I've always enjoyed Holland America. The staff in the main dining room are the best. My waiter saw me sitting on a bench in Port and he stop and asked if I was OK. How fabulous he remembered me and I in turn ask how his son was doing because he had been sick. He was so excited to tell me he just called home and he was so much better. He really appreciated my asking. On our last meal he hugged me and thanked me for being a great guest.

@JJCruise

Жыл бұрын

That’s above and beyond service! Thanks for sharing such a wonderful HAL experience! 🥳

Been sailing on HAL since my 20s. Now in my 50s it seems to be getting better and better. Love the food, music and dancing. Rooms are great and staff is superb. I’ve cruised on multiple river cruises, Disney, Princess and Cunard and keep coming back to HAL

@JJCruise

Жыл бұрын

Thanks Peter for sharing your experiences with us all! ☺️

Shhhh- don't tell everybody this! Those who know, know. And those who think they know can stick with other lines 🙂 PS our HAL cruise to HI this past January had around 8 kids on it, including a 4 year old. But kids are usually a rare find.

HAL was my first civilian cruise line, so I felt ultra spoiled on my first sailing. I keep coming back to them because of the food, music and crew and they always seem to make me feel special.

First HAL cruise was about 10 yrs. ago. To me, they are top tier. When I want a vacation that is calm and laid back, they are the go to. Nothing like Lincoln Center in the afternoon. A good, good dinner and then great music. BB King's. Lack of big shows doesn't bother me. And, I even find the buffets to be good compared to other lines. Not a party ship for sure, but, just a great place to relax and feel very well cared for.

I just got off of Holland America. This was my first time on this. Line. I will be going again on this cruise line. It’s was the best ship I been on an I been on all of them. But the service was excellent the food amazing an the music is the best an the staff was so helpful Thank you Holland America for a Beautiful Cruise.🚢. See you soon for another cruise 🚢 ❤️

@JJCruise

Жыл бұрын

We are so happy you had such a wonderful cruise! 🥳

I went on an 18 day cruise that included Iceland and Greenland a few summers before covid. I was amazed that there were families onboard. The kids on HAL seem to be better behaved than on other cruise lines! I absolutely love Holland America. It’s a relaxing, educational, and has great bars!

@Lovesapuzzle

Жыл бұрын

I assume parents had cruised with their children before and knew they would behave themselves before taking them on such a long (and I assume expensive) cruise. Those were some very lucky kids, IMO.

@beachblythe

Жыл бұрын

@@Lovesapuzzle either cruises or had experienced nice vacations! I wish I had been introduced to cruise ships when I was a kid! I’m seriously a bit jealous!

@Lovesapuzzle

Жыл бұрын

@@beachblythe That makes two of us.

Thanks for a fair and balanced review! And we appreciate your letting us know you were sponsored by HAL and still give your honest opinions!

Holland America sounds more relax and renew rather than drunk and disorderly. That sounds very good to me.

Holland America is my fave! I’m so glad you went and enjoyed it. I feel like it’s possibly the most underrated cruise line amongst people under 40. The music walk is everything.

We really enjoy the HAL brand of cruising! It’s a great venue for enjoying a wide variety of music, great food and service without the snooty vibe. The size of the ships are perfect without feeling too large and crazy! The Pinnacle class ships are beautiful! We also enjoy the smaller vessels and will be on Zaandam soon! I enjoy your channel! Keep up the great work! 😊😊😊❤

@JJCruise

Жыл бұрын

Thanks Andrea! 🤗

Thanks so much for an honest review.! We are beginning to branch out to other lines, this series helped. I've been subscribed to you all for a while now. This is my first time leaving a comment. I normally just watch and like. I appreciate the time you take and the realness I feel from watching. You guys are great!

@JJCruise

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching and commenting!! We appreciate it! 🤗

Thank you! We have our first Holland America sailing this fall and had a lot of the same assumptions/expectations you did. This is very encouraging and exciting!

