humingbird

To begin with, I truly admire those of you who take the time to write “live” reviews of your cruises. They are always so interesting. This will be rather long, so bear with me.

We took the 7-day Western Caribbean Anniversary Cruise on Holland America Maasdam from December 28 to January 4, 2016. We traveled with another couple and their daughter, son-in-law, and two teenagers. This was our tenth cruise on Holland America and we each now have 100 days sailing. Cruising has become one of our favorite get-aways and we hope do many more. We are retired and in our early 70’s, so hopefully we will be able to make that dream come true.

It was rather interesting leaving the day after Christmas, but we just did the dishes and shut the door!! We flew nonstop from Kansas City to Ft. Lauderdale via SW Airlines the day before the cruise. The airport was very busy, and SW must have had 16 agents checking in luggage. We took a taxi to the Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-Six Hotel. I would highly recommend this Hyatt for a pre-cruise hotel. They were very friendly and the room was quite large with a wonderful bathroom. We had a second floor room with a small balcony overlooking the garden and pool area.

The weather was beautiful and we had a late room-service lunch which we enjoyed on our balcony. This was so relaxing after the hassle of flying.

We ate dinner on the hotel property at Grille 66 & Bar on the Intracoastal Waterway. Luckily, the weather was warm and mild, so we could eat outside. Three of us had the special – Grouper; and I had the Sea Bass. Everything was absolutely fantastic. My husband also had the Key Lime Pie. We experienced great service and highly recommend it.

The next morning, after an excellent breakfast in the Mariner’s Café, we took a cab to the pier. Check-in was the smoothest we have ever experienced and we were soon on the Maasdam. Our cabins were ready, so we left our carry-ons and went to The Lido for lunch as the Main Dining Room was not open. We are not Lido “fans” but endure it when we have to.

We signed up for 100 minutes of Internet for $55; ordered the Navigator’s Wine Package; and attended the muster drill. Our luggage was in the room after lunch, so we were able to unpack and change for dinner held in the Main Dining Room. We had early fixed-dining at a table for eight on Deck 7. We thought fixed dining was on Deck 8 in the upper dining room, but for some reason, we were put on Deck 7 that has open seating. We thought maybe they did not have enough large tables on Deck 8, so they put the overflow on Deck 7. Anyway, it worked out well, so we have no complaints.

After dinner, we listened to the Adagio Duo in the Explorer’s Lounge. This was part of our daily routine as we enjoyed their music immensely. The young couple was from the Ukraine – very talented and enjoyable.

Our day-to-day schedule was very routine. My husband and I do not do many excursions as the cruise ship is our destination. We cruise to enjoy the relaxation, cuisine, and entertainment. We like to read, attend the lectures and demonstrations, walk on the deck, go to wine tastings, play trivia, meet new people, dine, go to the shows, and watch the ocean.

A review of the ship follows:

EMBARKATION: Went very smoothly. The best we’ve ever experienced.

STATEROOM: We were in a large outside room on Main Deck 5. We are seldom in the cabin, but from now on, I want a window or veranda. There was plenty of closet space and two small cabinets, with locks, beside the bed. There was also a safe in the closet. The small bathroom had a shower-tub combination. The beds were very comfortable with nice linens and the towels were nice and large. We did not experience any plumbing problems and the a/c worked perfectly. We very seldom saw our cabin stewards but they did a fantastic job.

DINING: As I stated before, we had early fixed dining on Deck 7. Our stewards were fantastic. We never had to wait for them to take our orders and the food arrived quickly. Every meal in the MDR was wonderful. We so enjoy trying different items and my husband always looks forward to the chilled soups. Contrary to many comments on Cruise Critic our service was beyond outstanding. The two teenagers loved trying new foods, and the stewards had a lot of fun with them.

As noted on the Cruise Critic boards, the passengers seem to be “dressing down” more and more. My opinion is that they should eat in the Lido if they prefer casual wear. It doesn’t bother me a lot, and I am assuming these passengers dress the same way when they dine out at an upscale restaurant in a large city. A pleasant surprise was that on “gala” nights, almost everyone was dressed nicely and we only saw a few jeans. On New Year’s Eve, it was truly a gala evening.

We ate one lunch in the Pinnacle Grill which was very enjoyable. The food was wonderful and the service very good. With the Anniversary Package, we received two Pinnacle Grill dinners and two Canaletto Dinners per cabin. We switched and ate lunch instead of dinner as we enjoy the MDR so much. We also did not eat in the Canaletto.

