Nieuw Statendam Review, January 6-20, 2019

[Overhead Fred]

We sailed on the Nieuw Statendam 1/6-20/29 for a 14-day collectors cruise to the Western (week one) and Eastern (week two) Caribbean. Mitzi caught a head cold on the flight from MSP and did not feel great for a couple of days in week one. I caught something on board and felt icky for part of week two. There was definitely something going around the ship, even our assistant table steward missed a few days due to illness.

 

We had a very nice cruise, but we are growing a bit tired of this itinerary. Here are some of our observations about the ship and ports. I didn't really notice any major problems related to this being an early cruise on a new ship. I am sure there are things I am forgetting to mention. If you have any questions, I would be happy to try to answer them!

 

Embarkation-

HAL sent instructions saying to arrive 1:30 (deck 8 & 11 boarding). But we were at the mercy of the Ramada Inn shuttle schedule which left at 11:45 am. We arrived a little after noon. The right side of the wickets had a fairly long line, the left side line, where we were supposed to go, was very short (even number decks I think). We were whisked around to the empty 4-5*/Neptune line and got our key cards very quickly. We were on board and to our room before 1:00. Our luggage arrived within an hour or two. We were unpacked long before muster drill time and set out exploring the ship and taking pictures. Muster drill was by the front desk for our group and was mostly painless.

 

Our Room-

Our Vista Suite 8090 was a very nice room. The bed is by the verandah and the desk/sitting area is by the bathroom and room entry. The room felt larger than the VF verandah we had on the Koningsdam, but it was hard to tell by how much since the layout was much different. There seemed to be more storage space than in a VF. Way more than enough for the two of us (but we have learned to pack fairly lightly). The loveseat was in a corner with an end cushion that made it a bit like a fainting couch – quite comfortable. There was a nice upholstered chair for the desk. The bathroom was the same as our Koningsdam VF, but somehow the angle of the toilet did not seem as objectionable. In comparing our pictures from this cruise and last year’s Koningsdam cruise, it is clear that they changed the angle of the toilet wall so that the throne is not point as directly towards the shower stall. A minor change that made a big difference!

 

The Ship-

It really did have a “new car smell” when we first boarded. It is very much like the Koningsdam in colors, layout, and artwork (quite modern, traditionalists might not be impressed). The big change is the creation of the Rolling Stone Rock Room and moving the Lincoln Center Stage to the “Queen’s Lounge” area which they now share with BB King. They also moved the appetizer bar in the Billboard bar into a corner from its original location in the middle of the room on the K. This worked much better IMO and allowed for a small dance floor area in the Billboard bar. The Crows Nest bar has changed and now incorporates the coffee bar. The old Explorations Café coffee bar area has been taken over by the EXC excursion desk. This seemed to work OK IMO. The Crows Nest still has lots of comfy seating, puzzle tables, and a reasonable number of books (cannot comment on the quality, we brought our own reading material). It remains a nice quiet spot to sit during the day. I do not know if it was used much in the evenings. I did not head up there for drinks since they did not have a Crow’s Nest happy hour. The room on the port side of the Crow’s Nest (I had heard it referred to as the Captain’s Corner) now has rows of upholstered chairs facing a flat panel display. It was used for some EXC presentations but it seemed empty most of the times I wandered by. The ship can handle about 2700 passengers and I believe we were pretty full for week one. It never felt crowded anywhere on the ship.

 

The MDR-

The room was bright and pleasant IMO and very much like the K. We had late (8:00 pm) fixed dining (nice table for two by a window, but it was dark and you could not see anything). The dining room did not seem overly noisy to me. The first week seemed to have more tables occupied than the second week. There was no sign of the Yum Yum Man or his cart of goodies; hopefully it will show up eventually. The food was of the same high quality (IMO) that we have come to expect. My biggest complaint was that the menu for week two seemed identical to week one. I do not recall so much repetition from our previous 14-day collector’s cruises. Also, there were no chilled soups! Oh wailly-wailly (to quote Terry Pratchett)!! The staff was excellent as always.

 

The Lido-

We only had occasional breakfast and lunch bites in the Lido. It was laid out much like the K but had sinks for hand washing instead of the whirligigs you stick your hands into. The food was fine and it did not seem too crowded, but maybe my timing was just fortunate. It did not seem that hard to find tables, but many people went out by either pool with their food. There were sushi (rolls) and sashimi at lunch, but not a huge selection. We did not try any of the late-night offerings. And I did not see any bathrobes in the Lido!

