Just back from Nieuw Amsterdam with Bikes.

[sandm]

This is our first time on HA and with the exception of one major thing...we loved it.

This was round trip Barcelona to Barcelona stopping in Palermo, Naples, Civitavecchia, Livorno and Toulon.

It's been a rough year for us. We are a very active couple in our 50's running marathons, doing cross fit, completed many mud runs including Tough Mudders and love to bike.

 

In September of 2012 with absolutely NO symptoms or NO risk factors I was diagnosed with Lung Cancer that spread to my liver and bones. In September 2012 I went through Chemo then in February I had 1/3 of my liver out. In April I had my entire right lung removed. June, I went through radiation. As I said ...it was a rough year.

 

I was back to work in June and ready for a trip and ready to celebrate life with family. This was a trip for the adults (my siblings and their spouses and my parents). All the children are in college or just starting jobs so no vacation for them.

 

We wanted to ride in Europe since we've been to these ports before several times and wanted to do something different plus this gave me incentive to train on my bike since running is quite difficult only 6 months post my lung removal.

 

We flew KLM Business Class ORD-AMS-BCN. The seats are not lie flat but I wanted to fly a 747 upper deck and we had unused Delta tickets since that crazy cancer made us cancel a few trips last year.

This was the BEST service we've ever encountered on a TATL flight. The FAs seemed genuinely happy. No scowls or mean faces.

 

We arrived in BCN and took a cab directly to Sants Station to catch a Renfe train to Alicante. With English in Spains advice here on CC we booked the tickets through Petrabax and had no difficulties that some have trying to book through the US Renfe site. Our hotel, Alicante Melia was perfect being right on the water. There was a Championship Triathlon going on in town and the athletes passed right in front of our hotel. It was exciting to watch these world class athletes close up and personal.

 

After arriving back in Barcelona my husband and I spent a night in one of our favorite hotels, Hotel 1898. It is special to us since we stayed here our very first trip to Europe years ago. It is a nice hotel right on Las Ramblas. Some complain of the noise from the street below though we've never really been bothered by it. If you can, splurge for a Deluxe room that has a large balcony to enjoy drinks or snacks.

 

When every one else started to arrive some of us moved to an apartment near the marina and Barri Gotic. We rented bikes from Medbikes in Malgrat de Mar. All the Barcelona bikes were rented since there was a triathlon going on in Barcelona the weekend of October 6th. This was a fantastic company to work with. They delivered and picked up the bikes for us. It was really hassle free and inexpensive and they were good mountain bikes.. It was much cheaper than flying our own bikes.

 

Embarcation with the bikes was a breeze. We dropped off our luggage around 10 AM via taxi then rode the bikes to port around 11AM. I was nervous about bringing the bikes on board even warning my family we might get "mean faces" from people. I worried people would think the bikes would just get their way or create jams. I could not have been more wrong! People were very friendly and accommodating lots of smiles and happy comments about it being a good idea to have the bikes and very few "mean faces".

 

We had to keep the bikes in our room which was very easy. We had an SC with a wrap around deck and kept them locked outside.

 

We LOVED the room and a few of the perks that went with it. We have stayed in suites in almost all the other mainstream cruise lines and for us HA perks were some of the best. We loved free laundry and used it almost every day. The extra space was great and we hosted cocktail hour before dinner every night for all 10 of us. We don't drink alcohol much (though I did enjoy a sangria almost every night in Spain and on board). We also didn't use the Neptune lounge much since no other family members could use it. The balcony and laundry was what we loved about having a suite.

Another thing HA did right for us is the way they reduced the price of our cabin with every price drop AND even after final payment we were given OBC instead of the price drop. My husband and I ended up with $700 OBC in the end. We ended up purchasing jewelry for our daughter with most of it since no laundry costs, little alcohol purchasing and no spa services were used.

 

Food is so personal so I won't comment much other than to say most in our group felt it was better than RCCL, Carnival and Princess. All felt it was better than NCL regular dining room food. It was a toss up between Celebrity and HA as far as quality. No one was ever hungry and the hot food was hot and the cold was cold. Service was prompt and for the most part orders were correct. The doctors want me to gain weight so I gave it the old college try by enjoying hand dipped ice cream every day. This is another treat many other cruise line don't have.

 

WE used the fitness center every day sometimes a few times a day. They are well equipped and clean though a bit smaller than other ships we've been on. Compared to RCCL ships there isn't a lot of room for our group work outs especially if there was a class going on but we were able to accomplish what we needed. One funny thing is there is a pull up bar but it is really non functional. The bar is only about 4" from the ceiling so you can't get your chin above it but we were able to substitute.

 

Service is where HA exceeded our expectations. The staff was ALWAYS smiling and happy. They even offered an unexpected push running the girls bikes up steep ramps in a few ports. They really seem to be able to anticipate what we wanted. Even on the last morning there was nothing but smiles. On all of our other cruises on different cruise lines it seems that last morning the staff was so busy and frazzled they became totally different people. On HA even after exiting the gangway there was a group of happy smiling staff waving and wising us safe journeys and happy returns.

