Fresh off a week onboard Carnival Celebration, I’m back at sea, this time cruising on Holland America Line’s Nieuw Amsterdam, a ship I sailed on back in 2010 during her inaugural Caribbean season.
Part of Holland America Line’s Signature Class, she’s a mid-sized ship that blends modern comfort with the nostalgic cruise charm the line is known for. Built in 2010, she’s got a solid 14 years of sea stories under her hull but looks as fresh as a daisy with her marine blue hull and bright white superstructure.
Measuring in at only 936 feet long, she fits into that sweet spot—big enough for all the goodies but small enough to keep things cozy. With 1,053 cabins spread across her decks, there’s a room for every budget—whether you’re splurging on a Neptune Suite with concierge service or staying budget-conscious with an Interior Stateroom.
Holland America ships, with the exception of the beautiful flagship Rotterdam, are not the behemoths of the sea. The mid-size fleet caters to a smaller group of well-heeled (aka older) passengers and doesn’t have the bells and whistles other lines offer, such as roller coasters, water slides, or water parks. In their place, you’ll find a classic wraparound promenade deck, a library, private cabanas, and sophisticated lounges.
Nieuw Amsterdam accommodates 2,100 passengers and a crew of 930. That’s nearly one staff member for every two passengers, ensuring you’ll never have to hunt for someone to refill your wine glass or snap that sunset selfie.
Nieuw Amsterdam Onboard Experiences
Onboard, the Nieuw Amsterdam has three specialty restaurants: the Pinnacle Grill for steaks, Tamarind for Asian-fusion, and Canaletto for Italian. These are in addition to the main dining room, Lido Market buffet, and fast-casual spots such as the Dive-In (burgers and hot dogs) and New York Pizza.
When it comes to entertainment, the ship’s main theater, the World Stage, hosts production shows and visiting entertainers. The Rolling Stone Rock Room features a live rock band each evening and is also used for cooking demos during the day.
You’ll also find a Greenhouse Spa, two pools, hot tubs, and plenty of bars and lounges for cocktails.
Named after the Dutch settlement that became New York City, the Nieuw Amsterdam is a little slice of Holland America’s Dutch history, telling a story through her art collection with works celebrating her namesake’s heritage.
For this cruise, I was invited by Holland America’s Players Club, where I was offered an interior stateroom and additional perks as part of this $250,000 slot tournament cruise. A few days before departure, I was offered an upgrade to a Verandah (balcony) stateroom for an additional $240, which I gladly took advantage of!
This is a 7-day western Caribbean cruise, with stops in Costa Maya (Mexico), Georgetown (Grand Cayman), Ocho Rios (Jamaica), and Holland America Line’s private island in the Bahamas, Half Moon Cay.
I took the short 20-minute drive from my home to Port Everglades (Fort Lauderdale) and arrived at the terminal around 10:45 a.m. It only took a few minutes to go through security and check in. It would have been quicker if the passport scanners matched my passport photo to my real self, but they didn’t work, so I had to take an extra step during the check-in process.
I was assigned Boarding Group 9, and when I took a seat inside the waiting area at 11:10 a.m., they hadn’t started boarding yet—unless you were in a suite, had four- or five-star Mariner’s Club status (Holland America’s loyalty program), or purchased the optional Club Orange add-on, which I’ll talk more about later in the week.
What is the Holland America Club Orange Upgrade and is it Worth It?
At 11:40 a.m., my boarding group was called, and I was on the ship just in time for the announcement that staterooms were ready. So, off I went.
Verandah Stateroom 8111 on Holland America Nieuw Amsterdam
My Verandah Stateroom is number 8111, located on Deck 8, aft. Inside are two twin beds that can be combined to create a king, a small sitting area with a sofa and table, a vanity/desk, plenty of closet space, and a bathroom with a tub/shower.
Other amenities in the room include a large flat-screen TV, phone, fully stocked mini bar (additional $), bathrobes, pool towels, blankets, a safe, and Elemis bath products.
