Wonderful Alaskan trip!

Item: Westerdam
Rating: 4.7
Author: Cruiser18Mommuh

Westerdam Cruise Review to Alaska - Gulf of Alaska

Cruiser18Mommuh

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 2-3 cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 42

Overall rating:

4.7 out of 5

7 Night Glacier Discovery Southbound (Seward To Vancouver)

Sail date: August 26, 2018

Ship: Westerdam

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 4140

Traveled as: Family (older children)

Reviewed: 6 years ago

Review summary

We thoroughly enjoyed the Westerdam – the ship, the staff, our staterooms, and the food were all high quality. Recently refurbished, the ship was in excellent condition and very tastefully appointed. Also, many comfortable and attractive places to relax throughout the ship. We also did 2 nights at Denali, and if I had it to do again, I might skip that part, or stay longer on land. (that's not "the cruise" but it's helpful information, I hope)I did not realize how much sitting in vehicles would be involved! One full day on the (wonderful) train from Anchorage to Denali, the next day, a 6 hour bus trip for the Tundra Wilderness tour, the last day, an 8-10 hour bus trip down to Seward. We hadn't really realized that we'd be sitting in vehicles so much each day.

Embarkation

4 out of 5

We had a land trip just prior to the cruise, and we arrived, thru HAL, quite a bit later than I’d hoped for embarkation. It was really quick and efficient, but we arrived so “late” (about 45 minutes before the muster drill) that the photographers were even gone already. So although it went quickly, it actually felt very rushed since we had to get to our rooms and scurry to the muster drill. Not a fault of the ship, but HAL might want to re-think having us leave Denali at 9AM and arrive at Seward past 6.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5

We tended to prefer the buffet for breakfast so we had a quicker start to our day, and also we enjoyed the wide variety of selections. They changed up the special offerings daily – special waffles, omelettes, in addition to the usual eggs, savory meats, lox and bagels, cereals, fruits, and on and on. For lunch when we were not in port, my adult kids LOVED the Dive In burger bar. My husband and I preferred the MDR or buffet just because we are not as enamored with burgers as our kids. We mostly ate dinner in the MDR, with one evening in the FABULOUS Pinnacle Grill – can’t say enough wonderful things about the food, service, ambiance, and total experience. And we had one dinner in Canaletto, which was somewhat disappointing, mostly due to the slow pace of our meal.

Onboard Activities

4 out of 5

Really appreciated having the naturalists on-board to help spot wildlife, and especially in Glacier Bay! Enjoyed playing board games in one of the bars; had a great time in the casino and even won at craps!

Entertainment

4 out of 5

really enjoyed the BB King show – high quality talent and musicians, comfortable seating;

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

We had adjoining balcony rooms, and were very pleased with them. We had ample USB ports and did not need all the electrical expanders we’d brought. One by each bedside, one or two at the desk. I honestly didn’t count them because it just wasn’t an issue for us at all. Plently of storage space in the bathroom, with a nice medicine cabinet and a shelf under the sink. The closets can convert to shelving too, and we made good use of that. We barely needed the two drawers that are under the bed! Very comfortable beds, our stewards kept the room tidy and attractive, and we enjoyed the chocolate treats each night – alternating dark and milk chocolate.