I just don't think that the management at Holland America are customer friendly and they take short cuts. Having been on an Oceana cruise in the past, maybe we are spoiled. Their handling of the cabin smell and the lack of quality customer service ruined a much anticipated holiday for me and my wife. I blame Holland America for their lack of caring about anything but the bottom line. We actually paid extra for suite amenities, but were treated like we were the cheapest passengers.... I would never try to buy a 'discounted bargain' from these folks. You may end up in a row boat.
Embarkation
3 out of 5
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
2 out of 5
They are lacking in quality, choice and the wait staff are anything but accommodating.
Onboard Activities
1 out of 5
Entertainment
2 out of 5
Practically non-existent on this ship.
Service and Staff
1 out of 5
I was convinced that they don't like what they do and the customer is the sad beneficiary of that poor attitude.
Ship Quality
1 out of 5
Our cabin had a horrible smell for most of the cruise and we got no help in changing beyond some 'cover-up' spray. They made us feel like it was only us, but as we dug deeper, we were not the only cabin and this particular cabin had issues on past cruises (the housekeeping staff let that slip). The smell apparently came through the ventilation system and was so bad it made you physically sick. We spent most of the cruise with our cabin door open and eventually got a fan to help.
Cabin / Stateroom
1 out of 5
The cabin itself was sufficient. The smell was so off-putting that we ended up being miserable.
Ship tip
Make sure you know about your cabin brofre you get on board and that it is cleaned.
Nice private island with few amenities. The ship line owns this place and charges you for everything. Your ship drink deals do not carry over to their island locations.
I was impressed with the location, we picked the 'Taste of Puerto Plata' excursion. It was fun and interesting, although they tried to jam too much into that day. It was definitely busy and worth the money. Just not enough time in the day. I would definitely not try to see this island without being accompanied.
We started on an excursion here and found it to be not something we would want to continue on, so we dropped out and spent the afternoon there 'chillaxing' with the rest of the folks. That made our day very enjoyable and the island well worth the visit. My recommendation is bypass the excursions and enjoy this USA island on your own.
This was smooth as silk and well organized. You would think that we were unhappy about leaving, but the experience made us look forward to this portion of our trip!
We will be on the Zuiderdam in March also. I certainly hope it's better than the last 2 reviews I've read. We were on the Nieuw Amsterdam in March of 2018 and had a great time. Beautiful ship. Dinners in the MDR were absolutely delicious every night. Main Buffet was great for breakfast and lunch. Staff there always super friendly and smiling. No lines and tney serve you. The Dive-in had the best hamburgers we've ever had. Also very good hotdogs and fries. Our ports were fantastic . Loved the cruise.
Wow, I’m reading lots of poor reviews with very similar complaints from this trip on the Z, I really hope they get their act together because I’m already booked with them in March. Fingers crossed!
Sorry you didn’t enjoy it. We have cruised Holland America twice and were disappointed in the food, entertainment and onboard activities as well. We were surprised about the food since we had read good reviews. Nothing was terrible (other than the pizza), but it was not up to the standards we have found on Carnival and Royal Caribbean. We did not like having to be served at the buffet since there was no organization and it was very slow. I will say the Dive In Burgers and Fries were excellent and the best food on the ship. After reading reviews, and observing the passengers on board, it seems many who rave about HAL are older and rarely, if ever, cruise any other line and have nothing to compare it to. We would only cruise with HAL again if it is an itinerary we cannot find on another line.
*Cruiseline.com is not a booking agent or travel agency,
and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. Our partners
(travel agencies and cruise lines) provide prices, which we list for our
users' convenience. Cruiseline.com does not guarantee any specific rates or
prices. While prices are updated daily, please check with the booking site
for the exact amount. Cruiseline.com is not responsible for content on
external web sites.
Contact us
Submitting...
Need help from a personal vacation planner?
Loading...
Find the perfect cruise with weekly tips and cruise deals for as little as $30/night!
Sign up for weekly cruise deals
Join other subscribers and get the best
cruise deals of the week in your inbox every Thursday.
