Observations from the Poop Deck Nieuw Amsterdam

[morpheusofthesea]

Attended coffee chat this morning in BB King venue with CD Kimberly and Chief Security Officer. No "Brig" on board HAL ships. Unruly guests are confined to quarters with posted guard and put off at next port. 

  Related a story of a guest they had to lock in cabin with guard and when they entered cabin to escort him off he had crafted a weapon in a towel of broken glass.

   Had plenty of more tales to tell if anyone wanted to hear should they offer to buy him his drinks at the bar.

Edited March 24, 2023 by morpheusofthesea

[morpheusofthesea]

Another observation from all these cruise lines is how restful a nights sleep has been. DW suffers from nightly leg cramps at home, but never on board a ship. (Could this be a psychological manifestation of a deep seated love of the sea or time to buy a new mattress ?) 

[81Zoomie]

11 hours ago, Andi Land said:

The promenade deck is one of my favorite features of HAL. I like to go out and just walk at a leisurely pace with the breeze blowing all around. It’s lovely!

Deck 10 provides another loop to walk around. It’s great to be able to view the activity in both pools from above.  It’s a cut above the “tracks” on Celebrity because you don’t have to dodge a lot of people, bars, and a smoking area.

 

We thoroughly enjoyed our dinner in Tamarind last night.  The views and the food were both wonderful!  It was also nice to see children at specialty dining.  After all, they are the next generation of cruisers.

 

We went to the dueling piano players/singers show last night. It was enjoyable with contemporary music. It included a video of Whitney Houston singing.  I love her music, but found the introduction and inclusion of a decades old solo video performance a bit odd.  We wandered by BB Kings for the Orange Party, but it was over flowing with people.  We kept walking.  As has been noted, there needs to be a larger venue for popular events.  Or maybe make one day “Orange Day” with multiple events and specialty drinks and food.

Thoroughly enjoying this beautiful leisurely sea day.  So grateful not to be subjected to the big screen movies, shouting DJ, and blaring music being broadcast from the behemoth Mardi Gras docked next to us the last 2 days. It was a great example that there is a cruise line to match everyone’s taste!  

 

[Myrtle Ave. Mayhem]

On 3/22/2023 at 7:11 AM, BobbiSox said:

I was on NA for the March 12 7-day So. Caribbean cruise. One of the downsides of cruising as often as I do is repetition. Same ol', same ol'. This is my 30th HAL cruise, and the fourth cruise since the re-start and my hopes for improvement as time passes were dashed. Seems each cruise declined a little more than the last. Ended up coming home and canceling our September/October 51-day So. Pacific voyage. I understand the line is trying to stay afloat, but I don't need to be there while they undergo the process. 

May I recommend Viking Ocean? I too have sailed HAL primarily. In the 20 plus years the cutbacks from year to year have rendered this line to a ghostly shadow of its former self, IMHO. I had repeatedly given HAL second, third, fourth tries hoping that the shoddy experiences were a one off. But no, only to be disappointed & underwhelmed. My last HAL cruise aboard Koningsdam confirmed all that & sealed the deal.

 

Viking Ocean is a different per diem price point. The attention to detail, ships, food, service, & genteel sophisticated atmosphere make it worth every penny. 

Edited March 24, 2023 by Myrtle Ave. Mayhem

[Rlandrigan]

Appreciate the trip report - I'm a big HAL fan, and having trouble planning our spring break trip next year on Odyssey of the Seas - but our 12 and 17 year olds have demanded actual peers to hang out with:) The MDR, real Promenade decks, and a certain sense 'This is how we do things', despite not being a luxury brand(or cost!), make it my favorite. 

 

Ah well, I guess we'll try not to get trampled next spring and try for a return to Alaska someday after:)

[morpheusofthesea]

1 hour ago, Rlandrigan said:

This is how we do things', despite not being a luxury brand(or cost!), make it my favorite

It is so easy to find things to complain about. We have limited ourselves to ships sailing from South Florida with so much luggage that we require a large suite, and prices of top suites are skyrocketing.

   If we were to find fault with upcharges, crowded muster drills, second rate entertainment, all cruise lines are guilty and no one would be cruising.

  I never sailed a ship I didn’t find some redeeming feature.

[morpheusofthesea]

Here is a nice feature on this cruise that DW just pointed out (without her reading my prior post). We did not have to change our ship's time ahead and then back again on this trip.

