Name: Richard and Nancy Graves
Email: rgraves@msn.com
Age: 44
Occupation: Computer Systems Engineer
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Holland-Westerdam
SailingDate: 04/11/98
Itinerary: Eastern Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 92
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 91
CruiseStaff: 92
CabinAmenities: 92
FoodLidoDeck: 88
DiningRoomService: 94
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 92
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService: 86
ShoreExcValue: 87
GoodForHoneymoon: 95
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 91
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 87
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 89
OverallPortsofCall: 88
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 86
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 97
EmbarkDisembark: 93
DiscoNightclubs: 87
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 91
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 28 Apr 1998
Time: 23:35:23
Remote Name: 153.35.187.162
Remote User:

Comments

This was our first cruise and took it to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary, which was actually back in December. My wife was really pushing the cruise
idea, but I was luke-warm about a cruise at first. However, the more I researched the ships and various cruises through the Internet, cruise seminars, and
s, I began to get into it. Holland America was not our first choice when we began looking at cruises, but a travel agent we contacted came through with a
great rate for one of a few remaining outside stateroooms on the Holland America Westerdam.

Even though price was probably the main priority in selecting a cruise, we also wanted a ship that had a good reputation for food and service. We both
wanted a classic, romantic cruise experience, preferring wood decks, rails, and doors to glass, metal, and plastic. One cruise review Internet site listed the
Westerdam as a top ship in the above categories, so we were thrilled with the choice.

The Westerdam was everything we expected and more. We highly recommend it for first time cruisers and honeymooners. Without having another cruise
experience to compare to, all we can say is there are many positives and only a few nit-picky negatives. If you would like to read on, I'll go into each step
of the cruise, detailing positives, negatives, and provide a few tips.

Before leaving: We arranged our own air transportation (Delta) from Dallas-Ft. Worth airport to Fort Lauderdale. We were sent baggage tags saying
'Westerdam' for our bags that would be checked at the airport. We also decided ahead of time to take a cab, instead of reserving a $12.00 per person
shuttle, when we got to Fort Lauderdale since it's only a 5 minute ride from the airport to the Holland America pier at Port Everglades. The shuttle didn't
seem too flexible about pickup times, and we were concerned we may not get to have lunch before going to the pier.

Ft. Lauderdale airport: As it turned out, Holland America (or Delta) picked up our bags and took them to the ship even though we had not purchased the
Air-Sea package. We went to the baggage pickup area at the airport, but we never saw our bags. We found the Holland America representative and she
informed us that our bags had been taken to the ship. We double checked the baggage area again just to be sure. There's only a couple of places to eat
in the small FLL airport, a pizza shop and a salad/sub shop. There's at least one bar that serves sandwiches. The cab ride fare to the pier was $5.95 total
for both of us.

Embarkation: We were given an embarkation number when we ariived at the pier terminal. Then we stood in one of 5 or 6 lines for about 15 to 20 minutes.
Have ALL of your paperwork (that came from Holland America/travel agent) filled out ahead of time and have your birth certificate/passport/photo ID in
hand when it's your turn, and it will only take a couple of minutes to process you. We then went upstairs and waited about 30-40 minutes before boarding.
There's also a duty-free shop upstairs and a small snack place downstairs.

Stateroom: Our room was an outside stateroom on the Main Deck close to the bow of the ship. Our baggage arrived 5 minutes after we entered our
stateroom. The room itself had a nice window, was roomy enough to move around, and had enough storage space. Most rooms on this deck had twin
beds that could be moved together. Ours did not, so check it out if this is a problem. We were informed by our travel agent about this prior to purchasing
the cruise, but we decided to take the room, anniversary and all. The room was wood-paneled with a TV, but not a refrigerator. The bathroom was large
enough for one person and contained a sink, toilet, and shower. If you can afford it, we suggest getting an outside stateroom versus an inside one.
Having a window is worth it since you can see where you are and what the weather is like. The cabin was very quiet, with comfortable beds and pillows. The
room temperature could be adjusted easily and there was plenty of instant hot water in the bathroom.

Stateroom service: The cabin steward worked very hard to ensure a clean room. He always seemed to know the best time to clean and check our room,
without interfering with us. He was always somewhere down the hall, cleaning or delivering. There are no ice machines around and ice was delivered only
about twice a day. We had an 8:15 PM dinner time, and we would ask our steward or call room service for a bucket of ice around 6:30 PM for pre-dinner
drinks. If you plan a swimming excursion away from the ship, ask your steward for a beach towel the night before. Be sure and bring it back because it will
cost the steward, I think.

