Westerdam Review 1-9-05

[sea-n-me]

Westerdam Review 1-9-05 Eastern Caribbean

 

This was our fifth cruise with HAL. We have previously sailed on the Zaandam, Ryndam and twice on the Zuiderdam. My DH & I are in our mid 40's and we had our 12 year old daughter with us. (NOTE: There have been previous threads regarding minors and picture IDs. At no time was she ever asked for a picture ID - not at either airport, not at cruise line check in, not in any port where we exited the ship.)

 

We arrived at the port from Cleveland, OH on Sunday, 1-9, at about 1:00 p.m. Went to the suite check in line - computers were down. Partial check in was completed, but we were told that we would have to finish check in (pictures and credit card matters) with the concierge in the Neptune Lounge. Got our gold stickers (LOL) and off we went. We were escorted up to the Neptune Lounge. Since there was quite a line there, we went directly to our cabin 7051. Everything was ready for us, including chilled champagne, not wine as some have reported receiving. Luggage arrived promptly. We were fortunate to have a wonderful cabin steward. He always made time for a smile and a short chat with us everyday. He even tracked down a child size robe for our DD. We were very well taken care of throughout the cruise. The new bedding was wonderful!

 

Suite reception was at 7:30 in the Neptune Lounge. We were only able to stay about 10 minutes as we had dinner reservations at the Pinnacle. Met Krazy Kruizers there - they actually recognized us first because of our daughter.

 

The Neptune Lounge had all the usual amenities - love the coffee machine! We were not overly impressed with the concierge, Aaron. A little too stand-offish IMO. I guess I prefer someone a little more friendly and outgoing in that position.

 

Dining was a definite plus. We ate at the Pinnacle embarkation night - outstanding food and service as always. The Lido had an excellent selection -usually ate breakfast and lunch there. Best pizza at sea IMO! We had 8:00 p.m. seating for dinner. Wonderful table location (thanks KK!) upper dining room along the railing. Received excellent and attentive service from our dining room staff, though a bit slow between courses. Our head waiter was also very attentive, always asking if he could bring us more of something (crab legs, lobster, etc.) Our DD received a lot of attention from them and was genuinely sad when she had to say good bye to them on the last night.

 

The ship itself was lovely. I saw many improvements (color wise) over the Zuiderdam - a bit more toned down. We felt right at home right away as we were already familiar with where everything was located from our past trips on the Zuiderdam.

 

The shows were all very good compared to other ships we have been on. The Westerdam "cast" shows were very well done, great singing, dancing and costumes. We also saw an illusionist and a wonderful singer, Alfreda (who performs on tour with Yanni).

 

Ports of Call

Nassau - never did care for this port and we were only there for 5 hours. IMO, they should just skip Nassau and substitute an entire sea day.

St. Martin - there was an unbelievable total of 9 ships in port that day and we were the second smallest ship! Had to tender in - 4 ships docked, 5 ships at anchor. Tendering was a nightmare - very choppy waters which caused delays from just trying to get passengers loaded onto the tenders. This is usually my favorite port, but there were just way too many people. We walked around the shops in Phillipsburg for a while, had lunch and got back on the ship.

Tortola - took the ships excursion to Virgin Gorda and the Baths. Beautiful place - would highly recommend. Next time, we will go there on our own in order to be able to spend more time on the beach, as there is not much else to do in Tortola. Minimal shopping opportunities - a "straw market" setup and a few shops downtown.

Half Moon Cay - as always, the highlight of our cruise. We had a beautiful day there. My DD and I did the horseback riding excursion - highly recommended! It was fantastic and the guides that work this excursion are wonderful. I would do this one again in a heartbeat. My DH & DD also did the Stingray excursion. Having done this excursion in Grand Cayman with the wild stingrays, my DH was a bit disappointed, but my DD really enjoyed the experience. BBQ lunch was great - ribs, burgers, hot dogs, etc. were served.

 

Overall, we were very impressed with the staff and atmosphere aboard the Westerdam and really enjoyed ourselves. I would not hesitate to recommend her to those who are thinking of booking her, and to those that already have, I am confident that you will find her and her staff to be as welcoming and willing to please as we did.

[K&RCurt]

Thanks for your review.

 

We are on the 1/23 cruise on the Westerdam with the same itinerary. We have been debating even getting off the ship at Nassau. I guess we'l play it by ear. I don't see why they bother with a 5 hour port call either.

 

I checked and there seems to be 6 ships in Philipsburg when we are there. I guess we'll be tendering also.

 

Thanks again for your review.

[heyabbott]

Very reassuring, we're going on the Westerdam for our 1st cruise in March. We're already booked for the horseback riding. We've been to the Baths before, so we selected the Islands Sail to across the Channel.

[localady]

Thanks for the review. It was good to hear your daughter enjoyed the cruise also as my teenage sons will be joining us for our cruise on the Zaandam in March. This will be their first cruise on a HAL ship and I am hoping they enjoy it.:cool:

[jodster]

Hi Sea-n-me,

 

You said your 12 year old daughter enjoyed the cruise. I have some questions for you.....we have a 13 year old son and were looking at booking this ship and taking him (he has never been on a cruise) with and I don't want to hear those words "I'm bored".

