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The Westerdam is noteworthy in the history of Holland America Line for
being the only ship in the company's history to undergo an extensive lengthening and
redesign.
The ship was originally built in 1986 at the Meyer Werft shipyard in West Germany as the
mv Homeric, with a capacity of 1,000 passengers. After Holland America bought the ship in
1988, it was renamed and sent back to the shipyard in 1989 for an $84 million expansion
and redesign.
The expansion project involved the insertion of a cruise industry record-setting 130-foot
section into the ship, increasing the ship's size by 13,872 tons -- to 53,872 gross tons.
Capacity increased to 1,494 passengers, and the ship's length from 668 to 798 feet.
A highlight of the expansion project was the creation of a state-of-the-art, 800-seat
two-deck show lounge -- the Admiral's Lounge.
The new section of the ship contains the Explorer's Lounge, Ocean Bar, Book Chest library,
Card Room and Halve Maen meeting room. Complete audiovisual facilities and other meeting
aids are available.
A $2 million collection of 17th and 18th century art and antiques, themed to Dutch
world-wide exploration, enhances the ship's decor. A prime piece is a bronze cannon, cast
in Rotterdam in 1634, which once graced a Dutch admiral's warship.
The Westerdam has nine passenger decks, with duty-free shops and most public rooms
conveniently located on Promenade and Upper Promenade decks. The public rooms are large
and feature high-quality furnishings and understated elegance.
Also on Promenade Deck are the Square and the Front Office, which is open 24 hours a day.
The elegant Amsterdam Dining Room, seating 882 passengers, is located on Restaurant Deck.
The 250-seat Lido Restaurant, on Upper Promenade Deck, features an extensive buffet for
casual dining at breakfast or lunch and opens to the spacious Lido Deck and pool area.
Casual dining also is available in the 238-seat Verandah Restaurant on Sun Deck, adjacent
to the Verandah Pool, which features a retractable sliding glass dome.
Also on Sun Deck is the Westerdam's plush 237-seat Theater, used for lectures, meetings
and religious services, as well as recent films.
The Westerdam features six lounges: the Admiral's Lounge showroom, the Queen's Lounge, the
Explorers Lounge, the Ocean Bar, the Peartree Club nightclub with its Partridge Bar, and
the Saloon piano bar.
In addition, there is the Casino, offering blackjack, Caribbean poker, roulette, craps
table and slot machines; the Big Apple children's game room; a fully-equipped Ocean Spa
fitness center; and men's and women's saunas and massage rooms.
A wide teak deck encircles Upper Promenade Deck, affording space for the ship's
comfortable deck chairs, as well as ample room for running or walking.
Each spacious stateroom is equipped with private bathroom, individually controlled air
conditioning, telephone with computerized wakeup service, multi-channel music system and
closed-circuit television. Also, four staterooms have been equipped to accommodate
physically challenged guests.
ms Westerdam 1998 Cruise Schedule
(B) Day at the beach (private
island)
Name/
Days |
Ports
origin destination in bold |
Date |
| Eastern Caribbean 7 |
Ft. Lauderdale- Nassau; San
Juan; St. John/St. Thomas; Half Moon Cay - Ft. Lauderdale |
1/3 - 4/11
(Saturdays) |
| Panama Canal 10-17 |
Ft. Lauderdale- Half Moon Cay (B);
Cartagena, Colombia; Panama Canal; Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica; Huatulco, Mexico; Acapulco
(10); Cabo San Lucas; Los Angeles (14), Vancouver (17) |
4/18 |
| Alaska (Inside Passage) 7 |
Vancouver - Juneau; Skagway; Glacier Bay;
Ketchikan - Vancouver |
5/9 - 9/19
(Saturdays) |
| Pacific Coast/Panama Canal 21 |
Vancouver - Victoria, BC; Los Angeles;
Puerto Vallarta; Zihuatanejo, Mexico; Acapulco; Huatulco, Mexico; Puerto Quetzal,
Guatemala; Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica; Panama Canal; San Blas Islands; Cartagena,
Colombia; Half Moon Cay - Ft. Lauderdale |
9/26 |
| Pacific Coast/Panama Canal 20 |
Victoria - Los Angeles; Puerto Vallarta;
Zihuatanejo, Mexico; Acapulco; Huatulco, Mexico; Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala; Puerto
Caldera, Costa Rica; Panama Canal; San Blas Islands; Cartagena, Colombia; Half Moon Cay - Ft.
Lauderdale |
9/27 |
| Panama Canal 17 |
Los Angeles - Puerto Vallarta;
Zihuatanejo, Mexico; Acapulco; Huatulco, Mexico; Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala; Puerto
Caldera, Costa Rica; Panama Canal; San Blas Islands; Cartagena, Colombia; Half Moon Cay -
Ft. Lauderdale |
9/30 |
| Panama Canal |
Acapulco - Huatulco, Mexico; Puerto
Quetzal, Guatemala; Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica; Panama Canal; San Blas Islands; Cartagena,
Colombia; Half Moon Cay - Ft. Lauderdale |
10/5 |
| Eastern Caribbean |
Ft. Lauderdale - Nassau; San
Juan; St. John/St. Thomas; Half Moon Cay - Ft. Lauderdale |
10/17 - 12/12
(Saturdays) |
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