Comparison of QE and Westerdam

I posted this on the HAL forum but thought it might be useful for any Cunarders thinking of taking a HAL cruise.

After reading SJSULIBRARIAN's comparison of HAL and Princess, I decided to do something similar between HAL and Cunard and, more specifically, between the Westerdam and Queen Elizabeth rather than writing a typical review. For a little background, in the past year I have spent 130 days on QE and 21 on Westerdam. On QE I had a Britannia balcony stateroom and on Westerdam an oceanview (forward facing). My first HAL cruise was on Westerdam's Panama Canal repositioning cruise in April. These are my observations. YMMV.

The ship-

*The QE is a Signature class while Westerdam is a Vista, so the layout is similar although Westerdam is slightly smaller and older.

*QE has a definite advantage with the Queens Room which has a very large dance floor. Westerdam has a few small dance floors but nothing like the two story Queens Room.

*Pools and outdoor areas are very much alike although Westerdam does have the sliding roof over the midship pool.

*I like the Art Deco design on QE.

*I like the outside elevators on Westerdam.

Cabins-

*Westerdam does not have drawers in the desk which I missed. On QE I kept makeup, electronics, pens, etc. in those drawers so they were easy to get to but out of sight. QE also has three drawers in the bedside table where Westerdam only has two. Closets were much the same as well as the under bed drawers.

*Westerdam gets a plus for the lighted make-up mirror.

*Another plus for Westerdam for the hand held shower head. Although my knees do not allow me to take a bath, the bathtub was nicer than the tiny showers on QE.

*QE gets a plus for a larger counter area around the sink, a shelf under the sink, and providing Q-tips/cotton balls.

*The quality of the provided toiletries were similar.

Theater (Vista Lounge - Royal Court Theatre)-

*QE does not have the number of poles throughout the theater that Westerdam has (rendering a number of seats useless). I believe the Royal Court Theatre can seat more people.

Library-

*QE comes out way ahead on this. The QE library is a separate room on decks two and three with a spiral staircase connecting the two parts. Much greater selection of books on QE as well. Who thought putting a library and the Crow's Nest in the same room on Westerdam was a good idea?

The Lido-

*Layout is much the same on both.

*Westerdam gets a big plus for the sandwich bar (QE has one also but not as good a selection and not open as long).

*QE has longer serving hours for each meal.

*QE has a better selection of rolls and and a better location (Westerdam's are before you get your plate).

*I liked the pizza better on Westerdam. (Did not try the pasta on either.)

*Ice cream and cookie selection is much better on Westerdam (especially loved the meringues!).

*I thought the lack of trays on Westerdam would be an issue but it really wasn't. Except for the first day, there was always a friendly crew member asking to carry my plate.

*Was not overly impressed with the Dive-In and it was much slower than QE's Lido Grill.

Afternoon tea-

*QE has table service and freshly brewed tea (not hot water and a tea bag) and served in the beautiful Queens Room. There are also small tables on QE so you don't get the feel of a college dining hall. Although the food was good on Westerdam's tea, the atmosphere wasn't conducive to just sitting and chatting.

Prices-

*I found the cost of things (drinks, excursions, specialty restaurants, etc.) to be very similar.

*The one thing that was very different is the solo supplement. On QE I can get a balcony for 175% but on Westerdam it is 200% (on longer cruises that can add up to a big difference). So, unless there is a great sale, I am in OV cabins on HAL.

Shops-

*Both ships have too much jewelry for sale IMO.

*QE has a definite advantage with their bookstore where you can get greeting cards, ship prints, small souvenirs (such as pens, bookmarks, etc.), some craft supplies, and of course, books.

Dress Code-

*I must admit I like the dress code on QE better. I know I am a dying breed but I like to "dress" for dinner on a cruise (never get to do it in real life). At dinner I had to constantly remind myself I was not on QE, especially when there were two men wearing baseball caps in the MDR (they were on the four day San Diego to Vancouver segment). I was surprised that nothing was said to them.