 

Did your daughter use Club Hal?

 

Is there a video arcade? Movie Theater...etc.

 

Would you say this is a good ship for families?? Some are of the opinion that HAL is an older person's cruise line (we have only cruised Princess and would like to try a different line).

 

Thank you in advance.

Jodi

[JaniceB]

Are you and your daughter experienced horseback riders? My daughters, 14 and 16 would love to do this excursion. They have never had riding lessons, but have been on their friends horses. Would you recommend the excursion for them?

 

Thanks for taking time to post your review.

[ekerr19]

Welcome back! Thanks for the review, I enjoyed it. I wonder why some ships seem to have different policies regarding ID for minors... we have had them ask to see our children's passports a few times, other times not.

[dakrewser]

Thanks for the lovely review! I was particularly pleased to see your thoughts on the Westerdam vis-a-vis the Zuiderdam. Glad to hear that service isn't breaking down all over the fleet..

[sea-n-me]

Jodi - there were only about 30 kids on board the week we sailed. No one really her age, either younger, older or a boy (God forbid!). She received a Club HAL schedule at check in, but chose not to participate in any of the activities. Some of the activities were a pool/hot tub party, glow volleyball, basketball games, etc. A lot of the interesting sounding ones were held pretty late in the evening, and she was really just too tired by the end of the day to stay up for any of them. There is a video arcade and there is a movie theater. I can honestly say that she never once said that she was bored and really seemed to enjoy "going with the flow" of the ship. IMO, I think HAL is just fine for families. Yes, many of your fellow passengers are older, but we would not hesitate to take our DD with us on HAL again. She really had a great time.

 

JaniceB - I would not call either of us "experienced", though we have ridden on and off over the past several years. These are beautiful, spirited horses and they really do take the time to try to match you up to a horse that fits your abilities. The trail ride section of the ride is pretty typical, up and down some hills and pretty laid back. No galloping. The swimming in the water part is a little more intense. The saddles they use for this part are basically a nylon pad and a little on the slippery side. We had several people fall off. You just have to hold on for dear life and enjoy! It was one of the most incredible experiences I have ever had!

 

ekerr - I wonder the same thing - you would think that the cruise line as a whole would have a policy - not based on what ship you are on.

[JaniceB]

Thanks for answering so quickly. I think I am going to go book the excursion right now. I wouldn't want to miss them to miss the opportunity to ride a horse in the water. I will be sure to tell them to hold on tight.

I am glad to hear that your daughter never said the "b" word. I hope I will be able to say the same thing about my daughters.

[jodster]

Hi Sea-n-me,

 

Just wondering what type of cabin did you have?? Is a balcony roomy enough for three??

 

Jodi

[sea-n-me]

Jodi -

 

We had a Category S - Deluxe Verandah Suite. There was more than enough room for the three of us.

 

As far as the standard balcony cabins go, my husband and I had one once and it was roomy enough for the two of us. Not sure how comfortable 3 would be - it may be tight. Hopefully someone else who has had 3 in a standard verandah cabin can give you better information.

[Cruisergal1208]

see-n-me, Could you describe your experience at the Baths? How deep was the water, do you just walk through the water and the boulders and did you snorkle there? How tough was the climb back to the top to catch the bus back to the ship? We are in our 60's and not the most active people. Leaving in the morning to drive to Ft. Lauderdale to cruise on the 23rd on the Westerdam. First time on HAL and are really excited about having a suite. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[DFD1]

Thanks, See-n-me. Nice, crisp review with good information. We have not sailed on her yet, but have sailed on the Oosterdam. I hope we can cruise on the Westerdam sometime this year. Thanks again.

[sea-n-me]

Curisergal:

 

The climb down to and up from the Baths was a bit on the slippery side, but certainly doable. You just have to watch your footing and I would recommend wearing tennis shoes.

 

Myself, I just laid on the beach and soaked up the sun. My DH and DD decided to go through the caves over to Devils (?) Beach. From what they told me it was a bit tough getting through certain parts, but well worth the effort. They said it was the most beautiful beach they had ever seen.

 

The water did not appear to be too deep, and plenty of people were snorkeling. They did rent snorkel equipment right there. It truly is a beautiful spot and I am really glad that we went.

 

I know that you will have a wonderful time on the Westerdam. We enjoyed her and her crew so much. And the suites are fantastic. Have a Cafe Latte for me in the Neptune Lounge! Bon Voyage!

 

Renee

[GrammyPL]

sea-n-me---Thanks so much for the review. Our daughter is getting marrried on the Westerdam in Nov. and we are all looking forward to it. So far we have 4 rooms reserved and maybe more will be joining us. 3 of them have the smaller rooms with balcany and we have an SS. We have been on the Zuiderdam and loved the SS but don't know that much about the smaller rooms. I am so glad to hear that they have toned down the colors for the Westerdam. Penny