Holland America Nieuw Amsterdam Dining And Food Highlights
“Taste Alaska” summarizes the culinary experience aboard one of Holland America’s 49th state cruises. Each day, their dining menus feature seafood choices such as chowders, fish, and shrimp, that we came to love on the Nieuw Amsterdam.
While our 14-day Alaska cruise featured great entertainment, service, and an excellent itinerary, its food was second to none. From the buffet selection to fine dining at specialty restaurants, we were thrilled by the daily culinary choices.
Holland America no longer serves complimentary lobster on a formal night. However, guests can purchase Filet Mignon & Lobster or Lobster 2 ways for a small fee.
My husband tried the latter, and it exceeded his expectations. In this review, we share our culinary experience and food choices.
Main Dining Room
The Holland America Nieuw Amsterdam has one main dining room spanning two floors. Deck three was reserved for guests with a set dining time, while we had any time dining one deck down.
Generally, we always had a set dining table due to food allergies. However, since that dining was full, we tried the no set time, which worked well. If we had a long port day, we didn’t feel the need to rush back and could eat later if we weren’t hungry.
We ate in the dining room for occasional breakfast, lunch, and most of our dinners. The service was attentive, the meals were beautifully presented, and the flavor was fantastic. I have included our menus and what we ate. Be aware that menus change based on available ingredients.
Night One
We started with an Alaska crab seafood cocktail and Alaska breaded cod slider. A take on the traditional shrimp cocktail, Brian’s appetizer featured scallops and snow crab along with the shrimp. Both starters were simply delicious!
Our entrées were just as flavorful. Brian chose Spiced roasted chicken, while I picked the Southwest salmon bowl. I’m not a big fan of salmon, but I always order it on a Holland America cruise because it’s cooked to perfection.
We finished with a fruit plate and Alaska berry tart with vanilla ice cream.
Night Two
The first formal night was on our second evening. We had lunch at Pinnacle Grille, and after over-eating, we chose to eat a bit later that night.
We both chose the shrimp and melon cocktail, which came with a white sauce instead of the standard cocktail sauce. The combination of sweet and savory was quite refreshing.
Brian’s entrée of salmon with jasmine rice came with a generous portion of fish. My entrée of cracked pepper filet mignon and shrimp came in a larger portion – too big for my smaller appetite. While the serving was nicely presented, I found the beef tough.
Night Three
On the third evening, we enjoyed some of the best appetizers: crab cake, chicken and tabbouleh salad.
We chose turkey with cranberry and cod entrées. While simple, both tasted great, although the turkey needed some gravy.
Night Four
Our starters this evening were French onion soup and salmon dill meatballs. Brian liked that the soup wasn’t overloaded with cheese, often making it stringy and difficult to eat. My meatballs were moist with good flavor.
Teriyaki salmon bowl was my entrée of choice. Yes, I had double salmon! Brian chose the lobster 2 ways, which incurs a fee of USD 25. Both entrées were good, although the lobster looked amazing. We finished with pear crisp and stroopwafel cheesecake.
Night Five
This evening was one of the few nights where my entrée was a miss. Brian started with a Caesar salad, and I chose the shrimp tacos, which were great.
My rockfish entrée on black rice was flavorless. But Brian’s chicken was a popular choice on our table, and everyone remarked that it was good. Our desserts of coconut pudding and lemon cake were both good.
Night Six
This evening, we ate dinner at Tamarind, a specialty restaurant. However, I have included the menu with the dinner offerings.
Night Seven
My entire meal this evening was one of the best in 14 days. Each item of my three courses was tasty, from the Thai beef & pickled papaya and roasted pork back ribs to the mixed berries trifle. The ribs were done to perfection, and the meat fell off the bone.
Brian was equally happy with his Caesar salad, charred sugar-crusted salmon, and the same berries trifle.
Night Eight
We stuck with our go-to favorites for this sea day. Brian started with a pineapple jumbo shrimp cocktail and chose the salmon of the day, dried-cherry and thyme coated salmon.
My picks included the prosciutto ham with cured olives and grilled lamb chops with eggplant. While I didn’t like how the eggplant was prepared, the rest of my meal was excellent.
Cherry crumble tart and flourless chocolate cake completed our meal, both good.
Night Nine
We chose the same appetizer this evening, the chilled Jonah crab claw. While it looked interesting, the claw virtually had no crab meat.
Brian fared better than me with his Yellowfin sole fillet with parmesan potatoes. My apple cider-brined pork chop was a larger portion, and its mix of flavors didn’t wow me. We both chose the mango blueberry crisp, although it tasted entirely of blueberries.
Night Ten
My Taste Alaska starter of seared tuna was delicious, and I liked the smaller size. My lamb shank was equally good and very tender, although adding baked potato made the meal too hearty.
Brian’s entrée pick was the grilled miso glazed salmon, which looked terrific. He enjoyed the salmon and ordered it often throughout the cruise.
Night Eleven
Our day in Glacier Bay was magical, with great weather. At 10 am, they served Dutch pea soup on the open decks, and it was as expected – delicious! In the buffet that evening, guests could dine on a seafood boil.
We ate in the dining room instead. Not feeling too hungry, I went with a Prosciutto, fig, and melon starter and a short rib with black olives entrée. Both were tasty, and my short ribs were incredibly tender.
Brian was feeling under the weather and opted for a simple dinner of garlic-herb roasted chicken and a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Night Twelve
Dinner this evening was a miss for me. My starter of corn and crabmeat fritters tasted like dough. I always ordered my food 24 hrs. in advance due to allergies and received something completely different.
My husband completed his food long before I received a meal replacement. Brian fared better with simple choices of garlic-herb roasted chicken and key lime mousse éclair. The highlight was the dessert.
