 Expert Review |  | | | | |
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With the launch of ms Westerdam, the third in Holland America's Vista-class series, the cruise line continues to issue itself a challenge: How to continue to appeal to traditional passengers, which in HAL's case is older, experienced travelers, while also attracting younger, more dynamic and often first-time cruisers (particularly with a family demographic). As such, Westerdam offers today's contemporary facilities and options, from a gourmet alternative restaurant to expansive spa and from cabins upgraded with plusher furnishings to a concierge lounge for suite guests. Traditional HAL favorites, such as the Crow's Nest, an elegantly decorated main pool area, the upscale lido buffet and an elaborate casino, still have a place. Still, we sensed that Holland America is definitely at a crossroads, particularly with this, its newest ship. It wants to offer something for everyone -- and in moderation, the ship succeeds on that front. Where it tended to fall apart was in excess. Club HAL is a nice enough childrens' facility but wasn't elaborate enough to keep 400 kids entertained. Service is usually a high point on Holland America; here, staffers, from pool deckhands to restaurant waiters in the main dining room seemed overwhelmed if not occasionally rude. And the pool area, with its artwork and sculptures, is, consistent with the rest of the fleet, one of the industry's most elegant -- but it was overwhelmed by out-of-control youngsters and a dangerously lax staff. As a ship, Westerdam's efforts to offer programs and facilities to appeal to a myriad of tastes work pretty well. It balances traditional-style cruise dining in its main restaurant with a genuinely unique gourmet eatery (and its Lido buffet area is the most elegant afloat). In addition to the usual spa and fitness offerings, there's a hydrotherapy pool. Staterooms are plush and comfortable as a result of a "Signature of Excellence" upgrade. While facilities may succeed by and large in courting a wide appeal of traveler, we're not at all sure that Holland America's traditional passengers -- or its staff and crew for that matter -- are up to the challenge. On our voyage, heavily marketed to families with young children, pool decks were overrun and posted policies were ignored (we, along with other passengers, were horrified to see children diving off the main pool's dolphin sculpture -- both sacrilegious and dangerous!). Service from staff and crew was uncharacteristically lackluster if not occasionally surly. We also found aspects of the onboard ambience to be a bit jarring. Holland America likes to claim that it is a premium cruise line; the fact that bingo and art auctions were continually announced over the ship-wide loudspeaker, and that the library charges passengers a $25 deposit to borrow a book (and they mean it, too; mine, though returned, wound up on my final bill), speaks otherwise. At one night's special barbecue buffet, which was billed as lasting until 8:30 p.m., crew members already had begun breaking down not only food stations, but also tables, as numerous folks were still finishing meals. There certainly were highlights -- the Pinnacle Grill definitely rated wonderfully on numerous forays there. Ultimately, though, Westerdam's efforts to please everyone fell flat -- and we learned that we'd far prefer a smaller ship with fewer options, and more respect for all its passengers. | | |  top | | | | Dining
Editor's Note: Holland America has long been one of the more traditional cruise lines when it comes to main-restaurant dining. On every ship but Prinsendam, HAL has offered four seatings: 5:45 p.m. (first upper); 6:15 p.m. (first lower); 8 p.m. (main upper); and 8:30 p.m. (main lower). But that's changing as the line begins to incorporate As You Wish dining onto its ships. Via As You Wish, passengers can opt for pre-set seating and dining time -- or take advantage of a new, flexible option at dinner (breakfast and lunch are already open seating). The program, tested on Noordam, enables passengers to request either option during the booking phase. One level of the ships' two-deck-high dining rooms will be dedicated to traditional "early or main seating" while the other will be open from 5:15 - 9 p.m. daily. Passengers opting for the flexible option can make reservations ahead of time -- or simply walk in. As You Wish will be phased in gradually. In fall/winter 2007, look for its introduction on Noordam, Ryndam and Volendam. Statendam, Oosterdam, Rotterdam, and Zaandam will introduce it in winter 2008. And Westerdam, Zuiderdam, Veendam, Maasdam, Amsterdam, and Prinsendam will incorporate As You Wish in spring and early summer. HAL's new Eurodam will debut in July with As