Loved the trip, staff, ship and destinations overall. Would recommend to those that had not taken a Holland America cruise and to those that took other cruise lines. Need to improve wheelchair embarkation process. Need to fresh the entertainment acts once you recover from the Covid-19 loss of revenue.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
The people at the port were great. There we too few wheelchairs available to assist with the embarkation of the cruise. We had to wait about 1-hour and 30-minutes before we could board the ship. Many people were waiting and the information regarding the onboarding was lacking.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
The main dining room was exceptional. We had the best waiter named, "Leo". He remembered all our names and specialty requests at every seating. We took every dinner at the main dining room because it was perfectly arranged for those that have special needs (e.g. wheel chairs).
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
I loved the gym and spa. I take the Holland America Pinnacle class ships for this reason. This year there was no trainer to assist with questions or explain the different classes. I understand that after 2-years with Covid-19 some staff needed to be reduced to cut costs. I liked that the spa massage specialist named, "Regina" did not pressure me to buy additional creams. She told me about them and I explained that I already purchased the items from earlier cruise trips, she stopped asking me to purchase additional products (this did not happen in the past and I liked that she was listening to me).
Entertainment
4 out of 5
We always go to the the World Stage Shows. We love the Step One Dancers, but we have seen the exact same performances for 3 cruises, therefore we are going to take another cruise line just to get a break during our next trip. The comedian Warren B. Hall was okay, but his comedy sets did not have the smooth transitions that I have come to expect from comics like Jim Gaffigan. Warren was okay, but to see his act 3 times and the fact it did not change for 3-years was disappointing. He needs to add more material and tighten the delivery.
Children's Programs
No children with us on the cruise.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Leo our waiter was exceptional and the assist waiter named Harris was very good. Our room stewards were super and met all our needs and went the extra mile to ensure all our needs were met. Achmad and Eflan on Deck 8 rank with the top room stewards we ever had a a cruise. We tipped all 4 very well because they did go above and beyond. Please renew their contracts because all 4 were super.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
The ship's design is simply breathtaking. Four cruises in a row on the Pinnacle Class vessel. Love them for there redundant safety features, perfect Gym and Spa areas, Dining Room design was so elegant that I always feel like I am in a Great Gatsby movie set. The flowers and art are so interesting, that I walk all over the ship and stairways just looking at the elegant and creative works of art. The staff is always cleaning the areas. I wish there was larger waste receptacles near the tea/coffee stations. The tiny little trash bins get overwhelmed during busy periods and I ended up putting trash in my pockets and taking them to other areas where I could dispose of the trash properly.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Very clean and I am very focused on that area of the cruise. Room stewards cleaned up 2 times a day and refreshed towels that were left in the "refresh" area on the bathroom after the gym workouts. My wife and I loved the stateroom and the Verandah.
Ship tip
Fantastic staff, very safe and clean. Not overly crowded and well run ship. Captain O'Driscoll and Kimberly were an excellent team.
We love Half Moon Cay. Having a ship run island that is safe to travel about without street vendors walking up to intimidate you into buying straw hats, etc. It would be great if a dock was built there, but the tenders were well run and clean. The ship staff did a great job running the island venues like lunch and the bar areas. Always go ashore to the Half Moon Cay.
Have gone in the past and did not feel safe in port. I did want to purchase a few items, but waited till Grand Caymen Island instead. Jamacia is a place that should be removed from the itinerary until the murder and crime rates are much lower. I researched the stats on Jamacia and they were disturbing to read. I elected to skip the island. Too bad because I enjoyed speaking to the shop people on other trips, but the street people were very aggressive and threatened me with harm with a machete last cruise if I did not buy a worthless trinket. I did not buy one and said I already purchased a meal and items in the shops, so I was not hurting their economy by not buying from the street person. This cruise I elected to avoid that situation and remain onboard the ship.
Bimini was very quiet and relaxing. No one accosted us there and the locals were all very welcoming. We hung out in the Rum Bar and it was so chill no one came to take our drink order. We walked u to the bar and got our own drinks and chilled in their outdoor seating area. Loved the tram back and forth to the ship. Excellent for our guests with limited mobility.
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