Enjoy our newest cruise line ship review - Holland America and the ms Westerdam- written by Travel Team 360 contributor Gordon:
Holland America Line has a reputation for catering to an older demographic than most other cruise lines – a reputation that is not undeserved, but shouldn't put you off from cruising on their ships if you're not part of the older crowd. Holland America has by far the highest return passenger rate of any cruise line, so you'd have to expect that folks get older as they keep coming back. I took my first cruise on a Holland America ship when I was 11 years old – and have enjoyed every Holland America cruise I've taken in the 38 years since, so trust me when I say that Holland America caters to cruisers of all ages.
From their Club HAL on-board programs for the pre-teen crowd, to the activities in the teens-only space know as The Loft, to the team trivia contests, culinary arts programs, the digital workshops and other educational opportunities, movies, high-energy production shows, musical lounge performances, and on-board “Dancing With The Stars”, Holland America's ships provide something for everyone – and that's just on board ship. The excursions available at their ports of call range from athletic action adventures to historic and cultural learning experiences – you're bound to find something you'll enjoy no matter where your tastes in vacations run. They're not party ships, or “fun” ships – but you can certainly party and have fun on them, while at the same time enjoying the highest level of service, harking back to the line's historic roots in the classic age of ocean liners. Holland America's slogan is “A Signature of Excellence”, and that's certainly what you'll find on any of their cruises.
I recently returned from a seven-day Eastern Caribbean cruise on Holland America's ms Westerdam – one of their larger vessels, though at only 1,900 passengers, she's still only moderate-sized compared to the ships of other major cruise lines. The Westerdam's crew of 817 – Holland America maintains one of the highest crew-to-passenger ratios across their fleet, at approximately two crew members for every five passengers – provided the high level of service I always expect aboard HAL's 'dam ships. Cabin stewards who almost-magically maintain your stateroom without being seen unless you need them – and then miraculously appear when you do. Dining stewards who go out of their way to meet your every need – supported by a behind-the-scenes food preparation team that can provide for any dietary concern. Having a food allergy myself, and traveling with two friends, one of whom has several food allergies, this was an important factor in making this trip such a wonderful experience for us all. And needless to say, the food was fantastic – from the casual buffet in the Lido, to the service in the main dining room, to the specialty steak and seafood dining experience of the Pinnacle Grille.
The live music in the various bars and lounges – from the piano bar to the string duet Adagio to the up-tempo songs of the house band The HALcats to the world-class jazz musicians of the B.B. King Blues Club – provided a variety of quality sound to dance to, to sing along with, or just to chill out. Combined with the performances in the main lounge – from Broadway-quality song-and-dance productions to live comedy to the magic of illusionist Leon Etienne (from Season 8 of America's Got Talent) – there was always something wonderful to fill the evenings with entertainment.