When it comes to USB ports and electrical outlets, Nieuw Amsterdam has been retrofitted with one USB port on each side of the bed, an additional two at the vanity/desk, and two U.S. and two European electrical outlets at the vanity/desk. There are no other power outlets in the room.
The room itself is nicely furnished and in very good condition, but things are a little tight. There isn’t much room between the bed and the wall, and the bathroom is a bit on the small side. However, the balcony is a very nice size with two chairs (each with a footstool) and a small cocktail table.
Holland America, like nearly all cruise lines today, does self-mustering. Instead of heading to your room, donning your life jacket, and waiting for the announcement to head to your lifeboat station, you simply grab your stateroom key card, take it to your assigned lifeboat station, have it scanned, then watch the safety video playing on your TV. You’re forced to watch that video, as you can’t do anything else with the television until the video plays in its entirety.
We were scheduled to depart Port Everglades at 3:00 p.m., but there were several ships in port, including Holland America’s Eurodam and Rotterdam, Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas, and Celebrity Cruises’ Reflection and Ascent.
The first ship to depart was the Eurodam, followed by Rotterdam. We were blocked in by Ascent, so once she cleared her berth, we were next to leave, finally departing at 3:45 p.m. A small sail-away party (remember, this is NOT a party ship!) was happening at the Sea View (aft) pool as we bid farewell to Fort Lauderdale on what was a chilly, by Florida standards, late afternoon.
Evening Activities onboard Nieuw Amsterdam
Before I get into dinner, here’s a look at some of the things happening around the ship:
- Dual (not dueling) piano players doing several sets all night in Billboard Onboard
- The Rolling Stone Lounge band playing sets like “Dance to the Hits,” “Rock the 80s,” and “Classic R&B”
- In the main theater, the Cruise and Travel Director presenting “The Caribbean Up Close: Roots & Rhythm,” featuring stories of Caribbean music
- Customary shopping events, spa specials and tours, portraits taken around the ship, and Sunday mass
As part of the casino offer, I checked in at the casino and received instructions for the slot tournament along with some gift items. We had 60 seconds of practice and were assigned times and machines for the qualifying round. The tournament starts with 360 players and narrows down to 48, with the top prize winner taking home $100,000 in cash.
My first stop after unpacking and getting dressed for the evening was to visit a very dear friend of mine and her husband, who I first met last year when they were working on the Rotterdam. Reema and her husband Emmanual have been with Holland America Line for several years and like much of the crew, come from the Philippines.
Both of them are now assigned to the Nieuw Amsterdam and are working in the Ocean Bar, which is located in the 3-story lobby of the ship. It was great to see them both and catch up!
Lido Market Steak Dinner Menu
On the first night of each cruise, Holland America offers a special steak dinner in the Lido Market, and on tonight’s menu there’s prime rib and Yorkshire pudding along with other items which you can see in the menu below.
Main Dining Room Menu
The main dining room on Nieuw Amsterdam spans three decks at the aft of the ship and is open seating, meaning there is no set times for dinner and no reservations are needed.
Here’s a look at the day 1 dinner menu for the main dining room.
Pinnacle Grill Steakhouse Dinner
For me, I decided to kick off the cruise by heading to the Pinnacle Grill, one of the ship’s three specialty restaurants. Offering steaks and seafood, this restaurant costs $49 per person and on this ship, is the top eatery.
I started out with a shrimp cocktail and the clothesline bacon. Both were delicious, although the bacon could have been a little crispier as it was a bit… well, limp.
Next up I went with a deliciously prepared New York Strip, lobster tail, and a baked potato.
Finally for dessert, chocolate souflee which my server said was his favorite, so who can pass up that type of recommendation?
Service was excellent, the food fantastic, and overall a great experience to kick off the cruise.
After dinner, I headed to the casino, as this is a casino cruise so money must be donated! I deposited some of my free play into the machine and within a couple of spins I won $450. That was enough for one night, so I called it a night.
Day 2 will be spent at sea as we head towards our first destination, Costa Maya in Mexico.
As always, thanks for following along.
Personal Day-By-Day Holland America Nieuw Amsterdam Cruise Review: