A smart, mid-sized ship with Holland America Line's trademark twin funnels and dark blue hull, Westerdam is themed around Dutch heritage in the New World, with beautiful paintings, sculptures and objets d'art dotted all over the ship, some extremely valuable.

The 1,964-passenger ship is built for long-distance and has just received extensive enhancements as part of a $300 million brand initiative. New bar, entertainment and dining venues, plus completely reimagined suites debuted for the 2017 Europe season.

Enjoy dazzling entertainment from your very first night on board. As part of the updates, new music venues have been added: Lincoln Center Stage, featuring world-class musicians performing chamber music, and Billboard Onboard, rocking the house with 50 years of chart-topping hits. These venues join the already popular B.B. King's Blues Club, completing our new "Music Walk" experience. Alternatively, lie back on a teak steamer chair and watch the world go by, or swim in one of two pools - a retractable glass roof means you can swim in any weather. The Greenhouse Spa spans two decks and has treatment rooms and a pretty thermal suite with sea views.

Be sure to check out the new Explorations Central located high atop the ship; it's the heartbeat of the Holland America Line destination experience. Plus, Westerdamfeatures the exclusive new Rijksmuseum at Sea.


Other activities on offer include cookery demonstrations and classes in the state-of-the-art Culinary Arts Center, and free classes in the Digital Workshop where guests can learn to blog and create impressive displays online of their holiday photos.

Dining on this elegant ship, in addition to the main restaurant, is in the Pinnacle Grill, where you'll find the best cuts of beef and, of course, the finest Alaskan salmon and king crab. There's also a chance to try Italian specialities in Canaletto. Seafood makes an appearance at the lavish deck barbecues, an occasion not to be missed, and the line's Dutch colonial heritage is celebrated with a weekly Indonesian rijstaffel lunch.

Staterooms on Westerdam are spacious and tastefully decorated; we do recommend a balcony if you're cruising in Alaska, as there's so much to see from the ship.