Westerdam - Worried about negative reviews

[forevercruising1]

Hello!

 

We currently have a December sailing to the Mexican Riviera booked on the Westerdam; however, due to the multiple, negative reviews that I have read recently on the Alaska sailings and the South Pacific sailing, I am beginning to doubt our choice to cruise her.

 

It seems that, for every one positive review posted, there are 3 - 4 negative reviews, which is a bit worrisome. I am aware, however, that people who have positive experiences do not always take the time to share them; people who have negative experiences are often motivated to take the time to share their negative experiences, publicly.

 

Can any of you who have sailed her recently voice your opinions regarding the Westerdam?

 

I am wondering if things will improve, once she begins sailing the Mexican Riviera. I know she will be in much better shape after her scheduled drydock, which is scheduled after her time in the Mexican Riviera; however, this is not a large factor for us.

 

We have not sailed HAL since 2005, when we sailed the Oosterdam, so we really do not know what to expect. When we sailed HAL then, we were thoroughly impressed with the maintenance of the ship, the service, and the food was excellent, in every way.

 

Any insight and/or advice would be appreciated, as we are debating whether to keep our Westerdam sailing to the Mexican Riviera.

 

(BTW: We are booked in one of the aft wraps on deck 5, so I know we would be pleased with the cabin and balcony!)

 

Thank you, very much! :)

Edited June 13, 2016 by forevercruising1

[Krazy Kruizers]

We have sailed quite a few times on the Westerdam. Most recently was a 21 day repositioning cruise from Ft Lauderdale to San Diego this past spring.

 

We didn't have any issues with the ship but we did have issues with the cutbacks that are happening on HAL ships. Things like pre-made sandwiches in the Lido. Other issues were personal -- like not getting invited to the Mariner's cocktail party on the first day -- we have over 1000 days on HAL. There were a few other incidents like that.

[wolfgangz]

We cruised on the Westerdam in April 2016, had a wonderful time service on Board was excellent including the meals.

 

People complained about the internet service way out in the Pacific no surprise to me and most of the time the service was available.

 

I just get the impression there are a lot of folks that just like to complain

[catl331]

per usual most of the persons who do reviews are the ones that have complaints.....silverware not set right, none of their favorite wine, not their favorite library books or newspapers etc. Yes, some have valid reasons but things do happen even in hotels on land. Do not cancel. Approach the cruise with a positive opinion that you are going to have a good time. Honestly, once you get grouchy you ruin your own cruise. Smile!!:)

[pmcubed]

 

To the negativity, please.

 

Before our first cruise on Zuiderdam there were several negative reviews and I, too, was a bit nervous. We had a fabulous cruise and many of the things people complained about I didn't even notice.

 

IF you're looking for something bad, you'll find it. If you go with an open mind and plan on having a great time - you will.

 

I heard this from another traveler once and it stuck with me, "something WILL go wrong on our trip. It's how we handle it that can make or break the vacation"

 

Enjoy!

Pat

[RocketMan275]

We were on Westy last March and had a wonderful time. We enjoyed the cruise so much we cancelled a cruise on Regal and booked on Oosterdam. We chose Oosterdam rather than another sailing on Westy since Oosterdam sails out of Tampa which saves us about three hours drive time.

 

Bottom line: we loved HAL and Westy. I doubt we will sail on any other line for the near future.

 

BTW, we were in 5090. You will love the aft wrap. We had two dinners there. The room steward was wonderful. When he found out we were having dinner on the balcony, he told us we didn't need to worry about the delivery. We should just enjoy our drinks on the balcony and he would deal with the room service. We placed our dinner order with the concierge in the Neptune Lounge. Breakfast in the Pinnacle grill was great too.

 

I used to fish a lot. I spent a lot of time reading on-line reviews of fishing equipment. I found this to be a waste of time. Any item of equipment will have far more negative reviews than positive.

 

People often think that they must find things to criticize to make themselves sound sophisticated and knowledgeable. Here's a challenge for you. Pick another ship on another line. Any ship. Any line. You'll find just as many negative reviews of that ship. If you let yourself be influenced by these negative reviews, you'll never cruise again.

 

My favorite negative review. A woman made a very big deal out of how much she spent on a cruise, detailing how many were in her party, the suite they were in, etc., only to tell us how her entire week long cruise was ruined because the cruise line served Pepsi rather than Coke products. She claimed it was an outrage that the line didn't inform her of that prior to her booking the cruise.

 

You will have a great time. Relax and enjoy it.

[kazu]

We were on the Westerdam for 33 days in April this year (South Pacific) and I did do a live thread.

 

I had NOTHING negative to report on the ship (other than Internet) and, in fact, the ship and the crew made the cruise :)

 

The negatives on the South Pacific cruise were the missed ports and weather none of which the ship has any control of and which the Captain did his best to make up for very nicely.

 

We were on the Westerdam the year before and had such a great time that we booked her again for the cruise I just mentioned. We were NOT disappointed.

 

Service in the MDR was good, PG was good, Cellar Master was wonderful and Master Chef Table exquisite. Fabulous buffets on the Lido, etc.

