Westerdam Review - New Year Cruise

[EssexWasp]

We are a family of four, 2 daughters aged 8 & 11, my wife is 39 and I am 46. This was our first HAL cruise having sampled NCL, Carnival, Princess and Costa in the past.

We flew in from London on the 26th and stayed at the Sheraton in FL - nice hotel and an even nicer price on Hotwire! Shared a taxi to the port on the Sunday with some fellow CCers [hello Erin and Rob!] and had a very smooth embarkation - probably 35 mins in total and the shore staff were very helpful.

The Westerdam is a beautiful ship, 'classy' was the word that kept coming to mind and she was spotless. We went to drop off some stuff at our cabin - we had an inside 4-berth [1068] which was huge, easily the largest 4 berth we had had on any line. Lots of storage space for us and the kids with a large floor space for the kids to play with some Xmas presents they had brought with them. The bathroom was a good size too and my DW loved the Elemis toiletries although they wernt always refilled every day which they really needed to be for 4 passengers.

We saw our cabin stewards on the first day and then only twice more during the cruise but [aside from the above] they were really efficient and we had no problems with anything - they left towel animals every night which the kids loved, especially the monkey hanging from the little ladder.

The ship is beautifully understated, with some facinating artwork and we spent some time exploring to get our bearings as well as booking some tables for dinner [we were on AYW dining, more of which later].

The Lido food was excellent, probably better than any we tried on other lines and the absence of trays wasnt really a problem - we particularly liked the fresh orange juice at breakfast and the sheer variety of food at lunch.

Club HAL was in a very small space but I cant speak highly enough of the inventiveness and professionalism of the staff. Our kids loved the club and were so happy - there was only one small incident during their scavenger hunt when some fellow passengers complained about them running through the Crows Nest [shock horror!] and eating ice cream [whatever is the world coming to - kids eating ice cream?]. All in all though, a great experience for the kids who made many new friends from the US and have a bulging book of new email addresses!

Half Moon Cay was everything we could have hoped for - beautiful, peaceful and a little bit of paradise. We managed to get some loungers by the kids area with the small water slides and inflatables and didnt see the kids all day [except out of the corner of our eyes] - the tendering was hassle free and quick and the BBQ fine. My 11 year-old said that it was

" the best day of my life " - a perfect day!

We loved the day in Aruba - went to Palm beach and then sat by the pool at the Westin. On the way back, the bus driver may have perhaps enjoyed a little festive spirit and after she drove over the third boulder on a roundabout, nearly tipping the bus over, we all got off until things calmed down a bit and the kids had stopped crying! The New Year party on the ship was great, lots of champers, dancing - well done HAL!

On Curacao, we had a relaxing [slightly hungover]day on Kon Tiki beach where we had a 40 minute massage each for $38 - great value!

The sea days we found a little dull - enjoyed the trivia quizzes, culinary lectures and films but the family pool got very crowded as the boat was full. Still good though.

The entertainment was mixed - the singers & dancers were top notch and the best we have seen on any cruise. The comedienne was ok but not as good as some we have seen on Carnival and Princess - it wasnt a wasted hour though! The juggler was, well, a juggler. Seen one etc.

Disembarkation was easy-peasy and we were in our South Beach Hotel by 11am.

BUT

The fly in the ointment was the abomination they call AYW dining. On the first night we had a booking for 8pm which they couldnt honour - we finally sat down to a shared table [with a lovely couple from New Jersey] at 8.35 and were hurried out of the dining room by 9.30. They brought our mains before our starters were finished, the coffee before the desert and really couldnt wait to get rid of us. We had really been looking forward to a family dinner.

The next evening we were told it would be a 45 minute wait for a shared table so we went to the Lido - same food but obviously not the ambience. The third night we put the kids in the kids club and went down to have a romantic dinner but again, no chance of a table for 2 and so we ended up sharing with a group from North Carolina. The next morning, I went to the front desk to explain that, unless it was sorted, we would remove our tips and, lo and behold, got a table for the family on New Years Eve.

The next evening, we went to the show and arrived at the dining room at 8.05 - we were seated at 9.15 and it was horrible. My daughter asked for more crabs legs and was told the kitchen was closing and she couldnt have any; my fillet mignon had been sitting in the kitchen for a while and was burnt to a crisp [i asked for medium rare], coffee came before the dessert and my wife's expresso was slammed down in front of me! We had eaten our 4 courses and were gone by 9.50 and they were changing the linen around us, blowing out the candles etc - a terrible experience.

