We did 2 back to back cruises from Vancouver to Shanghai on the westerdam.
The staff as usual were friendly and very efficient from the room stewards to the waiting staff they were all very pleasant and full of smiles.
The food overall was a good standard in all dining locations though a little salty for our liking at times but great presentation and choices.
We had a signature suite ...
This was our fourth HAL cruise in the Asia-Pacific region and we enjoyed it. Westerdam has been refitted in recent years and the ship was in very good shape. Carpets and furniture were clean and well maintained. Public spaces were very pleasant. We had a verandah cabin which was nicely maintained with a modern flat screen TV on the wall across from the bed, and a good bathroom with tub/shower ...
I choose this 15 day cruise to get away from my regular daily life and it was great for that. 6 days at sea, including 5-6m waves for a couple days. The food ands staff was great as I remember it from my other HAL cruises.
But the Westerdam state of repair is sad. So many little things broken. Lights in public bathroom about to fall out, fan in elevator running at full speed as it is burning up ...
Previous trip on HAL Westerdam was so nice that we made a special effort to get the same cabin on this trip. Partially obstructed view, but twofold panels of glass kept the room bright even on the cloudiest day (and we had about 5 of them).
Cheerful, gracious crew always seemed to be looking for a way to improve the experience. They were available without being intrusive. In various lounges ...
I chose this cruise because of the itinerary and the price. The first 14 nights were spent cruising around Japan with a stop in Vladivostok. The next 15 nights included two more ports in Japan and then 6 sea days crossing the north Pacific to our first port in Alaska, Kodiak. I have to say, the first 14 days were very busy with tours and I really enjoyed the sea days to rest up! I flew into ...
We chose this cruise for the itinerary. Never cruised with Holland And America before heard good reports. Ship size is good do not like really big ships. Cabin smaller than I’d expected. Dinning good had one very slow night put a comment card in stating this and was always better after that.
We found there are a lot of rooms and she’s on this ship not always being used to full potential. ...
Our first cruise with Holland America was to South America and Antarctica on Zaandam in January 2017. We were very happy with life on board and were particularly impressed by the Lido Market, the informal food outlet, where food is often cooked to order.
Therefore, we were pleased to come across back-to-back cruises, including a Pacific crossing, on Westerdam in April and May this year. The ...
We chose this cruise to experience Japan in Cherry Blossom season and experience the culture and history of the country.
The tours provided by EXC (HA's onboard service) were good. I feel I saw most of the attractions I wanted through these tours, while being guaranteed I wouldn't miss the boat at the end! The price was up there, but after sorting out some private tours at either end of the ...
We chose this cruise primarily to visit Japan at a specific time of year.Now regretting choice of cruise line.READ on what to find out what you can expect.
PROS.
First of all the ship is clean although ageing.
The signature suite we had was clean and comfortable although its furnishings were dated ,the sofa bed was also past its best.
Crew and staff generally ok no problems.
CONS ...
We selected this cruise because we had never been to Japan. We typically cruise with Holland America but have found on our last couple of cruises that their standards are starting to slip. The quality of the food and the selection/variety is not what it used to be. As well, even though the staff are all dedicated and hardworking and do their best to keep the cruisers happy, HAL seems to have ...