There can be little more memorable than watching large, sleek cruise ship at anchor in the clear azure water of a Caribbean inlet like Half Moon Cay. Unless it's looking up at that very ship from a tender as you make your way back from the pier at Monaco, the city climbing the ridge behind you. Or perhaps gazing out over the tiled rooftops of a small Spanish city like Almeria at that very same ship anchored in port beyond them. The Westerdam's Journey to the New World (transatlantic) cruise in October offered all those memories and more.

I am a 60-year-old single male who traveled solo on this cruise. I booked this cruise based on the itinerary not because of expectations for the cruise line or the cruise itself. My perceptions and opinions may be somewhat different from those of many considering Holland America Line (HAL), the Westerdam, or a similar itinerary and should be read as one viewpoint among the many that can be found at CruiseCritic. I have tried to touch on points not covered by other reviews rather than give my impression of ports of call and the like. As a result this is a somewhat longer review than many.

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