I asked for a meeting with a senior member of staff next morning and here was the response:

1. The ship was full, only had one dining room and that meant there was a pre and post show bottleneck
   
2. They had been innundated with complaints but AYW dining worked for some, particularly past guests who knew how to play the system
   
3. They accepted it wasnt working for all and hoped Seattle would look at AYW again
   
4. They promised us a table at the upper dining room that evening - they were as good as their word and we had a lovely meal.
   

We had no choice but to take AYW dining as fixed seating was not available when we booked so we do feel slightly cheated - my wife reckoned that the stress of trying to get a table was a blight on the whole cruise and I agree with her.

Would we cruise with HAL again? Yes, we would love to but only if AYW dining is scrapped - the ship is not big enough to make it work during times when it is full and it is a shame that HAL are prepared to cheese off some passengers in this way because in all other aspects they do such a good job.

[gizmo]

Thanks for your review. I enjoyed reading.

[jbhcw]

Essex-thanks so much for your review, we sail the Westerdam on 02-01:) Sorry Anytime Dining was so awful, we have it and are hoping for the best:eek:

 

Wondering about Palm Island in Aruba, did you do it on your own??? Can you tell me a little more about the beach and the Westin???

 

We are thinking Cabana Beach in Curacao, but still not sure of what to do in Aruba.

 

Thanks again for your review:)

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thank you so much for taking the time to write your review.

So sorry about your dining experience.

HAL "claims" that there is but a handful of people who don't like AYWD -- but I read the reviews here -- have talked to people on various ships -- and it seems that many people do NOT like this new dining venue.

[suse]

I'm another one who did not like anytime dining. On other cruise lines, the maitre'd will usually accomodate your request for the same waiters or a table for two, but on the Westerdam, the maitre'd didn't seem to care at all. As a result, we ate in the Pinnacle for four nights. I hated the anytime dining because we were seated with crabby, complaining, rude people and it was embarrasing how they treated the waitstaff. This certainly ruins your dining experience.

[Rudolph38]

"I hated the anytime dining because we were seated with crabby, complaining, rude people and it was embarrasing how they treated the waitstaff. This certainly ruins your dining experience."

 

 

Wouldn't this be even worse if you were sitting with these same people at an assigned table for 7+ days? When you have bad luck with table mates in AYW dining, it's only for one meal.

[EssexWasp]

jbhcw - on Aruba, just get a cab from the port. It cost us $3 each, each-way, loungers on the beach are $5 each and free in the Westin as long as you buy a drink. Just be careful getting the bus with the statuette of a baker on the back!

[lilnemo]

Loved reading your review. We leave leave Sunday on the Westerdam for the same itinerary. Now I'm really excited.

Thanks

[suse]

Rudolph 38, I wouldn't be stuck with crabby, complaining people in assigned dining. I would request a move, or eat at the Pinnacle or Lido, like I did. There's no way I'd stick with the same people for 7 nights.:eek:

[casavaha]

We were on the same cruise. I do not like ayw dining but what I do is go to the

maitre d' as soon as I board, look over the tables, decide where we want to sit, and

make a reservation then. Then if I am happy with the waiter we make a reservation for

that table every day.

 

The problem with ayw dining is that you have tables that are eating at different times. As a

consequence they all leave at a different time. So you have ,as on the Westerdam, a long

line at the door.

 

It is very hard on the kitchen and the waiters.

 

 

Greg

[newlaxfan]

Sorry to hear that the AYWD didn't work out for you!

 

Hey, were any of you in any of the game shows that they had on board? I forgot to mention that in my postings about this cruise. My brother was in the Battle of the Sexes game. I was torn on which team to root for -- the women (my gender) or my own brother!

[EssexWasp]

Yes, I was on the battle of the sexes losing team! Good fun though and we didnt lose by much.......people semed to find my use of the word 'widdle' funny.

[rochelle_s]

Yes, I was on the battle of the sexes losing team! Good fun though and we didnt lose by much.......people semed to find my use of the word 'widdle' funny.

