We're Back! Review of Westerdam alaska 5/21-28

[sarasmile]

Fresh off the boat, still a bit wobbly and surrounded by moutains of laundary (1 load down, about a million to go!).

First of all- a big thank you to cruise critic for helping us get ready for our cruise! The tips/tricks I picked up here made me feel like a pro on my first cruise. :D This will be in a few installments as I think it will be long. :cool:

The Atmosphere:

A week ago today myself (25) hubby (32) and daughter (8) boarded the boat not knowing exactly what to expect. We walked away with our main goal (to relax, away from the pressures of the world, for an entire week) accomplished.

We enjoy each other's company, don't need endless shipboard acticitivities or a rockin' nightlife to be content (in fact cuddling on the deck or playing scrabble in our room while enjoying the secenery rank as some of our most treasured moments!). On the same token, our daughter does not require 24 hour hyperstimulation, climbing walls, ice skating rinks- or even a huge pool, to keep her happy (although she would not have complained if that were the case!). As such, we had no complaints with the shipboard atmosphere.

Even during a school week there were plenty of "tweens" to keep each other happy- and although we had not planned for her to be in club hal much, she so enjoyed it that she was there for most every session (something I was pleasently surprised by).

Our room steward- Hendy- was fantastic and attended to our every need. Our room was always clean, and the towel animals were adorable. The accomodations (a veranda room on deck 8) were small- but more than adequate with plenty of storage. As I meantioned before- we like eachother- a definite plus in such a small room for a week! The ship itself was constantly spotless, the crew, overall was fantastic.

We enjoyed the band in the crowsnest and the waiters cracked me up with their impromptu dancing, ridiculous jokes, etc. We went to one show- the magic show. It was ok- but pretty corny. I heard from other passengers that the hal cast shows were ok and many enjoyed the commedian- although the singer (tyler linkin I think) inspired many to get up and walk out of the theater. :eek:

Don't bother with the movie theater- the seating is terrible and the popcorn dissapionting (only one of many culinary underachievements). Watch a movie in your room instead.

I was a bit dissapointed by the pool, on anything other than an alaskan cruise it would have been woefully underqualified to handle 1825 guests! As it was- it was generally a pleasent place to hang out and the closed cover made it bearable- while you still had an outside feeling.

[sarasmile]

The Ports and Weather:

Hubbard glacier was gorgeous! This was one of two days we spent nearly the entire time relaxing on our balcony. In shorts no less! My husband got hist first of two burns. The ice was calving like crazy. My husband inadvertantly started a rumor of polar bears as he teased our daughter about various (ficticious!) animal sitings. Before you knew it we were hearing of polar bear sightings all over the ship (oh my!) :eek:

Juneau was not our favorite- although we spent the most time there. Other's echoed this as well. We took the robertsway tram- don't it's a waste of money ($65 for 2 adults and a child for a 1 minute ride and underwhelming payoff). If you really want to, you can hike the trail up and ride the tram for free back down ask around- people will tell you where the trail is, it's not THAT steep but probably about 3 miles.

I loved sitka and probably could have spent several days happily there. We saw more eagles than we could count (my daughter counted 27 but I think she was a few short). Standing on top of the bridge the eagles were everywhere- we also saw a ton on the totem pole trail at the national park. We did some excellent tidepooling up there and stopped at the aquarium (free!) on the way back. This is a great place for kids with several large manipulation tanks, 1 big fish tank and several smaller ones.

The total highlight was that they were releasing yearling salmon that day and let us have a hand in it. What a cool experience!

Ketchikan was also beautiful- we did the duck tour which was just ok. But we did get to learn a lot about the town. Again, I wish we would have had a full day here (at least). I was/am a bit disturbed that one of the horses pulling one of the carriages was obviously lame. I could not believe the tour company was continuing to use him!

I was very dissapointed that we had only a few hours in victoria. I love the city and could (and have) spent an entire week there! Instead- we settled on dinner.


The weather (even in ketchikan) was amazingly gorgeous... we even came home with a bit of color (for my husband read: pink :eek: ). If you're going soon- pack shorts and capris... we wore jeans but shorts/capris were a must!

