A lackluster cruise experience

Cruises: 2-3 cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 9

Review summary

The MS Westerdam is a newer ship in the Holland America line. It is well furnished and boasts modern decor, albeit somewhat gaudy in different areas. The food was excellent, and Chef Andres has a wonderful persona. However, the service staff throughout the ship were not as friendly as the ones on other ships (such as the Carnival cruises). The average age for passengers on this particular ship was probably near 60, and as a consequence it lacked the energy and enthusiasm that you might find on other lines. It all seemed very "tame." My two main issues with this cruise experience were (1) the canceled port of call in Half Moon Cay and (2) the borderline homophobic comments and behavior by staff. I have visited Half Moon before, and I was looking forward to it, but according to the captain, the waves were too high to safely ferry passengers to the island. I found this unusual since the sky was blue and sunny throughout the day. I overheard some guests talking about the possibility that the stop may have been canceled due to the elevated fuel prices and the amount of fuel required to travel back to Fort Lauderdale by 7:00am the next day! I certainly hope this was not the case, because that signifies poor planning on Holland America's behalf. The other main issue was a scattering of heterosexist and homophobic comments that were present throughout the cruise. My partner and I are very discreet; we pass as brothers. I do not think the crew members were acting toward us per se, but they were just homophobic in general. For example, there was an Elton John impersonator who entertained one night on the cruise, but then during his second performance he maintained his heterosexuality and poked fun at the real "super gay" Elton John. It was distasteful. Our cabin steward also seemed "bothered" by two men sharing one room. He would not make eye contact, and he was just unhelpful.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

Entertainment

Service and Staff

Ship Quality

Cabin / Stateroom

Ports of call

Grand Turk Island