Overdue review of our 24 days on the Nieuw Amsterdam in July...

I have submitted this for publication on the home page. I'll try to answer any questions if you have any. I didn't cover everything, or it would have been a mile long... Overall, it was a great trip!

Here’s my overdue review of our 24 day collectors voyage cruise on the Nieuw Amsterdam in July. We are two adults and a daughter who turned 11 on the trip. We are all very experienced cruisers and have been on many different lines, as well as several different HAL ships.

We sailed from Barcelona all the way through the Med to Istanbul and finally back to Venice, where we disembarked. We have had mixed experiences on HAL ships but were keen to try this ship because it is one of the newest and most modern in the fleet.

I personally have never sailed on HAL for their interior decor. Our initial impressions were that the ship looked old and dated, which really surprised us given it is all of two years old. I do not think it is going to age well and looks similar to many of the older HAL ships. Low ceilings, long, narrow corridors, dim lighting, smoky mirrors and a garish red dining room were what stood out to me. Many people we met commented on the dated decor and especially the muted carpets, which looked flat and faded. My feeling is they really need to go back to the drawing board and start over on ship design. There is nothing innovative about the ship.

Fortunately, the NA has many positive aspects to it and these far outweighed the negatives. The balcony cabin was comfortable and extremely quiet. The beds were excellent. The bathroom was very plain but roomy. The desk area lacked storage space for personal effects and really needs some shelves on the wall. The couch was fairly ugly and the seat cushion seemed to be permanently falling off, which made sitting on it a weird experience. The balcony was deep, but unfortunately we were next to smokers for the entire 24 days and it significantly impacted balcony time. As soon as the door next door opened I knew the lighter flick was coming and I was going to be breathing in smoke. Really a shame.

We enjoyed the gym very much and thought it was very well equipped, with no time limits on the ample cardio equipment. It needs better ventilation but worked very well for us and I loved the icy cold face cloths in the fridge by the door for refreshment after a long workout.

I also really liked having a dedicated screening room on the ship. It could stand a bigger screen and more chairs, but it’s a real pleasure to go and watch a decent movie in a shipboard cinema in very comfortable chairs.

The main midship pool seemed too small for the crowds on board and far too cramped, with cabanas, table tennis tables and loungers all jammed in together. There are a lot less casual, lounging chairs on this ship than Vista class ships and they have no protection from the sun, which was intense. It was extremely hot on the trip and it would also help if the side windows slid open to allow more of a cross breeze. Fortunately, we’re not big sun worshippers but needed to be by the pool to supervise our daughter.

HAL isn’t known for its entertainment, so my expectations were low. I’ve seen a lot of shows in 40 cruises. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised with the quality and variety of acts. The Olympic gymnast and mindreader were unusual and different. Thankfully, there was a decent, tiered seating show lounge and it was surprising to see it was never packed out. Maybe people were too tired after the long port days. The CD was Dan Bernbach who had the perfect personality for the voyage. He’s young, enthusiastic and smart and went over very well with the passengers. Daytime activities were limited because the itinerary was so port intensive but we enjoyed renting movies, reading in Explorations or sitting in a nice shady spot on the deck. My husband really missed cultural lectures on board and there is nothing offered in that area. We don't use Windows so the computer classes were of no use to us. We would have liked educational or historical lectures on the areas we were going to. It really helps if you like cooking demonstrations on HAL. We usually do Trivia a lot but ever quite found our groove on the NA because of the time spent in ports.

We found the dining room service to be decent and had no complaints. We were never once approached by a maitre’d to see if everything was okay in 24 days. The waiters worked hard and tried hard, but there doesn’t seem to be any oversight. Dining room standards are not what they once were, but we were happy. We thought the food was excellent overall, always hot and tasty and well presented. For a truly top end dining experience on a ship these days you need to go to the specialty restaurants. We’ve always been fans of the Pinnacle Grill and went there a couple of times and couldn’t fault it. However, it was Tamarind that got us hooked. We ate there three times and I could easily have gone back for more. Everything about the experience was fantastic and I can’t rave about it enough. Worth every penny, and frankly, it’s underpriced. For us, with our Three Star Mariner discounts, it was almost embarrassing to enjoy a meal of such high quality for what we paid.