We chose to eat breakfast in The Lido since we are early risers and the MDR did not open until 7:30 a.m. Personally, we do not care for The Lido, but the food was good, so we can tolerate breakfasts.

ENTERTAINMENT: As I stated before, the Adagio Duo was outstanding. We also enjoyed several shows in the Vista Lounge. Besides the Maasdam singers and dancers, we saw Magician Trigg Watson; Comedian Russ Rivas, and Pianist Ryan Ahern. They were all terrific.

We attended the New Year’s Eve Celebration in the Showroom with Gen and the HALCats playing. It was quite loud, as we expected, and the HALCats did a superb job. Everyone had a fantastic time and they let out hundreds of balloons at midnight.

The other ship entertainers were Piano Bar Entertainer David Anthony and Solo Guitarist Jack. The Neptunes played in the Ocean Bar. All drew large crowds.

EXCURSIONS: We did not go to Half Moon Cay as we had been there twice before, and we enjoy the ship when everyone else is on shore!! The teenagers loved the beach. We did walk over to Ocho Rios, Jamaica, but didn’t stay long. The teenagers and their parents did snorkeling and had a great time. Our other ports were Grand Cayman and Cozumel.

STAFF: The captain of the Maasdam was Captain Ane Jan Smit, who did an excellent job keeping us informed of the weather conditions, etc. He was also easy to understand.

Jeremy Whited was the Cruise Director and he was great. We played Team Trivia each day with him as the host, and he did an excellent job.

We also attended the Navigator’s Wine Tasting and had a most enjoyable time.

DISEMBARKATION: This process went very smoothly. We were about the 4th group to be called, and since the gangway was on our deck, we just waited for a lull in the line, and walked right off to get our luggage and go through customs. Going through customs was the smoothest ever.

After the cruise, my husband and I took a three-day mini vacation to Walt Disney World. I was quite anxious about the car service we ordered as we had never done that before. Happy to say, my worries were for naught, as it also went very smoothly.

Several months ago, I asked for suggestions on Cruise Critic as to what car service to contact and many of you thought it was way too expensive to do and suggested renting a car, taking the bus, or flying. I agree that it was expensive, but it was also the best money we spent – stress free, time-saving, comfortable, not dragging luggage around, and we had an excellent driver. I have not given the name of the service we used, but it was a national one. (I was not sure if I could list the name after reading the Guidelines.)

We had a fantastic cruise on the Maasdam and are looking forward to many more with Holland America. :);)

I want to thank you all for replying to my question. I have also posted this on the Fort Lauderdale message board, as suggested, but have received only two replies.

I have checked prices for several limo services and know it will be expensive. We would just like to be picked up at the port, have our luggage loaded, and have a nice, stress free trip to WDW. That is why I was asking for suggestions for reliable Limo Services.

I have learned so much from Cruise Critics message boards. Thanks again.

My husband and I will be traveling TO Walt Disney World FROM Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale after a HAL Caribbean Cruise in January.

We would like to rent a car service to take us to our Disney World Resort from the port. Have any of you had this experience? If so, would you please recommend a car service that you liked and was reliable. Thank you so much. :)

My husband and I will be traveling TO Walt Disney World FROM Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale after a Caribbean Cruise in January.

We would like to rent a car service to take us to our Disney World resort from the port. Have any of you had this experience? If so, would you please recommend a car service that you liked and was reliable. Thank you so much. :)

I also posted this on your thread, but will copy it here in case anyone else is interestd.

Here are the movies from the June 15 sailing:

"Pride" -- U.K. gay activists work to help miners during their lengthy strike of the National Union of Mineworkers in the summer of 1984. Bill Nighy, Staunton & Dominic West 2014 R

"The Imitation Game" -- During WW II, mathematician, Alan Turing, tries to crack the enigma code with help from fellow mathematicians. Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, & Matthew Goode 2014 PG-13

"Disneynature Bears" -- Two mother bears raise clubs in the Alaskan wilderness. 2014 PG=13

"Two Men in Town" -- A Muslim ex-con forms a friendship with his parole officer. Ellen Burstyn, Forest Whitaker, Harvey Keitel 2014 R

"Roald Dahl's Esio Trot" -- A retired bachelor has a thing for his neighbor who only shows affection to her pet tortoise. Dustin Hoffman, James Corden, Richard Cordery 2014 PG

