Much Better Than Expected!

Zaandam Cruise Review to Alaska

ThomasK13182727

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Reviews: 0

Helpful Votes: 5

Overall rating:

4 out of 5

Verified Review

7 Night Glacier Discovery Southbound (Seward To Vancouver)

Sail date: July 15, 2012

Ship: Zaandam

Cabin type: Inside

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 12 years ago

Review summary

We booked this cruise with trepidation, as the reviews of the ship (andf Holland America in general) were, at best, mixed. But boy, were we pleasantly surprised! Having sailed 30+ times, we are not novices when it comes to judging ships. The Zaandam far exceeded our expectations. The staff---especially the servers in all the restaurants---were wonderful. The food was better than most and reminded us of the kind of choices we used to get on all cruiselines. The ship is older but charming. The staff is constantly cleaning and polishing, and they seem to take pride in their ship. The cabin size was larger than on similar ships. Lines onboard were quite manageable and moved quickly. The ship's overall size (on the small size) is actually preferred over the mega ships that require one to wait in line for elevators, wait in line flor food, fight crowds for deck space, etc.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5

The food in the Lido buffet was much better than we'd heard. They even had crab legs one night! The Rotterdam Restaurant was a good sitdown option and has great windows for viewing while dining. Our first day aboard\, we met a server in the Lido who asked our names. The next day\, not only did he remember us by name\, but he'd even saved us a covted table by the window. Who does that?

Entertainment

3 out of 5

Shows were okay\, though slightly hokey.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

EVERYONE (well\, except the snooty maitre d' in the Rotterdam) went above and beyond. They seemed genuinely happy to see us\, were extremely welcoming and polite\, never seemed put out by requests\, and were by far the best we've encountered in years!

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

Elevators arrived quickly; ship is very easy to navigate and well laid-out; public areas are scattered and varied.

Cabin / Stateroom

3 out of 5

Cabin was larger than on other ships and very clean.

Pros: Superior service was just like the good 'ole days

Cons: Seward was a waste of time

Recommends Zaandam? Yes!

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