You Wish in place. The two-tiered Vista Dining Room serves breakfast, lunch and dinner; each night's menu features a selection of five entrees. Service is broken into four assigned seatings -- 5:15, 6:15, 8 and 8:30 p.m. -- which is intended to improve service, though we found that to be the weak link in the dining experience. Servers alternately seemed rushed and bored (frequently chatting amongst themselves when they could be chatting up passengers -- or at least offering menus and filling water glasses). Cuisine highlighted primarily traditional preparations. In contrast, and quite unexpectedly, we found The Lido Deck buffet to be a superb option at all meals (particularly at dinner, when tables in the elegant room were covered with white linen tablecloths). The lido was designed in a station format so that different specialties are hosted in different places, which cut down on lines. Breakfast offered the usual options, plus a made-to-order omelette station. At lunch, each of these stations offers a distinct menu: Italian, deli, salads, Asian stir-fry, etc. Dinners were our favorite time; offering a low-key, casual option to the Vista, the cuisine generally replicated its menus and items were made-to-order. Occasional late-night buffets are held here as well. Our absolute favorite spot was the Pinnacle Grill, Westerdam's alternate dining venue. Well worth the $20 per-person cover, the ambience is hushed and elegant (without feeling pretentious), featuring Bvlgari china and Riedel stemware. The cuisine (and the excellent wine list) centers on a Pacific Northwest theme. Reservations are required and can be tough to get if you wait more than a day or two to book ahead. But here's a tip: The restaurant opens for lunch on some sea days (the fee is $10 per person) with a different menu -- and the experience was equally fabulous. One new Vista-class addition is the nautically themed Windstar Cafe, which sells "designer" coffees (for a fee), and offers up complimentary pastries. We also applaud Westerdam's 24-hour room service. Prompt and efficient, there's a quite comprehensive list of snacks, salads and sandwiches. As well, you can order from dining menus during mealtimes. At breakfast, hot items are available. | | | | top | | | | Public Rooms
Public rooms are located in one two-deck grouping below Deck 4 and another above Deck 8. The intervening decks are devoted to passenger accommodations, and run the full length of the ship, vertically truncating the central atrium to three decks, which is unusually modest. In fact, the atrium feels cozy, as if it were the lobby of a small boutique hotel. While the upper public areas concentrate on spa, sport, sustenance and scenery, the lower areas will lure passengers itching to part with their money in the casino and in the ship's shops. Other features include the spacious and extremely well stocked Erasmus Library, as well as the ample Internet Cafe. Passengers who bring their own laptops are accommodated with Wi-Fi hotspots here, and with data ports in all the cabins (don't miss the interactive map that's across from the Internet Cafe -- it alerts you to the positions of all the ships in the fleet and was quite captivating). There's a series of shops, rather uncomfortably dark and claustrophobic; the merchandise falls in the same-old category. | | | | top | | | | Cabins
Westerdam's cabin apportionment reflects the industry-wide trend toward more verandahs, especially at lower price points. Seventy-four percent of the outside cabins have balconies. The smallest measure 254 square ft.; 54 square ft. make up a verandah sufficiently large for comfortable rattan furniture and a small teak pedestal table. The smallest cabins on the ship are standard insides at 170 square ft. (though some measure 200); standard outsides come in at 185. The largest accommodations are the 1,318-square-ft. Penthouse Verandah Suites. Twenty-eight staterooms are specially designated for handicapped passengers. All staterooms have "Eurotop" mattresses, high-thread-count bed linens; bathrobes; premium massaging showerheads; magnifying lighted makeup mirrors and powerful hair dryers; direct-dial phones with voicemail; televisions; mini-bars; and safes. Suites also include DVD players for which there is an onboard lending library. All staterooms above inside categories have tubs with showers. At the suite levels the tubs are whirlpools, and an extra shower stall is added, along with dual sinks. One nice amenity for suite passengers is the Neptune Lounge, a private room with concierge, which serves various snacks (from light breakfast fare in the mornings to hors d'oeuvres at cocktail hour). The concierge can book dinner reservations and shore tours, as well. | | | | top | | | | Entertainment
