Cruise Recap - Westerdam 2/28-3/7

[Alcarondas]

Greetings, gentle readers, and welcome to another of Alcarondas's interminable, insomnia-curing cruise recaps. It's rare that I get to indulge in writing purely for pleasure, so forgive me if I overdo it (again). And this recap* will be pleasurable, as the cruise itself was very enjoyable, from the moment I stepped aboard until the moment they dragged me off.

 

*I use the term "recap" rather than "review" since this is simply an exposition of my own experiences on this trip. I do not believe it is possible to fairly "review" a ship (let alone an entire cruise line) based on the impressions of a single person on a single journey. I will try not to draw any conclusions that are more broad than my own necessarily limited perceptions. By way of background, this was my 11th HAL cruise in the last 16 years, so I have a base of experience to inform my expectations. So without further ado...

 

**

 

For me, this time it was the smell. It's not something that can be described in words, but HAL's ships (maybe all cruise ships, for all I know; I've only been on the Dutch ones) all have a scent that doesn't seem to exist elsewhere. Neither pleasant nor unpleasant, just distinctive. As I stepped across from the jetway to the ship (dodging sheeting rain by ducking under an umbrella held aloft by a crew member who I imagine must drawn the Short Straw to be stuck with such a lousy duty), I got my card scanned for the first time and noticed The Smell. Like a potent tonic, it washed away all the mingled fatigue, stress, boredom, hunger, and anxiety that had built up in the last 24 hours, leaving me instantly refreshed and invigorated. Somewhere along the walk from the entryway to my cabin, I blurted out, aloud, to no one, "It feels so good to be home!"

 

I had been on Westerdam once before, in 2011, and had been very impressed with her. As I re-familiarized myself with the ship, the memories came flooding back. I think my favorite aspect is the fact that it's so unashamedly nautical on the inside. The vast majority of the art and antiques have an ocean-going theme, starting with the rotating crystal sailing ship that crowns the atrium, and going right down to the funky armchairs shaped like the bow of a steamship. As more and more cruise lines introduce more and more cruise ships whose primary design function is to completely distract the guests from the fact that they're on a big boat, it's infinitely refreshing to know that there is still a ship and a line out there that grabs its nautical heritage with both hands and just straight-up owns it. From the line drawings of 17th-century Dutch fluyts and man-o-wars in the aft stairwell to Stephen Card's paintings of past and present HAL ships up front, the feeling of having become a (very small) part of The Netherlands' peerless seafaring history is inescapable. I love it.

 

In discussing the ship itself, I come to what is really the only disappointment I had; namely that she seems a bit overdue for a freshening. While the public areas were all clean and well-maintained, I thought that the soft goods in my cabin (5128) were worse for wear. The loveseat in particular was dingy and stained, and the cushions for the outside furniture were faded and discolored. Similarly, some of the cushions for the deck loungers on the main Promenade were so badly faded that it was impossible to tell what color they had originally been, having washed out to a dull gray. Giving ample allowance for the fact that surface rust is inevitable on a ship, I still found there to be quite a bit of it on the structures and machinery around the lifeboats and tenders. Overall, the ship gave the impression of a radiant bride on her wedding day, but whose opulent dress, upon close inspection, is found to be threadbare, patched, and sporting ketchup stains. Of course, the raiment does nothing to diminish the charm and buoyant personality of the wearer, but it was a bit of a distraction.

 

After dropping my carry-on in my cabin and catching my breath, I headed off for the Mariners' Embarkation lunch in the Vista (main) dining room. I found the food on this trip to be exceptional, and the best in recent memory. I try to dine in the MDR as often as possible; I have no love for buffets and generally avoid fast food, so my comments on dining are limited to that venue (with one exception, to be noted later). Over the course of the week, I think I had one meal that was marginal. The rest were in the Very Good-to-Excellent category. The menus were diverse and varied, and most meals presented an insoluable puzzle as there were more interesting choices than there was capacity to consume them. I think I could have easily done a 3-week trip, with the menus repeating each week, and still not have run out of things I wanted to try. I am for the most part a red-blooded carnivore, and yet I found myself going for the vegetarian entrees more than once, simply because they sounded (and were!) so interesting. It's also worth noting that the lunch menus were just as good as the dinner ones. Anyone who has never had lunch in the MDR would be well-advised to give it a try. I honestly cannot understand why anyone would want to fight the crowds and wrangle the self-service in the Lido when the dining room has a full staff eager to oblige every whim and desire.