Frankly, it was one long cruise of food, food and more food... BBQ’s on the open deck, special regional food presentations, chocolate buffets... HAL works extremely hard and the food never stopped coming.

The Lido buffet... Well, remember what I said about dated ship design??? This is a huge negative on the ship, with its galley design and long lines, which made it a slow, congested experience. The food was excellent and the variety of offerings was too, but the thought of lining up for each section was a real turn off. As an ex-pat Brit, I really appreciated the English breakfast section and teabags too. Table bussing tended to be lacking here and often nothing would be removed at all until you had finished your meal, so plates stacked up and no-one took them away which isn’t very elegant. There were plenty of tables for two, if you didn’t mind them being in the aisles next to the food lines, which were always crowded. It was akin to eating your meal on the side of a slow moving freeway, with constant traffic jostling by you. For a two year old ship, HAL is way behind the times on buffet design. Most new ships feature the island system and other ships are retrofitting their buffets in line with the trend.

There is also a mandatory 2 day suspension of self service in the Lido for health reasons, which means you can’t even get your own tea or coffee. Most food is served to you anyway, but the drink stations were extremely clogged up by serving tables at either end of the Lido and everyone was extremely relieved when it ended. For us, we went through it again when the second leg of the voyage started. HAL believes it helps keep Norovirus at bay. It is, nonetheless, highly frustrating to have to direct someone to make the perfect cup of tea whenever you want one, and made meal service even slower and more congested than usual. I cannot imagine going an entire voyage like that.

Our daughter turned 11 on the cruise and was well treated by the kids club and our waiters, who ordered her a personalised cake and sang to her. The only shocker came when we went to the front desk to get some balloons put on our door and found we had to pay $2.50 per balloon for this to be done. Yikes!!! Club HAL did a very good job and our daughter had a lot of fun up there and made some good friends. We think HAL tries very hard with families and made sure everyone had a good time. Overall, the staff on board are absolutely excellent with kids. Our waiters made paper origami designs every day, which complimented the inevitable towel animals in the cabin. Christopher the Canaletto chef provided free cotton candy every evening for our daughter. She had the movie theater wired and knew when to find fresh popcorn deliveries at the start of every movie.

The staff are one of the best features on the NA. They work very hard and are gracious, professional and friendly. We didn’t find there to be an excessive amount of overbearing rules or restrictions and can’t fault the crew. The captain was very low key and other than a extremely brief, blink and you missed it welcome speech and toast, was hardly seen and only heard from the bridge. He was apparently a very nice, shy older seaman, but interacting with the masses was definitely not his thing.

We had been to many of the ports before which meant we could relax a great deal on the trip and did not need to rush around touring in 100 degree temperatures every day. The ship was a very comfortable, relaxing place to be on a port day. We don’t do ship tours usually and do find HAL tours to be extremely expensive, but we did do a tour in Istanbul in order to gain access to the Topkapi Palace, which was closed on the day we were there except for cruise tours. Many ports were tender ports and particularly in Kotor, it took forever to offload all the passengers for the short amount of time we were there. Independent passengers definitely play second fiddle to ship tours, and some people who had booked tours privately and couldn’t get off the ship until 2 hours after arrival were quite upset about this.

The tour guide Tom was extremely knowledgable and helpful, and always available, and gave excellent presentations on the ports as well.

Overall, we had a fabulous time on the ship, once we made the initial adjustment and accepted its shortcoming and embraced its positives. No ship is perfect. Compared to the one year old Celebrity Silhouette which we sailed on last year, and which we anchored next to in Mykonos, the two year old NA is positively old fashioned and dowdy, yet it still managed to charm us and endear us in its own way and we were ready, but not happy, when the 24 days came to an end. We would sail on the ship again. I love many of the traditions HAL clings to and want to drag them into the 21st century at the same time, but I suspect they would kick and scream all the way...

Thanks for taking time to write your review...much appreciated as we will be going on NA in September.

Thank you for taking time to write this review.

Glad you had a great trip.

Thank you for taking the time to write your review.

Glad you had a wonderful cruise.

Thank you for your review.

One person's "dowdy" is another person's "classic" or "traditional". :D

Surely, since you have sailed HAL before, you didn't expect ultra modern?

