Nieuw Amsterdam - March 25 to April 1

[msm0908]

Just a review of our first family Caribbean Cruise. Been to Alaska twice and was looking forward to some warm weather cruising.

 

Embarkation - arrived at Pier 26 at 11:30am and the line was out the door, gave our bags to the porters and lined up with the crowds. It didn't take long to get inside and soon we were aboard the beautiful Nieuw Amsterdam. We went to the Lido for lunch, wasn't crowded at all. Afterwards, we headed to our veranda cabin on deck 6. Our cabin was clean and tidy. We had awesome and friendly stewards. The Bailey and beer that was pre-ordered were waiting for us. One of our luggage was already there and the other 2 arrived just minutes later. Unpacked while hubby took our youngest daughter up to the pool. Attended the mandatory lifeboat drill at 4:15 where they took our names/room number. There was a couple who finally showed up after having their names called over the intercom a few times, they were greeted with some boos. :rolleyes:

 

Ship - the Nieuw Amsterdam is a beautiful ship, been on the Zuiderdam and Oosterdam but love the colors of the NA. There was always someone polishing or vacuuming. Everything seems to be in order and fresh flower arrangements were everywhere. The pool area and the Lido sometimes seems abit crowded/smaller but we always manage to find a chair or a table. Enjoyed the Queen's Lounge, Exploration Cafe and the Showroom at Sea. Some of the carpet at the bottom of the stairs were abit worned down but it didn't take away any enjoyment from us.

 

Dining - had our breakfasts and lunches mostly in the Lido, lots of selections - never ran out of things to try! Dinner was in the Manhattan Dining Room, we had As You Wish dining and usually headed to dinner around 6:30, didn't have to wait for a table of 4. Enough choices on the menu to please our family but sometimes there were long breaks between courses. We had lunch and dinner in the Tamarind, lunch was a set menu and dinner was a choice of appetizer, main course and dessert. Great service and presentation. We also had dinner in the Pinnacle Grill, it's one of our favorites. We tried to make it to the Late Snack at 11pm each night but couldn't stay up for it!

 

Activities - on sea days, we hung out around the Lido pool, had no problems finding a lounger or a chair, bar service was always close by. Hubby attended Digital Workshop classes and we also went to bingo with DJ Marty, won $475 which we put towards a future cruise! :) We liked the afternoon teas, especially the Royal Dutch and Indonesian Tea. The Marriage Game with CD Dan and Travel Guide Ian was a fun time. There were some great Karaoke singers on board. Trivia and Deal or No Deal was fun too. We also checked out the casino one night. We did not attend any shows in the Showroom at Sea. My daughters did not attend Club HAL or the Teen Loft, they preferred to hang around with us. We met some wonderful people from Cruise Critic at the CC Meet and Greet - small world, my daughter's high school band teacher was even there! Thanks Sandy for organizing!

 

Excursion - we didn't make it to Half Moon Cay due to the winds, it was a disappointment but we understood the Captain's decision. Oh well, we will have to try the cabanas the next time! :( We had another sea day as we headed to Grand Cayman. We showed up at the Queen's Lounge at 7:30am for our tendering tickets (along with some other early birds) and was told by CD Dan that since we were early birds, we could just head on down to the gangway. Tendering process was smooth and easy, took about 10 minutes before we docked. We had booked a private Stingray City excursion. Windy day and lots of people at Stingray City. We headed back to the ship for lunch and watch the sail aways from GC. The next day was Roatan, we docked at Mohagany Bay and there was a long line to get off the ship. Hubby and oldest daughter booked a private diving with Enomis Diving in West Bay. My youngest and I booked the Dolphins Encounter with ship excursions. There were around 40 of us and we headed to Anthony Keys in a school bus and 2 vans. My daughter was really excited to see the dolphins and we had a good time - even though it was just half an hour with the dolphins and the rest of the time was spent driving and waiting for people. We don't usually book excusions directly with the ship but this was the only way we could do the Dolphins Encounter. I do realize that with ship excursions, there are usually alot of people and I am just not a patience person!:rolleyes: Next up was Costa Maya, it was a windy day again and we had booked another private excursion to Maya Chan. This was our most relaxing day, just a private beach and our personal butlers! :)

 

On our last sea day, we attended the Mariners Champagne lunch. We got our HAL tiles with the NA on it. A day of packing and enjoying the ship. This night, we had dinner in the Lido because we wanted a quick dinner.

