Wonderful Start, Rough Ending

Item: Zaandam
Rating: 4.6
Author: don4869282

Zaandam Cruise Review to Canada, New England, New York

don4869282

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 83

Overall rating:

4.6 out of 5

Verified Review

10 Night The Atlantic Coast Northbound (Ft. Lauderdale To Montreal)

Sail date: April 24, 2019

Ship: Zaandam

Cabin type: Suite

Cabin number: 7022

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 5 years ago

Review summary

Wonderful trip with a mediocre ending. It appears that the cruise lines know this trip was set too early in the season but didn't care.

Embarkation

5 out of 5

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5

Onboard Activities

5 out of 5

Entertainment

5 out of 5

Service and Staff

4 out of 5

Waiters and Room Stewards were fantastic. The Concierge was only moderately helpful. He missed a few items we had asked about so we had to ask a second time, and the departure arrangements were terrible.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

This is the only way we'll cruise. We love the larger room and huge balcony. It makes the entire cruise better.

Ship tip

The breakfast in the Pinnacle Grill is a must if you're in a suite.

Thumbs up

Ports of call

Ft. Lauderdale (Port Everglades), Florida

3 out of 5

Boston, Massachusetts

5 out of 5

Bar Harbor, Maine

4 out of 5

We arrived too early in the season. 1/2 the shops weren't even open yet.

Thumbs Up 0

Halifax, Nova Scotia

4 out of 5

We arrived too early in the season. 1/2 the shops weren't even open yet.

Thumbs Up 1

Sydney, Nova Scotia

5 out of 5

Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island

5 out of 5

Don't miss the Falconry tour. It's a once in a lifetime experience. We both loved it and the host is outstanding.

Thumbs Up 1

Quebec City, Quebec

5 out of 5

Great town, nice people. A slight language barrier, but nothing that would take away from the trip.

Thumbs Up 2

Montreal, Quebec

3 out of 5

Biggest disappointment of the trip was to have to take a bus from Quebec City to Montreal. We understood that there had been some flooding and early snow melts had raised the river to a point where the ship couldn't pass under a bridge. This was OK with us because we knew nobody can predict the weather. Then we found out from shop owners and the crew that this happens every year and the ships can never get under the bridge until much later in the season. This really cast a bad light on an otherwise wonderful vacation.

Thumbs Up 0

Disembarkation

2 out of 5

A 3 1/2 hr bus ride instead of a Neptune Suite is an unfortunate way to end a trip.

3 Comments

hillabeans 5 years ago

What departure arrangements if I might ask?

Thumbs Up 0

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CruzeFan 5 years ago

Always research previous reviews from the time of year you want to go. People book early New England / Canadian and Alaska cruises because of the lower prices, then complain about shops not being open, weather related issues, etc. There is a reason the prices are lower.

Thumbs Up 1

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olddbob 5 years ago

Didnt you do any research before booking ?

Thumbs Up 0

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