I had high hopes for the Westerdam and HAL. I have previously sailed with Celebrity and Disney and I was hoping that HAL wouldn't disappoint. Sadly, I was mistaken. The only thing that I could confidently say was awesome, was this ship's itinerary. The ports of call were fantastic, breath taking, and beautiful. Take advantage of the port of calls. We booked all of our excursions with local groups not through HAL. HAL offered the same excursion to Majorie Glacier in Juneau and it double what we paid for using the local merchants. In Sitka, book Gallant Adventures with Paul, and you will not be disappointed. No need to get off the boat in Victoria to visit the gardens. It is dark by the time you dock.

My group of 5 booked the largest inside staterooms. They were comfortable, clean, and quiet. Danny, our room steward, was awesome and very quick with any requests.

Westerdam, and I am assuming HAL in general, seems to cater to the older generations. The entire ship was "dead" quiet by 11 pm and any activities after then was hard to find. We ended up having cocktails and sharing stories on Phillipino Independence day with the crew outside on the Lido deck for several nights. Read more