Thanks for the great review of Holland, it's on my bucket list. You guys always make me smile! 😁👍

@JJCruise

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the kind words! Best compliment we can get! 🤗🥳

Woo-Hoo! We'll be on the Statendam in 6 days crossing the Atlantic for two weeks. Looking forward to your review. Love your channel!

@JJCruise

Жыл бұрын

Thanks Jeff!! Have a wonderful cruise! 🥳

We were on this cruise for two weeks. We Loved it! All good and the food was amazing! We also liked the all adult beach house on Turks and Caicos. We just got back from our first Alaskan cruise on Holland; just amazing! Leaving on our first transatlantic in 30 days on Holland; very excited ❤

I was quite excited to watch your video. I’m taking a cruise to Alaska in July on Holland America. I love music, dancing, and fine dining!! You have made me more excited than ever!!!

@JJCruise

Жыл бұрын

You will have a wonderful cruise! 🥳

Thank you for this review and series… We think about cruising on Holland, but have not made the choice to do so yet… Your videos definitely help… Thanks so much🛳️

We just took our first Holland America cruise (Nieuw Amsterdam) and were honestly surprised by how much we loved it - we were, honestly, a bit skeptical leading up to the cruise. And we're taking another cruise on the Koningsdam in May, so you can say we are now Holland America converts!

Really helpful! This video has me more excited about our first cruise on Holland America next month.

@JJCruise

Жыл бұрын

So glad! Enjoy your first HAL Cruise! 🥳

Great job guys. Many folks have a preconceived idea about holland america. Your insightful review makes me want to give this line a try. the food and music walk sound great. Thanks!

@JJCruise

Жыл бұрын

Thanks Bill for watching and sharing your thoughts! ☺️🥳

Great premiere guys. Thanks so much. See you next video.

@JJCruise

Жыл бұрын

Thanks Cydney!! 🤗

Thanks for the review! My husband and I are going on the Volendam (even smaller and older) in July for our 25th anniversary and it was nice to hear your thoughts on how HAL feels to 30 somethings. I'm really excited for Alaska and our first cruise!

@JJCruise

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching Jeanny! We are certain you will have a wonderful cruise! 🥳

Jared I love your smile. Always so happy

Very balanced overview of Holland America! Given we seem to be moving toward more sit-down meals and small venue entertainment, it sounds like a good match to our current style of cruising. The food looks good and the Main Dining Room sounds like an excellent experience! So many cruise lines to experience. We've been almost exclusive to Royal until recently and I think it's time to branch out.

@JJCruise

Жыл бұрын

We agree! Totally a great option to consider! 🥳

You two are awesome, I must try HAL. Thank you

Wonderful video! As a fan of Holland America I have often found myself defending their "old folks" reputation (I felt the crowd was OLDER and DULLER on my Princess cruises). I definitely will share a link to this video on my travel page. People underestimate what HAL is all about!

@JJCruise

Жыл бұрын

Thanks Dewey Ski! HAL is definitely a great cruise line 🥳

As a long time cruiser with HAL, I agree with all of your points. Now on the new Rotterdam, there’s a bar called the half Moon bar, which does have crafted drinks. I don’t believe this is available on any of the other ships, though.

@JJCruise

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for backing-up our experience with your long-term experience of HAL! We would love to try those crafty drinks! 😋

I have been on 16 cruises total. Took my first HAL to Alaska last October. I was very impressed with the main Diningroom, and our balcony cabin was great. I was rather surprised that at about 8:00pm the ship seemed to become a ghost town. I was traveling with a disabled lady in her 60’s, who went to bed at 7:00pm. She didn’t mind it at all. I spent many hours in the Nest area putting together puzzles, not my norm when cruising bother lines. I do wonder if part of my experience was the itinerary we sailed. I had just sailed on the Carnival Spirit a few weeks prior, and my experience was vastly different. I may need to try a different ship/itinerary on HAL before I decide wether to sail on the line in the future. Thank you for your honest review.

love your honest review videos

@JJCruise

Жыл бұрын

Thanks Melissa! 🤗♥️

Excellent review!

I loved cruising with Holland America. Best vacation I ever had.

