Name: James Byers
Email: jbyers@erols.com
Age: 31
Occupation: Administrative Assistant
NumberOfCruises: 4
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Holland-Westerdam
SailingDate: December 24, 1994
Itinerary: Eastern Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 85
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService: 85
CruiseStaff: 94
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 92
DiningRoomService: 80
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 90
CabinSteward: 89
ShoreExcVariety: 85
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 84
ShoreExcValue: 79
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 85
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors: 97
BeautySalonStaff: 98
EntertainmentLounges: 98
WheelchairAccess: 89
ExerciseFacilities: 90
EntertShowLounge: 96
OverallPortsofCall: 88
BeautySalon: 90
EntertainmentPoolside: 79
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino: 85
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities: 90
ShipCleanliness: 99
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs: 89
DeckSpace: 99
Stabilization: 99
ShopsOnBoard: 89
SpaceRatio: 99
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 25 Aug 1996
Time: 19:43:37
Remote Name: 206.161.187.77
Remote User:

Comments

An excellent cruise value. This ship is great for people of all ages.

You are free to do a lot or a little.

Dining room service could be better if they re-introduce busboys. (Which they are doing)

Name: Terry M. Weekly
Email: tweekly@sunline.net
Age: 51
Occupation: U.S. Army Retired
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Holland-Westerdam
SailingDate: 4 Jan 97
Itinerary: Eastern Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 91
CruiseDirector: 99
CabinComfort: 96
FoodRoomService: 85
CruiseStaff: 97
CabinAmenities: 96
FoodLidoDeck: 71
DiningRoomService: 89
CabinQuietness: 97
FoodMidnightBuffets: 80
CabinSteward: 86
ShoreExcVariety: 93
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 89
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService:
TenderService: 99
GoodForSeniors: 95
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges:
WheelchairAccess: 93
ExerciseFacilities: 97
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 86
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 94
Casino: 84
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 98
EmbarkDisembark: 96
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 94
Stabilization: 96
ShopsOnBoard: 84
SpaceRatio: 97
OverallCruiseValue: 93
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 16 Jan 1997
Time: 12:11:21
Remote Name: 207.30.57.84
Remote User:


Comments

Ports of call for this 7-day cruise were St. Maarten, St. Thomas/St. John, and Nassau, Bahamas.

THE POSITIVE: -- Plenty of public space/lounges. The interior of the ship never seems crowded. Two favorite places on sea days were the Bookchest (reading room) and Explorers Lounge. Both are quiet and comfortable and have floor-to-ceiling windows.

-- The ship was very clean. Something was always being cleaned, polished or painted.

- -- Cabins were comfortable and quiet. We had people on both sides of us but rarely heard any noise. -- The Show Lounge was spacious and comfortable. The only problem is several poles which interrupt sightlines in some seats.

-- The Cruise Director, Susan, was superb! Very well organized and a great sense of humor. -- Quality of the meat (steaks & prime rib) served on board was superb. -- Breads are baked fresh daily on board the ship and are excellent.

-- Tender service was excellent. The Westerdam used its own tenders which ran constantly throughout the time in port. Never any wait longer than a few minutes. Also, for boarding the early morning tenders after arriving in port, they use a numbered boarding-pass system to eliminate standing in long lines. You report to a comfortable lounge, are issued a number, and wait comfortably unitl your number is called.

-- Both the embarkation and debarkation processes were handled very smoothly. -- The 5-star snorkel and beach trip at St. John aboard the Leylon Sneed, while relatively expensive ($49), was well worth the money. The boat was clean and comfortable, the crew very accomodating and the snorkeling and beach were great.

THE NEGATIVE: -- The Westerdam has a very pronounced vibration in the rear half of the ship. If vibration bothers you, be sure to get a cabin near or forward of mid-ships. We started out in cabin #565, about a third of the way up from the stern. After one night, because of the vibration, we requested to be moved. For a small upgrade fee ($30), we were moved to cabin #495 located mid-ships, which proved to be very satisfactory.

-- Our Cabin Steward did a good job of making sure our cabin was clean. The only problem was that most days the cabin was not made up until after lunch, even though we were out of the cabin most of the time. So, at least half of each day was spent with an unmade bed and wet towels on the bathroom floor.

-- The Filipino and Indonesian crew, while very friendly, can often be very hard to understand and communicate with.

-- The Dining Room is located on the lowest passenger deck. The only windows are portholes. While nicely decorated, it tends to be rather dark.

