Mixed results on sailing with Holland America. Disappointed in the dining experience and the on board entertainment. All other experiences on this cruise very satisfied.
Oosterdam Cruise Review to Alaska - Inside Passage
Loved the cruise except for the dining and entertainment experience. Seemed like Holland was doing cost cutting in these areas and led to our overall disappointment with the trip. Since this is a major component of any cruise our personal overall rating is 2+ which is much lower than the computer generated average score for this website.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Only sailed on 4 different cruise lines, but this was the most efficient and best experience to get on the ship. Also room was immediately available to drop off carry on luggage.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
2 out of 5
First sailing with Holland America and we had been told by others that Holland's dining experience was wonderful. On this cruise it was lacking. Buffet lines were really cafeteria lines with not very efficient flow of diners and the food quality was not that good. Dining room experiences were very disappointing with the selection of meals. Their Diner option of Hamburgers and Hotdogs was also very disappointing as it often took over 45 minutes for the food to be ready. Not a quick option. This was nothing like what we had expected based on other cruise experiences or by what we had heard from other travelers.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
Did not use many of the activities, but the Microsoft Windows 10 classes were excellent. Great tips and came off the ship with a lot of tools for future use. This was a plus for Holland America on this cruise
Entertainment
2 out of 5
Love the BB King All-Star band. Thought the main evening shows were a bust. Didn't even have a show every night and only the comedian on his first appearance was worth the time to attend. This needs a lot of work to meet the competition's shows offered.
Children's Programs
No kids
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Very good effort by the service personnel.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
We had a balcony for the trip. First time we've ever done a balcony. It was ok, but we only used the cabin to sleep and take showers so we'll probably go back to inside for future cruises.
Not much to do since we docked in the early evening and only had about 5 hours in port during the evening hours. (Some stores had closed and limited sights to visit)
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