[morpheusofthesea]

Been reading posts of many that have become jaded with HAL, having witnessed the cut backs all cruise lines are trying to get away with. Am sure every cruise line aficionado is complaining about something. We complained about too many non suite Pinnacles taking up our reservation dinner times in the Coastal Kitchen so we quite RCCL. Then we complained about the monotonous Haven menu , the too small Haven Restaurant, the nickle and diming, $180pp/wk water bill and quite NCL. The return to cruising was then strictly on Celebrity's Retreat where we were hit with doubling and tripling of suite venue prices which forced us to seek refuge in MSC's Yacht Club where we 'hug out' all last year and the beginning of this year. MSC's popular YC is now inundated beyond its intended capacity by move up bidding, YC guests sneaking in their family and friends residing in cabins outside this 'gated community', others sneaking in with impunity and others residing in cabins outside the YC that are granted "Access" (family and friends of officers, we had 44 of these on our last cruise). This resulted in suite paying guests deprived of 'first come first served cabanas', lack of available tables for the popular seafood extravaganza, unacceptable wait times for this buffet and drink orders.

   Quickly finding an available suite on the Nieuw Amsterdam we feel we 'hit the lottery' for Spring Break. These passengers are the most well mannered group of people we have ever seen. The most mature drinkers (have no stories to write about). As a matter of fact I can find very little to complain about on this ship. I usually can attract over 6000 views with half the number of followers on my Observations. Sorry folks. I feel I've let you all down.

Edited March 25, 2023 by morpheusofthesea

[morpheusofthesea]

Sorry. Did not proof read last post and too late talking to catch "quite" is quit and "hug" is hung. Appears the worst I can find about this cruise specifically is the itinerary change from a second planned stop at Half Moon Cay to Freeport so the ship can refuel here. Last time we remember a refueling of our ship was when everyone was on tour in Tsingtao, China and the ship caught fire. The Chinese put the fire out with sea water and disabled the engines and the rest of the trip became a land tour.

[morpheusofthesea]

Tried to upload this couple minute video as a companion to post #82 of what happened on board a cruise due to the ship changing the times. The Captain was blowing the ship's horn every five minutes for these two.

[morpheusofthesea]

What was interesting is the chief security officer was ordered by the Captain to go to their cabin and find their passports. He was on the dock about to hand over the passports to the cruise lines port agent who would wait for these late passengers to arrange whatever it is they arrange in cases like this. But the ship's passengers, out on deck, gave out a cry and the Captain sounded the horn again and all was right in the world....

[canadianbear]

48 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

What was interesting is the chief security officer was ordered by the Captain to go to their cabin and find their passports. He was on the dock about to hand over the passports to the cruise lines port agent who would wait for these late passengers to arrange whatever it is they arrange in cases like this. But the ship's passengers, out on deck, gave out a cry and the Captain sounded the horn again and all was right in the world....

Wow-they are very, very lucky the ship didn’t leave.  We’ve watched over our balcony (like your video) 2 passengers running to the ship as well and lucky they made it.  

[styles27]

So happy to hear you are both enjoying your cruise!

I love that you get the “feeling of cruising 30 yrs ago” on board.

 

I truly think THAT is what I’ve been missing. 
As gorgeous as the new ships are I’m a “classic” cruise ship girl at heart. 

[morpheusofthesea]

Thanks to your reports alone we chose this cruise line. The food is excellent, the service is excellent, the cabin is excellent, the cabana is excellent. We are adding HAL to our list. Thank you styles27 !!!

[morpheusofthesea]

May I once again close out this thread with Emanuel Kants three keys to happiness. "Having someone to love, something to do, and something to look forward to."  Adieu.

[oakridger]

Thanks again!  I'm glad you had a good time and now you have "something to look forward to"!!!

 

 

~Nancy

[morpheusofthesea]

On 3/23/2023 at 12:42 PM, canadianbear said:

Just watch your bill.   

Your advisory is well placed. Sitting in the Neptune Lounge at 7 am debarkation day. Asked concierge for final linked statement and discovered a mini bar charge for water of $56.64. Concierge said she will advise housekeeping of this “mistake” and I will be notified by email.

[nw gardener]

Thank you for taking the time to post and looking forward to future observations on HAL.   DH and I aren't tied to one cruise line because variety is the spice of life....but we have sailed mostly HAL in the last few years.  It seems to fit us best and we are looking forward to our AK cruise in June.  

[FLCruiser97]

So glad you and the Mrs. enjoyed Holland America after so many years. Once again, your "Observations" were a joy to read. Until your next adventure, Farewell! 

[PaperSniper4]

"3- Walk-in showers (not tub/shower combos)
14- Dedicated restaurant open port day "

 

3- Is this correct for all cabins? We book HAL for the dedicated tub which my wife much  prefers.