 

The Tamarind-

We ate there once and it lived up to its billing as our favorite HAL restaurant. The room seemed bigger and they do use some outdoor seating (at least when in port). The deck plans for the K and NS seem to show they have identical square footage, so the apparent size difference may be due to the different layout for Nami Sushi and the Tamarind bar (we did not try either).

 

The Pinnacle, Canaletto, and Sel De Mer-

We skipped these this cruise. I have avoided Sel de Mer because the idea of an a la carte restaurant on a cruise ship bugs me. However, a new acquaintance on this cruise (Sir Robert) went and said his bill (including 5* discounts) was only about $20. I might have to get off my high horse and give it a try!

 

The Dive-In-

Same menu as on other ships and the burgers, dogs, & fries are delicious as always. But now they have milkshakes! We did not try them since we were already eating too much. I think they were around $5.

 

The New York Deli-

Again, same good quality as on other ships. We had pizza a couple of times but did not get any deli sandwiches this cruise. We also did not get around to trying the late-night snacks (too much food, groan!) although they sounded good. I found the NY Deli to be a great “secret” breakfast spot. They were never that busy when I stopped by, there were plenty of tables available, and pitchers of orange juice and coffee carafes that were self-serve. They have a good bagel selection, including a breakfast bagel with egg, cheese, and ham. The new treat was Breakfast Pizza! They had about 4 different choices. I tried one with cheese, bacon, and two sunny side up eggs which was very good. It was really enough for two people, but I managed conquer it eventually.

 

The Dutch Café-

This is a very pleasant spot for a snack. We only stopped once after a shore excursion and had pea soup, grilled ham & cheese sandwich, and fries – pretty good stuff. I kept meaning to stop for bitterballen, but never quite made it. Something to try on the next cruise!

 

The Happy hours-

The main Happy Hour was in the Billboard and Rock Room bars from 4-5 pm. Standard buy one get one for $2. It could get quite busy, but cleared out by 5:30. The self-serve appetizers (hot and cold) in the Billboard were usually pretty good and, for the most part, they kept appetizer bar stocked. We developed a small group of 3-7 people that would get together during happy hour for conversation. There was some kind of happy hour at the Blend at 9:00 pm. I never stopped by. It seemed like it was wine only and we always had enough wine with dinner.   

Club Orange-

My travels around the ship did not take me by Club Orange very often. The few times I went by at breakfast or dinner, it did not seem very active. They did seem like they were using the kitchen area, but I could not tell if it was for food prep or plating-up. I actually like the room as a restaurant venue – I am not sure Club Orange is the best use for the space.

 

America’s Test Kitchen-

They had new recipes and the presentations were nicely done. The problem, IMO, was that the World Stage was not a good venue for it. You were far from the cooking area and they did not have good enough camera angles and close-up to allow you to see the details of the food preparation.

 

Billboard Onboard-

The piano duo of Debby and Nate (or was it Nat?) were very good, probably the best I have seen on HAL. The pianos were real! With strings!! They played very enthusiastically (and skillfully) and their singing was quite good. They usually drew a big crowd. As soon as their 45-minute set was done the Rolling Stone rockers started up. They switched on and off throughout the evening (three sets each).

 

Rolling Stone Rock Room-

This is a brand-new idea and probably needs some work to hit its stride. There were five guys (no fries) – two guitars, one bass, drummer, and keyboards. I enjoyed them but Mitzi was unimpressed – she did not like their versions of rock classics. Musically, I thought they were fine and talented. The vocals seemed like the weakness (not bad, just could stand improvement). I am not sure how extensive the playlist is, but I did not hear any duplications (but I was not there 14 nights straight!). It is loud, so I would not sit too close to the front. I definitely enjoyed it, but then I like hearing covers of songs that do not sound identical to the originals.

 

Lincoln Center Stage-

The five ladies were excellent musicians. I did not go too often, but was impressed when I did. The “Queen’s Lounge” area is a much better spot for them than where they were on the K (now the RSRR). Their performances were usually well attended.

 

BB King-

This iteration of BB King had a really nice sound. I did not recognize any of them from prior cruises. I also did not go often enough to tell if they suffered from the same problem I have seen with other BB Kings. That being a too small play list so that they seemed to be playing the same stuff over and over. They did play some of the same songs I have heard on other cruises, but they sounded great doing it!

 

The Shops-

The selection seemed minimal, but the quality seemed improved. Some prices seemed awfully high. I did buy a NS inaugural season Christmas ornament for next year’s tree for $7.99.  

