Welcome aboard the Nieuw Statendam

Our voyage on Holland America’s Nieuw Statendam begins in Fort Lauderdale. It is a special voyage that we are embarking on with the Koningsdam’s sister ship, because it is one of the Heritage Cruises. To celebrate the 150th anniversary of Holland America Line, 48 Heritage Cruises will be offered that are linked to the history of HAL. One of these cruises departs from Fort Lauderdale to visit Half Moon Cay, Curaçao and Aruba. We are very much looking forward to this historic experience in the Caribbean.

The Nieuw Statendam is the 15th ship in the fleet and belongs to the Pinnacle class. It is the sixth ship in the history of Holland America Line to bear the name Statendam.

Our balcony cabin on board the Nieuw Statendam

We have a balcony cabin or a so-called veranda cabin of category VD on deck 7, the Schubert Deck. There are 13 decks in total, 8 of which have cabins. The passenger decks on board were all named after composers. So you stay on the Mozart, Schubert or Beethoven deck and are accompanied to your cabin by musical notes on the carpet and instruments on the walls. The musical concept has a high recognition value on board, which we will tell you more about in the next article.

There are a total of 1,339 cabins for 3,214 passengers on board. Our cabin 7049 is one of 912 veranda cabins and is located on deck 7 starboard towards the bow. It is the first cabin that you approach straight from the elevator. Despite the busy location, we never felt disturbed by noise or passing passengers. Our cabin has a connecting door to cabin 7051, but of course it is locked. The Nieuw Statendam has 300 connecting cabins as well as 27 fully accessible and 13 low-barrier cabins.

The cabin design is very classic with beige and dark blue colors. The cabin makes a friendly and bright impression and we immediately feel at home.

The cabin interior

The veranda cabin has a wall unit with closet and storage space, a desk and a sofa with table, as well as a spacious Mariner’s Dream queen-size bed. Opposite is a TV set into the wall. We immediately noticed the USB ports on the bed, which were also taken into account in the design of the cabins as a result of guest feedback. There is a bedside table with storage space on each side of the bed. In addition to the USB port, there is also a US socket on each side of the bed. It is important to know that there are also two EU sockets above the desk in the cabin. So you don’t necessarily need to bring an adapter.

Sufficient storage space is available. There are two wardrobes (one with space to hang evening dresses or gowns), three large drawers and three shelves. The desk also offers additional storage space. We find the hooks on the cupboard doors and on the cabin walls particularly practical for hanging up clothes, bags or swimwear.

There is also a minibar with drinks for a fee. Various water and wine glasses are available in a small display case. Life jackets and extra blankets are stored in a hanging cupboard above the sofa. Particularly noteworthy are the bathrobes in the closet and a basket for the free shoe shine service.

As is so often the case, the hairdryer is in a drawer in the desk. What is unusual, however, is the stand-up magnifying mirror, which is also located in the drawer. Normally there is a fixed magnifying mirror in the bathroom, but this is missing here.

Breakfast service in the cabin

The breakfast service in the cabin is free of charge on board Holland America Line and the selection is very large. You have to fill in the card with your wishes and the desired breakfast time and hang it on the outside of the door by two o’clock in the morning. There is an all-American breakfast with fried wedges, bacon, sausage and eggs, a vegetable frittata or a salmon bagel.

Breakfast service in the cabin

The bathroom

Our bathroom can be reached via a higher step. It has black floor tiles, three small glass shelves and an illuminated mirror. We immediately notice the spacious, walk-in shower. There is also a folding seat in our shower. Shower gel, shampoo and conditioner from the Elemis Aromapure brand are available in dispensers. Unfortunately, the two of us lack storage space at the washbasin and the washbasin itself is very small for our liking. Because of the large tap, there is hardly any room to wash your face or shave.

Our veranda

At around four square meters, our veranda offers plenty of space to relax. There are two gray loungers with wooden armrests, separate footrests and a small round wooden table. Unfortunately, the table is too small for two people to enjoy breakfast outside in the morning, but you can enjoy a coffee or a glass of sparkling wine and a small snack. The only drawback is the heavy balcony door, which opens outwards and cannot be left open. This means you have to pull a lounger far forward or can only open the door a crack to step out onto the balcony. Unfortunately, you can’t leave the door open at night to listen to the sound of the sea without wedging something solid in between.

Our conclusion

Our veranda cabin offers plenty of space to feel at home, and we are particularly impressed by the size and features of the balcony. You can enjoy the wonderful view of the sea while putting your feet up. If you could now open the patio door more easily and even let it stand up, the balcony experience would be perfect. Plenty of storage space in the cabin makes it easy to stow away luggage for two people. In the bathroom, we were impressed by the bright design and the comfortable shower, although we were missing storage space and a larger washbasin.

Overall, we like the veranda cabin very much. The furnishings stand out from many standard balcony cabins on other ships.

Many thanks to Holland America Line for the voyage on the Nieuw Statendam. This article is not sponsored, we are only reporting on our own impressions.