Dining/Food/Drink: We ate all meals, except one breakfast, in the main dining room. We enjoyed being waited on for all meals. The greeter at the dining
room asked us our names on the first night. He called us by name every time thereafter. Our dinner reservations paired us with a fun couple from
Michigan, who had sailed the Westerdam a few times before. They gave us a few tips and pointers along the way. The dining room service was excellent,
as was the food. The variety of the food was excellent at all meals. The dining room itself was very elegant. It was fun to sit with different people at
breakfast and lunch and get their opinion on the ship, the food, and service. Some complained that there was not enough 'lighter' options for lunch and
dinner, which may be true for some. But we'll take the dinnertime lobster tail, prime rib, roast duck, and rack of lamb, and much more (served on separate
nights), and worry about our diets next week. The only negative about eating at 8:15 PM, it was hard to find a snack at about 5:30 PM since the
restaurants were preparing for 1st seating diners at 6:00. We visited the hamburger/hot dog bar at poolside one afternoon (4:00 PM) and the food was
good. We also ordered an excellent turkey club sandwich a couple of times through room service, which took about 10 to 15 minutes to arrive. There's a
late night snack buffet at 11:15 nightly featuring a different style of cuisine each night. One night features a dessert extravaganza where there is about 60
feet of tables filled with all kinds of delicious desserts. You can also visit an open ice cream bar several times a day where you can pour on your favorite
liqueur or topping. As for drinks, soft drinks are $1.65 each, beer $3.25 and up, and mixed drinks from $3.25 to $4.50. There is free tea and coffee all
day. The service at the pool seating area was a little slow, so we usually obtained drinks ourselves at the bar, or inside for tea. Tip: If you like rum, bring
only a small bottle with you on board and buy it cheaply at duty-free shops on the ship, in San Juan, or St. Thomas. I didn't see much variety of
bourbons/scotch at these shops, however. It was kind of a hassle carrying two bottles of liquor in my carry-on bag from home to the ship. I ended up
carrying most of it back home, plus a couple of bottles I purchased.

Itinerary/ports: Eastern Caribbean - Half Moon Cay (private island), San Juan, St. John/St. Thomas, and Nassau. Half Moon Cay stop was canceled due to
high seas. Rats!, but it was not Holland America's fault. San Juan was good for shopping/sightseeing. We skipped St. John since we would have had to exit
the ship at 6:30 AM. St. Thomas was GREAT for shopping/sightseeing. After our snorkeling excursion at Nassau, we only had about an hour and a half for
sightseeing and shopping. We were not very impressed. There were too many people asking to braid my wife's hair or sing a song for money. The Straw
Market had a lot of different vendors selling the same fake T-shirts. The shops were OK, but we had already seen better in San Juan and St. Thomas.

Excursions: I'm sure the excursions are overpriced on the ship compared to obtaining them on your own, but we really didn't know what we wanted to do
ahead of time. So instead of using a travel agent or wasting precious time finding our own, we bought an excursion at each port stop. We didn't mind
paying extra for these because it was hassle-free. Transportation, instructions, assistance are all provided. The variety offered was pretty good for all
stops. For example, the price ranged from $29.00 each for a three-hour (including travel) snorkeling excursion at Coki Beach, St. Thomas to $99.00 each
for a 40 minute seaplane ride over the Virgin Islands. The El Yunque rain forest excursion in San Juan is good but it takes 45 minutes coming and going.
We snorkeled in St. Thomas and Nassau, which was our first time. It was a blast, with the clear water and beautiful fish and coral. However, these
excursions eat into your sightseeing/shopping time, so plan carefully. The excursion staff was very helpful and patient with everyone I saw. The excursion
office was only open about 2 to 4 hours a day, it seemed, after the first day or so. Tip: If you want the ship's excursions, look over the shore excursion
order form on the first day and sign up for your choices ASAP. Some are very limited and you may miss out.

Lounges/Bars: The Admiral's Lounge, with a main floor and balcony, has live floorshow-type entertainemnt nightly, which was very good but not excellent.
The Queen's Lounge had an average band playing in the evening. Also, there were various music themes nightly in this lounge, ranging from 50s-60s
music and games to country and western music and games. Both were a lot of fun to watch. The Peartree Lounge had karaoke a couple of nights and that
was great also. There are a couple of other bars in addition to quiet areas for privacy. We walked through the casino but did not play. These larger
lounges were sometimes very crowded, but otherwise, the ship felt very open and uncrowded.