 

Wine list/packages-

The same basic Cellar 1, 2, and 3 wine packages were available and the wines offered were essentially identical to last year. Mariner discounts were applied. The regular wine list looked to be brand new with lots of more expensive choices. I wanted to get photos, but kept forgetting my camera or phone. I will try again this March. There were still some $35-45 per bottle choices, but they seemed scarcer.

 

The Ports-

Half Moon Cay – We did our usual clamshell and laid about on the beach and swam to cool off. The Island BBQ was the same as always - OK, not great. But laying out in the sun wears you down and one needs to refuel! We shared the island with the Zuiderdam.

 

Montego Bay, Jamaica – None of the tours appealed to us and we were docked too far away from town to walk. So, we stayed on board to explore the new ship.

 

Georgetown, Cayman Islands – There were at least six ships in port so we thought the town would be very crowded. The last tender from the island was around 3:30. It did not seem worth the tender ride in for a short, crowded visit to the various shops.

 

Cozumel, Mexico – Mitzi was not feeling well so we abandoned our plans to stroll through town.

 

Nassau, Bahamas – We went to the Ardastra Gardens after a small bus tour through town. It was a zoo getting off the ship and to the buses as there were 4-5 ships in port. The gardens were OK and the marching flamingos were amusing. I am glad we went once, but I will not be in a hurry to return. We had a picture taking stop at Fort Charlotte on the way back to the pier. There was not enough time to go into the fort and the entry fee ($5-6) was not included in the tour.  

 

San Juan, Puerto Rico – It was Calle San Sebastian festival day when we were in port (along with a Carnival ship). Even though the festival did not start until around 7:00 pm, the preparations had everything in a state of chaos. Our tour was to go to the two forts followed by shopping in Plaza Colon. The police would not let our bus drive to El Morro (the fort guarding the harbor) so we went to San Cristobal (the fort guarding the land-side of the city) first while our tour company tried to sort things out. San Cristobal is well worth seeing (2^nd time for me) and was enjoyable again. When we got back to the bus, our guide said his boss talked with the police chief and we now had permission to head to El Morro (I am sure no money changed hands). The bus got as close as possible, but it was still a fair walk to the fort. The setting is beautiful, but there were a lot of festival preparations going on. The fort is older than San Cristobal and rather different in construction and purpose. It was well worth the visit and long walk. After the forts we did walk around Plaza Colon for a few minutes, but we were hungry for a Dive-In burger so we headed back to the ship.

 

St. Thomas, USVI – We were docked in Havensight along with a Viking cruise ship. We did the St. Thomas Island Drive which took us to Mountain Top. There are impressive views once you get through the huge gift shop (in their defense, the prices and selection were OK). We were then supposed to go to Drake’s Seat, but the Viking guys had the parking area filled up. So, we went to the “Valdemar A. Hill, Sr. Drive Scenic Overlook” instead. There were impressive views of the Havensight pier, downtown, and Crowns Bay. You could also see Saint Croix in the distance. There was the option of being dropped off in town, but no one was interested. I did wander about the Havensight Mall before going back to the ship.

 

Half Moon Cay – Another clamshell day. I also tried to lay in the sun to try to bake away my head cold (while trying to avoid sunburn). We shared the Island with the Volendam.

[mcrcruiser]

Thanks for your very comprehensive review . It felt like we were sailing with you 

[Nymich]

Nice review....I enjoyed the RS Rock Room as well but don't sit at that front table stage right!   You will have bad hearing for a few days!

[idiebabe]

Great review, Fred.  Very much enjoyed meeting you!  😀

 

 

 

 

[portofrome]

Thanks for your review!

[stickey_mouse]

Thanks for the review. I had forgotten about the unfortunate toilet placements on the K-dam. Glad they fixed the issue! 

[ski ww]

Thanks for posting I enjoyed reading your review.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thank you for taking the time to write your review.

 

Appreciated you taking the time to tell us about all the different eating venues and entertainment.

 

Glad you enjoyed your cruise.

[puppycanducruise]

Thank you for taking the time to post your comments.

Very informative.

Glad you enjoyed your cruise.

[trystran72]

Thanks for the heads up about New York Deli being a fun little breakfast spot!!

[Cajuntraveler]

Thank you for taking the time to review your Nieuw  Statendam cruise.  We will be on the NS next month and your review really helped with planning what to do on board. (This will be our third cruise ever - our second on HAL)

 

Which port did the ship dock at in San Juan?  I see there is a Pan American port that would require transportation to/from old town, so I hope the NS docks at the port near old town.  We planned to walk around old town on our own rather than taking a tour.

