28-day Westerdam Arctic Summer Solstice Live from the ship June 9-July 7

[scluvsrain]

I find the ship to be lovely in terms of decor. The new color scheme is very nice, the carpet on the stairs feels thick and with good padding, and flowers and decorations are beautiful. 
 

I like the tubs in the cabins but I am not challenged physically so maybe that’s why they don’t concern me. 

[LAFFNVEGAS]

2 hours ago, TableGirl said:

My room is a verandah and it feels so much smaller than verandah cabins on the Pinnacle class ships.  However, there is decent storage.  But then, I am alone in my cabin.  I did, however bring 2 suitcases and putting clothes away was no problem. The desk is too small and there are no drawers incorporated with the desk.  I’ll try to post some pictures eventually.

 

This ship is in desperate need of refurbishment.  The decor is tired and a runs to the shabby side.  It feels dark and dated.  The bathrooms still have the tiny tubs you have to step into. That said, the water pressure was great.  I’ve been spoiled traveling on the newer Pinnacle Class ships.

 

If anyone traveling on the 2025 cruise has questions ask away!

Sorry to hear that you feel the ship looks tired and shabby, we last sailed on the Westerdam in September last year and I was expecting that to feel old since it had been so long since we last sailed on her but was actually surprised that I thought she was in very good shape for her age having been built in 2004, but her last Dry Dock was in 2023. I I have cruised all three of the Pinnacle Class ships and just would not compare because of the drastic age difference.

As for size of stateroom, it really depends on where you are located on the ship in comparing to Pinnacle class veranda to veranda. The Vista Class has a bigger variation of sq ft. If in a VB that are the new added staterooms on deck 10 category VB those are small, as well as the balcony, the sq ft 171, but the majority of the veranda state rooms VA, VC  run close to 185 with some up to 189 especially on deck 8, but there are also quite a few that are 174 to 176 sq ft. Pinnacle class verandas tend to be more cookie cutter where they are all the same at 182 sq ft on all the decks with the exception of those on deck 11 that are 185. In the grand scheme of things I think the stateroom feels smaller on the Westerdam because the bathroom takes up a bit more space, where as the bathrooms are smaller on the Pinnacle Class.

[DonnyD-JJ]

Thank you for your comments.  This might sound funny but I have only been on 2 short cruises and my husband only 1 and we have never eaten at a specialty dining restaurant.  We have 3 dining credits and I was wondering what your suggestion would be for when to use them and your opinion on both Pinnacle & Canaletto?

Thanks

 

[TableGirl]

31 minutes ago, DonnyD-JJ said:

Thank you for your comments.  This might sound funny but I have only been on 2 short cruises and my husband only 1 and we have never eaten at a specialty dining restaurant.  We have 3 dining credits and I was wondering what your suggestion would be for when to use them and your opinion on both Pinnacle & Canaletto?

Thanks

 

Typically if you have dining credits, you will have 2 dinners for the Pinnacle Grill and 1 for Canaletto.  I would make your reservations ahead of time but in order to use the dining credits I think you may have to call.  I’m not sure if you can make reservations online using your dining credit.  I will say tonight we have reservations at the Canaletto but it is ‘dressy’ night and the menu in the dining room looks good so I wouldn’t recommend you go to a specialty restaurant on those nights.  Dressy nights are always on sea days.  We are having 4 of them on this trip.  So I would look at your shore excursion schedule and pick days when you are less likely to be tired from a shore excursion so you can enjoy your specialty dinner.  Some of our shore excursions are 5-6 hours long and I think afterwards I’ll want a hot shower or the hydro pool and as snack and my bed especially if I’m cold.  I'll let you know how tonight’s dinner is.

[cccole]

1 hour ago, DonnyD-JJ said:

Thank you for your comments.  This might sound funny but I have only been on 2 short cruises and my husband only 1 and we have never eaten at a specialty dining restaurant.  We have 3 dining credits and I was wondering what your suggestion would be for when to use them and your opinion on both Pinnacle & Canaletto?

