Kathy sails to the Arctic with AE Expeditions
June 20, 2023
Our Marketing & Creative Design Executive, Brogan, recently returned from a cruise journey aboard Holland America Line’s Nieuw Statendam – sailing from Copenhagen to Dover. This was Brogan’s first experience of a Holland America Line ship and it did not disappoint!
Brogan said “We embarked in Copenhagen and sailed towards Dover, sampling all of the sights, sounds and flavours that this cruise line has to offer. From the moment I stepped onboard, I could tell that we were about to have a wonderful few days.”
If you love the sound of what Brogan experienced onboard and are interested in cruising with Holland America Line, at Fred. Holidays we offer a range of fantastic sailings and also an exciting selection of extra-special ocean cruise and stay itineraries. What’s more, is that Holland America Line has announced a BRANDNEW cruise program sailing directly out of Dover in the UK, aboard this very same ship. So it will be even more easily accessible for UK guests!
Read on below to find out more.
“After the morning travelling, it was time to embark on our home for the next two days! We dropped our luggage and embarked at the Copenhagen cruise terminal, being greeted by friendly staff and a warm atmosphere onboard the Pinnacle Class ship, Nieuw Statendam. My first impressions were that the ship was spacious, modern and full of eye-catching artwork. Holland America Line says that her design draws inspiration from elegant curves of musical instruments and this is evident when boarding the ship – the artwork throughout also features musicians and instruments, making it cohesive and beautiful.
We were excited to check in to our staterooms, also meeting our friendly cabin steward. We were lucky enough to be appointed Verandah staterooms and these were spacious, elegant and modern – perfect for relaxing and comfort. The state rooms had a light colour palette for décor and this felt clean and fresh with super comfortable signature Mariner’s DreamTM beds for a a great night sleep.
Now settled into our staterooms meant it was time to explore the ship and it’s array of bars, lounges and entertainment areas. We headed to the Sea View Bar for a late lunch, indulging in a made-to-order pizza and soaking in the atmosphere as we sailed away. The lunch options onboard offered great variety, from New York Pizza to a delicious, a highly recommended burger at Dive-In or if you rather, The Lido Market for a fresh buffet service.
After a relaxing afternoon, we got ready for dinner and met at the Ocean Bar for a pre-dinner drink. The atmosphere here was calm but social and this was a very elegant setting with spectacular ocean views. This set the scene nicely for a show on The World Stage, presented by the Cruise Director about Holland America Line’s 150 years of cruising. We learnt about the history and heritage of the cruise line, which was a super special show to see. This show allowed me to gain a greater understanding of Holland America Line and their values – all as a fantastic, modern production with two-story panoramic LED screens.
Excited for what dinner had in store, we headed to specialty restaurant, Tamarind - dining that offers culinary traditions of Southeast Asia, China and Japan. The theming in this restaurant was stunning and low-lit, it felt like a special dining experience with the service and food being amazing. The whole experience in Tamarind was wonderful and I would love to try more of their food, including the Nami Sushi area of the restaurant. If you sail onboard one of Holland America Line’s Pinnacle Class ships, I highly recommend the Tamarind dining experience. If this isn’t to your taste, there are various Specialty Dining venues onboard such as Pinnacle Grill (a Steak and Seafood restaurant),Canaletto (an authentic Italian restaurant) and more.
Holland America Line offer outstanding entertainment options across their fleet, with live music for a variety of tastes. My highlight of our trip is the Music Walk that allows guests to move between venues and enjoy live music from three different, incredibly talented performers and it blew me away. After dinner, we went to experience Piano players in the Billboard Onboard, where chart topping hits are performed for an engaged crowd. Then onto B.B. King’s Blues Club direct from Beale Street in Memphis, the all-star band mesmerize you with outstanding vocals and the dance floor was filled. Onto our final stop, the all-new Rolling Stone Rock Room, to listen to well-known and loved hits. It was an amazing evening and the bands were incredibly talented with guests up dancing and immersing themselves in the music. This was my favourite experience onboard the Nieuw Statendam and we luckily enjoyed this both nights.”
“To begin the day, I had a delicious breakfast in the Lido Market. I had a fresh omelette made-to-order and pastries - a great start to the day. The options for breakfast in the Lido Market were vast and everything was fresh – it was busierin there so was popular, but you could also eat breakfast in the Main Dining Room if you prefer a more formal waiter-service meal to start the day.
We enjoyed a cocktail mixology class in the afternoon after some relaxing time, exploring the ship. It was excellent to take part in and we learnt to make three different cocktails. The crew member leading this made it super fun and interactive.
Our day at sea mostly consisted of exploring and relaxing at our leisure. Guests can getup to a variety of activities during a day at sea and everyone seemed to spend their afternoon differently: whether it was enjoying time on the jogging track followed by relaxing in the jacuzzi, spending time in the Casino and at happy hour in one of the elegant bars, relaxing in the stateroom with the Verandah doors open enjoying the ocean, or enjoying the spa and a dive-in burger onboard– there is so much to get up to on the Nieuw Statendam.
A relaxing day lead to dressing up for formal night and dining in the Main Dining Room. Enjoying a different dining option for dinner, I started my meal with soup, followed by Beef Tenderloin, then an amazing apple pie for dessert and the food was delicious. We ended the evening with an innovative dance performance on The World Stage and it felt unique to other cruise production shows I had seen before. We then ventured to the Music Walk for more incredible live entertainment, topping off the trip with my favourite part of all!”
Overall, Brogan’s experience of Holland America Line was amazing, and she thoroughly enjoyed her time onboard. She shares how it was spacious, modern, friendly and had a homely atmosphere all in one! The décor onboard was consistent with the music theme, the food was fresh and delicious, and the live entertainment was incredible – she can’t recommend the Music Walk enough, especially to music lovers.
