Westerdam December 10 - 17th

[sprockie]

My mother, my two children (4 and 9) and I returned from our Eastern Caribbean on December 17th. We stayed at the Hyatt Airport North the night before, and couldn’t be more pleased with the location and accommodation. The airport and port shuttle was great and the proximity to the Publix and Total Wine was very convenient. A short 5 minute walk took us to the shopping area where we could pick up everything we needed followed by a great pre-cruise dinner at Duffy’s.

We have all cruised before, but I haven’t been on HAL for about 7 years and was interested to see what has changed. I am happy to report that the service, quality and all things I liked about HAL are still excellent. The ship was nicely decorated for Christmas and the seas were calm and a perfect temperature.

We stayed in an outside quad on the main deck, and found the cabin to be perfectly comfortable for the 4 of us. All beds, including the upper and the sofa were perfectly fine. The temperature of the room was easily regulated and we didn’t encounter any plumbing problems throughout. Our cabin steward was attentive and I utilized the 48 hour “fill a bag” laundry service which was returned in less than 12 hours!

Our first port was Grand Turk and the weather was perfect. We enjoyed a wonderful day right there at the beach at Margaritaville. We had been there in February, and took a cab to Governor’s Beach, but the strong wind didn’t allow us to swim much. San Juan we stayed on the ship and swam in the Lido pool. Next port was St. Martin where we took a taxi to Le Galion beach. It was ideal for small children with calm, protected waters, very shallow and quiet. There was a restaurant with facilities, umbrellas and chairs available. Last stop was Half Moon Cay - absolutely perfect day. We rented a clam shell and just swam and played in the sand all day. We hated to leave. I must say, the new (new to me) tendering system is far superior the old lifeboat system and there have been many improvements and new buildings on the island.

We attended almost all of the shows in the evening. The Elton John impersonator show was very good with Joel Mason, and there was a comedian that was also good. The singing and dancing shows were okay, but we felt could have been much better with a better, more lively choice of songs, but that’s my personal opinion.

We ate in the Lido for most breakfasts and lunches, but ate in the dining room most nights. We tried to reserve in the Canaletto, but they were booked solid for three straight nights, so we never made it. Food was great, we were all more than happy with the selection and quality. My kids are adventurous eaters, so they would often split an entrée from the adult menu. We were all glad to see that the after dinner yum yums were still available. My daughter and I attended the cupcake tea one afternoon as well. One thing I have to say was a big inconvenience was the abolishment of trays in the Lido. It would be fine for one person looking after themselves, but when you’re preparing plates for two kids plus yourself, it’s a big hassle. Not once did someone ask to help me with delivering plates. By the time I got the kids fixed up with their meals, I could then return for my own. I just found this to be unnecessarily hectic and I wish they’d reinstate the trays.

Disembarkation was wonderful (aside from the fact that is was disembarkation). The “silent” system HAL uses is superb. Our flight from FLL was not until 12:45, so we were one of the last groups to get off. We had a leisurely last breakfast in the dining room and then got off, collected our luggage and got to a cab. The whole process from leaving the ship to cab took about 10 minutes.

Overall, it was a great cruise and lots of fun had by all. Can't wait for the next one.

[musicismylife]

Thanks for the review, I'm glad you and your family enjoyed the cruise. It is nice to read a positive review about the Westerdam, we are travelling on her in August.

[portofrome]

Thanks for your review.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thank for for your report. Glad you had a wonderful cruise.

 

We were thankful that we did not have the silent disembarkation on our last cruise. We have experienced it on the Westerdam as well as a few other ships and each time -- on our cruises -- it was a disaster.

[Pokeynose]

SPROCKIE........We also needed the trays so we brought our own. No more hot plates put into our hands, making several trips, etc. No one saida thing about the trays except some passengers who said they wished they had thought of bringing their own also. The trays are not big ones, just big enough for a small breakfast and drink.

[Mary Ellen]

Thank you for letting us know.

[George C]

Thank for for your report. Glad you had a wonderful cruise.

 

We were thankful that we did not have the silent disembarkation on our last cruise. We have experienced it on the Westerdam as well as a few other ships and each time -- on our cruises -- it was a disaster.

 

I agree 100 percent the disembarkation on our recent Westerdam cruise was not one of the worst disembarkations on any of our cruises ( in general it was a great cruise )

[Ckruz69]

Thank you for your review of your cruise on the Westerdaam. We are traveling with our granddaughters in February and after being away from HAL for several years we decided to give it a try again. Price, itinerary, certainly helped with our decision. After several negative reviews we wondered if we had made the right decision and if our experience is anything like yours we will be happy to return to HAL once again.

[sprockie]

Thank you for your review of your cruise on the Westerdaam. We are traveling with our granddaughters in February and after being away from HAL for several years we decided to give it a try again. Price, itinerary, certainly helped with our decision. After several negative reviews we wondered if we had made the right decision and if our experience is anything like yours we will be happy to return to HAL once again.

My kids and I did have a great time. The ports were fantastic for us.

We didn't use HAL club that much, we picked an activity from their schedule the odd time and we spent the rest of the time doing things together. Some kids on board loved it, my kids did not. There were about 100+ kids on board. I didn't expect a Disney kids club experience, but I do think they could have had some better activities (eg. my 9 year old went to the "tweens", she was one of the younger ones in her group. They had a putting activity where they were using a 2' plastic toddler putter and putting into a sand pail. There were about 12 in the group at the time and one set of putter/pail). Again, I didn't expect a babysitting service, and the kids spent 98% of their time with me, but it was just our opinion that things could have been a bit more exciting. The kids club, I am sure varies greatly by which HAL ship you are on, and maybe by itinerary.