"The Last Five Years" -- A struggling actress and her novelist lover each illustrate the struggle and deconstruction of their love affair. Anna Kendrick, Jeremy Jordan, Tamara Mintz

2014 PG-13

"Kingsman: The Secret Service" -- A spy organization recruits an unrefined, but promissing street kid into the agency's ultra-competitive training program, just as a global threat emerges from a twisted tech genius. Colin firth, Taron Egerton, Samuel L. Jackson 2014 R

"McFarland USA" -- A cross country coach in small Calif. town transforms a team of athletes into championship contenders. Kevin Costner, Maria Bello, Ramiro Rodriguez 2015 PG

"Cinderella" -- Lily James, Cate Blanchett, Richard Madden 2015 PG

"Diveregent: Insurgent" -- Existing between the time lines of Divergent and Insurgent in the divergent film series, this short film view in 360 degree places you in the chair as Jeanine and the head of her Erudite faction test your skills as a Divergent. atrick Cronen, Mekhi Phifer, Miles Teller 2015 PG

"Home" -- An alien on the run from his town people, lands on Earth and makes friends with the adventurous Tip, who is on a quest of her own. Jim Parsons, Rihanna, Steve Martin 2015 PG

"Taken 3" -- Ex-govt. operative Bryan Mills is accused of a ruthless murder he never committed or witnessed. As he is tracked and pursued, Mills brings out his particular set of skills to find the true killer and clear his name. Liam Neeson, Forest Whitaker, Maggie Grace 2014 PG-13

"The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" -- As the hotel has only a single remaining vacancy -- posing a rooming predicament for two fresh arrivals -- Sonny pursues his expansionist dream of opening a second hotel. Judi Dench,Maggie Smith, Bill Nigby. 2015 PG

"While We're Young" -- A middle-aged couple's career and marriage are overturned when a disarming young couple enters their lives. Ben Stiller, Naomi Watts, Adam Driver 2014 R

Here are the movies from the June 15 sailing: :)

"Pride" -- U.K. gay activists work to help miners during their lengthy strike of the National Union of Mineworkers in the summer of 1984. Bill Nighy, Staunton & Dominic West 2014 R

"The Imitation Game" -- During WW II, mathematician, Alan Turing, tries to crack the enigma code with help from fellow mathematicians. Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, & Matthew Goode 2014 PG-13

"Disneynature Bears" -- Two mother bears raise clubs in the Alaskan wilderness. 2014 PG=13

"Two Men in Town" -- A Muslim ex-con forms a friendship with his parole officer. Ellen Burstyn, Forest Whitaker, Harvey Keitel 2014 R

"Roald Dahl's Esio Trot" -- A retired bachelor has a thing for his neighbor who only shows affection to her pet tortoise. Dustin Hoffman, James Corden, Richard Cordery 2014 PG

"The Last Five Years" -- A struggling actress and her novelist lover each illustrate the struggle and deconstruction of their love affair. Anna Kendrick, Jeremy Jordan, Tamara Mintz

2014 PG-13

"Kingsman: The Secret Service" -- A spy organization recruits an unrefined, but promissing street kid into the agency's ultra-competitive training program, just as a global threat emerges from a twisted tech genius. Colin firth, Taron Egerton, Samuel L. Jackson 2014 R

"McFarland USA" -- A cross country coach in small Calif. town transforms a team of athletes into championship contenders. Kevin Costner, Maria Bello, Ramiro Rodriguez 2015 PG

"Cinderella" -- Lily James, Cate Blanchett, Richard Madden 2015 PG

"Diveregent: Insurgent" -- Existing between the time lines of Divergent and Insurgent in the divergent film series, this short film view in 360 degree places you in the chair as Jeanine and the head of her Erudite faction test your skills as a Divergent. atrick Cronen, Mekhi Phifer, Miles Teller 2015 PG

"Home" -- An alien on the run from his town people, lands on Earth and makes friends with the adventurous Tip, who is on a quest of her own. Jim Parsons, Rihanna, Steve Martin 2015 PG

"Taken 3" -- Ex-govt. operative Bryan Mills is accused of a ruthless murder he never committed or witnessed. As he is tracked and pursued, Mills brings out his particular set of skills to find the true killer and clear his name. Liam Neeson, Forest Whitaker, Maggie Grace 2014 PG-13

