Is there anybody out there, ms Westerdam?

[Dreamer757]

It seems quite on the Westerdam front. Anyone on there checking in? I think I might have to do a live from update when I am on board in a few weeks. :) Alaska, I am coming for you.

[sunviking90]

It seems quite on the Westerdam front. Anyone on there checking in? I think I might have to do a live from update when I am on board in a few weeks. :) Alaska, I am coming for you.

 

We just got off on Friday. I can assure she is doing very well;)

[Krazy Kruizers]

We did 20 days on her in March/April.

She is in great shape.

Only disappointment was the Chocolate Seduction place.

[Krazy Kruizers]

It seems quite on the Westerdam front. Anyone on there checking in? I think I might have to do a live from update when I am on board in a few weeks. :) Alaska, I am coming for you.

 

Looking forward to your "Live" report.

You will be cruising in 11 days.

[Nanner]

We just finished 30 days on the Westerdam on May 6. It was our first time on her, and here's my thoughts.

 

It was only our second Vista class voyage (Zuiderdam a few years ago). We really enjoyed the ship. The sight lines in the showroom are so much better than the older ships! I also liked the decor, as it seemed lighter and brighter, both in the showroom and in general.

 

The food was a vast improvement over the VotV on the Maasdam last year. I hope the improvements we noted in the Canaletto and Pinnacle are throughout the cruise line. There was more flavor to the soups, more seasoning evident (not just spicy, either), and the quality of beef was mostly much better. They knew how to cook steak to order. Stay away from the short ribs, though!

 

We had an issue with our bed. About a week into the cruise, I went to get out of bed, and felt something scratch my leg. It was a spring that had poked out of the side of the mattress! They replaced the mattress, but with one that must have been crew-sized, as it was shorter than normal. The next day, I noted that my spouse's side of the mattress had a spring just about ready to pop through as well. We brought it to the attention of our steward, and he (and his superiors) arranged for us to get an entire different mattress set without us requesting same (full size, too!).

 

The crew was among the friendliest we've encountered on HAL, and very responsive to our needs. As we are 4 star Mariners, we've been on a few ships in the fleet. The lead singers in the ship's cast were very talented. I was dismayed to hear HAL will be losing one of them soon.

 

The only truly bad thing was the nasty virus that hit about 40% of the passengers during our long voyage. I had laryngitis really bad for 3 days, and the effects on my throat are still lingering. The infirmary was packed with people almost every day from mid-April on. While it mostly stuck in my throat, some people had it go into their lungs, or had major sinusitis.

 

We bought spa passes, and I was distressed to find a number of people on the heated loungers, hacking up a lung, not removing themselves from the area. One or two small coughs is one thing, but if you have a coughing jag, be courteous and get outta there! While a terrible cold is better than norovirus, it still put a dent in many cruisers' vacation enjoyment.

 

We had several medical emergencies during the cruise, including a helicopter evacuation on the final sea day. It was quite the thing to watch the helicopter and refueling plane circling the ship in preparation of the evacuation. We didn't think the evac was done by a regular US unit, as the chopper looked old and sad (not like our Great Lakes Coast Guard helicopters), but it was a SAR unit out of California. http://daveandvalstravels.blogspot.com/2013/05/hawaii-tahiti-30-day-cruise-medical.html

 

Now you can't say you haven't heard from the Westerdam :)

[Seago2]

We did 20 days on her in March/April.

She is in great shape.

Only disappointment was the Chocolate Seduction place.

 

What was the problem with the chocolate seduction place? Was it that generally boring, taking-up-too-much-space issue that I thought it was?

[sapper1]

We just finished 30 days on the Westerdam on May 6. It was our first time on her, and here's my thoughts.

 

It was only our second Vista class voyage (Zuiderdam a few years ago). We really enjoyed the ship. The sight lines in the showroom are so much better than the older ships! I also liked the decor, as it seemed lighter and brighter, both in the showroom and in general.

