Stunning Fall Colors

Nieuw Statendam Cruise Review to Canada, New England, New York

Haljo1935

Contributor Level: Second Mate

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Reviews: 9

Helpful Votes: 450

Overall rating:

4.7 out of 5

6 Night Canada & New England Discovery (Boston To Quebec)

Sail date: October 02, 2022

Ship: Nieuw Statendam

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 6212

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 2 years ago

Review summary

Overall, the entire cruise and ports exceeded my expectations given Hurricane Fiona had just come through. I would highly recommend this itinerary and the ship. Prices had dropped in attempt to fill the ship so HAL gave us OBC which we used for excursions - appreciated the gesture and made a nice cruise even better. Saguenay Quebec was added to itinerary - favorite stop of the week: Saguenay National Park was beautiful - postcard quality pictures from the hike, beautiful weather - stunning!! Unable to upload photos because they're too big, but there are many beautiful fall color shots for all the "Peepers!"

Embarkation

5 out of 5

Boarded 2 hours early, smooth process, only real wait time was due to us arriving early at terminal

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

4 out of 5

Menu options were good, food was better than previous cruises, buffet set up was well layed out so moving between stations was easy. 1 star off because frequently only 1 side of buffet was open with no sign indicating which side to use. Gelato bar was fabulous - fresh made gelato!!

Pinnacle Grill

5 out of 5

10 stars!! Perfect as usual - must have the Candied Bacon.

New York Deli & Pizza

5 out of 5

Always great pizza - did not disappoint. Good hours.

Grand Dutch Cafe

5 out of 5

Good location, nice menu, good hours

Gelato

5 out of 5

Delightful surprise - great taste, good variety and reasonable price. Yummy 😋

24-Hour In-Room Dining

5 out of 5

Although wait time on phone to place order was sometimes long, food was hot & fresh and always delivered in less time than quoted. Guest Services answered phone & took order when Kichen was not able to answer so you didn't have to call back.

Onboard Activities

5 out of 5

Spa was well located with great service

Entertainment

Did not attend but options were plentiful

Children's Programs

Did not travel with children

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Staff was professional yet personable, outstanding service from wait staff to cabin stewards to passenger services desk.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

Love the layout and features, for HAL very modern look.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

Shower only was a surprise as it wasn't identified as shower only, but no deduction of stars because it was a large shower so nothing was lost. Water pressure was great, a/c worked well. Extra width in cabin was noticeable - will book that location again. Bed linens were soft (as usual on HAL) and plenty of USB ports so no need to bring extra cord.

Ship tip

Turn the TV on as soon as you enter your cabin then go check in at your muster station - by the time you're back, the TV will be ready to use and you can unpack & go enjoy the balcony if you have one or deck if you don't. The ship is lovely - get the minor details out of the way then explore the ship while everyone else is boarding. If your TV does not immediately come on, call Passenger Service so they can send someone to reset it - it won't work until it plays the safety video & that won't play until TV is reset. If cabin steward didn't reset it between passengers you will have to call to have it done. A note about that in the cabin would be helpful.

Thumbs up

Ports of call

Boston, Massachusetts

5 out of 5

Did independent excursion the night before, nothing available through HAL. So much to see in Boston and the cruise terminal is conveniently located so plenty of options on your own. City is so clean - good job Boston!!

Thumbs Up 1

Bar Harbor, Maine

5 out of 5

City is beautiful, quaint, typical (in good way) seaside town. Very walkable - enjoy the Sandbar - something most of us can't do at home and costs nothing but time. Plenty of food options if you want local.

Thumbs Up 1

Halifax, Nova Scotia

5 out of 5

Bay of Fundy is gorgeous - quite a ride from cruise port but well worth it. Beautiful scenery.

Thumbs Up 1

Sydney, Nova Scotia

4 out of 5

Was told there were many options at the pier, but there were none, so felt fortunate we had booked an excursion through the ship. As with other ports on this itinerary, the scenery was beautiful.

Thumbs Up 1

Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island Did not visit port

Canceled due to hurricane Fiona.

Thumbs Up 0

Quebec City, Quebec

3 out of 5

No excursion option due to airline changing our flight and nothing available locally. The views at the airport itself are beautiful - there should be sight seeing options so cruise travelers could enjoy the city. We sat 4 hours at the airport (ugh) when we would have gladly contributed to the local economy if given the opportunity. The airline counter wasn't open when we arrived, so we couldn't even drop our luggage and explore on our own. Big miss Quebec. People were friendly and welcoming, airport was clean, only saw 1 homeless person on drive through town - very nice compared to US.

Thumbs Up 1