Westerdam Review

Rough Relaunch But Got Better

Review for the Eastern Mediterranean Cruise on Westerdam
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Darshan1
10+ Cruises • Age 50s

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Sail Date: Apr 2017
Cabin: Deluxe Ocean-View Verandah Stateroom

Based on my experience with the Veendam and now the Westerdam, Holland America Corporate doesn't give its ships enough time in drydock to finish repairs and modifications. That caused major problems for some passengers from broken glass in uncleaned rooms to no electricity in the room or no water or no ability to raise the temperature above 58f. (We were relatively lucky. Our key cards didn't work, but our steward let us in the room until the locksmith came. Our veranda was repainted 2/3rds into the sailing, so we could no longer use it b/c of fumes, but upon asking, they provided us with a fan, so there were no fumes in the room.) Lines of angry passengers were long at first, and it seemed like, with numerous workers hammering away at modifications to Deck 10 and taking up crew beds, that the Westerdam was short staffed and unable to handle issues quickly. Nevertheless, good weather and good ports improved spirits and this was a good sailing.

The quality of the food was adequate though people thought changes to the buffet were odd. There's very little that's self-serve now, and the variety of options seems to have diminished.

Entertainment and enrichment were also adequate. Classical music in the Lincoln Center Stage venue was exceptional. The dueling pianists in the piano bar were loud and off-key, but hugely popular. They must have been doing something right, but what it is, I'm not sure. Trivia with Jake was fun. Tom, the port lecturer, did a great job helping people NOT on shore excursions figure out how to get around the various destinations and learn about what to see. By the end of the cruise, his talks became more akin to sales pitches, but he was available to answer questions mid-day. That was good because people complained his talks were scheduled in the middle of dinner. He was highly knowledgeable and an asset to the ship though this sailing could definitely have used more in the way of enrichment.

Cabin Review

Deluxe Ocean-View Verandah Stateroom

Cabin VF

Nice. Quiet. Good view from the veranda. Near forward elevators. Not convenient to many venues except the theater. Good air quality and comfy beds. You need to keep the curtains closed at night for navigation safety, but no big deal. (And the curtains did a great job of keeping port lights out of the room, actually.) Closet and bathroom area a little cramped if two passengers need to get ready at the same time and storage is a little tight unless you use an overhead compartment above the sofa - no problem for me, but probably not easy for people with limited mobility. I'd recommend this room, overall.

Port Reviews

Korcula

Pleasant but skip-able. Seriously, the cats looked like they'd had enough of lazing in the sun and needed something to do. Tendering was not difficult, and the town is easily walk-able. The attractions aren't special enough to make this a destination I'd recommend, but it made for a relaxing day, especially as Korcula wasn't crowded.

Venice

Incredible destination, but just a note on the ship terminal. It's large and a bit confusing. Taking the people-mover one stop will probably help you spend your energy seeing Venice instead of getting there from the ship.

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