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Groundhog Day

Nieuw Statendam Cruise Review to Caribbean - Southern

Cruises: 7+ cruises
Reviews: 3
Helpful Votes: 44

Overall rating:

3.5 out of 5
Nieuw Statendam

11 Night Southern Caribbean Wayfarer (Ft. Lauderdale Roundtrip)

Sail date: March 16, 2022

Ship: Nieuw Statendam

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 5049

Traveled as: Singles/Friends

Reviewed: 2 years ago

Review summary

I love cruising so I have yet to have a “bad” cruise, but I probably wouldn’t choose this ship again unless it was because of a great deal or unique itinerary.

Embarkation

3 out of 5
Crowded. People directing but providing little information

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

3 out of 5
The food was very good but the dining room menu lacked excitement or interest. We are in Lido most often

The Dining Room

2 out of 5

Everything we ate was good but we didn’t really want to eat much in the dining room. The menu lacked cruise ship excitement

Lido Market

4 out of 5

Food was great. Service not as good as dining room

Onboard Activities

1 out of 5
There is very little to do onboard HAL ships and there is virtually no variety across ships. The ships are identical, the entertainment, activities, everything.

Casino Action

1 out of 5

This was a casino cruise as they gave offers to lots of casino players resulting in an overcrowded casino the entire time. The losses seemed greater because you couldn’t play what you wanted only what was available.

Movies by the Pool Deck

1 out of 5

They couldn’t seem to get the volume right and the movie night snacks were lacking. Most of the things on that menu they didn’t have or didn’t prepare

Billboard Onboard

2 out of 5

Same shows & set lists as other ships but these vocalists were not as good as the others

Entertainment

1 out of 5
Entertainment was the worst I’ve experienced as of late and I’ve been on 6 cruises since October.

Rolling Stone Rock Room

2 out of 5

Same shows and set lists as other ships but these vocals were not as good

B.B. King's Blues Club

3 out of 5

Pretty much same shows and same set lists as other HAL ships

Lincoln Center Stage

4 out of 5

These are very good although same shows and same set lists. Very little variation from the other ships

World Stage

1 out of 5

Same shows as other ships and maybe even fewer of them. HAL really needs to reignite their entertainment

Children's Programs

No children

Service and Staff

5 out of 5
The 2 areas where HAL rarely disappoints is service and food.

Ship Quality

3 out of 5
It was clean but the design is nothing special. It looks like just about every other HAL ship

Cabin / Stateroom

4 out of 5
Cabin was fine. Cabin steward was awesome

Ship tip

Don’t choose HAL for activities or entertainment

Thumbs up

Ports of call

Philipsburg, St. Maarten

4 out of 5
Good time. We did a Highlights tour
Thumbs Up

Castries, St. Lucia

4 out of 5
Hired a car to see the island
Thumbs Up

Soufriere, St. Lucia

5 out of 5
Cruising the bay was probably my favorite part of this cruise. So beautiful
Thumbs Up

Bridgetown, Barbados

5 out of 5
Went on my own to places I know in Barbados
Thumbs Up

Roseau, Dominica

4 out of 5
Ship excursion. Dominica’s Best
Thumbs Up

Basseterre, St. Kitts

3 out of 5
Explored on our own
Thumbs Up

Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas Did not visit port

Been many times and it was rainy
Thumbs Up

Half Moon Cay, Bahamas (Private Island)

4 out of 5
One of my favorites. Always look forward to it. Wish some journeys allowed us to stay later
Thumbs Up

Disembarkation

2 out of 5
It was a hot mess. They didn’t call everyone but said they called everyone. Then they acknowledged that there were some groups that they didn’t call.

Traveler Photos

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7 Comments

Gwbigdog    2 years ago

Thanks for sharing your cruise with us.
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AuntPinkie    2 years ago

Appreciate your feedback. Sorry this cruise didn’t meet your expectations but happy you still enjoyed your cruise.
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rpmmenard    2 years ago

Thanks for the review.
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RetiredRay    2 years ago

Holland is definitely not an entertainment ship.
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CruzeFan    2 years ago

Thanks for the review. We were underwhelmed with Holland America as well. Their primary draw is some itineraries that other mainstream cruise lines don’t always offer.
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blackholesun    2 years ago

Thanks for the review
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Gwbigdog    2 years ago

Glad you enjoyed yourselves. Thanks for sharing your cruise with us.
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