Westerdam how is it?

[Wayfairers]

I’ve heard some bad reviews from friends on Westerdam.  Food issues, overcrowding in the tenders, rude passengers were the main complaints I have heard.   Both in Asia and on the Japan to Alaska cruise.  I have a friend thinking of booking the Japan to Alaska for next year and asking me if they should book it. 
 

Anyone else been on these cruises and have input?

[CruiserBruce]

If you look back on the board, there is a huge "Live From" thread about the Japanese cruises this Spring. 

[FlaMariner]

We board her 10/1 on the trans-pacific cruise to Japan.....Looking forward to it!  

 

I found this recent review........

 

 

[gizmodog]

Just got off her in June and I loved her. The ship was clean the service good, and the staff were great. Food was way better than celebrity. Only complaint the buffet is so crowded it’s sometimes impossible to find a table. Enjoy!

[Ottawa traveller]

I was on the March/April Japan cruise and read the Live From posts every day. I wondered if I was on the same ship. I had different interests from the OP and so his problems were not mine.  You have to look at what is being complained about and see if it is something that would be important to you.  I found the staff excellent and very friendly. My cabin was exceptionally clean and in excellent repair. I liked the food but I am not fussy.  Shore excursions were limited due to lack of Japanese suppliers but the staff posted excellent videos for each port about what to see and how to get there on your own. My primary interest was in visiting the ports and not entertainment and I was very happy.  A word of warning about the cruise back to Alaska - the only Japanese port on the cruise was cancelled due to weather which could happen again. I disembarked in Yokohama and I did not take that segment so I can't comment further on it.

[cruisemom42]

20 hours ago, Wayfairers said:

I have a friend thinking of booking the Japan to Alaska for next year and asking me if they should book it. 
 

Anyone else been on these cruises and have input?

 

I realize some have felt the comments on Westerdam's April Japan sailings were a bit pointed, and I would not comment again except that you specifically mention your friends are interested in doing the Japan to Alaska TP sailing.

 

That sailing has an exceptional amount of sea days. My experience (not on that segment, fortunately, but on the two preceding it) is that HAL offered little entertainment during days at sea -- neither during the day nor at night. The first 2-week segment was okay due to the presence of the Lincoln Center Stage musicians as an option. Once they departed (second 2-week segment), there was -- for me -- a big gap that was not filled by any other option. 

 

Evening entertainment in the Main Stage was sparse. Several productions were canceled due to illness or injury and -- due to the lean entertainment options -- there was nothing to replace them other than a movie. By contrast, when I sailed the previous April on Celebrity from London, they had enough entertainment options that even when a couple of entertainers came down with Covid, they were able to re-direct and put on a different LIVE show for the evening. 

 

Absent the classical performances, there were two other "regular" evening options (rock/blues band and the two-piano performance team which I won't grace with the name "dueling pianos, because they are not). However, each one took a night off every 4-5 days. Which may coincide with a "dark night" in the Main theater, leaving few options indeed.

 

During the day, the mainstay "entertainment" offerings were trivia (usually offered 2x a day on sea days) and various crafts activities in a small room off the Crow's Nest. I seem to recall only about 3 different crafts, and one was "Adult Coloring" 🤦‍♀️. (The second was Origami, and I know there was a third but cannot recall what it was...).  We had one lecturer for the two cruises I was on, but he only gave about 4 lectures in the two week period (and these were repeated in the second segment). As his talks were all canned (and outdated) presentations on Japan and Taiwan, I doubt that he stayed on board for the TP segment, and have no idea if someone else replaced him.

 

As already mentioned, many of the port talks were pre-recorded (no opportunity to attend live) and shown in cabin, presumably as an effort to prevent any potential spread of Covid onboard. Japan having just reopened, the ship was rather obsessed with following Covid precautions -- which I do understand as Japan made it known they could easily refuse to give permission for Westerdam to call in a particular port if Covid numbers onboard exceeded a certain threshold.

 

What else do I recall that was not related to shopping, spa, or casino? Well, they did hold a "morning coffee with the officers/staff" events on some sea days. And maybe a couple times a week there was an hour of ballroom dancing in the late afternoon/early evening for those so inclined (I didn't attend but believe I heard someone say it was not live music....).  There were no cooking demos that I can recall.

 

The Westerdam does have one of the "HAL 2.0" version libraries now; it was just getting up and running in April 2023. This consists of a pleasant room with multiple copies of what I would call a very-curated collection. I took a browse and out of all the offerings could only find two of interest. Few offerings have anything to do with history, travel, or nonfiction. But if you are interested in "Young Adult" fiction, or perhaps Poetry, you are in luck. 🙄.  The library offers some seating for readers but it is not extensive.

 

In the Crow's Nest there is a games area. I saw several groups there daily playing Mah-Jong, there was also always at least one jigsaw puzzle in progress.

 

Bridge completely passes me by, I have no idea if there were any bridge-playing groups on board.

 

And finally, I know there were at least a few notices about playing Pickleball.

 

In-cabin movie selection was passable. Oddly, the selections changed in between segments -- I found the films available on the first segment more interesting (more indie and global films, less Marvel superheroes....). But that is possibly just me. The Main theatre sometimes offered an afternoon movie. And yes, there was popcorn.