[sarasmile]

Food


Unfortunately, the food was, in a word, dissapointing. Nothing we tried ranked above "eh" let alone "good". While I did not expect world class cuisine (given the constraints of feeding 2000 people for a week!) I expected at least decent fair. It was not. even. close.

Even the Terrace grill, which should have been a slam dunk, (how hard is it to put together a halfway decent taco bar?!) was nearly inedible.

Although I am a vegetarian (which by the way, I applaud hal's efforts in included 2 veg choices each evening) my husband loves steak and tried 2 steaks in the dining room- plus a steak sandwich. He tells me it was nearly the worst steak he's ever eaten (after perhaps the waffle house).

We ate in the dining room 3 times, the lido 3 times and ordered room service once.

Our recommendations for the best bets were as follows: Fruit of all kinds was excellent. Salad bar was typically a good bet. The pasta/pizza on the Italian station was consistently edible. Breakfast in general but especially- yogurt, pastries and hashbrowns. Ice cream (other deserts were just ok), sandwiches from room service (other than steak) and the crackers & cheese tray are all good bets.

A few peculiarities in the dining room (our table was fine, no vibration and not noisy) were that our wine steward new nothing abut wine (all he could tell us about a cab-merlot from south Australia was that it was a blend of cabernet and merlot grapes ) and that not one person we asked (not the waiter, the wine steward, the head waiter, the matre'd, the art people or the front desk people) could give us a definitive answer about whether the art instillation on the ceiling was, in fact, a chihuly- or even if the platters were glass! Oh, the other oddity was that the head waiter came over a few nights, though not every night, and had a very difficult time with my husbands name (Jason). Which would have been fine but he kept arguing with him trying to convince him that his name was Jeff, Ron, and several other names! Quite weird but we got a laugh out of it.

The other memory that will forever stick in my mind is the herds of people rushing toward the buffet line as if they’d never, in their lives, seen food and their rude behavior once they got there. I’m shocked the discussions regarding people’s “unacceptable” attire in the dining room dominates the conversation so frequently- when I found this to be, by far, the most offensive infraction. There is simply no need to push, cut in line, make rude comments to other cruisers or the staff!

Also- they began to run out of popular items (strawberry ice cream, waffle cones, has browns, ran low on coffee, etc) on day 2 of a 7 day voyage. To me that is just odd!

The drinks were very weak, and the $18 drink card is a moderate deal (still easier/cheaper to just bring your own!) and although the wine selection was ok, and not that much more than a restaurant… we’ll just bring our own next time. We brought on a case of diet coke and a half gallon of whiskey (in our checked bags), then purchased and carried on more at a later port without problem.

[sarasmile]

Final Impressions:

We walked away feeling that perhaps we are in the very small minority- for whom cruising is not thier idea of a premier vacation.

Will we cruise again? Perhaps.

On HAL? Most likely not.

Many other passengers we talked to and overheard echoed our general feelings. We heard, in particular, that the food, service and atmosphere was far superior on RCCL and Princess. Perhaps next time we'll give one of them a try.

As I mentioned at the beginning of the review- our mission was accomplished. We return rested, and with some lasting memories to enjoy.

I'm definitely glad I had the opportunity to see, first hand, what all the fuss over cruising is about. However, had this been a vacation we scrimped and saved for and planned for years to go on I would have been utterly and terribly dissapionted. As it is, we take it as a lesson learned and will plan accordingly next time.

If we return to alaska (a possibility for sure!) I think we'll book b & b's and try out travel via the alaskan ferry system- enjoying local eating establishments along the way. :D I have yet to work out the details but it's a plan I hatched along the way.

Oh- if you plan to skip shore excursions (we did- we've walked on glaciers and seen whales before) there is some fabulous hiking to be had in sitka, ketichikan and juneau. There are two guidebooks in the library that are great and geared toward the stops the ship makes. The offer "must see" info and walking tours you can do yourself. Wish I would have found them sooner! Skip the games in the library though- too many missing pieces. Oh- and if you have a verandah- use it. What a treat! :D

[NancyIL]

Thanks for your honest review. I am sorry you were disappointed by the food and service on your cruise. Many here say that when it comes to an Alaskan cruise, the destination/itinerary is more important than the ship...so glad you at least enjoyed your ports.

