The cruise ship MS Nieuw Statendam was put into service by Holland America Line (HAL) in December 2018. She is after the MS Koningsdam the second ship of the three-ship Pinnacle class. Pinnacle means "summit, peak or unique". All these characterizations apply to the MS Nieuw Statendam. The ship class represents the largest, most technically sophisticated and most luxurious cruise ships in the HAL. The third ship in the Pinnacle class is MS Rotterdam, which was commissioned in October 2021.
Nieuw Statendam in Flåm, Norway
MS Nieuw Statendam at first sight
MS Nieuw Statendam was designed for guests who value the premium segment and are willing to spend money on it. In return, they receive high-quality equipment, excellent service, excellent gastronomic services, especially in the specialty restaurants, as well as a wide range of sports, entertainment and wellness offers.
Nieuw Statendam - Restaurant Rudi's Sel de Mer
With her 297 meter long, navy blue hull, white deck paint and distinctive funnel, MS Statendam looks extremely classy. Kissing mouths, large-format lettering or imaginative hull paintings would be out of place on this cruise ship.
Nieuw Statendam
The public rooms are furnished to a high standard. The atrium, elegant carpet floors, lavish, tasteful furniture and more than 1.900 works of art underline the impression. The restaurants, bars and lounges appear to be of one piece. When it comes to eating and drinking, the Pinnacle-class ships offer far more dining options than the other ten fleet members.
MS Nieuw Statendam is a family ship on which children and young people as well as their parents feel comfortable.
We tested the ship in May and June 2023 over the course of an XNUMX-night cruise departing from Amsterdam to Copenhagen led. MS Nieuw Statendam also visited several Norwegian destinations during the voyage
Cabins & Suites
The ship has 1.339 cabins and suites, which corresponds to 2.660 beds with double occupancy. All cabins offer a lot of comfort and meet high standards. Pine imitations serve as wall coverings. A light background stretches behind the beds; the carpets are decorated in a violet hue.
Cupboards and drawers offer enough space. Suitcases can be stowed under the high, comfortable beds, and there is nothing wrong with the rest of the technical equipment in the cabins, such as a large flat-screen TV and a selection of films (Movies on Demand). The sockets fit American and European plug systems.
The cabin bathrooms have white laminate walls, gray floor tiles, modern sinks, toilets, spacious shower trays and high-quality fittings.
In addition to interior, sea view and balcony cabins, the ship offers four suites of different sizes. The largest suite is the almost 120 square meter Pinnacle Suite. There are also special spa cabins l Family cabins with sea view for a maximum of five people with two wet cells l Outside cabins for single travelers l handicapped accessible cabins.
As befits a premium brand, cabin service takes place twice a day. The cabin stewards work in pairs. They are friendly, well trained and see themselves as service providers.
Eating and Drinking
Restaurants
As is customary in the industry, the on-board restaurants are divided into restaurants that are included in the travel price and restaurants that are subject to a surcharge.
Inclusive restaurants
Dining included in the price of the trip includes the main two-story restaurant, The Dining Room l the Lido Market buffet restaurant l the Burger Station Dive In l the Pizzeria New York Deli & Pizza l the Bistro Grand Dutch Café.
specialty restaurants
The Italian restaurant Canaletto is subject to a surcharge l the brasserie Rudi's Sel de Mer l the Pinnacle Grill steak and seafood restaurant l the Tamarind for Pan-Asian cuisine l the Nami Sushi. The à la carte menus offered in these specialty restaurants will debit the onboard account from 19 to 49 US dollars per person.
A special restaurant is reserved for HAL Orange Club members. Orange Club membership is chargeable and secures certain priorities. This includes breakfast and dinner in the Orange Club Restaurant.
As is usual on cruise ships, coffee, tea, water, lemonade or similar soft drinks are provided free of charge. All other drinks require additional payments.
Variety and quality of the dishes
The dishes are varied and of high quality. Even at the Burger Station Dive-In, the food, including fries, is made to order.
The organization in the dining room, which can accommodate more than 1.200 guests, is to be criticized. Guests who have opted for the "open dining" option are sometimes badly seated and have to expect longer waiting times before having dinner. The organization of the buffet restaurant Lido Market is also to be criticized. At various, well-sounding "Food Stations" something of many things is offered. Apart from a few exceptions, eating the food involves a lot of unnecessary walking. A presentation of the dishes according to the needs of the guests and themes would be recommended.
Nieuw Statendam - Lido Market dining options
Wine cellar & wine waiter
The wine offers are adapted to the orientation of the restaurants. In general, good and tasty wines are offered. Regrettably, the shipping company maintains the disproportionately high price level that is usual with US cruise ships. A glass of Chardonnay debits the onboard account with eleven US dollars. A glass of Pinot Noir costs $13.
Service quality
All of the service restaurants offer dedicated, friendly service that is focused on the well-being of the guests.