 

The food was a vast improvement over the VotV on the Maasdam last year. I hope the improvements we noted in the Canaletto and Pinnacle are throughout the cruise line. There was more flavor to the soups, more seasoning evident (not just spicy, either), and the quality of beef was mostly much better. They knew how to cook steak to order. Stay away from the short ribs, though!

 

We had an issue with our bed. About a week into the cruise, I went to get out of bed, and felt something scratch my leg. It was a spring that had poked out of the side of the mattress! They replaced the mattress, but with one that must have been crew-sized, as it was shorter than normal. The next day, I noted that my spouse's side of the mattress had a spring just about ready to pop through as well. We brought it to the attention of our steward, and he (and his superiors) arranged for us to get an entire different mattress set without us requesting same (full size, too!).

 

The crew was among the friendliest we've encountered on HAL, and very responsive to our needs. As we are 4 star Mariners, we've been on a few ships in the fleet. The lead singers in the ship's cast were very talented. I was dismayed to hear HAL will be losing one of them soon.

 

The only truly bad thing was the nasty virus that hit about 40% of the passengers during our long voyage. I had laryngitis really bad for 3 days, and the effects on my throat are still lingering. The infirmary was packed with people almost every day from mid-April on. While it mostly stuck in my throat, some people had it go into their lungs, or had major sinusitis.

 

We bought spa passes, and I was distressed to find a number of people on the heated loungers, hacking up a lung, not removing themselves from the area. One or two small coughs is one thing, but if you have a coughing jag, be courteous and get outta there! While a terrible cold is better than norovirus, it still put a dent in many cruisers' vacation enjoyment.

 

We had several medical emergencies during the cruise, including a helicopter evacuation on the final sea day. It was quite the thing to watch the helicopter and refueling plane circling the ship in preparation of the evacuation. We didn't think the evac was done by a regular US unit, as the chopper looked old and sad (not like our Great Lakes Coast Guard helicopters), but it was a SAR unit out of California. http://daveandvalstravels.blogspot.com/2013/05/hawaii-tahiti-30-day-cruise-medical.html

 

Now you can't say you haven't heard from the Westerdam :)

 

We have friends who were on that cruise and got sick towards the end. They are both deathly ill with pneumonia now. Not a pleasant way to end a cruise.

[Hlitner]

We are just off 35 days on the Westerdam. The only major negative besides so-so food was that there are only 55 loungers in the covered pool area. With 55 nice loungers for 1800 souls we had no problem getting a chair before 7am. The new loungers that are on the outdoor areas were designed by a sadist. The purchasing agents in Seattle should be made to sit in those new loungers for 2 days after which they will order all those contraptions tossed overboard :)

 

Hank

[GRACECRUISE]

We are also just off the 30 day Westerdam. The only negative I can give you is the illness. All3 of us are still sick with congestion etc. We even stayed out of public area last 3 days of cruise as much as we could. On the last formal night we went to cast show and half way through Thyphoid Mary sat next to me and hacked up a lung. So much for being considerate of others and stayin in the cabin.

 

The shows, food and staff were great. The Captain and Cruise Director were the best I have seen in a while. We did get a drink from chocolate seduction but would not stop by again. No 4 star half price reduction like at explorations cafe.

 

You will have a great time.

[Krazy Kruizers]

We just finished 30 days on the Westerdam on May 6. It was our first time on her, and here's my thoughts.

 

It was only our second Vista class voyage (Zuiderdam a few years ago). We really enjoyed the ship. The sight lines in the showroom are so much better than the older ships! I also liked the decor, as it seemed lighter and brighter, both in the showroom and in general.

 

The food was a vast improvement over the VotV on the Maasdam last year. I hope the improvements we noted in the Canaletto and Pinnacle are throughout the cruise line. There was more flavor to the soups, more seasoning evident (not just spicy, either), and the quality of beef was mostly much better. They knew how to cook steak to order. Stay away from the short ribs, though!

