Holland America Line could not have picked
a more scenic spot for a debut than Venice, Italy, where on a late April afternoon the sparkling new,
1,848-passenger Westerdam slid from its moorings and made its way
gracefully out to sea.
Under a cloudless
sky, a select group of agents from the U.S. and Europe converged
around the aft pool on the Lido deck for a sail-away party with a
jazz band and an assortment of drinks and hors
d'oeuvres.
The festive mood
continued into the early evening as a group in the Crow's Nest
lounge, at the top of the ship, enjoyed magnificent views of sky
and sea gradually darkening under the setting sun.
Downstairs, the
central atrium bar, a brightly adorned space illuminated by a giant
crystal chandelier with a decor featuring lemon yellow upholstered
couches and barstools, attracted another crowd.
The ebullient mood
of the first evening was prevalent throughout this three-night,
preinaugural "minicruise" presided over by Holland America
President Stein Kruse and members of HAL's executive
team.
During his keynote
address to the 1,500 invited agents the next morning, Kruse spoke
about the company's current good fortune and pointed toward a
promising future.
"We have survived a
lot of challenges in recent years from economic upheavals to health
scares to wars, and despite everything Holland America Line has
consistently delivered a solid premium product and is stronger
financially today than ever before," he said.
Signature
of Excellence
HAL has passed the
six-month mark in its $225 million Signature of Excellence
initiative, which aims to upgrade five major areas central to the
guest experience of every ship in the fleet: accommodations,
service, dining, activities and itineraries.
The Westerdam was
the first HAL cruise ship to roll out of the Fincantieri shipyard
near Venice with several of those Signature amenities already in
place.
The Westerdam
cabins, for example, now are outfitted with super-comfy Euro-top
mattresses and triple-sheeted beds with 250 thread-count linens,
plus magnifying make-up mirrors with halo lighting, salon-quality
hair dryers and premium massage showerheads that deliver a
powerful, pulsing flow.
Clients who book
suites on the Westerdam can partake of the pleasure of being able
to stretch out, kick back and observe the passing scene from the
comfort of a deck chair on their balcony -- my 398-square-foot
superior veranda suite proved roomy due in large part to its
100-square-foot balcony.
Other perks: Deluxe
veranda suites have duvets, fully stocked minibars, DVD players and
access to a DVD library.
While at sea the
second day, Frans Dingemans, HAL's longtime interior architect,
conducted tours of the ship's public areas and pointed out some of
the prized items on display from HAL's multimillion-dollar
collection of art and artifacts.
Dingemans noted
that he designs interiors in the same way he would a great home: by
looking for works of art and artifacts that reflect good
taste.
As a result, the
ship resembles a floating museum, and it mixes and matches pieces
from many countries, periods and styles. There are silver doors
from a 17th century Indian palace alongside paintings by 21st
century artists.
Like other
Vista-class ships, the Westerdam's interior features bold colors in
the ship's public areas with a palette ranging from gold to purple
to scarlet.
While there is no
denying the ultramodern feel of the ship, passengers are able to do
a bit of time-traveling: I was transported back, for example, to
the early 17th century during a visit to the ship's Explorer's
Lounge where there are decorated glass panels depicting the Dutch
shipbuilding industry.
There also is a
statue of Peter Stuyvesant, who claimed New York in 1624. HAL's
maritime heritage, meanwhile, is reflected in paintings of Dutch ships arriving in the New World on
display in the ship's corridors and staircases.
Favorite
spaces and places
Evenings onboard
the Westerdam offer plenty of entertainment venues concentrated on
the Lower Promenade deck not far from the casino. On our minicruise
a high-energy crowd gathered at the Piano Bar, a sing-a-long venue
where guests shout out requests for their favorite tunes. From here
it's just a short hop to the Sports Bar and the Northern Lights
disco.
There is also an
entrance near the casino to the Vista Lounge, the Westerdam's main
show lounge and theater, which hosts twice-nightly stage
shows.
HAL continues to fine-tune its
dining concepts on the Westerdam, which offers four dining venues.
Guests now have more flexibility in regard to dining times as there
are four seatings instead of two in the Vista Dining Room: 5:15
p.m., 6:15 p.m., 8 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.
In addition, the
line revamped the flow of its wait staff
service to keep one dining steward at
assigned tables while an assistant steward delivers each course
from the kitchen.
This was the
Westerdam's inaugural cruise, and many of the crew were still
getting to know each other, but with a
few exceptions the service was smooth and efficient.
HAL is the latest
cruise line to add low-carb selections to its menus, beginning with
the Westerdam's maiden voyage.
I especially
enjoyed dinner at the elegant, reservations-only alternative dining
venue, the Pinnacle Grill at the Odyssey Restaurant, which features
table settings complete with brand-name tablewear (Bulgari, Frette
and Riedel are the headlining names).
The top-of-the-line
amenities and white-glove service are on a par with the food. The
Pinnacle's fixed menu revolves around "Pacific Northwest"
cuisine.
Generous entrees
include center-cut porterhouse steak and two sizes of filet mignon, Alaskan king salmon, Dungeness crab
cakes and clam chowder. A $20 per-person charge applies.
The Lido buffet
restaurant, meanwhile, has been divided into separate stations to
streamline service by reducing time spent in line. For lunch the
traditional serving line has been replaced by separate food
stations offering such choices as Asian-stir fry, pizza, deli
sandwiches and a salad bar.
There is also a
station serving ice cream and desserts, including Holland America's
signature bread pudding, a "creme-de-la-creme" concoction redolent
of nutmeg and cinnamon (which is nearly impossible to
resist).
In the evenings the
Lido serves as the ship's casual dining venue with made-to-order
entrees and table-side waiter service.
HAL stakes a good
part of its rep on superb service, and the Westerdam's crew were
warm and enthusiastic.
The Westerdam will
spend the first half of its inaugural season in European waters as
it sails on Mediterranean and northern
Europe itineraries.
Clients on these
cruises will have more Medallion Shore Excursions to choose from.
These experiences include a trip through the French countryside
with wine and cheese tasting in Nice or a visit to the ancient city
of Ephesus in Turkey to view the magnificent frescoes adorning the
Terrace Houses (which are only accessible by special
permission).
The ship will
reposition to the Caribbean in mid-November.
To contact the
reporter who wrote this article, send e-mail to [email protected].