Ship's crew, leaves much to be desired

Zuiderdam Cruise Review to Caribbean

MelissaA1

Contributor Level: Deck Hand

Cruises: 2-3 cruises

Reviews: 0

Helpful Votes: 8

Overall rating:

3 out of 5

Verified Review

10 Night Panama Canal Sunfarer (Ft. Lauderdale Roundtrip)

Sail date: December 13, 2010

Ship: Zuiderdam

Cabin type: Oceanview

Traveled as: Singles/Friends

Reviewed: 13 years ago

Review summary

The ship itself was beautiful and the perfect size. The cabin rooms were great and the cabin stewards were very helpful and attentive. The ship was generally clean, particularly in the common areas, and everything was very accessible. The food wasn't fantastic in the general dining options - including nightly dinners, but there is were enough options to somewhat satisfy most customers. The hours for the buffet were a bit odd, as food wasn't always available when you were ready to eat.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

3 out of 5

Food options weren't as plentiful as I've seen on other cruises; the dining hours were very odd and food wasn't always available; quality was average.

Entertainment

3 out of 5

Ship entertainment was definitely NOT something I would recommend, however some of the external acts were decent and entertaining.

Service and Staff

3 out of 5

You do not get a sense of anyone going "above and beyond" but rather, doing just enough to get through the cruise.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

Ports of call

Oranjestad, Aruba

5 out of 5

The Sea and See Tour was very interesting and gave you the chance to see a lot of the island. Aruba has many different cultures and histories across the island which were great to see.

Thumbs Up 0

Don't Miss: Underwater coral reef

Half Moon Cay, Bahamas (Private Island)

3 out of 5

Very small island, and we experienced poor weather at this port, so all excursions/activities were cancelled. It looked like a beautiful beach that would have been a must see in warm weather.

Thumbs Up 0

Don't Miss: Relaxing at the beach

Willemstad, Curacao

5 out of 5

Make sure you give yourself enough time to see everything and walk around Willemstad. Within a short walking distance, you have tourist shopping, local shopping, and historical sites such as the museums and the swing bridge.

Thumbs Up 0

Don't Miss: Swing bridge, the colors around town

Puerto Limon, Costa Rica

3 out of 5

Be sure to check out the rainforest while here. There are several different options, but I would recommend ensuring that you get to the other side of Costa Rica (out of Limon) to see the sights. Limon itself has little to nothing to offer, so be sure to sign up for a tour or excursion when docked here.

Thumbs Up 0

Don't Miss: Get on a bus to the rainforest!

Colon, Panama

5 out of 5

Make sure you get the true Panama Canal experience. Being able to actually go through all three lock systems from the Atlantic to the Pacific, cannot be missed.

Thumbs Up 0

Don't Miss: Going through the entire canal in a smaller vessel

Pros: Cabin size was huge

Cons: The level of customer service and professionalism of the crew

Recommends Zuiderdam? Yes!

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older but nice

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