Quick Thoughts on Our 02/10 NS Cruise

[cruz-in]

HI All, 

 

Wondeful cruise!

 

Here are some quick thoughts:

MDR - Excellent Service and food. Best we have had in 7+ cruises. The Gala (Valentines Day) meal of lobster and fliet mignon was outstanding. Possible the best meal we have had on land or sea. Matre D told us the lobster was fresh and taken onboard that day. It was excellent and cooked perfectly. 

Entertainment - Lincoln Center was Outstanding. BB King, Rolling Stones, and Dueling Pianos were very good as well. We enjoyed the music venues so much we never made it to a show in the world stage. 

Crew - Just Wonderful. I really think HAL has the best crews afloat. 

Cabin - We hand an interior on Deck 8. Small, but serviceable and comfy. We really liked our "cozy" interior cabin.

Lido Buffet - Very Nice. Lobster on Gala Night and a "suckling pig" one night. I had an excellent flank steak there. 

Ship Decor - Not our favorite but not obectionable either. By the end of the week it was growing on us. Except the decor in the Ocean's Bar. It drove me nuts. 

Ship Layout - If going from older HAL ships to this one, the layout takes a bit of gettting used to. By mid week we were only going the wrong way about once a day....Okay maybe twice. 🙂

Favorite Cool Thing: The 4 Beer Taps on the Lido where you swipe your room key and fill your own beer glass. You are billed by the ounce. It was Great! 

Crowds: The Lido and the rear pool did get pretty crowded a few times. For the Lido, we just came back in 30 minutes. For the rear deck, we found somewhere else to chill. 

 

All in all a really nice cruise. 

 

 

 

[eroller]

Enjoyed your review!  I'm sailing on NS next Sunday.  Looking forward to it!  The one thing I think I will like is the decor.  I prefer it over the old HAL which was never to my taste.  

[cruz-in]

I am sure you will have a grand time sailing on the NS. Some items to consider: 

1) If you have anytime dining, the serving duo at table 22 and 16 are great. 

2) The gent who does the EXC talks is very good. He is also available in the explorers lounge at various time to answer  questions about the ports. I encourage you to engage his services. He is a very cordial and a wealth of port knowledge. 

3) Our Cruise was the last for this set of  Lincoln Center Artitst. you will have a new set. 

4) Our cruise was the first week for the group in the the Rolling Stone. They are very good. 

5) The "Ask the Captain Chats"  are very interesting. 

6)  Lobster is available in the Lido on the second Gala night. 

7) The fish, lobster and scallops in the MDR were fabulous. Perfectly cooked and temp when served. Oddly enuff, the shrimp missed the mark and were only so-so. 

8 ) The ship smells like a new!

Edited February 18, 2019 by cruz-in

[DeeniEncinitas]

Cruz-in

Thankyou so much for a lovely review and especially taking the time to write. Very much appreciated and hope you enjoy

your future HAL cruise when you do!

Smooth Sailings 

Denise😊

[puppycanducruise]

Thanks for posting your comments.

Glad you enjoyed your cruise.

[doone]

Thank you for your review, sounds like you enjoyed the NS.

 

Question, you said you had an inside cabin, which category did you have?   My sisters and I are booking the Niew Statendam for March 2021 and due to their budgets are looking at inside cabins.....I will take an inside cabin before I stayed home because I couldn't afford a better cabin category, but I am used to the signature and vista ship inside cabins.......appreciate your thoughts.....

Edited February 18, 2019 by doone

[Krazy Kruizers]

Glad you enjoyed your cruise.

 

Thank you for your review.

[cayman09]

Thanks for your observations and for taking the time to share them. Do you know if the cups for the Freestyle soda dispensers have arrived? I know from other cruisers that they were missing from the first few cruises.

[portofrome]

Thanks for your review!

[richwmn]

18 minutes ago, cayman09 said:

Thanks for your observations and for taking the time to share them. Do you know if the cups for the Freestyle soda dispensers have arrived? I know from other cruisers that they were missing from the first few cruises.

I am still on the NSDM. I have seen several people use the Freestyle Dispenser so I'm pretty sure they have arrived. Can't guarantee they will stay in stock, but at least some have been available.

 

[eroller]

11 hours ago, cruz-in said:

I am sure you will have a grand time sailing on the NS. Some items to consider: 

1) If you have anytime dining, the serving duo at table 22 and 16 are great. 

2) The gent who does the EXC talks is very good. He is also available in the explorers lounge at various time to answer  questions about the ports. I encourage you to engage his services. He is a very cordial and a wealth of port knowledge. 

3) Our Cruise was the last for this set of  Lincoln Center Artitst. you will have a new set. 

4) Our cruise was the first week for the group in the the Rolling Stone. They are very good. 

5) The "Ask the Captain Chats"  are very interesting. 

6)  Lobster is available in the Lido on the second Gala night. 

7) The fish, lobster and scallops in the MDR were fabulous. Perfectly cooked and temp when served. Oddly enuff, the shrimp missed the mark and were only so-so. 

8 ) The ship smells like a new!

 

 

Great suggestions thank you!  We do have anytime dining so will check out tables 22 and 16 for sure.  Question.  Where is the anytime dining?  Upper or lower level of the dining room?  

[cruz-in]

1) We hab Cabin 8171. It is in the rear below the aft pool area. We liked it very much. Although if you want to sleep late (like past 8 ), there can be a very small bit of chair noise from the deck chairs above. Really not very noticeable. Other than once or twice we never heard it. 

2) yes the cups for the Freestyle soda have arrived. They worked really well. Although the Coke dispenser broke the last few days and we had to go to the bar for Coke refills. All the other Freestyle beverages worked. Just not the coke. 

3) The Freestyle dining is on the lower (deck 2) level. At least once, be sure to walk up the stairs to the upper dining room. You get a very diferent perspecive on the dining room from  the upper level. 

 

 

[cruz-in]

The inside Cabin we had was very small. There wass only a small desk (with mirror), stool and the beds. We had the beds arranged in quen bed fashion. The bathroon (especially the shower) was large. While the smallest inside we have ever had, it was very functional. We liked it very much and would not hesitate booking it again. 

[keeponcruising]

Thanks for your review and great tips.  I am looking forward to my 3/24 sailing on NS.