Nieuw Statendam Northern Isles Cruise

[swin26]

We had a wonderful Northern Isles Cruise on the Nieuw Statendam!!!

 

Pre-cruise -  We flew United from Pittsburgh to DC and then DC to Amsterdam.  We purchased our airfare through HAL and saved almost 50% to what we found on line.  Other than a long layover in DC, which we spent in a United lounge, the flights weren’t bad and we arrived in Amsterdam on Friday morning for a Sunday cruise. 

 

We stayed at the Kimpton, which we would highly recommend.  It is a short (5 minute) walk from the Centraal station (took the train from the airport) and has nightly free wine happy hours.  We walked everywhere from the hotel, with the longest walk being a little over 30 minutes to the Van Gogh Museum. 

 

We had a busy few days in Amsterdam- we went on a canal tour (in a drizzling rain) on Amsterdam Boat Adventures - a  small canal boat that only holds about 12 people- due to the weather there were only 4 of us on board and it was a great tour. We also visited the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum and Anne Frank’s house (with the recommended pre tour presentation).  We would highly recommend each.  We purchased all of our tickets on line in advance and had no lines. We also had the opportunity to watch some of the pride parade on the canals, which was amazing.  It was a very moving experience going from the pride parade to Anne Frank and then back to the pride parade.

 

We had the breakfast plan through the hotel (we booked using points) and also ate at Max Amsterdam- great Rice-table, De Belhamel - loved the fixe price meals for 36-39 euros per person and great canal views, and the Pancake bakery - touristy - but the pancakes were good and portions were huge.  Two people can easily share 1 pancake.  

 

Transportation to the ship on Sunday was a bit difficult.  We were going to walk the 20 minutes to the ship- but the cobblestone sidewalks were not easy with heavy luggage- so we decided to take an Uber.  Unfortunately with all the traffic in Amsterdam from the parade and 2 ships in town, the time for the Uber to arrive kept getting delayed - from 5 minutes to 20 minutes to 30 minutes.  Luckily a cab showed up at the hotel and we shared it with another couple.  He charged us 10 Euros per couple-   Not too bad.  

 

More to come later.  

[Cruising-along]

Wonderful, will be following!  We will arrive in Amsterdam Sept. 6 for a Sept. 8 cruise on the Nieuw Statendam. 

We have our tickets for the Anne Frank House and HOHO bus with canal cruise included.  I'm eager to hear about the ports and ship. 🙂

[puppycanducruise]

Looking forward to reading more.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Sounds like you got off to a great start.

 

Looking forward to more.

[swin26]

Embarkation and Debarkation

 

After securing our cab to the port and going through an insane traffic jam we arrived at the port around 1 pm  (we had Van Gogh tickets at 9:00 so we never intended upon arriving early).  There was a line for check in, but it moved quickly and we were in our cabin by 1:40 and our luggage was waiting for us.  We had the chance to unpack and finalize dinner reservations (we had pre-purchased the dining package for the 5 specialty restaurants - we are still 2 stars so the discounted price was worth it to us) before the safety drill - our muster station was in the Ocean Bar and it was certainly nice to gather indoors with seats.  

 

We did self expedited debarkation, which we prefer.  We were called around 7:15 am and were at the airport (by cab due to the rain) by 7:45.  As we can manage our own suitcases, we like not having to put out our luggage the night before and fighting the crowds to find our bags.  We had plenty of time before our 11:55 flight.  The Air Canada desk didn’t even open until 8:55.  Security and customs in Amsterdam were a breeze and we had lots of time for a final cup of coffee and last minute shopping to use up our remaining euros. 

 

Cabin

 

We were in cabin 4135.  I have seen a lot of questions about this cabin on CC and although we didn’t take pictures (sorry) we loved the cabin.  First, the location was fantastic- halfway between the midship and aft stairways.  The balcony is larger than many veranda cabins and while the straight portion is partially obstructed by a tender boat, the angled section is not obstructed.  Because the cabin is in a bend of the ship, the balcony is protected from the wind and very comfortable to use.  We spent a lot of time on the balcony- sometimes using the blankets provided in the cabinet over the couch.  Even when it was very windy outside and the promenade deck was closed, our balcony was very usable. We could also view the promenade deck from our balcony.  Our room stewards Ali and Muly were fantastic and took very good care of us!!!  This is a connected cabin, but the only time we heard any sounds from the adjoining cabin was right before we disembarked- we heard someone sneeze.  We were however standing right in front of the adjoining door gathering our belongings at the time. We would definitely stay in this cabin again without hesitation. 

