Review: HAL Nieuw Statendam April 8th Transatlantic

[Fogtownrog]

Nieuw Statendam

April 8, 2023 Transatlantic Crossing

 

In early March we decided to do our first transatlantic crossing. While we are Elite with Celebrity, I thought it would be wise to do some price shopping and found a good fare with Holland America. I had always wanted to give them a go, as I heard mostly excellent reviews especially about the music walk and enrichment programs.  I felt that entertainment on a transatlantic cruise would be a critical contribution for having a great cruise.

 

So we flew out on Delta from Atlanta the night before. Delta’s reputation for being a reliable and friendly airline shined through as from checking in to picking up our bags went smoothingly well. We spent the night at the Marriott Courtyard and especially enjoyed the hotel cafe. We had a very festive time. I think we had too much of a great time as the next day was a bit rugged.

 

Embarkation

 

It took about an hour to board. Check in seemed more tedious as we had to wait in several lines as it appeared that customer service was under staffed. I’d give them a C-

 

Once on the ship I soon met Ronaldo and Tony at the Ocean Bar and I soon was convinced that we would have a great time.  I was pleasantly surprised to see a Trader Vic’s Original Mai Tai on the bar menu.  After a refreshment we reconfirmed our MDR seating arrangements as we were originally on a waitlist for the second seating. We then found our way to the aft elevator bank and easily found our cabin 5201, an outside Verandah.  I soon fell in love with our stateroom. It was spacious and surprisingly there was adequate storage. There were more than enough outlets and I appreciated the muted colors and use of wood which added a sense of warmth and texture. We soon met our cabin steward who was great throughout the cruise.

 

We sat on the edge of the bed, watched the safety video and began exploring the ship, then headed to the Lido for some nourishment.  Went to the slicing station and picked up a lovely roast beef sandwich while my husband put together a lovely salad. We found two seats next to the window and enjoyed our lunch.  I particularly enjoyed the table service.

 

However, I felt the layout of the space seemed awkward.  Everything seemed overly crowded and a bit claustrophobic as the design of blocking the middle of the space for the service areas causes forward to aft human traffic jams  with less room for seating. After the first day, we pretty much avoided the Lido.

 

Sail Away was a lot of fun with lots of music, a conga line and plenty of refreshments as we headed out to sea for the next two weeks.

 

Dinner later in the MDR was excellent but  the small portions was notable, but ok with me. No reason to blow up like a pig. However I think the chef went too far with desserts. The cake slices were so small I could barely taste it.

 

The second day we had reservations at Tamarind. I had the roasted lamb chops which was out of this world whereas my spouse had the duck confit that looked and tasted like a Cornish hen leg. He was not a happy camper. So overall we were disappointed.  The staff and service in all dining venues were excellent at their craft.

 

On most nights we’d head to the Music Walk or theater to have fun. First of all the BB King show was incredible!  The band was impeccable. They engaged the crowd with every move. The room was packed and fun was had by all.  Then in between the BB King performances we’d head forward to Billboard and the Rolling Stone lounges. The piano duo was a lot of fun as they got the place going with good old fashioned sing along. The rock band was hot as the joint was rockin!  Kudos to the sound engineers at all venues.

 

Now I saved the best for last.  I have an eclectic taste in music and also enjoy classic music.  The piano quartet at The Lincoln Center were very talented. They packed the room every afternoon and again the sound engineers did a great job.  Bar service at all venues was excellent and I don’t recall ever having to wait over 2 minutes to get a drink.

 

The entertainment was continual day and night. I was never bored, even for a second. I soon learned why people love Holland America.  We met many people throughout the cruise and after two days I observed a common thread among them. Most everyone seemed to be on a longer voyage beyond this transatlantic  crossing. Many people have been on the ship for many sailings and many are staying on the ship,for several more cruises.  Many passengers were travel savvy: knowledgeable about seeing the world in style.  Not the hee haws you’d see on some other cruise lines.

 

So that is all I wanted to say about the wonderful advantages of traveling on Holland America.  However, there is an overriding issue which casts a shadow on all the goodness.