 

Disembarkment - we had a quick breakfast in the Lido and carried our own luggage off at 7:30am. No line ups on the ship but had to wait to get thru customs.

 

Overall, we had a great cruise, wished that it was longer and that the port hours were longer. We felt that we always had to rush back to the ship but this being our first Caribbean cruise, we were trying to see as much as we can. The crew was friendly and helpful, we meet some wonderful people from all over. We will be back one day! It was sad leaving the NA but at least I have the comfort of knowing that I will be on another DAM ship within the next 4 years! :)

[erewhon]

Thank you for taking time to write and post the review of your cruise.

 

Pleasing to learn that you had a great cruise.

[kazu]

Thanks so much for your review. Glad you got to sample the Tamarind along with the Pinnacle. AND congratulations on your bingo winnings:D Glad to see you put the money towards a worthwhile purchase - another cruise:):)

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thank you for taking the time to write your review.

 

Sorry you missed HMC.

 

Glad you had a wonderful cruise.

[KirkNC]

Just a review of our first family Caribbean Cruise. Been to Alaska twice and was looking forward to some warm weather cruising.

 

Embarkation - arrived at Pier 26 at 11:30am and the line was out the door, gave our bags to the porters and lined up with the crowds. It didn't take long to get inside and soon we were aboard the beautiful Nieuw Amsterdam. We went to the Lido for lunch, wasn't crowded at all. Afterwards, we headed to our veranda cabin on deck 6. Our cabin was clean and tidy. We had awesome and friendly stewards. The Bailey and beer that was pre-ordered were waiting for us. One of our luggage was already there and the other 2 arrived just minutes later. Unpacked while hubby took our youngest daughter up to the pool. Attended the mandatory lifeboat drill at 4:15 where they took our names/room number. There was a couple who finally showed up after having their names called over the intercom a few times, they were greeted with some boos. :rolleyes:

 

Ship - the Nieuw Amsterdam is a beautiful ship, been on the Zuiderdam and Oosterdam but love the colors of the NA. There was always someone polishing or vacuuming. Everything seems to be in order and fresh flower arrangements were everywhere. The pool area and the Lido sometimes seems abit crowded/smaller but we always manage to find a chair or a table. Enjoyed the Queen's Lounge, Exploration Cafe and the Showroom at Sea. Some of the carpet at the bottom of the stairs were abit worned down but it didn't take away any enjoyment from us.

 

Dining - had our breakfasts and lunches mostly in the Lido, lots of selections - never ran out of things to try! Dinner was in the Manhattan Dining Room, we had As You Wish dining and usually headed to dinner around 6:30, didn't have to wait for a table of 4. Enough choices on the menu to please our family but sometimes there were long breaks between courses. We had lunch and dinner in the Tamarind, lunch was a set menu and dinner was a choice of appetizer, main course and dessert. Great service and presentation. We also had dinner in the Pinnacle Grill, it's one of our favorites. We tried to make it to the Late Snack at 11pm each night but couldn't stay up for it!

 

Activities - on sea days, we hung out around the Lido pool, had no problems finding a lounger or a chair, bar service was always close by. Hubby attended Digital Workshop classes and we also went to bingo with DJ Marty, won $475 which we put towards a future cruise! :) We liked the afternoon teas, especially the Royal Dutch and Indonesian Tea. The Marriage Game with CD Dan and Travel Guide Ian was a fun time. There were some great Karaoke singers on board. Trivia and Deal or No Deal was fun too. We also checked out the casino one night. We did not attend any shows in the Showroom at Sea. My daughters did not attend Club HAL or the Teen Loft, they preferred to hang around with us. We met some wonderful people from Cruise Critic at the CC Meet and Greet - small world, my daughter's high school band teacher was even there! Thanks Sandy for organizing!

