Review Westerdam Alaska July 13-20

We just got back from our cruise to Alaska on the Westerdam. We departed Seattle on July 13 and returned to Seattle July 20. I will try to give a balanced review with pictures and a few tips.

Bottom line? We loved it.

Would I recommend it? Yes and no. There were lots of wonderful points to the itinerary and Holland America. My mom, who had sailed on some higher end cruise lines and Holland America, was disappointed with the food and upkeep of the ship. I think that in general the quality of food on the cruise lines has declined. If you want the amazing food that people experienced years ago, you must expect to pay for the upgraded restaurants or sail on one of the higher end lines (like Crystal or Seabourn). That being said, we still had an amazing time, and I would highly recommend it.

Next up: Scans from the daily activities.

Thanks for your post and the link.:)

Thanks for sharing.

Thanks for sharing the photos.

Keith

I tried to enlarge the pictures of the daily program -- no luck.

Too small for me to read.

I tried to enlarge the pictures of the daily program -- no luck.

Too small for me to read.

I'm working on making them bigger. I got too tired last night and gave up. I will continue.

Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts.

I have scanned all of the "On Location" handouts we got for each day of the cruise. I saved them as pdf files, and they are located on my google drive. Below is the link to the folder. I've also scanned some other documents we kept from the cruise and ports of call. Hopefully these are big enough for everyone to see.

I'll start my pictoral review soon. Sorry this is so slow. It takes a lot of time, and I've got work and school to keep me busy too.

https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B_63-6joTm-NcGpHWHJLNW53bDA&usp=sharing

We just got off the Nieuw Amsterdam and I would agree with your food comments. We found the food to be good but the really good food was in the specialty restaurants. I think HAL is in a marketing bind because they are mass market so need lower prices to fill ships. While those prices are great, something has to give.

Glad you enjoyed your cruise.

A little about us: Our group was composed of me, my husband, and my mom. My husband and I had only been on 1 other cruise (Norwegian) to the Bahamas. Mom has cruised a lot on many lines from Carnival to SilverSea.

I am compulsively organized. To that end, I did tons of internet research. I created a spreadsheet with our schedule, planned expenditures, and packing list. You can find it on my google docs page @

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B_63-6joTm-NNlc4U2pYZkpGSXc/edit?usp=sharing

I took tons of pics and video. You can find day 1's video on youtube @

Day 1 started very early at the Raleigh-Durham airport. We flew Southwest Airlines from RDU to Las Vegas to Seattle, arriving in Seattle around 11:30 am.

We had reservations at the Holiday Inn Express SEA-TAC. They had a free shuttle from the airport to the hotel. The hotel was basic but nice. We were only staying a day, but we had 2 queen beds, a minifridge and coffee pot. The lobby had 2 computers available with a printer. That came in handy when I had to print out additional luggage tags.

I had gone online earlier and ordered some groceries from Safeway. They deliver! Holland America allows customers to bring on wine, sodas, and water. I ordered a box of wine (I know--a little low brow, but I didn't have to worry about breakage) and a couple of fridge packs of soda as well as a case of water. It arrived right on time. I taped luggage tags to the groceries, and they all arrived in our stateroom with our luggage the next day. :)

After the groceries arrived we walked to the bus stop. I used the king county web site to figure out the public transportation system. It was absolutely accurate on routes, but not so on cost. Based on the web, I purchased ORCA cards as the website indicated my cost would be less. NOT SO! We ended up paying the same price for the bus, and we could have just purchased day passes for the light rail. Oh well, it wasn't a huge price difference, but it was annoying that I had done all of that research and the web was misleading.

Our first stop was Pike Place Market. We had some snacks and a beer sampler at Pike Brewing Company, at seafood chowder at Pike Place Chowder, watched fish flying through the air at Pike Place Fish Market, marveled at all of the flower arrangements on flower row, and generally enjoyed ourselves.

Mom and I then caught the monorail to Seattle Center. We had tickets to see Chihuly's Art and Glass Exhibit. It was $19/pp and well worth it. Words cannot describe! Check out the video for how amazing this exhibit is. Take your earphones and smart phone as there is a free audio tour available on their website. They had a photographer taking pictures of guests for free. We got a card with our number on it, went to a kiosk and emailed the picture to ourselves--all included in the admission price.

I could have wandered around forever and wish we had more time in Seattle, but Mom and I were both exhausted, and my DH had already given up. It was 9 pm Seattle time, which meant it was midnight at home. We had gotten up at 3:45 am and were exhausted. We took the monorail back to the light rail and headed for the hotel.

