The 9 Bars and Lounges of Holland America’s Nieuw Amsterdam
For our March cruise to the Caribbean, we sailed on Holland America’s Nieuw Amsterdam. It was our first time sailing with the line and frankly, we weren’t sure what to expect.
For our sailing, we opted for the line’s "Have It All" package, which allowed us to purchase up to 15 drinks per day. While certain drinks like water and iced tea are always included in the cruise fare, others such as canned water, sodas, specialty coffees, and alcoholic beverages cost extra.
We’re not big soda drinkers, but we love a good cocktail. So when we found out that Holland America's Nieuw Amsterdam had 9 different bars onboard, we knew we had to put the drink package to the test… it felt like the cruise gods had spoken and they were presenting us with a challenge. Who were we to say "no"?
The drinking establishments on Holland America Line's Nieuw Amsterdam run the gamut from more casual spots, like the Crow’s Nest, that offer coffee and other non-alcoholic beverages throughout the day, to the laid back Sea View and Lido pool-side bars, to the lively music and entertainment venues like BB King's and Billboard Onboard, to the more formal lounges like the Pinnacle Bar that primarily served pre- and post-dinner cocktails. Each bar has its own unique menu and signature cocktails, which makes moving around and exploring these different spots a fun way to pass time on the cruise ship.
To rate the bars, we used a Negroni scale - in honor of Diana’s favorite drink. It’s a 5-Negroni rating system, with 1-Negroni being the lowest score and 5-Negronis being the absolute best. We calculated our highly scientific ratings based on a handful of factors including (1) the location of the bar and its overall ambiance, (2) the hours and accessibility, (3) the quality of service and how long we waited to get served, and (4) how well they made the drinks – especially the Negroni.
9th Place
In last place is the Sea View Bar, which is the "alfresco" bar in the adult-only pool area in the aft of the Lido deck, Deck 9. The menu features the typical beach-y drinks like Pina Coladas and Daquiris, plus other classic cocktails and a limited selection of beer and wine. We ordered two menu items, a Negroni and an Old Fashioned, but unfortunately they were weak and watery, just horrible. It was literally the worst Old Fashioned Andrew ever had.
The Sea View also serves as the ship's smoking section. We're both nonsmokers, so when the wind was blowing – which was often – it was a terrible place to sit back and relax. So the unappealing smoky atmosphere coupled with the lackluster cocktails, meant we only returned to the Sea View on other time mid-cruise to pick up a few cans of Holland America's anniversary pilsner on-the-go. (Those beers are great, by the way.)
Although the bartenders are great, the Sea View gets a 1 Negroni rating.
8th Place
In 8th place, the Gallery Bar, or as we kept calling it: the Casino Bar because it's located on Deck 2 in the middle of the casino. Parts of the space have this cool design with whimsical paintings, including portraits of celebrities like Morgan Freeman and Mick Jagger. What we can tell from photos and videos online, this used to be a larger lounge with lots of comfy seating. But unfortunately the Gallery Bar is this now a shell of its former self. The larger room has become overrun with slot machines, and all that's left is the bar itself and a couple small tables. So there are very few places to actually sit, and it's difficult to relax and enjoy oneself when you're smack in the middle of the casino hub-bub. If the Gallery Bar still had its eclectic sitting room vibe with comfy seating instead of slot machines, we probably would have spent a lot of time in this bar.
The Gallery Bar is simply a convenient place to get a drink if you're gambling, or if you want a late night-cap… because it's pretty much the only bar on this ship that's open past midnight. That's a bonus. Plus, the bartenders here know how to make a mean Negroni.
The Gallery Bar – a 2 Negroni rating.
7th Place
In seventh place is the Lido Bar, located midship on Deck 9. This is the main pool bar and it's a great location being situated right in-between the Lido pool and buffet. And the bartenders are some of the best on the ship - they know how to have a fantastic time while slinging drinks.
As with the Sea View, the Lido Bar is where to go for those classic summertime cocktails. And the drinks were well made. In fact, this is where you'd find some of the bartenders for the evening cocktail lounges working during the daytime. So, they know how to mix a good drink. And we were served fairly quickly. But on our Spring Break cruise to the Caribbean, this bar, and pool area in general, was consistently crowded with loud pool-goers and families. So unless we were eating a Dive In lunch or wanting to lounge by the pool, it wasn't the best location to sit and relax and chat. We tended to favor other venues.
The Lido – 2 Negronis.
6th Place
In sixth – the Ocean Bar. This is a large space on Deck 3 that wraps around the Nieuw Amsterdam's three-deck atrium and features a colorful chandelier of the New York skyline. If you’re lucky, you’ll get one of the booths along the windows that look out onto the promenade, simply great seats.
