First time HAL cruiser, previous cruises on(1) NCL,(2) Royal and(1) Carnival. Spoke with many who have had over 20 cruises and some repeated on Westerdam. We would sail this ship again with different itinerary.
Impressions of the ship were very favorable, it felt like being in someone's elegant home, complete with beautiful art, flower arrangements, antiques, small cozy areas and lounges, nice woodwork, interesting tile floors (deck 2), gorgeous lighting fixtures(dining room, atrium).The ship was decorated for Christmas which added to the warmth of the décor.
This is not a mega ship, it is fairly small, though it never really felt overcrowded and we never had to wait too long for services, seating, elevators etc. We liked the size and found the ship to be quite comfortable and elegant, older but beautiful. Prior to leaving had read other reviews with one or two star ratings- don't believe it- the cruise and boat are way better then those ratings.