I personally like the way HAL's ships are designed, very nautical feeling, you don't forget you are on a vessel. If I want ultra modern design, I would sail Celebrity.

Thank you for your review.

One person's "dowdy" is another person's "classic" or "traditional". :D

Surely, since you have sailed HAL before, you didn't expect ultra modern?

I personally like the way HAL's ships are designed, very nautical feeling, you don't forget you are on a vessel. If I want ultra modern design, I would sail Celebrity.

No, no absolutely not! I never expected Celebrity style modernity on HAL... I have been on several ships with each line and do realise they are apples and oranges... Maybe I confused things by even mentioning the Silhouette in the review... It struck a chord with me as we were on it last year and it only a year older than the NA, so in terms of age of ship it was comparable... I fully appreciate they are very different cruise lines, each with their strengths and weaknesses...

I think the surprise came maybe because of my expectations, which in hindsight might have been unrealistic... I did think as the NA was one of the newest in the fleet that the interior design and layout might have been updated more than it was. To me, it wasn't much different than the various Vista class ships we've been on and seemed dated for a new ship because of that... I would not expect HAL to morph themselves into Celebrity, or vice versa, and despite my comments, would never let the interior of a ship influence my enjoyment of a cruise! The NA was a really great experience overall and as I said, I would sail on her again happily.

Thank you so much for taking the time to write and post your review. We are looking forward to our cruise in Oct. as it will be our first time on the NA and our first trip to the Meds. Thanks again.

Diane.:)

No, no absolutely not! I never expected Celebrity style modernity on HAL... I have been on several ships with each line and do realise they are apples and oranges... Maybe I confused things by even mentioning the Silhouette in the review... It struck a chord with me as we were on it last year and it only a year older than the NA, so in terms of age of ship it was comparable... I fully appreciate they are very different cruise lines, each with their strengths and weaknesses...

 

I think the surprise came maybe because of my expectations, which in hindsight might have been unrealistic... I did think as the NA was one of the newest in the fleet that the interior design and layout might have been updated more than it was. To me, it wasn't much different than the various Vista class ships we've been on and seemed dated for a new ship because of that... I would not expect HAL to morph themselves into Celebrity, or vice versa, and despite my comments, would never let the interior of a ship influence my enjoyment of a cruise! The NA was a really great experience overall and as I said, I would sail on her again happily.

Fantastic to hear! :D

I hear folks often suggest that HAL should morph itself design-wise into a more modern cruise line and I do enjoy the traditional design.

To be honest with you I am thrilled to hear that you were happy with your dining and service on the NA!!:D Others have been critical of late. :o

We sail the same itinerary you did this October leaving from Venice and finishing the cruise in Barcelona and your review is very appreciated!

Thanks again for your comments and clarification! :D

Thanks for your review.

Very helpful to those who have never sailed the N.A.

Thanks for your review. Very interesting. I've sailed the NA and for various reasons am not a fan of the ship. doesn't mean I didn't have a good cruise - just not my favourite ship - the red dining room and noise being one of them.:D

It's a shame to hear that she is looking old already though.

Thanks for taking the time to share your experiences with us and welcome home:D

Hello Melanie

I just returned from Noordam and am thinking of this one for next year as I. Enjoyed the itinerary

Could you tell us or suggest tour operators for the ports involved

Last year I found silhouettes food lacking in certain aspects I did write it in my critique ..celebrity called me sent a chef and now I hear all is terrific from friends. Who. Went this year

Noordam was not as clean as I had hoped .i think lack. Of personnel service in mdr same also not enough waiters .i still do not know his name .poor guy ran around like crazy and service was very slow ..he never had time to chit chat

Glad you still had a good time.i really enjoyed all our visits

Michele

Thank you for your enjoyable review. We loved the Med on the NA as well and will be doing another cruise on her as well in a few months.

Thanks for the comprehensive review. Especially that Club HAL is as good on the NA as the HAL cruise we brought our kids on last year. That is the most important factor for us and the design/decor of the ship takes a back seat, although I thank you for including it as it is all information that is good to know.

