Westerdam 3/27/05

[matwags]

Hello,

My wife, two children and I will be sailing over spring break on HAL. I had a few questions. Should I book a night in the Pinnacle grill? Is the coffee in the coffe bars free? Is the entire ship wi-fi or only in particular areas. If not, is internet access free? Any opinions on Club HAL?

Any comments on shore excursions or "must do" things to do on the ship would be welcome.

Any advice on obtaining cabin upgrades would be appreciated as well. We are in an oceanview cabin (the only other cabin available was the penthouse suite).

I know these questions are all over the place, but any help would be appreciated. The family is really excited for this cruise!

Matt

[Krazy Kruizers]

Pinnacle Grill - we love it! Their filets are so much more tender than in the regular dining room. You might consider calling ship services at 1-800-541-1576 to reserve the first night at $10 per person - otherwise it is $20 per person.

WI-FI - not free - same price as using HAL's internet - off hand I think it is something like $100 for 250 minutes - there are other rates. You also have to check which part of the ship you can use your own lap-top.

Coffee is not free in the Windstar Cafe - prices begin at $1.75 and go on up depending on type of coffee and size you order - you do get free pastries when you order a cup of coffee.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Went back and checked you schedule - I see that you will be on the western itinerary.

In Grand Cayman - Stingray City - have done and loved it. But I see that you mention 2 children - no ages. They might like an island tour that includes the turtle farm and "Hell".

[tree25]

Yes, definitely experience the Pinnacle Grill at least one night.. Its well wort the small additional fee.. try to get a hold of the nightly menus for the Dining Room and pick the night that looks the least exciting to you in the main dining room to experience the Pinnacle Grill.. I think I saw a list somewhere on here and we choose night 5.. The Ben and Jerry's with flambed bing cherries dessert is the best!

Wi-fi Internet access is only available in particular areas and not in your rooms.. you can connect at the mid ship pool on deck 9 and be in the sun its quite nice..

As far as "must do" excursions I didn't experience any, but the "must not do" excursion is go anywhere in Jamaica on your own other than a private beach.. be very careful there..

You'll have a great time.. Ship and Crew are top notch.. make sure to order Surf and Surf on formal night..

[dakrewser]

See The Digital Seas (http://www.mtnsat.com/ds_kbyg_hal.htm)website for all the nifo on internet and wifi connections aboard HAL ships.

[matwags]

Wow,

In 2 hours I get so much inside info. I really appreciate all of your input.

Yes indeed, we are on the Western itinerary. We stop at the private island, Ocho Rios, Grand Cayman and Cozumel. My girls are 6 and 9. Stingray City, Hell and the turtle farm sound great. I will check my brochure.

I am a real coffee buff, so I will be spending alot of time in the Windstar cafe. Thanks for the info on the internet, dakrewser. That was awesome. However, my wife is cautioning me against checking e-mail at all while on vacation!

I will be checking the forums now to look for menus. I will definitely schedule a night at the Pinnacle Grill. When you said $10 for the first night, did you mean the first night of sailing or first night at the Pinnacle Grill?

Any opinions on Club HAL or upgrading?

Thanks agin,

Matt

[papadave]

I bet we'll meet up.

We're traveling with my parents, so we have someone to watch our daughter some of the time.

The first night of sailing (the 27th) the Pinnacle Grill is $10 per person. We booked for the first night to take advantage of the savings. Just the two of us.

[lgt]

We are on with you all also with 4 17 y/o girls. We were on the Westerdam in Jan for a 5 day family reunion. The ship is beautiful and service was great. If you find the menus for the West. Carib. I'd love to see them also. We have asked for reservations in the Pinnacle for the first night, but they have to get back to us as they consider 6 a "group". We would like to go back without the girls some other night. I'm glad our Western Carib trip goes to Ocho Rio not Montego Bay like a couple of weeks ago. If there are any questions about the ship itself I can try to answer. Looking s forward to getting out of the gloom and cold.

[matwags]

Thanks for the reply,

I need to reserve the first night as well. It sounds like we will need to meet with Club HAL personnel the first night to sign up, etc...

Still need to sign up for a shore excursion. I like to go out on my own, for the most part, and just find a nice beach.

Hope to see you on the cruise.

Matt

[Disnyfan83]

We too will be on the 3/27 Westerdam. There are ten of us - including 14 & 8 year old girls and two 16 year old boys. we have the last two cabanas booked for Half Moon Cay, but haven't decided on anything else yet. Stingray City doesn't pop up on the website excursion list - does that mean it's full? Any suggestions on using another tour company. Will they pick you up at the dock?

[matwags]

I have been thinking about shore excursions. It sounds like the stingrays at HMC would be a good break in an otherwise lay around at the beach day.

