We chose this cruise for the interesting itinery. We have cruised 20 times, mostly in the Caribbean. The itinery lived up to and exceeded our anticipation. the ship is an older ship but well maintained. The spacious of the public areas were enjoyable. On the negative the public restrooms, both men and women, had a strong aroma of urine. The forward elevators smelled of fuel after one refueling stop and for the balance of the cruise. Our cabin was and outside view through a double porthole. It had a great deal of storage but a narrow hallway in the cabin. the cabin would have had more room except for excess furniture. Our room steward was outstanding in promptly cleaning our room. The main dining room was the biggest disappointment. The menu was a bit limited. Fish entrees were overcooked without repeated special instructions. The hot food, especially the soups, were warm to cool. The Lido was a very good place for breakfast, the pizza was made fresh to order and the dine-in good. We particularity enjoyed the Pinnace Grill. LeCirque was OK and Canaletto could be skipped. The entertainment was average at best. The showroom had some highlights but the lounge entertainment was below par. The service was the highlight with few exceptions. Staff members were friendly and greeted us by name whenever possible. The bar service was the only slower area and for limited periods. The itinery as stated earlier was great. For the most part we explored by ourselves but did take one excursion, "A taste of Halifax" , which, though a pricey was outstanding. On the ship the test kitchen and digital workshop were enjoyable and informative. Overall I would probably avoid Holland American again as it is near the bottom of my list and not an exceptional value.