[middle-aged mom]

"Juneau was not our favorite- although we spent the most time there. Other's echoed this as well. We took the robertsway tram- don't it's a waste of money ($65 for 2 adults and a child for a 1 minute ride and underwhelming payoff). If you really want to, you can hike the trail up and ride the tram for free back down ask around- people will tell you where the trail is, it's not THAT steep but probably about 3 miles." - Sarasmile

Thanks for taking the time to post your review. I'm really sorry you didn't enjoy Juneau. Did you know that when you reach the top of the Mount Roberts Tramway there is a nature center and several alpine trails, ranging from easy to challenging, to hike? Did you know that the Alaska State Museum in Juneau has a wealth of interactive activities for kids? Did you take a shuttle bus to the Mendenhall Glacier? How about the Juneau Trolley car that takes you on a 30 minute narrated tour of downtown Juneau? Were any of these options available to you?

[sarasmile]

"Juneau was not our favorite- although we spent the most time there. Other's echoed this as well. We took the robertsway tram- don't it's a waste of money ($65 for 2 adults and a child for a 1 minute ride and underwhelming payoff). If you really want to, you can hike the trail up and ride the tram for free back down ask around- people will tell you where the trail is, it's not THAT steep but probably about 3 miles." - Sarasmile

Thanks for taking the time to post your review. I'm really sorry you didn't enjoy Juneau. Did you know that when you reach the top of the Mount Roberts Tramway there is a nature center and several alpine trails, ranging from easy to challenging, to hike? Did you know that the Alaska State Museum in Juneau has a wealth of interactive activities for kids? Did you take a shuttle bus to the Mendenhall Glacier? How about the Juneau Trolley car that takes you on a 30 minute narrated tour of downtown Juneau? Were any of these options available to you?

Thanks! It wasnt that we didn't like juneau. We did. :D It just wasn't our favorite port. We spent over 12 hours there and only a few hours in the other ports. We would have (personally) much preferred a few less hours in Juneau and a few more hours in sitka, ketchikan and victoria.

Juneau definitely had the best touristy shopping and probably the best excursions (if you're into that sort of thing).

The trails at the top of the roberts tram were snowy so we didn't bother up there. We did some other hiking (all spectacular and shockingly empty compared to similar trails in washington- hooray!). We went to a couple of museums, though not the one you mentioned- didn't know about it but wished I did. We saw the only fish trap preserved in a museum and lots of pictures of old juneau- very cool.

We did some gorgeous hiking but by the end of the day we were a bit worn out and headed back to the ship. Had we planned it better we would have gone to the glacier first and done the hiking on the back end. :D

We weren't terribly interested in a history tour on the cable car. Well I probably would have liked it but not to dh or dd's taste so we skipped it.

Unfortunately, I didn't find my trusty guidebooks until AFTER we got back on the boat in Juneau- otherwise we probably would have structured our day better and gotte more out of juneau.

One recommendation I made on the comment card was that they offer more information on the towns. The excursions are fine and I understand why they put their efforts into promoting them... but even a decent self guided walking tour, with a "don't miss" list, available to all would be a welcome addition. They do it for shopping- why not sites/parks/trails as well? Perhaps there is one and we missed it?

At the end of the day, I'm walking away with a smile on my face. I'm gald we took the trip and had the experiences we did. Like I said- not the vacation of a life time- but not a week looked back on with regret either. :D

[NancyIL]

Unfortunately, I didn't find my trusty guidebooks until AFTER we got back on the boat in Juneau- otherwise we probably would have structured our day better and gotte more out of juneau.

One recommendation I made on the comment card was that they offer more information on the towns. The excursions are fine and I understand why they put their efforts into promoting them... but even a decent self guided walking tour, with a "don't miss" list, available to all would be a welcome addition. They do it for shopping- why not sites/parks/trails as well? Perhaps there is one and we missed it?



Did you book this cruise at the last minute? LOTS of info in books and online about Alaska, if one takes the time to look. Personally, I think it's up to the traveler to do his or her homework and learn as much as possible about the ports of call.

