Friday, March 22, 2024

Are Holland America Cruises Good

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Volendam Stateroom 7062 Not Good

Holland America cruise line review

We had Stateroom 7062 and no sleep, every night tables and chairs moved stacked and unstacked, trolley noise, lots of movements into Storeroom this was from the deck above. noise from 11pm all night. I spoke to several people on this cruise and most had problems with Deck 7 and noise above. waisted $10K on this 19 night cruise, reported it to reception several times also told them on the above deck to be quite nothing helped was told don’t report it anymore they know about it. got a small compensation $250 and dinner. contacted Holland America Line on my return got nowhere offered discount on future cruise. using other cruise company’s now. I will continue to let people know about this as I feel they should know about what they know about. There Case 1-7182391584.

Alaska Cruise Review: Seattle Wa

We flew into Seattle a day early in order to explore the city and to make sure we arrived in time to board the ship the next day. Its a good idea to allow plenty of time to meet the ship, as it will leave without you if you arent there on time. Because we had a full day to explore, we visited the historic Pike Place Market, the original Starbucks and, of course, the iconic Space Needle. We visited in late June, so the weather was perfect, mid 60s and sunny, and we fully enjoyed being outside and taking in the attractions.

Pro tip: If you have several hours between checking out of your hotel and boarding your cruise, make arrangements with your hotel to stow your luggage. Most will do this for free. Also, many hotels offer shuttles to the cruise lines, so take advantage of that service if they offer it.

River Ship Line #: Crystal River Cruises

Crystal River Cruises launched in 2016 with custom-built river ships. The company is dead-set on matching the top-of-the-line service of its ocean ships in this offeringand it’s certainly got readers convinced. The fleet has five river shipsfour of which, Crystal Bach, Mahler, Debussy, and Ravel, are Europes only all-suite, all-balcony river shipssailing the Moselle, Rhine, Danube, and Main rivers. Guests enjoy an all-inclusive experience, with free butler service, unlimited drinks , WiFi, and fitness classes.

Also Check: How Much Does A 7 Day Cruise Cost

Bad Things About Holland America Cruise Line

1. This cruise line clearly caters to elderly, sedentary cruisers. Were over 50 but active and fun-loving, so it wasnt a good fit for us.

2. This ship had very, very limited onboard active and fun activities. I guess it was relaxing but we thought it bordered on boring. Youd enjoy it if things you like to do on vacation include going to teas, playing bridge and chess, listening to live classical music performances and seeing evening shows featuring dancers. These things put me to sleep but we did sit in comfortable chairs and read a lot of books. And we did the two line dancing classes.

3. Zuiderdam, because its a smaller ship, had no chairs at all available in the inside, large pool area many times. Lots of people put towels on the chairs and were nowhere to be seen. We resorted to sunbathing on decks with chairs that were nowhere near a pool and the sun got to be scorching very fast! Or we sat on our balcony .

4. There was no poolside entertainment. Princess cruise line has outdoor movies by the pool, live bands, etc. but this ship had none. They did play some piped in music.

5. Zuiderdam also had very limited seating in the casual dining room. Many days we had to ask other people if we could share their table so we could sit and eat at all, which wasnt comfortable for any of us.

6. The ship was way too cold onboard, so we had to wear jackets all the time. Im from the South where they like cold air conditioning in the summer, but this was too cold for me!

The Cruises That Will Come Back First

Ship image for Amsterdam

A small amount of cruising already is starting to come back in Europe, where coronavirus case counts have dropped markedly in recent months. But its cruising aimed at a local crowd.

The very first cruise to resume in Europe, a river trip in early June, was operated by a German line on a German river for Germans only.

Several more Germany-based lines, including Aida Cruises and TUI Cruises, are preparing to start short ocean sailings out of Germany aimed at Germans. And there have been a few ocean sailings already by other brands aimed at locals along the coasts of Norway and France.

Related: Cruising is starting in the oddest of places, including the Arctic

This is exactly the sort of cruising that will come back first everywhere in the world, cruise executives have been saying in recent weeks. Itll be relatively short, close-to-home cruises that cater to locals who can reach ships by car or train, without crossing borders.

Cruise executives specifically cite the likelihood of ongoing travel restrictions for what they say could be a slower resumption of further-from-home cruising.

As nations reintroduce social gathering, including cruise, they are most likely initially to restrict reactivations to their own residents, Carnival Corporation CEO Arnold Donald said last week in a conference call with Wall Street analysts.

Related: 13 ships to be scrapped or sold as Carnival Corp. manages COVID fallout

He didnt mention Holland America.

Also Check: Msc Cruises Dress Code

Medium Ship Line #1: Princess Cruises

Of Princess Cruises 17-ship fleet, its five smallest include the Coral Princess, Island Princess, Sun Princess, Sea Princess, and the infamous Pacific Princess, which was the star of the TV show The Love Boat. The Pacific Princess is by far the smallest, holding just 680 passengers. The four other ships carry around 2,000 passengers and are the perfect size to sail through the Panama Canal.

