Westerdam May 18-25 Review: Alaskan Explorer

[BellBoys]

Arrival: We arrived the day prior in Seattle and stayed at the Fairmont Olympic. Highly recommend this hotel, as the location is perfect for exploring downtown Seattle. The rooms are well appointed and the staff very helpful, we had booked the room through American Express Platinum Fine Hotels program so our 10:00 am arrival was met with an upgrade and instantly available room along with free breakfast and a $100 food and beverage voucher. Per other CC members we used Eddie with Seattle Town Car and SUV at 206.755.6395 as he charged us $40 for an airport pickup to the hotel. He always answered the phone and was on time for all of our pick up requests to and from the hotel to the airport and dock.

 

Embarkation: We arrived at 1045 for boarding and were met by a porter who took our luggage off to the ship. Check-in in Seattle is different that Fort Lauderdale as the boarding passes were required to get through security. In the past we were never asked for these but our photo ID’s were sufficient. After that we waited for the gangway to be opened and were promptly on board by 1130 and in our rooms.

 

Room: We traveled with friends and both of us had the corner suites SC 4180 and 4185 so we could take advantage of sights from both parts of the ship. We noticed that this SC interior space was smaller than a similar SC on Eurodam or N. Amsterdam but the exterior space was at least two feet deeper. The wrap around balcony was amazing for our foray into Glacier Bay. While the front bow was packed with guests and super windy our back balcony was sheltered from the wind and gave us up close views of the glaciers. Our room steward Benny excelled by always being around but not obtrusive, whenever we returned to our room it was refreshed, laundry delivered, and outdoor cushions set out for the day.

 

Neptune Lounge: Margaret and Dean were absolutely fantastic. Even though NY Times room delivery was discontinued they made an exception for us since we were three floors down. Every morning before 730 the newspaper was slipped under our door! In addition, all our questions were met with quick responses and follow-ups. We had two days of toilet issues, which were promptly follow up upon and resolved. We did notice that the cookies and pastries located on the wood credenza were absent. At the end of the cruise they were so gracious in their good byes and hugged each of us as we left. Some of the warmest Neptune Lounge concierges we have every met.

 

Food: We did not eat at the Lido except to grab a snack and found the food to look great but the crowding in the aisles was a lot to be desired. Overall, the breakfasts at the Pinnacle and lunch in the MDR were great. The staff at the Pinnacle was the BEST we have experience of our three cruises on HAL, where the Eurodam was good and the N. Amsterdam was lacking we found the service to be excellent. Alian the PG waiter was fantastic and after the first morning knew our juice order and had it arrive almost immediately after sitting down. Our two dinners at the Pinnacle and one Le Cirque meal were great with the exception of the Chicken Under a Brick which two guests found to be disappointing. One evening on of our friends opted to have Nothing for dessert. Which prompted the attached photo to be delivered to her during the dessert course. In another instance when asked for a cheese course instead of dessert Alian went out of his way to provide one from the MDR.

 

We found the food in MDR to be quite good as long as we stayed with roasted meats, other options simply were under-seasoned or arrived lukewarm. However if something was not to our liking the wait staff was great in providing another option. I have found that the ice cream and frozen yoghurt to be a disappointment as they lack flavor, however the fruit crisps remain a great option, as they are always well prepared.

 

Wine Stewards: a recent complaint about their availability prompted some concern but they were always available to help us make a selection or open a bottle of wine that we brought on board. Very pleasant surprise here!

 

Canaletto: This was the only disappointment on board. The beginning antipasto platter is such a great start to the meal and the desserts are always flavorful and well presented, it’s the main courses that just fall flat either through preparation or presentation. The chicken ‘al forno’ had maybe a few morsels of chicken to pick from the bone and the sauces were not flavorful at all. They really need to expand the selections on this menu.

 

Spa: we all had services that we loved. The reflexology, manicure, and massages were all good. However, there was a ‘push’ on products at the end of the service in which one massage therapist said, “I understand if you cannot afford”. I get the need to sell product for revenue but at least be more tactful about it.

 

Service: Overall the best service we had on HAL has been the Westerdam. From start to finish there was a genuine friendly and helpful demeanor from all of the staff. This definitely sets this ship apart from the rest we have been on last year.