The next day was the cruise, and even though I was exhausted, it was difficult to sleep.

A lot of work Cat... thanks for sharing. :)

 

I took tons of pics and video. You can find day 1's video on youtube @

 

I forgot to include the link to my video

I'm working adding videos of the next days. My Youtube channel link is https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCyD7_hEInBgrOu9RErZ60w

Here's the link to part 2 of day 1's video, the Chihuly Glass and Gardens

Thank you for sharing. I will be looking forward to the rest of your review.

Day 2 started with the buffet breakfast at the Holiday Inn Express. As buffet breakfasts go, this was one of the better ones I've eaten.

The hotel contracts with a local company for transportation to the port. It's $12/pp each way. I can't remember the name of the company. I really wish I could, because I can't say that I'd recommend them. at 9am when we came down to the lobby with our luggage, it looked like the entire hotel was about to depart for a cruise! The lobby and the front of the hotel were full! There was not any system in place that in any way resembled organization. It took us an hour before our group got in a van. That really wasn't a big deal because we couldn't board until 11:30, but the lack of organization was not how I wanted to start my cruise. Our group of 3 finally got in a van with another couple from Texas. We filled up the cargo area in the back of the van and then departed for... not the port but another hotel to pick up more passengers. These guys make their money by filling every seat, and they were absolutely going to do that. So we stuffed in 5 more people at the next stop with all of their luggage. It truly looked like a clown car as people climbed out!! It felt like a sardine can inside! To top it off, the group that they picked up from the other hotel was going to the other pier, so we had to go downtown first, then to pier 91 where Holland America sails from. For a group of 3, the cost was $36. We opted for a cab to the airport going home, and it cost us $54. I guess it's a matter of choice, but I didn't mind paying a little more to avoid the chaos and not be so packed in.

When we arrived at Pier 91, the porters were available immediately to take all of our luggage aboard. (Remember, I had 2 boxes of wine, a case of water, 3 fridge packs of soda plus all of our suitcases!) I was glad to be rid of the load.

Holland America's process was quick and painless for getting on board. We went through security, registered and got our boarding cards very quickly. They gave us a group number for boarding. We were group 5. I liked that process because we got to take a seat and wait for our group number to be called. The folks on Princess across the room were all standing in line waiting for boarding to begin.

I was pleasantly surprised to learn that our rooms were ready immediately upon boarding. I don't know if this is Holland America's norm, but it wasn't the case on Norwegian when I cruised before. We dropped off our belongings, stored our passports and wallets in the safe, and met our room steward.https://picasaweb.google.com/m/viewer?fgl=true&pli=1#photo/107663782561476172519/5906980988163651921/5906981095216840674

https://picasaweb.google.com/m/viewer?fgl=true&pli=1#photo/107663782561476172519/5907007495854118161/5907007798173006114

Next we made our way to the Mariner's Lunch. Mom had sailed Holland America before, so we got to join her for the Mariner's Lunch served in the dining room instead of having to join the mob in the Lido Deck Restaurant.

Lunch was nice, although I really didn't think it was spectacular. I did remember to take a picture of the menu, but I forgot to take any pictures of the food until desert. My hat is off to all the folks on Cruise Critic who post such detailed pictoral reviews. Half the time I would forget to take pictures for others. I was too busy enjoying myself. Sorry!

https://picasaweb.google.com/m/viewer?fgl=true&pli=1#photo/107663782561476172519/5906980988163651921/5906981103597610034

https://picasaweb.google.com/m/viewer?fgl=true&pli=1#photo/107663782561476172519/5906980988163651921/5906982295982353746

After lunch we went to look around the ship. I took some pictures, but again I did not do such a great job remembering my Cruise Critic friends and forgot to take pictures of some of the less exciting places.

I meant to add these comments about the room but got wrapped up in trying to add pictures. We were in 1097, which is a class D large ocean view room. The room was adequately sized, but a little cramped for 3. Mom and I took up all of the closet space (excpet for my husband's suit). Granted there were 4 life jackets, the bedding for the sofabed, and a safe in the closets. DH used the drawers at the foot of the bed and at the nightstand. Be warned: there are only 2 outlets in the room, and they are both at the desk. Thanks to Cruise Critic, I had brought 2 power strips. That gave us enough plugs for all of our electronics. Unfortunately, both Mom and I use CPAP machines when sleeping. I had to ask our steward for an extension cord to reach the sofa bed. He immediately brought one.