 

While on the topic of dining experience, I was gratified that the patron saint of Matire-d's continued to smile on me, and I was privileged to enjoy the company of yet another table of fascinating and congenial folks. For the record, I always choose traditional late fixed-seating at a large table. Our stewards were charming and efficient, and I can only recall one instance when they made a mistake, and it was merely placing one person's meal in front of another (which was immediately rectified). Nothing was mixed up or lost. One not-quite negative of the dining was the new layout of the dinner menu, which is now divided into two sections: Starters, including appetizers, soups and salads, and Entrees, with main dishes (which usually included a large dinner salad). The every-day menu (shrimp cocktail, French onion soup, NY Strip, salmon, and chicken) was intermingled with the unique daily offerings, which caused some confusion. Not enough to result in anyone going hungry, of course, but the old layout did seem more logical.

 

On the hearty recommendation of several people, I gave the new Dive-In burger bar a try for lunch. While the food was delicious, it turned out to not be mine. The area was usually busy and congested, and while there was a steward attempting to take orders, dispense buzzers, and keep things orderly, there was a fair bit of crowding and confusion which led me to inadvertently take someone else's meal. Each meal ticket had an "order number" and a "buzzer number", and as it turned out, my buzzer was the same number as someone else's order. I didn't figure this out until I had gotten back down to my cabin and stretched out on my balcony, by which point I guessed that the unfortunate individual whose lunch I'd stolen had gotten a replacement. Tasty, though!

 

After dinner on the first day, I was settling into my cruise rhythm, and headed off for my usual evening-ender in the Explorer's Lounge. I went with a feeling of impending disappointment, based on information I'd gotten on our CC board that the "Adagio" act was now a duo instead of the erstwhile quartet. Well, dear friends, pre-judging is a terrible, terrible thing to do. It turned out that I was in for the best surprise of the trip. Maria (piano) and Sandra (violin) were fantastic. Even my elephantine vocabulary is strained for superlatives with which to describe them. Sandra attacked her craft with passionate abandon, all the while perched sky-high on gravity-defying stiletto heels, with every nuance in the music reflected on her face. Meanwhile, Maria's implacable economy of motion at the keyboard belied a smoldering intensity and uncompromising precision in her playing. By the time they closed out their set with a breathless run through Brahm's Hungarian Dance #5, I was hooked, as were a number of other guests who became fixtures at the shows.

 

As the week went on, they displayed a fascinatingly deep repertoire, and introduced their audiences to a wide variety of (relatively) obscure works and composers which were challenging both for the performers and the listeners. Even their obligatory forays into time-tested favorites were interesting; they managed to turn a threadbare old chestnut like the Blue Danube into a vibrant anthem to youthful energy and exuberance, before blazing though an incendiary rendition of Carnival of the Animals which left them both giggling with delight, while somewhere out there, Saint-Saens was probably blushing. In the interest of full disclosure, yes I am and always have been a sucker for a pretty girl, and these two had that covered in spades as well. I am not ashamed to admit that this may have colored my impression of them somewhat. Deal with it. ;) Did I mention that they were both friendly, approachable, and eager to talk about their music and their experiences on ship? Being from Ukraine, their English was somewhat limited (Sandra's moreso, as 3 months ago she didn't speak a word but was making excellent progress), but they were fun to talk to just the same. Yes, I got my picture taken with them. No, you can't have it. :)

 

There was of course a wider world of entertainment outside the Explorer's Lounge. I had high expectations for the B.B.King Blues Club band, and was not disappointed. They performed with exactly the kind of over-the-top talent and energy that one never expects to find on a cruise ship. Their headline show in the Vista Lounge was electrifying. The only thing wrong with their nightly gigs in the Queen's Lounge was that they were too short. It always seemed that just as they were really hitting their stride, it was time for a break. While it's difficult to single any of them out due to the fact that they were all excellent, the female vocalist, Candy Graham (wink-nudge), was blessed with a powerful instrument (among other attributes), and had a full-throated classic Motown voice that could send chills up one's spine. Proud Mary will never sound the same to me again.

