No surprises. That’s what you get when you sail on Holland America Line’s newest ship, the Westerdam.

Like the motto devised for a major hotel chain, the 85,000-ton Westerdam promises - and delivers - a tried-and-true experience.

Repeat voyagers won’t be shocked with suddenly eclectic decor or radical changes in facilities or service, while passengers new to Holland America will find the Westerdam lives up to the line’s traditions of pleasant decor (lots of woods, nautical theming and little glitz), good food, good service and good facilities.

That’s not faint praise. It’s not easy to maintain a solid reputation in cruising, but Holland America pulls it off seemingly without effort.

Still, the Westerdam is not a total clone of the line’s previous two Vista-class ships.

Importantly for passenger comfort, many elements of the line’s new fleet-wide Signature of Excellence upgrades can be seen.

All beds, for example, are outfitted with premium Euro-top mattresses and 250-thread-count linens. Towels are 100 percent Egyptian cotton, magnifying makeup mirrors have halo lighting and terrycloth bathrobes come with each room.

‘‘Flat-panel televisions and DVD players will be standard in all cabins,’’ said Rick Meadows, senior vice president for marketing. (Many Westerdam staterooms already were outfitted with those devices; each cabin also has a modem for Internet access.)

‘‘And we have European waiters in the Pinnacle the alternative restaurant, $20 for dinner, $15 for lunch.’’

Even the casino has a new element - three-card poker and face-up blackjack, board games that haven’t been seen on earlier ships. And the Northern Lights disco swings with a different theme every night.

Those weren’t the only new features that delighted recent Westerdam passengers. They also got the first look at new attractions that promise to make the line’s private island, Half Moon Cay, one of its most popular shore excursions.

Three major additions, also part of the $225 million fleetwide Signature of Excellence enhancements, have been made to the island - horseback riding, a stingray cove and an enhanced water park.

Passengers on horseback ascend to the highest ridge on the island - 90 feet, the second highest point in the Bahamas chain - and then go down to the ocean, something horses don’t do naturally, according to Matthew Sams, the line’s vice president in charge of the island.

‘‘We brought in 24 horses from Jamaica and had to train them to enter the water,’’ he said. The equine excursion costs $59 per person; the island can handle 100 people a day.

Just as gratifying for island visitors is the opportunity to commune with stingrays on the island’s new Sting Ray Cove, the third attraction of its kind in the world. On the banks of Half Moon Cay’s 700-acre inland lagoon, passengers snorkel in an enclosure containing 26 rays.

In this, the activity is different from the Grand Cayman’s famed Sting Ray City, where bathers can stand on the sandy bottom and see the winged creatures swirl around them.

‘‘We take a maximum of 38 people on tour, so the ratio of rays to people is - to 1 - far better than at Sting Ray City,’’ said Sams. Fishing for bonefish on the flats and watercraft rentals are other new activities at the lagoon.

On the island’s expanded beachside water park, nine dragon-like floatables bob in the clear green waters, waiting for swimmers to climb aboard. Separate water slides for teens and younger children are another popular feature, as well as an adult bar with a great view of the beach.

Though Half Moon Cay was struck by hurricanes Frances and Jeanne last fall, the island looks as if it were untouched, thanks to $210,000 in landscape renovation. ‘‘We only missed four sailings,’’ boasted Sams.

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WESTERDAM

Best for: Traditional cruisers who like understated elegance; families are onboard during school holidays

What we liked best:

-Cabins with improved beds and linens, flat-screen TVs, upgraded amenities

-Lunch at the casual restaurant included Chateaubriand

-Movies are shown in theater as well as on television

-At Half Moon Cay private island, additions include horseback riding, a sting ray cove and an enhanced children’s water park

What we liked least:

-On a major football Saturday, the sports bar TVs were showing an Italian soccer match. That’s no way to attract American audiences.

-Too much focus on art auctions and shop sales

DETAILS

Itineraries: Mostly 5- and 7-night Caribbean cruises from Port Everglades in winter, 10-night cruises in Europe during summer.

Cost: Five-night Bahamas cruises start at $413 per person, 7-night Caribbean voyages start at $963 per person. Ten-night cruises in Europe in May start at $2,010 per person.

Amenities: Spa; salon; children’s club; casino; main and alternative dining rooms; several lounges (some with dancing); production show theater; movie theater; pools; computer-aided golf coaching; visits to private island, Half Moon Cay

Length: 935 feet

Width: 105.8 feet

Size: 81,769 (a measure of volume, not weight)

Passenger capacity: 1,848 (two to a cabin)

Staterooms: 924; 85 percent have ocean views, 67 have verandahs

Crew: 880

Information: Holland America Line, 800-426-0327 or 877-724-5425; www.halcruises.com or www.hollandamerica.com