Thanks

 

We were on the Oosterdam for 3 weeks in January and had 3 dining credits each.  I think that the online specialty dining reservations opened @3 months prior to the cruise.  Since the Pinnacle is the most expensive we chose 2 nights in Pinnacle and 1 night in Canaletto.  We actually enjoyed Canaletto more and paid to go there another night.  Choosing the night for specialty dining is up to you.  We did not choose a port day unless we were back on board by 4.  We eat late.  Sea days are great to plan a specialty dinner, and some enjoy dinner the first night in a specialty restaurant to avoid the chaos of the MDR or Lido.  As you, before our January cruise we had not gone to a specialty restaurant and were happy with the MDR.  HIA makes it important to make the reservations ahead of time to get the time and evenings that suit you best.  This was our experience.  If you are working with a TA they can also assist you with this.  Cherie 

[Cruise Suzy]

1 hour ago, TableGirl said:

I would make your reservations ahead of time but in order to use the dining credits I think you may have to call.  I’m not sure if you can make reservations online using your dining credit.

 

Yes making HIA dining reservations can be done online - you do not have to call. You will be given the option to select Complimentary (or something similar) - be sure to select this or you will be charged.

[DonnyD-JJ]

Thank you all.  This was helpful and I will book prior to the cruise.  Also would have never known to choose complimentary (or something else) when booking. Love these roll calls I learn so much!

 

Donna

 

[DonnyD-JJ]

How was yesterday's Meet & Greet?  Did you get the expected 300+ people?  How was the space they gave you?

[TableGirl]

Last night’s dinner in the Canaletto was good.  The menu has changed in the last year or so - some new items, some are the same.  I started with the Tiger Prawn appetizer but for me the shrimp were a bit fishy and not great.  My friends had the Canaletto salad (she ate it all) and the other friend had the Caprese Salad,  The tomatoes aren’t quite ripe enough and they put a big hunk of burrata on the plate instead of slicing it.  

 

For the main, I had the sea bass which I loved, and the others had a mussels/prawns pasta dish which she ate all of and the other had the Chicken Parmesan.  The waiter asked if she wanted one or two pieces (it comes with 2 pieces) and she opted for 1 piece and it was a big piece.  

 

We all had gelato for dessert.  They were out of one of the flavors and substituted strawberry, so I had 2 strawberries and 1 chocolate (it comes with 3 flavors but I don’t care for rum raisin). 

 

I’d say we’ll probably eat there again.

 

Service was excellent. Drinks and food came quickly.  

 

Our 4th friend wanted food from the MDR so she ordered room service which she said was good.  She ordered an extra Flourless Chocolate Torte for me (I took a coat to her room after dinner to use on an excursion today.)  I had one bite of it but didn’t love it. I think the recipe has changed slightly because it used to be my favorite dessert on HAL.

 

Today we are in Ketchikan going on a private Whale Watching excursion with Eagle One booked through Viator.  Afterwards we’re going to eat lunch at the Alaska Fish House - I don’t usually like Coleslaw but theirs is great.  As is the Fish and Chips.  I ate there in 2019.  Let’s see if it is all still as yummy.  I will let you know!

 

PS Today is Stone’s birthday so if she is your CD next year wish her a Happy Birthday!

Edited June 11 by TableGirl

[The-Inside-Cabin]

2 hours ago, DonnyD-JJ said:

How was yesterday's Meet & Greet?  Did you get the expected 300+ people?  How was the space they gave you?

The meet-and-greet was great! It was on the World Stage. There were probably 200 people, but I didn't count.   @RogerSueDenver did a great job putting this together!

 

[Hogladyrider]

WOW that is a HUGE M&G for sure!

[TableGirl]

2 hours ago, TableGirl said:

PS Today is Stone’s birthday so if she is your CD next year wish her a Happy Birthday!

Let me correct myself - her birthday is July 2nd….

[ShipWalker]

Light drizzle of rain in Ketchikan today. Not too bad. Just like back home.

