Embarkment + Disappointment on Day One of my Holland America Nieuw Statendam Nordics Cruise

How it (Holland America Nieuw Statendam Nordics Cruise) started. And well, things are not off to a good start. That’s a bit of an understatement – it’s going terribly and it’s making me feel like even if this is a free cruise, it is NOT worth it.

GUARANTEE ROOM

First off, my worry about the casino comp being a guarantee room proves to be warranted. While not the worst possible outcome of not having a stateroom and being denied boarding, it is a different type of nightmare scenario. I am not given any information on the room until the night before embarkment when I am able to see my room assignment in the HAL app. And it turns out I am placed in the smallest stateroom on the ship. Which is less than ideal as this itinerary has a lot of sea days but shouldn’t be anything more than an annoyance.

Embarkment

While not the smoothest journey to get to the cruise terminal, I am able to get on the bus and security and check-in are a breeze. I have a migraine already getting on the ship and seeing the stateroom in person was more than a bit disappointing.

But what I am really not crazy about is that it is at the very front of the ship and the lowest deck for guest staterooms. I am thinking of how noisy it can get as crew goes to their quarters and possibly from the entertainment spaces – I am not prepared for what will really affect my sleep and well being; sailing through the North Sea and having the ship slam down due to waves and the boom that creates! I won’t get a good night’s sleep for a few days…

I had booked this itinerary strictly for the fact that it would be going to Greenland! I was telling myself that when would be the next time that I would have the opportunity to visit Greenland and especially for only $208?! Welp, I was preparing myself for the fact that it wasn’t likely that it was going to happen now as just a couple weeks before, another HAL ship was unable to dock at any Greenland ports.

But even so, I was surprised by how intensely disappointed I was by this letter in my stateroom – I am fairly certain that if I had been notified prior to getting on the ship, I would not have boarded. As I am writing this now, I remind myself that it’s okay that I had these feelings and to acknowledge them for what they were even if the reaction seems a little dramatic now. It was my truth.

The Daily

What’s on the schedule for the day

Well not much I can do about it now but make the most of it so I decide to take a look around at what will be home for the next few days and explore the ship.

There’s a Library!

This was quite unexpected and really delightful to stumble across this area. And it wasn’t a little corner – it was a brightly lit, cheery decently sized space! To see more of the library – read this post.