Westerdam: Sanitation Record & Health Report

Look, we don't hand out standing ovations around here — this is Ship Tea, not a cruise line press release — but the Westerdam has earned a slow clap. A perfect 100 on its most recent CDC inspection in May 2025 puts it not just above the fleet average of 95, but in the rare rarefied air of ships that inspectors apparently cannot find a single thing wrong with. A 100. On a ship that feeds thousands of people daily across buffets, restaurants, and room service. That is not luck; that is a crew that takes food safety with the kind of seriousness usually reserved for neurosurgery. The "Spotless Galley" grade is exactly what it sounds like: the kitchens passed with a food safety score of 100.0, which means no corners cut, no mystery temperatures, no "well it was *probably* fine."

For a Holland America ship — a line that trends older, quieter, and more "refined" than, say, the neon-lit chaos barges over at Royal Caribbean — the Westerdam delivers exactly what its demographic expects: a ship that won't give you food poisoning or a reason to file a CDC complaint. Holland America vessels have a mixed inspection history across the fleet, which makes a perfect score here genuinely notable rather than just expected. This isn't a new ship coasting on shiny equipment; it's a ship with an experienced crew that has figured out how to run a clean operation at scale, and that takes actual discipline.

Who it's for: Anyone who wants a classic cruise experience without having to cross their fingers at the buffet. If your idea of a good time involves white tablecloths, responsible food handling, and not spending day three in your cabin regretting the shellfish, Westerdam is your ship. Who should skip it: Thrill-seekers chasing drama or adventure — the only tea here is that there is no tea. The Westerdam is aggressively, almost smugly competent, and if you were hoping to find something to complain about, you're going to have a very boring trip.