The three-deck Vista Lounge is the ship's main showroom, with seating for 867. Views are vertically unobstructed given the room's steep raking, though a few columns block sightlines from some of the seats off the centerline. On a typical sailing, entertainment includes production shows, the usual complement of variety performers and HAL's popular traditions -- the Filipino and Indonesian staff shows. New to Westerdam in 2008 is the Microsoft Digital Workshops program, comprised of complimentary classes led by Microsoft-trained "techsperts." Passengers can learn to use computers to enhance photos (Windows Live Photo Gallery), produce and publish videos onto a DVD (Windows Movie Maker) and create personal webpages or blogs (Windows Live Services and Windows Live Writer). In addition, one-on-one coaching, called "Techspert Time,? is available for more than 20 hours each week. Bar and lounge entertainment includes a piano bar, classical music (and fabulous desserts) each evening in Explorer's Lounge, and a small combo in the charming Ocean Bar. On the Vista-class ships the Crow's Nest observation lounge's night club function is shared with the new Northern Lights Disco, which is worth a visit if only to check out the nifty motion-triggered lights that lead you down the long winding entryway, illuminating the floor ahead (and Andy Warhol's Marilyn Monroe portraits on the walls around you as you pass). | | | | top | | | | Fitness and Recreation
Westerdam -- and its siblings -- represents a quantum leap forward in serving the spa and fitness needs of cruise guests. The Greenhouse Spa & Salon definitely has more amenities than older ships in the fleet, including a hydrotherapy pool, but it is strangely designed so that the reception area stands in the midst of a hallway between the main pool and an elevator bank (conjuring an ambience akin to a bus station). There's a salon that offers the usual beauty fare and a nice menu of spa treatments. The spa has a small "relaxation" room intended as a peaceful waiting area for folks undergoing treatments (alas, prior to our massage a lifestyle class took up the space and the instructor was none-too-polite in ordering me to return in 15 minutes). The fitness facility is well equipped and was always busy -- but never seemed overwhelmingly so. Two spa highlights -- the hydrotherapy pool and the steam area with heated mosaic tile loungers -- are for-fee. We love the ship's full-round promenade deck (decked out with teak loungers, it's also one of the quieter spots to repose onboard). There's a tennis court which on our voyage was converted to basketball in response to the number of kids onboard. Westerdam also features a golf simulator which allows virtual play on any of 22 worldwide courses. The main pool area, presided over by a lovely bronze sculpture of leaping dolphins, also includes three hot tubs. Though the aft pool area with its two hot tubs lacks some of the shade of the main area, it felt more spacious. There are plenty of lounges in both areas. | | | | top | | | | Family
While some cruise lines beef up kids' programs to attract business, Club HAL, Holland America's program for youngsters, is directly related to demand and season. The line says that for every 30 children in the age range of 3 - 17, a counselor is provided (though that ratio did not apply on our cruise, in which some 400 children were onboard). KidZone is an area devoted to the youngest guests, while Wave Runner is a teen dance, video and movie area. The ship is far better suited to younger kids rather than teens but even parents of children in the 4 - 11 age range were complaining that their offspring were bored by the program. | | | | top | | | | Fellow Passengers
Depending on the season and itinerary, fellow passengers may fall in the traditional HAL cruiser category (upscale, well-traveled and older) or a younger demographic (particularly families). Travelers in search of a more sedate experience should avoid school holiday periods. | | | | top | | | | Dress Code
Conventional. Two or three formal nights with the remainder split between informal and casual. With the addition of the Lido Restaurants as an alternative dinner venue, those wishing to avoid sartorial formality have an alternate choice. | | | | top | | | | Gratuity
Holland America has finally confirmed a change in its tipping policy and no longer promotes the confusing "tipping not required." These days, passengers are automatically charged $10 per day, per guest. That amount can be adjusted by request. | | | | top | | | | | Expert reviews are provided by CruiseCritic.com, an award-winning cruise community. This objective information can help you choose just the right ship for your next cruise vacation. | |  | |
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