 

Hope this is helpful in terms of what to expect onboard. It's certainly not lively. I do love to read but I know I couldn't sustain that many hours of reading each day without other interesting options on a long stretch of days on a TP.

 

 

Edited July 31, 2023 by cruisemom42

[Wayfairers]

12 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

I realize some have felt the comments on Westerdam's April Japan sailings were a bit pointed, and I would not comment again except that you specifically mention your friends are interested in doing the Japan to Alaska TP sailing.

 

That sailing has an exceptional amount of sea days. My experience (not on that segment, fortunately, but on the two preceding it) is that HAL offered little entertainment during days at sea -- neither during the day nor at night. The first 2-week segment was okay due to the presence of the Lincoln Center Stage musicians as an option. Once they departed (second 2-week segment), there was -- for me -- a big gap that was not filled by any other option. 

 

Evening entertainment in the Main Stage was sparse. Several productions were canceled due to illness or injury and -- due to the lean entertainment options -- there was nothing to replace them other than a movie. By contrast, when I sailed the previous April on Celebrity from London, they had enough entertainment options that even when a couple of entertainers came down with Covid, they were able to re-direct and put on a different LIVE show for the evening. 

 

Absent the classical performances, there were two other "regular" evening options (rock/blues band and the two-piano performance team which I won't grace with the name "dueling pianos, because they are not). However, each one took a night off every 4-5 days. Which may coincide with a "dark night" in the Main theater, leaving few options indeed.

 

During the day, the mainstay "entertainment" offerings were trivia (usually offered 2x a day on sea days) and various crafts activities in a small room off the Crow's Nest. I seem to recall only about 3 different crafts, and one was "Adult Coloring" 🤦‍♀️. (The second was Origami, and I know there was a third but cannot recall what it was...).  We had one lecturer for the two cruises I was on, but he only gave about 4 lectures in the two week period (and these were repeated in the second segment). As his talks were all canned (and outdated) presentations on Japan and Taiwan, I doubt that he stayed on board for the TP segment, and have no idea if someone else replaced him.

 

As already mentioned, many of the port talks were pre-recorded (no opportunity to attend live) and shown in cabin, presumably as an effort to prevent any potential spread of Covid onboard. Japan having just reopened, the ship was rather obsessed with following Covid precautions -- which I do understand as Japan made it known they could easily refuse to give permission for Westerdam to call in a particular port if Covid numbers onboard exceeded a certain threshold.

 

What else do I recall that was not related to shopping, spa, or casino? Well, they did hold a "morning coffee with the officers/staff" events on some sea days. And maybe a couple times a week there was an hour of ballroom dancing in the late afternoon/early evening for those so inclined (I didn't attend but believe I heard someone say it was not live music....).  There were no cooking demos that I can recall.

 

The Westerdam does have one of the "HAL 2.0" version libraries now; it was just getting up and running in April 2023. This consists of a pleasant room with multiple copies of what I would call a very-curated collection. I took a browse and out of all the offerings could only find two of interest. Few offerings have anything to do with history, travel, or nonfiction. But if you are interested in "Young Adult" fiction, or perhaps Poetry, you are in luck. 🙄.  The library offers some seating for readers but it is not extensive.

 

In the Crow's Nest there is a games area. I saw several groups there daily playing Mah-Jong, there was also always at least one jigsaw puzzle in progress.

 

Bridge completely passes me by, I have no idea if there were any bridge-playing groups on board.

 

And finally, I know there were at least a few notices about playing Pickleball.

 

In-cabin movie selection was passable. Oddly, the selections changed in between segments -- I found the films available on the first segment more interesting (more indie and global films, less Marvel superheroes....). But that is possibly just me. The Main theatre sometimes offered an afternoon movie. And yes, there was popcorn.

 

Hope this is helpful in terms of what to expect onboard. It's certainly not lively. I do love to read but I know I couldn't sustain that many hours of reading each day without other interesting options on a long stretch of days on a TP.

 

 

Thanks for the detailed information!   I will pass this on to my friends so they can make a better decision.   Appreciate you taking the time to answer.  

[Wayfairers]

Thanks to everyone for the quick, informative responses!  My friend is going to book the cruise and thanks to y’all he and his wife know what to expect.

[wearesiamese]

This October will be my 3rd HAL cruise and 3rd crossing from Seattle or Vancouver to Yokohama I am a 62 year old female and have had to sail solo for years I hope to meet some people here on the full 26

day cruise ,which also includes circling Japan This will be my 6th  or 7th time to Japan-It is my happy place 🙂

[Ferry_Watcher]

14 hours ago, wearesiamese said:

This October will be my 3rd HAL cruise and 3rd crossing from Seattle or Vancouver to Yokohama I am a 62 year old female and have had to sail solo for years I hope to meet some people here on the full 26

We are also on the full 26 day sailing.  See you onboard.  :  )

[hbsurfcitycruiser]

On 7/30/2023 at 6:35 PM, gizmodog said:

Just got off her in June and I loved her. The ship was clean the service good, and the staff were great. Food was way better than celebrity. Only complaint the buffet is so crowded it’s sometimes impossible to find a table. Enjoy!