Despite my comments, I would never choose a ship based on its decor... LIke you, it needs to be a good fit for our family above all. The kids club was excellent... A decent size, friendly staff some of whom were teachers on their summer vacations... Snacks were delivered to the club nightly, the kids got backpacks and other rewards. HAL really tries hard with their kids clubs. It is hard to make an 11 go to the kids club when she doesn't like it, but our daughter was up there daily and enjoyed it. We did two 12 day back to back cruises. At the end of the first leg, the counselors sent a letter to our cabin thanking our daughter for participating, which each of them signed. I've never seen that on a trip before. Her only complaint was the lack of scavenger hunts on board. We have always felt HAL is a good fit for families.

Thanks for taking time to write your review on the N.A. She is one of my favorite ships.

Hi Michelle, how are you???

I have to say our cruise on the Noordam in 2008 was one of our best HAL trips ever. As for the Silhouette, you read my review... I had no complaints with the food at all on that ship at all.

I thought the food on the NA was excellent. The buffet food in particular was of a high standard and was really tasty and flavorsome. Breakfast was marvelous, with an enormous variety of things to choose from. Darn HAL... I developed quite a Nutella addiction thanks to them... I could not fault the food on the ship at all and enjoyed the meals. Tamarind was absolutely sensational and my husband said he would take it over Qsine on Celebrity anytime. It is a tremendous value and the food is incredible. I could have eaten there several more times quite happily... Tamarind is one of the highlghts.

I can't recommend any tour guides, because we didn't use any.... We had been to most of the ports before and the new ones, like Kotor and Split were small enough for us to explore by ourselves. We didn't take any organised tours except the ship tour in Istanbul, in order to go to the Topkapi Palace. We were there on a Tuesday and it was closed to all but cruise tours, so it was the best way to see the palace and turned out to be a great idea because it was fairly quiet when we got there due to only two ships being in port.

Hope to run into you on another cruise one of these years....

Michele

Thanks Melanie, it's a splendid review, and as I was on the NA July 18-30 I would say it's a very fair summary of what, overall, was a fabulous cruise.

On the roll call for this cruise I asked if anyone could recommend a good hotel in Venice and Melanie kindly put me on to the Hotel Santa Chiara, which suited our needs perfectly. It has a superlative location at Piazzale Roma, which is ideal for the bus from the airport, the People Mover to the dock and the vapretto stop to everywhere. It has very helpful staff and shows for a few seconds at 0.30 in this

Melanie mentions the issue of independent tourists taking second fiddle to those on HAL tours, and this was the one thing that really annoyed me, although I don't know the answer to it. Obviously 1900 people can't all get off at once, and on this cruise it was only a real problem at Kotor, as we had a relatively short time there. I was able to get round it on this occasion by mentioning to Front Office that we had a private booked, and to their credit HAL let us get an early tender as if we were on one of their tours, but this is something I will think about for future cruises.

However, overall it was a marvellous trip. Port Guide expert Tom was great, and I especially enjoyed his commentary as we sailed the Dardanelles and into Kotor Bay. And I must mention Shanthi & The HAL Cats - really good poolside music.

To those about to do this cruise - I'm sure you will have a ball. All the best, Tony

As I am not familiar with the region I am open to suggestions re excursions in ports on the nieuw Amsterdam for may next year .i.m hoping to avoid big heat like we had this year plus I.m hoping school will be over for Jer and he will be able to come with me

Venice of course and Istanbul will be our main focus. Most other places we have been to

To tony ...love your video ..why di they build so close to water...seems very risky lots of places to visit along that vaporetto. Very nice

How long does one need in venice I was thinking 3 days plus days on. Board docked there

Because of luggage ,.....Im thinking staying closer to airport and just taking boats in and out to visit how easy is it to stay in Venice lugging luggage on boats I know I cannot do it and cannot expect others to do it for me

I most probably will carry loads of stuff because the cruise is so long .....24 days ...marvelous

As time goes by I enjoy more and more longer cruises

Thanks for your input

Michele

Just a reply to your question about ease of getting your luggage to lodging in Venice. Most places require you to transport it up/down the stairs on the bridges over the canals.