Royal Caribbean: Starbucks At Sea

Starbucks fanatics onboard Royal Caribbean’s Oasis-class ships don’t have to give up their favorite brews while on vacation. Symphony of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas, Allure of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas feature Starbucks outposts serving a selection of standard and specialty drinks and snacks. Their locations along the bustling Royal Promenade and Boardwalk means you can hide behind that grande latte while indulging in first-rate people-watching. Passengers on other Royal Caribbean ships won’t entirely miss out. Genuine Starbucks coffee is available on select ships, while Seattle’s Best Coffee, a featured brand in the Starbucks portfolio, is served fleetwide.

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River Ship Line #: Amawaterways

AmaWaterways cruises the waters of Europe, Africa, Vietnam, and Cambodia, with a handful of new ships debuting in the past few years. In 2019, the line launched AmaMagna, a double-wide river cruise on the Danube that features massive 710-square-foot suitesa size unheard of on a river-going vessel. Despite the ship being so much larger than its sisters, the passenger count only increased by 20 percent to 196 guests, ensuring an intimate experience.

Explore Holland America Line Ships

Why Holland America May NOW Be The Cruise Line For You

Member reviews become available after at least 5 are received in order to provide you with an accurate picture of this travel product.

Holland America Lines first Signature-class cruise ship, Eurodam has delighted guests since her maiden voyage. In addition to amazing evening entertainment, an array of activities allows you to pursue new interests or relax and rejuvenate. Experience onboard cooking shows and hands-on workshops. On deck enjoy two outdoor pools, along with basketball and volleyball courts.

4.0

Member reviews become available after at least 5 are received in order to provide you with an accurate picture of this travel product.

Launched in 2016, Koningsdam carries forward all of the tradition, nautical heritage, and signature service and style for which Holland America Line is known, while raising the bar for 21st-century elegance. Pinnacle means “high point” and the debut of Koningsdam is a high point in Holland America Line history.

3.5

Member reviews become available after at least 5 are received in order to provide you with an accurate picture of this travel product.

4.0

Member reviews become available after at least 5 are received in order to provide you with an accurate picture of this travel product.

3.5

Member reviews become available after at least 5 are received in order to provide you with an accurate picture of this travel product.

3.53.53.0

Read Also: How To Get From Southampton Cruise Terminal To London

The Food On Holland America For Kids

For me food is a big concern when travelling with a toddler. One thing I loved about Holland America is that they have Just started any time dining. This is great for families who arent always ready at the prescribed two seating times!

There is a childrens menu in both main dining room and room service which is great! In the dining room because so few children it took longer to get kids meals than adults. Our little one however preferred items on the adult menu in particular the salmon so we just ordered this. Once we found a table and waiter we liked we stuck with them and they were always prepared for our little one which was great.

The menu itself has some activities for kids but they dont stock crayons so remember to bring your own!

We loved that the chef came out every night to talk to guests about dinner and he always made an effort with the toddler and brought her out a chefs hat!

My one complaint about childrens food on Holland America is that the Room service childrens menu starts at 530 which perhaps a tad late. When we were tired after a long day out we could have done with this starting perhaps at 5!

The selection on the childrens menu was quite good with starters like crudités, and dumplings dumplings and mains such as pasta.

In room childrens menu was slightly more restricted with items like quesadillas, chicken tenders and pasta with sauces.

For more first time cruise tips click here!

River Ship Line #: Avalon Waterways

With a fleet of 20 river ships, Avalon has quite a few itineraries throughout Europe, India, Southeast Asia, Egypt, and Peru, though it charters ships in those last two destinations. Avalons own purpose-built ships are incredibly spacioussuites are 30 percent larger than the industry standard and feature fully retractable floor-to-ceiling windows.

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Small Ship Line : Quasar Expeditions

The first luxury line to sail the Galápagos, Quasar Expeditions is best known for its in-depth trips aboard its two intimate ships that carry fewer than 32 passengers each. Yet note the street cred of said ships: One of the two, the Grace, is the former yacht of Princess Grace of Monaco. The other, the Evolution, will allow you to retrace Darwin’s footsteps in the Galápagos. Book the Baltra Island itinerary, where you’ll work your way from San Cristobal Island to Baltra, and explore all the central and southern islands of the archipelago in between.

The Big Question: Can You Take Kids On A Holland America Cruise

Holland America Opens Bookings for New Cruise Ship ...

We are going on a cruise!

Where to?

Holland America Line.

What? Why?

This was a common response to the announcement of our cruise toAlaska in September with Holland America Line.

It had long been on my dream list. I yearned to visit Alaska and a cruise seemed like a fabulous way to see it. There were so many choices, but we left things really late and all of a sudden it was the end of the season with only 4 more ships heading to Alaska. Two of those were the Westerdam and Noordam.

So when Holland America suggested we take their final cruise of the season from Vancouver toAlaska aboard the ms Noordam, it fit in perfectly to our schedule. Alaska would be sandwiched between our archery tournament in sunny Spokane, Washington and a housesitting assignment in Kelowna, Canada.

But like most of our readers, we were curious. Would Holland America be as family friendly as the other cruise lines we had enjoyed? They have a well-established reputation to be suited towards more mature guests, so we put them to the test.