 

We had an issue with our bed. About a week into the cruise, I went to get out of bed, and felt something scratch my leg. It was a spring that had poked out of the side of the mattress! They replaced the mattress, but with one that must have been crew-sized, as it was shorter than normal. The next day, I noted that my spouse's side of the mattress had a spring just about ready to pop through as well. We brought it to the attention of our steward, and he (and his superiors) arranged for us to get an entire different mattress set without us requesting same (full size, too!).

 

The crew was among the friendliest we've encountered on HAL, and very responsive to our needs. As we are 4 star Mariners, we've been on a few ships in the fleet. The lead singers in the ship's cast were very talented. I was dismayed to hear HAL will be losing one of them soon.

 

The only truly bad thing was the nasty virus that hit about 40% of the passengers during our long voyage. I had laryngitis really bad for 3 days, and the effects on my throat are still lingering. The infirmary was packed with people almost every day from mid-April on. While it mostly stuck in my throat, some people had it go into their lungs, or had major sinusitis.

 

We bought spa passes, and I was distressed to find a number of people on the heated loungers, hacking up a lung, not removing themselves from the area. One or two small coughs is one thing, but if you have a coughing jag, be courteous and get outta there! While a terrible cold is better than norovirus, it still put a dent in many cruisers' vacation enjoyment.

 

We had several medical emergencies during the cruise, including a helicopter evacuation on the final sea day. It was quite the thing to watch the helicopter and refueling plane circling the ship in preparation of the evacuation. We didn't think the evac was done by a regular US unit, as the chopper looked old and sad (not like our Great Lakes Coast Guard helicopters), but it was a SAR unit out of California. http://daveandvalstravels.blogspot.com/2013/05/hawaii-tahiti-30-day-cruise-medical.html

 

Now you can't say you haven't heard from the Westerdam :)

 

Thank you for your review.

We got off the ship on April 6 when you got on -- no Noro Virus..

We had several people on our cruise who also had to leave the ship -- 2 while we were going through the Panama Canal.

[Krazy Kruizers]

We have friends who were on that cruise and got sick towards the end. They are both deathly ill with pneumonia now. Not a pleasant way to end a cruise.

 

Hope your friends are doing better by now.

[Krazy Kruizers]

What was the problem with the chocolate seduction place? Was it that generally boring, taking-up-too-much-space issue that I thought it was?

 

Originally that area was to have been the Java Cafe like we used to have on the R and S class ships. Then HAL started the Explorations Cafe and that area was just left with a couple of chairs and the area where you could see they would have the coffees and cookies.

We saw very few people there.

 

 

[Krazy Kruizers]

 

 

 

 

 

[Krazy Kruizers]

 

 

 

I was hoping that we could get chocolate Martini's -- but these were the only 3 alcoholic drinks they would make:

The assorted Bon Bons were those tiny little pieces of chocolate you see in the one picture in the previous post.

[Krazy Kruizers]

 

 

Princes of items shown in the Large stand up case

[Seago2]

Wow, KK, looks like a waste of space and not a great idea. I'm sure it will fall by the wayside soon.

[Linda&Vern]

KK - Your photos are exactly as I remember that area on our cruise before yours ... :eek: always EMPTY! My DH says he saw someone buy a drink there once. I never saw anyone there - day or night.

[Krazy Kruizers]

One day we saw a couple of people sitting there.

Another time we saw a table of 4 drinking something -- not sure what.

I thought the prices of the chocolate bon bons and other items in the large case were way over priced.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Wow, KK, looks like a waste of space and not a great idea. I'm sure it will fall by the wayside soon.

 

I read about this a couple of years and now that I have seen it, I can't imagine how it is making any money for HAL.

[jkspringtexas]

We got off on April 6 from the 20 day Panama Canal cruise and have been sick since then.

 

Both my husband and myself came down with bronchitis the day after we got to San Diego - a trip the ER for my husband before we could fly home to Texas. I was coughing for 4 weeks. My husband got over the first bout fairly quickly, but it came back last Monday and he has been in the hospital twice in the last week as his bronchitis returned with a vengeance this time. The coughing just won't stop!