14- I though I read somewhere that the only restaurant on port days was the lido buffet?

 

Thanks.

 

 Doug

[morpheusofthesea]

26 minutes ago, PaperSniper4 said:

"3- Walk-in showers (not tub/shower combos)
14- Dedicated restaurant open port day "

 

3- Is this correct for all cabins? We book HAL for the dedicated tub which my wife much  prefers.

14- I though I read somewhere that the only restaurant on port days was the lido buffet?

 

Thanks.

 

 Doug

This post was just a list of what WE look for in a cabin/cruise ship. We now have a hard time climbing in and out of even low profile tub/shower combos.  We prefer ships, like MSC Seascape, Seashore, etc that have open suite venue restaurant when in port because we do not get off the ship. It is not true of every cabin. We booked a Royal Suite on the Celebrity Beyond and the 75 sq ft balcony could barely squeeze a lounger, and since the Retreat on this ship changed the Retreat deck loungers to extra heavy cushioned loungers, the butler/host would only supply an uncushioned, runofthemill, deck lounger for the week. It is all the little details that add up into how enjoyable a cruise will be.

 

[PaperSniper4]

21 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

This post was just a list of what WE look for in a cabin/cruise ship. We now have a hard time climbing in and out of even low profile tub/shower combos.  We prefer ships, like MSC Seascape, Seashore, etc that have open suite venue restaurant when in port because we do not get off the ship. It is not true of every cabin. We booked a Royal Suite on the Celebrity Beyond and the 75 sq ft balcony could barely squeeze a lounger, and since the Retreat on this ship changed the Retreat deck loungers to extra heavy cushioned loungers, the butler/host would only supply an uncushioned, runofthemill, deck lounger for the week. It is all the little details that add up into how enjoyable a cruise will be.

 

Gotcha, I misunderstood. I understand you know exactly what you want on a cruise! It makes booking a lot easier I know. Our needs are a bit less...my wife is generally happy with a tub, no cooking for the  week,  and I am happy with a balcony.😎 And we also rarely disembark on port visits unless it's somewhere we've not "worn out".

 

In any event, we are looking forward to our next HAL cruise; it's been several years since our last one on NA's sister ship, the Eurodam. All cruise lines are good in their own way, but we do prefer Celebrity, HAL and Princess. But then....they are all good in some way!😎

 

 Doug

[RMS Olympic]

Greetings!

Thank you for this posting.

I just booked a Dec 2nd cruise on the Nieuw Amsterdam and will finally get back to HAL since 2019 on the Nieuw Statendam.

My first HAL cruise was on the previous Nieuw AMSTERDAM that sailed out of Tampa years ago....so this ship of the same name has special meaning to me.

Im hoping HAL won’t let me down.....I have few demands...a clean bed, a hot shower, good service and bacon for breakfast🥓🥓🥓😛.

Keep this thread going!😎

 

[albingirl]

On 3/25/2023 at 9:43 AM, morpheusofthesea said:

Been reading posts of many that have become jaded with HAL, having witnessed the cut backs all cruise lines are trying to get away with. Am sure every cruise line aficionado is complaining about something. We complained about too many non suite Pinnacles taking up our reservation dinner times in the Coastal Kitchen so we quite RCCL. Then we complained about the monotonous Haven menu , the too small Haven Restaurant, the nickle and diming, $180pp/wk water bill and quite NCL. The return to cruising was then strictly on Celebrity's Retreat where we were hit with doubling and tripling of suite venue prices which forced us to seek refuge in MSC's Yacht Club where we 'hug out' all last year and the beginning of this year. MSC's popular YC is now inundated beyond its intended capacity by move up bidding, YC guests sneaking in their family and friends residing in cabins outside this 'gated community', others sneaking in with impunity and others residing in cabins outside the YC that are granted "Access" (family and friends of officers, we had 44 of these on our last cruise). This resulted in suite paying guests deprived of 'first come first served cabanas', lack of available tables for the popular seafood extravaganza, unacceptable wait times for this buffet and drink orders.

   Quickly finding an available suite on the Nieuw Amsterdam we feel we 'hit the lottery' for Spring Break. These passengers are the most well mannered group of people we have ever seen. The most mature drinkers (have no stories to write about). As a matter of fact I can find very little to complain about on this ship. I usually can attract over 6000 views with half the number of followers on my Observations. Sorry folks. I feel I've let you all down.

You haven't let us all down.  I like the comment about "mature drinkers" and  am sure to use that term in  the future.  Thanks for the tip. All the other complaints on this thread hold no value to me but I like the mature drinkers being shown as a postive Holland American trait.