1000% accurate! We took her in Feb/Mar and the accuracy of this comment is spot on!

[Gsel]

Agreed, we were on her in July and very close to perfect!!

[crystalspin]

On 8/12/2023 at 6:54 PM, wearesiamese said:

This October will be my 3rd HAL cruise and 3rd crossing from Seattle or Vancouver to Yokohama I am a 62 year old female and have had to sail solo for years I hope to meet some people here on the full 26

day cruise ,which also includes circling Japan This will be my 6th  or 7th time to Japan-It is my happy place 🙂

Your Roll Call is here:

 

[Petronillus]

February is my least favorite month. HAL has become my preferred go-to for escaping Chicago winters in February. Having enjoyed the Caribbean, having transitted the Panama Canal, and most recently having circled Hawaii, DW & I have chosen to spend the entire month aboard the Westerdam visiting Japan, S Korea, the Philippines, Taiwan, and China (Republic of, r/t Hong Kong and supposedly a stop at Shanghai).

This will be our first cruise in a long time on other than a Pinnacle class ship. Along with the Music Walk and other amenities, I was pleased with the abundance of electronic ports and electrical plugs in the cabins. I'm wondering if I'll have to get our steward to scrounge up a power strip for my cpap machine and other pluggables. Somebody has already mentioned that seating at the Lido buffet is at a premium. What else will we be missing that we've gotten used to on the Pinnacle class ships?

[Petronillus]

Speaking, as someone was, about the meager entertainment offerings, I am saddened that we no longer get weekly presentations in the main stage from the crew celebrating their home-country arts and customs. The Indonesians and the Filipinos alternated. DW & I always found the entertainment value high, and almost always saw at least one crew member we had already gotten to know. I remember too how nice it was to recognize performers afterwards and compliment them on their performance.

When were these shows dropped, and for what reasons? Considering the additional burden the shows placed on the crew members, I do hope that HAL treated those crew members who participated to an honorarium, or additional shore leave, or some other form of recognition.

[Live4cruises]

We're on the 26-day upcoming Seattle - Yokohama - Yokohama, and can't wait. As @Petronillus, all our post-Covid sailings have been on Pinnacle class ships. I'm thinking though - Holland America ship (check), Ocean (check), HIA (check). We'll be fine!
I do expect to miss Club Orange dining, Grand Dutch, and Gelato. I'll survive.
BTW, Petronillus, I do like your signature line!  You must be a darned good husband.  

[Btimmer]

We sailed on the Westerdam for two months in the fall of 2022 from Seattle to Sydney, NZ and out to Kangaroo Island and back to Sydney and loved it. 

 

For CPAP users, simply bring a short 6'-8' extension cord and you'll be fine.

[Petronillus]

9 minutes ago, Live4cruises said:

BTW, Petronillus, I do like your signature line!  You must be a darned good husband.  

I have to paddle as fast as I can to maintain my 40%!

[Mermen]

Wayfairers, thank you for posting this question. Last night I began reading Cruise Critic reviews on the Westerdam, as we too will be sailing her in just a few weeks, and was getting more disappointed by the negative reviews…some seemed pretty subjective and harsh. We can deal with and appreciate older ships; I seriously don’t expect “new” on a vessel who has been on the sea for a couple of decades. We don’t need events to keep us busy, but enjoy the quiet and relaxed setting. Great service is everything though. 

[deliver42]

You will find, on any review page, that a lot more people  post negative reviews than positive. I take those reviews with a grain of salt. The same on You Tube. There was a review on You Tube about the Grandeur of the Seas, This ship is the oldest in Royal's fleet, at 37 years. The couple was complaining that the cabin looked and felt dated. Nothing wrong with it, just dated. DUH.

[casaloma]

Yes, we took the Westerdam to Alaska in June.  It was our first Holland America cruise and I too had read the reviews and was worried.  I did a little write up about our experiences, but they were all positive except for nitpicks about the portion size at time and a less than stellar vocalist in the Billboard lounge.  But these are really nothing in the big scheme of things.  The ship was clean, our cabin was kept in order, we had plenty to eat, and we were on the ocean amid beautiful scenery.  Our next cruise is on another ship (Island Princess) which also has terrible reviews but based on my Westerdam experience I'm not going to worry about it at all.  

[Mermen]

55 minutes ago, casaloma said:

Yes, we took the Westerdam to Alaska in June.  It was our first Holland America cruise and I too had read the reviews and was worried.  I did a little write up about our experiences, but they were all positive except for nitpicks about the portion size at time and a less than stellar vocalist in the Billboard lounge.  But these are really nothing in the big scheme of things.  The ship was clean, our cabin was kept in order, we had plenty to eat, and we were on the ocean amid beautiful scenery.  Our next cruise is on another ship (Island Princess) which also has terrible reviews but based on my Westerdam experience I'm not going to worry about it at all.  

Agree with you. Ready your earlier posts off the Westerdam and enjoyed it. 

[Wayfairers]

My friends booked the cruise.  Thanks everyone for your input.