@JJCruise

Жыл бұрын

Thanks Leslie for sharing!

You were on the Nieuw Statendam. I recognize the Rock Band. I got on for the Atlantic crossing in early April! I was on for 5 weeks!

Jared and Jason, thank you for sharing your well balanced review. I chose the line because of its fine reputation for dancing and music and a great dining experience. Thank you for confirming this. While it is disappointing to hear the fast casual food (burgers and dogs and such) was not great, there is plenty more to enjoy! I agree that the smaller ships can be preferable and further that, I appreciate having a full wrap around promenade deck. I appreciate you comments about attire as I am starting to pack for our cruise next weekend. And thanks for the warning about bar service which seems to be a problem for some ships, from what I have seen. I will try to counter that problem through friendly conversation and tips!

@JJCruise

Жыл бұрын

Thanks Roger, we hope you have a wonderful Cruise! 🥳 Cheers! Jared & Jordan

You are correct about the dancing for sure.

Hi y’all! Loved all your videos about this cruise ship. I’ll be sailing on the Nieuw Statendam in December, for my first HAL cruise, so thanks for all the good info. Sounds perfect for me! Can’t believe I have to wait til next March to go on the Celebrity Silhouette cruise Jared booked for me. 😉 Anyway, thanks for another great video! Take care and safe travels! - Chanukah Carol

@JJCruise

Жыл бұрын

Hey Chanukah Carol!! We know you will have a wonderful December Cruise on HAL! 🥳

Might be my first cruise at 67 years old! Thanks!

First of all, it’s B.B. King’s Blues Club. There’s a reason he’s called the King of the Blues. Accuracy, Gentlemen! We took our first HAL cruise last October, aboard Rotterdam, 15-day Trans Atlantic from Rotterdam to NYC to Fort Lauderdale. I’ve been cruising since 1985, and I can honestly say this was one of the best. Hoping to book another HAL cruise to Alaska soon. The food was incredible. Each night in MDR was perfection. I had the best prime rib ever there. Tamarind, an Asian venue, excelled in service and offerings. The shrimp tempura appetizer is not to die for, but certainly worth a non-lethal traumatic injury if necessary. Pinnacle Steak House offers an incredible ribeye, and the clothesline bacon (yup!) is with battling your companion for the last piece. Rudi’s seafood venue has excellent atmosphere and service, but I’m not much of a fish eater (stop thinking what you’re thinking!), but lovely fiancée was happy. Happy fiancée = less nagging. I must agree with you guys. The Dive In burger place was disappointing. A dried out hockey puck. As I’m a pizza snob (born and raised in Sweet Home Chicago) I just don’t usually bother with cruise ship pizza. Service? Simply impeccable. Every. Single. Person. Entertainment: Loved the Music Walk. Particularly Billboard Piano Lounge and B.B. King’s. Attended both nightly. I honestly don’t remember if we saw any stage shows. As we had a full week at sea, there was plenty to do, or not do. Weather mostly wasn’t ideal for sunning and swimming. Lots of enrichment lectures, many on HAL history as it was 150-year anniversary of their first Trans Atlantic cruise. I’m essentially a toddler trapped in a 59-year old body, so lovely fiancée was so concerned The Toddler would be bored she actually packed toys😅. Honestly, the vibe was somewhat stuffy, but not overly so. All fellow guests were friendly, but I initially felt somewhat out of place (and yes, considering future cruises on Regent and Oceania). The music -based artwork all over the ship was great to look at. Wish I took more pictures. Finally, we didn’t partake in any of the HAL excursions. We did our own things in France, England and NYC. Overall, excellent experience. Glad you enjoyed as much as we did.

@JJCruise

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experience!

We were on the week after you. Our second time on HAL and we really loved it. Great staff and service. The food is exceptional. We had no problem with bar service. I like the burgers and the fries are great. Nice to have some options. And don't forget if you watch the outdoor movies they have free movie snacks. Oh and in the cabin, the movies are free. We saw Everything, Everywhere All at Once. I was shocked it was available.

