I sensed trouble when the driver who was transporting us from the hotel to the cruise port asked what ship we were cruising on. I replied "Westerdam," and he called to his buddy, "Hey, two more on the Westerdam" and they both laughed. A lot. Of course, I wondered what they knew that I didn't know. I found out.

Embarkation was fairly well-organized and went smoothly. However, when we boarded the ship, an officer curtly told us that our staterooms were not ready, and rudely told us to "go eat something." Needless to say, I did not feel welcomed to the Westerdam.

We explored a little, and finally went to the Lido deck where we did attempt to eat something. Service was very disorganized, and lines were extremely long. Staff had to dish out everything for the first 48 hours of the cruise, even hot water for tea. I never saw anyone distributing drinks or offering refills in the Lido restaurant, and the glasses available were all tiny juice-sized glasses. There are also no trays available, which led to carrying hot plates and joggling of several items. Seating in the Lido restaurant area was always difficult to come by. Read more