Part II Westerdam 2/18-2/25

[lippylulu]

DINING AND FOOD---Our first night we had a problem which we eventually resolved. We requested a table for 4 at 6:15 so we could dine alone with our daughter so she could be ready for the 8-10 pm Club HAL program. We also wanted the 6:15 time because I take a medication which must be taken 3-4 hours after eating and 1 hour before, We got the 6:15 time but it was at a table for 6 with another family. I know a lot of people prefer this traditional cruise style dining but it is just not our thing. We went to see the dining room manager, Deepak, who was trying to accomodate a long line of irate passengers who either didn't get their prefered dining time, weren't sittng with friends or, like us, had a problem. Well, poor Deepak had his hands full with some very angry passengers, and it just goes to show how it pays to be nice, because we got it all worked out. He coudn't guarentee us the same table every night, but we did get our table for 4 because there were always some people eating at buffett or Pinnacle grill. This was fine for us, and midway thru the cruise we figured out I could take my medication before 5 pm hor'deovers anyway, feed our daughter down by the Lido pool early (all she ever wanted was a hambrger anyway) and then eat together at a table for 2 at 8:15 pm. Again, Deepak accomodated us in every way, including when we sprang the 6:15 table for 4 on him again on the second formal night when our daughter wanted to dine with us like a princess!

 

We found the food to be OK. The portions were smaller than expected. We were satisfied but not overjoyed. The service was good but didn't compare to our dining experience on the Princess where we had the same waiter every night at whatever time we wanted because of the Personal Choice" dining program. On Princess our waiter was full of personality, and consistently brought out extras if he thought we would like something we hadn't ordered. We remember some of the dishes as exceptional, including these amazing soups, but nothing really stood out on HAL. I did very much appreciate the option of no sugar added desserts at every meal, and my salmon dishes were quite good. Everythig else, steaks, surf and turf, etc. were all average at best in our opinion.

 

We did not eat at the Pinnacle Grill but perhaps we should have as we may be pickier than other people when it comes to food. We ate at the specialty restarant on the Golden Princess and didn't think it was worth the extra cost since the regular dining was so good, but perhaps we should have tried it on the Westerdam.

 

We hated the buffett. It was too noisy, chaotic and filled with confused people. Our daughter loved it because she could eat 10 ice creams a day. They closed the poolside hamburger grill at 5 pm---we wished it was open wheever the pool was open so our daughter could have also had an endless supply of hamburgers.

 

POOLS AND SHOPPING--- We didn't make much use of the pools but our daughter spent half the cruise IN the Lido pool and loved it. It is much smaller than the mid ship pool with retractable roof and un upper level viewing area on the Golden Princess. There was also much less shopping on board. I think we preferred the larger common areas of the Golen Princess over the Westerdan's many smaller intimate areas.