The crossing was very relaxing and it was smooth sailing. Some very intresting ports.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
We arrived at 2:30 pm & there were no lines. Very smooth embarkation.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
The main dining room has excellent food & service. We also tried the Pinacle Grill & the Caneletto - also excellent food & service.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
I don't cook & don't care to cook, but loved going to the Culinary Arts Center. Christina the hostess was very entertaining & it was interesting to the see ship's chefs prepare dishes. There was even a cook off that was a real "hoot". Unfortunately they have since done away with the Culinary Arts Center & it's now "America's Test Kitchen which for me is just not as interesting or as much fun. The Digital Workshop provided many helpful hints/ideas for windows 10.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
Never missed a show. Both the ship's pemanent party entertainers & the entertainers that were brought on at each port were great.
Children's Programs
No children with us.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Always top shelf. One of our primary reasons for sailing on Holland America.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Love the layout & feel right at home. The ship is constantly being cleaned from top to bottom.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Plenty of storage space, a very comfortable bed & always very clean. This cruise was before a ship refurbishment & there was a very small flat screen monitor which did not have on demand programming. We have sailed on this ship again in 2018 & our room now had large flat screen monitor with on demand programming.
Ship tip
This really applies to all ships. If you are flying home from Europe plan to fly the day after docking. Removes a lot of stress & provides some time in the disembarkation port. Also there is no need to rush off of the ship & there is time to have breakfast in the dining room.
Very nice tour of the island booked through COSTCO. There were only 8 people on the tour which is much better than being ona big bus. The guide was very informative. COSTCO tours are less expensive than Holland America tours. The only problem is that you need to locate the starting point for their tours which is not always easy. With Holland America tours, it is always clear where there tours start. Usually at the pier where the ship is docked.
It was a rainy & cold day. We didn't see much, but had a nice sandwich & glass of wine where locals eat. Hopefully we will be going back this year & will have better weather.
Took the Holland America tour. A very beautiful, historical city. There was too little time explore, shop & eat on our own. The guide over explained everything. This is the beer capitol of the world. Another place we hope to see again this year.
Another COSTCO tour. Our tickets indicated that the tour started at 12:00 noon, but when we found the tour office they informed us that there was no 12:00 noon tour. The tour office did provide us with Hop On, Hop Off Tickets for a bus & canal tour. Very interesting city & tour. We had lunch in the Red Light District at Mata Hari with a variety of local foods.
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