 

I need to thank the ship crew for suggesting lots of layering of clothing today. It made it more difficult for DW to try on new clothes to buy while in town.

Edited June 11 by ShipWalker

[JeffElizabeth]

Have fun! We were waitlisted on this cruise but the call never came. I will follow this thread to see what we are missing out on. 

Edited June 11 by JeffElizabeth

[DonnyD-JJ]

I would love if cruisers would share their opinions on the shore excursions they participated in on this cruise.  Please also note if it was a HAL or a private/independent (non-HAL) tour.

[RetiredMustang]

We did not do a shore excursion today.  We have been in Ketchikan several times and have done excursions, usually followed by a trip to Tongass Trading Company.  Today, we decided to do something different -- we went to TTC of course, but besides that, we just walked about to see some of the historic downtown.  

 

Passing by the jewelry, gifts, etc. stores, we went to Creek Street, which despite being so close to the piers, we had never gone to before.  So, we joined a multitude of others from the four ships in port today, and toured the old red-light district of Ketchikan.  The former bordellos are now gift shops, museums, etc.  A couple of photos (for those who besides us have never made it there before):

 

 

 

 

Then, on the way back, we passed a totem pole in a small park.  We may have seen it before, but didn't really know its significance in a town and region with a great many totem poles.  It was the Chief Johnson totem pole.  A more elaborate history is at: 

 

Ketchikan Story Project (ketchikanstories.com) 

 

but in short, it was erected by the head of a Tlingit branch who called himself in English George Johnson in front of his house in 1901 in the relatively new town.  Here is a photo I snapped:

 

 

(A seeming non sequitur -- when the U.S. issued new chip passports a few years ago, the State Dept. put some iconic images that look like watermarks on the pages for the visa and entry/exit stamps.)

 

It turns out that this particular totem pole is depicted on page 25 of U.S. passports.  (Oh, heck no, we did not know that beforehand, but DW attended the port briefing where the onboard historian/wildlife guy talked about it.) 

 

OK, it may seem a bit nerdy to get a charge out of that, but I plead guilty.

 

Dave

Edited June 12 by RetiredMustang
correct grammar

[xLibLabLady]

For our Ketchikan day I had arranged a private shore excursion Nature tour with Wild Wolf Tours. This was the 2nd time I had used her services.  With no hesitation at all I recommend future cruisers book a tour with Tracy Wild's company.  She is great. She was not able to be our driver/guide today but promised that Zach would be excellent.  He was!

 

We visited a tide pool, did a hike in part of the rainforest,  saw truly wonderful waterfall, and  payed at Herring Cove took for bears. No bears today, or whales, but we saw Stellar Blue Jays, and eagles.

 

Wild Wolf Tours has additional tours available.  Of course they guarantee they will get visitors back to the ship in time.

 

Here is the website: https://www.wildwolftours.com

Susan (xLibLabLady)

[TableGirl]

In Ketchikan, we booked a whale watching tour with Eagle One Enterprises.  I wish I had booked it through their website because it’s a family owned business but I found it through Viator and booked through them.

 

The owners are Melanie and Jessie Tiffany and Melanie communicated with me up throughout my booking to explain how far we would have to walk to get to the boat.  One of our party uses a walker and distance is difficult for her.  Melanie knew where our ship would be docked and explained exactly how far we would have to walk and where to go to meet up with our group.

 

The Captain, Jessie was assisted by Kaylie, his deckhand.  She was very sweet and helped with our mobility challenged cruiser.  They had great snacks on board along with hot coffee, tea, hot chocolate and water.  

 

We saw a pod of Orcas, several Humpback whales, otters and we went to an eagle sanctuary on an island where Kaylie threw fish onto the rocks so we could watch the eagles swoop in and pick them up.

 

The weather was drizzly and rainy with temps in the low 50s, but the boat had a small inside cabin with some seating that was nice and toasty. There were 14 of us on board but the boat can hold 22 people. 