Here’s how Holland America rated on our 5 most important factorsfor a fabulous family cruise.

Recommended Reading: How Much Does An Alaska Cruise Cost

More Of What I Love About Eurodam

  • Riding up and down in the glass elevators overlooking the ocean. You have to try it the view is amazing though a bit daunting at first!
  • The traditional teak wraparound promenade. No running allowed.
  • Watching first-run movies in the dedicated Cinema. Pick up your bag of popcorn at the entrance.
  • To have a cocktail or two at the exotic Silk Den Lounge while relaxing on plush, purple velvet sofas.
  • The lighted, magnifying make-up mirrors and detached hair dryers
  • On Deck for a Cause 5K walk to benefit cancer research.

Preparing For Our First Port Of Call

With the WiFi being a bit spotty, we did our best to work poolside until about lunch time. Having tested the quick service venues the day before, I opted for the Lido Market today, the cruise ships buffet. The wife went with a grilled chicken sandwich from the Dive-In. Both sandwiches were on par with other cruise ship selections.

Now officially afternoon, we grabbed two drinks from the Lido Bar for our traditional drink around the ship and headed outside for some fresh air. While it was sunny, it was also quite windy. So, we only spent an hour or so here.

Our plan for the afternoon was to check out the ships enrichment program. The scheduled EXC Talk at 2 pm was on the Iditarod Race. I thought it was a pretty good presentation, including pre-recorded interview segments from one contestant in the race.

The 35 minute presentation abutted the 3 pm talk being given by the naturalist, Russ. So, a quick hop up to deck 11 for more coffee, and we were back in similar seats to listen to his talk on the Alaskan Wilderness.

Being our second Alaska cruise in a month, and 4th overall, much of this talk was redundant. After these trips, I dont think we will ever forget the 5 types of salmon!

Done with his talk before 4 pm, we had some time to browse the shops and snag a t-shirt as well as one of the last ship ornaments left on the shelves.

Given that it was the first Gala Night, the Princess needed ample time to get ready for dinner, so we made our way back to the room.

Read Also: Where Is Port Canaveral Cruise Terminal

Pinnacle Grill: With Australian Special Guest Chef

When we heard world-renowned Australian chef was cooking one night, we were sold. And while Josh and I generally eat in restaurants already included in the cruise price, we couldn’t resist a little piece of home when we were as far from home as we could possibly be. Oh, and because Mark runs one of the top 50 restaurants in the world.

Refined and luxurious, the Pinnacle Grill is the embodiment of exceptional cuisine. Sectioned off in its own niche of the ship, the atmosphere effortlessly exuded high end dining. And at an additional US$29 per person expectations were lofty.

Josh went all out for Chef Bests menu of roast beef tenderloin with olive and eggplant. He claimed it was one of the best steaks that ever graced his tastebuds. While I could not resist the grilled Colorado lamb chops with spiced apple chutney and fresh mint sauce. Succulent, tender and juicy and perfectly matched with a side of asparagus – I could have kept eating for days if size permitted.

We savoured the flavours during our leisurely meal and after 1.5 hours had only finished our mains. Unfortunately we had no more time since the kids club was closing. Thankfully the staff arranged to have our desserts sent to our stateroom at a prescribed time .

Medium Ship Line #1: P& o Cruises

What Does HOLLAND AMERICA Do Different To Other Cruise Lines ?

The British line P& O Cruises is the oldest in the world, established in 1837 to ferry mail and passengers between the United Kingdom and the Iberian Peninsula, but it began to offer leisure operationsthe very first cruises as we know themas early as 1844. The ships cater to a primarily British audience, and they provide good value for a classic cruising experience. Guests enjoy traditional activities like shuffleboard, dance classes, and pub quizzes. The ships typically sail in Europe, though they do have ports of call in Asia and the Middle East.

Recommended Reading: How Much Does An Alaskan Cruise Cost

A Smooth Embarkation Day

With only 11 public decks, our typical cruise ship tour would be certainly shorter than most day 1 explorations. While not sunny or warm, at least it wasnt raining.

The staterooms were ready when we arrived on the ship. Thus, we made a pitstop to drop off our carry-ons and check out our cabin first.

Our stateroom was a VB category balcony cabin, 4137. This aft cabin was right near the elevators. It was much larger than our cabin a few weeks ago. The bathroom was also bigger than typical cruise ship bathrooms, as it featured a full bathtub.

After taking some photos and videos of the stateroom, we headed out to explore the rest of the ship.

Making our way to the outdoor decks first, the layout felt similar to Viking Ocean cruise ships. With an aft pool near the buffet and a covered midship pool, we couldnt help make that comparison.

As part of the new muster drill process, cruisers need to check-in to their muster station on Deck 3 at some point prior to sail away. So, we made sure to complete this mandatory stop along the way. We would also need to view the required safety video on the stateroom television later to complete the mandatory drill.

Eventually making our way down to deck 2, we had captured almost all of the public venues in just a few hours. With more fellow cruisers now onboard the ship, it was time to test out the food.

The sun was starting to break through the clouds, so we decided to grab some outdoor seats.

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