 

 

How do you use the word 'widdle'?? :):confused:

Thanks for your review.

 

Rochelle

[newlaxfan]

Yes, I was on the battle of the sexes losing team! Good fun though and we didnt lose by much.......people semed to find my use of the word 'widdle' funny.

 

Ah, I thought that was you, judging by your info in your initial post! It's Suzanne here! Hope you had a good trip home!

[catl331]

We had AYW dining for the first time on our Noordam Dec. cruise. We did get a table for two but had to eat at 5:30. After the first time sitting at a certain table, we asked for it every time we wanted to eat in the dining room by calling at 8 a.m.! We ate there on formal nites but did eat a couple of nights in the Lido also. We like the good ole way of dining HAL! We really love to know our waiters. It makes a good experience.:D

[EssexWasp]

Hi Suzanne - we had a very nice 2 days in Miami and then a fraught flight home! Just over Bermuda, the plane hit some severe turbulence - the kids were scared to death as cups flew around etc. It also lasted for a couple of hours and the pilot couldnt escape it by going higher or lower. I just took a pill and slept through but I think there were more than a few prayers said!

hope all is well with you guys - keep in touch.

Mark

 

Rochelle - it is a slang word in England for 'pee'

[rebeljohn]

Enjoyed your review...........

 

Sorry to hear of your unpleasant AYW dining experience. We are not fans of it either, and were lucky to get fixed dining on our Nov. Noordam cruise. We had to eat downstairs with the AYW folks, but all of our nights were PERFECT in the dining room..............

[gkny]

Hi everyone, My wife and I were on the Westerdam this past Oct and we had ayw dining. We went to dinner around 8pm and always got a table very quickly. We shared a table always with 4-8 people. Once we went upstairs for ayw dining thats usually for traditional sitting. The wait staff I found were worse than ayw dining. Once we sat with a drunk couple and we left right away and the maiterde sat us with another couple. We loved ayw dining and the staff was excellent.

[newlaxfan]

Hope I get this right. Am going to try to post a link to my photos. Wish me luck! LOL!!

 

 

Would love it if anyone else could post links to their photos from this cruise! Thanks!

[jbhcw]

Awesome photos, thanks so much for sharing:) I love when they tell a story!! Can you tell me what beach you were at after HMC???? Was it a beach in Aruba?? We are trying to decide on some beach time there.

 

Also love the food photos and I also take food pictures:D

[AAL]

We were on the Veendam's New Year's cruise and AYWD was a disaster there too. Even when we called right at 8 a.m., the only reservations were 5:30 or 8:30 -- and when we didn't take those times, we waited 45-60 minutes for a table.

 

AYWD clearly does not work when a ship is at full capacity, and HAL should go back to traditional assigned seatings at those times.

[newlaxfan]

Awesome photos, thanks so much for sharing:) I love when they tell a story!! Can you tell me what beach you were at after HMC???? Was it a beach in Aruba?? We are trying to decide on some beach time there.

 

Also love the food photos and I also take food pictures:D

 

The beach after HMC was in Curacao -- Cas Abou. It was the one we were taken to with the Beach Express excursion. I loved it there!!!

 

thanks for the compliments! Are any of your photos online?

[jbhcw]

Newlaxfan, thanks so much for the info re the beach. I will check it out, the shore excursion was thru HAL??

 

I do have lots of photos on line, for HAL I have the Maasdam, Zuiderdam,and the Oosterdam. I will send you them if you will give me your email:) or go to the site on my Liberty cruise countdown and send me a pm from there and I can get them to you:)

[newlaxfan]

Newlaxfan, thanks so much for the info re the beach. I will check it out, the shore excursion was thru HAL??

 

I do have lots of photos on line, for HAL I have the Maasdam, Zuiderdam,and the Oosterdam. I will send you them if you will give me your email:) or go to the site on my Liberty cruise countdown and send me a pm from there and I can get them to you:)

 

Yes, the excursion was through HAL. I just wish the excursion was about two hours longer -- it just wasn't enough time!

 

Okay, I have no idea where to find the site on your Liberty cruise countdown. LOL I thought I knew my way around message boards but can't seem to find the info here and this site doesn't seem to have PMs either. :^D

[jbhcw]

Newlax, sorry I was not very clear, google cruise buggie, then send me a pm.

 

Jane