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Login A fascinating destination in her own right, Westerdam has won multiple Best Cruise Ship awards and features superb bar, entertainment and dining venues. During the day, rejuvenate with a spa treatment at the heavenly Greenhouse Spa & Salon®. Head to the upper decks for a friendly game of Pickleball at Sea with top-deck views. Catch a performance at the World Stage or spend your evening on the dance floor at Rolling Stone Lounge.
This was our 3rd cruise, and first with Holland America. We arrived in Vancouver B.C. on May 23rd, one day prior to the Embarkation date. The process of embarkation was quick and easy, very well organized with plenty of staff guiding us along the way. P.S. You can arrive well ahead of your designated arrival time, if your so desire. Our friends arrived 2 hours early with no issues! If your'e a water snob, bring an empty water container, which you can refill in the Lido dining area. Also, bring 3 magnetic hooks (ours were rated to hold 9 lbs) great for hats, light jackets, sweaters) Once onboard it was ruffly an hour before our luggage was in our room. Food is always a top topic and this is an area we feel Holland was hit and miss! Some meals met our expectations, others did not, examples are: Main dinning room, - Food served was not even warm at times, very small portions, examples, Cesar salads, deserts. Breakfast was also disappointing in the main dining room, the eggs benedict was lacking, not enough hollandaise sauce, very thin canadian bacon, however, the one day we had a brunch, it was very good. Lido Buffet - Good salad bar, good variety of main dishes, deserts were tasteless at times. One day was designated as a Cake Event and the cakes were very good on this occasion. For us the Lido offers the best breakfast options. The Pinnicale restaurant was very good, ordered the lobster and also the Ribeye from here, and they were good. the Dive-in Hamburger/Hot Dog grill was disappointing compared to Guy's Hamburger joint on Carnival. Eating there once was enough, the pizza place was marginal at best.. The Ship itself was well maintained, clean, and had a classic look. Our veranda room met expectations, was able to see some wild life from the balcony, bear, sea otter, eagles, dall sheep. We also enjoyed viewing on the back observation deck, which was great because there are more eyes spotting wildlife ! Room service was free, and we enjoyed breakfast twice during the cruise, delivered at requested times. There were 2 dress up days and one Orange Day event scheduled, not a big deal, lots of people didn't dress for the events. The entertainment was also hit and miss for us, the singing/dancing shows were lacking, however, the comedian, and the the magic shows were good. We were in room towards the front of the ship, seas were rocky one day, which made my wife a little sea sick, may want to bring patches. Our room stewards were fantastic, along with the rest of the crew. No complaints here !!! Deck 10 had the observation/game room area and was always well attended with people enjoying game and drinks (bar and espresso). Glacier Bay and College Fjord were amazing! Look for wildlife ! Ketchikan (lumberjack show was entertaining), Junea (only place that rained on us), and Skagway each had serval things to explore, we enjoyed Mendenhall Glacier/Nugget Falls, and museums. Look at specifics on YouTube for what each stops has to offer. The land portion of the cruise was excellent, well organized from beginning to end! Lots of wildlife on the Denali wilderness tour. The shuttle service for around the lodges was great, ran every 5 to 10 minutes. Lots to do and see in the Lodge area, hiking and other explorations were available but using the park service shuttle, which ran every half hour from in front of Holland's Denali Lodge. Fairbanks was on the last day and the Riverboat cruise was truly enjoyable, very well organized. So, all in all loved Alaska !
Embark and Disembark were seamless. Staff was exceptional except for one bartender on first night and never saw them again. Neptune suite was spacious, huge balcony and tons of storage - don’t know how you could use it all. Included laundry was typically next day and had no issues from socks to silks. Must is to add cruise tour to Denali. Can’t say enough about enrichment seminars. Our group took advantage of National Park Service shopping on Glacier Bay day, shops on board including Effy. Food was exceptional. Dined at Pinnacle twice. Orange Club dining was worth it. Coffee bars served hot custom beverages with treats. Loved Ocean, Pinnacle and Dive Bars on board. We took advantage of all types of beverages from water to smoothies to high end alcohol. Family in group upgraded suite during per tour and had an issue due to pre ordered package, but HAL more than made up for it on board. Overall highly recommend for the over 50 crowd. Very few children on board.
I recently cruised on the MS Westerdam and overall had a reasonably good experience, with a mix of positives and areas that definitely need improvement. The ship itself is a nice size — big enough to have good facilities and entertainment, but not so massive that it feels overcrowded all the time. It was easy to get around and had a more relaxed atmosphere compared to some of the newer mega ships. The staff were generally ok to good. Most were polite and helpful, although at times it felt like some staff members didn’t listen closely enough to guest concerns or requests, which could be frustrating. The drinks onboard were consistently good quality, which was a strong point throughout the cruise. Entertainment was decent enough, but overall lacked diversity and excitement. After a few nights it started to feel repetitive, and there could definitely be more variety and energy in the evening programs. A special mention goes to cruise director Jose, who did an excellent job and brought good energy and professionalism to the cruise experience. One ongoing issue was the food temperature. While the food itself was generally good, meals were sometimes not served hot enough, which took away from the dining experience. The biggest disappointment was luggage collection on the final night. The process was poorly managed, with excessive talking and noise from staff late at night, and there didn’t seem to be much care shown for passengers trying to rest before disembarkation day. It left a poor final impression after an otherwise decent cruise. Overall, I’d describe the cruise as enjoyable but inconsistent — some strong positives, but also a few service and organization issues that Holland America could improve. The carpet in the Lido Buffet area needs a big over haul, frayed and discoloration is letting what is a good buffet down. Still an enjoyeable cruise overall.
With refined amenities and Holland America Line signature Mariner’s Dream bed gracing each elegant stateroom, the ship offers six grades of staterooms. Most are ocean-facing, many featuring teak-lined verandas for dining alfresco or private sunbathing.
Enjoy everything from a burger and fries by the Lido Pool to the authentic Italian flavors of Canaletto to the ultimate in refined and luxurious dining at the Pinnacle Grill.
Every day aboard a Holland America cruise ship brings a wealth of cruise activities and indulgences, along with the freedom to partake in as many- or as few- as you please. It's an opportunity to try something new that surprises you, every day. Dabble, discover, daydream- do everything, or do nothing at all.
Whether you want to workout in the Fitness Centre, learn yoga, pamper yourself with a massage and spa treatment, or enjoy a game of basketball, there's a perfect onboard activity for everyone.
Holland America Line's youth activities program, Kids Club, offers an array of entertaining events for kids and teens ages 3-17, supervised by a full-time, professionally trained staff. They'll have an opportunity to join other kids their age for arts and crafts, sports, video game competitions, scavenger hunts, challenging team games and themed parties.
Note: Kids Club is not offered on cruises of 25-days or longer, including all Legendary and Grand Voyages. We will offer a selection of children’s activities throughout these longer voyages for any children who may be onboard.
Safety Comes First
Safety is our primary concern and strict policies are in place for effective supervision. Adult guests are not permitted to remain in Kids Club unless attending to a special-needs child.
Please note: During voyages with a high number of families onboard, we will make all efforts to accommodate interested parties. However, participation in our program cannot be guaranteed. Hours of operation may change to better serve our guests.
