DESTINATIONS SHIP REVIEWS CRUISE


TRIED & TESTED Nieuw Statendam


Never judge a book by its cover, I tell myself, as I report for dinner at Sel de Mer, a restaurant on Holland America Line’s new ship Nieuw Statendam. The evening doesn’t look promising


for me, since the name implies fish – as does the ‘catch of the day’ ice cabinet outside – which is not my favourite fare. Thankfully though, the old adage is right. Sel de Mer might look and sound like a seafood restaurant but it is actually an authentic French brasserie with the likes of foie gras, cassoulet and steak frites on the menu alongside the bouillabaisse fish stew and seafood platters. ‘Authentic’ is the buzzword on Nieuw Statendam, which is all about delivering the real deal to passengers when it comes to the food, art and entertainment on board, as well as in the destinations they’ll visit. The menu in Canaletto’s has a


definite Italian twist (though I’m still not convinced about the curry, even if it was dubbed Cipriani-style), plus there’s a Dutch cafe serving broodje kroket (fried veal ragout) and uitsmijter (Gouda cheese, ham and eggs). In the Music Walk, a concept Holland America introduced on sister ship Koningsdam a couple of years ago, passengers can hear pop favourites and rhythm and blues played live by musicians vetted by top entertainment brands Billboard and BB King. There’s a classical string quartet


‘Authentic’ is the buzzword on Nieuw Statendam when it comes to food, art and entertainment


courtesy of a partnership with the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York, and a new Rock Room with live bands approved by Rolling Stone magazine. “I want Holland America to offer the


best live music at sea,” says president Orlando Ashford, who has rejuvenated the line since taking the helm four years ago.


Z NEW AND IMPROVED Nieuw Statendam is a tad bigger than Koningsdam (2,666 vs 2,650 passengers) and almost identical in look and feel, but with a few tweaks to enhance or improve the offering. The Rock Room adds a new genre of music, while Club Orange, a new, more intimate breakfast and dinner venue for suite passengers, has replaced a less popular farm-to-table restaurant on Koningsdam. In the Lido, new call buttons for


passengers to hail bar staff have improved service, though there is still room for improvement in other areas. In Explorations Central, guests can


listen to destination talks hosted by ‘EXC guides’ and use interactive maps to decide what to see and do in the places they are visiting. That’s the authentic mantra again, with the guides supposedly on hand to inform rather than hard-sell the shore excursions. “We want guests to follow their own interests ashore, whether that be history, food or art,” says Ashford. Not that you have to go ashore


LEFT: Sel de Mer restaurant


80travelweekly.co.uk17 January 2019


to get an art fix, as works valued at around $4 million adorn the ship. A 7.5-ton harp sculpture fills the atrium, walls are hung with paintings that imitate the works of Dutch masters, and in Asian restaurant Tamarind, precious Chinese jewellery is stashed away in a glass cabinet. And then there is the six-foot replica of Michelangelo’s David sculpted out of clear resin and portraying the naked hero holding an iPhone. Authentic? Not at all. Selfie heaven? You bet!


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128