Laundry-

*Being a solo traveler I did not think I would get my money's worth from the unlimited package so I chose the "stuff a bag" option. Considering Cunard charges $40 for the same thing (and it is not available any day you choose) I thought Westerdam's was a great deal. Cunard does have free washers and dryers but I hate wasting half a day doing laundry at sea.

Odds and Ends-

*Loved the craft classes on Westerdam.

*Enjoyed the Needlework/Knitting group on QE which are held every sea day. There were a few similar get togethers on Westerdam but they were too early in the morning for me (I'm a night owl).

*Easier trivia for Americans on Westerdam but better prizes on QE.

*Unlimited Internet on Westerdam was fantastic. (I hope it becomes the standard.)

*Liked the cloth hand towels in the public restrooms on Westerdam.

*On QE you only have to attend muster drill once whereas I had to attend three in 21 days on Westerdam. You also meet inside on QE (but you do have to bring your life jacket with you and learn how to put it on).

*Liked the fabric of the bathrobe better on Westerdam but QE gives you slippers.

*The free Windows8 classes on Westerdam were great. QE has good iPad classes but most have a fee.

*I love the Golden Lion Pub on QE and never found a similar bar area that I liked as much on Westerdam.

Areas in which the two ships are very similar-

~ food, although Westerdam's was geared more for North American tastes

~ very few announcements

~ lots of quiet areas

~ entertainment

~ beds and bedding

~ fantastic crew

Summary-

Can you tell I really liked my first cruise on HAL? Each ship has certain things I really like and I will gladly sail on either ship in the future (and I did book a 35 night cruise on Westerdam while on board and am now planning an Alaska cruise for after that).

On both ships I have been lucky enough to be on amazing Cruise Critic roll calls which have really enhanced my enjoyment of cruising. Traveling solo it is really nice to get to know people before embarking.

Kathi

Truly excellent Scrapnana, thank you :) . Very well researched & written, and clearly laid out.

Thank you again and many happy sailings (with Cunard (or HAL ;) :D )) in the future.

Thanks for the detailed comparison, the big difference for us (and the reason our 2011 cruise on the Eurodam might be our last on HAL) was the poor choice of beer available on board.

That might be trivial to some but 4 years later my husband is still complaining about it !

That was very interesting - and informative, thank you.

Do HAL have anything similar to the Grills/ their top grade cabins?

Outstanding, organized and very detailed review, Kathi. I really enjoyed it as I did your blogs. I know you were a teacher - - perhaps it was in creative writing. Thank you!

That was very interesting - and informative, thank you.

 

Do HAL have anything similar to the Grills/ their top grade cabins?

This thread is one of our regular's report on his Neptune suite experience.

Thank you Hattie, I think I'll stay with "our usual"

Thank you kathy for taking the time to write your comparison report. It was great to meet you on Cunard and you never know we may make it over to Westerdam one day, as I do fancy their South Pacific cruise. :) Enjoy your next cruise. Maggie x

What an interesting, thoughtful and detailed review Kathy! Thank you for that! You gave a lot of information for each of the ships and I am sure it will be helpful to many! :)

What an interesting, thoughtful and detailed review Kathy! Thank you for that! You gave a lot of information for each of the ships and I am sure it will be helpful to many! :)

Hi, Barbara!

You'll notice tooting is not mentioned - there is no comparison when Captain van Eerten is in command!:D:D:D

Kathi

I too have been on both ships. The Queens Room, Commodore Club and Yacht Club are much superior to the Queens Lounge, Ocean Bar, and Northern Lights. Cabins are almost identical. Menus are structured for British tastes but otherwise, the differences are a matter of personal preference.

The big difference is people. Most Cunarders are very friendly and sociable. HAL- dull, dull, dull. Had I not been with a group I would have been bored out of my mind. And formal nights, for all the big production HAL made of them, were a joke.

Oh Dear ! .:( For the first time I'm about to move out of my 'Cunard comfort zone' (after 40+ cruises/voyages) . I have just booked the new HAL koningsdam for April 2016.(maiden year ? )

The only attraction to this ship was to have a peek at their dance floor ;) and at the same time, good friends of mine (who swear by HAL) have encouraged me to share their 60th Wedding anniversary celebrations.

