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Here's the lowdown on our Fall cruise for 2006. Latest update was 9/23/06.

Facts

The cruise line is Holland America and the ship is the ms Westerdam. The itinerary is the Eastern Caribbean. You can read the Cruisecritic review here and other reviews here.

The cruise leaves Sunday, 10/29/2006 and returns on Sunday, 11/5/2006.

The ports of call are

Travel Arrangements

Cruise

Cruise reservations can be made through your favorite travel agent, although we'd prefer it if you made your arrangements through us. You can also make arrangements with Chumley's Bear Cruise, if you want to be part of their group festivities. Or, if you're a masochist, feel free to call Holland America directly.

The current cost of the cruise (as of 4/12/06) is $617 per person for an inside cabin (class MM is $549 plus $88 tax); $867 for a Veranda (also known as a Balcony) cabin (class VE is $799 plus $68 tax [note that class VF has sold out - those were the cheap veranda cabins]); and $1267 for a Suite (class SY is $1199 plus $68 tax)

You can check out the latest fares online via iCruise or Expedia or Travelocity. Don't forget that "port charges and taxes" will add $88 tax and possibly $155 port charges to most of the published rates. iCruise also charges a $15/person "processing fee".

Airfare

If you're just coming to Florida for the cruise. I'd strongly advise traveling on Saturday and arriving around 6 PM. We can arrange a hotel and transportation for you for Saturday night and to get you to the ship on Sunday morning. We're not planning on any group activities on Saturday night or Sunday morning at this time, but we may have a group dinner and breakfast somewhere, if it seems appropriate.

If you do fly in on Sunday, make sure that you arrive as early in the day as possible, and try to get a non-stop flight and make sure that the airline that you are flying has at least one more flight that can get you to the area by 2:30 PM on Sunday.

When you fly out, I'd recommend getting a flight out as early as noon, if possible. 11 AM might be a little tight, but you should still be able to make it. The last time we left Ft. Lauderdale after a cruise, the security line at the airport took an hour and a half to get through - but a large number of "need to get through quickly" people were escorted to the front of the line.

Of course, you could come to Florida a few days early and take in the sights, if you want.

Ft. Lauderdale airport (FLL) is the closest airport to the cruise terminal (about 5 miles), but West Palm Beach (WPB) and Miami (MIA) are both within 45 miles, and are worth the extra drive if the airfares are cheap enough. We rented a car at West Palm Beach airport and dropped it off at Fort Lauderdale airport and it cost us $70 (for one day) - a bit pricey.

On 4/10/06, I saw nonstop flights from Cincinnati to Ft Lauderdale on Delta airlines for $334 per person. Flights from Indianapolis were $299 (Miami) and flights from Houston were $289 (Miami).

Hotel

We're planning on either staying with friends or staying in a "gay resort" for Friday and Saturday night. The cost will be about $130/night for the hotel. There is a big Boat Show in Ft. Lauderdale that weekend, so some hotels will be sold out, although Priceline.com shows rooms at around $149 for a four star hotel (the Westin Ft. Lauderdale).

Frequently Asked Questions

Have you sailed on this ship before?
No, we've never sailed on Holland America before, so we don't know exactly what to expect, but we've heard that the ships are more formal than others. We're very excited about taking this trip.
Is there a formal night?
Yes, there are two formal nights. We will be wearing tuxes for both nights, but you can wear a nice suit (or just skip eating in the dining room.) Women can wear their most glamorous evening gown: break out those beads and rhinestones, because you'll fit right in. Of course, if you don't want to dress up - don't worry. The buffet area is very nice at night; or, you can just have room service.
Are Cokes free?
No. Iced tea, tea and normal coffee are free and are usually available 24 hours in the buffet area (the Lido restaurant). Juice is free at breakfast. Tap water is free (and there's nothing wrong with it.) Other than that, it'll cost you. Soda's and bottled water are usually $1.75 each. Holland America has a "soda card" for $20 that gives you 20 sodas: this might be a good deal for you - however, when they first introduced these soda cards on cruise ships, the bartenders gave you poor service (because they weren't getting a tip). Recently, however, things seem to have lightened up and, if you like fountain Code, Diet Coke, or Sprite (that's all there is), then go for it. Speciality coffees cost extra.
Can I bring liquor on the ship?
No. All your carryon luggae will go through a security x-ray machine and if they see a bottle of liquor, they'll take it and give it to you when you leave at the end of the cruise. However, you might be able to sneak it on in your checked luggage, but it may break there. Or, if you want to fill up a water bottle with alcohol (vodka, gin, tequila), that'll usually make it through the machines as long as it doesn't smell like alcohol. I don't know exactly how much drinks will be onboard, but they're usually about $5.50 for a Jack Daniels, or a screwdriver, or a Margerita.
Can I bring wine or champagne on the ship?
Yes. Holland America does allow you to bring two bottles of wine onboard, as long as it's not a type of wine they sell (they'll charge you $15 if you drink it at dinner, though. I'll be bringing a corkscrew and having a glass before dinner.) We'll be buying a couple of bottles on Saturday in Ft Lauderale and carrying them on. A bottle of inexpensive wine on the ship is about $25. Wines are marked up about 300% on the ship.
What's the deal with room service?
There is a room service menu that you can order from 24 hours a day. There are always sandwiches and breakfasts in the morning and I think there are full meals at dinnertime. It takes about 15 to 30 minutes to arrive. It is free (unless you get a Coke or wine.) It is my understanding that it is customary to tip the person who brings your food $1 or $2 per person: this is the only time on the sip that you'd need cash. Of course, you don't have to tip if you don't want. We've only had room service once and we didn't tip.
How do meals work?
The general dining on the ship is very good. The buffets are self service. If you dine in the dining room for breakfast, lunch or dinner, you will be given a menu and your waiter will take your order just like a restaurant. You can choose as many items or quantity as you wish (for example, 2+ shrimp cocktails if that is your thing!) One story I heard from last year was a guy who said to the waiter "See the jello over here on the menu? I don't want it, but bring me everything else!"
 