One of the cabinets contained a minifridge stocked with minibar items. We asked our steward to have all of those things removed. He said the beverage department had to take care of it. That didn't happen until much later the next day after another phone call. I ended up taking everything out myself, so that I could chill our sodas and wine.

Our room was rather warm, and we tried turning down the temp. Later that day we ended up having to call customer service. They promptly sent someone with a laser temperature detector to check the temp of the room. They verified it was warm, but all they could offer was a fan for the night. We took the fan and were ok. The next day maintenance came and fixed the AC, although after our first port, the room got warm again. It was never quite right, and we used the fan for the whole trip. Now to be fair, DH likes the temperature suitable to hang meat. My mom said she froze the whole trip and had to double her blankets and sleep in her long johns, so I can't say everyone would agree that the room was really too warm after the first day. I have more pictures of the room in my Day 2 video, which I will post soon.

So my links to the pictures didn't work as expected. This is my first pictoral review. I might get it right by day 7. Here are the pics of our room.

Here are the pics from the Mariner's Lunch.

Day 2 continued (Cruise Day 1)

The Westerdam is a very nice ship. It was built in 2004 and refurbished in 2010. The interior is well maintained. My only criticism on the cleanliness was the windows. I know it's difficult to keep windows clean at sea, but even when we were in Seattle, I did not see any window cleaning going on. Our cabin had a window, but it was filthy. Even the public rooms where we spent a great deal of time looking out at the beautiful vistas had dirty windows. This really detracted from the scenic views. As you can see in many of my pictures, there was much improvement available in the window cleaning department.

This was the view out of our window. You can see the streaks, spots and smudges on the window.

We were on the Main Deck (Deck 1) Below that is deck A and B. Those decks are mostly crew areas except for the infirmary and tender area.

In addition to cabins, Deck 1 contains the Excursions, Future Cruise and Customer Service desks. These are all located midship around the atrium.

The atrium is not as glitzy and dramatic as some, but fitting with Holland America's style it leans towards the classy and elegant side. As it's name implies, the Atrium Bar is located in the atrium on deck 1.

This was the site of Martini Madness. Mom and I didn't discover this event until the cruise was over half over. I will cover the activity later, but it is not to be missed for both the drinks and the fun.

At the bow of the ship, is the bottom floor of the Vista Lounge, home to most of the shows. I peeked my head in on day 1, but didn't take a picture. Sadly, I never made it back there. I was so tired at the end of each evening, I never made it to a single show!

Next up Deck 2

Deck 2 is all public area. This is where we boarded the ship. The aft section contains the Vista Dining room.

This is the ceiling in the center of the Vista Dining Room

Deck 2 is where Anytime dining is seated. Fixed Dining eats on Deck 3 in the Vista dining room. While we had good service with anytime dining, I think next time I'll try fixed dining. I'd like the experience of the waiter getting to know my preferences etc. I chose anytime dining because I wanted flexibility, but I realize now that if I want to be flexible, I can just go to the Lido.

Moving forward from the dining room, you can only walk along the starboard side. The port side is dedicated to the kitchen. On the starboard side are a couple of lounges, including the card room. I walked by these a couple of times and there was a violinist and/or piano player providing entertainment. Sorry, again, no pictures.

The next room is home of the ParkWest Art Gallery. I passed by this several times but never went in. Once you reach midship, you can see the open atrium. On the starboard side is the Pinnacle Bar. The Pinnacle Grill is on the port. The Pinnacle Grill uses the same kitchen as the Vista Dining Room, but the quality of the food is so much better. (More of that later.)

The midship elevators are just past the atrium. There are 2 interior and 4 glass elevators (2 port and 2 starboard).

Here's the view from inside one of the glass elevators.

Walking forward again, you can choose either port or starboard. Going on the port side, there is a dark hallway leading to the Northern Lights Night Club. I walked down this hallway a couple of times and did not notice until the last night that the Contemporary Art drawings of Marilyn Monroe would light up with different colors as I passed by. I guess this is more noticeable when the hallway is empty. It's a pretty cool effect. On the starboard side is a hallway that leads to the Queen's Lounge. This is where the culinary arts programs are. Movies are also shown here. I have some video of this that I'll post later.

Past the Queen's Lounge is the Sports Bar and Piano Bar. We went to a trivia game in the piano bar once. That was fun. The casino is also in this area. Like most ships, you cannot get through this level without walking through the casino. One side is nonsmoking. Without a wall to separate the two sides, it's impossible to avoid the smell of cigarette smoke, but if you're a non-smoker as we are, it was nice to be able to play without having smoke next to you. My husband spent a few hours feeding the 1 arm bandits.