"The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" -- As the hotel has only a single remaining vacancy -- posing a rooming predicament for two fresh arrivals -- Sonny pursues his expansionist dream of opening a second hotel. Judi Dench,Maggie Smith, Bill Nigby. 2015 PG

"While We're Young" -- A middle-aged couple's career and marriage are overturned when a disarming young couple enters their lives. Ben Stiller, Naomi Watts, Adam Driver 2014 R

I am an avid reader of Cruise Critic, and although we have taken ten cruises, I learn something new almost every time I log onto this site. Even though with ten Holland America cruises, I rarely give an opinion as there are so many of you who express yourselves so well. I also enjoy the reviews of other cruisers, and I wish I possessed the knowledge and time to include pictures in this review, as it makes a review so much more interesting.

We took the 14-day Holland America Statendam Alaskan Cruise from Monday, June 15 to Monday, June 29, 2015. This was our fourth Alaskan cruise.

There seems to be disagreement about the quality of service and dining on Holland America, but we thoroughly enjoy the size of the ships, the friendliness and attention of the staff, and the wonderful cuisine and service. We have not found anything going “downhill.”

We spent Saturday night in the Kansas City Airport Hilton. It is a great place to stay before a cruise, and the restaurant is excellent. We flew Southwest to Seattle with a layover in Denver. We took the hotel shuttle, with an excellent driver, to the Seattle Airport Hampton Inn. The driver also took us to the Copperleaf Restaurant in the Cedarbrook Lodge. This restaurant was outstanding and was in a beautiful setting.

We ate the hotel’s breakfast and boarded a van that was arranged by the hotel. This was not a pleasant trip as we were very crowded on the small van. Next time we will definitely order our own transportation to the pier.

Embarkation did not take long and went very smoothly. There was no waiting to get our key cards. Our cabin was ready, so we left our carry-on bags and went to the Lido for lunch as the MDR was closed. The Lido was a zoo, but the sandwiches and salad bar were very good. We are just not Lido fans and avoid it except for breakfast.

Our luggage had arrived, so we unpacked. We signed up for Internet minutes in the Exploration’s Café; signed up for the Navigator’s Wine Package; attended the muster drill; and dressed for dinner. After dinner, we went to the Explorer’s Lounge and listened to the Adagio Duo and then to the Showroom at Sea where the Statendam singers and dancers performed.

Our day-to-day schedule was very routine. My husband and I do not take many excursions as the cruise ship is our destination. We cruise to enjoy the relaxation, cuisine, and entertainment. We like to read, attend the lectures and demonstrations, walk on the deck, go to wine tastings, play trivia, meet new people, dine, go to the shows, and watch the ocean.

A short review of the ship follows:

EMBARKATION: The best ever! Went very smoothly.

THE STATENDAM: We found the ship to be in excellent condition. Some of the furniture and carpet need replacing, but since it has been sold to P&O, I’m sure Holland does not want to put a lot of money into refurbishing items. Of course, there was cleaning going on all the time.

STATEROOM: We were in an inside stateroom on the Main Deck (5) in the middle of the ship - #603. I think, from now on, we will get an outside cabin as I do like to awaken and see the condition of the weather and ocean. There was plenty of closet and drawer space plus two small cabinets, with locks, beside the bed. There was also a safe in the closet. The bathroom had a shower and plenty of counter space. The bed was excellent with nice linens and the towels were huge. We did not experience any plumbing problems and the a/c worked perfectly.

We very seldom saw our cabin stewards, Wan and Budi, but we cannot say enough good things about them.

DINING: We were able to get early fixed seating (5:30 p.m.). Our table for four was by a window #19, so we had an excellent view of the ocean. Our outstanding dining room stewards were Ardi and Lukman and the excellent wine steward was Allan.

Every meal in the MDR was superb. We so enjoy trying different items and my husband always looks forward to the chilled soups. Contrary to many comments on Cruise Critic our service and food was beyond outstanding. The prime rib, beef tenderloin, and lobster were excellent.

Maybe because it was a long Alaskan cruise, the dress attire seemed more relaxed than on previous cruises. Passengers were dressed nicely, but on formal nights, the sport coat or suit recommendation was not followed. The dress code is now called Gala Attire. We love to “dress up” as we don’t get many opportunities to do so in our area. I try not to let other passengers’ attire bother me, but I do think many of them should just go to the Lido or have room service.

We chose to eat breakfast in The Lido since we are early risers and the MDR did not open until 8:00 a.m. Personally, I do not care to ever eat in The Lido, but the food was good, and it was not very crowded at 6:30 a.m., so I could tolerate breakfasts there.

