kaiiak

We were on NS last week for Easter break & there were @350 kids onboard. My son who is 10 enjoyed Club Hal & went a handful of times for about an hour each. He has autism & can be a bit shy so I think more typical kids who are more social would enjoy it even more. He loved the cruise and can’t wait to go again!

6 hours ago, Copper10-8 said:

Thanks a bunch for your review! Question please; what was "Latina Musica?" Where did it take place? Thanks!

This was part of the Lincoln Center Stage. It was strings and piano performing various styles of classical latin music from not just Latin America but also Spain. 

10 hours ago, Fouremco said:

Thanks for a well written review.

 

A question for you, given conflicting information that I've seen in recent threads: if you had a Beverage Package, were you able to use it to purchase your lattes in the Dutch Caffé?

Hi I had the SBP and all of my soy lattes were covered under the plan.

Just back from the last Caribbean cruise of the season on the Nieuw Statendam!  We are a family of four with an adult child in his 20s and a 10 year old so my review is based more on those demographics. We have not cruised in 11 years and a lot has changed such as the way they do muster drills, the availability of internet onboard, and the navigator app to name a few.

The Ship: Beautiful and elegant, with lots of spaces to hide out in and just relax.  I particularly enjoyed all the music related artwork all over the ship. We stayed in a verandah on Deck 5. It was tight for 4 people, but still doable.  I loved all the drawers and there was space for all of us once we unpacked. My favorite spots onboard were the Crow’s Nest and my in room balcony.

Entertainment & Activities: I loved having all of the various music venues onboard. There is something for everyone.  We enjoyed the Lincoln Center classical pianist and Latina Musica, the rock room band, and BB King band.  The mentalist was interesting.  Movies by the pool were OK.  They would have been better but the volume is just not loud enough to really hear properly. Club HAL was enjoyable and my son went a few times for an hour or so. Mixology class was entertaining for my son. Trivia was fun but I wish they had prizes for the winners, even just some HAL pens/pencils/notepads etc.

Food:  The Main Dining Room: food choices were great and I particularly enjoyed the beef stroganoff and roasted chicken.  Service was a tad bit slow for us (a little over 1.5 hours).  We had a fixed late seating (8pm) which was fine because we are coming from the West Coast and still not starved by then. Only negative was it seemed very noisy every time we ate there.

Pinnacle Grill: excellent dinner here and a much more relaxing atmosphere.  While not the best filet I have had it was very good.

Tamarind: was much better than we expected it to be! I liked how the dishes felt light because often Asian food can feel heavy. All of our dishes were tasty and good portion size (not too big).

De Librije: My son had the pop up in the Pinnacle. He enjoyed it immensely with the included 2oz wine pours.

Daily Tea Service in MDR: Loved it. Service was white glove and delivered to the table (not buffet style).  Sandwiches were tasty and just the right amount for an afternoon pick me up. Plus the dining room is quite pretty during the day.

Dive In: Excellent burger and chicken sandwiches!

NY Deli: Good for breakfast bagel sandwiches. Salads were great.  Pizzas were just OK.

Dutch Café: Excellent lattes! Never got the hot food because they didn’t serve it when we went before 11am.

Lido: Breakfast was good with so many options! The crepe and omelette stations were always busy with a long wait. Dinner was OK but the times were so limited! I felt like every time we wanted to go they are almost closing or had just closed.

Casino: Seemed a bit small and the table games were really squished together.  No Texas Hold ‘Em Table (except the heads up game) or poker tournaments which was a bummer for my husband.  I did not notice the smoke in the public areas and there was a day or two where the casino was nonsmoking.  Only one night my husband said the smoke was strong.

Ports: Grand Turk visited Governor’s Beach – amazing and quiet! Worth the $4 per person taxi ride.  St Thomas Magen’s Beach was a bit more crowded but still very nice with chairs, food and beverage service for purchase.  We purchased through HAL and the guide who drove us was great and stopped a few times for pictures etc. Puerto Rico we visited the Fort by taxi and later my husband and son went on the bioluminescent kayak tour. They really enjoyed it. Unfortunately Half Moon Cay was canceled due to weather. We were so bummed!!!