Night Thirteen
The third and final formal night was on night thirteen. We both started with the colossal shrimp cocktail. Our choices for mains were the filet mignon and beef Oscar with crab meat. Both were very good.
Tiramisu was Brian’s pick for dessert, which he said had great flavor. I had the pastry chef’s choice of chocolate mousse cake, which had a nice crust on top but was still gooey inside – yummy!
Night Fourteen
Our last evening onboard featured the dessert, Baked Alaska, a signature for Alaska. My courses of melon and jicama, port braised lamb shank, and chocolate mousse cake were exceptional. My lamb was incredibly tender and fell off the bone.
Brian’s appetizer of spring rolls was good, but the portion was tiny at just one small roll. His prime rib was huge, but the meat was tough and overly fatty. The best part of his meal was the baked Alaska.
Lido Market
On deck 9, the Lido Market is the ship’s buffet. Its hours varied, but it opened five times on sea days. We ate some breakfasts and lunches there and found the selection good. We particularly liked the omelets to order, sushi, and made-to-order salads.
Items on the buffet had an allergy label, which I really appreciated. The label stated that the item contained many common allergens. These included fish, milk, eggs, sesame, wheat, peanuts, soybeans, tree nuts, and shellfish.
While we never had dinner at the buffet, we found it odd that it closed daily at 8 pm. Then, it reopened between 10:30 pm and 11:30 pm for late-night dining. Ice cream was served in this area, so it was only available during buffet hours if you wanted some.
One night, the Lido Market hosted an “Alaska Seafood Boil.” The meal for a fee consisted of clam chowder, salmon, clams, mussels, and shrimp. Triple berry crisp completed the meal.
On the last sea day, the buffet had a “cake me away” event featuring dozens of cakes.
Specialty Dining
The Nieuw Amsterdam has only a couple of specialty restaurants. The Canaletto serves Italian food in a corner of the Lido Market. During the day, this area becomes part of the buffet. A specialty dinner here is inexpensive at USD 25 pp.
The Pinnacle Grille is the ship’s signature steakhouse. While we dined there on other cruises, we never pass up the opportunity to eat there again. It was open for dinner each evening and lunch on sea days.
Tamarind serves Pan-Asian cuisine with a twist of dishes from China, Southeast Asia, and Japan. Morimoto at Sea Sushi Bar is adjacent to Tamarind. It offers sushi a la carte.
Pinnacle Grill
We enjoyed lunch in the Pinnacle Grille on our first sea day. The lunch menu isn’t very different from the dinner menu. The latter includes larger and more expensive cuts of steak. For USD 25 pp, we were thrilled at what we enjoyed midday.
We chose three starters, all of which were delicious. They included jumbo lump crab cakes, vine-ripened beefsteak tomato salad, and clothesline candied bacon. The latter had an interesting presentation and tasted yummy.
Our entrées consisted of grilled lamb chops and filet mignon. We chose sides of potato and asparagus. The filet and lamb were tender and very filling.
Key lime pie and berry sorbet completed our meal. For the price of this meal, we wondered why this restaurant wasn’t packed on sea days.
Tamarind
Judging from the full house when we dined at Tamarind, it’s a favorite amongst cruise guests. While Tamarind has its own menu, diners can also order from the sushi a la carte menu.
We chose what most others ordered, the Satay sampler and Shrimp tempura. The latter included two pieces of shrimp, but the sampler was more generous with its portion size. Since my appetizer came with five skewers of portion, I shared them with my husband.
We chose the Thai basil Szechuan shrimp and Mongolian barbecue lamb chops for mains. We complimented our meals with Dungeness crab fried rice and Bok choy with oyster sauce. Both meals were outstanding, and we finished every morsel of food.
There were three choices for dessert, and we went with mango posset and passion fruit cloud. They were both light and refreshing.
Our dinner at Tamarind was as fantastic as the one at Pinnacle Grille, and it was hard to say which one we liked better. Either way, we dine at both again.
Casual Eats
Outside the main dining and specialty restaurants, casual venues are available for grab-and-go foods. The New York Pizza offered pizza slices from 11:30 am to 11:30 pm. Nearby, the Dive-In serves burgers and hot dogs.
We don’t generally eat fast food, but we tried the back flip burger. It was made with chicken breast and is healthier than traditional beef patties or hot dogs.
The Explorations Café provided specialty teas and coffees. The Crow’s Nest on deck 11 also had a venue with a similar selection. It meant guests didn’t have to go far to get their favorite latte or espresso when glacier viewing in this lounge.
Nieuw Amsterdam Afternoon Tea
Afternoon tea was served on sea days, and we had four opportunities to try it. I opted not to try the tea because I have to pre-order one that’s lactose-free.
Brian attended and shared a table with other cruisers. There was no selection of tea, just standard black tea. Finger sandwiches, pastries, and scones were already delivered to tables when seated. They were shared by those sitting at that table.
The treats were good, from the traditional cucumber sandwiches to English scones with strawberry jam and clotted cream.
Room Service
We tried breakfast in our stateroom several times, and the service was great. Breakfast delivery is available between 6 and 10 am. Our meals always arrived 15 minutes early and were always hot.
We liked the extensive selection of items, including gluten-free options, non-dairy items, and a full American breakfast. The room service breakfast was complimentary. After breakfast hours, we could order food from Dive-in, Pinnacle Grille, or Bento Boxes from Tamarind for a fee.
Wrap It Up
Overall, our dining experience on Nieuw Amsterdam exceeded our expectations. On our 14-day cruise, I only had one entrée that I disliked.
Our specialty dining dinners were exceptional. We especially enjoyed our meal at the Tamarind Restaurant and could have eaten there multiple times.
The food selection and daily salmon options onboard brought the taste of Alaska onboard which added to our Last Frontier cruise experience.