@JJCruise

Жыл бұрын

We loved Everything Everywhere all at Once! We are so glad you had better burgers - ours were unbearably dry and even looked like it. (The fries with Dive In sauce were good!) We also got movie snacks, pretzels, but they were out of everything else (minus popcorn) 10 minutes after opening for snacks so we didn’t get to try a lot. The pretzels were bland but the half-bag of popcorn was pretty standard in flavor. Overall, we didn’t include it as it was not a worthwhile experience to us. (Though, we were hopeful as we LOVE the movie snacks on DCL) So glad you had a wonderful cruise! 🥳

Great review! Thank you!

@JJCruise

5 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching and commenting your kind feedback! ☺️

I was probably on the Rotterdam at the same time you were here. I love HAL. I think the long hold for room service may have been kids calling since there is no charge. We had good food for burgers they did NOT look like what you showed. Pizza was good if you ordered one to be made. Bar service was always busy, but most places had servers that were very good. I'm glad you enjoyed it!

Well done, Thanks.

A nice balanced review. Keep up the good work.

@JJCruise

Жыл бұрын

Thanks Bruce! ☺️

I’m surprised you didn’t like the Dive Bar. I found it amazing, but I got the veggie burgers and dogs. Also the pizza and panna cotta was great.

Holland is basically a fine dining and music cruise. Loved it! But yeah, I did notice they didn't really have much in terms of entertainment shows. Formal plays are kind of like exactly the vibe Holland goes for too, so I wonder if they'd ever focus on expanding that stuff more. But can't go wrong with Music Billboard.

I was on Nieuw Statendam in January and loved it !

@JJCruise

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing your thoughts! 🥳

Surprised you didn't mention anything about the buffet food/area, which I thought was some of the best on any cruise line! HAL is our go-to for Alaska cruises! The aromatherapy pool/spa area is always so relaxing!

@JJCruise

Жыл бұрын

Great question! We liked the buffet, but didn’t find the food better or worse than others in her class so we didn’t mention it. We toured the spa and thought it looked amazing - since we didn’t fully experience it, we didn’t include it in the review. ☺️

We are surprised at your opinion of the Dive-In, etc food. It is always a treat for us. Thank you for the other comments as we do agree.

@JJCruise

Жыл бұрын

Thanks John for adding your thoughts from your experiences!! ☺️

BB King is BLUES not Jazz!!!! I love live music especially the blues ! 😮 I could take or leave some of the other shows I’ve seen on other ships. I’ve cruised four times on HAL all on the Blues Cruise, which is a different environment than a regular cruise and probably twice the cost.

@benjaminsmith2287

6 ай бұрын

It's a blues club but they do jazz and R&B also.

@laureljaneg

6 ай бұрын

True, but I have so far only been on Charted Music cruises on Holland

@benjaminsmith2287

6 ай бұрын

@@laureljaneg Great ship to do it on.

We were on a HAL ship, I believe the Rotterdam out of Tampa a few years ago. The cigarette smoke from the casino permeated the enter deck. Do you know if HAL has changed their smoking policy and if the newer ship have better ventilation? Thank you for your review, this will make us rethink HAL since we love music and dance!

It sounds like your experience was on par with ours on Rhapsody of the Seas out of Barbados and Grand Princess out of Melbourne. Thanks for the great review!

@JJCruise

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching Dwayne! 🤗

@MyTravellingShorts

10 ай бұрын

I’ve been on Rhapsody transatlantic & HAL in the Caribbean- and I firmly agree with you Dwayne. Very similar

Hi guys, loved this video! Was there karaoke on this ship and if yes, how often was it offered?

@JJCruise

Жыл бұрын

We believe there was, but we didn’t attend so not sure how often it so. 😅

Like your favorite restaurant, any ship and time of year makes EACH different.

Love Holland America line.

Thanks for sharing. HAL is on our list to try. I was wondering if there was a buffet as I do not recall you mentioning it. I think that I personally will be looking forward to the music and food. Again, thanks for sharing :)

@JJCruise

Жыл бұрын

There is a buffet and most food is served to you which is great! The food was on par with others in her class so we didn’t mention it in our review as it was pretty standard. ☺️

@teresah5318

Жыл бұрын

@@JJCruise TY for answering.

