Just got back today. Having sailed on a number of cruise lines in the past I have to say that our trip aboard the Westerdam was amazing. Ports of call were great, room was great, food was to be expected and I am already planning my next cruise on HAL.

Embarkation in Seattle was a breeze. We stayed at the Fairmont the evening before we left. We put our bag on a bus and then a friend took us to the port. From walking in to being on board it took about 15 minutes (we got there at about noon). Our cabin was ready by about 1:00 and all of our luggage was delivered before we set sail at 5:00. Lifeboat drill went off without a hitch and we were underway.

I enjoyed the expanse of our stateroom. Never used the tub but like having a full sized shower. Our stateroom was kept in an orderly fashion and we had towel animals just about every night. Loved having sheets that were as comfortable as home and towels that completely wrapped around my less then petite body. Had 8:00 pm seating (we were part of a group) and enjoyed all of our meals. We bought the 3 bottle wine package and tried several wines that we enjoyed. All in all a completely pleasant experience. We were with a group that experienced the first ever Great Alaska Maritime Marathon. Over the course of the week we raced 26.2 miles. We did a two mile deck run on the first sea day (did hear a few people complain that the deck was closed from 8:00 to 9:30 but it was wet and cold and we were done quickly). We did 13.1 in Juneau, 5 in Sitka and 6.2 in Ketchikan so our site seeing was mainly on foot! Wouldn't change it for a minute. We saw whales, orcas, eagles and the like! We met a lot of wonderful local people that made our race amazing. However, it didn't leave much time for planned excursions and so I can't comment on that. Read more