Just off Nieuw Amsterdam 3/19 - 3/26

[need2cruise]

First time Holland America Cruise and loved the NIeuw Amsterdam

This was part of a charter cruise so may not be accurate assesment

Check In: Very smooth,organized. At pier around 11am and onboard eating by noon

Cabin: Outside Fully obstructed with lots of storage bathroom had tub

Cabin Steward was excellent.

Food: somewhat disappointed in the MDR food. Service was excellent, food ok, French Onion soup

was delicious,Steak and prime rib were just ok.

Buffet food for all meals was very good, lots of choices,loved pasta station, salad station,

waffle station. NY Strip steak and prime rib much better at buffet, food seamed fresher. Pizza

was delicious especially The Bronx.

Drinks: Had signature package and found it difficult to get to the max 15 daily limit. Becareful when ordering

know what drinks are allowed as tthe bartenders dont automatically advise if drink ordered is

included in your specific package. Cant really fault bartender as they really dont know what

package you have purchased. Coffee in explorations cafe was very good.

Service: Excellent service all around. Especially in the explorations cafe and cabana attendants.

Cabanas: Had a Lido Cabana and felt very much worth the additional $. Service was excellent especially

our cabana guy Ron.

Entertainment: B.B Kings Blues Club...cant say enough about the b.b.kings all star band....they were

absolutely phenomenal....spent many hours there drinking and listening to much...felt like a

concert....and the band were extremely friendly and gracious when in between sets and

around ship....whole lot of talent in that group.

All around a great cruise....any questions?

[Tananda]

Thank you for the review! We board on Sunday, and I can't wait. Did you happen to notice what time Explorations Cafe opened? I am an early riser and would like to be able to get a fancy coffee each morning.

 

Glad you enjoyed your trip!

 

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[Krazy Kruizers]

Thank you for your review.

Glad you enjoyed your cruise.

[styles27]

Thanks for your review! It sounds like you had a great first cruise with HAL.

 

One thing we are really looking forward to when we're on Eurodam in May is checking out the BB King Blues Club.

 

We travelled to TN last year and really enjoyed our time on Beale St in Memphis listening to all of the fantastic musicians. SO much talent in this world!

 

I know this will be our favorite spot too!

[Happy2cruise]

Another thanks for your review, boarding the Nieuw Sunday......first Holland cruise:)

[easyboy]

Glad you had a great cruise. Thanks for the feedback.

 

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[need2cruise]

I believe it opened at 6am...coffee was great and so are the little pastries.. Hope you enjoy your cruise as much as we did

Thank you for the review! We board on Sunday, and I can't wait. Did you happen to notice what time Explorations Cafe opened? I am an early riser and would like to be able to get a fancy coffee each morning.

 

Glad you enjoyed your trip!

 

Sent from my SM-G930T using Forums mobile app

[ski ww]

Thanks for the write up. We are on the NA in Jul to Alaska.

Allan

[Lizzie68]

Another thanks for your review, boarding the Nieuw Sunday......first Holland cruise:)

 

We are boarding on Sunday, too. We did a week on the NA last year, and loved the ship and crew. I am sure you will be happy with it.

[Italy52]

Thank you for your report, I appreciate it. We will be on the Nieuw Amsterdam in July doing the Vancouver to Vancouver cruise to Alaska. Looking forward to the journey.

[OlsSalt]

She is a very lovely ship. Glad you enjoyed your cruise.

[Tananda]

I believe it opened at 6am...coffee was great and so are the little pastries.. Hope you enjoy your cruise as much as we did

Thank you so much!

 

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[Happy2cruise]

We are boarding on Sunday, too. We did a week on the NA last year, and loved the ship and crew. I am sure you will be happy with it.

Thanks, we are so looking forward to trying Holland after many, many Princess cruises and a few Celebrity and RD;)

[kftw]

Thank you for your review.

[erewhon]

Thank you for reviewing your cruise.

[Classic Sue]

Thanks for for your review. Do you know if they have the Le Cirque dining option? If so do you know how to book online as I can not find it on the website? I hear it books out before sailing? Any advise? Thanks.

