Singles Organize yourselves

I did the transpacific 14 day cruise and really had a great time. I was solo and thought I would be alone a lot, but thanks to some wonderful people, I really enjoyed it. The Cruise Critic guy was excellent in organizing everything beforehand and on board. As a solo, I met many others to hang out with. HAL was not helpful except for an initial meeting. We organized ourselves for lunch and dinner , trivia, etc. we each had traveled a lot and had a lot to learn from each other and enjoyed each others experiences. The Westerdam is a beautiful ship, getting a little old, but great crew, great food, good facilities. The crew was efficient. As an older ship, some of the rooms had problems— tv, hot water, but they fixed it up quickly. I was pleased with lectures. Entertainment suited to older guests, presented early. Most guests 50-90.

Great Cruise!

Here is my review for Holland Americas Westerdam Alaskan Cruise 9/24/2025 to 9/31/2025. First off, we came in on Friday, to leave us with a little time to explore Seattle for a full day on Saturday. I was pleased with this decision as we otherwise would have felt a little rushed and possibly missed our cruise sailing. The Holiday inn Tukwila was a nice hotel with breakfast and free transports to and from the airport and the L train. They also took us to Dollar Tree for a few items. Downtown Seattle was kind of gross. We walked about 3 blocks from the L train to Pikes Place Market. During our walk we witnessed people selling and doing drugs. It was kind of shocking to see people smoking crack right out in the open. I never felt threatened. Pikes place market is worth visiting. We saw them throwing fish and there was a lot of different shops and vendors. We visited the Museum of Pop Culture and the Space needle as well. Both were great, except we didn’t go up the space needle because it was pricey and I am afraid of heights. Apparently, the elevators are made of glass. On Sunday we took Seattle Express from Holiday Inn to Pier 91. The bus driver made it a tour pointing out different things during our 20-minute ride. He loaded and unloaded our suitcases. We scooted a short way with our suitcases, thru customs and on to the ship. There was a Princess cruise line ship next too us and was twice the size. I felt some relief as the Westerdam was smaller with no water slides or Go Kart tracks. I love kids but I don’t think we saw more than a dozen during the whole trip. Once aboard, it was a crazy time, as everyone was boarding and the elevators were overrun. Upon finding our room, I was pleased, as it was larger than what I had anticipated. Everything was clean and looked nice. My first impression of the Westerdam was that it reminded me of the movie Titanic. The decor was strikingly similar. Expanding on the room, the water pressure was awesome and we never ran short of hot water during our long showers! It was very evident the water was softened and kept our skin from drying out. We had packed 2 portable humidifiers but never used them. You wont need those on the Westerdam. I do recommend buying luggage tags and lanyards from Amazon in advance. We also purchased suitcase covers and were the envy of many as our luggage stood out and was easy to identify at the airports. Please know, I once ended up at home with a suitcase that was identical to mine but full of women’s clothing. The bathroom had a built-in medicine cabinet which is different from any hotel I have stayed at. The air and heat were perfect! One of my favorite purchases was the unlimited laundry package. We ended up booking this late and cost $75 for the whole trip total for both of us. It was initially offered at $50. This allowed me to stuff a bag, the size of a pillow case, each day. Each morning, I would fill out the sheet and leave it on our bed. We usually got it back that evening. My wife Poo Pooed it at first but was a fan by the 2nd day. Items came back wrapped in tissue or on hangers. We arrived home with very little laundry and could have packed a lot less. The Have it all was also a must! I like my drinks and don’t like surprises! It gives you internet and 15 drinks per day but both parties must opt in for it. It also gives some excursion credit, and one specialty dining night. The Mini bar is not included. The mini bar had water, canned coke, canned beer, canned mixed drinks and more. We used the mini bar, but at the end of the day, we would replenish it by getting go drinks from the bars, using up our unused Have it all 15 drinks per person minimum. The internet included in the package was fine for checking email an Facebook. Oder your coffee the night before and they will bring it in a carafe the next morning at your desired time. I drink espresso so we used Starbucks instant coffee to make it bolder. I pre ordered distilled water from my CPAP. There wasn’t a plugin on my side of the bed but room service brought an extension cord and set me up. Room service. I can’t say no! Around the clock, food is available at no extra charge! There are some options that are premium and cost extra. IE: Filet Mignon & lobster for $18 delivered. You’ll never get that from door dash for that price! Please note that drinks ordered to the room are also not included in the have it all plan. They will deliver about anything but be specific. IE: if you request white toast 1, you will get one piece of white toast. If you are wanting two, you need to specify. After the first day, I ordered ice to the room. After that, every time we came back to the room there was fresh ice! That is amazing! Know the boat. I recommend the first thing to do is explore every level of the ship. There are 10 floors but not every elevator goes all the way to the top. Find the crow’s nest this is a great place to view the outside behind windows. There are games and other activities there. When viewing the glacier, it was hard to see because of so many people on the bow. My wife figured out that not many people realized the outside promenade deck was wide open when the ship was sideways. We got great views from there! Smoking is on the 7th floor and in one location. Ther were 2 pools and a hot tub which got limited use. I never saw more than 4 people in the hot tub. Pool wasn’t busy either. The world stage had different events. The informational ones were good. Also we enjoyed trivia most every day. Some of the events on the schedule didn’t turn out like we thought. I would avoid any of the events centered on shopping. It’s almost like a time share presentation but about jewelry. The Orange party was a letdown. I didn’t see any complimentary drinks or food. The entertainment was less than expected. We did get a good picture in our orange attire! The Alaskan brunch only happens one time so don’t miss out! It was one of the best meals ever. We scheduled one tour which was the Mendenhall Glacier photo safari. We weren’t on the water as long as I would have expected and there was quite a bit of walking. The pro’s were we saw a bunch of Orca Whales and the guide help us set up our android phone cameras for the best pictures. We didn’t see any humpback whales on the tour but spotted many from the ship each day. Be on your veranda and watch! Morning and late evening are the best times. Overall, the trip exceeded my expectations! Ketchikan, Juneau, and Sitka we amazing towns! The staff and accommodations were great. We booked our trip thru Costco travel and received some extra discounts and perks. Also, flew Southwest Airlines! My favorite! I have flown many times with Southwest over the past 3 years and have had no complaints! We have done over 20+ land based all-inclusive vacations and this was our first cruise! We were not disappointed!

Westerdam, 4084 Obstructed View - photos.

Westerdam, Aug 3-10, 2025; 7-day Alaska Explorer. Ports: Juneau, Sitka, Ketchikan and briefly Victoria, Canada. I created this review primarily to share photos of cabin 4084, both for future cruisers staying in this cabin and for those debating on an obstructed view for an Alaskan cruise. *Views are from a 5'8" viewpoint (173cm). This was a great choice for an Alaskan itinerary, with stunning scenery throughout the voyage. We were incredibly fortune to have great weather as well. The average temperatures ranged from 55-65°F (12-18°C) with rain only on one day. On that day in Ketchikan, it got cold fast. Fortunately, by then, we were due back to ship. Also, another reason I wanted to post this review: The staff had a training session during the cruise, which gave us the rare opportunity to see the inside of a rescue boat—too cool not to share! We had a great time on this ship and in Alaska.