The signature menu has an excellent selection of drinks, including one of Andrew’s favorite classic cocktails, the Penicillin. And the Negroni here was pretty good. Wasn't as bitter as Diana tends to prefer it, but it was a solid cocktail.
Overall, while the drinks were decent at the Ocean Bar, the space was just meh. It is just too large, the seating's too spaced out, making the bar feel half-empty even when it's packed. While the décor here is nice, it simply doesn't have much ambience. Perhaps a cocktail pianist could bring things together. There is a piano and a small stage, but it was never used once during our cruise. And the service, for us anyway, was incredibly slow. I don't fault the servers themselves, they're just under-staffed for such a large space. Great potential, but for us, everything here was just a bit lacking.
The Ocean Bar feels like it could be a solid 4, if everything was clicking. But for us this time around, it only gets a 2 and a half Negroni rating.
5th Place
Our 5th place bar, Billboard Onboard, is located on Deck 2. It's part of Holland America's "Music Walk," and it's an incredibly vibrant venue. While the dueling pianos isn't our thing, others passengers really seemed to enjoy it. The entertainment staff also hosted trivia and other events here in Billboard Onboard. We spent a lot of time in here for trivia plus the Cocktails with Clare, the cruise director's informal Q&A series with various crew members and officers on the Nieuw Amsterdam. The drinks were always well made, the service was great, and there were some great views if you could get a spot by the windows.
Billboard earns a solid 3 Negroni rating.
4th Place
Our fourth place finisher is the Crow's Nest. Located on Deck 11, this is Nieuw Amsterdam's observation lounge. It's open all day, and since the Signature Class ships like the Nieuw Amsterdam don't have the Grand Dutch Café onboard, that makes the Crow's Nest the go-to location for specialty coffee drinks. And the cappuccino is top notch. But the Crow's Nest also offers a nice variety of alcoholic drink options with a view that can't be beat. And the service is A-one. It can get crowded at times, especially on a sea day, since this is one of the ship's main public areas to meet up with friends or read or play a board game. But it's usually pretty chill in the evenings.
The Crow's Nest - 3 and a half Negronis.
3rd Place
In third, BB King's Blues Club. This is another of the "Music Walk" venues down on Deck 2, and the home to BB Kings All Star band – who were absolutely fantastic on our Caribbean cruise. In addition to live music most nights, Holland America also hosted game shows and stand-up comedy in this space. And it was the location for the Orange Night party. The BB King's menu plays on the Southern theme by offering a great selection of bourbon forward drinks. And Holland America doesn’t skimp on the quality either, using Buffalo Trace and Woodford Reserve in many of their mixed drinks.
The one down-side is that it can be hard to get a drink at BB King's. The bar is only open when there's an event on, and the servers are quite busy during the crowded events. And when the BB Kings All Star band was playing, the place was jam packed.
Still, 4 solid Negronis for BB Kings.
2nd Place
Moving up the list, Tamarind Bar falls in our 2nd place. In the aft portion of Deck 11, this is a gorgeous space that serves as a companion bar to the wonderful Pan-Asian specialty restaurant, Tamarind. Great seating, with views that face out over the Lido Pool area. And these are some of the most inventive craft cocktails on the ship. Since it's a bit isolated from the other main public spaces, it can be easy to miss. We never saw the Tamarind Bar crowded, and honestly I think a lot of passengers didn't even know it was there. We recommend you seek it out, and you should absolutely get dinner at Tamarind, too. Make sure to get the Wasabi cocktail; it is a bit on the sweet side, but it'ss absolutely fantastic.
4 and a half Negronis for Tamarind Bar.
1st Place
And in first place, the Pinnacle Bar.
This is the cocktail lounge companion to the Pinnacle Grill steakhouse restaurant, and it definitely has that traditional mid-20th century, Mad Men-era, elegant casual, New York City steakhouse vibe. Great décor. Even though it's right off the atrium in the center of Deck 2, it was rarely over-crowded. And it's a great spot to people watch, since you can see everyone going to and from dinner in the Dining Room, or headed up toward the Music Walk venues and the World Stage theater.
The staff here is top-notch too. Albert came to be our favorite bartender on the Nieuw Amsterdam; he made the best Negroni on the ship. I mean, this drink was perfect. But the Pinnacle was all around fantastic. It's got a perfect location in the heart of the ship. We always got a great seat. We were always served quickly. And the drinks were consistently the best of all 9 bars and lounges. The Pinnacle Bar does close on the earlier side (10pm), but it was otherwise faultless.
Pinnacle Bar: Five stunning Negronis.
If you would like an in-depth look at our bar crawl, be sure to check out your YouTube video!