Great first cruise. I would 💯 cruise with Holland again. I actually I'm a bit nervous to book with anyone else other than Holland, but I know my 15 year old is itching to go now. I'll need to find a ship that will be fun for him.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Had a 1:00 arrival time, got through customs by 11:00 and on the boat by 11:30. Great first experience!
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
Food was amazing in dining room, lido and three of the speciality restaurants.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
I was fine with the activities, but my 15 year old would have been board on sea days.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
Dance shoes were amazing! The comedian's were good, but not totally my style. BB King and Rolling Stone's is why we choose the ship, and they were both great.
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
Ship staff were great. There was one issue on gala night..but we also decided to change our dinner time that night...so it was very busy in dining room. I would stick with your dining time if you choose one. When we booked the cruise they told us our dining time was 5:45, but when we got on the ship the time was moved up to 5:00. It's a bit early for me, but for me the dining staff was on point during this dining time.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
So clean....every where! The staff is constantly cleaning!
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Great middle ship room w/balcony. Perfect for first cruise.
Ship tip
Prebook specialty restaurants..this will save you money. Beverage package was worth the cost. You can eat at Pinnacle Grill for lunch on Sea days for only 15 per person. You need to make reservations as soon as you get on ship - can't do it online. U can do this at the reservation desk on the second floor in front of the ocean bar.
Beautiful! Didn't plan excursion...just enjoyed the beach and the wonderful grilled mahi mahi tacos on buffet. If u plan to drink off ship, I would inquire about a separate drink package just for Half Moon. It's about 12-14 dollars per drink. 5 - 7 for beer. I could have stayed here for days.
I was hesitant about Amber Cove...but I was pleasantly surprised! Lush greenery and beautiful surrondings. Wish I would have planned an excursion to see some of the area.
This is the only thing I'll complain about. Everyone was trying to get off the same time instead of staff calling floors. I'm not sure what is standard procedure since this was my first Cruise, but I think something different will have to happen on my next cruise.
We love HAL, but also find it so much fun to sail on other lines, different ships. Carnival and Royal Carribean cater to the youngsters, but is fun for all ages, even those young at heart.
We are going on our 2nd Holland cruise in a couple weeks. We found it very relaxing but I agree not a ship for teenager. You might try one of the large ship with Royal Caribbean, they have so much to do on them.
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