Did the ship offer unlimited laundry services for $49 per week? (We enjoyed this service on our last HAL cruise and can pack light if we know we can get daily laundry service.)

Thank you!

 

 

[Overhead Fred]

We were docked near Old San Juan. I think there is space for about four cruise ships. You could easily walk to Plaza Colon and Fort San Cristobal. You could also walk all the way to El Morro if you were ambitious. 

 

The unlimited laundry is still available for $7 per day. We used the $20 per bag and sent out two bags in 14 days - I am quite skilled at packing them to their fullest! 

[cat shepard]

Super review! Thank you.

[luvn2cruzzz]

Thank you so much for your comprehensive review.  We are booked on her in October.  I am having a hard time imagining Lincoln Center Stage in the Queen's Lounge.  Not an intimate spot for sure.  Did they have chairs arranged theater style when they were performing or is the audience around the dance floor like on the Koningsdam?  I agree that changes needed to be made for that venue as the space on the Koningsdam was noisy; just surprised this is the space for it.  Other than that venue change and Rolling Stone, were there any other changes from the KDam that you noticed?

[erewhon]

Thank you for your interesting review.

[canadian-nurse]

Thank you very much for taking the time to post your review! 

 

I have three questions! Do you remember which day was formal night with lobster in the MDR? We don’t want to book Pinnacle Grill that night. And second, did you see crab legs anywhere on the ship? And lastly, did the lido or anywhere else have free ice cream- soft serve or hard scoop? My father-in-law is an ice cream junkie but would not want to pay for it!! Thank you so much!

Edited January 30, 2019 by canadian-nurse
Added a question!

[ski ww]

I also am an ice cream junkie. On other HAL ships there is an ice cream stand in the Lido, I have a couple of bowls every afternoon out by the Sea View Pool soft serve & scoop & yes it's free.. I don't think it is any different on this ship 

[EbayCruiser]

Thanks for the review.  I have one question, did you notice if passengers had the drink cups for the Freestyle Soda Machine.  I had heard they were still on order and we are sailing on NS in March and would like to know before we buy the package.

 

Thanks!

[Overhead Fred]

10 hours ago, luvn2cruzzz said:

Did they have chairs arranged theater style when they were performing or is the audience around the dance floor like on the Koningsdam?

 

I do not recall chairs being set up on the dance floor although it would be a good idea. The Queen's Lounge acoustics seemed much better for Lincoln Center Stage than in the spot across from Billboard Onboard. 

[Overhead Fred]

8 hours ago, canadian-nurse said:

I have three questions! Do you remember which day was formal night with lobster in the MDR? We don’t want to book Pinnacle Grill that night. And second, did you see crab legs anywhere on the ship? And lastly, did the lido or anywhere else have free ice cream- soft serve or hard scoop?

 

The surf & turf was on the second Gala night each week. For week one (western Caribbean), it was Thursday 1/10 during the Grand Cayman stop. For week two (eastern Caribbean), it was Friday 1/18 during the second sea day. Both of those nights had the "Chocolate Parade" at around 10:15 in the Music Walk area on deck 2. 

 

I did not see crab legs in the MDR but I heard they were available in the Pinnacle. Maybe Sel De Mer as well?

 

The ice cream spot in the Lido was very popular and they had free regular and soft serve ice cream. 

[Overhead Fred]

1 hour ago, EbayCruiser said:

I have one question, did you notice if passengers had the drink cups for the Freestyle Soda Machine.

 

I am pretty sure those cups had not arrived yet. I did not see anyone using the machine during our two weeks.

[mocruzer]

On 1/28/2019 at 7:03 PM, Overhead Fred said:

 

 

Half Moon Cay – Another clamshell day. I also tried to lay in the sun to try to bake away my head cold (while trying to avoid sunburn). We shared the Island with the Volendam.

Thank you for the informative review.  Did you need tender tickets for HMC?   

Edited January 30, 2019 by mocruzer

[Overhead Fred]

23 minutes ago, mocruzer said:

Did you need tender tickets for HMC?

 

No tender tickets needed, we used the island's large ferry boats. The Zuiderdam and Volendam were using their own tenders when they were sharing HMC with us. 

[Himself]

Thanks for the review.  I will be a passenger on the Nieuw Statendam in a few weeks, so I found your review interesting.

[I_r_a]

Thanx for sharing, O

 

Ira