 

After we crossed the Atlantic I was one of the first off the ship upon arrival in Cadiz, Spain. I had looked forward to taking photographs which is my number one favorite pastime.  I began walking through town, walking along the sea for maybe a half mile, and then headed to the farmer’s market. Well worth a visit if cooking and good food interests you.  I did stop and had a bite to eat and headed to the main cathedral.  So I was walking down the sidewalk downhill and noticed there were short steps along the way. Then, as if I was struck by lightning I must have tripped and fell.. the pain was unbearable. Fortunately for me there was a driver who was standing next to his car.  He came to me and asked if I was ok and I told him I couldn’t move my leg without suffering major pain. He offered to call a taxi or ambulance and I chose the second option as I wasn’t sure of the damage caused. All I knew it hurt so bad.

 

I received decent care at the hospital and took a cab back to the ship. I had texted my spouse and asked him if he would please alert the ship and arrange for a wheel chair to get me back on the ship which they did and I asked to go to the ship’s Medical Center. I received excellent care there but there was only so much they could do. I needed to get home, get a MRI and likely surgery as it was clear that there was a tendon tear as they found no broken bones.

 

I can’t say enough nice comments about the medical center.  They were most helpful. So back to the cabin were I sat out the remainder of the cruise - 4 nights. Thank goodness for room service and the large screen TV. As well I enjoyed the views from my veranda cabin.

 

Now for the bad and ugly:

 

Unfortunately the so called Guest Services team made our lives hell for 3 days. They absolutely would offer me zero assistance to disembark the ship. They informed me that I would need to make my own way off the ship.  I tried to be nice and pleaded with them to help me.  They would not budge.  I realized that their guest services team was not empowered to resolve my problem. We called back again and I asked the agent to escalate this matter and she refused to do so.  I tried to send an email to the Captain and his leadership team. I guessed what Hollands email address protocol is and sent off my email. The server never sent me a bounce message but I never heard back.

 

I was forced to tell Guest (dis)Service that I would not be vacating my cabin unless they would help me.  I must have given them a hint of seriousness as finally after 3 days they finally agreed to assist. So one of the restaurant waiters came to get me and I was taken off the ship. To drag this decision out for three days was totally unnecessary and out right cold and indifferent.  The delayed response caused us distress and mental anguish.

 

So he takes me off the ship and left me on a vacant chair 100 yards away from the front door. I wasn’t sure what to do, but try to walk as my husband went ahead to take care of collecting our baggage.  I made it but not after feeling lightheaded thus vulnerable.  I understand that ship personnel cannot take me to the front door, but they should have warned me and offered another solution for those 100 yards. Overall it seemed that proper care of handicapped persons was not a priority at Holland America (Carnival.)

 

Accordingly I have decided to file an ADA complaint with the Department of Transportation. I understand that the ADA has limited jurisdiction over cruise lines. Perhaps the law should be expanded so nobody has to go through this ship induced horrific customer service. I have made several attempts to speak to Holland but nobody has bothered to respond

[Cruise Suzy]

Guest Services certainly dropped the ball in your case. Do hope your leg is healing.

 

Here is the procedure I've had for getting off the ship with wheelchair assist at Poert Everglades, Fort Lauderdale: Everyone gathers in one spot, usually the Pinnacle Bar. When your luggage group is called and as soon as there is a HAL employee with wheelchair available, you are taken off the ship (bypassing the line) to a waiting area with chairs. The HAL employee and wheelchair return to the ship. As available, a terminal employee arrives with a wheelchair to take you through the terminal, gathering luggage, and to the curb. Often this wait is fairly long, depending on the terminal and the number of passengers requiring assistance.

[0106]

Thank you for taking the time to review the cruise prior to your accident.  I hope you have recovered from your injury and I’m sorry HAL had not responded to you.  This is your second thread about the incident.  Perhaps they should be combined. 

 

[FOPMan]

I am sorry you fell.

 

The ADA does not apply to ship operations for non-US flagged ships in non-US ports, and its applicability in general to cruise ships in general is fairly limited (it provides protections about the availability of accessible cabins, equitable pricing, and discrimination). 

 

HAL does not generally provide individual escort services from cabins. Eons ago, they used to provide escort to cabins when initially boarding for all guests. I think the process still permits assistance when initially boarding for manual wheelchair users.

 

In your other thread, you complained about being expected to pay for the use of a wheelchair. From your comments in your other thread, it is unclear if you had rented one. If you had, what were the return terms? Could you have used it to get off the ship? Why couldn’t/didn’t your spouse assist you?