 

More to come later.  

[swin26]

The Ship

 

We loved the Nieuw Statendam.  The Eurodam had been our favorite ship, but we loved the newest ship - she was bright with clean lines and really fun art work. The new additions of the Dutch cafe, larger New York deli and Rudy’s were well received.  More on food below.  We loved the layout of the deck 2 music walk and spent our evenings going from one music venue to the next.  We have never been a big fan of the regular evening shows and only attended one evening show.  Others complained that there wasn’t a place to put down a drink in the theater, but this wasn’t an issue for us. We heard others complain that The Rolling Stones room band was too loud - but we enjoyed them.  Our favorite was the BB King band - they were the best we have seen on HAL.  

 

On the Eurodam we regularly used the crows nest, but were only there once on this ship. We think this is because there were no scheduled trivia or happy hours in the crows nest.  Also, we enjoyed the coffee in the Dutch Cafe, so there was no need to go up there for our daily “good coffee” fix - especially since we made a promise to only use the steps and to avoid the elevators.  12 decks is a long way up.  We only used the elevators for debarkation when we had our luggage and one other time when we carrying cups of coffee.  Pretty good for a 14 day cruise!!!

 

During the day there were plenty of places to sit and read.  We found the chairs in the BB King room and the couches on Deck 10 over the pool to be the most comfortable.  Trivia was mostly in the billboard space and we played and lost regularly.  Trivia times varied, but on most days trivia was at 6:30 and also either at 1 or 4 (or 4:30) and on some sea days, three times during the day.  

 

We walked the promenade deck, when it wasn’t too windy and inside and in the gym on windy days.  DH complained that the promenade deck was too narrow. 

 

The Food

 

Food is subjective- so view our comments with that in mind.  We ate differently this cruise than we had in the past.  We tried to eat a bit healthier and to choose our indulgences more carefully.  

 

Breakfasts were either in the Lido Market or room service if we had an early port call. 

 

We liked the lido because we could easily pick and choose what to eat.  The stations moved quickly and we rarely had difficulty finding a table.  For breakfast I mostly had a poached egg over 1/2 an English muffin.  I then added smoked salmon to my egg and muffin and had fruit on the side.  The poached egg station had fruit and the salmon was self serve at the next station- so breakfast was pretty easy and fast .  Other days I had Greek yogurt and fruit.  One day I ordered a soft boiled egg - but it was more raw than soft boiled.  The crew circulated regularly with coffee, water and orange juice.  They were helpful in finding tables and getting items for people with mobility issues.  The chairs in the lido are unfortunately very heavy.  

 

Room service was punctual and the hot foods arrived hot.  The only miss was the scrambled eggs - they were terrible.  The next time I wrote in poached eggs instead of scrambled and they made the substitution.  We also requested turkey bacon instead of regular bacon and that was also honored.  

 

When we ate lunch on the ship- it was in the lido (other than the Mariners brunch).  I either had salads (loved the Asian Salad with seared tuna!!) the Daily Indian Special or stir fry.  DH mostly had salads or pre-made sandwiches.  The only issue with the salads was that the servers wanted to give us substantially more dressing than the very small amount of dressing we like.  I really only use about a teaspoon of dressing for a large salad.  

 

We often got a cup of coffee at the Dutch Cafe in the afternoon.  We didn’t have any of the snacks there with our coffee  - but they did look good - especially the chocolate pastry.  We did enjoy the biscuits they served with the coffee.  If you order to drink there, they put the biscuit in your plate but if you get coffee to go, you have to ask for one (or 2)!!

 

Happy hour was at 4 in the ocean bar and at 6 in the Billboard and sometimes also in The Rolling Stones venue.  Some nights there was also a later happy hour - but I don’t remember the time or location.  Most days we went to either the 4 or 6 happy hour.   

