First time on Holland America!
Zaandam Cruise Review
Contributor Level:
Second Mate
Cruises: 7+ cruises
Reviews: 6
Helpful Votes: 69
Review summary
Held a baby sloth…enough said!!!!!! Best experienceEmbarkation
There wasn’t distinct lines going into the building. They all funneled together. We had to show documentation 3 times before getting inside, because they would check you and then tell you to proceed…only to have to show someone else. It didn’t make sense.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
Overall, the food was good on this ship. I loved the Dive-In spot by the pool. They had the best fries and hot dogs! I also thought the steakhouse was fabulous. The Italian restaurant food was good, but the service was so bad. It took way too long and waiter was not attentive at all. The Lido buffet was great, food always fresh.
Onboard Activities
Entertainment
The Humanity dance show was the best show I’ve ever seen on any ship. The comedians were great. The Boy Band Project was awesome, full of energy and members were super friendly.
Service and Staff
Ship Quality
Overall, the ship was super clean. The windows, however, were always too bad to take pics through them. Even after you would see the windows cleaners, they didn’t get much better. It made it impossible to get good pics through the windows.
Cabin / Stateroom
Best touch was that there was motion activated lights under cabinets that help light the path to the bathroom!
Ship tip
Go to the shows!
Thumbs up
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Ports of call
Didn’t do an excursion. I went to the shops just outside the port. The prices of most items were inflated in comparison to some other ports. Also, they aren’t receptive to bartering.
There is a place right off of the pier, within walking distance, that has so many birds, monkeys, peacocks, parrots, flamingo…and the best was that I got to hold a baby sloth! It was the highlight of my entire trip.
There was a beach right off of the pier, within walking distance. You can shop, eat and swim at the beach. I got my hair braided for $20 and it stayed good for 3.5 days!
Half Moon Cay, Bahamas (Private Island)
This is a tender port. It was a beautiful beach. The snorkeling was not the best, didn’t see much, but the sand and water are magnificent.
Disembarkation
They had an excellent program for $25 called Luggage Direct. They would take and check your luggage all the way to your end destination. It was amazing not to have to lug baggage. This made it possible to get cheaper Ubers to airport because you didn’t have to pay for larger Ubers accommodate luggage.
Traveler Photos