 

Excursion - we didn't make it to Half Moon Cay due to the winds, it was a disappointment but we understood the Captain's decision. Oh well, we will have to try the cabanas the next time! :( We had another sea day as we headed to Grand Cayman. We showed up at the Queen's Lounge at 7:30am for our tendering tickets (along with some other early birds) and was told by CD Dan that since we were early birds, we could just head on down to the gangway. Tendering process was smooth and easy, took about 10 minutes before we docked. We had booked a private Stingray City excursion. Windy day and lots of people at Stingray City. We headed back to the ship for lunch and watch the sail aways from GC. The next day was Roatan, we docked at Mohagany Bay and there was a long line to get off the ship. Hubby and oldest daughter booked a private diving with Enomis Diving in West Bay. My youngest and I booked the Dolphins Encounter with ship excursions. There were around 40 of us and we headed to Anthony Keys in a school bus and 2 vans. My daughter was really excited to see the dolphins and we had a good time - even though it was just half an hour with the dolphins and the rest of the time was spent driving and waiting for people. We don't usually book excusions directly with the ship but this was the only way we could do the Dolphins Encounter. I do realize that with ship excursions, there are usually alot of people and I am just not a patience person!:rolleyes: Next up was Costa Maya, it was a windy day again and we had booked another private excursion to Maya Chan. This was our most relaxing day, just a private beach and our personal butlers! :)

 

On our last sea day, we attended the Mariners Champagne lunch. We got our HAL tiles with the NA on it. A day of packing and enjoying the ship. This night, we had dinner in the Lido because we wanted a quick dinner.

 

Disembarkment - we had a quick breakfast in the Lido and carried our own luggage off at 7:30am. No line ups on the ship but had to wait to get thru customs.

 

Overall, we had a great cruise, wished that it was longer and that the port hours were longer. We felt that we always had to rush back to the ship but this being our first Caribbean cruise, we were trying to see as much as we can. The crew was friendly and helpful, we meet some wonderful people from all over. We will be back one day! It was sad leaving the NA but at least I have the comfort of knowing that I will be on another DAM ship within the next 4 years!

 

Thanks for the review. We were on the NA about two months ago and also had a great time. Glad someone wins at bingo as we don't seem to :(. I agree on the pool not having much room, I think the cabanas take up a lot of room, it makes walking around the pool pretty tight.

[portofrome]

Glad you had a wonderful cruise. Thanks for your review.

[jtl513]

The pool area and the Lido sometimes seems abit crowded/smaller but we always manage to find a chair or a table.

Compared to the Vistas, the N.A. (and E'dam) have approximately 200 more people with the same size Lido inside and a smaller Lido pool deck area because of the cabanas. You may not have noticed, but the MDR is also more crowded, with many of the tables expanded by 2 seats more than what they are on the Vistas in the same floor area. (I counted once, and don't remember exactly, but as I recall it was about 25 tables that have been supersized.)

 

Despite this, the Nieuw A is still my favorite HAL ship! :)

[gelo7]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

[msm0908]

Compared to the Vistas, the N.A. (and E'dam) have approximately 200 more people with the same size Lido inside and a smaller Lido pool deck area because of the cabanas. You may not have noticed, but the MDR is also more crowded, with many of the tables expanded by 2 seats more than what they are on the Vistas in the same floor area. (I counted once, and don't remember exactly, but as I recall it was about 25 tables that have been supersized.)

 

Despite this, the Nieuw A is still my favorite HAL ship! :)

 

Now that you mentioned it, the MDR did seem more 'cozy'. And I agree that the Lido cabanas did take up some of the deck area and most of them were not occupied while we were there. These were the only areas that seems crowded on occasions. I agree with you, I think that the NA is now my favorite HAL ship even though I will always have a special place in my heart for our first HAL ship, the Zuiderdam. :)

[PathfinderEss]

Thanks for posting your review. Glad you had a good time.

[Typhoon1]

Thanks for posting your review.

[Himself]

Thank you for your fine report on the Nieuw Amsterdam. I have had 21 days on this fine ship and look forward to more days on her. She is fast becoming a favorite of mine.

[localady]

When my boys were younger we always cruised HAL also, and our kids loved it. It is nice to see that your family also enjoyed HAL and the Nieuw Amsterdam!:D

 

I have always contended cruising is the perfect family vacation as no one is suck in a car for hours on end and I am not stuck cooking or doing laundry!! :D:D

[msm0908]

When my boys were younger we always cruised HAL also, and our kids loved it. It is nice to see that your family also enjoyed HAL and the Nieuw Amsterdam!:D

 

 

 

Yes, our family enjoy cruising with HAL. I have tried to convince my daughters to try another line but they just like HAL. They know what to expect and why change a good thing? :D