It was great to be back cruising and we were very comfortable and happy with the COVID protocols and procedures Holland America had in place. The Captain informed us of the efforts that were in place to protect passengers, crew and staff. Because of CDC downgrade for cruising, masks were recommended for the 2nd part of our cruise and some positive cases were detected. The ship isolated these passengers and those that had had close contact, crew wearing hazmat suits disinfected their rooms and passageways and mandatory mask wearing was implemented for the rest of the voyage.
The crew and staff (room stewards, waiters, bar tenders, etc) were very happy to be back and spoiled us throughout the cruise. We had a great time and cruising again in a few weeks!
Embarkation
4 out of 5
We had done all the pre-boarding documentation online and arrived at the assigned check in time. Dropped off our bags and only short line through security. Masks were required throughout check in process and boarding. The only glitch, HAL had sent a link to download the "Verify" app for quicker check in, however after several tries I could not get it to work properly, this didn't delay our boarding process.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
We ate most of our meals in the Main Dining Room, as we could seat by ourselves. There was a good variety on the menu, food was excellent, including some unique items- froglegs one night, delicious!!
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
The Nieuw Statendam has 2 Pickle Ball courts, while the wind was sometimes challenging, we enjoyed playing and meeting other passengers on the ship that way.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
By far one of favorite things on HAL is the Music Walk. We enjoyed every venue and especially enjoyed the main shows that incorporated some of the acts from the Music Walk. There was a comedian onboard, we listened to part of his act but didn't care for it.
Children's Programs
No kids
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
One of the main reasons we keep coming back to HAL is crew and staff. We had wonderful service, they are happy to be back, many learned our names right away and cheerfully greeted us anywhere we saw them on the ship.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Immaculate. HAL and the ships staff are doing a great job of cleanliness around the ship.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Room was a typical HAL veranda cabin and very comfortable. There is a large shower in bathroom, that is much more functional and comfortable than the tub/shower combo from older HAL ships. Our cabin stewards kept our room immaculate and took care of any requests that we had.
Ship tip
Check out all the venues on the Music Walk. 3laps outside on the 3rd deck equals 1 mile.
Getting off the ship was a little confusing because of the announcements of colored luggage tags times for departure. However, once off the ship luggage pick-up and clearance was easy.
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