As some of you may already know, I was invited by Holland America to spend a day onboard Nieuw Statendam and I was really impressed by this ship. It was my first experience with Holland America and after seeing this ship, probably not the last. There are so many things that make this ship fantastic but I managed to narrow it down to a list of 5! So these are 5 things I loved about HAL’s newest ship!
1. Size
One of the deciding factors for many people is the size of a ship. I personally, don’t have a problem with mega ships, but mid sized ships are still my favorites because they offer a completely different experience! Mid sized ships are also known for less overcrowding and a better crew to passenger ratio. That’s exactly what Nieuw Statendam offers as a mid-sized cruise ship. It is big enough to offer everything to keep you entertained but still small enough to feel like an actual ship rather than a huge resort. Nieuw Statendam has a passenger capacity of 2.666 at double occupancy and around 3000 at maximum. That might seem a lot but that is a mid-sized ship in today’s industry. It measures up at just over 99.000 gross tons so it can still sail to some ports that mega ships can’t visit. So in my opinion, a perfect size!
2. Music / Entertainment
Whether it is the three music venues that the ship boasts, or simply that decks on the ship are named after composers, music will carry you through your sailing. On this ship, and HAL in general you will always be able to find live music being played at different locations all around the ship. The Music Walk area on Deck 2 of Nieuw Statendam includes everything from a string piano quintet on Lincoln Center Stage to the hard rock tunes of the Rolling Stone Rock Room. Mixed in are the stars of the popular Holland American Line BB Kings Blues Band, plus two pianists which play simultaneously in the Billboard Onboard. There is also the main theater called the “World Stage” which is truly unique. You as a spectator are sorrounded by a 270° LED screen. This is where the main shows with complex sound and light presentations take place. These feature talented dancers which use large wraparound digital screens to their advantage.
3. Complimentary dining
What I really love about this ship is the amount of complimentary dining venues. These dining venues are included in your cruise fare: The Lido Market (main buffet) which is well spread out, with many food stations that offer anything and everything. This buffet is one of the best one’s I’ve seen. It has a large variety of food on offer and plenty of seating so you don’t have to worry about overcrowding. You can grab burgers, hot dogs and fries at the Dive In burger bar. I tried the burgers there and I loved them! What’s great is that it’s a made-to-order venue so you’re always getting freshly made food. New York Deli & Pizza is also a made-to-order food venue which offers pizza, sandwiches and salads. You can even choose the ingredients for your Pizza, how great is that! And of course, you can dine in the main dining room which looks stunning! It is a sit down restaurant which offers breakfast, lunch, tea time and dinner.
Even though these are all complimentary options there is no lack in quality! But if you do want more options there are also up charge restaurants onboard.
New York Deli & Pizza 
The Main Dining Room
4. Pool deck
There are many beautiful spaces on this ship but the pool deck is really something special. There are two pool areas on this ship. The main pool area with a retractable glass roof (The Lido Pool) and a pool at the aft of the ship (The Seaview Pool). Both are equally amazing and stunning. But the Lido pool is such a versatile space and that’s why it’s on this list! It is used as a pool area during the day and by night it converts into an open air cinema! There are so many places to sit down and relax by the pool with a drink that you can order at not one, but two pool bars! You can always grab something quick to eat like burgers from Dive In or Pizza from New York deli & Pizza. There is also a Gelato shop but it is not complimentary. This area is decorated with bright colors which makes it look even bigger. It spans over two decks, which is a new design for HAL ships. The upper deck offers a more peaceful vibe with comfortable loungers and sunbeds.
When the night falls this space becomes a movie theater! There is a huge screen where they show movies every night, how great is that! This area is, as I’ve said, covered so this space can be used no matter how bad the weather conditions outside are.
5. Public spaces
The public areas on Nieuw Statendam are beautiful with light, bright tones and modern art works throughout. The overall look of the ship is a really interesting balance between a traditional feel and a modern feel, and so although some of the decor is sort of traditional the artwork is very contemporary so it has quite a nice mix to it. My favorite area onboard must be Explorations Central & Café. It is basically a completely revamped Crow’s nest. It is located on the top deck forward (Deck 12) which is great for amazing views. Here you will find a café bar, a library, many cozy seats and a shore excursions desk with huge touch screen tables. Touch screen panels provide guides to destinations the ship is visiting and fun passenger quizzes which are displayed on the video screens around the lounge so everyone can see them. You could spend hours playing around on these touch panels. All in all this area is perfect if you want to learn something, read a good book or just soak in amazing sea views. I love the decor of this ship, it is contemporary but still old world classy, I love that combination!
Visiting this ship was great because I got to experience a HAL ship for a day! I will hopefully sail on a Holland America ship soon… I want to thank HAL for inviting me to visit their newest ship and you guys for supporting me on Instagram and reading my blog because without you I wouldn’t get that invite! Thanks again!
If you want to read my full review of Nieuw Statendam you can do that HERE!
Thank you for reading, Dominik!
Cruise Ship Paradise 