Negatives for me (far and few):

There needs to be more options besides in room dining later at night.  Some nights the lido closed at 8pm leaving you waiting til their late night snack hour.

The room service and lido coffee is terrible! But I did love my lattes at the Dutch Café.

Laundry kept charging us even though we purchased unlimited. Spoke to guest services twice and ended up leaving the ship with it still on my bill.

The weekly spa pass I bought was not worth it to me. I only went once and found it to be loud and not very relaxing.  Next time I will save my money on that or maybe do a day pass instead.

Overall we had an amazing time and are now hooked on cruising again. We had waited years to cruise because our 10 year old is autistic and we were not sure if he would do well onboard. Well apparently he is a natural born cruiser because he loved it and says the next trip he wants to do 10 days! I would sail on this ship again because I still did not get to try everything onboard.

Last week on the Nieuw Statendam they were filming the series again. My son and husband got interviewed during their excursion in San Juan.  They were all over the ship filming each day.

We just got off the Nieuw Statendam Sunday and because it was a holiday week there were about 350 kids onboard.  My 10 year old had a fabulous time. He went to the Club Hal here and there for about an hour each time and enjoyed the activities.  He enjoyed the shows, played bingo with us, participated in the trivia games, listened to music in the many venues, the pool and of course all the food. I found he was never bored and was on his electronic devices wayyy less than at home.  I am sure during the Christmas holiday there will be more than enough kids and activities to keep him happy.

On 4/20/2019 at 3:32 PM, Roz said:

I've done several HAL 4-day Coastals, and a 4-day round trip out of Seattle.  They're great little cruises, and have never been booze cruises.  I'll be with Canadianbear on the upcoming 6-day Coastal that leaves San Diego a week from today.  Can't wait.

 

Roz

Would love to hear what you think of this 6 day cruise as I am considering it for next year.  

12 hours ago, avocat said:

Took the red eye from Los Angeles to FLL. No sleep for 30+hours and hung out at FLL till boarded. Take a taxi for the 2 mile $15 ride to the terminal. Hint, have your photo ID handy at the terminal gate even if you are in a cab!

the line up is at 10:15 bit they didn’t let us in to check in till 11:00. Was on the boat at noon. 

 

This ship hip has the best cruise ship bathroom ever!  The solid glass door is so much cleaner and better than a vinyl curtain. It’s the worlds best shower because no matter how long you run the hot shower with the door closes the mirror does not fog up!!!

the ship is a beauty and I live the music theme which includes names of decks,!music venues and artwork.  The artwork and feel is fun and more like the Celebrity Reflection or a very toned down Carnival. 

The internet works and price $139 unlimited is fair. You can also use the same account in multiple devices just not at the same time. 

The menu looks improved over what I had on a Holland cruise two years ago.

The grand cafe is a waste and is all pay extra. The pizza was amazing. The flourless chocolate cake flawless. The free  ice cream  in the Lido buffet is not made in board. Only the extra pay gelato is  made here. The free waffle cone was delicious. 

The only complaint I have is the service in the main dining room tonight was very slow. I went 5:15 not busy when arrived but all courses were very slow. If that happens again I’ll need to say something. 

The new spa has a deal if $199 for one or $200 for two persons and up to 25 passes are sold for their spa sauna facilities. I was tempted bit passes. Maybe next time. 

Hopefully the poor MDR service was a one time event. But I really like this ship so far. 

We are also on this sailing! Ship is beautiful & the music theme is very cool. We had fixed 8:00 in MDR & our dinner took a little over 1.5 hours. Food was great though! Enjoy 

On 4/4/2019 at 6:21 PM, cruzin4us said:

Argh, ya all are making my head spin 

 

My intent of this post is for the poorer people like myself to try to sock away a little $ away at a time in OBC so we don't have shell shock at the end of the cruise.  A lot of us don't have the luxury of big savings, stock accounts, inheritance, etc. 

 

I'm trying to help some people with other options instead of buying a beverage package and getting hoodwinked when they realize it doesn't pay for itself.   The OBC suggestion is a way of saving a little extra money to pay for drinks rather than charging it to a cc which like some of us with the best of intentions don't manage to pay it off monthly.