-- The Dining Room service for the evening meal when we had our regular Steward (Suyatno) and Assistant (Adhi) was superb. At lunch and breakfast, however, when there was open seating, the service was somewhat spotty. You often had excessive waits for drink orders or coffee refills. Also, you always felt a little bit rushed at lunch because they always wanted to take your full order, including dessert, up front.

-- The lunch buffet entrees served at the Lido and Verandah Restaurants were not very good. The food was often very bland and tasteless. The variety and quality of sandwiches available were somewhat better, however, the Sandwich Cook at the Verandah pool-side Sandwich Bar was very unfriendly, unhelpful, and bordered on being surly at times. As an example, I ordered a cheeseburger. When I got a hamburger and complained, he handed me a piece of cheese!! We found the breakfast and lunchtime food to be much better in the Main Dining Room, so we made a point to eat there.

-- The Casino was crowded and poorly ventilated. The smoke was often overwhelming. Also, smoking is allowed in hallways and stairways throughout the ship, which was often bothersome.

Name: Mike Hall
Email: thehalls@elite.net
Age: 51
Occupation: teacher
NumberOfCruises: 10
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Holland-Westerdam
SailingDate: 1/11/97
Itinerary: Eastern Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 92
CruiseDirector: 99
CabinComfort: 98
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 98
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 98
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 92
CabinSteward: 98
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 85
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors: 98
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 92
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 99
ShopsOnBoard:
SpaceRatio:
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 25 Jan 1997
Time: 17:24:14
Remote Name: 205.199.221.27
Remote User:

Comments

Overall, this was a wonderful cruise experience. The ship and the staff are IMHO comparable to the best the
Caribbean has to offer! The Indonesian staff is very friendly and willing, although the language barrier can be difficult
at times. Tendering in two out of three ports is sort of a pain in the neck, although the tenders are frequent and
waiting is minimal. Tender passes are issued in the lounge so you can wait in comfort until your tender is called.
The cabins are very large for a cruise ship and are extremely well taken care of by the cabin stewards. This was a
delightful trip and one I would be delighted to repeat.

Name: Dennis Margel
Email: dmargel@ptd.prolog.net
Age: 47
Occupation: Management
NumberOfCruises: 14
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Holland-Westerdam
SailingDate: 1/4/97
Itinerary: Eastern Carribean
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 80
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 85
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 90
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety:
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 75
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 85
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 90
EntertShowLounge: 85
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino: 75
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs: 85
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 02 Feb 1997
Time: 13:58:51
Remote Name: 204.186.21.3
Remote User:

Comments

The Westerdam is a very beautiful ship. That combined with the excellent service aboard Holland America makes
this an excellent cruise value. My only complaint is with the Casino. I believe a machine in the casino was not
operating properly. It indicates that a certain thing pays a bonus but it didn't pay it. The casino staff was not very
courteous in discussing this. I had to make time during the day to speak with a technician who gave me a
half-baked explanation about why the bonus didn't pay off. My interpretation is that the casino didn't fill the pay off
bin at the beginning of the day. Then, only through continuous play did the bin get filled to pay off. I was very
disappointed with this. Otherwise, the cruise was excellent! The service on this ship is just beyond compare no
matter where on the ship you go. In October, 1996, they changed the Saloon (next to the Casino) into a Sports Bar
with a Big Screen TV etc. and put in half-walls so the bar is open to the areas surrounding it. This was an excellent
change. It seems that Holland America did away with the Filipino Bands that usually played in the lounges. I think I
preferred the Filipinos to the bands we saw on this sailing. I would recommend this ship to anyone interested in a
high quality cruise. I'll certainly sail on the Westerdam again real soon.

Name: bernard bemboom
Email: bemboom@worldonline.nl
Age: 26
Occupation:
NumberOfCruises: 3
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Holland-Westerdam
SailingDate: 1-12-96
Itinerary:
FoodDiningRoom: 85
CruiseDirector: 97
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 85
CruiseStaff: 100
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 95
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 100
FoodMidnightBuffets: 95
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 85
DeckService: 97
ShoreExcValue: 80
GoodForHoneymoon: 95
CasinoStaff: 80
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 95
LoungeService: 95
TenderService: 97
GoodForSeniors: 100
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 93
WheelchairAccess: 90
ExerciseFacilities: 95
EntertShowLounge: 95
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 85
CruiseActivities: 99
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram: 90
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 100
DiscoNightclubs: 100
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 80
ShopsOnBoard: 97
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 11 Feb 1997
Time: 10:32:44
Remote Name: 154.9.137.20
Remote User:

Comments

The westerdam is a fantastic ship. The service was very good. Food in the diningroom good, but not the best. I didn't
expect this of holland - america. I thought they were good for seniors, but i had a fantastic time with a lot of people
of my age. Bad thing about the ship is shore excursions, very expensive. I will always keep on cruising
holland-america line,it's the best cruiseline in the world.

