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Fluid lines and dramatic spaces make the Holland America Nieuw Statendam a modern beauty. The second in the line of Pinnacle-class cruise ships, its design draws inspiration from the elegant curves of musical instruments. When not relaxing in well-appointed suites or staterooms, guests will have a multitude of innovative dining and entertainment options—from Rudi’s Sel de Mer to Nami Sushi to the Rolling Stone Rock Room, B.B. King’s Blues Club, and the visually stunning two-level World Stage.
Best Cruise Ship Awards
Nieuw Statendam’s inspired design and entertainment options earned it Best New Cruise Ship and Best Mid-Size Cruise Ship awards, among other accolades. Passengers and cruise critics love this sublime ship.
This was one of the greatest cruises we've ever sailed. The food was high quality, the entertainment was great, and the service was awesome! There are some some signs that the ship is aging, but aside by that, the staterooms were clean, and our steward was passionate with us. He learned our names within the first day. People think that Holland America Line is for older peole, but being a kid, it was awesome! Though I can't tell how good the fitness center was, there were some other things kids can do. The High Score kids club had arcades and other video games plus some sitting area. There were some areas to get your daily walks or jogs. The Lido Market had a variety of food from different parts of the world, and they were high quality. The entertainment was mainly in the World Stage Theater. There were some music area like B.B Kings Blue Club or Billboard on Board. I think this ship is recommended for families because there was a lido pool or board games in the Crow's Nest. Embarking the ship was a breeze and was quick getting on the ship. Will definitely go again the Nieuw Statendam. Shout out to the main dining room server Arief and his assistant server Andrew. Shout out to Raymond our steward. Shout out to Nike the Dive-In restaurant cashier (dive in is complimentary).
Embarkation – • Had to see Guest Services in order for hubby to get the Navigator app on his phone. They solved the problem rather quickly. • Good food at buffet. Need to get used to the fact that they have to serve you. • Many uncleared tables. The wait staff seemed overwhelmed. • Poor beer selection (I only found out later that better beer was available at the Dutch Café.) • Our stateroom was very spacious with lots of storage. No balcony, but two bathrooms! • Bed firmness and pillows not optimal but satisfactory. • We met our steward, but never his assistant. Two turndowns a day and ice. Yes! • No live music at sailaway. • Hey Mr. DJ evening show: o A for music & sound o B for singers o C+ for lighting (everybody was in blue or purple – not natural flesh tones) o C for choreography. • Dinner at Pinnacle Grill (specialty restaurant) o Wife had filet mignon A+ o Hubby had sea bass C+ • Have to sign for all bar drinks. What a hassle! Sunday – Half Moon Cay – • We spent 11 am to 3:30 pm on the island. • We walked the entire beach but never went into the water except for bare feet. Very fine sand. • There was a gentle breeze but sun was hot. • They had a BBQ lunch that was pretty good, but from only 11 am to 1 pm, which was a pretty short window for lunch. • They ran out of soft serve ice cream, juice and lemon aid by the time we got there. • The beach chairs were hard to come by until after lunch. • No island music to speak of but a solo guitarist played at one of the bars. We really liked him. • We had to tender but the boats were large so we didn’t have to wait too long to return. • We didn’t have many food options once we got back and showered. Had some drinks and had to wait until the buffet opened to eat before the Super Bowl. • We watched the Super Bowl in the theater. No problem finding seats. It didn’t really fill up until just before half time. We didn’t get to see product commercials, just ESPN promos. • They served tapas and pop corn in both the buffet and theater prior to the game. • There were no fan activities to promote excitement like tossing inflatable footballs or staff cheering one side over the other. • After the game they had comedian in the theater. He was A- B+. He interacted with the audience well. Monday – Sea Day • We had to set clocks ahead so we opted for room service breakfast. Eggs, bacon, sausage, fruit, Danish, coffee, juice. I rate the breakfast an A. • Once again, we find that this ship closes their buffet down in early to mid afternoon, so we found that service often didn’t jive with our schedule. Their having to serve you is sometimes confusing because sometimes they pass your plate to another server when you want something added that’s down your line. Then you don’t always get the portion you’d select, etc. • There were facecloth-sized terrycloth towels in the public restrooms to wipe your hands on. To me, that seemed more wasteful having to wash those than to use paper