Holland America Was NOT What I Expected. Here's Why

Thinking about a Holland America cruise? I tried Holland America cruise line & there was so much I didn't expect! This video is an honest review of our cruise on Holland America Nieuw Statendam - from cruise food, entertainment, service, other cruise passengers and more!

Whether you're a first time cruiser or have cruised before on other cruise lines, this Holland America vlog is full of helpful information and real cruise tips!

We were hosted on this cruise by Holland America as a press trip. However, all opinions in this cruise review are my own. Thanks to Holland America for inviting us and the opportunity to cruise onboard the gorgeous Nieuw Statendam!

If you enjoy cruising with Princess Cruises or Celebrity Cruises and want to compare cruise lines, this Holland America cruise review will be especially interesting

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ABOUT ME
Hi! I'm Ilana! I live in Montreal, Canada with my husband Frank. We can often be found dreaming about and planning future cruises, ideally to hot and sunny destinations! I believe in having fun, being kind and that you are never too old, or too young, to live the life of your dreams!

Please note that I do not sell cruises on Life Well Cruised. This and all other videos are for entertainment purposes only. I share my own opinions, personal experiences and information with other cruise travellers, which I hope can be helpful. Please contact your travel agent or the cruise line directly for advice and any information specific to your booking.

Music Credit: Surf Time by Lux-InspiraMusic

[Hawkeye]

I'm 68 years old as a reference but have been sailing with them for 20 years. I appreciate the fact that there aren't tons of poorly monitored kids running about. We've been on 17 cruises with various lines. We have an eighteen-day San Diego to Hawaii cruise this winter. Holland American is my favorite. It just feels more "civilized". The music walk is our go to place every night. The Crow's Nest is also a favorite hang-out place. The cabins on HA are just a bit larger, (interior, window & balcony) - Their food has always been top of the line, and the crew just seem happier and more helpful.

[rungee]

Great video. We actually like the lack of music by the pool on Holland America. We often just want to rest or read and music can sometimes make that difficult. When we do want music we can just use our earbuds and listen to the type of music we enjoy, instead of the annoying music that most cruise lines often provide at their pools.

[dogvacaylovelovedogs]

I worked on Holland America Cruise ships as the front office supervisor and I was the first female lifeboat commander fire fighter and paramedic.

[nancystanley]

I have cruised with HAL for over 9 years now. I have also cruised other lines previously. I go on vacation to relax and prefer the fewer kids, better quality food, dressing up and earlier turn in at night. HAL is not a party ship, but they do have excellent musical entertainment from classical strings, dueling pianos, blues clubs, comedy shows and a stage production using technology. I prefer the quiet hallways and a good nights sleep so I wake up refreshed for the next day.

[reneemallady]

Holland America is my personal preference for cruising. I'm a solo traveler and in my mid-50s but have traveled HAL since 2006. The more laid-back atmosphere and smaller ship size fit my personality. The Crow's Nest is my absolute favorite place on the ship, especially in the mid-morning on a sea day. As a solo, I feel very safe on the ship. If something were to happen, like getting a bug or falling (any of those things no one wants to happen but can), I feel confident the HAL crew would do whatever they could to help me. As mentioned in the video, HAL is certainly not for everyone but if you are looking for a slower, relaxing trip HAL is worth a look.

[debbyfalmouth]

My husband and I have cruised HAL for 15 years. A few things. 1. You didn't mention that the Dutch Cafe food is free (only the specialty coffees and pre-packaged snacks cost anything). For reference, the Dutch Cafe is only on the Pinnacle class ships - there are three of these. 2. We prefer that there is little to no music and activities at pools, we go to relax and read and talk and not have craziness by pool. 3. We LOVE LOVE LOVE the bands. I think you needed to say more about the Rock Room Band and BB King Band. The BB King Band is some of the MOST fabulous musicians we have ever seen and not only are they amazing musicians they also interact with passengers and are super friendly and really get everyone up dancing and singing. Music is a lot of Motown type and all the music people of all ages love to dance to. The Rolling Stone Rock room is also great musicians and super fun. 4. Different ships on HAL have different options, for ex. Eurodam and Nieuw Amsterdam have awesome additional bars like Silk Den for ex. 5. HAL is ALL about service and cleanliness and we have cruised several other lines, but once we went on HAL we were hooked and never left. 6. Cabana club is worth mentioning but since we don't want to many people knowing about it I will leave it at that. 6. From what we hear, all cruise lines are cutting back on the entertainment, HAL is not unique in that but since you were on just 7-8 months ago I would have mentioned the BB Earth show - it is AMAZING and the Run Around Kids and the History of HAL. Super great shows in the main stage. - In case you can't tell, we are HUGE HAL fans and devoted to their crew, their brand and have sailed on most of their ships, each type has it's own vibe so people should differentiate between the Pinnacle class which you talk about and others. Thank you

[lorrigumanow]

The giant chocolate thing is called a bossche bol, also called a chocolate ball. We had 2 sisters in our group from the Netherlands, and they told us all about it. It is a giant round pastry filled with profiterole cream and covered in a dark chocolate shell. 4 of us split one bossche bol on the last night of our cruise. GOOD!

[johnharper]

Love your videos. Booked for 42 day cruise November/December 2024 on Volendam. Using your tips to get us informed. We are 66 and 75 and look forward to a more mature group. Can't wait!

[lynnephelps]

I just returned from an Alaska cruise that started with the train to and from Denali. It was a bucket list item and HA did not disappoint! The service was FABULOUS, We had turndown service complete with towel animals and chocolates, our waiter was incredible. Lots of enrichment programs and the day we sailed through Glacier Bay Nat'l Park, the park rangers came onboard, they served dutch pea soup on the bow deck, it was really super. The Crow's Nest was our favorite place, and it also included chess games, jigsaw puzzles and board games of all kinds. We really appreciated HA's history in Alaska, we always had optimal dock position and a full day in each port. The trip of a lifetime!

