The Westerdam, launched in 2004, is one of three in Holland America's Vista class series. It has a passenger capacity of 1916 with a crew of 800. The theme of the ship is Dutch Heritage in the New World and the ship is elegantly decorated with paintings and artwork throughout. Public areas were also adorned with fresh flowers, including a single orchid on each table in the Lido deck. I did find the atmosphere more serious and sedate than other ships I have sailed (Royal Caribbean and Carnival), but it was spotlessly clean and preserved the traditional  "ship" feeling versus the "floating Vegas hotel" feel of other lines.

Staterooms were spacious and well appointed. Our balcony cabin provided lots of storage however I missed the drawer space that Carnival staterooms provide. Shower head and bed were the best I have encountered at sea. Our stateroom also had a small bathtub - a nice touch but not overly functional due to its size. There was also a flat screen TV and DVD player. However, the selection of TV channels was very poor and I missed the interactive TV functions that other lines provide, where you can check your account, book shore excursions, and see dining room menus on your TV.

The food onboard the ship was hit or miss. I enjoyed the Lido deck breakfast and lunch. Loved the fresh made to order waffles and fresh squeezed orange juice. There was good variety at lunch - burgers, Mexican station, deli, pasta and pizza, main buffet. There was a dessert station with ice creams and sorbets; however the desserts were disappointing with the exception of the bread pudding. One major inconvenience - no trays. This made to difficult to collect your food at different stations. Dining room food was disappointing. I found the menus lacked variety. Soups that were meant to be hot were served cold, meats overcooked. Overall, there was a lack of presentation with the food. I cannot recall one outstanding meal I had in the dining room the entire week. Read more