ENTERTAINMENT: We went to the Explorer’s Lounge after dinner every evening to listen to the Adagio Duo, Robert, the violinist, and Livia, the pianist. They were fantastic!!

The other lounge entertainers had good followings also: Solo Guitarist Michael; The Neptunes; and Piano Bar Diane Fast.

We also enjoyed all the shows in the Showroom at Sea: The Statendam singers and dancers performed “Listen to the Music”; “Bob Mackie’s Broadway”; “Street Singin’”; “Encore”; “Unforgettable”; “Stardust Lounge”; and “Dancing with the Stars” (did not attend). The costumes, dancing, and singing were well done. We were so glad the sound system was not overbearing and there were no strobe lights.

The other entertainers were also excellent: “The Comedy Magic of Fred Becker”; “Jim and Anne Curry’s tribute to John Denver”; “The Comedy of Benji Hill”; “Vocalist & Comedy Impressionist Tricia Kelly” (did not enjoy this act); and “Comedian Don McEnery”.

EXCURSIONS: As I stated before, we do not do many excursions, but we do walk and explore each town. Ketchikan: We love Ketchikan and the weather was beautiful. We took the funicular to the Cape Fox Lodge and had a second breakfast, and then did some shopping for our four teenage granddaughters.

Tracy Arm: It was too foggy to attempt Tracy Arm, but we did go to Endicott Arm which was quite nice, but very cold on the deck. We walked four miles while viewing the glacier.

Juneau: We have always taken the Mt. Roberts Tram and did so on this trip. It is always a thrill to look down on the Harbor and see our ship. We then walked around town and I bought the most comfortable pair of shoes at Shoefly Alaska. I can never find a pair of shoes in my size, so I was ecstatic to find these.

Icy Strait Point: This is a tender port and we chose to remain on the ship. Our friends went into town and enjoyed the trip.

On the Sea Day, we went to the Premium Wine Tasting: North Pacific vs. Old World. This was a fantastic wine tasting event. The Cellar Master, Jean Francois, had interesting, unique presentations of wine, and we thoroughly enjoyed all three that we attended. One might say that this is our “excursion” while cruising.

Anchorage: We went into Anchorage early; walked around; enjoyed the beautiful flowers and clean neat business district. There was a very nice, large mall downtown, and we decided to eat at Sullivan’s instead of going back to the ship and then into town again. We had an excellent meal, and best of all, avoided eating in The Lido. I really shouldn’t run The Lido down, as the food and service are great, but we would rather sit at a nice table and be waited on in a quieter atmosphere.

Homer: We rode a school bus over to the Homer Pit. There were several little bars, restaurants, and shops; and we did see fishermen cleaning halibut. Homer is the Halibut Capital of the World. After lunch, we took the ‘Ho-Ho-Ho’, Homer Hop On, Hop Off Shuttle (school bus) to downtown Homer. Homer does give one a feel for a real Alaska town, and it was bigger than I had imagined. There were four stops along the way. Sorry to say, we did not get off the bus, but did enjoy seeing the town.

Kodiak: This archipelago is the second largest island in the U.S. – about the size of Connecticut. I didn’t talk to anyone who saw a Kodiak bear as they were just coming out of hibernation. A better time would be in July, August, and September. We rode the shuttle, another school bus, into town, although many people walked. We enjoyed walking around Kodiak although it was quite cool, and I was glad to have a warm coat and hat. We visited the Holy Resurrection Russian Orthodox Cathedral, with its blue cupolas – very interesting. We then went to the Alutiiq Museum which was wonderful. Luckily, there was lunch in the MDR, and then we attended another wine tasting: Around the World Wine Festival, where one could enjoy a variety of twelve wines from six different countries. Excellent.

Hubbard Glacier: This is a large glacier and I did get to see a “calving”.

Sitka: We took the tender to Sitka. This is a very interesting town and we enjoyed walking around. We also walked to the Sitka National Historical Park and enjoyed the hike through the tall trees and the totem poles. Since there was no lunch in the MDR, we had clam chowder and crab cakes at the Westmark Hotel. Very nice.

Another Sea Day: Another relaxing day. We attended the Mariner’s Lunch and then went to our last Team Trivia. We did Team Trivia every day and also did some of the Food Trivia. I must mention our cruise director, Ross McTaggart. He was the best CD we have ever had. He was very professional, witty, and kept things on time. I would love to see him on another cruise.