Name: Cindy LeBoeuf
Email: cb339@freenet.carleton.ca
Age: 37
Occupation: Office Manager
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Holland-Westerdam
SailingDate: May 1995
Itinerary: Eastern Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 97
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 98
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 98
CabinAmenities: 98
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 97
CabinQuietness: 98
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 96
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService: 97
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService:
TenderService: 93
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff: 96
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 85
EntertShowLounge: 96
OverallPortsofCall: 94
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 86
CruiseActivities: 98
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 96
ShopsOnBoard:
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 97
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 19 Mar 1997
Time: 14:37:26
Remote Name: 198.103.167.14
Remote User:


Comments

My sister and I thoroughly enjoyed this cruise. Since it was my first experience I found everything perfect. I especially enjoyed their fitness passport and the activities they had planned for the people. At the beginning of the cruise, we were instructed that there was a mystery couple and that whoever found the mystery couple would win something. This game motivated most people to speak to strangers in order to discover the couple. At the end of the 7 days, we were told who had discovered the couple and who they were. This was an excellent way to warm people up.

Holland America has a no tip policy which relieves this burden from a person's shoulders. The staff weren't expecting tips so you could tip who you really wanted to.

The staff are mostly Indonesian (spelling) and are extremely friendly and helpful. We thoroughly enjoyed their service; the crew even put on a cultural show for the passengers the last night.



The only negative things I can think of are: 1) it seemed that the crowd was older than I anticipated (mostly in their 50 - 60s); and 2) excursions were expensive and transportation on the islands was slow (too much traffic) and lacked air conditioning. This was no fault of the cruise line.

Name: ROBERT CARO
Email: RCAROSHIP@JUNO.COM
Age: 52
Occupation: SALES MGR
NumberOfCruises: 8
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Holland-Westerdam
SailingDate: APRIL 26, 1997
Itinerary: WESTERN CARIBBEAN
FoodDiningRoom: 89
CruiseDirector: 94
CabinComfort: 93
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 89
CabinAmenities: 94
FoodLidoDeck: 85
DiningRoomService: 88
CabinQuietness: 94
FoodMidnightBuffets: 87
CabinSteward: 83
ShoreExcVariety: 94
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 83
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 87
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 88
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 95
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 96
OverallPortsofCall: 93
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 88
CruiseActivities: 88
Casino: 85
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 97
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 94
ShopsOnBoard: 88
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 07 May 1997
Time: 19:35:56
Remote Name: 166.72.105.228
Remote User:

Comments

The ship itself is older but well maintained internally, with the exterior needed a little paint here and there. Service
onboard was efficient but somewhat aloof. Not a big complaint but most of the service staff were very good but not
as friendly as we have experienced on other cruises and lines. One of the bar waitresses however (Angie) was very
friendly and made a point to memorize everyones name and drink preference by the 2nd day out. She was
outstanding!

The entertainment was not big name but very, very, good including a juggler named David Lucas, and comedian,
John Padon, and an outstanding singer named David Gilchrist. The cruise director was very cordian and a tireless
worker. The ships entertainers also were very good singers and dancers and performed 5 of the 7 nights.

All in all an excellent cruise. The ship was very comfortable but the overall impression is a little more formal than
previous experiences aboard RCCL primarily. We could recommend very highly the ship and for the prices they are
currently selling the cruise is an outstanding value.

Name: George H. Peden
Email: endeavor@teleport.com
Age: 30
Occupation: Software Engineer
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Holland-Westerdam
SailingDate: 4/26/97
Itinerary: Western Carribean
FoodDiningRoom: 100
CruiseDirector: 80
CabinComfort: 100
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 100
FoodLidoDeck: 75
DiningRoomService: 60
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 50
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 75
TenderService: 100
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 60
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge:
OverallPortsofCall: 50
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 75
CruiseActivities:
Casino: 50
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 100
DiscoNightclubs: 75
DeckSpace: 80
Stabilization: 80
ShopsOnBoard:
SpaceRatio:
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 13 May 1997
Time: 01:53:51
Remote Name: 153.35.246.137
Remote User:

Comments

This was our first cruise - and I think our expectations might havebeen a bit high. I expected to be treated like
royalty - I wasn't. Dining room service: I would have to rate this as poor. The foodwas great, but wait/bus staff was
always in a hurry to get on to the'next thing'. So as we were trying to enjoy a nice dinner, they weretoo busy setting
tables (noisy) to pay attention to us. I figuredthat they would remember things from night to night that were'special' to
our table. For instance - we always wanted ice tea,full water glasses, coffee, and ice cream. Yet we had to ask for it
every night. I tried everything to get better service. It tipped,I talked to the matre'd, but no luck. We finally decided
that the Phillipino staff didn't understand a word we were saying - they alwaysbrought water no matter what you
asked for.