While on the Zaandam, we did go by your ship! I am not sure what it was doing there but it looked beautiful! I even took a photo!

@JJCruise

Жыл бұрын

She was a beautiful ship! 🥳

@louiselanthier5135

Жыл бұрын

@@JJCruise That happened near my 60th birthday last September (going by your ship). I absolutely loved the deep water pool on the Zaandam. It was so deep that most seniors could not float in that pool for very long! Also, I did order lots of drinks on the ship but mostly pop and juice. I am not one for fancy cocktails but I do enjoy a cold beer and nice wine! It was a fabulous way to enjoy my birthday. I thought I would never cruise again due to Covid. One day, I fell asleep watching you guys on the Mardi Gras (video). I started dreaming I was also on the ship and knew I really wanted to cruise again in the future! Thank God for Omicron!

My wife and I like HAL a lot and we are 4 star in the loyalty program. That said, you guys nailed all of the good and not-so-good about them, especially the hamburgers at The Dive-in. They are not good. The music onboard is, like you said, quite good.

@JJCruise

Жыл бұрын

Thanks Doug! We are so happy to hear as a loyal HAL Cruiser that you agree with our review! 🥳🙌🏽

Nice review. We just completed our 6th HAL the week after you on Nieuw Statendam. We are both mid 50's and have enjoyed the demographics of the Line's ships for years. This was the 2nd time we sailed without children (young or now adult), but still have to stick to school out times, hence the Mar 25 - Apr 1 sailing. These ships are perfect for the three generation (Granparent, parent, grandchildren) groups and Club HAL for young and Teens has consistently been excellent. The "big" shows on the World Stage are not traditional Musicals or other known shows, but instead medleys and compilations. We were a bit disappointed to discover the production by the One Stage Dancing troupe were exactly the same as on Nieuw Amsterdam last July (different World Stage layout) in Alaska, although the talent was a bit more energetic and outgoing. Same for the dueling Pianos, the male (Bryan) had an off night, but overall the other days they were a better pairing than what we experienced last July. For us the only real negative to our week were two things. One, flying from the west coast, we showed poor control on Day 1 (embarkation, sail away, and a Pinnacle grill Reservation) and overdid "all the fun" including eating and drinking. Thankfully, the next day was at Sea motoring to Half Moon Cay and we were able to recover from the time change and excessiveness. Sadly, leaving Half Moon Cay, there was an issue with starboard Azipod and the ship failed to achieve it's required cruise speed. The itinerary switched the Aruba and Curacao ports, resulting in an arrival to Aruba at 4:30pm and departure at 11:30pm. Barely two hours of daylight meant many passengers chose as we did to simply walk around locally as very few tours were running at 5pm. Overall this was our 12th, we have also sailed Disney, NCL, Celebrity, and Carnival. We do miss some of what HAL did activity wise 10-15 years ago, but still had a great time during the week onboard and will sail again when things align.

@JJCruise

Жыл бұрын

Thanks Stephen for sharing your recent experience and thoughts as well!! 🥳

I just came off a cruze with holland america it was fantastic. Very good food and drinks . On the down side is the wifi I think is to expensive for what you get . I think it should be included wifi is free were ever you go these days.

I agree with you on the pizza but we felt the burgers and fries were the best of any cruise line we’ve been on.

@JJCruise

Жыл бұрын

We definitely hope that is the burgers are normally better. We tried them two different times just to make sure it wasn’t a fluke and they were unbearably dry. We were confused because they even looked dry to the naked eye yet still were served each time. (Fries and Dive In sauce were good!)

@raynaud1324

Жыл бұрын

@@JJCruise That’s too bad, we were on the ship in October and they were amazing! Since been on Viking and Celebrity and they were not nearly as good. The pizza was disappointing on HAL but excellent on Celebrity.