[sarasmile]

Did you book this cruise at the last minute? LOTS of info in books and online about Alaska, if one takes the time to look. Personally, I think it's up to the traveler to do his or her homework and learn as much as possible about the ports of call.

We booked about 6 weeks ago- the list of reasons why I had no time to investigate ports is long but I won't bore you. In essence, I agree with you. However, for all the lectures and maps they offer for excursions and shopping, is it too much to expect they would offer something similar for the ports of call which they dock in weekly?

My assumption was that they would provide at least minimal direction, of which they offered none, to my dissapointment. At which point, I immediately rectified the situation on my own,and, as I've already stated- we enjoyed juneau, it just was not our favorite port and our preference would have been to spend less time there and more time other places (we each had a favorite- dh was victoria, dd was ketchikan, mine was sitka- none of which we had more than a few scant hours to explore).

Further, the point of my review was much more about HAL (the services they offer and how successful they were) and much less about the particular ports and their highs and lows. We had a fabulous trip and enjoyed the time off the boat- we enjoyed the time on the boat as well- but my cruising experience fell miles short of expectation. I do not think our expectations were all THAT high... and from the words of others on our boat and other reviewers recently, I'd say we were not alone in our dissapointment.

Juneau wasn't our favorite. As, I'd already mentioned, it probably would have been more enjoyable had I done more research and planned our day better. I take full responsibility for that. I mistakenly relied on the cruise line to offer sound advice (if even a starting place...) on some must see things in the port city (mistake number 1). Live and learn.

[middle-aged mom]

Sarah, thanks for taking the time to respond to my questions about Juneau, especially since you've just returned and probably have a lot of things to catch up on. I think your idea of returning to Alaska and exploring on your own via the ferry system is a sound one. Chalk this cruise up as an (unfortunately) expensive learning experience and as an opportunity to do preliminary research for future trips to Alaska. The lesson learned is that cruising is probably not for you and your family. It isn't for everybody. I'm looking forward to my own upcoming cruises, but then I've spent the better part of a year doing the research, and I've got some inkling of what to expect. I'm an old gal, and I've learned to temper my expectations. I hope you have better luck in your future travels! Perhaps you would enjoy another cruiseline, but they all have their good points and their not so good points.

The Alaska board here on CC is full of great info which might help you plan your future travels. You don't need to be a cruiser to avail yourself of the really helpful info there. Since you're only 25 (what a baby!:)), you will probably have the opportunity to return to this beautiful part of the world, if you think it is worth exploring in greater detail (and I'm sure you do).

It has also been my understanding that there is a visitor's information booth on the pier at each Alaska port which provides walking maps and info about good local sites to visit. Did you encounter that at any of your stops?

Thanks, and welcome home.

[tortugas]

We did Westerdam May 7... i keep planning on a review but I've been non-stop busy since we got home...

At any rate, I agree with many of your thoughts... ESPECIALLY on the times in port. We enjoyed them all, but why oh why not more time in Victoria and Ketchikan??? And we heard many other pax with the same opinion.

Food we liked mostly... some was better than other cruises, others, not so much. We REALLY liked the burgers!!! (of course, as a vegetarian, you missed out) Liked the pizza too!! And the salad bar. My main complaint with the food is the Lido deck dining was "like" a buffet, but without the benefits of grazing and helping yourself. I understand that it's most likely done to provide more service to guests, but we found it to be very limiting.

Anywya... we had a GREAT cruise... it was our first time to Alaska and it was amazing. I hope to post a review sooooon!!

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thanks for the review. Sorry your didn't enjoy the Westerdam.

[Willsot]

"The other memory that will forever stick in my mind is the herds of people rushing toward the buffet line as if they’d never, in their lives, seen food and their rude behavior once they got there. I’m shocked the discussions regarding people’s “unacceptable” attire in the dining room dominates the conversation so frequently- when I found this to be, by far, the most offensive infraction. There is simply no need to push, cut in line, make rude comments to other cruisers or the staff!"...

We agree that one of the more consistent places to experience "the ugly American" concept is in Lido lines, especially at breakfast time on port days, and chocolate extravaganzas are also good for viewing herd mentality.