For this reason, we chose less expensive, but still very convenient lodging, in Mestre. Airport shuttle dropped us off at the hotel, easy to get into Plaza Roma by public bus. Used a taxi to get us to the pier from the hotel. We were too tired after a day of touring in Venice to want a beautiful view along the canal, or a dinner by the canal. We just wanted to sleep and be refreshed for the next day. We spent 2 nights before the cruise, and one after the cruise. Worked for us . . . but you might have other reasons to choose Venice proper for your lodging.

In my planning, I found so much good information from CC folk. This place is a "goldmine" for the traveler. Happy sailing to you!

As I am not familiar with the region I am open to suggestions re excursions in ports on the nieuw Amsterdam for may next year .i.m hoping to avoid big heat like we had this year plus I.m hoping school will be over for Jer and he will be able to come with me

Venice of course and Istanbul will be our main focus. Most other places we have been to

To tony ...love your video ..why di they build so close to water...seems very risky lots of places to visit along that vaporetto. Very nice

How long does one need in venice I was thinking 3 days plus days on. Board docked there

Because of luggage ,.....Im thinking staying closer to airport and just taking boats in and out to visit how easy is it to stay in Venice lugging luggage on boats I know I cannot do it and cannot expect others to do it for me

 

I most probably will carry loads of stuff because the cruise is so long .....24 days ...marvelous

As time goes by I enjoy more and more longer cruises

Thanks for your input

 

Michele

Good advice... I have seen so many people dragging luggage around Venice, up and over stairs, on the vaparettos and the People Mover to and from the port.... It doesn't look like a lot of fun. If you are able, stay out in Mestre or at least close to Piazzale Roma, the closest place to the ship. At least you can get a cab from there if you don't want to take the bus or People Mover...

I recommended the Santa Chiara to Cornishpastyman above not because it's such a great hotel, though it was more than adequate, but because of its proximity to the port and public transportation. It is one of the few hotels with a car park in Venice, which is why we chose it as we drove up from Naples to get there to join our ship.

Three days in Venice, if you've never been there is a good start... It's one of my favorite places and so easy to explore and get around, once you're settled at your hotel. It's the schlepping back and forth you need to factor in. I personally am too spoilt and pack too heavily to want to go dragging my suitcases all over Venice. Because we did two 12 day cruises back to back we overnighted for two nights in Venice, which gave us a marvelous base to explore the city.

Do you still have my email address? Feel free to email me if you want to know about specific places. I know we went to a lot of them on the Silhouette last year, but if there are any new ones you want to know about I will try to help.

Hi Scrapchick

Thanks for a great review...really covered a lot of the concerns I had, since I will be traveling in Med on Ryndam this October. Your description has given me a good idea of what to expect when I first board ship and I will be looking for the classic VS modern VS flashy look and think I will enjoy it. We chose this cruise based mostly on ports and would like any info you can post on Kotor, Dubrovnick, Palermo, Catania, Katakolon, Corfu...these are all new to us and although I'm not sure where your cruise went but with the past two you mention I'm sure you could offer suggestions on DIY approach to these places. Also pleasantly surprised to read that you were so pleased with food....tasty and hot...go along way for me. Thinking I'm going to like HAL after reading your review....very fair and balanced.

Thank you Melanie

I hope I still have your address and will try to contact you .if not perhaps you can contact me

As for the lady going soon .

In Dubrovnik go to exchange bureau at the port get some Kaunas ...local currency

Go out of the gates take bus 1 to pile gate .this is where old Dubrovnik 1kuna compared to 12 $ by the ship

Go in churches and walk around. You may choose to walk on the wall.we walked up to the hole in the wall to see the divers off a cafe ...wowget lost that is part of the fun but be ready to climb stairs everywhere

Views were terrific

We also headed towards the port for a short water tour ...nice I do not remember how much for tour but I think under 20$ for 90 minutes ...another view of Dubrovnik .....lovely

Next time we want to go swimming from the rocks in the winding streets there are loads of cafes everywhere but you will need Kaunas .....kuna. My iPod keeps correcting me

Return is from same spot .lovely restaurant with great view right at the entrance I bought wine and a local plum liquor there took the local bus back there is a supermarket at the port .we got more water

In Corfu we took a local bus to city another bus walking into town to Dacia and a nice beach we stayed in a lovely restaurant where food was very good and inexpensive in front of the beach .he ran out of loungers so we stayed indoors on his comfy couches...no pressure ...very nice people I did not want to roast in the hot sun so this was perfect plus the med was beautiful