I think we are just going to take a taxi to Paradise Beach in Cozumel. It is 5 miles from where the ship comes in and is only $5 per person/day for umbrella, chair, snorkel/fins and water toys, etc...... They appear to have a decent restaraunt right there. They also have fresh water showers and changing rooms. Then we can hit shopping/dinner in Cozumel. Any suggestions on shopping/dining in Cozumel?

Still haven't made up my mind on what to do in Grand Cayman or Ocho Rios. We just love going to different beaches. Any suggestions on beaches or other shore excursions?

[K&RCurt]

We were just on the Westerdam the end of January. I would suggest, based on what others have told me that if you want to experience swimming with stingray's the excursion to Stingray City from Grand Caymen would be better than that at HMC. During our "eco lagoon kayak" excursion at HMC we went by the outside of the stingray pen and it was not that big. As I understand the Grand Cayman excursion is out in open water and is reached by boat. We are planning a Western cruise for next year and are going to do the Grand Cayman Stingray city.

As for the WiFi on the Westerdam, I was able to get an adequete signal on the veranda of our cabin #5092, Veranda deck, port side 4 cabins forward of the glass elevators. I either went there or to the Erasmus library to check mail etc.

The coffees in the Windstar Cafe' are excellent and well worth the charge. They use "Torrefazione Italia" beans. T.I. is a brand produced by Seatttle's Best Coffee, which, in turn, is owned by Starbucks.

I would also suggest you rent clamshells at HMC to get out of the sun if necessary. We had one right near the new kids aqua park area. With kids the age you are indicating, I think they will want to spend quite a bit of time there. One clamshell accomidates two lounge chairs. They can be reserved ahead for $9.00.

[MSG]

Hello fellow cruisers, this is my first time on Cruise Critic boards. There seems to be alot of great info here. My family will also be on the 3-27 Westerdam/ Western Carribean cruise. Sounds like alot spring breakers will be on board. I'm 41 and my wife 40, we have a 14 year old girl and a 2-1/2 year old boy.


MSG

ZUIDERDAM 7/04
WESTERDAM 3/05

[CuteCruiser]

We are on this cruise too!! My sister (13), me (15) and my parents. This will be our third cruise but our first on HAL. We are happy to see that there will be plenty of kids on this sailing. Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions for shore excursions we should do?

[ressa20]

Hi Everyone I look forward to seeing everyone on the ship! A few suggestions on Shore Excursions I would highly recommend taking a tour to Dunns River Falls in Jamaica, you climb the water falls and is alot of fun..make sure to bring along water shoes or they will make you rent them when you arrive. Definately go to Sting Ray City in Grand Cayman. If the HAL's sting Ray city is sold out check out Soto's Cruises which is a local company I used them the last time I was there a year ago. I am going to be working on the ship and look forward to seeing all of you!

[ruthiegirl]

We just got back from our cruise on Sunday on the Westerdam. We don't recommend the Pennicle Room. The only thing good was the steak, everything else we didn't like. Even the service, only one of the waiters were polite, the one from Romania was very cold and indifferent. Good thing we only paid $10.00. I don't think the children would even enjoy it. The shows at night were great, the kids will like it. They will also love the taco bar near the pool, all the fixings you can put on your plate! Also you can get ice cream all through the day.

[Gardendog]

My DH and 17 year old DD will also be on this cruise. We reserved a clam shell for HMC and the stingray tour there as well as the price was right.:)
We have not scheduled any other tours, but will for Jamaica. We want to just hang on a beach and see the island at the Grand Cayman, and hang out on Paradise Beach at Cozumel. Are we missing out terribly?

[dakrewser]

We just got back from our cruise on Sunday on the Westerdam. We don't recommend the Pennicle Room. The only thing good was the steak, everything else we didn't like. Even the service, only one of the waiters were polite, the one from Romania was very cold and indifferent.

Remember that just because you liked (or didn't like) something, that doesn't mean others will feel the same way. It would be helpful if you could explain a bit what it was about the foods you liked or didn't, that way others reading your post could decide how their tastes might react to what you had.

As an example, I like the European staff in the Pinnacle precisely because they appear somewhat cold and aloof - but very professional. But I can see how others would disagree.

[ruthiegirl]

I'll give you a couple of examples: we ordered the "beef-steak tomato salad", coming from New Jersey I know what a "beef-steak tomato" looks like, well what we got was three slices of under riped hot house "little" tomatoes, not beef-steak, laying on a plate with what looked like a pile of onions on top. It was not good. We also ordered the asparagus, undercooked to say the least. Maybe some people like it that way we don't. Also everybody raved about the "Vocano Cake", what a disappointment! What we were served was a little brownie in a bowl with a "little" whipped cream on the side. I kept waiting for something good to happen, nothing did. I guess we just expected a better dinner with everybody saying how great it was.