towels. I suppose it’s supposed to make the experience more luxurious. Wife didn’t have a problem with this. They can be reused after washing. With all the laundry on this ship, what’s a few more towels? • The evening show was called Song & Dance. The chorography this time was excellent, as were the 2 male singers. The walls along the side of the theater were covered with LEDs that had constantly moving scenes on them. We rated this one A+. • We ended the evening at the Rolling Stone and Billboard lounges. The Rolling Stone band was great and the two pianos in the Billboard lounge picked up when the Rolling Stone venue ended with more mellow pop songs, so the music never stopped. Tuesday – Puerto Plata, DR • Went on a coffee tour to a plantation where we planted coffee beans, saw how they roast and grind them and then sampled the result. We also had an authentic Dominican lunch of chicken, beans and rice. • The show that evening was an illusionist who we found to be excellent. • After we went to see the band again. The solo guitarist joined them for some songs and that really amped them and the crowd up. • We also went to another music trivia. It seems like we are getting worse at this as time goes on. Wednesday – Grand Turk • We decided not to take a tour this time and just hang out. We had a leisurely breakfast at the buffet and then hit both the beach and pool by Marguarittaville. The water temp in both places was about 75 degrees. • The surf was a little rougher here and wife had a problem getting out of the water. • We walked this beach a bit too and saw people riding horses. • Today was orange day where the guests and crew wear something orange. I’d say about 85% of guests participated. It was pretty neat to see a sea of the same color all over the ship. • Very slow service at dinner tonight. They had an “orange party” in the BB King lounge, but there was a sea of people there jumping up and down so we opted to just go to see the band instead. • Tonight the comedian returned. He was funny, but not as good as the first show. Thursday – At Sea • Had breakfast in the dining room. Big mistake! They sat us with 2 other couples, which was fortunate because then we had someone else to converse with for an hour and a half! That’s how long it took us to sit, order and eat. Service was VERY slow. The food was good though. • The slow breakfast service made us miss most of the operations of the ship talk that we wanted to see. • Hubby attended a health talk that was just a sales pitch for their $99 “body test”. • We then spent some time reading in the Crow’s Nest and then had a snack for lunch. • We went back to the room a bit and then caught a bit of the solo guitarist and then music trivia with one of the piano players. She did an excellent job but it was hard guessing the title and artist of songs when the original recording wasn’t being played. • For dinner in the dining room, hubby had duck for the first time. It wasn’t bad, but just a little weird consistency. • The show tonight was a tribute to Las Vegas divas who had played the strip. It was very well done! • We wrapped up the evening again listening to the Rolling Stone band. Friday- Key West • Today, all the guests on the ship had to be checked in by Homeland Security because we were coming in from a foreign port but not yet leaving the ship. We had to meet them in the theatre and show them our passports. Then it was off to the buffet for breakfast. • Walked a bit down Front and Duvall Streets before deciding to do the hop-on, hop-off trolley. We didn’t hop-off though. We stayed on for a 90-minute tour through Key West. It has changed quite a bit since we were last there 15+ years ago. Lots of new condos where Mallory Square used to have performers and buskers on the waterfront. • We then headed back to the ship for lunch and back to the room to pack. • We then went to listen to the solo guitarist’s set for the last time. Then it was back to the dining room. Hubby’s brisket was good but wife said her strip steak was tough. It was really the only bad meal she’s had on the trip. The waiter was very concerned about it and wanted to bring her another entrée, but she really wasn’t very hungry. • The show tonight featured the ships 6 dancers. It was an excellent show with very effective use of lighting and props. • Our bags didn’t have to be out until midnight, so we waited until after show to place them. • It figures… Hubby discovered on the LAST day that the Dutch Café had some better beers: Leffe Blonde & Tripel and Duval. He spotted them on the shelf when wife was getting a coffee. They were not even listed on their beer menu. Bummer!! Saturday-Disembarkation Day • We had breakfast in the dining room. They called us a little earlier than we were scheduled, so we had a 45 minute wait for our Lyft driver’s scheduled time. Disembarkation went very smoothly and we found our bags right away but the scene was chaotic once we got outside with everyone trying to get to their transportation.
