It’s been a while since our last cruise and at the time of writing there are still a few months until we board or next cruise. So how do cruise enthusiasts get their ‘fix’? Thankfully the team at Holland America and CLIA had the perfect answer: invite cruise influencers on a day trip to Dover to experience the beautiful Pinnacle Class Nieuw Statendam which was launched in 2018 and has a capacity of 2,666 passengers.
Driving into the port we were welcomed by friendly security staff, given directions on where to park and as we ventured further into the dock, Nieuw Statendam came into view. Even though we were only going to be onboard for the day, that cruise-embarkation-feeling started to hit.
After parking up and getting out first close-up of the ship, we headed into the terminal to check-in and pick up our passes to board as a group.
Whilst everyone was boarding we had some time to check out the Music Walk on Deck 2. The Music Walk is a collection of unique music venues and on Nieuw Statendam they include B.B. Kings, Billboard Onboard and Rolling Stone Lounge. We can only imagine how good these venues are when they come to life of an evening.
Once everyone had boarded and made introductions, we headed to the Club Orange Dining Room where we were treated to a cooking demonstration by the fleet Executive Chef Sinu who had flown in from Columbia.
The demonstration wasn’t just about the cookery, Sinu explained how Holland America really put emphasis on seasonality of produce whilst designing their menus and making sure provisioning reflects the ports their ships visit including: pies, black pudding and white pudding in Ireland and the finest cheeses when docking in France. We really liked this factor as many cruise lines appear to miss this opportunity. Sinu even picked up tins of mushy peas ahead of the session which brought even more laughter to the experience. A very talented chef but also a man who knows how to work the crowd.
During the demonstration we were shown how two dishes were prepared which included White Asparagus and Been Ham as the first course and Fresh Pan Fried Dover Sole with Lemon Butter as the second course. Both would be available on the lunch menu we were going to be treated to.
If you’re a seafood fan and concerned about sustainability in the ocean, you can be assured that Holland America source responsibly by using MSC certified suppliers.
Once the demonstration had finished and everyone had got their pictures and videos we headed to the Pinnacle Grill for lunch. Excellent service and food were provided; we could really see ourselves enjoying meals in the dining rooms in the future.
There were three options to choose from for each course, for the first course these included the aforementioned White Asparagus with Been Ham, Butter Poached Lobster and Creamed Artichokes & Heritage Carrot Soup. We opted for the Lobster and Soup and neither disappointed both on the eye and in taste.
Again, the second course offered three options: Pan Fried Dover Sole with Lemon Butter, Slow Roasted Beef Tenderloin with Fresh Morels and Vegetable Tempura Udon. We opted for the Dover Sole and Beef Tenderloin.
Desert was a Stroopwaffle Cheesecake accompanied by Petit Fours and Coffee (we didn’t think we had room but we managed it!) Food is always such an important aspect of a cruise and we finished our meal feeling wowed by both the standard and flavours we had sampled.
We dined with Ageless Curiosity who we were able to share our experiences of the world of cruising with. Be sure to check out their cruise review videos over on their YouTube channel.
Once lunch had concluded, we were afforded time to explore the ship on our own. We rapidly explored the decks taking in as many venues as possible, including the impressive World Stage theatre, Casino, Sport Court and Crow’s Nest which offered great views out to sea and the White Cliffs of Dover.
Fortunately there were a couple of staterooms we could visit including an Interior and a Verandah – both offering plenty of space and storage options. From the brief visit we had to the staterooms, they looked to offer comfort after a long day of exploring with relaxing neutral tones and a large shower with Elemis products.
What else stood out for us?
- The abundance of Art installations around every corner: they really were unique.
- Despite us only being onboard for a matter of hours, the crew were extremely welcoming, friendly and attentive.
- The day mats in the lifts! After all the cruises we’ve been on, we’ve never experienced these before and absolutely LOVED them!
- The ships decor has a traditional feel with a modern twist meaning it really would suit cruisers of all ages.
It was also great to meet fellow cruise enthusiasts including: @Vitaminsea.uk, @Tomanddomtravel, @Cruisewithamber and @Cruiselowdown.
Finally, we’d like to extend a huge THANK YOU to the team at Holland America and CLIA for the invitation and for arranging a great experience for us; the organisation was seamless and really maximised our time onboard.
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