 

Wonderful crew,wonderful captain - what more can anyone ask for?

 

I would happily sail on her again anytime :)

[Lady Arwen]

We had a wonderful cruise on Westerdam 2 years ago. I would never hesitate to sail on her again.

[whogo]

Some of the bad reviews are from people who chose the wrong cruise line. Short lido buffet hours, slow internet, lack of late night entertainment, and balcony smoking are standard operating procedures on Holland America. Others complained of port cancellations and late arrivals that may or may not have been avoidable. I don't see anything unusual in the reviews I read, if you have been happy with Holland America, I think you will be happy on the Westerdam.

[summer slope]

We were also on the Westerdam for 21 days in March. She was beautiful, as expected. The crew catered to us and we enjoyed everything. The food was wonderful, and we did find the atmosphere calming. Not sure what the negative remarks were other than personal preferences not being met. Go and enjoy the wonderful ship.

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

Not sure what the negative remarks were other than personal preferences not being met. Go and enjoy the wonderful ship.

 

I agree with Summer Slope. I can't speak for the Westerdam as it has been many years since I sailed on her. However, I take all reviews, good and bad, with a grain of salt. A cruise is what each individual makes of it. Go with a positive attitude and have a great time.

[sapper1]

We too, were on the aforementioned 33 day South Pacific cruise this year in April.

 

The weather was terrible but that was not a ship issue---blame Mother Nature for that.

 

The Westerdam is a very happy ship as evidenced by the wonderful rapport among the crew from the captain on down the ladder. You get the feeling that they really enjoy their jobs, and that trickles down to their interaction with the passengers. I really can't say enough about the wonderful crew. They made the onboard experience what it was----and that was excellent.

 

We were also on the Westerdam for the Panama repo cruise last year and found the same thing to be true then. That was a deciding factor in us booking on her again for the South Pacific this year.

 

I found the ship to be in good physical shape aside from a bit of wear and tear on the furniture here and there. With all the constant use I guess that is not surprising. There was constant cleaning and polishing going on all around the ship to keep her looking good.

 

Like Kazu, my only complaint was that the Internet service was terrible. We purchased the unlimited package but it was extra slow, cut out frequently and was sometimes just not there. They finally admitted they were having issues and issued a reasonable credit.

 

In short, I would not hesitate to sail the Westerdam again.

Edited June 13, 2016 by sapper1

[summer slope]

Just to add, we have booked her again for March.

[taxmantoo]

As with Kazu and Sapper1, we were on the 35-day Westerdam in the South Pacific in April.

As they have already reported, any issues we had (other than the internet) were caused by the weather and had nothing to do with the physical aspects of the ship.

The ship was in excellent condition and its crew a pleasure to deal with from the Captain to the room stewards. We thought, contrary to what we continually read on CC, that the MDR food was improving over past cruises. The Pinnacle Grill on the Westerdam remains one of our favourite Pinnacle Grills in the fleet, both for service and quality.

We would jump at an opportunity to sail on her again anytime.

[OlsSalt]

For the record, now with well over 300 HAL cruise days there is not a single HAL ship that did not come with "negative" reviews that at first also made us question our choice. Except, we never found validity to the depth of the complaints, but only the occasional minor incidence of them.

 

Enjoy and apply the 80% rule - at any given time 20% of the things mentioned will happen. Sure, you are asked to pay 100% of the price regardless. But the remaining 80% good things will continue to make you glad you took the cruise. Have faith when one engages in the hospitality business, there is no profit offering inferior products and abusing the customers. HAL has high brand loyalty so overall they still offer something people want.

Edited June 13, 2016 by OlsSalt

[kevingastreich]

 

To the negativity, please.

 

Before our first cruise on Zuiderdam there were several negative reviews and I, too, was a bit nervous. We had a fabulous cruise and many of the things people complained about I didn't even notice.

 

IF you're looking for something bad, you'll find it. If you go with an open mind and plan on having a great time - you will.

 

I heard this from another traveler once and it stuck with me, "something WILL go wrong on our trip. It's how we handle it that can make or break the vacation"

 

Enjoy!

Pat

 

Exactly! :)

[Mrs. Walkinman]

Question for those of you on the Westerdam South Pacific this year:

 

Which direction (Southbound or Northbound) did you celebrate the Equator crossing? We had a great party on the 2013 sailing. They didn't mention much about it traveling southbound (which was a little disappointing), but had a fantastic spectacle on the way home.

[taxmantoo]

Question for those of you on the Westerdam South Pacific this year:

 

Which direction (Southbound or Northbound) did you celebrate the Equator crossing? We had a great party on the 2013 sailing. They didn't mention much about it traveling southbound (which was a little disappointing), but had a fantastic spectacle on the way home.

 

It was also on the Northbound segment on the way back to San Diego.

[Viesczy]

The Westy is a fine ship. I spent the greatest month of my life on her, do not fear and read those negative reviews with a grain of salt and open eyes.

 

I roar every time I read the trivial complaints, the I didn't get enough food on my plate (get up and get more) or it's dead at night (you're sailing HAL, what do you expect) or the silverare is facing the wrong way (the HORROR!!).