[K&RCurt]

I think Dave might have a point.

Expecting a good tomatoe on a cruise ship in January is being a tad optimistic. Especially if the standard is a fresh summer Jersey tomatoe.

I thought the asperagus was done perfectly in the Pinnacle (with a bit of "tooth" to it) rather than the overcooked asperagus offered in the main dinning room.

My volcano cake was done to perfection, cooked solid on the outside with the middle hot but like molten fudge.

I though the service was perfect. We had a waitress from Poland with a phillipino asstsant. They behaved like waiters in a fine resturaunt, polite, attentive but they didn't assume to inject themselves to our conversation or to try to act like our "friends". They were perfect examples of WAITERS!

PLUS the steaks were awesome.

I agree that kids would likely not enjoy the experience of the Pinnacle gril though.

[doone]

Last year on the Rotterdam we ate in the Pinnacle, I thought it was spectacular. My asparagus was cooked to perfection, I don't like it mushy, scalloped potatoes were, again, done perfectly and my steak, well, that was about the best steak I have ever had and I am not much of a red meat eater, but do enjoy a good steak every once in a while. I think something was wrong with your volcano cake, ours was like eating half done brownies right from the oven, oooohhhhh can't wait to have that again.

Its hard with food, its so subjective, IMHO, what I like you may not, what you like, I may not. I still say for $10 or even $20 per person, I think its well worth a try. Sorry you didn't think so and didn't enjoy it.

[Arubalisa]

Any opinions on Club HAL?Some of my thoughts on Club HAL from our recent cruise on the Zaandam
Club HAL, Disembarkation, Favorites & Overall (http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=2931565#post2931565)

[heyabbott]

I'll give you a couple of examples: we ordered the "beef-steak tomato salad", coming from New Jersey I know what a "beef-steak tomato" looks like, well what we got was three slices of under riped hot house "little" tomatoes, not beef-steak, laying on a plate with what looked like a pile of onions on top. It was not good. We also ordered the asparagus, undercooked to say the least. Maybe some people like it that way we don't. Also everybody raved about the "Vocano Cake", what a disappointment! What we were served was a little brownie in a bowl with a "little" whipped cream on the side. I kept waiting for something good to happen, nothing did. I guess we just expected a better dinner with everybody saying how great it was.

Thanks, having grown up in NJ I too know a beef steak tomato when I eat one. The review of the Westerdam from AAA said that the Westerdam and HAL are not known for their refined dining, just plain good food. What some call refined or sophisticated others may just call fancy. A warm brownie with whipped cream may indeed be a special treat to some. Petit Fours, Eclairs and little Napoleons are mundane to some and classy to others. It depends on what your exposure is to different foods, cultures and style.

Having viewed the various menus posted by some of the very nice posters on this board, the food descriptions seem to be very conservative and substantial but not adventerous or imaginative. Though it apparently is not cooked to order, according a posting I read on this board, which is why certain items can not be served, such as souffle & Ahi tuna.

Having read this board since we booked our cruise I am adjusting my expectations. I am not anticipating a great gastronomic experience or to be catered to and pampered by a highly attentive staff, no waiter service pool side. A nice vacation, good weather, a lot of sun, relaxation, reading and a chance to break out the tux for a night in the casino.

As far as children in main dining rooms and the grille, it depends on the children, their ages and the fluidity of service. My children, under the age of 12, have been darlings at some incredible restuarants in NY, LA, DC, Paris and Asia, they have also been royal pains at Fuddreuckers. Some children do not like steak but eagerly eat sushi and raw oysters and clams.
As long as there is not a long pause between courses, children are usually content, if they have been parented correctly.

[matwags]

Does anyone have a map of Half Moon Cay, with a layout of barbecue, bathrooms, horseback riding, stingrays, etc...?

I just found a map. Can you swim on the beach farther away from where the ships tender? It doesn't show where horseback riding and stingrays are.

Matt

[Osgood Fielding IV]

Hello fellow cruisers, this is my first time on Cruise Critic boards. There seems to be alot of great info here. My family will also be on the 3-27 Westerdam/ Western Carribean cruise. Sounds like alot spring breakers will be on board. I'm 41 and my wife 40, we have a 14 year old girl and a 2-1/2 year old boy.


MSG

ZUIDERDAM 7/04
WESTERDAM 3/05

Stay away from the bingo room with the little one, or you'll receive some of the nasty looks in your life.

[MSG]

No doubt, We will stear clear of that fun. Last year on the Zuiderdam, I thought this lady,who was hanging her feet in the Lido pool, was going to throw this kid over board because she got a few water droplettes splashed on her. Let's see your in the pool and let's not get wet. Right
Some people just don't know how to relax.

MSG

Zuiderdam 7/04
Westerdam 3/05