Wow! You didn't like the Dive In for burgers and hot dogs? That's always our first stop, even before finding our cabin, and eat there about every other day.

I had problems with calling room service too

Just wanted to note that I have been on several Holland America cruises that did have shows with dancers and production numbers. Just returned from a cruise on the Rotterdam. The Lincoln Center musicians were not performing.

@JJCruise

Жыл бұрын

Thanks Eric for the additional information! 🤗

Hi everyone from Canada .

@JJCruise

Жыл бұрын

Hello from the States! 👋🏽

Hey! My cruising experiences have so far been limited to All-Gay experiences. RSVP was my first, they are now owned by Atlantis Events. I am booked on an Atlantis cruise (Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas) embarking 23 October from Los Angeles. Junior Suite, deck nine starboard. I've been looking at Virgin Voyages also for 2024. Very interesting vibe there for a non-Gay only cruise.

@JJCruise

Жыл бұрын

Hey Tim! We have yet to do an All-Gay Cruise! We would love to do so in the near future as we hear great things 🥳

Love your reviews! Would you say the vibe of the crew is high energy and friendly..like Carnival or more reserved..like Princess? Also, how was the casino vibe? The reason I ask is we had an experience on Princess that sent us running back to Carnival. We love the high energy and friendliness of the crew on Carnival.

@JJCruise

Жыл бұрын

The Crew is more laidback but still very friendly!

@debmoser2739

Жыл бұрын

@@JJCruise Thank you!

Does the 15 drinks/day limit apply to everyone, or just to those who purchase a drinks package?

@JJCruise

Жыл бұрын

That’s a great question! We only know for sure that it applies to the drink package such as though the Have It All package that many cruisers get when booking.

Let's hit those 40k's !!!

@JJCruise

Жыл бұрын

Thanks Jaime!! 🤗🥳

Just curious what you thought of their buffet in relation to other lines?

@JJCruise

Жыл бұрын

It was neither here, nor there. We did appreciate that they served you still instead of people serving themselves but other than that, the food was hit or miss. We would say it was inline with other Premium Lines. ☺️

Question: we have Cruised Holland on our 1st cruise and won't do it again cuz things shut down way too early and it was boring for us. We've cruises carnival for our last 5 cruises.. Heres the question.. We booked msc for this Sept with the family and the price including the wifi PKG, drinks and obc was the same price as a balcony on carnival. Why are msc prices cheaper than carnival and which cruise line is more hip and vibrant?

@kimberlyemerson2754

Жыл бұрын

It depends on what’s important to you. I haven’t sailed in Carnival for close to twenty years but I have sailed on MSC. The food is really hit or miss. The buffet does not have a good variety. The shows and entertainment are not up to the standards of other cruise lines. When you go to the show to see how bad it is going to be that tells you something. Service isn’t the best - they don’t go out of their way to correct an issue or please their customers - things are just what they are. However - you are on a beautiful ship going to some wonderful places at an affordable price.

I have been doing some digging and Holland America still seems to have the traditional dining, is this true? I like my waiter getting to know me my likes and my dislikes and developing that relationship and I like getting to know table mates as well

I did enjoy the burgers on the Zaandam (smaller ship). Other than that, your review was spot on compared to my experience on HAL!

@JJCruise

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing your experience and thoughts!! 🤗

@seashelify362

Жыл бұрын

We enjoyed the burgers & the fries were amazing on our TransPacific cruise on the Noordam (last October). Our first HAL cruise… A week tomorrow we are doing a TransAtlantic on Holland America. We really loved it.

@MyTravellingShorts

10 ай бұрын

Love the Zaandam

Your review was spot on. Holland America is our favorite. Ever since we discovered them we have been disappointed in all the others even the ones other people seem to think are comparable (princess and celebrity don't come close on our opinion). The bar thing was weird, I'm not sure what could possibly be going on there. Were you actively trying to get the bar tenders attention? i admit if I go to the bar to order i actively try to get the bartenders attention (lean in, raise my hand whatever maybe they are expecting that?) Weird. We sometimes have to wait a few minutes for room service to take the order, but never too long, did get cut off once on NS while trying to order. Love that their room service is still free. The only thing I disagree with you is the pizza at the ny deli, fresh made, personal, brick oven pizza, I get tomato & pepperoni, with extra cheese, yum. (your right about the burgers at dive in though.)

