Zuiderdam Cruise Reviews - Reviews

Our cruise before this cruise was on a sister ship line known for "fun". Although there was less "fun" available on this cruise ship--we were struck by how relaxing this cruise was going to be within 5 minutes of being on the ship. The crew is absolutely wonderful. Everyone said good morning, good afternoon, or good evening EVERY TIME they walked past us--it's impossible not to feel welcomed when on this ship. I did feel bad for the handful of kids I saw on the ship--they looked pretty bored among the adults (although that is only an assumption on my part). This is definitely a ship for folks who want to read a book while on board. There are lots of non-active activities like Trivia and Bingo, a few game shows, and some night time entertainers who were only OK. This is mostly a cruise for folks who just want to wind down and relax. Although in our case--this is what we wanted, I can understand why others might be bored. I was told that the average age on this cruise was 71. Since this was a repositioning cruise--many on board were casino customers who had "gotten a deal"--so the casino was pretty busy most nights.

Good to be back on HAL for the first time in 3 yrs

This was the longest cruise in the industry after Covid and everything was excellent due to fantastic staff

The Zuiderdam is a step up from the Eurodam. Very clean and well maintained ship. I was looking forward to see Nicaragua but got canceled.

My sister and I were never on a cruise and it was amazing. My dad wanted to go on a cruise which at 96 years of age we thought was too much for him. This was like an item on his bucket list which my sister and I wanted to share with him. He wanted so much to see the Panama Canal and thought a cruise ship was the best way. He didn't enjoy it as much as he thought he would. Its not the same as he remembered the Dam ships use to have more events and less commercial like the cruises my dad went on with my mom. He will always have a fondness for the Dam ships.

Had a good time in spite of virus; crew was excellent and helpful

The Cruise was wonderful and we truly enjoyed all the stops we were able to do. We were kept abreast of what was going on stateside but

Everything was great. The day after return I was at the hospital with virus-A, and streptococcus. Maybe they should clean the terminals better.

The cruise itself was nice and relaxing and a nice getaway from the cold. This was my fifth cruise with HAL and I was a little disappointed with them. I had ranked them a slight step above Norwegian and RCCL, but after this cruise I will probably be cruising with the other lines before coming back to HAL.

Another great job HAL - our 8th cruise with and will be back

After sailing with Holland America for over 40 years, I must say that I was disappointed with this last cruise. Since being purchased by Carnival Lines, the quality and attentiveness that Holland America was known for seems gone. Staff seem to argue with customers, shows are gone and replaced with minimal acts. The quality of food has gone done and Chocolate Extravaganza Night is gone. It seems that when they were bought out, saving money seems to be the new norm. Even the excursions have changed. When you expect to visit places and then are told you need to pay extra to get in to a lighthouse and a fort. Over all I feel that Holland America has cheapened themselves because of Carnival.

Was beautiful Caribbean cruise, very relaxing & nice beaches. Very small boat with not a lot to do on the boat.

The cruise was amazing. Even though it was a smaller ship, never felt crowded. The Navigator app is fine when you can get it to work. Does not give you the opening or closing times of restaurants/bars. Does give you the daily dinner menus which was nice.

We had a fabulous time on our cruise to the Caribbean. The ship was beautiful. We celebrated New Year’s on the ship. The service and food were excellent.

Although I have quite a few complaints, we still very much enjoyed our vacation. The inconsistency of drinks, low quality food (most times) and constant up selling with very little activities on ship was disappointing. When they were good, they were very good and staff and service were primarily very good. I would not cruise this ship, and probably not this line without really checking other options very thoroughly. That said, if they had the only cruise that worked for my dates and included ports I wanted to see, I might. I wouldn’t recommend to others tho.

We had an amazing time. The ports (specifically Grand Turk, St Maarten, and Half Moon Cay) are a must see! The crew and staff were wonderful as always. Ship activities and entertainment were lacking a bit in my opinion, but to each their own. Overall, it was fantastic!

I really enjoy Ms Z going back Jan 3 2020. Since I am a senior I do enjoy an older crowd but the kids seemed happy swimming and playing. Again I must say the Crew from the Captain down were all great. Quck story I was on Buffet Line Captain was in front of me and in front of him was a man in wheelchair. The man was handed hot soup which almost spilled no servers around to help so guess what the Captain helped him to his table and made his day.

Really enjoyed the history and operation of the Panama Canal. Hit most of the talks and movies in advance to understand how it came to be and the challenges they faced 100+ years ago. Very satisfied with the experience and loved watching a lot of the action at the locks from our aft balcony after seeing the entrance to the canal and first lock from the bow. Holland America is a great fit for us and we really enjoyed the experience as we have on our previous cruises with them.

Prefer mixed age clientele, HAL caters to very senior citizens (and I am one). Beverage package not worth it. I constantly felt that they wanted to get our money.

Longest cruise I have taken so far. Worth it. With the exception of Puerto Limón in Costa Rica all the other stops were beautiful and interesting. Four sea days provided a balance to rest while visiting so many the ports. Mixed feelings about ship as sometimes felt crowded (was not 100% sold). Otherwise, we'll kept and staff was great!