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Login The second of our Signature-class ships, Nieuw Amsterdam celebrates historic New York City with its inspired design and an art collection valued at more than $3 million. While on board enjoy regional cooking demonstrations and food and wine tastings with Port to Table programming. Dine in your choice of specialty restaurants. Or rejuvenate in the Greenhouse Spa & Salon.
We just returned from the 7-DAY GLACIER DISCOVERY cruise and it was a great experience overall. We embarked from Whittier which was really easy. We flew in the day before and stayed over in Anchorage. We booked a transfer (outside of Holland America) that picked up us in town and had us to Whittier a few hours before the trip. We were checked-in and on the ship within 30 mins give or take. We had a balcony cabin on the 8th deck, just below the Lido deck. We loved the location, since it was one floor up to the Lido Market/top deck and only a couple flights of stairs away from the Crows Nest. The room itself was adequate but there is some wear and tear. It was very clean but there were some rusty spots on the balcony, the hinges that hold some cabinet doors open didn't work, the lock on the balcony door was wobbly, etc. That is just nitpicking, otherwise it was great. I highly recommend the balcony for Alaska since the beautiful scenery is never ending. So much so you start to become immune to one beautiful site after another since you are almost always within site of land. This ship itself is nice and there is always someone working on or cleaning things. It is also a great ship for Alaska since it has a lot of viewing areas. The only place that seemed a little busy at times was the Lido Market. It was difficult to find a 'prime' seat during breakfast. I think some people setup in there and stayed all day. I feel like the ship has some wasted areas like the shop, jewelry, art gallery. perfume shop. It would have been better served if they had their Dutch Cafe or something like that. They did have some nice touches as well, such as blankets around the deck for those chilly cruising times, serving pea soup and Glühwein in Glacier Bay. Food: To start, we are 'foodies' but we are also not at all picky. We thought the food on the ship was very good. I don't think we had a 'bad' meal but I think our favorite meal was in Tamarind (which is what we chose in our included package). We thought the main dining room meals were very good and we never had an issue with the 'open seating', although we did tend to eat around 8pm most nights. Buffet food was varied and we typically ate the same omelet to order every morning. We only had lunch there once. The Dive In served some good hot dogs and burgers/chicken sandwiches. We never tried the pizza but it didn't look that appealing to me but I would have tried it probably if there were more sea days. Bars: We had the Elite drink package (free upgrade for early booking) and I did not find one drink that hit the $16 limit. There was one I had at $15 but the rest were usually around $11-$14. I liked that different bars had different featured cocktails. Their Alaska craft beers were ok...but I am a beer snob. They did have good brands of liquor but I am absolutely convinced they were watered down. There were usually bottles of pretty high end stuff around too but no idea how much extra most of that cost. I almost never had to wait for a drink since most bars had 2 bartenders and they did a good job anticipating where the crowds might be and staffed appropriately. The only thing I didn't like is having to give them my key card to swipe and sign a ticket for each bar order. It seems antiquated these days and seems like it just slows things down a tad. It wasn't terrible but there should be a better way. Staff - was excellent. Due to the Dutch ties to Indonesia I am guessing at least 90% of the staff hailed from there. I think this helped with their cohesiveness, comradery, and communication amongst each other which in the end helped with the overall service. The staff was pretty excellent all around. The only thing we disliked is the photographers on board were pushy and constant. Some were easy to get around but some basically forced you into taking photos. Entertainment - We did not like the entertainment. We did enjoy the comedian one night but the rest not so much. The piano bar singer made everything sound like a show tune and the band was like a below average wedding band. The music definitely skewed towards the older crowd (and we are 53 and 51). A lot of people seemed to enjoy it way more than we did. We did know this going in from my research and unfortunately it was as bad as expected. Some of their other presentations about Alaska were very good such as their presentation on the Iditarod and the local tribe person that came onboard. Itinerary - I had spreadsheet of itineraries to compare with our requirements being Glacier Bay National Park as a must and having as much time in ports as possible. Going to Glacier Bay does limit options since only 2 big ships are allowed in each day and only certain cruise lines go there. Our stops included: Hubbard Glacier, Glacier Bay, Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan...ending in Vancouver. This Itinerary was BY FAR the best I could find. The only downside is we didn't really need to be in Skagway from 5:30am - 9pm and Ketchikan (11am-7pm) could of been at tad bit longer. Hubbard Glacier was probably not the best experience from the ship but we took the additional excursion, which was really expensive, but ended up making that stop incredible. It was 3hrs and we got within a 1/2 mile of the huge calving glacier...and as a plus we saw some juvenile bears. The rest of the ports were typical Alaska stops and the rest of the times were adequate. Also the choice to end in Vancouver was also a plus since it is a much better city to hang out for the day instead of Anchorage. I did look at roundtrip itineraries too but you sacrifice time in ports or if you are coming from Seattle you get stuck with a stop in Canada. So overall, my advice, if you only plan to do this once is to do the one-way southbound, or northbound, and make sure your itinerary includes Glacier Bay. This is one cruise where the itinerary/ports far outweigh what the ship has to offer. So overall we were extremely happy with our choice. Alaska is a beautiful unique place.