This was our second time on Holland America and our 31st. cruise overall. Our favorite line is Princess and I will compare the two in my review. The ship layout was very good with the MDR, lounges, specialty restaurants all located on decks 2&3. The Lido deck was deck 9 with the pools, buffet, burger bar, pizza bar, and three beverage bars. The gym, Crow's Nest, sports court, and others were higher up. The decor throughout the ship was elegant with darker panelling, tasteful carpeting, and flowers everywhere. Everything looked fresh and new without any wear, and very clean. The huge lounges in the Music Walk area on deck 2 were very dark and empty during the day where Princess venues are always teeming with people all day long. It was a very dismal atmosphere being so dark and icy cold but after dinner was very vibrant with music from three lounges competing with each other and standing room only. Princess offers live entertainment or programs all day long in the atrium so you're not forced up to the lido deck to be with humans. The main dining room was cavernous with seating on two levels with the upstairs diners looking down at the large area below. We found a good selection and variety of entrees over the course of our week onboard and agreed that the food was the best we've had in all our cruise experiences. The portions were adequate and always the right temperature. The service was fine, but I believe all cruise lines have slipped over the years from the world-class service they used to provide. We also found all the food on the buffet to be enjoyable and varied, but many items were lukewarm unlike other ships that use heat lamps and heated trays. Food was served by the crew and was efficient and friendly. The dining area was clean and bright with large windows overlooking the sea. The main pool was standard cruise ship with two decks full of lounges that were reserved from sun up by the hogs. As usual. There is a huge sliding roof to keep the nasty weather out if needed, so this would be a boon on Alaskan cruises. The aft pool was larger than most with tons of loungers, tables, and it's own bar. But it's also the smoking area and the stench of the smoke and cigars drove us out in seconds. We looked forward to having breakfast out back but the disgusting smell wouldn't allow us to enjoy the wake view. Princess reserves a top deck for the 5% of guests who desire to indulge. Our deluxe balcony cabin was standard New York hotel room size. Plenty of closet space, shelves, mini fridge, safe, and a good sized flat screen T.V. The doll house sized bathroom was tight but the shower more than made up for it. Glass doors, high water pressure, and 2 1/2 ft. by 5 ft. footprint was the best shower situation we've ever had. Heavenly! We didn't appreciate the onboard entertainment as most everyone else did. The BB King Allstar band was talented and drew a huge crowd every night. But it was all 60's and 70's blues music repeated nightly. Think Gladys Knight. The Rolling Stone house band was generic rock. And the Dueling Pianos in the Billboard lounge were anything but dueling. We expected Billy Joel vs. Elton John, but they sang ballads and lacked energy in my opinion. With off-key voices. Big crowds, though. All the crew members we had any interaction with were smiling, friendly and efficient. But any of them we passed in the halls and venues, including all officers, wouldn't even make eye contact with us. Very cold compared to the Princess crews who obviously are better trained. In conclusion, we enjoyed our week on the Statendam regardless of a few hiccups. With the great food and the several crew members we befriended, another satisfying cruise under our belts! Princess first, Celebrity second, and Holland number three.
Step into a private haven characterized by light, space and elegance. Our interior designer, guided by guest feedback, was given the freedom to completely reimagine staterooms aboard. The result: welcome modern touches such as bedside USB ports and frameless shower glass doors, as well as luxe appointments like customized wooden cabinetry.
Grab one of our signature burgers by the pool at Dive-In, choose sophisticated ambiance in our elegant dining room, spend a romantic evening in the Pinnacle Grill or enjoy in-room dining any time of day.
Dazzling entertainment options abound on board Nieuw Statendam. The new Lincoln Center Stage and Billboard Onboard venues join the already popular B.B. King’s Blues Club for a complete new “Music Walk” experience.
Whether you want to workout in the Fitness Centre, learn yoga, pamper yourself with a massage and spa treatment, or enjoy a game of basketball, there's a perfect onboard activity for everyone.
Rejuvenate at our Greenhouse Spa, take a Pilates class or simply relax and unwind.
Holland America Line's youth activities program, Kids Club, offers an array of entertaining events for kids and teens ages 3-17, supervised by a full-time, professionally trained staff. They'll have an opportunity to join other kids their age for arts and crafts, sports, video game competitions, scavenger hunts, challenging team games and themed parties.
Note: Kids Club is not offered on cruises of 25-days or longer, including all Legendary and Grand Voyages. We will offer a selection of children’s activities throughout these longer voyages for any children who may be onboard.
Safety Comes First
Safety is our primary concern and strict policies are in place for effective supervision. Adult guests are not permitted to remain in Kids Club unless attending to a special-needs child.
Please note: During voyages with a high number of families onboard, we will make all efforts to accommodate interested parties. However, participation in our program cannot be guaranteed. Hours of operation may change to better serve our guests.