 

 

Thank you! I appreciated your post.  We received a  SBP as part of the Explore 4, but I don't think I would purchase it myself.  For our adult son we bought him the Quench because we were concerned he wouldn't drink enough to make it cost effective  .Maybe its us Californians who appreciate your post because the cost of living is so darn high here! :)

22 hours ago, Saphire said:

 

 

Hi kaiiak, 

 

The walk to Governor's beach is easy, about 15 minutes from the pier. It is to the left of the ship one you disembark. You can either walk down the beach and cut through to the main road, or walk to the main road from the pier, either way it is direct to the beach and once there you can see your ship. There are no facilities except for one bathroom. But the beach is quiet, pristine and peaceful. This year there were a few more people there, we chatted with them along the road and learned they had read about it on Cruise Critic. Other years, we have been the only ones. If you like a more secluded experience vs. the pandemonium of Margaritaville, this is for you.

 

I did not see a day pass offered on our cruise as I have other years, but I suspect it depends on the sales of the weekly pass. I did see a few offers for "Lady's Day/Night Out" which included a pass for the afternoon/evening, bundled with a few other services. If you decide on the weekly pass, there are few tile loungers against a wall with a reading light attached, and I determined these were the best as they were up against a wall, therefore blocking some of the noise from the other rooms.

 

Have fun and enjoy your cruise!!!

Gov Beach sounds perfect. Thanks for all your info. The ladies night may be perfect for the spa area if they offer it.

On 4/9/2019 at 3:11 PM, Saphire said:

On 4/9/2019 at 3:11 PM, Saphire said:

 

The ports were great and the weather perfect. We spent so much time in the water. Grand Turk, we walked to Governor's Beach and spent a quiet morning enjoying the turquoise waters, how beautiful! St. Thomas,we took a catamaran tour to St. John to snorkel off Honeymoon beach. Great snorkeling here, saw lots of fun things including sea turtles. Half Moon Cay is our favorite stop and it was a great day and so hard to leave. I prefer not sharing the island with another ship as it made things congested, especially when leaving, it felt we were in Disney with the queues to get on the tenders.

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for your review.  We are sailing the same itinerary this Sunday. In Grand Turk how long of a walk is it to Gov Beach? Is it more secluded? I have only seen the videos of the beach at Margaritaville online and it looks a bit chaotic to me. GT is the only port we have no excursions booked.  Also, were they selling day passes to the spa area or only weekly passes? I was looking forward to relaxing and reading a book almost daily on those cozy, heated chairs.... but if it is loud I may change my mind.

5 hours ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

There were poker tournaments on the K this past January, so I would expect the NS to also do that. One of the men at my table in the MDR was an avid poker player and we got a report on his tournament success/lack of success each night at dinner.

 

Yes I have never sailed on a ship that did not have poker type tournaments, etc. but I had read a few other posts about the NS saying there was none, and then one person claiming yes they did. So I guess we will see in another week when we board.  thanks!

Thanks for your review. Did you book the cabana by the week or day and what were the prices? Do you recall seeing any poker tournaments in the casino or a poker table? Thanks!

17 hours ago, kazu said:

 

You might have to put some rules in place 😉. 

 

Two should work fine unless someone is an internet addict and isn’t enjoying the cruise, weather and scenery. 😉 

 

 

My 10 year old has Autism so he can be a bit addicted to tech sometimes, especially if he is in the room.  I will probably just want to post pictures etc a bit. I'm sure we will manage, but I am a planner and like to know ahead of time what we are getting into.

9 hours ago, Cruise Suzy said:

 

 

This can be done using the ship's free Navigator intranet - but no notification pings when a text is received. 

thanks. So you just have to open up the text area on your phone and then you can see if you have any messages after you log on to the navigator? 

1 hour ago, VMax1700 said:

The middle (surf) package supports wifi calling and whatsapp calls. (Not video calls). Just tried it today.

Thanks, I don't think we will need to make many calls and definitely not video calls. Mostly texting.

12 hours ago, kazu said:

 

If all 4 of you need to be on line at the same time, you will need to buy 4 packages.  BUT, if you are using it separately you only need one package.

 

Only one device can log on a time to the same account so basically if one person logs off another can log on with a different device.  So, it depends upon how much you plan on using it.