 

I won't bore you any more with details of our port days other than to say we used mapmyride for routes and it was not always accurate but getting lost is half the fun. Toulon, France was the most bike friendly port with Palermo being the worst. Though they were all terrific and we had smiles on our faces every mile we covered.

 

As I said earlier in the review this was our first time on Holland America and I said it was near perfect except for one thing.

The one thing that was really a downer (and it's a BIGGIE for us) is there is NO running track. Walking is allowed on the promenade deck but no running. I know for many if not most this is a total NON issue. For us it's HUGE. Before I lost my rt lung running early morning was my FAVORITE part of cruising. There is nothing like waking up and running while there is nothing but black sky and ocean off the ship. As the miles go by the sky changes from black to a navy blue and you begin to see the line between ocean and sky. With more miles under your feet the colors of the sky change with every lap. The ship begins to wake up going from seeing one or two people cleaning the deck to more and more people. Sorry...back to my review but I just miss running so much.

 

Anyway, as I heal and the function of my left lung grows I am getting back to running. I know there are treadmills on board but anything more than a few miles is just plain boring.

Will we do Holland America again?

Well, we have a spring break cruise out of San Diego with them on the books. I will have to tolerate the treadmill for that one. After that I'm not sure. However, currently, HA is the only mainstream ocean cruise line that allows regular bikes to be brought aboard so if we do another bike cruise it will absolutely be HA.

[Mumsysailor]

Thanks for sharing your experience. We were also on the same 7 days cruise but can't recall seeing you with the bikes. I'm glad to hear HAL treated you and your bikes well.

 

Mumsy.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thank you for taking the time to write your wonderful review.

You certainly have had a rough year -- glad you were able to take a cruise as part of your of your healing process.

How wonderful that you were able to rent bikes.

People do run -- up on the Panorama Deck -- but not early in the morning as the crew washes it down and it is quite wet for awhile.

[trixiee]

Sorry to hear of your health issues. Cancer sux!

Happy to hear you can bring along a bike! I am an avid cyclist, and can think of no better way to be a tourista!

[mamaofami]

So nice you feel well enough to cruise and you had a good time,

[mamaofami]

Thanks for sharing your experience. We were also on the same 7 days cruise but can't recall seeing you with the bikes. I'm glad to hear HAL treated you and your bikes well.

 

Mumsy.

Welcome home Mumsy.

[Mumsysailor]

Welcome home Mumsy.

 

Thanks Carol.

 

Mumsy.

[PathfinderEss]

Thanks for taking the time to write a review of your cruise. Glad everything worked out for you and the bikes, but sorry about no running track.

[KirkNC]

I am glad things are on the up for you after your hard year. I think if you looked at the passenger demographics for HAL you will understand why no running track. One would be massively underutilized and not very good use of space. As you state, the only real alternative is to use the tread mills.

[kazu]

Thank you for the great review.

 

And gosh, I have to say kudos to you for the challenges you have undergone and so happy you can now enjoy life.

 

Most of the ships have a spot to run up above (sports deck or higher). On the P'dam there are many people doing the run early in the morning and that is the smallest ship in the fleet. I am surprised there was none for you on this ship. I was on this ship previously and I thought there was one, but I don't run much anymore so I could be wrong.

 

Anyways it sounds like the rest of the cruise was good and I am so glad that you got a chance to enjoy it. I'm sure you enjoyed it to the nth degree with all you have been through.

 

Thanks again and welcome home

[Linda&Vern]

I am glad things are on the up for you after your hard year. I think if you looked at the passenger demographics for HAL you will understand why no running track. One would be massively underutilized and not very good use of space. As you state, the only real alternative is to use the tread mills.

I have to agree with KK. I always thought the "running deck" on the NA was on the Panorama Deck. Also, had you been on our March two week Westerdam cruise (especially week #1) you would not have made that "age" statement.

[Typhoon1]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts with the rest of us.

[TracieABD]

Glad you had a wonderful cruise. I do get it about the running thing. Just can't do the treadmill.:)

[sandm]

Thanks for reading my ramblings everyone. We really did enjoy our trip and felt that HA has a wonderful product. The promenade deck has signs that state "no Jogging" and we didn't see anyone running on the panorama deck and didn't want to break any rules.

 

Although it did seem the average age was a bit older than we've seen in the past we figured part of it was because we were traveling in October and most children are in school.

 

The fitness center was more crowded than we expected. It was quite the hopping place. I don't mind the crowds as long as people don't linger on machines or chat while standing at a machine. None of that occured and people were very polite and considerate. We even had a few people join us for our 3pm "deck of death" work out.

[cruisetrail]

 

As I said earlier in the review this was our first time on Holland America and I said it was near perfect except for one thing.