Casino: 'Amateur Hour' is how I rate the casino staff. They were Europe and didn't understand the rules.
You really had to keep tabson the payouts in craps. What really ticked me off is that they made a mistake and the
assh*le pitboss accused me of cheating. That*really* pissed me off. I ended up a winner for the week so I guessI
got the last laugh.

Excursions/Destinations: Key West: Scrubbed due to high seas - major disappointment.Cozumel:
We really liked the Tulum ruins excursionsin Cozumel. The town itself is a typical Mexican dirt-bag town.Ocho Rios:
Dunn's river falls is a *must see/do*. The garden tourwas a joke - the tour guide knew less than we did. The town
itselfis a typical dirt-bag carribean town full of street urchins and low-lifes. The shopkeepers are of the 'hard-sell'
approach.Grand Cayman: Now *this* is more like it. The beginning scuba was great as was the shopping. I
recommend Savoy jewelry - talk to Michel. Great buys on watches and tanzanite. No pressure.

Cabin: Our cabin
was well above our expectations. We were on the upper prom deck which was very handy to everything. Quite,
roomy and well appointed.This was our first cruise - and we are definitely sold on the concept.I will try a different
line next though. The crowd on the Westerdamwas too old - they had prunes on the menu for every meal!

Name: L. Fadely
Email: lfadely@nciinc.com
Age: 53
Occupation: Sr. Admin.
NumberOfCruises: 5
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Holland-Westerdam
SailingDate: 5/10/97
Itinerary: Western Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 99
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 99
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 100
FoodMidnightBuffets: 90
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety: 89
FoodVariety: 99
DeckService: 89
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 99
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors: 99
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 99
WheelchairAccess: 90
ExerciseFacilities: 99
EntertShowLounge: 85
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 99
CruiseActivities: 99
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 70
DiscoNightclubs: 99
DeckSpace: 100
Stabilization: 100
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 100
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 04 Jun 1997
Time: 14:34:05
Remote Name: 206.2.24.13
Remote User:

Comments

This is a beautiful ship. Been on five other cruses and this was the most stable ship I have ever sailed on. The dinning
room was the best, our waiter never seemed to hurry and was always their to see to our need. Never had to asked for the
water or Ice Tea to be refilled. Our room was small but had lots of drawers for all that we packed plus some room left
over. The room was very sound proof. Never heard anyone in the halls.

The design of the ship left alot of space for a full ship of people to find their own special place to hide. Always has a deck
chair and never has a croud in the pool. This was very good, because the ship as I stated before was full.

Enjoyed the breakfast up on deck the best. Great food. Always had a table clean and ready so we could look out to sea
each morning.

Shows weren't up to what we saw on NCL, but then nobody can out do the Will Rogers Follies. Overall, we would love
to sail again and again on this ship, might try one of the newer ones next.

Tipping was something that you wanted to do. The service was so good that we would have felt very bad not to have tip
them. And the sincere thanks you receive is unreal.

Name: Ilene Karp
Email: isk1@psu.edu
Age: 50
Occupation: Secretry
NumberOfCruises: 4
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Holland-Westerdam
SailingDate: June 7, 1997
Itinerary: Western Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 100
CabinComfort: 80
FoodRoomService: n/a
CruiseStaff: 50
CabinAmenities: 75
FoodLidoDeck: 80
DiningRoomService: 70
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets: 80
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 50
FoodVariety: 75
DeckService: 10
ShoreExcValue: 10
GoodForHoneymoon: 90
CasinoStaff: n/a
PrivateIsland: n/a
GoodForFamilies: 50
LoungeService: n/a
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors: 90
BeautySalonStaff: n/a
EntertainmentLounges: 0
WheelchairAccess: 80
ExerciseFacilities: 70
EntertShowLounge: 0
OverallPortsofCall: 50
BeautySalon: n/a
EntertainmentPoolside: 50
CruiseActivities: 0
Casino: n/a
AirSeaProgram: n/a
MedicalFacilities: n/a
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 75
DiscoNightclubs: n/a
DeckSpace: 60
Stabilization: 99
ShopsOnBoard: 75
SpaceRatio: 80
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 20 Jun 1997
Time: 10:05:23
Remote Name: 146.186.72.118
Remote User:

Comments

The embarkation process was smooth, the wait to actually board the ship was about 90 minutes from that point, far longer
than other ships. The terminal is new, very bright and clean-much better than others we have taken.