"Even the Terrace grill, which should have been a slam dunk, (how hard is it to put together a halfway decent taco bar?!) was nearly inedible."

A few cruises ago we witnessed a male passenger "double-dipping" while standing at the taco bar and we've avoided that offering ever since.


"My main complaint with the food is the Lido deck dining was "like" a buffet, but without the benefits of grazing and helping yourself. I understand that it's most likely done to provide more service to guests, but we found it to be very limiting." (tortugas)

They do not allow "grazing and helping yourself" for sanitary reasons. While we are not big buffet fans, we appreciate all of the precautions the HAL crew take to help prevent the spread of disease. Again, we do not frequent the taco bars because they seem a bit too open to grazing.

Sorry to hear your cruise did not meet your expectations. If you have not experienced other lines such as RCL or Princess , I suggest that you try one someday and see how they compare to your recent experience.

[tortugas]

'They do not allow "grazing and helping yourself" for sanitary reasons. While we are not big buffet fans, we appreciate all of the precautions the HAL crew take to help prevent the spread of disease. Again, we do not frequent the taco bars because they seem a bit too open to grazing.'

So they take sanitary precautions in the main area, but not with the salad bar and the taco bar and the desserts and the cookies? Now I'm confused.

[sarasmile]

Chalk this cruise up as an (unfortunately) expensive learning experience and as an opportunity to do preliminary research for future trips to Alaska. The lesson learned is that cruising is probably not for you and your family. It isn't for everybody.

Since you're only 25 (what a baby!:)), you will probably have the opportunity to return to this beautiful part of the world, if you think it is worth exploring in greater detail (and I'm sure you do).



Thanks for your kind words! A learning experience is exactly how we're viewing this. We enjoyed the trip and the oportunity to spend time together as a family... that will be the memory we take away, while the other issues are forgettable to us. We'll probably try cruising at another date and probably return to alaska at some point (living in the northwest makes this quite likely)... but there's so much of the world to see yet- our biggest problem is deciding on our next trip.

We spent three years in indecision on where to go so DH finally just booked a trip. The good thing is we're already discussin where to go next. :D

[CCCM]

Sara,

Thank you for writing your impressions of the Westerdam. I am glad that you enjoyed Alaska and the many of the ports. My experience up there is limited. I worked up there for about 4 weeks over 5 months in 2000. I didn't get a chance to do much since it was dark during the time I didn't work). I am anxious to take a cruise to Alaska, I am thinking next year. I also have a DD who is 8 so the info that you provided has helped me a bit.

Celeste

[penk99]

I was a little surprised by your review. We were on the same cruise and had an absolutely fabulous time! While this was not our first cruise, it was our first time with HAL. I was blown away by the excellent service and the beautiful accomodations. We had a SY suite and couldn't believe all of the extra space. We are really spoiled now. Two of our friends who had never been on a cruise before also joined us and had virtually no complaints. I guess it all depends on your expectations. And did I even mention the scenery and amazing wildlife?! We are definitely going to go to Alaska on HAL again, probably choose a different itinerary, to see some more ports.

I am always surprised to read how people are disappointed that they don't spend more time in particular ports. Maybe you just didn't realize it when you booked. Since we booked in January, we knew the shortest days would be Ketchikan and Victoria, so we did our homework and planned our time accordingly. Sorry it wasn't your ideal vacation, but I'm glad you liked Alaska anyway.

I am officially a HAL convert now! I didn't know what I was missing. Sorry other HAL lovers - your secret is out! We loved HAL and the Westerdam!

[5 in OK]

I have to echo penk99's comments. We were also on the May 21 Westerdam and thoroughly enjoyed our cruise. (Strange - but the Mt. Roberts Tramway was one of our Juneau highlights.) But, we also booked our cruise 6 months in advance and spent all 6 months planning, researching and counting down the days until we got to leave. I am now a HAL fan and will cruise with them again (a warm water cruise next!!) - sorry you didn't enjoy your time on the ship - give another cruiseline a try before you give up on cruising - there may be one out there that meets your expectations.
We did scrimp and save for months to get to go - and yes, I would have been devistated had we not had the time of our lives! :)