Westerdam Review

4.5 / 5.0
1,112 reviews

Westerdam - Bahamas

Review for the Bahamas Cruise on Westerdam
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TammyP
First Time Cruiser • Age 20s

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Sail Date: Jan 2006
Cabin: Deluxe Ocean-View Verandah Stateroom

We did the five day Bahamas cruise on the Westerdam January 3  8, 2006. I apologize for the length of this review, but I wanted to give every tidbit of information I could, in case other cruise rookies happened to be looking for more specific details.

This was our first cruise. Im an event planner, so I researched this cruise to the hilt, getting most of my information from the good people on Cruise Critic and Cruise Clues. We wanted an upscale line, with excellent service, large luxurious cabins and a relaxed atmosphere. We just arent party people, so we didnt want a booze cruise by any means. We had been to Atlantis before and loved the Caribbean water, so this was a good fit for us. Five days didnt feel like as big of a commitment if we werent pleased (oh boy, were we wishing for extra days by the end of the cruise!). Id like to commend HAL on making this cruise an absolute favorite vacation of ours.

Embarkation: We arrived at FLL and had to wait 45 minutes for our bags  I dont know why. Lots of cruisers at the airport, but most seem to be using transfers, so we paid $15 for a cab to the cruise terminal (which was more of a crude airplane hangar, but did the job). There was some confusion about what to do with our bags, but at the door, a porter did grab them and whisk them away ($5 tip). If I didnt already know what to expect (from the boards!), I would have appreciated a little more information from her. We went inside and joined the suite line (again, I knew to look for it, no one directed us to it). We stood in a very short line for ten minutes while we filled out credit card forms and a health form (are you sick? have you been in close contact with anyone who was sick?). They had us sign our cards and took a very informal photo for the identification system. This photo pops up when you scan the card as you board the ship. The check-in clerks were very friendly. We went through security, up the gangplank (looks like a jetway), took a very quick photo and were on the ship. Tip: you can freshen up before this photo if you want, but rest assured, you will have many more chances for photos.

Cabin Review

Deluxe Ocean-View Verandah Stateroom

Cabin VB
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