This was a Transatlantic, 16 night cruise

Zuiderdam Cruise Review to Caribbean - Western

Cruises: 7+ cruises
Reviews: 8
Helpful Votes: 175

Overall rating:

4.3 out of 5
Zuiderdam

7 Night Western Caribbean (Ft. Lauderdale Roundtrip)

Sail date: May 17, 2003

Ship: Zuiderdam

Cabin type: Inside

Cabin number: 5173

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 1 year ago

Review summary

This was an inexpensive, comfortable way to get across the Atlantic for our Norway cruise. I would recommend a TA to anyone who has the time. Great was to truly relax.

Embarkation

5 out of 5
Easy

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5
Great staff, not enough selections in MDR for dinner

Dive-In

3 out of 5

We had lunch there a couple of times. I was not impressed. The burgers lacked taste and pizazz. I ordered a hot dog and it was hard. They feature what I thought was a brat and i could not eat it.

The Dining Room

5 out of 5

The MDR was excellent after the first day or two. The wait staff were on the ball. We drink iced tea and had to ask the first day. Second day, it was there when we arrived at our table, then we asked for lemon and it was there the next day. We had to request spoons and yep, they were there every day until the end of the cruise. These guys were fantastic! The only negative was there was a limited selection of about 6-8 mains each night. If you want a good steak or lobster without going to the Pinnacle Grill, you can order it for an up charge of half the price in the MDR.

Onboard Activities

4 out of 5
Excellent library

Entertainment

5 out of 5
Above average

Service and Staff

5 out of 5
Everyone was smiling and positive.

Ship Quality

4 out of 5
Although the Zuiderdam is an older ship, it is well-maintained. We had an inside cabin that was somewhat small but we got a super price.

Cabin / Stateroom

3 out of 5
This was a challenge for us, never had booked an inside cabin before. After 28 cruises, we got cabin #5173. After unpacking and stowed the suitcases under the bed, it was not too bad. We paid $810.00 for 2 for a 16 night cruise, so no complaints there. In the future, if we want to save money an ocean view will do t he trick.

Ship tip

the stern section of the ship is ideal if you want to be near the MDR and Lido. Rear elevators go up or down to the respective venues but the entertainment is all the way forward, so that is a hike.

Ports of call

Ft. Lauderdale (Port Everglades), Florida

4 out of 5

Disembarkation

4 out of 5
Quick and easy. We were bused from Rotterdam to Amsterdam to board the Nieuw Statendam for our next cruise.
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8 Comments

nightrider    1 year ago

Sail date May 17th, 2003 ???

Gwbigdog    1 year ago

Thanks for sharing

Itspeace4me    1 year ago

Thank you for sharing.

AuntPinkie    1 year ago

Appreciate your detailed review. Glad you enjoyed your TA. Still on my wish list.

Carnivalfoodie    1 year ago

Sounds nice 😊

cdavid46    1 year ago

$810 for 2? 16 nights? Wow! How far in advance did you book? Can I use you as my cruise booking agent? 😉

javawoody    1 year ago

Thanks for the review

cruising2004    1 year ago

Thank you for sharing your cruising experience. Glad you enjoyed. Great price too!