How was the casino!?

You guys didn’t mention the Grand Dutch Cafe, it’s the best!

@JJCruise

Жыл бұрын

We did enjoy the Grand Dutch Cafe! 😋

I was on the Niew Stratedam the week before you. The reason why you did not have major productions in the theatre while you were on board might have to do with a dancer losing his life during our cruise while jumping off a cliff in Curaçao. Many shows were canceled after that unfortunate event and Holland America probably did not have the time to re-organize its schedule as a new dancer would have to learn the choreographies of the many shows.

@JJCruise

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for noting this! We do know that we missed one dance show, because of that tragic incident. That said, we watched clips from other HAL cruisers and found it was still purely a dance show - not a true, MainStage production show like that of the mainstream cruise lines or even other premium cruise lines. Hope this adds some color to why we reviewed the entertainment as we did. ☺️

@beachblythe

Жыл бұрын

That’s horrible!

You got one of the good Holland America ships. I didn't. I got the old, crummy Zaandam. The friend with me said that the food was pedestrian. I replied that it was more like it was crawling...maybe one small level above Denny's. The Pinnacle Grill, which is expensive and doesn't come with the cruise package, is excellent and the food there was superb. My stateroom had obviously been photoshopped in the photo I was shown while booking the cruise, because that soft, golden glow wasn't there in reality. The room was gray and almost dingy. There were cigarette burns in the carpet and the desk top. The couch appeared to have been there for decades. There was either grout or calk smeared on a couple of the tiles in the corner of the bathtub and the stopper in the sink in the bathroom had rust all over it. All of the bathroom fixtures were very outdated. The TV would not work while we were in port, and sometimes would freeze up when we were at sea. The staff, however, were excellent. The cabin steward and his assistant were especially wonderful. For several evenings running the steward would fashion various animals from towels and facecloths and would leave them on the bed. Among them were an elephant, a swan, a small bear, and a large bear.

No, no, no, HAL is not snooty. Celebrity can be kind of snooty at times by comparison. HAL is about the lounge life and dancing and that's what I love. They give you great food and venues. The pool, OTOH, is much less lively than most other cruise lines but that's their style. There's more enrichment and less rah rah activities but there's still fun stuff going on because the people just enjoy HAL. And the interaction with the crew is great. The wait staff is professional yet extremely friendly and engaging. On Celebrity, while they are accommodating, many of them keep a professional distance so it's a different feel onboard. HAL is a really wonderful cruise line and I think the Pinnacle class, at least for me because of the variety of lounges, is a more complete ship for a variety of premium cruisers than the Celebrity Edge ships. You just don't get the variety of dance venues on those Edge ships. The Royal Princess ships, OTOH, also have a fantastic variety of spaces for different types of premium cruisers.

Loved 11:57 moment ❤ showed a peek of genuine sweetness 😊

@JJCruise

Жыл бұрын

Aww thanks! We love that moment too 🥰

But what about the Buffet? That's a major focus for a lot of people but you guys omitted it all together. You specifically mentioned the dining room and the fast casual venues like pizza and burgers...What were your thoughts regarding the buffet?? Cheers!!

@JJCruise

Жыл бұрын

Good question! We omitted the buffet as it was neither great nor bad, right in line with other premium cruises. Selection was good and quality was hit or miss. We definitely believe the best food comes through the dining rooms (whether Specialty or Main). ☺️

@Mrzizzy69

Жыл бұрын

@@JJCruise Thanks for taking the time to clarify that for me!!!

When you cruise upscale, the more up you go the more casual, nice casual, is true. You won’t find sloppy shirts graphic ts and flip flops at dinner. There is more respect and comfort in this type of dress.

How was the Wifi? Will I be able to work from the ship if needed ?