We did Olympia ..once is enough .....the ruins are exactly that ruins ......next time I will skip it but I dish but great honey from a local producer ....our guide stopped for us .greece is famous for its honey also in oia I got oregano .they have the most fragrant one

I use it to make Greek potatoes my kids favorite

There are are beaches here too .we had lunch in a small restaurant behind the main street it was very good fresh .apparently the crew goes there ....ask locals

We had a Greek salad and gyros .it was inexpensive and delicious

In general I found Greek people rather nice with all their troubles and economic issues

We did a lot on hopon hop off busses.it truly was a lovely trip

If they have the BBQ do not miss it ..picture it leaving Corfu just before sunset ,BBQ fresh meats and fabulous salads ...Greek music in the background surrounded by Greek islands and a sunset to boot ....it was glorious ,,my poor son missed it all he went to the gym .there were 2so he did not miss the other one

At the end they brought out cold watermelon ....now what could beat that?.....I tell you best BBQ ever

Thank you Eric ...he invited me numerous time ...executive chef of lido very nice ..prepared papaya for me every day for 20 days ...very nice person as was his whole staff greeting me by name every morning

I truly enjoyed our trip I hope yours will be as wonderful

Michele

I.m ready to return god willing next year ...just loved the med

Hi Scrapchick

Thanks for a great review...really covered a lot of the concerns I had, since I will be traveling in Med on Ryndam this October. Your description has given me a good idea of what to expect when I first board ship and I will be looking for the classic VS modern VS flashy look and think I will enjoy it. We chose this cruise based mostly on ports and would like any info you can post on Kotor, Dubrovnick, Palermo, Catania, Katakolon, Corfu...these are all new to us and although I'm not sure where your cruise went but with the past two you mention I'm sure you could offer suggestions on DIY approach to these places. Also pleasantly surprised to read that you were so pleased with food....tasty and hot...go along way for me. Thinking I'm going to like HAL after reading your review....very fair and balanced.

Thank you very much.

We have been on the Ryndam and as you know, it's a much older ship than the NA. We had one of our best cruises on the Ryndam and I am sure you will have a lovely time too. Unfortunately, it doesn't have Tamarind, but the Pinnacle is superb, and the gym, if you're that way inclined, is a good size and rarely busy.

Of the ports you mentioned... I have not been to Palermo or Catania, just Messina in Sicily.

Kotor... Getting there feels like you're in the Norwegian fjords. Just stunning scenery all around. Kotor is a UNESCO world heritage site and the Old Town is very charming and interesting to explore. It's a very small place and you can easily walk to it from the dock area where the tenders deliver you. We only had a very short day even before the tender delays. If you have longer, there is a tour to another town with great views you can take, and there will be people trying to sell you that when you get off the tender. There are lots of outdoor cafes in Kotor if you want to sit and enjoy the atmosphere. It was our first visit there and I thought it was a lovely place.

Dubrovnik... If you've never been here, the first thing to do in my opinion is to go to Old Town and explore there and and walk the wall that rings the city and provides incredible views over the red rooftops and out to sea. Dubrovnik is immaculate and a fantastic city to enjoy. There is also a cable car that takes you up and gives overviews of the city, although we have not yet done that. You will need Kuna, the local currency here, although Euros are beginning to be more accepted than the last time we were there. It's about a E10 ride into town. Usually there's a ship shuttle, but depending on how many are in your party, the cab might be the best option.

Katakolon... It's a small, charming seaside village with the usual tourist shops and lots of shaded cafes along the water's edge. I find it charming and delightful. You can go to Olympia by train, walking distance from the ship, or by tour which is easily arranged in the village. You can also easily rent a car or scooter here. There isn't an enormous amount to do in Katakolon itself, but I could easily while away a few hours sitting around watching the views and taking advantage of the wifi everywhere.

Corfu... You can rent a car or scooter and drive around the island, or go and explore the Old Town area and castle. It's a E10 ride into town. Everyone speaks great English, it's very friendly. Corfu is an easy place to enjoy, especially if it's a first visit there.

Hope that helps, and if there's anywhere else you want to know about I will try to tell you what I can.