Excellent cruise
Zuiderdam Cruise Review to Transatlantic
Contributor Level:
Purser
Cruises: 7+ cruises
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 55
Review summary
A restful, restorative cruise with a front row seat to the wonders and power of Nature.Embarkation
We stayed at the New York Hotel, HAL former HQ. It was a 2-minute roll of the luggage down the street to the Cruise Terminal. We left the suitcases outside at the curb and simply followed the clear indications to the boarding area. Our group was called and we were on. Cordial, competant and comfprtable !
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
The MDR is always a lovely experience and we enjoyed all three meals at one time or another. We had As You Like dining which gave us flexibility. The Maitre D at the entry and his assistant, Olivia always took that in stride and even if seating logistics were challenging for them, they never showed it. We were always seated promptly and enjoyed a number of different waiters.
The Lido had delicious and varied offerings. The serving personnel were charming. The passengers could be pigs, leaving messes on the tables they would never do at home. Some of the personnel didn't clear the tables and talked among themselves or with passengers at great length which created a bottleneck. Some avoided coming around with beverages or simply disappeared.
Room service for breakfast was ALWAYS on time and in full. We loved it.
Onboard Activities
I bought the 17-day couples pass to the hydropool and used it faithfully. I would not take a cruise in the future on a boat without a hydropool- if I could help it. I was also very partial to the BB King Blues Club and Lincoln Center classical music. I enjoyed immensely the coffee chats with different officers and members of the crew.
Entertainment
Jonathan the Cruise Director was irritating, the magician was cool. The Russian classical pianist twho lives in London was fabulous. There were no Filippino/Indonesian crew shows.
Service and Staff
Courteous, competant, efficient, knowledgeable and professional! I filled out the HAL questionnaire and cited the outstanding names who contributd the most to our trip.
Ship Quality
CLEAN! They were always keeping it clean, and safe, late at night and early in the morning- around the clock! I was very impressed. Members of the crew take great pride in the ship and in their roles. It does not matter that the ship is not brand new; they keep it beautifully.
Cabin / Stateroom
It seemed big. Lots of storage space and very well located far enough from the service rooms and crew doors. lower level middle, so reduced rocking and movement. They will eventuakky replace the carpeting, the couch, chairs and bedspread and touch up the bathroom. But because it was kept clean, that didn't matter.
Ports of call
They have a metro system, bus, taxi and uber. They love to walk. Remember it is one of the great ports of Europe so it willbe industrial. But the restaurants are great and the architecture is cool ! I would have liked to use the hop on Hop off bus, but the rain discouraged me.
Thumbs Up
1
Lerwick, Shetland Islands, Scotland
SOOOO fun to get off the boat and walk around. There's a guy who walks his pet goat. I had tomato soup and a scone next to the UK Cancer Research charity shop where I bought a Debenham's black jacket for 3 pounds. They take English currency or credit cards. No Euros or dollars. There's a Boots Pharmacy and a wonderful hardware store both with goodies and treasures. At least two little shops offered home-made ice cream.
Cruise Prins Christian Sund, Greenland
Disembarkation
Quick and smooth. The bus to take us to the airport was waiting just outside.
Traveler Photos