@JJCruise

Жыл бұрын

The Wi-Fi is not great. Unless you solely do email communication, the Wi-Fi is not strong enough for full work days. (In our honest opinion)

@hasmiktumasyan846

Жыл бұрын

@@JJCruise thanks for reply! Did u buy additional wifi power? They say there are packages u can buy.

Cruised Eurodam to Alaska it was not great….

You guys need to redo the ship. They just came out of dry dock

15 drinks....dang

I sailed on HAL in my 20s and 30s and we did feel that they catered to the older clientele over younger passengers. We hate long dinners, so would rush to the main dining room to be the first ones seated, but we were always the last ones to order and be served. It was annoying, and we considered complaining, but chose not to as our poor waiters were often saddled with demanding older passengers, who would complain about everything and were never satisfied. I've worked customer service jobs before, so I understand that the squeaky wheel often gets the goods.

Sorry your fast casual food was not that good. We have traveled HA 15+ times. We absolutely look forward to the Dive in and the Pizza. We have experienced many times on the Koningsdam and it never fails to impress. We usually end up at the pizza shop right at closing 11:30 PM. It it always great. 😊

I didn’t have to use my extension cord

I found it interesting that the Nieu Statendam does not have a full stage show. All of the other Holland ships I have cruised on did have full stage shows. Based upon what was presented here-in I'll avoid the Nieu Statendam, The other ships I have sailed on do have stage shows. I am a 4 star mariner so I have sailed with them a lot.

@benjaminsmith2287

6 ай бұрын

Probably was specific to that sailing or they did and the hosts of the channel didn't catch it.

@JJCruise

6 ай бұрын

@benjaminsmith2287 All stage shows were canceled the week we were on due to a tragic accident onboard the week before.

@benjaminsmith2287

6 ай бұрын

@@JJCruise That explains it. And very sorry to hear this.

Love HAL, the first cruise line we sailed on and still cruising them 20 years later. A couple of notes: The sea view pool (aft) is adults only. I usually talk to the bartender at the beginning of the cruise to ensure that he is kicking out the kids. If that is done for the first day or two, it's usually devoid of kids for the rest of the cruise. However, the sea view area itself is not adults only, they just can't go into the pool or hot tub. I have also found it difficult to get noticed at a bar to get a drink. I've overcome this by just ordering from a server. I'd appreciate it if you mentioned at the beginning of the video that you were comped the cruise. It just seems like an ethical thing to do.

Hey my mom and I were on that same cruise with you both..ahah saw ourselves in your video..have to say good review but i can definetly say we seemed to be the youngest...only thing i have to say was the entertainment needs a step up if it wasnt for the bb kings we would have probably be in bed by 9 lol😅 ...as for the food no complaints ....if you want to just relax and go on a quiet vacay than this would be right for some people . Stay blessed..p.s you gained a new follower ;)

Do females wear jeans to dinner or is that not allowed?

Wow! If you do not tell folks or adorn yourself with your loyalty pin or gold card no one knows where you lay your head. Signed - repeat incognito Penthouse passenger!

😊🎉

@JJCruise

Жыл бұрын

🥳🙌🏽

Surely all reviews should be honest, otherwise....

BB King’s BLUES club. Not jazz. BB King was the preeminent blues master and this venue is named for him, and presents blues and R&B. There’s a big difference between blues and jazz.

@JJCruise

Жыл бұрын

Hey Cathy! Yes, just a slip of the tongue. B.B. King’s Blues Club. ☺️

Nice BUT, I will stick with the cruise line I have been sailing with since 1990....Celebrity.

@JJCruise

Жыл бұрын

Totally understandable! ☺️

This line has recently piqued our interest, but we always heard you have to dress up for everything and that is not really our vibe.

@JJCruise

Жыл бұрын

That is what we heard too! So glad it wasn’t that way!

Looks like HAL is a line for Boomers by Boomers if I'm being honest. In the Premium segment no one delivers a better product than Celebrity IMO.

If you liked Holland America, you will LOVE Princess. Same stuff as Holland, but better, and with big stage shows.

@JJCruise

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing!