites.
Contact us
Submitting...
Need help from a personal vacation planner?
Loading...
Find the perfect cruise with weekly tips and cruise deals for as little as $30/night!
Sign up for weekly cruise deals
Join other subscribers and get the best
cruise deals of the week in your inbox every Thursday.