 

If you didn’t book an excursion or transfer when disembarking, HAL was under no obligation to secure a transfer for you, no more so than they were responsible for a guest that doesn’t use a wheelchair.  I wish it were otherwise. I’d love for the airline to take responsibility for accessible transportation for me and my power wheelchair to get to the airport and from the destination airport to my final destination. Or to provide a list of providers that are guaranteed to be able  to accommodate my transportation needs. Given the lack of availability, I understand why they want no part of trying to solve an often unsolvable problem.

 

I am smart enough to look at the cruise’s offerings to see if they are offering accessible transportation and book it as needed.

 

 

[oakridger]

@Fogtownrog Thanks for writing a review of your cruise.  

 

Can you please use a larger size font for future posts?  On my desktop computer the print is very tiny so it's hard to read without expanding the whole screen.  Thanks!

 

~Nancy

[RuthC]

14 hours ago, oakridger said:

Can you please use a larger size font for future posts?  On my desktop computer the print is very tiny so it's hard to read without expanding the whole screen.  Thanks!

Thank you for asking that. It would be a favor to many of us to use a default (or larger) font. 

[Lido deck main]

On 5/8/2023 at 10:41 AM, Fogtownrog said:

Nieuw Statendam

April 8, 2023 Transatlantic Crossing

 

In early March we decided to do our first transatlantic crossing. While we are Elite with Celebrity, I thought it would be wise to do some price shopping and found a good fare with Holland America. I had always wanted to give them a go, as I heard mostly excellent reviews especially about the music walk and enrichment programs.  I felt that entertainment on a transatlantic cruise would be a critical contribution for having a great cruise.

 

So we flew out on Delta from Atlanta the night before. Delta’s reputation for being a reliable and friendly airline shined through as from checking in to picking up our bags went smoothingly well. We spent the night at the Marriott Courtyard and especially enjoyed the hotel cafe. We had a very festive time. I think we had too much of a great time as the next day was a bit rugged.

 

Embarkation

 

It took about an hour to board. Check in seemed more tedious as we had to wait in several lines as it appeared that customer service was under staffed. I’d give them a C-

 

Once on the ship I soon met Ronaldo and Tony at the Ocean Bar and I soon was convinced that we would have a great time.  I was pleasantly surprised to see a Trader Vic’s Original Mai Tai on the bar menu.  After a refreshment we reconfirmed our MDR seating arrangements as we were originally on a waitlist for the second seating. We then found our way to the aft elevator bank and easily found our cabin 5201, an outside Verandah.  I soon fell in love with our stateroom. It was spacious and surprisingly there was adequate storage. There were more than enough outlets and I appreciated the muted colors and use of wood which added a sense of warmth and texture. We soon met our cabin steward who was great throughout the cruise.

 

We sat on the edge of the bed, watched the safety video and began exploring the ship, then headed to the Lido for some nourishment.  Went to the slicing station and picked up a lovely roast beef sandwich while my husband put together a lovely salad. We found two seats next to the window and enjoyed our lunch.  I particularly enjoyed the table service.

 

However, I felt the layout of the space seemed awkward.  Everything seemed overly crowded and a bit claustrophobic as the design of blocking the middle of the space for the service areas causes forward to aft human traffic jams  with less room for seating. After the first day, we pretty much avoided the Lido.

 

Sail Away was a lot of fun with lots of music, a conga line and plenty of refreshments as we headed out to sea for the next two weeks.

 

Dinner later in the MDR was excellent but  the small portions was notable, but ok with me. No reason to blow up like a pig. However I think the chef went too far with desserts. The cake slices were so small I could barely taste it.

 

The second day we had reservations at Tamarind. I had the roasted lamb chops which was out of this world whereas my spouse had the duck confit that looked and tasted like a Cornish hen leg. He was not a happy camper. So overall we were disappointed.  The staff and service in all dining venues were excellent at their craft.

 

On most nights we’d head to the Music Walk or theater to have fun. First of all the BB King show was incredible!  The band was impeccable. They engaged the crowd with every move. The room was packed and fun was had by all.  Then in between the BB King performances we’d head forward to Billboard and the Rolling Stone lounges. The piano duo was a lot of fun as they got the place going with good old fashioned sing along. The rock band was hot as the joint was rockin!  Kudos to the sound engineers at all venues.

