Westerdam Review by 1st time cruiser

[HeatherInFlorida]

Dave, too funny!!

 

Time2Sail ... and you were happy to have that toilet, right??!! My first cruise was in 1959 on the Queen of Bermuda. I was in high school. My grandmother took me and we had a tiny cabin with a long hall to a porthole and they dared to call it an "outside" cabin!!! And I'm with you ... it was the most fantastic cruise I can remember. The next best was on the Cunard Countess in the very early 80's. Very tiny, very sparse cabin ... no TV, portholes and the skinniest beds!!! And we were in heaven!

 

(BTW ... I went to a one room schoolhouse in rural N.E. with no heat, just a pot belly stove and an outhouse. We had to carry water from the nearest house. You come from that and you sure know what luxury is ... appreciate it, too!!:D )

[1stMate]

Forgive me, Lisa, but not true. Some of us have had other than praise for the food and service on the Oosterdam. I felt is was "okay", but nothing to rave about.

 

I have to say I'm a little surprised by some of these posts and the suggestion that people who take land-based vacations expect more than people who go on cruises. I expect far more service on a cruise than at a resort. We've done many vacations other than cruises. We've stayed at top of the line and some more moderate resorts.

 

I can say without hesitation that even the worst service on any cruise we've been on has been superior to the best service we've received at resorts.

 

So when I "complain" about the service on a ship, it doesn't mean it wasn't terrific ... it means it fell short of other cruises I've been on.

 

1st Mate, I enjoyed reading your review and I love your sense of humor. I always like to read the good and the bad about any cruise, but it still seems that while you seem to say you had a great time, the negatives stand out more as I read.

 

As to the size of the cabins, no one knows what "tiny" is unless you've been on the cruiseships from the 70's and 80's. Now those were tiny ... with beds that were smaller and always singles (unless you were in a penthouse which few could afford because the prices were so high back then). The Verandah cabins on HAL are huge in comparison and even better on their "S" class ships.

 

Before saying "never again" on HAL, try a couple of other cruiselines. You may change your mind (except for Celebrity which everyone knows is my personal favorite;) ... it's the people who sail on HAL that I like so much).

 

OK no bad things, I had a wonderful time

 

Thanks to the Cabin Steward and his assistant, the girl at the Windstar always smiling, the cashiers and dealers at the Casino(except the Russian guy and he knows it ;) , ALL THE GUYS AT THE LIDO they were so quick to help and clean, the omlette guy.

 

Omlette story. I'm waiting in line and the guy asks what I want, I tell him and he puts the ingredients in the cups and goes to the lady behind me so he can make two at once. She's in the midst of yelling at her husband who has clearly turned off the the hearing aid. The omlette man asks once and waits for a reply. She has nothing to say except to her husband, so I say "Ma'am, you're next" she says "just a minute" then continues berating her husband. Finally she gives up yelling, looks at the omlette man and says " Give me an egg white, no egg beater, no egg white omlette, with a little of that(pointing) no less, no more, and that(pointing again) no not that , that and some of that but not too much." "No butter no oil", without missing a beat she starts yelling at her husband. As soon as she turned around I apologized on behalf of the human race. It was at that point I realized the importance of guard rails around the deck.

 

Another Lido buffet story. There was a woman passenger on our cruise who had breast augmentation so obvious and large that everyone, even the lady in the wheel chair who slept through breakfast noticed. One afternoon she walks through the LIDO with a white bathsuit and white mesh cover up. She must have been very cold, if you know what I mean. Every guy working the counter at the Lido stopped what they were doing to stare, as did most of the passengers. As she walked past, the Lido guys were having a hard time holding back their laughter until one guy said, "I hope she doesn't hurt someone with those' The entire line started laughing.

 

The Lido guys are great.

 

The Pinnacle staff treats you like your the Captain's daughter on her first date.

 

The workmen who spent the cruise laquering the deck chairs. What a way to make a living but as I walked past them I alwys said hello and they always looked up and smiled.

 

The guy who stands outside the main dining room with the mints, he was always so happy to serve.

 

The room service guys, thanks for being on time and never getting the order wrong.

 

Thanks to the HMC stable guys, 11 guys and 24 horses on the Island. Smoke one for me guys.

 

The guys on the Virgin Islands Sail Away excursion. Great job.

 

The Club HAL workers, now I know why sailors in the British Navy got rations of rum, they had to work with children.

 

To the Captain, the weather was perfect and the seas were calm, good job.

[kryos]

We've already paid for the first night in the Pinnacle as it was less and we thought we'd check it out.

I think that's why the Pinnacle is so crowded on the first night ... the cover charge is only $10.00 per person. But, on my Zuiderdam cruise last summer, I received basically the same level of service (excellent) both on the first night and a subsequent night when I dined there. It will just be more crowded on the first night of the cruise, and the wait staff may have a little less time to socialize with diners.

 

But, I'll tell ya ... I'm a beef eater and I loved both of my meals at the Pinnacle and can't wait to dine there again next January on the Amsterdam.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[HeatherInFlorida]

1stMate, your stories are hysterical ... and I love the way you tell them:D .

 

The guy with the mints at the DR doors is the Yum Yum Man.

 

I love all your positive stories because I love the balance. Sometimes people read these reviews and they just don't realize there was good stuff, too. So thanks so much for that post! It was great.

 

And I'm so glad you liked the Virgin Islands Sailaway because I have recommended that tour a gizillion times. We thought it was fantastic. I hope they were able to cut the engines and hoist the sails on your return to the ship. That was my favorite part ... I never wanted it to end.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Forgive me, Lisa, but not true. Some of us have had other than praise for the food and service on the Oosterdam. I felt is was "okay", but nothing to rave about.

 

Heather, let me state it this way. There has has been a lot more "Happy Cruisers" coming off the Oosterdam in recent times than there has been on the Westerdam. Or Maybe the answer is just the Caribbean on a Vista Class ship. I kind of feel the the same about the Zuirderdam. Yet, she was my first HAL ship and we returned to HAL to try it again.

[scluvsrain]

I was on the Zuiderdam last summer for my first suite and my first Caribbean cruise AND my first Vista class ship. It was the worst of all of the cruises I have taken, but it was till pretty darn good. It was the worst because, one, the aft corner suite is much smaller than the other side suites, but the balcony was huge beyond belief. It was the worst because, two, the weather in the Caribbean in July is horridly hot and humid. It was the worst because, three, the dining room staff could have cared less, but they were still polite. I really have been spoiled on other HAL cruises with the more personal touches that existed, such as the dining room staff knowing your name and remembering what your "regular" orders are (certain kind of tea after dinner, etc.). That very little 'extra' touch speaks volumes. I missed that on the Z. It was too crowded and too busy. But like I said before, it was still a nice cruise.

 

--Sherita