Currently on Westerdam (Review)

[jmkennett]

I had another thread, but for some reason I couldn't post a reply.

Strange Internet things happening.

I'm going to try and get pics posted, If the internet will cooperate. I also apologize for lack of paragraphs and errant spell checks. Doing some copy and paste.

We finally have a little down time. This is a marathon cruise, with nine ports and two sea days, plus boarding day, so not a lot of time on the ship, as say on a Caribbean cruise.

A little background. I'm a three star, with five HAL cruises in the last few years (Euro twice, Noordam, and NA) and some others earlier than that. This is cruise 48 for me, so I have a lot to compare. Been on all the major lines, all around the World. The Regal Princess, 10 nights, over New Year's was our last (it was great). I work in a five diamond rated resort, so I have a lot of insight on the luxury travel sector.

I'll give an early pros and cons. I'll still take the cons instead of being at home. However, there have been some issues. I have to be honest and not sugar coat it and there is one big problem that I will talk about at the end of this. Everyone may have a different situation in a different place and time or on the same cruise. These are my observations.

Pros

1. We are on a cruise and that beats about anything else and the ship is nice. Great itinerary. Some of the popular stops and some out of the way spots. I wish HAL and other lines would do some more like this with the larger ships. Livorno, Monte Carlo, St. Raphael, Ajaccio, Almeria, Ceuta (Spanish Morocco), Marseilles, Sete, and an overnight in Barcelona at the end.
   
2. Great dining room and stateroom staff. Couldn't be nicer and more efficient. The food has been very good.
   
3. My wife has ordered in room dining for the mornings and it has consistently been on the early side of the time frame. A great plus when you want to get off the ship on time.
   
4. Love the redesign to the piano bar. The dueling pianos work well and there is so much more space. I have a complaint about this as well.
   
5. Finally have a stateroom TV with on demand options. Nice flatscreen instead of the old small ones in the corner of the desk. Lots of movies and TV shows to watch before bed.
   
6. The replacement lounge for the nightclub is beautiful, however, this could also be a con depending on your opinion. Personally, not sure the point of it. Haven't seen anyone in it. At least before, it was used as a nightclub. Now, late night is in BB King's Blues.
   
7. You can now access a lot of things on your phone, tablet, etc. Account info, dining res, etc., etc. No chat option as on Princess.This would be nice to have to find friends and family.
   
8. Public areas are spotless with a lot of new carpet.The ship is beautiful.
   
9. Some pros for the Lido. Great salad bar.Make your own or they will make one of around four on a menu. The grab and go sandwiches are a great idea.Dive In is the best burger at sea, but a bit slow.It's understaffed.The guys working there are doing the best they can with the volume. Breakfast has been really good as well. There are some cons for the Lido.
   

Cons

1. Explorations. I've read a lot of opinions on this. It looks nice, the interactive stuff is cool, but why did they mess with a great lounge? The Future Cruise Office and Shore Excursion office took the place of the cafe. Now, you get coffee at the bar. I haven't seen any live music and it really has no identity. Last time on the Eurodam, we had a guitar player at night, lights were dimmed, and it was great. Now, I feel like I'm in a university or some hi tech interactive thing outside an exhibit at EPCOT. Maybe some entertainment will show up the cruise, but doesn't look like it. The "library" is almost not existent. They could have put all this stuff in the atrium and left it alone. Just a stupid decision.
   
2. Daily program. Very simplistic which is not all bad, but there seems to be lacking info. It lists events and only posts hours of some of the dining venues and a few lounges. No spa, shops, etc. I miss the old one. No info about the officers, etc.
   
3. They also have the interactive screens around the ship and some info ones on shore excursions, etc. They are great, if they are correct. Last week they showed all aboard in Livorno was 7:30. It was 6:30 in the paper and on the itinerary. This mistake CANNOT happen and could cause someone to miss the ship. I called on it and they said they would let the broadcast team know. They also listed us as going to Villefranche instead of St. Raphael. Incorrect as well. At least know when and where we are going.
   
4. Atrium. Doesn't really affect me, but it's just strange. Looks like something out of IKEA. Not exactly the luxury HAL look and doesn't go with the rest of the ship. Seem like they are trying to be too hip. As said before, they could easily have the Explorations stuff here.
   
5. Hours of a lot of things are just strange. I'll explain the Lido below. I realize this is not a late night ship, but you have this great new piano bar, and it's not open every night. We are Ceuta today, with a day at sea tomorrow. Having the day at sea tomorrow generally means the evening on the ship tonight will be busy and people will be out later. So, why has the very popular piano bar closed tonight, again? Makes no sense. There are two piano players in this lounge. One of them can't play tonight? It was also closed a few nights ago. I've never seen this on a ship or on HAL before.
   
