A memorable Cruise with some Extreme Dark problems

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 16

Review summary

Our November 26, 2023 fourteen day trip on the Holland America, Nieuw Statendam, was almost all we could have hoped for in a cruise. As experienced cruisers, It had exceeded much of our expectations for food, accommodations and cleanliness. But the cruise also had a dark side. On 12/05 I came back to our balcony cabin, after dinner to find my wife sitting in the hallway in utter panic. She had been confronted, in our cabin, with a live stripped lizard. She thought she had seen glimpses of something from the first day. We called the housekeeping staff for help, but even the senior staff were unable to remedy the situation. Best they could do in vacuum up the lizard eggs on the floor. Customer service , staffed by three associates and no other customers, acted like we were bothering them with our problem. It took more than a hour, while we stood at the desk, to get a new room. We are seniors in our 80's and were forced to pack and move all our baggage to the new room. As compensation for our panic and pain, we were only offered a meal for “one person” in their upscale Pasta restaurant, the second guest would have to pay (That was like a slap in the face). At this point it's hard for me to recommend Holland America, we did cancel a tentative Holland America future cruise. Throughout the entire cruise, our contact with the real working employees was of the highest level. They made the difference. We left the ship with a smile, but will always remember the pain.

Embarkation

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

Onboard Activities

Entertainment

Children's Programs

Service and Staff

Ship Quality

Cabin / Stateroom

Ports of call

Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy

Alicante, Spain

Malaga, Spain

Cadiz (Seville), Spain

Ponta Delgada, Azores

Ft. Lauderdale (Port Everglades), Florida

Disembarkation