This will be our fourth HAL cruise but our first time on the Nieuw Amsterdam. You might recall that last year we spent the period of Emerald Princess' dry dock on the HAL Noordam. We're comfortable on HAL ships- not quite as comfortable as on Princess ships (heck, they're home to us)- but are generally content to enjoy what we consider HAL's strong suits (quality entertainment, uncrowded ships, their private island in the Bahamas called Half Moon Cay, and their buffets) and accepting of their weaknesses (dining service, language issues with the crew and an older- much older- passenger demographic). We'll see if this cruise changes our perceptions.
We booked this cruise only three weeks ago, and because prices were dropping to fill the ship, opted for a Verandah Guarantee. This means we're guaranteed a balcony cabin, but it's assigned to us...we don't choose it ourselves. We were pleased when, just days before we left home, we received a cabin assignment that was several categories higher than what we had booked and paid for. Although the cabin itself isn't that much larger than an inside cabin, the balcony will give us the additional space we'll need to avoid feeling like we're stumbling over suitcases all week (once again, we don't intend to unpack everything).
We chose this cruise for its Western Caribbean itinerary; we've not been to most of these ports in at least eight years, although we've been to them all several times in the past. We are also looking forward to this smaller ship, and the string quartet that we know we can count on listening to every evening. And gorgeous Half Moon Cay (HAL's private beach resort in Little San Salvador in the Bahamas) which alone would make this a worthwhile cruise.
I won't have free Internet on the Nieuw Amsterdam, and won't be paying for it on the ship. Just as I did last year on the Noordam, I'll continue to blog every day, and will publish posts whenever I get free or cheap WiFi in port. It's a strange feeling, to be disconnected from the World Wide Web, and I'll admit it makes me twitchy. It's like being on the dark side of the moon, and I've never been a fan of the dark. ;-)
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| Holland America Line ms Nieuw Amsterdam Launched 2010 86,700 tons 2,106 passengers |
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| Our Western Caribbean itinerary |
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| Yay! A return to Key West! |