 

This cruise we ate dinner in the MDR less times than on previous cruises.  We ate once in the Tamarind and enjoyed our dinner very much.  The shrimp and lobster stir fry was especially good.  We ate once in the Pinnacle Grill.  The crab legs were fantastic and the portion was huge.  I may not have been able to finish because we each ordered an appetizer and then an order of the clothesline bacon to share - the bacon was fantastic!!!  We shared a baked Alaska for dessert and had trouble finishing it. 

 

We ate once in the Canaletto and enjoyed our meal.  We were sad they removed the gnocchi with short ribs from the menu as that was our favorite— we did have the gnocchi with the duck which was good, but not as good.  We shared two small plates and two large plates and two desserts- again we had trouble finishing. 

 

We ate 2 times at Rudy’s.  We loved it so much the first time we went back again. Each time we were given a glass of sparkling wine and a salmon puff to start our meal.  This was followed by the most wonderful French bread and dips. For starters, we shared calamari the first night and a trio of fish salads the second. For main courses I had fish both nights (Dover sole and then red fish) and DH had the nightly specials - coq a vin one night and a veal chop the next.  The first night we shared a wonderful dessert that was covered in meringue.  They also bring out little bites with chocolate and truffles with coffee.  The second visit we skipped dessert.  The service and the manager Dreis were fantastic.  I could have eaten there every night. 

 

We also ate at the sushi bar one night.  This was not a great meal.  The food tasted great, but we were told we had to order everything at once and it would be paced.  Unfortunately we received all of our food within 15 minutes and the meal was really rushed. On top of this the wine steward was very slow and we waited a long time to get our wine.  We skipped dessert because we weren’t ready for it yet.  This ended up being a mistake because when we were ready for dessert around 9:30 - we learned that there is no where other than the New York Deli to get dessert at that time.  We weren’t crazy about the choices.  The lido doesn’t reopen until 10:30, the gelato bar was closed, the Dutch Cafe is open, but just for drinks.  The person in the Dutch Cafe went in the back and found us 2 chocolate chip cookies.  We could have gotten room service, but we weren’t ready to go to our room.  

 

On the day of the mariners brunch (which was fine) we didn’t want another full course meal for dinner so we had sandwiches and fries at the New York deli. It was a nice treat.  We also had pizza there for dinner one night at 10:00 after we returned from a long outing in Reykjavik.  

 

All other nights on the ship we ate dinner in the MDR.  The food and service were very good.  We were able to get tables for 2 when we requested them.  We never had to wait for a table and most nights ate around 7 pm. Portion sizes ranged from very small (red fish) to huge (duck and chicken parmigiana). 

 

More to come.  

[swin26]

The Ports

 

Our first port of call was Newcastle Upon Tyne in Northern England.   Our plans were to go into Newcastle in the morning to see the three bridges and the Baltic Art Museum and then head to into Tynemouth to go to the Castle and Priory in the afternoon.   Unfortunately rain was predicted for the afternoon so we decided to change our plans and just go to the Castle and Priory.  We took the free shuttle to Tynemouth that drops you off at the metro station.  We walked the five minutes into town and explored the area.  There is an ATM machine in front of the coop building on the right hand side of the street - heading towards the water.  We spent a few hours exploring the Castle and Priory before the rain started.  After the rain began, we headed to the Priory restaurant and pub for fish and chips - which were excellent and reasonably priced - they offer large and small orders.  We considered walking the hour back to the ship, but the rain started again, so we took the free shuttle back to the ship.  We enjoyed our time in Tynemouth.  

 

Our second port of call was Edinburgh.  We had a small group tour (there were 6 of us) with Slante Scotland Tours.  They picked us up at the tender dock at noon and we went to a distillery, Dunne Castle and then Stirling Castle.  Late afternoon we headed into Edinburgh in the pouring rain.   Our driver, who was outstanding, walked us to the meeting place for after the tattoo.  It was a very easy location to find.  He also gave us a backup location, the location of his van and his cell phone number.  The Tattoo was fantastic and luckily the rain stopped before the show.  We had a fantastic dinner at Maxies prior to the Tattoo.  The location was opposite where you line up for the Tattoo (and next to our after Tattoo meeting spot).  Our entire group was promptly back at the meeting point after the tattoo and we were on the first tender back to the ship following the tattoo - over 2 hours before some of the ships tours returned to the ship.   Many people on our roll call were concerned about attending the Tattoo independently.  We felt comfortable that a group of 6 could make it back to the tender before bus loads of passengers.  Especially with an organized tour company.  We were correct.  In addition the cost of buying the Tattoo tickets was substantially lower than the ships tickets.  

