RedmondCruiser

Have we forgotten the N class ships. The Noordam III and the Niew Amsterdam III were our favorite ships. 33,930 tons each. They had no balcony's as did the Westerdam II. The Westerdam II, like the Prinsendam was in a singular class, as was the Rotterdam V. We sailed on all these ships and have many great memories. They actually looked like ships. The new Icon of the Seas looks like a plumbers nightmare All the new ships are much larger because they are more economical to run so it looks like the smaller ships are a thing of the past. The only way to sail on a smaller ship seems to be in the upscale lines.

How things have changed. We have been cruising with HAL since 1986 on the Noordam 3. The awards ceremony was held in the Exporers Lounge and certificates were given to people who were only on their second cruise. This also came with a picture with the captain and hotel manager. Certificates were given to 2nd 3rd and 4th cruises. We are now five star mariners and we are hardly noticed. On a 35 day cruise the took a picture of all those who were in the Presidents Club (1400 days at sea) and there were probably a dozen of them. Times have definitely changed.

There are time when the Johns Hopkins inlet is off limits due to seals bearing young. I don't know why they would restrict seeing the Margerie Glacier. If preservation is the motive then who are they protecting it from ? large cruise ships are probably the only way for thousands of people to enjoy this national treasure. Endicott arm and Tracy arm are very beautiful fiords. You will enjoy them. Back in 1989 the Noordam lowered a life boat that went out and collected a large piece of glacier ice, next to the Margerie Glacier, and towed in back to the ship. Then the ships crane hoisted in onto the back deck next to the lido pool. Then you could chip off a piece of glacier ice for your drink. You certainly can't do that any more.

In Dutch its called a Krentenbroodje. I'll stick to calling it a Raisen Bun though. Its one of my all time favorites. The quality can change from ship to ship. Once on the Amsterdam the cook must have double ordered raisins because the rolls were loaded and soo good. Also special mention should be for the Panama Rolls, which are only served on day your in the canal.

Thank you for the review. We were on the Westerdam in May. We found the ship in good condition and well maintained. Service in the MDR was very good and the food was excellent. We ate in the Pinnacle twice and went there for lunch a few times. Food in the Pinnacle was very good and the service was spot on. Only shock was the $7 add on for a second appetizer, so you had to pay extra if you wanted a soup and salad before the entree. With $35 a day for the add on tip (two people) I think its time for the lines just to add it onto the main booking fee. Its like a resort fee, which had gotten totally out of control. Another disappointment was the transformation of the Crows Nest into a multi functional space. It should have been left alone. We enjoyed the cruise but next time it will be a longer cruise, which HAL excels at.

My boarding time was 11:20 and people were ahead of me

Our last cruise was on the Amsterdam in 2019. We went to Alaska on the Westerdam for our first post Covid cruise. We have been on the Westerdam several times before and there have been many changes. Most of them bad. The reconfiguration of the Crows Nest seems ill thought out. The Captains Quarter on the port side aft was an elegant space. Now its a school room with desks ?? The Crows nest bar now has less than half the bar seats since they moved the espresso machine into it. Why they didn't leave it on the starboard side is a mystery. I always enjoyed happy hour in the Crows Nest with great comradery and hor derves being served. Now no food and no happy hour in the Crows Nest. The explorers lounge has been reconfigured and chopped up. I know that cut backs are needed in attempting to get back to profitability, due to Covid, but some changes don't make sense. Its not all bad. The crew was fantastic, as always. They made it great to be back. The food was good. The main dining room had fewer selections to choose from but the food was very good and the presentation was spot on. Seems like there were many small things missing. One change was a Pinnacle requirement that if you chose more than one starter there was a $7 charge. Therefor it you wanted a soup and salad preceeding your meal you had to pay extra. I wonder if Seattle really thought through that one. The food was fantastic though. It was good to be back and now its time to book some longer cruises again.

We had to cancel on the day of the cruise and we had the platinum coverage. The credit showed up on my credit card in two days.

The tux died several years ago. When the airlines luggage requirements went from 70 to 50 pounds the tux disappeared. This is a shame since it was nice to be able to really dress up on occasion. Now anything goes. You can show up for Gala night looking like you just got off the tractor. Though we were invited to the Captains table for dinner and most of the men had tuxes on, and I only had a business suit. No one showed up in a tee shirt and tennis shoes. Formal night used to have ice sculptures, caviar and the Rosario Strings playing music, along with men in tuxes and women in beautiful dresses. Luckly I do have the memories.