Bars & Lounges
The range of bars & lounges is extensive. None is like the other in terms of equipment. The main bars & lounges are the Explorations Café l the panoramic bar l the lido bar l the Sea View Bar l the ocean bar l the bars of the Music Walk.
Sport & Wellness
Sport
The sports studio, equipped with the best technology, takes up the entire width of the Lido Deck.
Sun-seekers and swimmers can use the Lido Pool in the middle of the ship and the Sea View Pool in the stern area. The ship's hot tubs are generally well used. The six-part glass roof over the Lido Pool is opened in good weather conditions.
The relaxation loungers in the pool area are supplemented by further spacious loungers on the higher decks. However, shaded areas are rare. In contrast, there is no stinginess with pool towels, and the drink service also works.
A 560 meter long promenade leads on the boat deck without interruption around the whole ship. In contrast, the jogging track on the Sun Deck is comparatively short at 140 meters in length.
Table tennis, shuffleboard and a large field for ball sports complete the sporting offer.
Wellness
The Greenhouse Spa & Salon, run by spa operator Steiner, connects to the gym on deck 9. There is a branch above on deck 10. The wellness area offers a variety of spa treatments for a fee. Saunas and an indoor pool complete the wellness offer.
Also for a fee, the ship's guests are offered a private retreat with the retreat cabanas on the observation deck (deck 12).
Entertainment
When the ship is at full capacity, more than 2.600 guests want to be well entertained every day. A program structured throughout the day ensures qualified entertainment on board the MS Nieuw Statendam.
World Stage
A key venue for onboard entertainment is the innovative World Stage, which extends over two decks. The special feature of this main stage is the 76 meter long HD LED screen curved by 270°. It makes spectacular projections possible.
During our trip we saw several stage shows by a six-person dance troupe. The dancers act perfectly and do their work with a lot of joy and commitment.
Nieuw Statendam - dance troupe
Cinema LED screen
We already liked the cinema LED screen behind the Lido Pool on the MS Koningsdam. Feature films or film documentaries are regularly shown to passengers. The sun loungers are used as cinema loungers in the evenings.
Nieuw Statendam - Cinema LED screen by the indoor pool
Music Walk
The Music Walk offers a variety of musical entertainment. Everything revolves around music on three stages. A wide variety of musical offerings are offered to guests in the evenings. Will be entertained...
… in the Billboard onboard: Two pianists and singers sitting opposite each other and interacting ingeniously - Blair and Tim - present the guests with the chart breakers and popular hits of the last 50 years;
... in the two-story BB King's Blues Club: The musicians of the BB King's All-Stars Band heat up their guests in the evenings with blues, jazz, rock and upbeat music from Memphis/Tennessee.
Nieuw Statendam - Dance and music at BB King's Blues Club
… in the Rolling Stone Rock Room: Rock'n Roll lovers will get their money's worth with the loud performances.
An American cruise ship without a casino is unthinkable. Casino games on tables and on slot machines take place on deck 3. The employees of the big casino must not complain about a lack of employment.
Crowd favorites include bingo and trivia events with attractive payouts.
Shops satisfy the desire for expensive watches, jewellery, designer products and much more. The shops can be found on the second and third decks.
General information about MS Nieuw Statendam
Commissioning |
2018 |
Godmother |
Talk show host Oprah Winfrey |
Dimensions |
Length 297 meters, width 35 meters |
measurement |
99.500 GT |
Passenger decks |
12 decks |
Machine |
Diesel electric / 2 Azipods |
passengers |
2.660 with double occupancy |
Staterooms |
1.339 |
Crew |
1.036 |
Flagge |
Netherlands |
shipyard |
Fincantieri, Marghera / Venice |
Board language |
English |
Currency on board |
U.S. dollar |
Current position Nieuw Statendam
Summary
Before our voyage on the MS Nieuw Statendam, we had in-depth, positive experiences with her sister ship, the MS Koningsdam, and the MS Rotterdam, which has meanwhile been eliminated from the HAL fleet. These travel experiences prompted us to test the MS Nieuw Statendam during a Nordland voyage.
Nieuw Statendam - Captain Noel O'Driscoll
We come to the conclusion that the Nieuw Statendam is a first class cruise ship. The ship, which entered service in 2018, offers premium quality in all areas. After more than four years of use, it looks like it has just been taken over by the shipyard. Not even the smallest spot of rust can be seen. Permanent maintenance work contributes to this impression. The styling and amenities, the restaurants, the general and cabin services and the entertainment options are of the highest quality. MS Nieuw Statendam can rightly be counted among the premium ships.
MS Nieuw Statendam is recommended as a cruise ship for German cruise guests who would like to get to know high-quality cruise offers instead of their cult brands AIDA and TUI Cruises. The previously mentioned weaknesses in the main restaurant or in the Lido Market buffet restaurant do not detract from our generally positive assessment.
June 2023