We chose the December 3rd Holland America cruise aboard the Westerdam as a chance to relax and get away after the busy Thanksgiving holiday and just before the busy Christmas holidays. We chose this particular cruise for several reasons: the ship, the itinerary, the port (we live in Florida) and most importantly, the price - which was super! We were able completely relax and it was wonderful.
Upon arriving at Port Everglades we were efficiently sent through the process of checking in and boarding - all quite easy and relatively fast. Once on-board we were greeted by very cheerful and friendly staff - all over the ship. It is apparent the folks on this ship are happy to be there and this is evident in their actions and their treatment toward the passengers.
The ship was very clean and well maintained - and it was lovely to see the holiday decorations all over the ship. Of course, there was a great buffet awaiting our arrival. Another impressive thing about the ship was the hand sanitizers - they were everywhere and people actually used them. We had no flu outbreak due to the ship's diligence. The other nice thing was the plentiful amount of public rest rooms on every deck. They were everywhere and very, very clean. The food was very good, lots of it and always a nice selection to chose from. Some choices were better than others, but all in all the food was great. The filet mignon was always great!
Our room was extremely comfortable - the bed was one of the most comfortable I have ever slept on (pillowtop matress)- the bathtub/shower combo made for lots of bathing room - the veranda was roomy - plenty of storage space - a nice small couch and chair - and all in all - a great home away from home for a week. Our location was on deck 7 (cabin 7097), starboard aft and we were just a few steps away from the elevators - which made it very easy for us especially with a slightly sprained ankle. We simply walked out of our rooms, around the corner and could be up on the Lido deck (pool and buffet dining area) in seconds, or down to the main dining room on deck 2 in seconds. There was very little - if any -noise or vibration in our cabins.