I'm pretty sure there are signs saying you can't take pictures of the casino during gaming, but DH did not read those. He just wanted to show that sometimes he came out ahead on the slots.

At the bow is the second level of the Vista Lounge.

Deck 3, the Promenade Deck, is mostly dedicated to shopping. True to it's name, it does have a promenade that encircles it. There are some very nice wooden deck chairs with cushions out here as well. This is where the lifeboat drill is held. Again, the aft section contains the fixed dining portion of the Vista Dining Room. Walking forward on the starboard side, you pass through the photo gallery. I only walked past here a couple of times. Even though we posed for pictures on the second formal night, I forgot to go back and look at our pictures. Next is the Atrium with the Ocean Bar surrounding it. Continuing forward is the shopping area. I'm not much of a shopper. I did go to the free liqueur sampling and browsed a bit, but I never bought anything. After the shops on the port side there are several meeting rooms and then you find yourself at the front of the ship at the Vista Lounge again.

Decks 4-8 are entirely staterooms, except for the Neptune Lounge which is for suite guests only.

Deck 9 is the Lido Deck. It has 2 pools. The aft pool is open to the air and has a great view of the ocean.

Of course, there is a bar here. Going forward, you get to the Lido Deck Restaurant. There are 2 sides, and with a couple of exceptions, the same menu is served on both sides. At less busy times, one side will close. The restaurant is divided into several serving stations, and I rarely found that the line was terribly long. For the first 48 hrs there is no self-service on the Lido. This is to prevent the spread of germs. I appreciated the concern for our safety, but I did find that this practice slowed the service a bit for those first 2 days. It was a fair trade off in IMHO. I should have taken pictures of the Lido menus, but they were very close to what was being served in the main dining room.

Past the Lido Restaurant was the Lido Pool. This pool is enclosed with a retractable roof. That's a great concept for an Alaska voyage.

The Lido pool also has the Lido Bar (Big surprise, right?) and the Terrace Grill. The Terrace Grill served hamburgers and hot dogs. I never ate there, but my husband said they were pretty good. There was also a kid's corner buffet here that served food more appealing to the younger crowd.

Forward from the Lido pool was the spa. It contained the Hydrotherapy pool and thermal suites. The salon and the fitness center are there too. One odd thing about the spa was that the forward elevators were in inside the entrance to the spa. As a result, when I walked out of the hydrotherapy pool or the thermal suites to go to the locker room, I would pass people waiting for the elevator. It was a little weird. During the afternoon, the spa staff was giving 10 min chair massages and tours of the spa. Mom and I got our shoulders rubbed and took a tour of the spa. They were offering a discount on the hydrotherapy pool and thermal suites. $299 for two. Mom and I signed up. I enjoyed it, but I'm not sure now it was totally worth it. There was so much to do during the cruise, we didn't use this perk every day. In the future, I think I would look into how much a day pass is and compare the cost of using it for 1 or 2 days vs. buying the pass for the whole week.

This is the hydrotherapy pool.

Here are the heated chairs in the thermal suite.

I just watched your video of the plane ride and the sites around Seattle. Loved it! I also enjoyed both songs....where can I find them at?

I am so exited to be leaving soon, we have never been on the Westerdam...so that will be a treat.

Thank you so much for your review and awesome pics and video.

Great review:D I spent my time on the aft pool on the Westerdam. I prefer the open air and the views:D

So nice of you to do all of this:D

We are all enjoying - hope if it's not too much work - you carry on.

Looking forward to more:)

I just watched your video of the plane ride and the sites around Seattle. Loved it! I also enjoyed both songs....where can I find them at?

I am so exited to be leaving soon, we have never been on the Westerdam...so that will be a treat.

Thank you so much for your review and awesome pics and video.

The first song is "Airplane" by the Indigo Girls.

The second is "Seattle Summer" by David Perry.

I downloaded them both from Amazon. I own the Indigo Girls CD, but all I could find was the case when I went to make the video. :confused:

Great review:D I spent my time on the aft pool on the Westerdam. I prefer the open air and the views:D

 

So nice of you to do all of this:D

 

We are all enjoying - hope if it's not too much work - you carry on.

 

Looking forward to more:)

Glad to hear that folks are enjoying the review. Sorry it's slow going, but I've got to go to work to pay the bills and save up for the next cruise!