We are experienced cruisers having traveled frequently on Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, Carnival, and the now defunct Majesty Cruise Line. We were always curious about Holland America so we finally took a trip aboard the Dec. 13, 2014, 7-day Eastern Caribbean sailing of the MS Westerdam, out of Fort Lauderdale. Reviews of the Westerdam seemed variable and confusing so we were anxious to find our own “truths.”

In my opinion, any review of the Westerdam must start with the ship itself. The Westerdam is simply the most beautiful and elegant ship we have ever sailed on. Its external lines are graceful, and with its dark hull, it seems to hearken back to the classic days of cruise lines. But it’s inside where the Westerdam really shines. The ship is loaded with beautiful, classic art and impressive design features seemingly around every corner. The ship was built in Venice and its overall design feels Italian. It was a joy to wander around on this ship, and that’s a very good thing to say about one’s home for a week. The Westerdam seems graceful and elegant at every turn. Although the ship is 12 years old, she has been lovingly cared for and does not show her age.

We had a verandah room, number 5050, on the port side of the ship. It was fairly standard in size. We’ve had larger, and probably one or two smaller. It was an efficiently designed room with good storage space. The balcony was similar to most that we have had. The big difference in this room was found in the bathroom. There was a shower/tub combination instead of the typical shower alone. This was unprecedented in our experience. Read more