We are not veteran cruisers. This was our first time. We travel, but usually stay somewhere for a few days, packing and unpacking, traveling by land or air. To celebrate a milestone wedding anniversary, we booked a 7 day cruise from Vancouver, BC to Whittier, AK for ourselves, as well as our adult children and their spouses—a total of three staterooms. We had one issue that was non-negotiable, which was that we wanted king-size beds. This limited our choice of both cruise lines and cabins, and we ended up booking Neptune Suites on Holland America Line Nieuw Amsterdam (NA). A friend had sailed on this ship a few years earlier, and recommended it. We booked 14 months in advance, via Costco Travel, so we could get the Have It All early booking bonus, including Elite Drink Package, Premium internet and included pre-paid gratuities. We booked a mid to late May cruise because, well costs would have been significantly higher for the the choicer parts of the summer. It was a bonus that there were few kids on this cruise. Booking process was easy, and the cash back bonus from Costco, as well as travel credit on the Costco Visa from Citi and Costco Executive 2%. All in, I think we got discounts of about 6%. Embarkation was a dread, but went remarkably smoothly. They kept people moving at Canada Place. If there was some benefit to having the Neptune Suite, I did not appreciate it. I did not see a Priority Boarding area. We boarded around noon, but our suites were not ready. We chilled on the Lido with some drinks that were credited to our room. Our server tried to upsell us to the Retreat area. I passed, figuring we weren’t going to be outside much in a cabana. The upselling became a recurrent theme of the trip, as there were frequent appeals from waitstaff to upsell our drinks and food choices. Could have done without that. Eventually cabins were ready, although our bags were not there. In fact, even several hours later, only 3 of 4 bags had been delivered. I went to the aft elevator lobby and found our fourth bag and brought it back to the cabin. The Neptune Suites were very nice. Ample space for storage, even for My Beloved, who is an admitted overpacker. I felt the bed was comfortable, but My Beloved has a bad back. After calling our Neptune Lounge concierge, a foam topper was added after the first night, and she was pleased. There were a few things missing from our Suite, such as a cup for using the coffee machine (which we didn’t use anyway) and an umbrella. The binoculars and blankets are a nice touch for enjoying the balcony on this chilly Alaskan passage. Our cabin steward, Victor, was friendly and efficient. Unlimited laundry was wonderful, as we spent four nights in Vancouver prior to embarkation, and another 5 days in Denali (on our own itinerary, not Cruisetour) after disembarkation. A great benefit of the Neptune Suites is the Neptune Lounge. Our concierges, Lorraine and Pearl, were friendly, professional and very competent. I cannot speak highly enough of them. They gave our family a detailed orientation to the benefits of our suite, and even helped us log int the Navigator app on the ship. The Neptune Lounge was well stocked with food and beverages throughout our trip, and we found it a quiet place to go to decompress after a long day of shore excursions and exploring the very crowded ports. One doesn’t need a Neptune Lounge, but it was very much a “nice to have”. The Navigator app is essential, but unfortunately is very kludgy. Logging in was difficult, as we had to uncheck several security settings on our iPhones to make a connection to the ship WiFi to use the app. Additionally, our phones kept dropping off the network during the cruise, even on sea days when we didn’t leave the ship, and we had to keep trying to reconnect with the WiFi. Very frustrating! However, once connected, internet speeds were quite good. However, once we got the app going, it was a very easy and effective way to request laundry pick up and order food from Dive In and NY Pizza. Having the itinerary on the app was also nice. Food on NA ran from fair to excellent. For breakfast, we dined mostly at the Pinnacle Grill, a perk of the Neptune Suite (or Club Orange)enjoying the quiet, and excellent service. Menu is same as the main dining room. We did have breakfast once a the Lido Market, but did not enjoy waiting on line for food. However, the food at Lido Market is quite good. The only missteps we encountered was very dry short rib for two of us at Pinnacle Grill, but it was easily sent back and replaced with a different dish. We also ran into an overcooked creme brûlée in the Main Dining Room. Meals at Tamarind and Morimoto were outstanding—A++. I enjoyed the NY Pizza and Dive In burgers and hot dogs, but others in our group were unimpressed. MDR was mostly quite good, but not as good as the specialty restaurants, with respect to service or food quality or even quantity. We had one room service breakfast, on Glacier Bay day, and one afternoon tea in our cabin, on the last sea day. Everywhere you turn on this ship, there is a bar, and our Elite package covered most drinks, although high end whiskeys, which the waiter often pushed, would add additional charges. We enjoyed the creative cocktails and the excellent beer selections. Our kids our coffee drinkers, and really enjoyed the fast and efficient baristas in the Crows Nest. The barista in the Lido Market was slow, and should be avoided. I used the fitness center several times and it is excellent—better than any hotel gym I have used. One of our group booked the week long thermal pass, and really enjoyed it. My Beloved and I booked a couples massage, and found it a bit lackluster compared to other hotel spas. Again, there was attempt to upsell products at the end of the massage, which we have not experienced at other hotels or resorts. We really enjoyed interacting with the naturalist, Dom, as well as National Park Service Rangers who boarded in Glacier Bay. Both Glacier Bay and College Fjord gave great glacier viewing, although only Glacier Bay seemed to have the narrative as we cruised. Excursions for our group were excellent. However, the ports were quite busy. Really, did not enjoy port days, with so many cruise ships in port, the streets get crowded and the restaurants and shopkeepers are stressed. However, we did have a very nice lunch at Skagway Brewing. I expect that ports are quite different when the cruise ships are gone. We stayed overnight in Venice, Italy and Lerwick, Scotland, and they are completely different, and more relaxed, when cruise ship passengers have left. I imagine Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway are the same. The ship docks very early in Whittier, and our concierge noted that I had not booked a transfer with HAL for that port. Instead, through VIator, I booked an all day private transfer and tour of Anchorage, including bird sanctuary, Wildlife sanctuary and Earthquake park. Disembarkation was well organized on the ship, but a bit hectic in the terminal to claim our bags and find our rides. So would I recommend booking the same cruise on the same ship in the future for the same trip—absolutely! Am I a “cruise person” now? Not really. I certainly see the appeal, and wish we had done a cruise in Galapagos, rather than staying on the islands. For the right itinerary, there is a great benefit to have your hotel move from place to place at night, and only unpack once. But having encountered cruisers from time to time on other travels (France, Italy, Scotland, Jamaica, Costa Rica, etc), I think they miss out on some essential cultural interactions by sticking with a cruise ship.
Too many kids on board for spring break unlike past HAL cruises. Some rude passengers but most were fine. "Iron Chef" fish wasn't very good. Pinnacle Grill was excellent. The Key Lime Pie was much better than on Oosterdam last year. Travel arrangements via HAL were very good. Airport to Hotel was great. Special arrangements were made from Hotel to Ship because of protests. Cabo San Lucas as a port is horrible. Don't bother unless you haven't been there before. Very Aggressive Vendors. Cabin Stewards were excellent. Food was ok. Nieuw Amsterdam is a very 'woke" ship and gives special privileges to LGBTQ+ passengers as opposed to everyone else. Doesn't bother me but it might some folks. Special shout out to Enrico our server in the Crow's Nest - excellent service! Enjoyed the chamber music and lectures very much. Music Trivia was very nice also. Todos Santos , La Paz and Loretto, Mexico were great excursions and ports! The real and original Hotel California was very interesting.
With refined amenities and Holland America Line signature Mariner’s Dream bed gracing each elegant stateroom, the ship offers six grades of staterooms. Most are ocean-facing, many featuring teak-lined verandas for dining alfresco or private sunbathing.
Holland America Line invites you to dine "As You Wish". To savour Italian cuisine one night and a perfectly grilled porterhouse steak the next. To take your place in the Dining Room at a specific seating time or be spontaneous, following your desires. Onboard, there are restaurants to suit every mood, along with the flexibility to choose the dining style you prefer.
Every day aboard a Holland America cruise ship brings a wealth of cruise activities and indulgences, along with the freedom to partake in as many- or as few- as you please. It's an opportunity to try something new that surprises you, every day. Dabble, discover, daydream- do everything, or do nothing at all.
Whether you want to workout in the Fitness Centre, learn yoga, pamper yourself with a massage and spa treatment, or enjoy a game of basketball, there's a perfect onboard activity for everyone.
Holland America Line's youth activities program, Kids Club, offers an array of entertaining events for kids and teens ages 3-17, supervised by a full-time, professionally trained staff. They'll have an opportunity to join other kids their age for arts and crafts, sports, video game competitions, scavenger hunts, challenging team games and themed parties.
Note: Kids Club is not offered on cruises of 25-days or longer, including all Legendary and Grand Voyages. We will offer a selection of children’s activities throughout these longer voyages for any children who may be onboard.
Safety Comes First
Safety is our primary concern and strict policies are in place for effective supervision. Adult guests are not permitted to remain in Kids Club unless attending to a special-needs child.
Please note: During voyages with a high number of families onboard, we will make all efforts to accommodate interested parties. However, participation in our program cannot be guaranteed. Hours of operation may change to better serve our guests.