Victoria: We did the Butchart Gardens Tour. It was just as beautiful and interesting as we had been told. We had been to Victoria on other cruises so we did not go downtown. The finals of Dancing with the Stars was held that evening, but we did not attend.

DISEMBARKATION: Disembarkation went very smoothly.

This was a fantastic cruise and we highly recommend it, and would take it again. Luckily, we had smooth seas (with only one day of high white caps). Once again, the food, service, entertainment, lectures, and ambiance were outstanding. We are looking forward to our next cruise in December. :):D

In answer to a couple of questions:

The early dining on the Ryndam was 5:15 p.m. That time worked very well for us as we do not do many excursions. There were several passengers who arrived at 5:30 p.m. Maybe it is earlier because there were three main stage shows offered most evenings -- 6:30; 8:00; and 10:00.

In The Mix, the Solo Guitarist was Terry (no last name). He drew a nice crowd. The Piano Bar Entertainer was David Anthony. He also had a good crowd, but it was quite loud. People were really enjoying the sing alongs.

The HALCats were also very talented doing a terrific job as backup artists with the different entertainers. Really remarkable. We did not attend any events in the Crow's Nest with Show Host Phil.

I enjoy reading all the comments on Cruise Critic, so thought I would let you know how our latest cruise went.

We took the 14-day South Caribbean Cruise on Holland America Ryndam from January 5 to 19. This was our ninth cruise on Holland America, and, even though there seems to be disagreement about the quality of service and dining, we thoroughly enjoy the size of the ships, the friendliness and attention, and the wonderful cuisine and service. We have not found that anything is going downhill. :)

We spent Friday night in the Kansas City Airport Hilton. It is a great place to stay before a cruise. We flew nonstop from Kansas City to Tampa and took the hotel shuttle to the cruise hotel – the Sheraton Suites Tampa Airport Westshore. The hotel, itself, was fine, but very noisy. I think we heard every shower running through the pipes! We should have walked to dinner at Charley’s Steak House (right next door). I cannot recommend the dinner or breakfast in the hotel. Very slow service.

The next morning, we sat in the lobby waiting on the HAL busses. HAL was not very organized as nobody would tell us when to load. We finally went outside and saw a line forming, so we were able to get on the first bus to the terminal with a terrific bus driver. This was absolutely the smoothest embarkation process we have ever experienced. There was no waiting to get our key cards. Our cabin was ready, so we left our carry-on bags and went to the Main Dining Room for lunch, signed up for Internet minutes in the Exploration’s Café; signed up for the Navigator’s Wine Package; attended the muster drill; unpacked all of our luggage, and dressed for dinner.

We were late leaving Tampa as the ship waited on several passengers who had been delayed by all the bad weather in Northeast USA. Three passengers even boarded in Key West. After dinner, we listened to the Adagio Duo in the Explorer’s Lounge. There were two men who played the piano and violin.

Our day-to-day schedule was very routine. My husband and I do not do many excursions as the cruise ship is our destination. We cruise to enjoy the relaxation, cuisine, and entertainment. We like to read, attend the lectures and demonstrations, walk on the deck, go to wine tastings, play trivia, meet new people, dine, go to the shows, and watch the ocean.

A short review of the ship follows:

EMBARKATION: The best ever! Went very smoothly.

STATEROOM: We were in an inside stateroom on the Main Deck (5) in the middle of the ship - #585. We are seldom in the cabin, so an inside stateroom works great for us. There was plenty of closet and drawer space and two small cabinets, with locks, beside the bed. There was also a safe in the closet. The bathroom had just a shower and plenty of counter space. The bed was very comfortable with nice linens and the towels were nice and large. We did not experience any plumbing problems and the a/c worked perfectly. In fact, many people were complaining about how cold it was, but we love to sleep in a cool room.

We very seldom saw our cabin stewards, but we cannot say enough good things about them.

THE RYNDAM: Weheard the Ryndam is going into dry dock in a few weeks. The interior of the ship looked good. They were constantly working on the fountain in the atrium area, and never did get it to work properly. I especially liked the carpet on the stairs, with the top and bottom steps carpeted in red and the other steps in blue. Of course, there was cleaning going on all the time. The only negative was the worn furniture in the Crow’s Nest, so I imagine it will be replaced in dry dock.