 

We had boarded right at Salmon Landing a very small shopping mall that has a quilt shop on the 2nd floor (it was closed) and mostly souvenir shops on the bottom floor.  Lots of t-shirts and a crab restaurant.  The Alaska Fish House was right next door and we stopped in for fish and chips there.  Fresh and delicious!

 

Considering the crummy weather it was still a great day whale watching those majestic creatures.

 

Today we are in Sitka and I have a HAL Excursion exploring the volcanic coast by water craft with saddle type seats.  Thankfully they provide wet weather gear, even though we aren’t expecting rain in Sitka today but temps in the low 50s.  

 

[TableGirl]

On 6/10/2024 at 4:40 PM, Cruise Suzy said:

Yes making HIA dining reservations can be done online

@Cruise Suzy Thanks for responding this inquiry and correcting me.  I will say, when we first made reservations back in January or February there wasn’t a box to check to use a dining credit so that was not an option at the time.  Could have been a glitch in the website or maybe it was just too early - I can’t remember if we made reservations before or after we paid our cruise fare.  

[TableGirl]

On 6/6/2024 at 5:15 PM, Cruise Suzy said:

On embarkation day, go to one of the Specialty Dining podiums

On the day we embarked we went to the MDR to see if we could get reservations there for that evening.  We learned 2 things -  you can only get MDR reservations early or late - everything in between is first come, and they will also make reservations at the specialty restaurants for you.  But that line was long so I wouldn’t recommend going there unless you get there early.

[Seasick Sailor]

We are booked for the Sept 1st 53 day Majestic Japan Cruise on Westerdam.  Our cabin is 5001, fully accessible, right at the front of the ship.

 

Does anyone have insight to this area? I've seen a few older pictures and video. 

 

As you can see by my screen name, I am a Seasick Sailor. I will have plenty of meds, patches, etc to help me.

 

Blessings, 

SSS

[scluvsrain]

22 minutes ago, Seasick Sailor said:

We are booked for the Sept 1st 53 day Majestic Japan Cruise on Westerdam.  Our cabin is 5001, fully accessible, right at the front of the ship.

 

Does anyone have insight to this area? I've seen a few older pictures and video. 

 

As you can see by my screen name, I am a Seasick Sailor. I will have plenty of meds, patches, etc to help me.

 

Blessings, 

SSS

Usually the best cabins for people with seasickness are in the midship area.

[Mickie]

1 hour ago, Seasick Sailor said:

We are booked for the Sept 1st 53 day Majestic Japan Cruise on Westerdam.  Our cabin is 5001, fully accessible, right at the front of the ship.

 

Does anyone have insight to this area? I've seen a few older pictures and video. 

 

As you can see by my screen name, I am a Seasick Sailor. I will have plenty of meds, patches, etc to help me.

 

Blessings, 

SSS

Re: Majestic Japan....come over and join our Roll Call for Majestic Japan too!!  We have a big group already. Close to 200 for M&M!

Mickie

[lcand1923]

I chose the Ship Sponsored Shore Excursion "A Pub Crawl in Ketchikan", because I had done just about everything else in Ketchikan.

The group was small, 15 People, and we had Conor as our guide.  He was TERRIFIC!  We visited three local bars (Arctic Bar, Totem Bar, Sourdough Bar), had a drink in each and got a bit of local history about the bar. 

If you are looking for something a bit different in Ketchikan, I can reccomend this one.

[jljcruise]

In Ketchikan we just walked to Creek Street then up the Married Man's Trail to the street above. Turn right and follow the creek to the Totem pole museum ($5 elders, $6 adults). Back down the hill from there to the other end of Creek Street. A trip to Parnassus Books. It was a bit drizzly (normal in Ketchikan), so we spent the afternoon on board. We've been here several times, so we didn't feel the need to walk around more. 

We don't have wifi, so I'm using my TMobile which hasn't been a problem.

We're waiting for the tender in sunny Sitka now. Looking at Mt. Edgecomb (volcano) from the Crows Nest.