HAL Westerdam  Alaska  September 10th -17th 2006

This was my fourth cruise, the second one with HAL and hopefully not the last! As in my past review (on the Westerdam Western Caribbean cruise), for ease of reading I'll break down my comments by category.

Embarkation: went very well, as usual. We (i.e. my better half and myself) had flown into Seattle the day before and spent the night at the Fairmont Olympic  a delight. After four or five meals during our long-haul flight, tiredness seemed to prevail over hunger. However, we did find enough strength to try Shuckers, a cosy oak paneled pub-style fish restaurant within the hotel, also open to non-hotel guests, which was excellent. First taste of exceptional American halibut! The morning after, our coach drove us to the port and, not surprisingly, we found no queue whatsoever at the non-US immigration desk and a smiling assistant who gave us all the documentation we needed for boarding and survival on the ship. Being non-US citizens has its advantages, but I must say that the US queue was not particularly ominous either. We boarded the ship immediately and were directed to the Lido Restaurant, on Deck 9, for lunch. Our baggage was handled swiftly and effectively and when we finished lunch we found it in our stateroom, together with a nice arrival gift. Cabin: this time, we had been proposed an upgrade to a Superior Verandah Suite overlooking the port (best for a Southward Alaskan cruise). Like last time, our beds were exceptionally comfortable and we were only half surprised to see that they could be purchased at a certain internet address if we wanted to. We had quite a lot of room as that stateroom was more square than the Deluxe Verandah Outside Stateroom we previously had. Again, lots of wardrobes and hangers. Our bathroom had a Jacuzzi bath tub AND a shower, which is what we used most anyway. I liked the nice touch of Elemis products by the wash basin. I discovered this (English!) brand on the ship on the occasion of our last cruise and I've been addicted ever since. Fabulous view from the spacious balcony, equipped with table, chairs, armchairs and even blankets to enjoy the glaciers sitting outside. Again, no rumbling noises or sewage odor in our stateroom. Read more