 

More to come 

 

[swin26]

Reykjavik- we were in port for two days and rented a car through Europcar.  The booth to pick up cars is outside the terminal and other than the person being about 10 minutes late to work, the process was simple and the cars are parked in the adjacent parking lot.  You must reserve in advance online as there was a sign indicating that only previously booked cars were available.  There is also an Enterprise rental at the port.  Free overnight parking is available in the same lot.  

 

We drove a little over 5 hours each way to the glacier lagoon.  What a magnificent site. Once out of Reykjavik you just follow the Ring Road to get there.  We had previously done a south shore tour, so we skipped stopping at the main south shore attractions.  We spent a few hours at the lagoon and took a boat ride through the icebergs.  It was truly magnificent.  We made it back to the ship around 9:45 and had a quick pizza dinner and glass of wine before calling it a day.  The next day we did the golden circle, which was nice but extremely windy.  We returned our rental car around 2:30.  Getting gas in Iceland can be a bit of a challenge with US credit cards.  We got gas three times (once just to top off our tank as we needed to return it with a full tank).  At the first station we had to leave a credit card inside and they remotely unlocked the pump and we paid after filling up by credit card.  At the second station we paid by debit card at the pump and at the third station there was nowhere to pay at the pump and you pumped gas and then went inside to pay. 

 

Isafjordur -  When we left Reykjavik the Captain announced that we would be skipping this port due to a storm and that we would be heading directly to Akureyri.  Within 2 minutes of that announcement we received an email from Saga Travel that because the ship was unable to dock, our scheduled tour was canceled and that we would receive a full refund. Thank you Saga Travel!!!

 

Akureyri- We arrived in port a day early (at 2 pm) but it was raining and very windy, so we decided to stay on the ship and explore Akureyri the next day.  At 7 am the next day we went exploring.  We walked 7 miles throughout town, including out to the airport, the botanical gardens, and the church, with stops for coffee in the shopping area.  It is a cute city to spend time in, but is very hilly.  We certainly got a work out - preparation for our next stop. 

 

Ålesund- This may have been our favorite stop of the cruise. The highlight of our day was our 418 step climb to the outlook.  It is about a 15 minute walk uphill to the park where the steps begin.  With respect to the steps, they are in very good shape and there is a handrail.  About every 20 steps or so there are benches to rest.  I would say it took us about 35 minutes to reach the top- with stops to rest and take pictures.  We took an alternate path down through the mountain that only had about 30 steps.  It was also a beautiful walk.  We loved our time in Ålesund. 

 

Bergen- This was our last port.  We went on a 3 hour fjord cruise that was nice, but not outstanding.  The cruise leaves from the Fish market which was about a 15 minute walk from the alternative port where we were docked.  We had purchased our tickets in advance, but tickets were for sale at the stand outside the fish market- in fact they added an extra boat.  After the fjord cruise we had a Norwegian lunch and returned to the ship. 

 

We liked Norway so much we just booked a cruise to Norway (different ports) for May of 2020. 

 

A few pictures of our favorite stops

 

[renee00]

Thank you for this review! We'll be on the NS next summer for a similar itinerary.

[erewhon]

Thank you for your interesting review and sharing your photos.

[red919]

Excellent review!! 👍

 

So glad you enjoyed the Nieuw Statendam as I'll be sailing on her for the first time in September. Like you, my last HAL cruise was also on Eurodam and as I really liked that ship, was worried I wouldn't enjoy  Nieuw Statendam as well but hearing you compare the two ships and that you liked Statendam a bit better makes me all the more excited for my upcoming cruise.

 

Thanks again!!

[roberts2005]

Thank you for your review.

[Kona921]

Thanks for the review.  We were on your cruise.  We had a great time!