ms Westerdam

Launched in 2004, ms Westerdam is the 3rd Vista-class Holland America cruise ships, together with ms Oosterdam, ms Noordam and ms Zuiderdam.

History - construction and ownership

Holland America Line (HAL) is a Seattle-based cruise company owned by Carnival Corporation (shipowner). Between 1873-1989, HAL was a Dutch cargo and passenger shipping company operating regular Transatlantic crossings between Holland and the Americas. HAL was founded in 1873 as "Dutch-American Steamship Company" headquartered in Rotterdam Netherlands. In 1989, HAL was acquired by Carnival Corporation for around EUR 530 million. Among the company's assets are the Westmark hotel chain (Alaska-Yukon), Worldwide Shore Services (warehouses-logistics) and Half Moon Cay (Caribbean private island).

The 82,348-ton, 1,494-passenger cruise ship ms Westerdam balances the duty to honour cruise traditions with adding just enough advanced conveniences to keep things stylish and modern, with comfortable dining venues, various onboard facilities, larger-than-average cabins, and, most of all, with the gentle service of ship's crew members. Westerdam's restaurants provide an option of traditional seating scenarios as well as open, more versatile ones. Passengers might still learn how to mix a martini cocktail or create a flower arrangement, but they might also take computer classes which range from an introduction to e-mail to editing digital photography. Cruisers might watch a chef (the vessel's or an expert from Holland America Line's Food & Wine Magazine partnership) represent a recipe, or they might take part in small group clusters which actually get to make fantastic Food Network-like Culinary Arts Center cuisine.

Cruise itinerary program

MS Westerdam itinerary program is based on Alaska cruises from Seattle WA in the summer. The ship also offers Eastern Caribbean voyages from Fort Lauderdale and Panama Canal transits on repositioning.

In the period September 2018 through April 2019, the ship is deployed in Asia for a total of 10 itineraries ranging 10-31 days and visiting China, Japan, Korea, Russia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan, Vietnam. Asian season starts with 14-day Pacific crossing from Vancouver to Yokohama Japan.

Back-to-back cruises can be booked as longer "Collectors Voyage". Combining 2 B2B itineraries, "Asia Collectors Voyages" range between 23-31 days. "Grand Asia Voyage" (82-day Pacific circumnavigation) departs September 30, 2018, as a roundtrip from LA with all 33 port calls and 6 overnights.

Cabins

MS Westerdam has a total number of 961 cabins (of which 162 Suites, 479 Balcony, 154 Inside rooms) in 30 grades. Most ms Westerdam staterooms are 210-360-sq.foot balcony rooms. Nearly 70% of ship's accommodations have private balcony views. 28 are the wheelchair accessible rooms. The largest aboard ms Westerdam is the Pinnacle Suite (1000 ft2).

Implemented fleetwide in 2019, "Club Orange" program provides exclusive amenities to Suite passengers booked in categories Neptune and Pinnacle. Bonus perks by this program include:

• priority services (check-in, disembarkation, tendering, dining reservations)
• 24-hour concierge service (assistance, information, reservations)
• exclusive dining venue (serving complimentary Pinnacle Grill breakfast and Dining Room dinner, plus exclusive dishes)
• dedicated Concierge Desk (Guest Services and Tours)
• room service (a la carte breakfast menu with complimentary gourmet dishes - including smoked salmon, steak and eggs)
• sparkling wine (embarkation day), Club Orange tote bag, premium bathrobes (cabin use, available for monogramming and purchasing).
• Club Orange Restaurant is part of the Main Dining Room (designed as separate VIP dining section).

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

Westerdam's Vista Dining Room is a 2-deck venue at the aft end of the vessel. One deck is allocated for the guests who choose conventional fixed-seating dining and the other for open seating (passengers can either make a reservation or simply walk in). For those who prefer to be seated at small or large tables should use the reservation system. Three themed teas - Cupcake, Indonesian and Royal Dutch - are served once during a sailing. Holland America's Lido buffet rates among the best organized at sea. Open for breakfast, lunch, dinner and late night snacks, the spot is in bright, jazzy colours with seating in the main pool area under a magrodome cover (sliding glass roof) and on the adjacent aft deck. Food is arranged in themed stations that serve up sandwiches made to order, salads, pizza, sushi, stir-fries and typical hot fare. Thus, you don't have to wait behind a passenger picking through the salad bar if you want to move on to the meat station.

Follows the complete list of ms Westerdam restaurants and food bars.

• Pinnacle Grill (148-seat reservations-only seafood/steakhouse restaurant with fine wines selection; free for passengers under 12 yo). The venue transforms into “An Evening at le Cirque” once per cruise via a partnership with NYC “Le Cirque” French restaurant.
• Vista Restaurant (1120-seat, aft Dining Room; features open seating Breakfast and Lunch, two Dinner options – 2 fixed seatings or “Any Time” dining between 5:15 p.m. - 9 p.m.)
• Terrace Grill (fast food pool bar; complimentary)
• Lido Restaurant (420-seat complimentary buffet restaurant; offers self-service Breakfast 6:00 a.m. -11 a.m., Lunch 11:30 p.m. - 2 p.m., Afternoon Tea, and Dinner 5:30 p.m. - 8 p.m.)
• Canaletto Restaurant (Lido Restaurant annexe; operates as an Italian restaurant for Dinner, reservations required)
• Slice (poolside Pizzeria, complimentary).