As with room service and the buffets, the dining room cuisine is included in your trip. The only thing you pay extra for is special beverages noted above.
 
For the evening dining room, we will be sitting together at a table for ten.
 
The gratuities for all of the staff on the ship (room steward, bartenders, waiters, etc.) are grouped into a daily amount that will be charged to your account at a rate of $10 per day per person. You can choose to tip additional amounts to any of these people at the end of the ship.
What is Premier dining?
There is a speciality restaurant on the ship that offers a higher quality of food preparation, selection and service and that charges $20 per person extra to go to. In addition to "better" food, they have some excellent wines there (at $100/bottle or more, they'd better be good.) The $20 covers all of the food on the menu and the service. You still pay extra for alcohol/sodas.
 
We ate at the speciality restaurant on one of the ships once and there was no doubt that the food was superb and the service was excellent. It was worth the extra $40 (well, we didn't actually have to pay because I won it in a trivia contest.) Won thing you always hear is about how quickly the speciality dining sells out - we've never seen a full restaurant: the ship people make that up to drum up business - because people only want to go where everyone else is going :)
How does this ship compare with [fill in the name of your favorite ship here]?
Since this is our first time, I can't really say for sure. However, the capacity is 1800 passengers, which is about the same as the Rhapsody of the Seas. Holland America's ships are more "upscale" than Celebrity, Princess, Royal Caribbean, and Carnival - so expect the food to be better, the shows to be better, the ships to be cleaner, and the interior decoration to have beautiful woods, furnishings, lighting, and carpeting.
What do we need to do in advance of the cruise?
Do I need a passport?
No - new rules take affect in January. For our cruise in October, you will need a "certified birth certificate" and a driver's license.
How big is my room?
Click here for floorplans. The suite is about 300 square feet with a 50 square foot balcony. The Veranda cabins are about 200 square feet with a 50 square foot balcony. The inside cabins are 183 square feet. As a comparison, the Veranda cabin is a little bit bigger than balcony cabins on other ships, and the inside cabin is larger than most ships (except Carnival, where all their cabins are 185 square feet). On the Rhapsody of the Seas, the inside cabin of 155 square feet was large enough for us, so 185 square feet would seem enormous!
What rooms are we in?
What are we doing on Turks?
This will probably be a trip to the beach for Scuba and Snorkle. Oasis Divers is the diving group. http://www.oasisdivers.com/ http://seaeyediving.com/ http://www.grandturkscuba.com/
What are we doing on Tortola?
Cruise Critic Review
Scuba dive. Ship excursion to Virga Gorda?
What are we doing on St Martaan?
Cruise Critic Review
Orient Beach (the nudist beach). Shopping. America's Cup racing (12 meter regatta - $99).
What should I pack?
We'll be sending out a complete packing list next week: make sure you have two formal outfits now, though. We don't wear jeans on a cruise, but we will be taking 10 pairs of short pants.
 
Don't forget that airlines are now extremely strict about baggage weight limits: 50 pounds per checked bag, and most airlines allow two checked bags (Southwest allows 3). If you go over 50 pounds, it's $25 for up to 70 pounds and $50 for 100 pounds. Our tip? Put your shoes in your carryon: they weigh a lot, but you can lug that 30 pound carryon around and have 20 more pounds of clothes in that garment bag. We normally take one large suitcase, a garment bag, and a carryon piece of luggage.
What about Halloween?
Saturday night in Ft Lauderdale will have lots of Halloween festivities: the gay population of the city is huge and they have all sorts of things that anyone can attend. On the ship, there is usually a costume contest, so we will be bringing costumes for everyone. Guys will need long white pants (like jeans) or white shorts. Girls will need a white blouse and white shorts - or you can wear the leotard we'll be bringing for you. We'll be sending complete pictures soon so there will be no confusion. We plan on winning the costume contest :)
I want more information?
Here are the message boards for the Westerdam.
What about the Norwalk Virus (Norovirus)?
Sometimes, you'll see something on the news about "200 people got sick on a cruise ship" and they'll talk about the Norwalk Virus. You may be concerned about it, because they make such a big deal. It's true - the virus does exist and people do get sick (Steve and I had it during one cruise). However, the virus is a very common virus and (according to the cruise industry) a greater percentage of people on land get the "stomach flu" than people on a cruise ship.
 
So what's the real deal? First, check out this CDC note about the virus - it'll answer most of your general questions. However, there are a few things that we can share

 
Updated 4/12/2006