This was our first time sailing on Holland America Line, and we were pretty impressed.
We’re younger than the typical HAL cruiser, but that didn’t stop us from enjoying all that the MS Westerdam had to offer. We selected this cruise for the itinerary first. We'd also heard good things about the food and service on HAL, so we were interested in giving it a try.
The ship was great. We love the intimacy of a smaller ship, and the renovations HAL has done on the Westerdam seemed tasteful and appropriate.
This was our first suite experience…and I can’t recommend it enough. The perks of “suite life” are really enticing, but its the extra space in the cabin that makes it worth the extra cost. Besides having 2+ times the amount of space of a normal balcony cabin, you also have a ton of additional storage for clothing (and this was a 15-night cruise, so that really came in handy) as well as lots of seating. There are even 2 sinks and 2 showers (well, a shower stall and a tub/shower combo)! It makes it feel much more luxurious.
We shared a transfer to Bangkok with 8 other Cruise Critic folks, which was fab. My only disappointment was that the ship wasn’t in port for longer…we had a full day there, but had to be back early enough the next day that we didn’t really have time to do anything that morning.
This port is complicated.
The people and the place are wonderful. However, it presents as a third-world country. I travel the world to experience how other cultures and peoples differ from my own experience of the world…so, I found it fascinating. That said, a number of our shipmates were VERY put off by the squalor, apparent poverty and trash-filled streets/beaches.
We loved this port. We did a cooking class with another couple from Cruise Critic. We had the class to ourselves…which was awesome. Our guide picked us up from the port and took us to the market. He made it clear that we were going to the “real” market…not the touristy market, which was great. Next, we went to his home – where he and his wife taught us how to make several interesting and tasty dishes. My only disappointment was that we didn’t get printed recipes to take home...