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

The Queen's Lounge, which is an alternative lounge/theatre on Vista Class ships, had a makeover and was transformed into The Culinary Arts Center by day, featuring permanent cooking and viewing equipment to instruct guests on the preparation of various dishes. The Culinary Arts Center is operated via a partnership with Food & Wine magazine and offers wine tastings ($15), cocktail tastings and mixology classes, as well as cooking, cake decorating, garnishing and flower arranging classes. The Queen's Lounge offers musical performances with B.B. King's Blues Club experience for five nights per week. The Digital Workshop, powered by Microsoft, is a dedicated computing education venue, with two rows of computers fronting a big, wall-mounted monitor hooked into the computer of the instructor, to graphically demonstrate each step. Other amenities include: complimentary 24-Hour Room-Service, Supervised Kids Program ("Club Hal"), cruise ship weddings, Internet/WiFi Access, Laundry/Self-Serve Laundromats.

Follows the complete list of ms Westerdam lounges, clubs and other entertainment venues for kids, teens and adults.

• Atrium (3-deck high midship open-floor area with live performances)
• Vista Lounge (846-seat theatre/main show lounge; also serves Holland America’s enrichment program (via a partnership with BBC Earth)
• Piano Bar; Sports Bar; Pinnacle Bar (38-seat wine bar); Ocean Bar (Atrium bar and lounge, with dance floor and stage for live performances)
• Northern Lights Disco & Nightclub
• Queen’s Lounge & Culinary Arts Centre (with live band entertainment, cooking shows, culinary classes; via a partnership with “Food & Wine Magazine”)
• Explorer’s Lounge & Bar (lounge with bar; classical concert performances)
• Meeting Rooms (Hudson, Half Moon, Stuyvesant)
• Photo Gallery & Shop; Art Gallery
• Casino (served by Casino Bar and Sports Bar)
• Screening Room (40-seat indoor cinema); Erasmus Room (24-seat library)
• Atrium Shops (boutiques for duty-free tobaccos and liquor, perfumes, watches, clothing, HAL logo merchandise, souvenirs); Marabella Luxury Shop
• Explorations Cafe (speciality coffee bar and patisserie; also serves as ship’s Library and Online Centre/Internet computers room)
• Neptune Lounge (club venue for Deluxe Suite and Pinnacle guests only)
• Fitness Center (gym with separate Aerobics Room); 5 jacuzzis
• Greenhouse Spa & Salon; Lido Pool area, served by Lido Bar and Terrace Grill; Sea View Pool area served by Sea View Bar; The Retreat (adults-only)
• Crow’s Nest (observation lounge; bar and dance floor; becomes disco at night)
• Sport Court (basketball, volleyball, soccer); Promenade Deck, Walking Track
• Club HAL (kids lounge, complimentary youth programming)
• The Loft (teens club lounge area, with Video Games Arcade, computers, PlayStations; teen disco).

During a major drydock refit in 2007, Holland America Westerdam ship was stretched by adding a 130 ft / 40 m long midsection. One of HAL's "compass ships", Westerdam is company's 2nd Vista-class liner, with sisterships Noordam, Oosterdam, Zuiderdam. Wester means "West" (in Dutch).

Ship's Inaugural Cruise/Maiden Voyage was on April 25, 2004. Ship's Godmother was Renette Pauline Soutendijk (aka Renee Soutendijk) - 1957-born Dutch actress. Ship's interior design theme is Dutch exploration - numerous sculptures, statues and paintings of famous Dutch ships. In its Atrium area, Westerdam has a cut-glass Dutch sailing ship sculpture. This HAL ship's art collection includes many pre-Columbian artefacts (including 5000-year-old carved figures imported from Ecuador), and also many contemporary artists signature sculptures and paintings. During its 2007 extensive refurbishment, 34 cabins were added, and major refits were done to several public areas.

Westerdam is HAL's 3rd vessel with this name. The 1st ship was in service for the company in 1946-1965 (scrapped in Spain). Curious fact about this liner (combined cargo-passenger vessel with numerous first-class cabins) is that it was sunk 3 times during WW2 (before the maiden voyage in 1946) - in 1942 (by Allied forces), and in 1944 and 1945 (by the Dutch resistance). MS Westerdam I operated Transatlantic crossings monthly (between Rotterdam and NYC). The second Westerdam ship was launched 1986 under the brand Homeric (Home Lines), HAL acquired the company in 1988, and in 1989 the vessel underwent a major drydock refit (was lengthened by 130 ft / 40 m). After 13 years in HAL service, in 2002 this vessel was transferred to Costa Cruises (renamed Costa Europa), then chartered/leased to Thomson UK (Marella Cruises) as Marella Dream.