 

The other Vista Lounge acts were enjoyable; Illusionist duo Leon and Romy put some new twists on classic stage illusions, and comic Buzz Sutherland brought a southern-fried smile to everyone's face with his lowbrow (but mostly clean) musings, physical comedy and good natured ribbing of the audience. I didn't go to either of the production shows featuring the ship's own cast, so I can't comment on them.

 

That brings us to the unfortunately-named "Band" which has apparently occupied the space of both the HALCats and the Neptunes. The Band. That's it. That's what they're called. I can't figure it out either. My own personal nickname for them was "Five Musicians In Search Of A Repertoire". While they were individually talented, they seemed very much like a work-in-progress. They played the Ocean Bar in the evenings, but with almost none of the Vegas Lounge/Rat Pack flair that previous Neptunes acts usually brought. Although their playlist stretched from Gershwin to John Denver to Daft Punk, they were best and most comfortable with contemporary pop/rock (where by "contemporary" I mean 80's and forward. So yeah, dating myself.). Their renditions of the classic "standards" of the 40's, 50's and 60's, formerly the province of the Neptunes, were awkward, and sometimes somnolent. While they were game for any requests, their audiences seemed just as confused about what they were supposed to be playing as they were. But for the most part they were redeemed by their vocalist/principal keyboardist and frontman, Nick. He was such a charming and affable young fellow, and was so obviously trying his best to put on a good show, that it was impossible not to like him. He also had a deceptively good voice, ranging from a toasty baritone through a solid midrange and up to a clear, ringing tenor. Given time to polish and streamline their playlist, I think they'd be fine. It remains to be seen if they'll stay together long enough for that to happen.

 

Finally, while I personally did not attend the Piano Bar, several of my table-mates and other guests reported that James Sullivan put on one great late-night of entertainment after another, and that the PB usually didn't close down until 1am or later. I'm sorry to have missed him, but that's what I get for being a morning person.

 

As mentioned, Embarkation Saturday was a big, wet mess, with driving rain all through the morning and well into the afternoon. There was some concern that we'd get soaked on deck trying to do the lifeboat drill, but the deluge mercifully abated in time. But Sunday morning dawned brilliant and clear, and the weather for the rest of the week was almost unnaturally perfect, with temperatures in the high 70's (25 for our centigrade friends), mild breezes, low humidity and abundant sun. The only blemishes were a brief shower just after we arrived at Grand Turk, and 5 minutes of light rain as we were disembarking at St. Maarten. After getting washed out on my last visit to San Juan, I was happy to have a perfect day for a late-morning sail-in and an afternoon of exploring the Old City on foot.

 

This was my first visit to Grand Turk, and based on reports from friends and family, I wasn't expecting much. Actually, I wasn't expecting anything; not being a beach person, I had planned to stay on board the ship. But on Sunday afternoon, I decided in spite of myself to book an excursion; the ATV tour seemed like the best option for sightseeing tinged with a bit of adventure. In hindsight, I should have been more careful to take my own oft-delivered advice about not letting other people set the benchmarks for one's own fun. I enjoyed the tour quite a bit, found the guides to be knowledgeable and entertaining, discovered that for a tiny spit of land only 1.5 miles by six, Grand Turk had a fair amount of interesting history, and got the thrill of catching the breeze behind a set of handlebars on a single-rider vehicle. (My land-based hobby being motorcycling, and my bike being buried behind a 2-foot wall of snow, this little tour provided just enough of a mid-winter fix to get me through to spring, I think.) We drove mostly on the public roads, and I think we covered all of them. In the middle of the tour, we pulled up to an inland lagoon where the guides gave an unexpected and informative presentation on local marine life and ecology. After the ride, I wandered around the tourist village/beach area for a bit, snapping photos of the unbelievably clear water, powdery sand, swaying palms, and bright flowers, and emailing them to friends and family so they could all see what they were missing. Yeah, I'm a jerk like that. ;)

 

I love San Juan. If I ever get banished from the Lower Forty-Eight, that's where I'd go, no question. It's excitingly exotic and alien while being reassuringly familiar; A foreign country with most of the benefits we enjoy in the Good Ol' U. S. of A. There is something very comforting about knowing that the US Coast Guard, Department of Homeland Security, and National Park Service are on the job in a place that is so thoroughly Euro-Caribbean. My self-guided wanderings took me along the waterfront, through the Old Town, out to Morro Castle (which I photographed extensively), past the quincentennial monument, and back past the main cathedral. While I was at the castle, Celebrity's Silhouette passed by right under the walls, so I got to see a sail-in from both sides. One added treat was that we departed just after I sat down to dinner; our table was near both the aft and starboard-side windows, so we had a moving festival of lights as our dining entertainment.