DINING: We were able to get early fixed seating (5:15 p.m.) on this cruise. Our table for four was by a window, so we had an excellent view of the ocean. Our outstanding dining room stewards were Widodo and Jajang and the wine steward was Angelo.

Every meal in the MDR was superb. We so enjoy trying different items and my husband always looks forward to the chilled soups. Contrary to many comments on Cruise Critic our service and food was beyond outstanding. The prime rib, beef tenderloin, and lobster were excellent.

A pleasant surprise was that on formal nights, there were at least 40% of the men in tuxedos. On smart casual evenings, most passengers were dressed nicely.

We ate two lunches in the Pinnacle Grill which were very slow. The food was wonderful and the service very good……..just slow.

We chose to eat breakfast in The Lido since we are early risers and the MDR did not open until 8:00 a.m. Personally, I do not care to ever eat in The Lido, but the food was good, and it was not very crowded at 6:30 a.m., so I could tolerate breakfasts there.

ENTERTAINMENT: As I stated before, the Adagio Duo was a pianist and a violinist. They did a very nice job, but never said a word and took very long breaks, so we ended up mainly in the Ocean Bar listening to the Neptunes and watching the dancers.

We also enjoyed several fantastic shows in the Showroom at Sea: Joe Yannetty, comedian; Den West, singer and multi-instrumentalist; Michelle Murlin, Broadway vocalist; Paul Pappas, extraordinary pianist; Jeff Burghart, an impressionist-comedian; Steve Stevens, comedian, instrumentalist, and vocalist; Dancing with the Stars; and the Ryndam singers and dancers. All the entertainment was outstanding except for the singers and dancers. The costumes and dancing were beautiful, but the singing (and sound system) was WAY TOO LOUD, and the strobe lighting hitting the audience was awful. We usually love these productions, but had to leave during two of the productions.

EXCURSIONS: We walked into town in most ports, but took no excursions. Other passengers reported the tours on the islands were very beautiful. The seas were too rough to tender into Grand Cayman, so I’m sure there were some disappointed passengers.

STAFF: The captain of the Ryndam was Captain Mark Rowden, who did an excellent job keeping us informed of the weather conditions, etc. He was also easy to understand and very personable.

Rick Barnes was the Cruise Director and he was a little overbearing, but we liked him better toward the end of the cruise. We played Team Trivia each day with him as the host, and he did an excellent job.

KC, the librarian was the best librarian we have ever had. She was always pleasant and helpful to everyone.

Culinary Arts Center Host, Jess, and Show Chef, Mauricio, were outstanding. Don't miss their presentations.

DISEMBARKATION: No disembarkation talk was given, which was rather nice. There was a delay in disembarking because of an immigration problem, but once it started, things went smoothly. We were only disappointed that Luggage Direct is not offered in Tampa, so we had to drag our suitcases to the airport.

No cruise is perfect, but this one was right up there. We had a wonderful cruise on the Ryndam and are looking forward to many more with Holland America. :):D

We just returned from the Canada - New England Cruise on the Maasdam (A full review later today). We have sailed on HAL before with mid-ship inside cabins. There were no mid-ship inside cabins available when we booked this cruise, so our TA told us there were mid-ship outside obstructed-view cabins available on Deck 6.

We were booked into Cabin 373. Never again will I book a cabin that is under the kitchen. :( I didn't realize the cabin was located under the kitchen area, until we went to bed. I take partial responsibility for this error, but do think our TA should have mentioned it to us. If noises like moving furniture across wooden floors, a herd of galloping elephants, or a bowling alley don't bother you, then you will be happy with a cabin under the kitchen area!!

The cabin itself was great as was the service and everything else about the cruise. Ear plugs saved the day!!:)

Dave

We took the back-to-back Caribbean Cruise (that you are now on) from Jan 23 to Feb 2, 2011 and had an absolutely fantastic time. I am really enjoying your perspective on all the ports, etc. and agree with you on almost everything. The Adagio Strings were wonderful.

I am wondering if you and your wife do not attend The Showroom at Sea performances?? You may have addressed this in one of the 9 pages I've read, but I missed it if you did.

We thoroughly enjoyed the Ryndam singers, dancers, and musicians. They were very talented and just outstanding. We had never been on a back-to-back cruise, so were a little surprised that we saw the same shows each week, except for the comedians. We even enjoyed the shows "the second time around."

Thanks for your sea journal. It has been fun reading it and reliving our own cruise. :):)