Fun, exciting cruise to Antarctica. Even in summer, south america can have rain, snow, sun all in a few hours. Mostly good weather though. Some disappointments in the ship with crew, food, drinks, a mixed international crowd, but I guess a bargain overall with the number of days on board plus the chance to see Antarctica and the Wildlife.
Embarkation
3 out of 5
Fast boarding but sort of impersonal since service people had limited english
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
2 out of 5
Lido Buffet was inedible. Dining Room a big step above that. Specialty spotty food. Very few drink specials and all over $10 usually. Cappucino extra charge
Lido Restaurant
1 out of 5
Easily the worst part of the ship. Sushi was a mush of rice with tough fish sometimes since they stir the rice till it is a mush (uncaringly). Pizza was a dried, thawed mess. Coffee got worse tasting each day. Asian section not even close to representing the countries being served. Seemed all mushy versions of Indonesian with different sauces. Service was friendly by only a few that stood out. Lines were not formed since this was an international passenger crowd without courtesy sometimes.
Onboard Activities
2 out of 5
Smaller ship so not much to do on board. Tennis, pickleball and basketball courts in windy areas rather than protected, so worthless courts. Pool too small for laps. Gym adequate. No power jetted jacuzzis.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
Ship's crew above average, Singing off on some days. Outside entertainment good and bad.
Children's Programs
1 out of 5
Some unsupervised kids were screaming in the library game room area and I noticed most adults just vacated the room because of the takeover of that room.
Service and Staff
2 out of 5
Service from the indonesian and filipino crew less desirable than my cruises in the past. Some rude answers from wait and food staff occasionally. Food in Lido horrible. Bad chef in charge.
Ship Quality
2 out of 5
Some parts on Zaandam, beautiful if they are remodeled. Otherwise the cabins and bathrooms really outdated (pink tile from the 60s) and bad sports deck layout (feels like you might get blown over when walking).
Cabin / Stateroom
3 out of 5
1881 was next to the gangplank so the last night in Buenos Aires had trouble sleeping. Otherwise mid ship seemed to be a good location for a cabin here. Previous was in a cabin below the kitchen. A big mistake with noise.
Ship tip
December was a coughing (cold) ship. Everyone was coughing everywhere and some not covering their mouths.
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