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Negatives are the lack of real excitement during the day, and limited options at night, including a lack of quality to the evening entertainment when compared with other cruise lines. Some reviews do mention her feeling a little older too, but it’s a minor quibble generally – more reviews comment on how clean and well-kept she is. The Pinnacle-class ships are very popular with the cruise line’s regular guests, since they offer more spacious public areas and staterooms without really losing the feel of a smaller ship, even if they’re somewhat larger than the older ships in the fleet. Extra fee dining on Rotterdam includes Tamarind, which is quite possibly the best pan-Asian eatery afloat. But you can also choose the excellent Pinnacle Grll steakhouse or the upscale Rudi’s Sel De Mer, a French seafood bistro with a twist). An additional plus is that room service is complimentary (unless ordering specific a la carte priced items), with courses delivered punctually and, when applicable, piping hot.
Holland America Rotterdam Review
The three Pinnacle-class ships in the Holland America fleet – MS Koningsdam, MS Nieuw Statendam and MS Rotterdam – have Single cabins for solo travellers. Unlike on other cruise lines where solo cabins tend to be Insides, on these ships they have an ocean view. MS Oosterdam is not a big flashy ship although she does feature Holland America’s Music Walk which features live music in the evening.
Night Canada & New England: Unesco Sites & Quebecois Nig...Details
The standards of service are still overwhelmingly high, with just a few minor comments from those who’ve had a bad experience with the food or who’ve had issues during their stay. Most people find the ship to be relaxing, but definitely tailored to a more mature audience. There isn’t a lot to do during the day and, like most Holland America ships, the kids’ areas are a little dated and dull. But if you enjoy exploring ports or don’t mind spending your day poolside, you’ll like the atmosphere of MS Westerdam. MS Nieuw Amsterdam is the sister ship of MS Eurodam and is an almost identical size – officially she is marginally smaller by just 3 gross tons. The MS Rotterdam is the newest ship in the Holland America fleet and she shares a lot of the same positive feedback as her earlier sister ship MS Nieuw Statendam, with the artwork of the ship again being notably popular.
Holland America Line Cruises From Port Everglades
In December 2017, the ship underwent upgrades throughout, and several public spaces feel refreshed and contemporary. People who have previously traveled on Nieuw Amsterdam might breathe a sigh of relief to know that the ship has now banned smoking everywhere, except the outside Sea View Bar at the ship's aft. Carpeting has been replaced throughout the ship's public areas, and even the casino smells fresh and clean. Twelve lifts provide access to all passenger deck areas, ramps and doorways are designed to accommodate wheelchairs and there are 40 wheelchair accessible staterooms in varying categories. Many of the Holland America ships sail to Alaska – the cruise line offers various itineraries to the region throughout the year. The ships that sail to Alaska are the MS Eurodam, MS Koningsdam, MS Nieuw Amsterdam, MS Noordam, MS Volendam, MS Westerdam and MS Zaandam.
Be sure to join my email list for my best cruise tips and handpicked deals each week. She’s also quite old in style, which has pros and cons – she’s not got many balconies or indeed much choice at all when it comes to cabin options, but she’s also really easy to navigate. The ship debuted in 2016 to a lot of pomp – this was the first new ship to launch for Holland America in six years and she helped to really bring the cruise line up to date with her stunning interior design. Overall, Holland America ships are seen as some of the most stylish in the world, without being overly glitzy or kitsch.
MS Nieuw Statendam
There are lots of nooks for conversation and quiet diversions like backgammon or settling back with a good book. Pre-dinner entertainment includes listening to a violin-piano duo perform and dancing to ballroom and show-tune classics. For any cruises listed, Cruise Critic does not guarantee any specific rates or prices. And while she may be the second-worst ship on this list according to customer reviews, her average scores are still high. That’s because people know what to expect from her, and are generally really happy with the experience.
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Find Holland America Noordam Cruises to Alaska (with Prices).
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Additionally, access to the fitness center, and most culinary lessons and enrichment lectures, movies, performances and live music are complimentary. The ship lacks the flashiness or overwhelming size of some mega-cruise ships, but its unique entertainment options make up for any missing bells and whistles. For example, Nieuw Amsterdam's Music Walk creates a three-punch hit list of rich musical venues all within a short walk of each other on Deck 2.
Because, unfortunately, I’ve not yet had the pleasure of sailing on every Holland America ship. In this guide, I’ve ranked all 11 Holland America ships from best to worst, but I wanted to clarify exactly how I’ve done that.
Holland America Line March 2025 Cruises
The scores are based on thousands of reviews, so the ranking is accurate, but each ship is only marginally better or worse than the other. From the high-quality food to the comfortable, spacious accommodation choices, the ships are well-loved by loyal Holland America fans. Holland America's clientele skews more toward older adults, and this ship fits that profile, with retirees accounting for a large number of the population. Though there weren't many younger cruisers or families during our trip, a friendly atmosphere and ample opportunities for getting to know fellow passengers over meals or on shore excursions led us to meet many interesting people along the way.
Passengers cruising in suites get a host of extra privileges and might find that some of the extra-fee options are provided complimentarily. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays. It’s worth remembering what I said at the start – the score difference between the ships in the Holland America fleet is relatively minimal, and on pretty much any ship you’ll have a great time. MS Zaandam is one of the older ships in the Holland America fleet, and one of two ships still remaining from the R Class. Despite her age, she has been carefully refurbished to a high standard so that she still offers a comfortable ship environment, even if the decor isn’t quite as sleek as the later ships.
In particular, the line's live music offerings, including BB King's Blues Club, Billboard Onboard, Rolling Stone Rock Room and Lincoln Center Stage, draw a crowd most nights, while the line's culinary demonstrations are usually standing room only. Culinary classes (including some specifically for kids), wine tastings and blendings (on select ships only), and complimentary computer classes fill quickly. Holland America Line aims to strike a balance between classic and contemporary, and Noordam, christened in 2006, manages this well. The ship's smaller size, with fewer than 2,000 passengers, gives Noordam an intimate feel that makes it easy to meet people and make new friends.
The negative reviews of MS Volendam do focus on the age of the ship though – she has been through renovations, but there are a lot of signs of how old she is, and passengers do notice them. If you don’t mind her feeling a little worn-in then you’ll still have a great time. Negative reviews tend to focus on the entertainment – both the lack of choice and also the quality, with some reviewers talking about how the evening acts are average but not particularly exciting. Guests criticise the quality of the entertainment too, which may be a sign that guests of other cruise lines with Broadway-style shows are trying the newer Holland America ships, and feeling disappointed with the comparison. However, the reason she is a little lower is something I alluded to with MS Rotterdam – to guests, it feels like the newer, bigger ships have lost a little of the Holland America magic, and the crew service isn’t quite as good when there are more passengers to handle. I think MS Rotterdam scores slightly lower than MS Nieuw Statendam due to teething problems.
