My husband and I were looking for an interesting cruise for the summer and decided that Alaska would be just the right thing. We had been to Sitka and Juneau several years ago when he participated in a Russian music festival in Sitka. The Westerdam did go to Sitka, which was one reason we selected this cruise. Also we had sailed with the Noordam before and really liked this class of ship. We booked the pre cruise hotel and transfers with Holland America and were very pleased with the Sheraton in Seattle. Also the fact that our bags were transferred directly to the ship from the hotel made the embarkation process much less stressful.

The Saturday we left Seattle was very busy as the Crown Princess was also in port. The transfer bus took us efficiently to the port and we got through the lines without much trouble. The Holland America staff is very efficient and we were on the ship without a long wait. We had booked a veranda cabin but had the opportunity to upgrade to a suite for a reasonable price. This was a good decision as the suite was very comfortable and spacious. We usually do the open dining but we had been assigned a table for the fixed dinner. It was for two and very nice. Our waiter Hendra was very attentive.

The ship itself is lovely and very well designed. We never felt crowded or that there were just too many people for the space. I'm not sure why so many reviews of the Westerdam are negative. I confess I did not spend a lot of time going around the ship just to find something to complain about. Also the food is amazing when you think about how many meals are served every day and the variety and quality of the food is better than in many good restaurants. If you are not sure about what to eat, try the pasta dishes. They are always excellent. Read more