Base Ball Caps, Hot Water + a Tea bag are not quite what I've been use to, so I think it'll be a one off ..... I'll have to stick to what I feel comfortable with ;)

I too have been on both ships. The Queens Room, Commodore Club and Yacht Club are much superior to the Queens Lounge, Ocean Bar, and Northern Lights. Cabins are almost identical. Menus are structured for British tastes but otherwise, the differences are a matter of personal preference.

The big difference is people. Most Cunarders are very friendly and sociable. HAL- dull, dull, dull. Had I not been with a group I would have been bored out of my mind. And formal nights, for all the big production HAL made of them, were a joke.

Sorry you met so many dull people on HAL. Thankfully, I did not have this problem. I have met many friendly and sociable people on both ships.

I can think of many times it was standing room only at 1 AM in Yacht Club. On HAL, everything starts shutting down at 8 PM, by 10 PM there's nothing left to do, except party night when some people stayed up til- gasp!- 11 PM. OK, the buffet stayed open til 11.30 (QE is 24-hr), but I was the only passenger after 11 PM. Daytime activities were so forgettable I can't remember any.

My travel agent insists more than half HAL passengers are younger than I am. Pretty hard to believe.

I have to agree that the nightlife is much better on QE. I think that the Yacht Club is a much better venue than Westerdam's Northern Lights (very uncomfortable seating). We talked a number of times to the show host who complained that very often nobody showed up to the late evening top 40s and request nights. To be honest, after the late show (10 on HAL and 10:30 on Cunard), I was usually ready to work on my blog and call it a night although I did go to the Yacht Club a few times on the World Voyage.

Thank you for a very good review of both ships.

The only things I would add having travelled on both is:

There is no drinks fridge on the Westerdam (or the Ryndam) if you book an outside cabin whereas this is standard in all staterooms on Cunard. I am not even sure Verandah cabins get a fridge. The stewards to a great job of keeping you topped up with ice.

The HAL plugs are American or Continental so you will need an adaptor

HAL do a great deal at happy hour when the second drink (though it has to be the same type and less than $7.99) only costs $1. Lots of people with a couple of drinks in front of them in the HAL equivalent to the Commodore.

Nearly all HAL cabins have a shower over a bath - great if you can get our leg over but not so good if you have knee problems. The disabled cabins have roll in showers and there are a few with direct shower access but it is worth checking.

HAL returners get to use the MDR for lunch on embarkation day. The Captain invites returners to lunch during the voyage - the HAL equivalent of the Cunarders Cocktail party.

HAL provides room service on disembarkation day so you can still have breakfast in your room.

Would I sail with HAL again? - certainly. Its a pity its not sailing from the UK next year.

Base Ball Caps, Hot Water + a Tea bag are not quite what I've been use to, so I think it'll be a one off ..... I'll have to stick to what I feel comfortable with ;)

The biggest laugh I heard was when I was on the QM2 in May. We were watching Grand Marigold Hotel 2 in Illuminations and Maggie Smith's character spotted an American by the way the tea bag was on the side and dunked into hot water. Cunard are just as bad with room service, even the butler made it the wrong way round (if you are British). Thomson and P & O get it right by providing stateroom kettles with tea, coffee and milk to make our own. There is nothing like making your own brew in the morning and it would save a fortune on room service for the Brits.

On the Ryndam I took my own thermo mug to the Lido, chose a Yorkshire teabag (hurrah - I live near Taylors) and made my own with boiling water.

I believe the Westerdam and other twins of QE/QV have coolers in every room as does the Prindsendam. The rest of the pre-Vista (like the Ryndam) have them in Veranda rooms and above but not in inside or OV staterooms. They can be rented for $2 per day but (1) I'm not sure how that affects the available outlets and (2) I've always found the ice buckets sufficient for the purpose.

Roy

I believe the Westerdam and other twins of QE/QV have coolers in every room as does the Prindsendam.

Roy

Correct, Roy. I had a cooler (it kept the soft drink I picked up in one port plenty cold) in my oceanview cabin. Since I don't use them much anyway, I can't tell you if the Cunard ones were any colder than HAL's.