Nieuw Amsterdam Feb 28- March 6 Our take on HAL's recent changes

[sprockie]

We disembarked from our Tropical Caribbean cruise on the Nieuw Amsterdam a few weeks ago, and I wanted to comment on the recent HAL changes I have been reading about on CC.

 

We are in our late 40's/early 50's and cruise with our two kids who are 9 and 14. We have been cruising regularly for the last 15 years, and have sailed on HAL mostly, Celebrity and one Carnival. We hadn't been on HAL since 2013, so I was eager to see for myself how the onboard changes have rolled out.

 

We chose this cruise for the itinerary. We stopped at Nassau, Amber Cove, Grand Turk and Half Moon Cay. This is an ideal itinerary for us. Visiting Atlantis, easy days on the beach and snorkeling = fun for us. Amber Cove is a very nice new port with well organized shore excursions. All ports were great and the seas were so calm we joked we could kayak beside the ship.

 

The changes I am referring to are the Lido Marketplace, the Dive Inn, Pizza place, loss of the deli counter, beverage package, entertainment, and "gala" evening dress.

 

We thought the changes to the Lido were all for the better. The station idea is great - so much less congestion and lineups. The non self-serve salad bar was wonderful. I thought it was great how you could order a cobb, caesar, chop chop salad or get a made to order salad. The pre-made sandwiches were really good. My husband was concerned about this because he was a big fan of the old made-to-order grilled sandwich station. The sandwiches were really fresh and made with tasty combinations you'd never put together yourself (at least I wouldn't). The bread/buns they used were delicious like all the rest of the baked goods on HAL. We really enjoyed the Dive In and the pizza place. We are casual cruisers and we spend a lot of time at the pool - well into the late afternoon/evening. These casual dining venues filled the late afternoon void nicely. The Dive In had interesting choices of burgers and hot dogs and fries, all passing the taste test. Same applies to the pizza place - made to order and never disappointed.

 

As I said, we are casual cruisers and have learned over the years that going to the dining room at night regularly doesn't fit into our low-key vacation. We prefer dining in the Lido most nights (with the exception of one gala (surf and turf) night). The menu in the Lido is almost identical to the dining room. We found the food excellent in all restaurants. We didn't dine at any of the specialty restaurants because frankly, I always find most things delicious in the Lido or elsewhere.

 

It was interesting to see the change in attire on gala evening in the dining room. Everyone looked well dressed, but for the most part not as dressy as in the past. I personally like this change. Glamorous evening wear doesn't add a thing to our cruise experience. Just my opinion.

 

We thoroughly enjoyed the shows and found the more modern music a nice change. There was an excellent Beatles cover musician, an illusionist, a comedian and the HAL shows. I noticed a big change in the entertainment compared to our other HAL cruises. We noticed a shift away from the elaborate costumes with feather headpieces and large props to simpler shows with more current music. We noticed that music performed was from the 70's to present day.

 

I'd also like to say how much we enjoyed the Beverage Package. Last year we sailed on Celebrity and enjoyed the beverage package so much we decided we'd like to choose that as a perk on future cruises if at all possible. We were lucky enough to have the beverage package on this cruise as well. We really enjoyed the specialty coffees, drinks poolside, after dinner tea and latte's. We really like enjoying the beverage package without ever thinking about the balance on our account. I really hope HAL continues to offer this beverage package as a part of a promotion on a regular basis. I think Celebrity has something really good with their promotion packages and I'd love to see HAL follow suit.

 

Overall, our family thought this cruise was one of the best we've experienced. We thought all the changes HAL has made has been a move in the right direction. Our preference for HAL is even stronger after this vacation.

 

One big lesson learned for us is to be far more proactive with hand washing and sanitizers to avoid the spread of viruses. About 3/4 of the way through the cruise, we all got a terrible flu with fever that has lasted for 2 weeks. We could hear a great deal of coughing and nose blowing in the show lounges and public places, so we knew this bug was circulating around the ship. Although we used the Purell stations wherever possible, in future we'll be even more diligent to avoid picking up viruses. I am sure HAL does everything possible to control the spread of germs, but we will be even more careful in future to avoid having to travel home feeling so poorly.

Edited March 19, 2016 by sprockie

[KirkNC]

Glad to hear you enjoyed it.

[canadianbear]

Thanks for the review. We will be only doing a very short 5 night trip on the NA in April and we are looking forward to trying the ship out. Nice to hear you enjoyed the shows-we always try to make the shows after dinner.

