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A few comments on the NIEUW STATENDAM

Himself

By Himself,
in Holland America Line

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Himself

Himself

Posted
Posted

As many of you know I recently completed a one week voyage on the NIEUW STATENDAM and I thought you would want a few observations..   I will be brief.  I hate to say it but this is the new mid size.  That  was made clear to me when we were in Cozumel and docked next to The Harmony of the Seas.

The Nieuw Statendam looked like a tug boat next to this monster ship.  That being said, I still prefer the Signature Class Ships.  My friar is they will get bigger and bigger.in the future. One thing I do not like is the promenade walk around deck.  It is too narrow .  It was good that they moved the Lincoln Center performers to the Queens lounge.  However since they now share the space with the BB Kings Blues Venue, the classical music does not go that late. &:30 they are furnished.   This ship and the Koningsdam cannot go through the New Locks in the Panama Canal.  It has to do with the fact that lifeboats are out way to far.   I understand that the next ship they will be relocated closer to the ship and hopefully more like they are on the other classes of ships.  Maybe we will even get a decent size Promenade Deck in the next one. 

I had a nice room on the Navigation Deck (8059)  midway between the Forward and Mid  ship elevators.   The problem was it was right below the Lido pull area and I could heart them dragging  tables and chars late at night as I was trying to go to sleep.    I liked this ship better that the Koningsdam but I still favor the Vista and Signature Class ships.  I miss those Sea View Elevators at the mid ship. 

 

I also notice that there are not as many offerings at Dinner as HAL used to offer.   For instance, we used to get three soups offered each evening: A broth soup, a cream soup and  a cold soup.  Not there is one but I think you can still get French Onion.  It also seemed that there are fewer options on the minu but you can purchase a President Cut Steak for another &%.00.     Baked Alaska is gone from the minuet on the last night of the cruise.   The have a Chocolate offering on the last Gala night but with Diabetes, I took a rain check.

 

These are my observations.  I will be Chaplain on b2b Cruises on the Nieuw Amsterdam in June.  It will be nice to get back on a Signature Ship.

If you to the time to read these thoughts and observations, thanks for reading them .   They are subjective.   They were written in that spirit.

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rkacruiser

rkacruiser

Posted
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7 hours ago, Himself said:

I also notice that there are not as many offerings at Dinner as HAL used to offer.   For instance, we used to get three soups offered each evening: A broth soup, a cream soup and  a cold soup.  Not there is one but I think you can still get French Onion.  It also seemed that there are fewer options on the minu but you can purchase a President Cut Steak for another &%.00.     Baked Alaska is gone from the minuet on the last night of the cruise.   

 

My Nieuw Statendam MDR experiences as to menu offerings and dinners ordered were lackluster.  Neither the dinners nor the menu offerings matched my previous cruise on the Zaandam during her Christmas/New Year's cruise in 2017-2018.

 

Thanks for your experienced observations, Father.

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TriumphGuy Great Review Rare

TriumphGuy

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Thanks for the observations. We'll be on board in April 2020 (our first HAL cruise) in 8125.  I've been curious about this ship as it will be a 14 night transatlantic.
One note: Most lines are doing away with Promenade Decks because they generate no revenue. So I am pleased that this new ship at least has one. The newer Princess ships do not, which is one of a few reasons I will no longer sail with them.
I agree that the new ships on the other lines, (aka Humongous Of The Seas) are way too big. Six Thousand passengers? No thanks. We found that 3000 is our limit and even that is stretching it.

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rkacruiser

rkacruiser

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10 minutes ago, TriumphGuy said:

We found that 3000 is our limit and even that is stretching it.

 

On my Royal Princess New Year's Cruise, there were almost 3800 guests.  While I liked the ship and did not find her to be "too big".  There were too many people at times for some of the venues.

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rkacruiser

rkacruiser

Posted
Posted
23 hours ago, Himself said:

the 2020 Chaplaincies are not out yet.   I would love to get away ih January but one of the  priests will go to India for a month in late December.

 

Father, I hope you will be able to find a sailing whose guests will benefit from your efforts.  

 

Regardless of what one's religion  may be, when one is at sea and observes a clear, star studded sky with the sound and sight of the sea as background noise, it is an emotional and a religious experience for me.  

 

Trained clergy of whatever faith provide on-board services far more meaningful than guests recruited from the passenger list to do so.   

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Stratheden

Stratheden

Posted
Posted
On 3/15/2019 at 3:18 AM, Himself said:

As many of you know I recently completed a one week voyage on the NIEUW STATENDAM and I thought you would want a few observations..   I will be brief.  I hate to say it but this is the new mid size.  That  was made clear to me when we were in Cozumel and docked next to The Harmony of the Seas.

The Nieuw Statendam looked like a tug boat next to this monster ship.  That being said, I still prefer the Signature Class Ships.  My friar is they will get bigger and bigger.in the future. One thing I do not like is the promenade walk around deck.  It is too narrow .  It was good that they moved the Lincoln Center performers to the Queens lounge.  However since they now share the space with the BB Kings Blues Venue, the classical music does not go that late. &:30 they are furnished.   This ship and the Koningsdam cannot go through the New Locks in the Panama Canal.  It has to do with the fact that lifeboats are out way to far.   I understand that the next ship they will be relocated closer to the ship and hopefully more like they are on the other classes of ships.  Maybe we will even get a decent size Promenade Deck in the next one. 

I had a nice room on the Navigation Deck (8059)  midway between the Forward and Mid  ship elevators.   The problem was it was right below the Lido pull area and I could heart them dragging  tables and chars late at night as I was trying to go to sleep.    I liked this ship better that the Koningsdam but I still favor the Vista and Signature Class ships.  I miss those Sea View Elevators at the mid ship. 

 

I also notice that there are not as many offerings at Dinner as HAL used to offer.   For instance, we used to get three soups offered each evening: A broth soup, a cream soup and  a cold soup.  Not there is one but I think you can still get French Onion.  It also seemed that there are fewer options on the minu but you can purchase a President Cut Steak for another &%.00.     Baked Alaska is gone from the minuet on the last night of the cruise.   The have a Chocolate offering on the last Gala night but with Diabetes, I took a rain check.

 

These are my observations.  I will be Chaplain on b2b Cruises on the Nieuw Amsterdam in June.  It will be nice to get back on a Signature Ship.

If you to the time to read these thoughts and observations, thanks for reading them .   They are subjective.   They were written in that spirit.

Thank you for your honest thoughts.  I have not been on either of the two new ships and I had no intention of booking. You have just confirmed what I thought. 

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oceanmom

oceanmom

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Posted

We had a nice quiet window table in the upper Dining Room on the Nieuw Statendam for the Christmas cruise. Rather startling to be enjoying a nice dinner when suddenly outside the window just three feet away would be very casually dressed (well, mostly dressed) walkers on the promenade gazing in to see what we were having for dinner. I asked the steward if sheer curtains were perhaps not yet installed and got a shrug in response.

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Paulinda

Paulinda

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Posted

We were on the NS last week.  We agree with your observation on the promenade being to narrow.  We've been on the MS Amsterdam and the Nieuw Amsterdam and enjoyed them more than the NS.   We missed lounges on the NS promenade and frankly refused to walk the narrow part of the walk during rougher seas.

 

 

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Roz Great Review Rare

Roz

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Posted

"My friar is they will get bigger and bigger in the future." - This cracked me up. :classic_biggrin:   I know you meant to type "fear", but coming from a priest, friar is especially amusing.

 

Thank you for your comments and observations.

 

Roz

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