[Old As Dirt Mom]

Thanks for for your review. Do you know if they have the Le Cirque dining option? If so do you know how to book online as I can not find it on the website? I hear it books out before sailing? Any advise? Thanks.

 

Hi Sue - I am not the original poster of this thread, but Le Cirque is being discontinued as a dining option in the Pinnacle Grill, and a French brasserie called Sel de Mer is taking its place. The transition is being implemented now, so keep checking.

[need2cruise]

I don't recall this being offered on this cruise

Thanks for for your review. Do you know if they have the Le Cirque dining option? If so do you know how to book online as I can not find it on the website? I hear it books out before sailing? Any advise? Thanks.

[Kooolmomma]

We were on the NA in February and it was such a beautiful ship. Loved the cruise.

[3 WI Cruisers]

Thank you for the wonderful review! We are on the NA May 20-27 to Alaska and this will be our first time to Alaska and our first time sailing HA after many Disney cruises. I am getting very excited and it helps to read so many good things about the NA.

[Cruizer Bill]

Thank you! We appreciate all the feedback we can get.

[Skysurfr]

Hi,

 

I was on the same cruise and will agree with the entire review.

 

I will add:

 

They did have Le Cirque and it was fantastic. We were told that it was the "last Le Cirque", but not sure if that means last for me or for that ship on that cruise. If you search my posts, I posted the new Sel de Mer menus which will soon replace Le Cirque.

 

I did a comparison of the Lido Buffet and the MDR Menu. It seems everything on the MDR menu was also available at the buffet. Then there were more options at the Lido that were not on the MDR menus. Also, at the Lido...if you see it ...eat it! Some items are only once per week. This was especially true at the Asian food counter. Don't miss a chance to try some authentic Indonesian or Curries.

 

Also, in the MDR...If I didn't ask for a quiet table or a window we were immediately stuck between the kitchen door and 2 server stations. Clank cling crash....went the dishes and silverware. When I remembered to ask we were seated in a more pleasant area.

 

We did a Neptune Suite and it was very nice.

 

Didn't do the drink packages and found the prices of drinks to be reasonable. We also brought an additional 7 bottles aboard and paid corkage at our meals. (we lived local and drove to the port)

 

My other cruises have been Regent, SilverSea and Seadream....so the bar was set high. I enjoyed my HAL experience. The occasional waits and tender crowds weren't terrible. The ship was very nice. BB King's was great.

 

Tamarind- So many raved about this restaurant, I expected more. I think if you are used to a strip mall chop suey takeout place, then Tamarind is amazing. However, if you're from a large city or used to nicer Asian restaurants, then it won't seem as special. The upcharge wasn't much but then again... should there really be any upcharge?

 

Pinacle- Good stuff here. I really enjoyed the lamb chops. A table mate had a strip steak that was underwhelming. The fillet or lamb chops seemed to be the way to go. Still very good food and excellent service.

 

Le Cirque- Excellent all around. Tip: order the Chateau for two people with the same "doneness"....then you get a whole roast split between you.

 

Shows- Good stuff. It's a ship not Broadway....I was entertained.

 

Americas Test Kitchen- This was a fun way to spend an hour. Im looking forward to trying the recipes at home. Tip to HAL- When you do a dessert recipe ... make enough in advance to give everyone in the crowd a sample. This is how you make the most wonderful brownies....but you're not allowed to taste them! Then again... thats just like the tv show. :-P

 

Drink Specials- Pay attention to the daily program. There's specials like $4 wine tastings, 2 for 1 etc.

 

All in all , I'd go again.

[*Miss G*]

We were on NA in December and I agree that the MDR food and service was underwhelming. Our Sommelier was outstanding, however.

 

Loved going to the Explorations Cafe early morning for a great coffee!

 

My experience with Le Cirque was that it was nice, however I wouldn't do it again. I'm not surprised that it's been phased out.

 

We found Tamarind was our best meal during the entire trip.

 

The biggest laugh we had was leaving the bingo with a bucket of bubbly. We stopped at the closest bar to sit down and drink it and found ourselves in the midst of a food quiz with a bunch of wine placed in front of us as we sat down! So much fun.