 

Excursions: we did two HAL excursions in Juneau. The helicopter and hike on Mendenhall were spectacular and the River Float trip was great. Our guide advised us that the rapids are really too tame later in the Alaskan season as the water level rises. What was a fun run through the rapids in May and June can become a lazy river paddle later on. However, in Sitka we arranged for a private boat charter with the Esther G and Davey Lubin. It was an absolutely amazing experience as we got to view sea lions, otters, whales, eagle and wide variety of marine life. Four magical hours of exploring Sitka Sound, Pirates Cove, Lazaria Island, and Krasof island.

 

 

 

 

 

Pluses:

· Service top notch.

· Food better than before.

· Ship never felt crowded.

· Excursions were excellent.

· Sitka was phenomenal.

 

Minuses:

· Décor of ship is getting dated, in some cases the selections are just garish. Gold lame cherub benches?

· Port arrival times before 9am are way too early if you want to sleep in, have a leisurely breakfast and then start the day.

· Arrival in Victoria too late in day to really take advantage.

· Entertainment was cheesy: nothing really different than in the past, song and dance, predictable magic.

[suec12]

We are sailing the Oosterdam soon - we are in an SZ guarantee - is the Neptune lounge available for us? Or is it a "mariner's? perk?

 

What did you do in Sitka that prompted you to proclaim it wonderful?

 

Did you do assigned dining or the "select" option? ooops one more, is it true that the first three days of the cruise, in the Lido, it is all staff served - or can you serve yourself. And then another - was there an on deck salmon bake? which day? and was it hard to find a place sit and enjoy?

 

Thanks for the review!

[George C]

We are sailing the Oosterdam soon - we are in an SZ guarantee - is the Neptune lounge available for us? Or is it a "mariner's? perk?

 

What did you do in Sitka that prompted you to proclaim it wonderful?

 

Did you do assigned dining or the "select" option? ooops one more, is it true that the first three days of the cruise, in the Lido, it is all staff served - or can you serve yourself. And then another - was there an on deck salmon bake? which day? and was it hard to find a place sit and enjoy?

 

Thanks for the review!

 

SZ is not a Neptune suite , nice cabin but no perks, need something that says Nepture or on this ship sa/sb or sc.

 

Nice review thanks

[BellBoys]

Suec12:

 

The Neptune is for Penthouse, SA, SB, or SC suites, now known as Neptune suites. We did the assigned late dining and enjoyed having the same table mates and wait staff each time. Sitka was special as its unspoiled by much of the commercialism other ports have experienced, there is more of an active artist community. Interesting Russian influence through the church and since we were the only ship in port if felt less crowded.

 

Hope that helps!

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thank you for your wonderful review.

We spent 20 days on the Westerdam and thought the dining room quality of food has gone down hill.

Sitka is also one of our favorite Alaskan ports -- few ships -- still not taken over by the cheap jewelry shops from the Caribbean. It is still a true rustic Alaskan town.

Looks as though the Westerdam is never going to get what is called the "sneeze" guard in the Neptune Lounge.

[PathfinderEss]

Thanks for you wonderful review of Alaska and the Westerdam. Sounds like you all had a great cruise. I once recieved one of those nothing plates, made me laugh.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Thanks for the info ..

[erewhon]

Thank you for your review.

Like the "Nothing" plate.:)

[portofrome]

Thanks for your review.

[Keith1010]

Thank you for taking the time to write and to share this review.

 

Keith

[DaveOKC]

We are sailing the Oosterdam soon - we are in an SZ guarantee - is the Neptune lounge available for us? Or is it a "mariner's? perk?

 

 

I am also in an SZ in Sept and I plan on calling HAL about 2-3 weeks before sailing to inquire about an "upsell". You might consider the same as you can sometimes get great deals on an Sa, SB or SC Neptune suite. Cannot hurt to ask - but be prepared ahead of time as to the amount of money you are willing to spent on the upsell - it can be anywhere from $99 to $499 pp, depending on what you originally paid, how full the ship is, and the current suite prices.

 

DaveOKC

[Himself]

Thank you for your wonderful review. I enjoyed it very much.

[Clarabella_Baby]

Thanks for the wonderful review. I'm sailing on the Westerdam in September and am getting quite excited reading all of these reviews about her.

 

I'm just curious.....what kind of product can the spa personnel push after a massage??? ;)