6. Dining room and Lido are very understaffed. Our waiters are awesome. Some of the best ever, but they need help. They have not complained at all, but it so obvious they are stretched really thin. The last two nights our assistant was called away and our waiter was doing everything himself. I felt terrible for him and he felt bad. Both the Lido and main dining room need to add about 10-20 percent more staff. When the wine steward has to help serve, you know there is an issue. HAL corporate should be ashamed with the situation they put their staff in, at least in the ship's dining room.
   
7. Lido hours. It's always been this way, but why not just keep it open and transition from breakfast to lunch, lunch to dinner, like Princess and Celebrity? If they can do it, so can HAL. Dive In closes at 5PM. On Princess the burger place closed at 11PM. Lots of people will be coming back at different times due to several late nights in ports. Make it convenient. It's so frustrating. Wish HAL would do a version of the Princess 24 hour International Cafe on all ships. Heck, HAL has basically taken away the Explorations Cafe, so that's one less option. The other night in Monte Carlo we sailed at 11PM. Couldn't make it back for 8:15 dinner. Returned at 9:00. Lido closed at 8:30, except for some pasta and pizza. It reopened at 10:30. Why not just keep it open all the way through? There were many people looking for food. Seems they do more work closing it down rather than just staying open all the way through.
   
8. And more on the Lido. Haven't been on the Westerdam, so not sure how much was done to the Lido during dry dock, but it seems the same as the Noordam and the NA. I heard they did some changes on the Euro. This space just cannot handle crowds at peak time. Constant fight to get a table. Not enough staff to clear the tables. Not sure of the solution, but more staff would help. Drink machines have been cut back. Used to have a couple different juices in the machine. Now, it's iced tea and one other flavor. Fresh OJ is gone. Taste fine, but it's, I think, the same Vitality brand as the other juices/lemonade. Completely random as to what Juice you will get. Sometimes it's odd, such as every night at dinner it's been orange juice. My opinion, but I don't drink OJ with dinner, such as a steak or Lasagna. I usually eat in the restaurants, so it doesn't affect me. Just found it weird. Princess and Celebrity have such better buffets IMO.
   
9. Staterooms, at least mine, need some TLC. This is not the cabin steward's fault. It's a capital improvement need. I would have thought this would have been accomplished in dry dock. Balcony floors need to be redone. Wear and tear on the floor and rust in a lot of areas. The table in the cabin looks like a dog chewed on it. Trash can looks as old as the ship. Minor things yes, but attention to detail is important.
   
10. This one is absurd and has affected a week of our cruise and also for several of our neighbors, who are also complaining. Up to day seven we had an almost constant sewage gas smell on our balcony. Not a slight odor, but a nauseous sewage gas smell coming out of a drain under our railing. It basically made the balcony not useable. They needed to solve this a lot quicker than they did. I know they are trying and mechanical things happen, but I didn't pay for a balcony to not be able to use it. Not pleasant. After four days we finally got past the I'm sorry sir and maybe have someone who will keep us informed and offer some compensation. Sailing out of Monaco the other night it was unbearable and we had to go to another deck to watch the sail away. It was affecting Upper Promenade, starboard side, aft. Not trying to be unreasonable and I'm trying to be patient, but just want to enjoy my balcony. The balcony is in dire need of a refurb. I will post pics later, but HAL should be embarrassed that they have this kind of upkeep. It's rusty, stained, and looks more like something you would find on a cargo ship. They obviously did not take care of this in dry dock. Some areas of the outdoor decks above the aft pool are in dire need of help. When I post the pics, I hope HAL is embarrassed. They should be.
    

I don't want to come across negative and we really are having a good time, but there are things that really need addressed.

Once I'm able, I will post some pics of the good and bad. That's it for now. I'll try to answer any questions.

Edited July 29, 2017 by jmkennett

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Thanks for the info.

[jmkennett]

Thanks for the info.

You are welcome!

[RJ2002]

Thanks for your review!

 

We were just on the Zuiderdam, which later this year will undergo many of the changes you have mentioned about the Westerdam.

 

HAL is definitely changing... for better or worse. I guess it depends on the eye of the beholder.

[freestyling]

It's been about 5 yrs since we have been on the Westy. Sorry to hear she wasn't polished during dry dock. I look forward to your pics. Thanks for the review

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thank you for all the pros and cons.

We were on the Westerdam in 2016. DH is not a fussy eater but he hated those pre-made sandwiches. They are made too far in advance and no matter when we had lunch, they were always soggy.

We watched many people take a bite and then put the sandwich down and walk away to find something else to eat.

For years HAL has been cutting back on staff everywhere on the ship. Sad.

[RJ2002]

We were on the Westerdam in 2016. DH is not a fussy eater but he hated those pre-made sandwiches. They are made too far in advance and no matter when we had lunch, they were always soggy.

We watched many people take a bite and then put the sandwich down and walk away to find something else to eat.

 

Sadly, on our recent Amsterdam cruise I witnessed someone walk up to the sandwich area and return a sandwich which she had previously taken. Despite HAL's best efforts to eliminate contamination of foods in the Lido, you can't always control this type of behavior.

[jmkennett]

Thank you for all the pros and cons.