 

St . Maarten was the real reason for this trip; another spot on my Island-Bingo card to fill in. Our arrival was impressive in itself, approaching the rugged island and seeing the fleets of sailboats punctuated with gigantic motor yachts (one with its own helicopter). I was on the Mountain Hike excursion, and was not disappointed. The access to Pic Paradis (highest point on the island) was around on the French side, so we also got a pretty comprehensive bus tour, with history and geography narrated by our guide, Claudette, who proudly bore the title "Queen of the Mountain", as she had been leading this excursion for six years. From our "base camp" at Loterie Farm (a day-spa/resort), we switched to an open-air truck for a white-knuckled ascent to the top of the hill, the last stretch being over a rugged, unpaved trail. From my rear-facing perch, the views back down to the coast became increasingly impressive and expansive, but I was too busy hanging on to try to snap pictures. No need anyway, as the vista from the mountaintop was suitably jaw-dropping. From various points we could see Phillipsburg and the Westerdam to the south, Marigot and Orient Beach to the west, St. Barts to the east, and Anguilla to the north. There's something satisfyingly exclusive in knowing that, among all the passengers on the Westie that day, only 22 of us got to see these sights.

 

But of course there was a price to pay, and that was the 2-hour downhill trek back to the farm. To call our route a "trail" is charitable, at best. It was a difficult path, rocky, uneven, crossed by roots; all under a dense, dark forest canopy. We were issued walking sticks, and they were necessary. Along the way Claudette discoursed on various trees and plants, including banyan, kapoc, gum, and soursop. We passed through the overgrown remains of some mini-terraces which had been used to farm sugarcane, and came to the ruins of the sugar boilery where slaves had toiled in what was at one time the most important commecial enterprise in the Caribbean. Amazingly, the original copper kettles were still present, now located a bit further down the hill near the facility's old well. Upon our eventual return to the farm, we were greeted (most happily) with rum punch. In all, a very interesting and invigorating stroll.

 

But from Pic Paradis, it was all downhill in more ways than one; it was now time to turn around and head inexorably back toward home and normality. Bah, humbug to normality! Half Moon Cay was along the way, but I didn't go ashore. I've been there enough to know that there isn't much there to hold my attention, so I continued to chill out on board ship and begin (reluctantly) preparing for it all to end.

 

Which of course, it did. But not before flooding my memory banks (and camera) with fond recollections. In almost every way, this was a perfect trip. I hate to say that because despite my obvious affinity for Holland-America, I always try to keep the "critic" in Cruise Critic when I write my recaps. But there simply wasn't anything worth complaining about; a point remarked upon in wonder by one of my table-mates at our last gathering.

 

I thank you all for your patience in reading this; especially those who managed it in one sitting without the benefit of coffee or electronic stimulation. While I tried to cover all the major points, if anyone has any more specific questions please post them and I will do my best to answer. Cheers for now.

 

PS - If onboard wi-fi is important to you, be advised that 5128 has a router mounted to the ceiling!

[PathfinderEss]

You are most definitely an amazing writer. Thanks for the wonderful review and so glad you enjoyed your cruise and the Westerdam.

[Lizzie68]

Thank you for a really terrific report.:) It was certainly balanced, and as I am going to be on the Westerdam in a few weeks, I was especially interested in everything you wrote.

[ZSandy25]

Thank you for the most entertaining post. I did read it in one sitting with a glass of red to sip and savor.

 

Like yourself I know the "smell" and the release it brings when I board the ship. Next Feb. we will be onboard for 21 days and will be visiting some of your ports. We are looking forward to St. Maarten, we stopped there a few years ago and I loved it.