 

Sorry about the illness onboard-that can really put a damper on a cruise.

[Vict0riann]

Very well done report! Your grade is A+. :D Glad you enjoyed your cruise, and we are beginning to agree with you, and eat more often in the Lido for dinner even. Not "fast food", but just a little less slow than the dining room, too.

[freestyling]

Thanks for the review.

[Skoogs]

Thank you for your review! Most excellent![emoji106]

[Arrowinc]

We were on the same cruise, and agree entirely:

 

Itinerary: Amber Cove was a nice addition. Although we were on the trip for sun and warmth (only), and while the other stops were less than exciting and repetitive for us, this one was fascinating.

 

Main Dining Room: The food was very good, although we thought that the choices were a bit more limited than last year. Service was excellent throughout.

 

Lido: We agree that it is much improved.

 

Dive-In: Probably the best additional in recent years.

 

Ship: Clean as a pin.

 

Staff: Fantastic, as always.

 

Pinnacle/Tamarind: Best Pinnacle experience we have had during the last several years. The Tamarind was outstanding as always.

 

Cabana: Hard to beat that service.

 

Cabin: We received a "guarantee" wraparound aft. I doubt that we will ever get used to anything less. That said, we would happily forego the larger room if we could attain continued use of the Neptune Lounge. It is truly fantastic.

 

Embarkation/Disembarkation: We like to arrive early, to savor the atmosphere, and so embarkation was really a non-event. Disembarkation was frantic, made easier by our participation in the Global Entry Program.

 

We were sorry to hear about the "flu," although this does explain why my spouse has suffered from an awful cold since the first day back! Still, that is far more easily borne than noro.

[sprockie]

We were on the same cruise, and agree entirely:

 

Itinerary: Amber Cove was a nice addition. Although we were on the trip for sun and warmth (only), and while the other stops were less than exciting and repetitive for us, this one was fascinating.

 

Main Dining Room: The food was very good, although we thought that the choices were a bit more limited than last year. Service was excellent throughout.

 

Lido: We agree that it is much improved.

 

Dive-In: Probably the best additional in recent years.

 

Ship: Clean as a pin.

 

Staff: Fantastic, as always.

 

Pinnacle/Tamarind: Best Pinnacle experience we have had during the last several years. The Tamarind was outstanding as always.

 

Cabana: Hard to beat that service.

 

Cabin: We received a "guarantee" wraparound aft. I doubt that we will ever get used to anything less. That said, we would happily forego the larger room if we could attain continued use of the Neptune Lounge. It is truly fantastic.

 

Embarkation/Disembarkation: We like to arrive early, to savor the atmosphere, and so embarkation was really a non-event. Disembarkation was frantic, made easier by our participation in the Global Entry Program.

 

We were sorry to hear about the "flu," although this does explain why my spouse has suffered from an awful cold since the first day back! Still, that is far more easily borne than noro.

 

I would agree with you too - I really liked Amber Cove. The unspoiled scenery was really different than the usual St. Thomas, San Juan etc.. We did the two site catamaran snorkel trip and it was very well organized and lots of fun. I can see how Amber Cove is built on the site of the first Jurassic Park movie - it looks just the same - lush and hilly and tropical.

 

Also agree about embarkation and disembarkation. Extremely smooth. We got there about 11:15 and the lines were very small, waited just a short time to get on and our cabin was ready. Can`t beat that. Disembarkation was the same. Very orderly and well managed.

[ithaca gal]

We were on the ship immediately after you were and agree with almost everything you have written. We were lucky that there was no sickness going around on our cruise, but the high winds that were prevalent in the Caribbean did prevent our docking at Cozumel -- a big disappointment for all of us, but I have no doubt the Captain made the right call.

 

Our Pinnacle Grill experience was also one of the best in recent years. We were ready to give up on it, but we had the Dine Around Package so we, of course, went to all of the specialty restaurants. The service was off the charts in the PG and Tamarind -- Canaletto was also nice but not better than our experiences in the MDR.

 

We thought that people were not really dressing down on Gala Nights as we had heard. Almost every gentleman was wearing either a jacket and tie or at least a tie. This contributes to our experience, FWIW.

 

Dive In is the best! My friend could not stop raving about the burgers. And the fries!!!

 

We will be on the Eurodam in November and are counting the days!

[Boatdrill]

It was interesting to see the change in attire on gala evening in the dining room. Everyone looked well dressed, but for the most part not as dressy as in the past.

