A lot of people who have never cruised before think they will be bored on at sea days on a cruise ship.

Nothing could be further from the truth! There are so many activities to keep you occupied. You can be as busy or as relaxed as you want to be.

Holland America’s Nieuw Statendam has plenty to keep you busy and having a great time all week long. There are shows, informational talks, craft and cocktail classes, music, art shows and of course the pool and spa!

I’m a planner and I never want to miss out on any great experiences, so I read up on the Nieuw Statendam before I sailed on this cruise. I was new to Holland America and didn’t know what to expect.

Shows

Most of the cruises I’ve been on have had big budget Broadway style shows. I read that the Nieuw Statendam had a team of only six dancers. I thought the shows might be a little disappointing, but boy was I wrong!

The Nieuw Statendam did an amazing job with their small dance crew. On top of being very talented dancers they took full advantage of The Nieuw Statendam’s World Stage.

The World Stage is like nothing I’ve seen on other ships. It has a 180 degree curved screen that goes around the front part of the theater and surrounds the audience.

The dance troupe dances and sometimes interacts with the graphics on the screen. I thought it made for a very big experience despite such small group of people. There was also a wide selection of music to suit all ages.

The World Stage is also where they put on informational talks and the phenomenal BBC Earth in Concert.

I would definitely say that Holland America caters to those who are looking for a more cultured experience. The stunning cinematography of the BBC Earth presentation brought me to tears. Of course if you’ve read my About Me section you know I’m a lover of animals, so it’s not surprising I found the BBC Earth show so moving. It was wonderful to see on Holland America’s Imax style wraparound screen, World Stage.

Music

If you love music there is more than just the World Stage to enjoy. There are so many other venues for listening to all types of music.

There are the amazing dueling pianos in the Billboard OnBoard, soulful blues and live classical music in the B.B. King Blues Club and Classic Rock in the Rolling Stone Rock Room.

I also had a great time taking craft classes. This is something that is not mentioned on Holland America’s website.

I was perusing the daily activities and put together a craft morning the first at sea day. My friend and I had so much fun exercising our creative muscles that we made a habit of it on every at sea day.

Crafts

I went to an origami class and had a wonderful time folding a crab, a crane, a fish, and even a little frog that could jump.

There was also adult coloring hour. It was great to indulge my inner child, take out my colored pencils and create a masterpiece. It really is very relaxing.

I have a stressful job and it was wonderful to be coloring on a Tuesday morning. You can work on coloring the same artwork or try a different scene each day. I opted to continue to work on my tropical oasis each morning. Reminded me of the pink sand of Bermuda!

I also tried my hand at brush lettering. I had always enjoyed calligraphy as a child and it was fun to “brush” up on my old skill. Pardon my pun. 🙂 A blank card was provided to create my own work of art after I had sufficiently practiced.

Pool & Spa

Aside from crafting my other favorite activity was relaxing in the hot tub. One of the reasons I often eat a more casual dinner on cruises is to enjoy the empty hot tubs while everyone else is at dinner or a show. if you’d like to read more about Holland America’s casual dining options you can click here.

If I keep my hair dry I have often had dinner, hit the hot tub and then caught the late show. There is usually a 7pm and a 9pm show each night.

When I’ve travelled during Spring Break and the hot tubs are overflowing with twenty-somethings in what my friend calls “people soup”, a great tip is to sign up for a spa pass.

Some ships have their own private pool, hot tub, sauna and luxuriant hot stone loungers only for spa guests.

Holland America offered a discounted week pass prior to our cruise that I wish I would have taken advantage. Once onboard the ship even the day pass seemed a bit too pricey.

All and all I found many great ways to entertain myself on Holland America’s Nieuw Statendam. If you like to read more about Holland America’s entertainment I’ve included the link below.

https://www.hollandamerica.com/en_US/onboard-activities/cruise-entertainment.html

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