My wife and I just concluded a New Year's cruise on the Westerdam (departing Ft Lauderdale on December 27, arriving back on January 3). It was a pleasant cruise but not a stellar one; as I wrote of the holiday cruise we took on the Volendam two years ago, I would consider traveling again on Holland America but would certainly consider other lines as well, and would make my decision largely on the basis of factors such as price and itinerary rather than any compelling desire to cruise on HAL again.

EMBARKATION was quite well done. While I had read somewhere that it started at 1pm, by noon lunch was already being served on the ship. We arrived shortly before noon and were on board in about fifteen or twenty minutes. The only off-putting note was the baggage handler at the pier who demanded a tip before I even had a chance to reach into my pocket. I was tempted to refuse on general principles but then wondered if I would ever see my bag again if I did so.

PORTS: Our first stop was at Grand Turk Island in the Turks and Caicos. There is an extensive cruise center at the pier consisting of shops, a pool and a (pretty, but somewhat rocky) beach, and so, we were told, many people never go anywhere beyond that. We had, however, opted for a snorkel/sting ray shore excursion. After boarding the boat and getting to the coral reef where we would be snorkeling, the skipper announced that the waves were too rough to accommodate snorkeling and we would proceed to the sting ray area, a deserted beach. When we got there, the waves were also bad and the water so cloudy that it was difficult to see even inches in front of your face. One of the guides did find a ray and brought it briefly out of the water for everyone to see. The operator then announced that the tour was officially cancelled (which at least meant we would not be charged) but since we were on the beach anyway we might as well stay for an hour or so and enjoy ourselves. Given that the weather was obviously beyond anyone's control, I thought this was about as good an outcome as could be expected; it certainly contrasted favorably with my experience on a Royal Caribbean cruise a few years ago where a snorkeling excursion off Key West should have been, but was not, cancelled, and even though snorkeling proved essentially impossible, no refunds were given by the cruise line. In the afternoon, my wife and I took a ten-dollar cab ride to the pretty historic downtown of Cockburn Town, where we killed an hour strolling around and buying beautiful shell stamps in the local post office. Read more