 

Now I saved the best for last.  I have an eclectic taste in music and also enjoy classic music.  The piano quartet at The Lincoln Center were very talented. They packed the room every afternoon and again the sound engineers did a great job.  Bar service at all venues was excellent and I don’t recall ever having to wait over 2 minutes to get a drink.

 

The entertainment was continual day and night. I was never bored, even for a second. I soon learned why people love Holland America.  We met many people throughout the cruise and after two days I observed a common thread among them. Most everyone seemed to be on a longer voyage beyond this transatlantic  crossing. Many people have been on the ship for many sailings and many are staying on the ship,for several more cruises.  Many passengers were travel savvy: knowledgeable about seeing the world in style.  Not the hee haws you’d see on some other cruise lines.

 

So that is all I wanted to say about the wonderful advantages of traveling on Holland America.  However, there is an overriding issue which casts a shadow on all the goodness.

 

After we crossed the Atlantic I was one of the first off the ship upon arrival in Cadiz, Spain. I had looked forward to taking photographs which is my number one favorite pastime.  I began walking through town, walking along the sea for maybe a half mile, and then headed to the farmer’s market. Well worth a visit if cooking and good food interests you.  I did stop and had a bite to eat and headed to the main cathedral.  So I was walking down the sidewalk downhill and noticed there were short steps along the way. Then, as if I was struck by lightning I must have tripped and fell.. the pain was unbearable. Fortunately for me there was a driver who was standing next to his car.  He came to me and asked if I was ok and I told him I couldn’t move my leg without suffering major pain. He offered to call a taxi or ambulance and I chose the second option as I wasn’t sure of the damage caused. All I knew it hurt so bad.

 

I received decent care at the hospital and took a cab back to the ship. I had texted my spouse and asked him if he would please alert the ship and arrange for a wheel chair to get me back on the ship which they did and I asked to go to the ship’s Medical Center. I received excellent care there but there was only so much they could do. I needed to get home, get a MRI and likely surgery as it was clear that there was a tendon tear as they found no broken bones.

 

I can’t say enough nice comments about the medical center.  They were most helpful. So back to the cabin were I sat out the remainder of the cruise - 4 nights. Thank goodness for room service and the large screen TV. As well I enjoyed the views from my veranda cabin.

 

Now for the bad and ugly:

 

Unfortunately the so called Guest Services team made our lives hell for 3 days. They absolutely would offer me zero assistance to disembark the ship. They informed me that I would need to make my own way off the ship.  I tried to be nice and pleaded with them to help me.  They would not budge.  I realized that their guest services team was not empowered to resolve my problem. We called back again and I asked the agent to escalate this matter and she refused to do so.  I tried to send an email to the Captain and his leadership team. I guessed what Hollands email address protocol is and sent off my email. The server never sent me a bounce message but I never heard back.

 

I was forced to tell Guest (dis)Service that I would not be vacating my cabin unless they would help me.  I must have given them a hint of seriousness as finally after 3 days they finally agreed to assist. So one of the restaurant waiters came to get me and I was taken off the ship. To drag this decision out for three days was totally unnecessary and out right cold and indifferent.  The delayed response caused us distress and mental anguish.

 

So he takes me off the ship and left me on a vacant chair 100 yards away from the front door. I wasn’t sure what to do, but try to walk as my husband went ahead to take care of collecting our baggage.  I made it but not after feeling lightheaded thus vulnerable.  I understand that ship personnel cannot take me to the front door, but they should have warned me and offered another solution for those 100 yards. Overall it seemed that proper care of handicapped persons was not a priority at Holland America (Carnival.)

 

Accordingly I have decided to file an ADA complaint with the Department of Transportation. I understand that the ADA has limited jurisdiction over cruise lines. Perhaps the law should be expanded so nobody has to go through this ship induced horrific customer service. I have made several attempts to speak to Holland but nobody has bothered to respond

You fell off the ship.  You didn't want to pay for a wheelchair.  On the other thread you mention that customer service provided you crutches to get back on the ship. Please take responsibilities for your own actions.  Just because something bad happened to you off the ship.  What should be said is that in hind-site I should have rented a wheelchair.  It would have made my life so much easier.  You should be taking this lesson as a learning experience.   A statement to the effect I feel bad treating some of the HAL employees so poorly is also due.   Some people put customer service representatives through hell and don't appreciate a thing.  It is everybody else's fault but mine. It is all nonsense.