Took this ship on a cruise through the British Isles from Amsterdam, a great city to explore before starting a cruise. The ship is a bit old (2002) and had about 2,500 passengers, which we considered to be a good amount of people unlike some of the mega ships that are too big. It did show its age in spots, including the cabins which showed wear. That said, the cabin was clean and bed comfortable. The staff was very friendly throughout the ship.
Our overall eating experiences were good, if not "gourmet". We didn't get any stomach distress or gain weight because of overly salted food, even with the cruise lasting 12 days. The main dining room had good food with a fair amount of variety, and the Windjammer buffets were OK with a minimum of overcrowding, although sometimes the food could have been hotter. It definitely helped that there were not a lot of children on board, like you get on Caribbean cruises.
We ate at two specialty restaurants-Giovanni's and Chops. Both were good and something different to do, although I'm not sure they were worth about $35 extra pp.
Clean, except for shower curtain which was promptly replaced. Bed comfortable. Balcony was a good size with two chairs and a small table, although you do not have complete privacy on the balcony. Plenty of storage space, but not a lot of room to walk around. Both US and EU outlets. Shower is small. The steward was efficient.
Great city with lots to do. I recommend doing the Jordaan Eating Walking Tour offered by Eating Amsterdam, as well as doing a canal cruise.
Stirling Castle was a good choice