Contemporary pieces include an original Andy Warhol portrait and sculptures by Sedona artist Susanna Holt.

[3][4] On 10 May 2011 while maneuvering through Yakutat Bay, south of Kluane National Park, British Columbia, Westerdam struck ice and incurred hull damage 15 feet (4.6 m) below the waterline.

[5] On 28 June 2014, Westerdam suffered a boiler room[clarification needed] fire after leaving the Port of Seattle.

[6][7] On 25 June 2015, a Promech Air de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter carrying a pilot and eight passengers from Westerdam on a Holland America Line sightseeing excursion over southeastern Alaska crashed into the face of a granite cliff near Ella Lake, 20 miles (32 km) northeast of Ketchikan, killing all nine people on board.

[9][10] After initially receiving approval on 10 February to let the passengers disembark in Thailand, as the ship was heading to Laem Chabang port near Bangkok, permission to dock was refused the next day.

Unlike the cruise ship Diamond Princess, which is located in the port of Yokohama in Japan, those on board are not in quarantine.

[16] Despite these findings, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen visited the ship, discouraged use of masks, and encouraged the passengers to tour the city, sparking concerns that another spoke was being added to the contagion network.

The ship was finally completed and operated on the transatlantic run making two eight-day crossings each month between Rotterdam and New York.