 

 

We only heard a few "cougher's" on our cruise, but it sounds like it got much worse on your cruise. It makes you wonder if it's in the a/c system or if there are more ill staff than we know about who are carriers.

 

 

Too bad the cruise lines - or CDC - don't have a system in place for those cruisers to report illnesses they "returned home" with. I bet it would be a long list! It all goes back to the fact that passengers or staff won't self quarantine or report to the medical center when they become ill onboard.

[Seago2]

I read about this a couple of years and now that I have seen it, I can't imagine how it is making any money for HAL.

 

Caribbean Princess had a similar Cadbury area. Total waste of space. Great thought but expensive and.... Just not exciting for the long haul.

[sunviking90]

We were actually thankful for the Chocolate Seduction on our coastal ( tail end of the 30 day cruise) because the espresso/ cappuccino machine in Explorations Cafe "broke" on the 2nd day and the only place to get special coffees was Chocolate Seduction. It was probably busier than it has ever been;).

[Hlitner]

We are also just off the 30 day Westerdam. The only negative I can give you is the illness. All3 of us are still sick with congestion etc. We even stayed out of public area last 3 days of cruise as much as we could. On the last formal night we went to cast show and half way through Thyphoid Mary sat next to me and hacked up a lung. So much for being considerate of others and stayin in the cabin.

 

The shows, food and staff were great. The Captain and Cruise Director were the best I have seen in a while. We did get a drink from chocolate seduction but would not stop by again. No 4 star half price reduction like at explorations cafe.

 

You will have a great time.

 

It did seem like half the ship had respiratory colds. DW had the dreaded cough and made the mistake of seeing the doctor. He told her "you are not sick enough" and charged us $130 for that advice. Now, 3 weeks later, she still,has respiratory problems and a sinus infection. As to the Explorations Cafe, their espresso machine broke a few days before the end of the cruise. They sent us to Chocolate Seduction for our cappuccino where we did not get our 4 Star discount. And to make matters worse, the cappuccino in that venue was dreadful. We agree that the CD (Arman) was one of the best. Loved his comment that "Smart Casual" did not mean "Rural Casual." We saw several men turned away from the dining room because of inappropriate dress. Loved the Texan who insisted that his open collar short sleeve shirt was formal wear. His wife just laughed as he went back to their cabin to change (she did not go,with him). In over 200 days of HA cruises this was the worst dressed crowd.

 

Hank

[Krazy Kruizers]

We got off on April 6 from the 20 day Panama Canal cruise and have been sick since then.

 

Both my husband and myself came down with bronchitis the day after we got to San Diego - a trip the ER for my husband before we could fly home to Texas. I was coughing for 4 weeks. My husband got over the first bout fairly quickly, but it came back last Monday and he has been in the hospital twice in the last week as his bronchitis returned with a vengeance this time. The coughing just won't stop!

 

 

We only heard a few "cougher's" on our cruise, but it sounds like it got much worse on your cruise. It makes you wonder if it's in the a/c system or if there are more ill staff than we know about who are carriers.

 

 

Too bad the cruise lines - or CDC - don't have a system in place for those cruisers to report illnesses they "returned home" with. I bet it would be a long list! It all goes back to the fact that passengers or staff won't self quarantine or report to the medical center when they become ill onboard.

 

We only heard a couple of people coughing on that cruise.

Sorry that you both became ill.

[jaguarstyper]

We were actually thankful for the Chocolate Seduction on our coastal ( tail end of the 30 day cruise) because the espresso/ cappuccino machine in Explorations Cafe "broke" on the 2nd day and the only place to get special coffees was Chocolate Seduction. It was probably busier than it has ever been;).

The same thing happened on our Westerdam cruise in December. I think it took them 20 minutes to make a double espresso and a Caramel Latte. I seriously almost gave up and walked away. :rolleyes: