Last spring, I took one of the worst trips of my life, a Royal Caribbean cruise in Europe. You can find all of the dirty details here. However, I am really happy that I gave cruising another shot with Holland America. This Nieuw Statendam Holland America cruise review is from our recent 11 day Tropical Caribbean vacation of the eastern Caribbean islands. I also sailed on a Holland cruise of Alaska this past summer, and both sailings realigned my expectations of cruising.
Overall, it seems the vibe of Holland cruises is more adult, with less children and younger adults. This is great for me, since I would prefer to be around other adults on a cruise. There also were not many college students or spring break types on either Holland cruise I went on, but that could also be because they were in August (Alaska) and December/January (Caribbean).
The Nieuw Statendam seemed to have enough room for everyone without seeming massively large. It holds about 2,700 guests, which is a manageable size when you are trying to grab some food at the buffet or find a seat in the theater.
The ship was impeccably clean, and something I really appreciated was the use of washable towels in all of the public bathrooms. It is probably a lot of towels to wash every day, but hopefully more eco-friendly than paper towels.
Overall, the vibe on the Nieuw Statendam was upscale, relaxed, and positive. It felt good coming back to the ship every day. The decorative touches from the Netherlands were also adorable, like the Grand Dutch Cafe, specialty food and drinks, and the Christmas display.
We upgraded our trip to include the “Have It All Package.” At $55/day per person, we found it a pretty cost effective way to enjoy wifi, 15 drinks a day, some excursions, and two specialty dinners. Since we don’t drink much alcohol, we were able to enjoy other beverages like iced lattes, cappuccinos, or Pellegrino water.
Overall, I was very happy with the quality of food and drinks on the Nieuw Statendam. Here’s a brief rundown of some of the food we enjoyed onboard:
No matter what, we ended up visiting the Lido Buffet at least once per day. The variety and quality of the food was pretty high quality, and always consistent. Some of the items I enjoyed the most were the fresh croissants, the salad station, baked potatoes, and the dessert bar. Although, they need more than one ice cream scooper working! There was usually a line for ice cream all day. The flexibility and variety made this our default dining options.
The main dining room was our second go-to dining option. It was just nice to not wait in lines for dinner! The menus were thoughtfully curated each night. I especially enjoyed the celebratory menus with Dutch menu items. Because we were onboard over New Years, there was also a fantastic holiday dinner menu with lobster tails and prime rib. Yum!
Breakfast was also fantastic in the Main Dining Room, with freshly made omelettes, waffles, pancakes, lattes, and more
Something I found special about Holland America is the inclusion of Afternoon Tea on sea days. Around 2 or 3pm on each sea day, you can head to the main dining room for tea, scones, little sandwiches, and other sweet treats. It’s just a nice way to pass an hour or so!
We had two specialty dinners: one at the Asian restaurant, Tamarind, and one at the Pinnacle Grill. I thought the dinners at both were really top notch, but if I had to book one again, it would be Tamarind. The flavors were so unique and fresh, that I don’t think we could find many meals like that at home.
If you’re looking for some casual dining options while lounging by the pool, the Lido Deck has a pizza bar, burger bar, and juice bar. Pizza and burgers are included with your fare, but the fresh juices cost a little extra (maybe they’re included with an upgraded drink package, but not with Have It All).
The burgers were incredibly delicious, and I’d compare them to Shake Shake burgers. The pizzas were also hot and fresh, and made for a perfect afternoon snack!
There are so many places to hang out on the Nieuw Statendam, so I’ll probably miss some in this list! But my favorites were:
The Crow’s Nest–on the 12th floor. A great place for a coffee, cocktail, art class, board games, or just watching the sea go by.
The Library–you can read in the library or take books to read throughout the trip.
Grand Dutch Cafe–decorated in Dutch style, with lots of blue and white decor. You can get split pea soup, specialty pastries, or a coffee here.
Casino–I like to play slots sometimes, so the casino is a great place to spend a few hours.
The Fitness Center–the fitness center was well-equipped with a variety of bikes, treadmills, ellipticals, free weights, squat racks, and even a Pilates reformer! Unfortunately, I didn’t try any of the classes, but there’s plenty to take advantage of in the regular gym.
The Spa–we purchased a Thermal Spa Suite pass for the 11 day cruise. It was $219 per person for the entire cruise (shorter cruises are less). The thermal suite gives you access to private heated loungers, private sauna and steam rooms, and an exclusive large hot tub. We never found this area to be overly busy or crowded, and it was a nice way to have some privacy while still enjoying the Nieuw Statendam’s amenities.
Throughout our 11-day Tropical Caribbean cruise on Holland America, we stopped at St. Maarten, Antigua, St. Lucia, Dominica, St. Thomas, St. Kitts, and Half Moon Cay. Each was beautiful in its own way, and we enjoyed boat tours, beach days, and just walking around the ports.
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