 

I'd recommend that before you buy more than 1 package you make sure you can do what you want with the ship's internet.  It's a satellite system so slower than at home.

Ok thanks. Maybe we can get by with two. We won't be on constantly, but if somebody is in a different area we won't always know if we can log on. 

We are cruising on the NS in 2 weeks and plan on purchasing the Premium Internet Package for our family of four.  Do we buy four packages or one per stateroom? How does cell phone service work on the ship nowadays? We currently have Sprint, unlimited data, texts, etc for our cel phones.  I foresee us needing to text each other often on the ship as to where we are, meet up spots, etc.  I don't foresee us needing to make phone calls.  My youngest 10 year old will probably be online from time to time gaming or watching youtube.  Myself and my 23 year old will probably use our social media and check email etc.  Hubby will occasionally check email.  Will we be charged to text? Does texting work when out at sea? Or should we rely on messaging through facebook or another social app? Thanks in advance. 

7 hours ago, cruzin4us said:

 

Maybe not....I use my debit card to purchase some OBC every payday.   I don't charge any of my OBC to my cc as that defeats the purpose 😀

We have been doing the same thing.  It's been very helpful:)

7 hours ago, Hawaiidan said:

But it sounds like you have a huge credit card bill before the cruise... and are paying interest too to avoid paying after with  the same money  but NO interest !!!.    HAL loves you  Your credit card must love you.

No each time I make a purchase on the HAL website I use my VISA debit card and it comes out of my checking account.  I try to purchase a few things each month so it is in more affordable increments.  I guess it is sort of like a forced savings plan in a way.  I'm sure people who are great with their money can sock it away each month or people who have lots to spare don't have issues  I am not the best so this makes it easier and I feel more relaxed knowing when I am on vacation if things are prepaid. 

7 hours ago, RuthC said:

 

It's a matter of budgeting for some people. By paying something in advance periodically it's easier than getting hit with a big credit card charge at the end.
Not all people budget the same way.

Exactly.  For us, a family of 4 cruising, it's been nice to pre-purchase drink packages, shore excursions and onboard credits over the past 3-4 months upfront so that when we are on the ship we will have minimal charges, just bingo, spa, shopping and gratuities.  This way we don't come home to a huge credit card bill the next month. 

4 hours ago, sambamama said:

I had the drink package and had a standing arrangement with the wine steward to bring me two diet sodas at dinner every night so I could have a diet cola with my breakfast. I'd also go to the Exploration Cafe and get two flavored Vitamin waters daily.  They were a refreshing change, and come in lots of flavors.

Glad they have vitamin water. I like to take those with me in my bag for shore excursions, walking, etc.

14 hours ago, Krazy Kruizers said:

What ship will you be on?  The newer ships -- all cabins have a mini cooler.

We are on the Nieuw Statendam so should have a mini cooler. Thank you

14 hours ago, Msrigby said:

No worries. With SBP, you can get unopened cans of soda and bottled water to bring back to room.  We usually asked for two at a time and could keep a supply in our room.  You should have a fridge or cooler if you have a veranda or above cabin. If not you can arrange to rent one at $2 a day through ship services.  Depending on the configuration of your room, it may be a tight squeeze. Alternatively, ask the steward for a wine bucket which s/he will keep filled with ice for your entire cruise.  

 

I usually ask that they have the fridge emptied of all mini bar items so not to confuse my stash with the ones stocked by the ship.

 

i never brought beer back from bars, but it is my understanding that you can get unopened bottles at the bars as well.  I assume if they think you are trying to get around the no sharing rules, they may not accommodate this. 

 

Bottoms up!

OK great we have a veranda so that will work out perfectly.  He won't need more than a few in the room. 

It has been 11 years since we sailed.  My husband likes to have a few cokes to drink when relaxing in the room or on the balcony.  Do the bar areas onboard give cans of soda that we can bring back to the stateroom or is it from a fountain? Is there a mini fridge in the room? Should he bring a few onboard for convenience sake?  We have the Signature Beverage Package and  I know room service is not included in the beverage package. I don't mind paying for a soda when ordering food to the room, but wouldn't want to bother with room service staff just for one or two drinks.  Best way to handle this? Thanks!