This was our first cruise on Holland America, and our 16th cruise overall. Really enjoyed the ship as it had everything we could want.
Would gladly go on another HA ship if the itinerary was suitable as the port location.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
We had a most wonderful and relaxing experience on the Holland America Zuiderdam cruise ship. While not a "wild" time for night life and on-board activities which we got used to on Royal Caribbean and Carnival ships, we found that the accomodations in our cabin were far superior to that of other ships. Loved the fact that there were many live TV shows to watch (during days at sea) as well as dozens of movies, some of which were currently in the theaters. Also, the entertainment in the Main Stage theater was terrific,especially the Island Magic Steel Band, who played many classical and broadway music on the steel drums. Something not heard anywhere else.
Traveling on the ship was so very pleasant. Was the most stable ship of all we were on.
Arriving in our cabin we were surprised by the bottle of champagne and fresh fruit awaiting us. Also very nice terry cloth robes for each.
The bathroom had a tub with a shower, something you would only get in the suites and luxury cabins on other ships.
Dining room experience was also great. I will post more comments below.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
The Lido Bar buffet and Main Dining Room had a very large assortment of foods to chose from. There also was a place on the pool deck where you could order specialty hot dogs, hamburgers and nachos, tacos, etc.
We did not use the specialty restaurants since the main dining room had more than enough choices to satisfy us. We also used the main dining room for some breakfast and lunches, as well as taking afternoon tea. We opted one time for in-stateroom breakfast, something we never did before - and it was because there was a suitable table and couch that we could use. This was mainly because the bed allowed us to store all 4 of our suitcases underneath.
Ocean Bar
5 out of 5
Loved the piano player and the drinks
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
We are not great at using many of the activities provided, but did go fo dance lessons, port excursion viewings, and use of the jacuzzi hot tub. Also it was nice to walk around the promenade deck and relax in the many deck chairs provided.
Photo Gallery
5 out of 5
Had a hard time choosing all the photos we wanted, but the package deals made the choice much easier.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
The stage shows were very very good. Loved the comedian Dan Chopin - was the best. B.B. King's All Stars band was the finest musicians we heard. The group called Island Magic Steel Band was totally off-the-wall and surprising with the music they played. Not your typical island reggae or caribbean music. No. They played classical and show tunes as well as popular songs (Beatles, Elton John, etc.). What was nice was the chance to meet with them later in the cruise and took advantage of the two CD's they had for sale. So good!
Crow's Next Lounge
5 out of 5
The Crow's Nest allowed for some nice relaxing space and view of the ocean as well as library reading.
Children's Programs
We had no children on the ship
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
We had very nice service from the waiters in the main dining room. Edy and Gaspar were very attentive to our needs at all times.
In fact, all the ship's dining personnel were very attentive, bringing juice, coffee and were quick to clean-up the tables.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
It took about a day to get used to the ship's layout. I was surprised that they had daily church services, something not seen on other ships.
Everything was well maintained. In fact, we especially loved the elevators. One, there were so many that were easily accessible, and Two, they were super fast and quiet. It would be unusual to see other people in the elevator, so it felt like we had our own private elevator.
Again, walking around the ship was super easy.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
The cabin was as good as we could expect. The closets and drawer spaces were more than generous to hold all our belongings. Once thing I would like to point out is that we only discovered near the end of our sailing that there were two large storage drawers at the foot or our bed. Had we know that, it would have allowed us to pack other items better. We only discovered that by looking at the menu options on the television screen (which, by the way) was a large flat screen, probably 40 inches or so. The balcony was also nice to sit out at, especially since the weather was as perfect as one would want on a cruise. Cabin was very clean, and was taken care of daily.
Ship tip
Familiarize yourself with what amenities are in your cabin, such as the storage drawers! Do not opt for something called Open Seating, aka My Time Dining. I heard many people complaining about the wait for a table. Choose the later 8:00 PM dining as that allows you to take the excursions with time to get back and eat. The shows are done twice an evening, so you can always see one. Be sure to follow instructions if you have to be tendered vs. being docked at your destination ports.
Take advantage of everything you can do. It is a great ship, and Holland America does things right.
We decided not to do any excursions. Since we had to be tendered at this private island, we only wanted to get off the ship to get a taste of the Bahamas. Not adventurous enough, I guess. The free island buffet was very good. If I was more willing, going for a horseback ride on the beach would have been fun.
Always have fun on Aruba. Surprised that we pulled into a secondary berth at the port. Another ship had arrived before us, but I remember how lovely the port building was. It was too long of a walk into town, so we stayed on the ship until it was time for our excursion in the early evening. It was a nightlife, bar hopping trip that included a very good dinner at a local restaurant. Had a lot of fun on the Kooku Kanuko bus.
We did this port previously so opted for the "submarine" tour. Was a nice bus ride around the island with much to see both on land and under water. Was also taken to the Curacao factory for a tour. And, of course, bought some bottles of Curacao there.
At first we were going to just stay on the ship, enjoying the fact that we transited the canal. But after going to the presentations on board, decided that we would take the excursion that drove us to the Pacific Ocean side in Panama City. Major complaint here: the walking part of the tour was supposed to last 45 minutes, which would be fine. However, it lasted nearly two whole hours. My wife has problems walking for that length of time, but we survived. Wish we could have known this and perhaps taken another tour. They did provide us with a nice dinner at a local Panama City restaurant.
We took an excursion out to the rain forest trolley/tram ride. The bus trip was nearly two hours in length, as advertised, and the tram ride took about 70 minutes total. Very interesting indeed. They provided us with a very nice meal and we were able to buy many souvenirs at the end.
Was directed off the ship at exactly the correct time, a first for any of the cruises we had taken. Found our luggage and then waiting in line for at least 20-25 minutes before going through customs. Also, and this is another first, there were no custom declaration forms to fill out.
Did not know if this is commonplace now, or only at Ft. Lauderdale, but I like it!
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