 

You're going to have a fine time.

 

REALLY!

 

Now off to read some of the "complaints", I need a laugh!

[frankc98376]

Westerdam is our favorite of the Vista ships. Crew is great- ship was in great shape last September. We are booked on her again in October and I'm sure many more on her. Cant speak for MDR as all dinners are in PG for us- really get to know the staff doing breakfast and dinner every night. Lido was fine- generally only hit the Asian station or the Dive In at lunch or pick up a couple of cookies at night on our way back to our stateroom.

 

Decor on Westerdam is more "subdued" than some to the Vista sisters. To us has more of the "ocean liner" feeling that "old HAL" had.

[Traveling Dot]

I was also on the South Pacific cruise (only 30 days) and had a great time. Other than the usual wear and tear I saw nothing wrong with the ship. As others have said some people just look for something to be wrong to complain about. This was my 9th cruise and I have 2 more booked with HAL. No matter which ship I am on I have a good time of my own making. I don't look for problems and only look for the positive things in life. Life is too short not too.

 

This last cruise was my first cruise without my husband and everyone helped to make it a good one. The Captain was very outgoing and took good care of his passengers. Because of the bad weather and having to miss two ports he made sure that we were well compensated.

 

Go and have a good time. :)

Edited June 13, 2016 by Traveling Dot

[Scrapnana]

OP, you have reminded me that I need to stop procrastinating and write my review of my recent cruise on the Westerdam (and it will be a positive one). I, too, was on the South Pacific cruise and had a fantastic time.

 

The food was very good and I appreciate the selection HAL has in the MDR (more than some other lines). I do miss the made-to-order sandwiches but the made-to-order salad bar was fantastic (I had it for lunch about every third day). I also like the Taco Bar on Westerdam much more than on Nieuw Amsterdam. You serve yourself and there are far more choices.

 

 

We did have problems with the weather which, although HAL did not need to do anything, they gave us an unexpected (but appreciated) compensation. The Internet did have some serious problems which possibly had something to do with the weather (I have cruised through the South Pacific before without major internet issues). Again, HAL compensated us.

 

The crew was wonderful as usual and the show host (Jorge) and CD (Mario) were among my all time favorites. Goes without saying what a great captain Rens van Eerten is.

 

Do not be put off by the bad reviews! Go and enjoy "the beautiful, elegant Westerdam"!

[frankc98376]

OP, you have reminded me that I need to stop procrastinating and write my review of my recent cruise on the Westerdam (and it will be a positive one). I, too, was on the South Pacific cruise and had a fantastic time.

 

The food was very good and I appreciate the selection HAL has in the MDR (more than some other lines). I do miss the made-to-order sandwiches but the made-to-order salad bar was fantastic (I had it for lunch about every third day). I also like the Taco Bar on Westerdam much more than on Nieuw Amsterdam. You serve yourself and there are far more choices.

 

 

We did have problems with the weather which, although HAL did not need to do anything, they gave us an unexpected (but appreciated) compensation. The Internet did have some serious problems which possibly had something to do with the weather (I have cruised through the South Pacific before without major internet issues). Again, HAL compensated us.

 

The crew was wonderful as usual and the show host (Jorge) and CD (Mario) were among my all time favorites. Goes without saying what a great captain Rens van Eerten is.

 

Do not be put off by the bad reviews! Go and enjoy "the beautiful, elegant Westerdam"!

 

Internet could definitely be affected by the weather. Shipboard internet is from satellite. We have satellite TV and whenever we have bad weather our TV service is terrible. We have had it for so long we are used to it- people on ships need to remember that TV and Internet both come from a satellite and can be affected by many factors.

[Mrs. Walkinman]

I had a great time on the Westerdam's South Pacific cruise on 2013. Even though I hurt myself getting on the bus at our very first port of call in Honolulu, and had to walk with a crutch the rest of the trip, it was still a wonderful trip. The injury prevented me from leaving the ship in Hilo, Maui, and Rarotonga, and forced me to cancel my shore excursions there and in Bora Bora. There was plenty to see and do on board when everyone else was off ashore, and I absolutely loved resting on my balcony.

 

One thing that might cause a few of the negative reviews (even though they weren't specifically mentioned) was that some people may have trouble with the extended sea days on the itinerary. Myself, I adore them; my husband, not so much.

 

Since then, I have been twice on the Zuiderdam (OK) and once on the Oosterdam (better). I'd have to say my preference is a tie between the Westerdam and Oosterdam, with the Z-dam coming in third of this class of ships.

 

I also loved the long sea (or river!) days on the Prinsendam Amazon cruise.

[RMLincoln]

To the Original Poster: What is it you are worried about? if you have specifics, experienced folks here can address them. But generalities and personal preferences can go either way.

 

My motto: "It's hard to have a bad day on a cruise ship!" Wow, I'd love to be able to book an aft wrap, and what a thrill to be pampered in a suite.

 

In my experience, those who focus on the big picture and see the good in it (and there's plenty of good) will have a great time, but those who focus on what's not perfect for you (and no experience is), you may never cruise again on any ship on any line. m--