We were on the Westerdam in 2016. DH is not a fussy eater but he hated those pre-made sandwiches. They are made too far in advance and no matter when we had lunch, they were always soggy.

We watched many people take a bite and then put the sandwich down and walk away to find something else to eat.

For years HAL has been cutting back on staff everywhere on the ship. Sad.

Good to know! It looked like a good idea, but I only had a bite of one. It was ok. Nothing memorable. They seem popular and if good, they are a good idea, but if not, then that nixes that idea!

[esimon]

Just got off the Maasdam - my friends at "pre made" sandwiched every day and loved them. Food is so personal preference.

[richarduk]

Regarding your review point number 10, we had a very similar experience to you in 2012 on Nieuw Amsterdam with VERY bad smell on the balcony. It ruined 7 days of our 10 or 11 day cruise. We are avid balcony users, hence we booked an unusually large balcony stateroom. If you wish to see my original post and others responses, here's a link to my post back then. Believe me when I say we had a very frustrating week. We were not believed by a number of crew. We were promised some compensation and were told this was all logged when we would get in touch. We soon found out afterwards that nothing was logged and we had to file a case with HAL HQ. They EVENTUALLY gave us a future 2 category upgrade, but not without a fight.

 

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1690113

Edited July 29, 2017 by richarduk

[jmkennett]

Regarding your review point number 10, we had a very similar experience to you in 2012 on Nieuw Amsterdam with VERY bad smell on the balcony. It ruined 7 days of our 10 or 11 day cruise. We are avid balcony users, hence we booked an unusually large balcony stateroom. If you wish to see my original post and others responses, here's a link to my post back then. Believe me when I say we had a very frustrating week. We were not believed by a number of crew. We were promised some compensation and were told this was all logged when we would get in touch. We soon found out afterwards that nothing was logged and we had to file a case with HAL HQ. They EVENTUALLY gave us a future 2 category upgrade, but not without a fight.

 

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1690113

Thank you! I will read it. We have had probably seven different higher ups in the cabin to see for themselves. They got to smell the problem and I believe they very much realize the issue. I think they are trying to figure out what to do. It's been very disappointing. They did not do nearly enough to this ship during dry dock.

[erewhon]

Thank you for taking time to post your Pros and Cons of the Westerdam.

 

Sorry to read of so many problems.

[easyboy]

Thank you for your review!

[blueboro]

JMkennett, what cabin were you in?

[bobpatj]

We'll be in a balcony cabin on Westerdam next February, so I am interested in knowing which cabin you're in, too!

[blueboro]

Also, do you recall which nights were Gala nights?

[jingels]

We booked one of the new balcony cabins on deck 10 on the upcoming September 8 Cruise from Rome to Barcelona. Very disappointing to hear about the Explorations Café. We were looking forward to being there during the evening with some live music. But I hope we won't have the balcony smell problem being a new room.

 

 

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[ski ww]

Great review. We did the Panama to Vancouver on her a few years back, sad to hear what was done to her.Too bad about the library. We had the same smelly problem during a TA on the Prinsendam. Talked to the Chief Engineer one morning out back, he told me the holding tank air vent didn't go all the way to the top deck, it was vented just above the Promenade deck. He didn't know when it would be fixed.

Allan

Edited August 15, 2017 by ski ww
spelling

[giraffegirl]

Workers did a lot of balcony refurbishment on our Westerdam cruise during late September to early November. I think you would be happy with the balcony's look now. Also, the premade sandwiches were excellent in the Lido Market while we were onboard.

[Sea girl 23]

Re: #3 and #4: We wound up going to Villefranche on my most recent cruise.Granted,it was a last minute change but everyone was cool with it.

 

I like the atrium on the Westerdam.Younger than most here(mid 40's) so I probably appreciate it more.

[cbr663]

Thank-you for your review thus far. Can't wait to see some of the pics.

 

It is disappointing to read that a ship is not in tip top condition, especially the cabins. Your review has us convinced to keep the Westy on our Do Not Sail list.

[JimAOk1945]

Sorry to read about the "cons" you have encountered. Hopefully the rest of your cruise will be enjoyable. I'm looking forward to seeing your pictures and reading more about your experiences.

 

We are looking forward to being on the Westerdam for the Dec 8 - 22 cruise.

[john2003]

I agree with most of your comments. Found Explorations underwhelming. At some point management will cut staff one step too far. Unfortunately as long as the share price keeps rising they will keep cutting

 

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[sheepers21]

We are on the Westerdam next week and are in an aft cabin with a balcony. This feature is of utmost importance to us and will monitor your comments about the odor very closely. As cruisers, we pay a premium for the use of a balcony as there is precious little private outdoor space on a cruise ship to enjoy. Your thread is appreciated very much. Thank you for your time during your cruise to benefit others.

[boards]

Thank you for the great review. We have not had any of problems you mentioned, I'm happy to say. We also like the pre-made sandwiches, we were on the Maasdam recently and enjoyed them almost every day for a snack.