Ship: The ship was always clean and polished. We especially liked the full teakwood deck (Upper Promenade) that made its way completely around the
ship. This was great for walking/running (1 lap = one-fifth mile) or just lounging in a wooden deck chair. We could watch the ocean roll by with an
unobstructed view from these deck chairs, while sipping on khalua coladas. We started finding our way around the ship fairly well by the second day,
thanks to diagrams at the stairwells and elevators. The elevators were all fairly small and slow so we used the stairwells most of the time (helped to burn off
the fantastic lunch/dinners). There are antiques and artwork throughout the ship.

Other services: Each evening, a list of the next day's activities, such as performance times in the lounges and dining hours, was placed under our door.
There was also a meeting at 1:30 PM in the Admiral's Lounge on days prior to a port stop to discuss the ship recommended stores for shopping. If we
missed this meeting, we watched it on closed-circuit TV in our room later in the day while getting ready for dinner. At different occasions, there were
photographers who took s (embarkation, dinner, formal nights, on deck). These are available for purchase in the main shop area of the ship. There were
other shops that sold liquor, perfume, jewelry, and Westerdam souvenirs (shirts, caps, etc.). We looked inside the fitness center once. There were several
treadmills, cycles, steppers, weight machines, and free weights. There appeared to be several programs for kids, including several video arcade machines
and ping pong tables(as well as the swimming pools). There was also a beaty salon providing a variety of services. The entire staff on the ship was very
helpful and friendly. While on board the ship, Holland America uses a 'cashless society' whereby you give them your room number and name for a
purchase and then sign for it. You must go to the main front desk at some point and give them a credit card number to continue this privilege. A detailed
list of your charges is given out the next to last day and on the last day for your review.

Disembarkation: Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. Midway through the cruise, we were given a form to provide Holland America our
departing flight information. This helped them set our priority for leaving the ship. The night before disembarkation, we were given a number, instructions,
and a set of orange tags for our luggage that was to be checked at the airport. We placed our luggage outside of our cabin the night before
disembarkation, with the orange tags attached. The next morning, we went to a lounge where there were representatives from Delta and US Airways
handing out pre-printed baggage tags with our flight number on them for the bags that would be checked at the airport. Since our flight left at 5:40 PM, we
were toward the end of the disembarkation process. We waited in a lounge for our number to be called. When our disembarkation number was called, we
exited the ship and walked down to the area where all passenger bags had been taken by the staff. This area had bags grouped by the colored tags that
were handed out the night before. We found our bags in the orange section and we attached the bag tags that the Delta rep had given us earlier. There
was a Delta baggage truck waiting outside to take our bags to the airport for us. We were not allowed to exit the bag area and re-enter, so we hired a
porter (plenty of them inside the baggage area) to transport our bags out to the Delta baggage truck. We never had to carry our checked bags before or
after the cruise while at Fort Lauderdale airport or at the pier terminal. That was great! I think only Delta and US Airways offer this disembarkation
baggage service, and I'll try to use Delta again next time for that reason. We then took a cab back to the airport ($6.95 total fare) and killed time before
our flight.

Conclusion: I'm typically a worrier and detail freak (as you can tell), but once on the ship, everything was basically effortless. Trying to decide what to eat
and what to do were our biggest worries! While sailing on the open sea, it was nice to just take a nap in the deck chairs or sit by the pool and relax. You
don't have to do anything on the cruise if you prefer. We probably didn't get as much sleep as we normally do because we would retire late every night
and get up early the next day. We didn't want to miss anything.

Some people we talked to said that on some other ships, the staff was always waiting for tips for every little service rendered. Holland America has a 'No
Tipping Required' policy, and it was nice to be able to tip when it felt comfortable or when the service was justified. We tipped the cabin steward, our waiter,
and wine steward on the last evening of the cruise for their great service for the week. We probably should have tipped the 2nd waiter at our dinner table
since he seemed to be the one cleaning up usually. We also tipped our favorite bartender while having drinks at poolside. They all seemed genuinely
appreciative. I'm not sure how much they make in salary (I'm sure it's not much), so set aside some tip money before you go to show them your
appreciation when they do a good job.

With only a few minor negatives, we will definitely sail on the Westerdam again in the future. We're now hooked on cruises and may try a different cruise
line next year for comparison. It's a little risky, because it will be hard to beat this ship in the areas that were a priority for us. We'll probably take our 17
year old daughter next time. If you are looking for loud, non-stop parties and entertainment, the Westerdam may not be for you. However, there was
plenty to do and a lot of fun activities aboard this ship. The Holland America line has been voted 'Best Cruise Value' for about 6 or 7 years in a row, I think,
and our cruise was well worth the price. There were several people we met who have sailed the Westerdam several times. They keep coming back for the
elegant and refined, but not stuffy, atmosphere on board. We'd have to agree with them.

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