Nieuw Statendam Review
First time cruise with two adult sons on 7-Day Norse Legends
Rating by category
Additional details
Just a qualifier to start ... this is my first cruise, so I write this review lacking other benchmarks. I'm essentially rating and evaluating this cruise relative to other vacation experiences and the expectations from reading prior reviews.
That said, I don't see how this experience could have been much better than it was. Here are some highlights.
Dining with dietary needs: One of my sons was gluten-free and dairy free. We found the main dining room and the specialty restaurants (Canelatto, Pinnacle Grill) to be particularly confidence building in terms of how they handle allergies. This was true for both dinner and breakfast (we never happened to eat lunch in the MDR). My son generally pre-orded his dinner for the next day at a current days dinner and the chefs were able to prepare it according to his needs. Dive In and the NY Deli also handled special dietary needs well. The Lido Buffet was a little more chancy as nothing was labeled, so we rarely ate there.
Cabin Review
Verandah Stateroom
The cabin was well maintained as was the balcony. The tender boat blocked the view somewhat, but this was only an issue when we were sitting down. It was a tight for 3 people when the beds were separated and the sofa bed was open.
Port Reviews
Bergen
No excursion: did a self-guided walking tour that was very good. Allow for a enough time to take the funicular and spend time at the top.
Eidfjord
Took an excursion to Voringfassen falls, which is a must-do! The tourist information center had a map with a couple of hikes that were excellent. I personally loved the old 13th century church and the hike to the Viking burial ground.
Skjolden
Must do a RIB ride if possible (we did one independently ... not with HAL). And definitely want to go to the top of the lookout.