Holland America Line is finally back with sailings in Asia with the cruise ship ms Westerdam. In its first Asian visit since the 2020 cruise industry shutdown, the ms Westerdam arrived on Pulau Komodo island on Saturday. Following the first stop the cruise liner arrived in Bali after visiting Lembar, Indonesia, on Sunday.
The Indonesian calls are part of a 30-day repositioning cruise that began in Auckland, New Zealand on December 20 and will end in Singapore on Thursday.
Other ports en route included Tauranga, Christchurch and Dunedin, New Zealand; Hobart, Melbourne, Sydney and Cairns, Australia; and other destinations in New Zealand and Australia.
After a routine drydock, Westerdam is scheduled to begin a full Asia program in early February, sailing from Singapore and Japan to various countries including China, the Philippines, Korea, Indonesia and Japan.
The ship's Asian season will end at the end of April and she will embark on a North Pacific crossing to Seattle with calls in Japan and Alaska. Westerdam will begin a spring/summer Alaska cruise season from Seattle in early May.
Westerdam debuted in 2004 as part of Holland America's Vista class. The 1,964-guest ship offers a range of restaurants, including Pinnacle Grill steakhouse, Tamarind Asian restaurant, Canaletto Italian dining experience and Poolside Grill.
Other ship features include B.B. King's Blues Club, Greenhouse Spa & Salon, Club HAL kids' clubs, BBC Earth in Concert, cooking demonstrations and wine tastings.