On-board Westerdam 2/13-20 part 1

Basics: Single, 51 year-old male, 24 previous cruises ranging from cheap Dolphin to Carnival to Princess, QE2, QM2, HAL (Maasdam and Zuiderdam), Radisson Voyager and Gauguin. This is a “reunion cruise” with a group of friends and other former residents of Thule Air Base, Greenland – around 18 total.

Embarkation: Being an eternal infernal early-bird, I arrived at the port at 11:00 and there were already 150 people waiting. They opened the doors at 11:30 and the lines moved quickly. I was on the ship by 11:45, and escorted to the Neptune lounge since I was staying in a penthouse. I was allowed access to the cabin immediately, to stow my carry-ons even though the steward hadn’t finished preparations. I went back to the Neptune lounge to make some incidental arrangements, then up to the Lido food “bazaar.” There were a couple reminders that Norwalk virus was causing fears – lots of sanitizer dispensers, and new sneeze guards everywhere. I then continued my walk-about introduction to the ship, comparing it to the Zuiderdam. One will note some minor changes in design here and there, all for the better (more bathrooms, improved signage, less gaudy).