The one thing that was really a downer (and it's a BIGGIE for us) is there is NO running track. Walking is allowed on the promenade deck but no running. I know for many if not most this is a total NON issue. For us it's HUGE.

 

Sorry you missed this pleasure.

We start every day running a few circules on the promenade and so do many other cruisers. This IS our running track.

This is absolutely a must for us and we enjoy this on the large HAL ships much more than on other ships except the QM2.

Morning is the best time for us on the cruise.

 

P.S. Looking at your cruising history..

Independence of the Seas - we followed our morning jogging routine on those ships. Of course it was on the wrap-around promenade deck, not on that so-called "jogging track" on the sun deck.:)

Thank you for your post.

Enjoy your cruises!

[cccole]

I loved this review. I never thought about taking a bike on board but it's a great idea.

 

Were there people walking pre-dawn? I'm sorry that you didn't try running. I agree with your description of welcoming the day. Possibly someone with authority would have directed you somewhere to run instead of walk. A "jogging" deck seems like a very realistic expectation. I would much rather be outside than in a gym, unless the weather is a problem.

 

Thank you for the review. I really enjoyed it. Cherie

[Keith1010]

Thank you for your nice review and all the best on your continued recovery.

 

Keith

[sandm]

I loved this review. I never thought about taking a bike on board but it's a great idea.

 

Were there people walking pre-dawn? I'm sorry that you didn't try running. I agree with your description of welcoming the day. Possibly someone with authority would have directed you somewhere to run instead of walk. A "jogging" deck seems like a very realistic expectation. I would much rather be outside than in a gym, unless the weather is a problem.

 

Thank you for the review. I really enjoyed it. Cherie

 

cccole, There were very few people walking pre dawn. One morning my sister was the only one running on the promenade deck and a woman came out from a door wagging a finger at my sister stating "the sign says no jogging, I went and told the AUTHORITIES on you".

We DID ask about where to run and were told by a few different people that the tread mills were the only place on this ship. We really did not want to break any rules or create problems. My poor sister is running a marathon this weekend and she was a bit frustrated. Fortunately she is tapering so her runs were not that long.

 

If you love to ride and you decide to do this you will love it. I would recommend getting at the least a balcony room to store your bikes. The wrap around deck was perfect. We locked our bikes on the side deck and still had the very large aft portion to enjoy the outside.

[Carolin]

What was the process of getting your bikes to shore at your port of calls?

 

How about when you boarded the ship?

 

My brain is saying.. just roll it up the gangway but.... hahahaha

[KirkNC]

I have to agree with KK. I always thought the "running deck" on the NA was on the Panorama Deck. Also, had you been on our March two week Westerdam cruise (especially week #1) you would not have made that "age" statement.

 

Yes it will vary by cruise but I think it is pretty obvious that most HAL cruises will not have as many runners as say Royal Carribean. Not being critical as we are HAL cruisers ;).

 

I had forgotten about the running area on most ships as Kazu points out. I was thinking about no running on the Verandah deck.

[sandm]

Carolin your brain is correct. We wheeled it into the terminal then up the gangway and through the halls to our room. We mostly took elevators up and wheeled it down the stairs

At each port we did the same. Walked them through the halls and up or down the gangway. It was quite easy.

Livorno was the only port we were concerned about because historically the port authorities won't let passengers walk but you must pay 5 euros for the shuttle.

We were prepared to either pay and load them on the shuttle of pay the tax, or shuttle fee then ride them off. As it turned out it was even easier then all that. An official was in a car a few feet from the bus and he stopped us. We were thinking he was going to collect the 5 euro but instead he hopped in his car and told us to " follow me ".

We had a personal escort out which was nice because that port is huge and we probably would have gotten lost.

[lovestx]

Sandm,

So sorry to hear of the horrific year you have endured but I love your positive attitude. Have to believe that and your great exercise regime are helping you kick cancer's butt!

 

We are considering the Nieuw Amsterdam for a June 2014 cruise but are very hesitant due to the smoking policy. I'm wondering if you encountered much of it and whether your balcony was affected.

[sandm]

We smelled smoke only twice on the side balcony. We never smelled it on the aft side. Other than those 2 times It was never a problem and I am pretty sensitive to smoke now. I think one side of the aft lido deck smoking was allowed but we never went there.

[lovestx]

We smelled smoke only twice on the side balcony. We never smelled it on the aft side. Other than those 2 times It was never a problem and I am pretty sensitive to smoke now. I think one side of the aft lido deck smoking was allowed but we never went there.

 

Great to hear. Maybe worth the price of an aft to avoid the smoke.

 

Can others comment on their experiences with smoke/no smoke?

 

And Sandm, did you notice the smell of smoke elsewhere on the ship?

[sandm]

I really did not notice smoke on the ship. Of course there were many smokers throughout Europe but most cities do not allow smoking inside restaurants but if you eat on the out door terraces you will smell smoke. The ship was not too bad. Even the casino was not bad though I only walked through it and did not spend any time in it.