[fionaalder]

Holland America is our favourite cruise line especially for longer cruises. They sail to some fantastic locations and include enrichment talks about the destinations and often have location specific experts on board doing talks. I have found the age group of passengers is older on longer cruises but it drops significantly on shorter 7 day cruises. We are going to South America and Antarctica with them in February and really looking forward to it. 😊

[helenrizi]

I am in my 60's--we have been sailing Holland America for 20 years. Totally agree that there aren't some of the activities that you find on other lines like the game shows and the egg toss from the atrium. I do miss the production shows. I also don't feel that there are as many perks for suite guests--the Neptune lounge doesn't have free drinks like the suite lounge does on Royal for example and there isn't a separate dining room for suite guests for lunch or dinner. What I very much do like about Holland is the excellent service and the fact that you are made to feel welcome as soon as you walk on the ship. You also didn't mention the casino--we find that the dealers and casino hosts are very friendly on Holland America and that the perks for playing in the casino are better than on other lines. We find that we generally get more offers for free cruises on Holland as compared to other lines--even when we take a break from sailing on Holland. We also feel that the buffet on the lido is the best we have ever encountered in "mainstream" cruising. At dinner--the same menu is featured in the buffet as in the dining room. They have twice as many employees working in the lido than on other cruise lines--you never have to get up to get coffee and you never have to flag the waitstaff down in the lido. A Holland American cruise is just plain relaxing. I would never bring my grandchild on Holland with me though--no slides, roller coasters, or climbing walls.

[colingeorge]

Very good review! We sailed on the same ship about two months ago and loved it! We love Holland America for the traditional cruising experience without all of the gimmicks! We really love that Holland America puts their focus and resources on ensuring excellent service! Service by room stewards, bar tenders, waiters, guest services, and food are top notch! The other thing we thought was excellent which you didn’t mention was how you can comment in the app on the excellent service you get and by which employee. The employees then see the comments each day and that you made it about them! Then they come thank you and are so appreciative of the comments! It helps them with promotions, wages, and evaluations. Great review!

[Jen-przu]

We did one to Alaska in September. We loved the entire experience. It was Nieuw Amsterdam, and although the ship was clearly older, it was immaculate, and the service was incredible. We LOVED our stateroom attendants, and they were a joy to talk to . even left us messages playfully with a stuffed animal I bought and left in fun dioramas in the room! The food was very good, although too heavy on the 5 spice in many dishes. The entertainment was on point, music is the main theme and that's what we wanted. If there had been some of the music piped into rooms via a channel, it would have gotten 5stars from us. Our ship was smaller, and there was limited seating for the Lincoln Center Stage. Wifi was abominable, and the fact that you couldn't have an Americano through room service was a shame. I think the TV options were extremely limited and could be improved. I don't want music by the pool when it's not pool season, but I wouldn't use the pool anyway if it were. Use ear buds and listen to music you like. Beds are very comfy, laundry service a must, never had such lovely crew! Definitely do it again!!!

[kendrawaterbury]

After watching this i will absolutely book with HA. They seem to be exactly what I’m looking for in a vacation. So grateful you shared the good and bad. I’m loving the vibe HA is offering and the food sounds fantastic!

[Xawsome]

12 days away from giant cream puff heaven. Between those and the fresh baked cobblers on the buffet HAL has the best desserts at sea

[MichaelofTheVillages]

Great video and commentary - I have been on over 30 cruises, transitioned out of Carnival/Royal Caribbean/Norwegian (which I loved in my 20s, 30s and 40s) - wanted to upgrade to better food, better service, less rowdy party passengers, a more refined and subdued country-club cruise experience. I’m now sailing Holland America exclusively since 2013 (I’m in my early 6ps now) - I’ve taken them to the Caribbean, Mexico, Alaska, and on two trans-Atlantics - the longer cruises are the best - definitely more down time on HA, and you need to be able to be able to Entertain yourself at times - I love the Crows Nest each morning to watch the sunrise with a latte. The limited capacity spa whirlpool is worth the upcharge. Food, especially in the specialty restaurants blows away other mainstream cruise lines. I really like the music walk - start out with classical and a glass of wine before dinner, then return for blues, mop, and rock. I feel most at home on this line.

[blackimpala]

I would love to hear more about the dining options and food. A lot of cruises now charge extra for room service, so having that included is great to know.

[andreas]

We really enjoy the HAL brand of cruise life….we want relaxation and a chiller vibe. We don’t want a party type atmosphere but trust me it’s an enjoyable adventure. Not loud and a lovely atmosphere. The music walk has something for everyone and the shows are fantastic! Cheers and thanks Illana! 😊🥂

[TrudyMarchant]

I am 76 years old and am taking my first cruise ever on the Holland America Eurodam to Alaska. I was going solo but my daughter is coming with me. This is her first cruise too. We are taking Amtrak from Jacksonville, FL (my first time on a train) to Seattle WA (4 days) then the cruise and then back on the train. Two nights at a hotel downtown in Seattle. I am so exicted and from all the videos I have watched, I think this ship is for me. I have learned so much from you in your videos. We are going in September and if you would like me to I will let you know about our vacation.

[deekang]

Food - there is so much food that is included, I don’t mind the up charges.

The food in general is so good. I go for the food and the quiet.

And love the “free room service”. Although a limited menu, I appreciate that I can get something in my room for free.