 

Another view: On the Westerdam 7 day Eastern Caribbean this past January, we noticed no difference in formal attire by guests compared to previous years on the Nieuw Amsterdam (Caribbean). The NA had been very dressy in a wonderful, classy, east coast way. The younger crowd (under 20) were especially well dressed on formal nights when we were onboard. It was rather impressive and so nice to see !

 

The Westerdam was the same; tuxes and jackets/ties for men, and women in cocktail dresses with beautiful jewelry, etc. People were dressed. The only difference noted was no white slipcovers on the chairs in the MDR for late seating on formal night. This was very missed by many. Our waiter explained, "Only Captain's Table".

Edited March 20, 2016 by Boatdrill

[swigso]

We are thinking of trying HAL for the first time

However are concerned that smoking is allowed on

Balconies. Is smoking allowed in the Casino and Bars?

Thanks

[Keith1010]

Enjoyed your observations/report.

 

Thank you for taking the time to write it.

 

Keith

[sprockie]

We are thinking of trying HAL for the first time

However are concerned that smoking is allowed on

Balconies. Is smoking allowed in the Casino and Bars?

Thanks

 

Smoking is allowed on balconies and on the starboard side of the aft pool area. We walked through the casino several times and I didn`t smell smoke so either HAL has changed their smoking policy in the casino or they have improved their ventilation greatly. I was never bothered by smoke on the balcony or anywhere else on the ship.

[cbr663]

I also enjoyed your observations and commentary. We sailed on the NA in December and also had a wonderful cruise. We also much prefer the Lido Marketplace over the previous Lido.

[casper106]

We did our first HAL cruise on NA last month. I barely noticed the smoke in the casino nor was I bothered by it from any balcony. Much ado about nothing.

 

We loved our experience on NA after 6 cruises in a row on S class on X. The staff were friendlier and I thought the food choices were for the most part,quite tasty.There's too much of a snob attitude at X. I didn't find that on NA.

[cruz chic]

Thx for taking time to do your review.

[ithaca gal]

We are thinking of trying HAL for the first time

However are concerned that smoking is allowed on

Balconies. Is smoking allowed in the Casino and Bars?

Thanks

 

Most ships have an area of slots that is non smoking. However, the Eurodam casino has gone 100% smoke free. Smoking is not allowed in any inside bars on any of HAL ships.

[cl.klink]

We disembarked from our Tropical Caribbean cruise on the Nieuw Amsterdam a few weeks ago, and I wanted to comment on the recent HAL changes I have been reading about on CC.

 

We are in our late 40's/early 50's and cruise with our two kids who are 9 and 14. We have been cruising regularly for the last 15 years, and have sailed on HAL mostly, Celebrity and one Carnival. We hadn't been on HAL since 2013, so I was eager to see for myself how the onboard changes have rolled out.

 

We chose this cruise for the itinerary. We stopped at Nassau, Amber Cove, Grand Turk and Half Moon Cay. This is an ideal itinerary for us. Visiting Atlantis, easy days on the beach and snorkeling = fun for us. Amber Cove is a very nice new port with well organized shore excursions. All ports were great and the seas were so calm we joked we could kayak beside the ship.

 

The changes I am referring to are the Lido Marketplace, the Dive Inn, Pizza place, loss of the deli counter, beverage package, entertainment, and "gala" evening dress.

 

We thought the changes to the Lido were all for the better. The station idea is great - so much less congestion and lineups. The non self-serve salad bar was wonderful. I thought it was great how you could order a cobb, caesar, chop chop salad or get a made to order salad. The pre-made sandwiches were really good. My husband was concerned about this because he was a big fan of the old made-to-order grilled sandwich station. The sandwiches were really fresh and made with tasty combinations you'd never put together yourself (at least I wouldn't). The bread/buns they used were delicious like all the rest of the baked goods on HAL. We really enjoyed the Dive In and the pizza place. We are casual cruisers and we spend a lot of time at the pool - well into the late afternoon/evening. These casual dining venues filled the late afternoon void nicely. The Dive In had interesting choices of burgers and hot dogs and fries, all passing the taste test. Same applies to the pizza place - made to order and never disappointed.

 

As I said, we are casual cruisers and have learned over the years that going to the dining room at night regularly doesn't fit into our low-key vacation. We prefer dining in the Lido most nights (with the exception of one gala (surf and turf) night). The menu in the Lido is almost identical to the dining room. We found the food excellent in all restaurants. We didn't dine at any of the specialty restaurants because frankly, I always find most things delicious in the Lido or elsewhere.

 

It was interesting to see the change in attire on gala evening in the dining room. Everyone looked well dressed, but for the most part not as dressy as in the past. I personally like this change. Glamorous evening wear doesn't add a thing to our cruise experience. Just my opinion.

 

We thoroughly enjoyed the shows and found the more modern music a nice change. There was an excellent Beatles cover musician, an illusionist, a comedian and the HAL shows. I noticed a big change in the entertainment compared to our other HAL cruises. We noticed a shift away from the elaborate costumes with feather headpieces and large props to simpler shows with more current music. We noticed that music performed was from the 70's to present day.

 

I'd also like to say how much we enjoyed the Beverage Package. Last year we sailed on Celebrity and enjoyed the beverage package so much we decided we'd like to choose that as a perk on future cruises if at all possible. We were lucky enough to have the beverage package on this cruise as well. We really enjoyed the specialty coffees, drinks poolside, after dinner tea and latte's. We really like enjoying the beverage package without ever thinking about the balance on our account. I really hope HAL continues to offer this beverage package as a part of a promotion on a regular basis. I think Celebrity has something really good with their promotion packages and I'd love to see HAL follow suit.

 

Overall, our family thought this cruise was one of the best we've experienced. We thought all the changes HAL has made has been a move in the right direction. Our preference for HAL is even stronger after this vacation.

 

One big lesson learned for us is to be far more proactive with hand washing and sanitizers to avoid the spread of viruses. About 3/4 of the way through the cruise, we all got a terrible flu with fever that has lasted for 2 weeks. We could hear a great deal of coughing and nose blowing in the show lounges and public places, so we knew this bug was circulating around the ship. Although we used the Purell stations wherever possible, in future we'll be even more diligent to avoid picking up viruses. I am sure HAL does everything possible to control the spread of germs, but we will be even more careful in future to avoid having to travel home feeling so poorly.

 

Thanks for posting this.

- Joel

[foodsvcmgr]

Thanks for posting a balanced review, glad you enjoyed the Tropical itinerary on NA as we did on the January sailing.

 

It is refreshing to see someone return with a positive view of the changes rather than assert that every change is somehow a cutback.

[janmcn]

Did your kids use the kids' facilities?

 

 

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[Lizzie68]

Thanks for a very positive review. I really like the sound of the Lido Marketplace - different food stations makes for very few lineups, as we have experienced for years on another cruise line. I must admit I will miss the custom-made sandwiches, though.:( I am on the NA for the first time in May, so I am very happy to read so many positives.

[cruz chic]

Thanks for posting a balanced review, glad you enjoyed the Tropical itinerary on NA as we did on the January sailing.

 

It is refreshing to see someone return with a positive view of the changes rather than assert that every change is somehow a cutback.

 

Personally I like to hear the good and bad. I hope posters don't become afraid to post both.

[sprockie]

Did your kids use the kids' facilities?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

No they didn't. Our daughter is 14 and son is 9. On board, we swim a lot, go to tea, bingo, shows etc. They just prefer to spend time with us rather than mix it up with other kids their age.

[SLOTheta]

Another view: On the Westerdam 7 day Eastern Caribbean this past January, we noticed no difference in formal attire by guests compared to previous years on the Nieuw Amsterdam (Caribbean). The NA had been very dressy in a wonderful, classy, east coast way. The younger crowd (under 20) were especially well dressed on formal nights when we were onboard. It was rather impressive and so nice to see !

 

The Westerdam was the same; tuxes and jackets/ties for men, and women in cocktail dresses with beautiful jewelry, etc. People were dressed. The only difference noted was no white slipcovers on the chairs in the MDR for late seating on formal night. This was very missed by many. Our waiter explained, "Only Captain's Table".

 

 

I'm glad to hear people are still dressing up. I love when a big group is dressed nicely. It adds to the fun of the evening.

 

We are traveling to the Mediterranean this summer. When we've traveled before, it was super hot. But, we've never been on a cruise. It's easier to go formal for women and still be cool, how's the AC and the temp on board? I'm worried about my husband heating up in a tux. He's bringing a tux for the wedding and will wear it for the gala nights, too.

 

 

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[SLOTheta]

Most ships have an area of slots that is non smoking. However, the Eurodam casino has gone 100% smoke free. Smoking is not allowed in any inside bars on any of HAL ships.

 

 

We will be on the Eurodam this summer and our group has some gamblers. I'm glad to hear that the bars and casino are smoke free. I'm hoping we don't have any smoker neighbors!

 

 

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