 

Thanks again...

[jeepster93]

I am less than a month out on the Westerdam.

My cruise doesn't go to St Maarten. It goes to St Thomas, Grand Turk, San Juan and the cay, half moon.

2 of those are kind of touristy...

Edited March 9, 2015 by jeepster93

[Vict0riann]

I enjoyed your report. Very witty!:D

 

Like Lizzie, we'll be on her in a few weeks, so happy to hear all is well with Westerdam. I'm just hoping that the BBKing group will still be on board.

[Alcarondas]

I am less than a month out on the Westerdam.

My cruise doesn't go to St Maarten. It goes to St Thomas, Grand Turk, San Juan and the cay, half moon.

2 of those are kind of touristy...

 

St. Thomas is entirely touristy, but you can skip Charlotte Amelie and take an excursion (or a ferry) to St. John instead. Most of the island is a national park, and it's usually much less crowded and busy than St. T.

[kazu]

great review and very enjoyable. thank you so much.

 

I will be joining the rest of the "sail a way gang" and hope too that BB king will be on board.

 

hoping our soft goods are in better condition, but just get me outta' the snow and the cold and I'll be a happy camper mostly ;)

 

You are a very talented writer and I thank you for sharing.

 

and welcome home:)

[sail7seas]

What a wonderful read. Thanks so much for sharing your happy experiences on Westerdam. We had three very enjoyable cruises on Westerdam and it is nice to read she is still pleasing so many guests. A lovely ship.

 

Hope all your cruises suit you as much as this cruise.

 

[Typhoon1]

Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts.

[HALrunner]

Thanks for sharing your excellent recap with us! It brought back lots of great memories:)

[MrsMuir]

Alcarondas, thank you for an enjoyable and well-written read. You would be fun to travel with.

 

Mrs M

[erewhon]

Enjoyed reading about your Westerdam cruise.

Thank you.

[puppycanducruise]

Thanks for taking the time to post your recap.

Very enjoyable.

Glad you had a good cruise.

[sapper1]

Thank you for the very well written and interesting review.

I will be joining Lizzie, Kazu and Vict0riann in a few weeks for a cruise on the Westerdam and am looking forward to it very much.

[Debz62]

Thank you for the recap Alcarondas. We're taking our first cruise with HAL on Westerdam in May. We're very excited about it and hope we enjoy our cruise as much as you've enjoyed yours.

[Alcarondas]

Thank you all for the many kind comments. I'm always worried that I will stray across the line between informative and tiresome; I'm happy to have provided some edu-tainment to those from whom I often receive so much.

 

And just to add some color (blues and greens, mostly) to the narrative, here are a few photos:

 

Sunday at sea

 



Grand Turk, near Columbus's Landing

 



Grand Turk waterfront from ship

 



Old San Juan during sail-in

 



Morro Castle detail

 



St. Maarten/Martin view from Pic Paradis

 

And yes, it felt as good as it looks!

[elou]

Would you happen to have the Explorer dailies to share? Thanks.

[George C]

Very nice review, thanks

[Roz]

I will be on the Westerdam in about 6 wks. for a 4-day Coastal; can't wait to sail on her again. Thanks for bringing back some good memories.

 

Roz

[Susie51]

Thank you for your recap.

[JimAOk1945]

As a future HAL cruiser, I just wanted to say I enjoyed reading your re-cap, and viewing your pictures.

 

I am interested in seeing pictures of the ship's interior. It sounds spectacular. Do you plan to post some?

[0bnxshs]

You do with words what you describe the Adagio Duo doing with music. Thanks for the notes! We are desperately looking forward to our Westerdam cruise with so many of those already posting of the "Sail Away Gang"! :)

[Alcarondas]

As a future HAL cruiser, I just wanted to say I enjoyed reading your re-cap, and viewing your pictures.

 

I am interested in seeing pictures of the ship's interior. It sounds spectacular. Do you plan to post some?

 

Unfortunately not. I had planned to use HMC Day to go on a photo safari of the ship while everyone was ashore, but I got lazy and... um, didn't. :o

 

I guess this means I'll have to go back again! In the interest of science. And research. Something like that. :D

[TylerRose]

TY for sharing :)