My only minor complaint is the lack of understanding of the english language among the waitstaff in the dining room. Our
waiter was downright unfriendly as was the assistant waiter. One trip to the officer-in-charge straightened out the
problem-something that I should have never done. Skip the Jamaica call, find another port-I do not like being assaulted by
hoards of tour operators and cab drivers.This proved negative and soured our further exploration of the island. The best stop
on the tour was the Cayman Islands-will befinitley return, probably by air and stay longer than a few hours. Something needs
to be done for the "luggage 500". That combined with no clear signage for the correct bus to the airport(as it was we still had
to walk quite a long distance fom drop-off point to the terminal door. Our Upper prominade cabin was small,clean and
confortable, especialy since we did nto spend a great deal of time there. The comfort level of the "ride" was gret-extremely
smooth, like riding on a cloud, even in the dining room. I would recommend this ship for anyone wanting to get away and
just relax.

Name: David Tannenbaum
Email: dtannenbau@aol.com
Age: 45
Occupation: lawyer
NumberOfCruises: 3
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Holland-Westerdam
SailingDate: 6/14/97
Itinerary: Eastern Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 85
CabinComfort: 80
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 85
CabinAmenities: 85
FoodLidoDeck: 80
DiningRoomService: 98
CabinQuietness: 98
FoodMidnightBuffets: 85
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety:
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 95
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 95
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 85
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 98
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 23 Jun 1997
Time: 21:41:07
Remote Name: 152.163.205.145
Remote User:

Comments

This was my first cruise on Holland-America. The boat did not seem crowded at all even though it was sold out. Getting on
and off was more efficient than my previous cruise experiences. The food in the dining room was much better than the
poolside buffets. The tendering process onto the islands was also handled more efficiently than my past experiences. We were
given some incorrect information about what we could expect ashore on a couple of the islands and this did prove to be
inconvenient. Overall, we had an excellent experience and we want to sail this line again. The cabins were quiet. We never had
difficulty finding a deck chair or a spot in the casino or lounges.

Name: catherine webster
Email: webster@king.igs.net
Age: 41
Occupation: registered nurse
NumberOfCruises: 3
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Holland-Westerdam
SailingDate: 97-5-29 97-6-7
Itinerary: back to back cruise89
FoodDiningRoom: 89
CruiseDirector: 85
CabinComfort: 85
FoodRoomService: 89
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 85
FoodLidoDeck: 95
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 85
FoodMidnightBuffets: 95
CabinSteward: 65
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 85
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 60
LoungeService: 95
TenderService: 85
GoodForSeniors: 100
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 65
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 80
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 80
CruiseActivities: 65
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities: 85
ShipCleanliness: 85
EmbarkDisembark: 85
DiscoNightclubs: 60
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 80
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 85
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 02 Jul 1997
Time: 15:18:38
Remote Name: 206.248.49.58
Remote User:

Comments

We were slightly dissapointed with this cruise.I think we chose the wrong line for our age group. The entertainment for
anyone under 55 was just awful.The lounges had groups that played big band and tunes from the war years.The disco so
called didn't open most nights until 1am much to late for us. one night it opened at 11am ,but they were playing country and
western.Not my idea of disco.Consequently we were bored to tears most evenings.The shows in the main lounge after dinner
were mediocre. The comedians had trouble getting a laugh because many of the numerous old folk had nodded off.The daily
activities were boring,napkin folding,vegatable carving and scarf tying are not my idea of a fun time. We thought the
indonesian and phillipino crew were exceptional,kind, helpful and mostly cheerful.Our room steward was all these things,but
he didn't keep our room very clean.In two weeks I don't think he vacumned once.We always had to hunt him down for beach
towels and he wasn't easy to find. The food on the decks was excellent,numerous choices,hot,tasty and the line ups were not
bad.In the dining room the soups tended to be very salty.There was also way too much meat in the portions for my taste. The
ship was very comfortable.We fell asleep in the deck chairs most afternoons.I wish we had a double bed in our cabin.I didn't
sleep too well in a single for two weeks. Overall the cruise was good value for money,but if you are under 55 another line
might be more fun.I'm sure people over 55 had the time of thier lives on this cruise.

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