Overall Score
| BERLITZ'S RATING |
| |
Possible |
Achieved |
| |
| Ship |
500 |
417 |
| Accommodation |
200 |
162 |
| Food |
400 |
270 |
| Service |
400 |
298 |
| Entertainment |
100 |
77 |
| Cruise |
400 |
309 |
| |
Statendam is the first of a series of four almost identical ships in the same series – the others being Maasdam, Ryndam and Veendam. The exterior styling is rather angular (some would say boxy – the funnel certainly is), although it is softened and balanced somewhat by the fact that the hull is painted black.
There is a full wrap-around teakwood promenade deck outdoors – excellent for strolling, and, thankfully, there’s no sign of synthetic turf. The sunloungers on the exterior promenade deck are wood, and come with comfortable cushioned pads, while those at the swimming pool on Lido Deck are of white plastic. Holland America Line keeps its ships clean and tidy, and there is good passenger flow throughout the public areas.
In the interiors of this “S” -class ship, an asymmetrical layout helps to reduce bottlenecks and congestion. Most of the public rooms are concentrated on two decks, Promenade Deck, and Upper Promenade Deck, which creates a spacious feel to the ship’s interiors. In general, a restrained approach to interior styling is taken, using a mixture of contemporary materials combined with traditional woods and ceramics. There is, fortunately, little “glitz” anywhere.
What is outstanding is the array of artworks throughout the ship (costing about $2 million), assembled and nicely displayed to represent the fine Dutch heritage of Holland America Line and to present a balance between standard itineraries and onboard creature comforts. Also noticeable are the fine flower arrangements throughout the public areas and foyers – used to good effect to brighten up what to some is dull decor.
Atop the ship, with forward facing views that wrap around the sides is the Crow’s Nest Lounge. By day it makes a fine observation lounge, with large ocean-view windows, while by night it turns into a nightclub with extremely variable lighting. The atrium foyer is three decks high, although its sculptured centerpiece (Fountain of the Sirens, a late 17th-century bronze piece by Willem de Groat) makes it look a little crowded, and leaves little room in front of the purser’s office (called the Front Office). A hydraulic magrodome (glass) roof covers the reasonably sized swimming pool/whirlpools and central Lido area (whose focal point is a large dolphin sculpture) so that this can be used in either fine or inclement weather.
The ship has a large, relaxing library. There’s also a cardroom, an Explorer’s Lounge (good for relaxing in, for afternoon tea, and after-dinner coffees), a Crows Nest (the ship’s observation lounge that doubles as a late-night spot and discotheque), an intimate Piano Bar, and, of course, a casino. Adorning stairway landings are several oil paintings by Stephen Card (an ex-captain) showing former Holland America Line ships that bore the name Statendam.
Statendam is a fairly well-built ship, and has reasonably decent interior fit and finish. Holland America Line is constantly fine-tuning its performance as a cruise operator and its regular passengers (almost all of whom are North American – there are few international passengers) find the company’s ships very comfortable and well-run. The company continues its strong maritime traditions, although the present food and service components let down the rest of the cruise experience. Perhaps the ship’s best asset is its friendly and personable Filipino and Indonesian crew, although communication can prove frustrating at times. The onboard currency is the US dollar.
An escalator travels between two of the lower decks (one of which was originally planned to be the embarkation point), but it is almost pointless. The charge to use the washing machines and dryers in the self-service launderette is petty, particularly for occupants of expensive suites. The men’s urinals in public restrooms are unusually high.
Berlitz Guide © Apa Publishing 2010.
Berlitz Guide © Apa Publishing 2008
