Zuiderdam Cruise Reviews - Reviews

My mom and I went on a spring cruise in 2003. I had so much fun sailing on Holland America MS. Zuiderdam. The stateroom 4040 was a balony that my mom loved so much. I really enjoy the cruise a lot with my mom!

Our 2006 cruise on MS Zuiderdam through the Alaska Inside Passage was our first ocean cruise.  On this cruise, we shared the experience with another couple who have been long time friends of ours.  I should add as an aside that if traveling with other than family members (and maybe it should apply to family members as well) it is an excellent idea to know them well enough to know that your experiences together will be good.  As we had traveled with this couple before on holiday trips, we had no worries.  Anyhow, the idea of shared experiences which can consist of being with other couples or family members really can add to the enjoyment of a trip.  Not that it is a must of course since my wife and I have taken other cruises and non-cruise trips, just the two of us and enjoyed them quite well.  Anyhow, I digressed.

This cruise was the round trip one to and from Vancouver.  I am not sure what prompted us to select Holland America for the cruise. Perhaps time and itinerary but regardless, we made no mistake by choosing this cruise line.  Honestly it was long enough ago as to my having forgotten some or most of the finer details of the ship experience.  Holland America is a very good cruise line.  Perhaps on a scale higher than the ones we have cruised with since.  I simply cannot pinpoint any particular details which would be unique in setting it apart.

A couple of points to mention, however.  The staff was above and beyond.  When entering the dinning room, even the buffet dining room and having one particular member of the staff who every time, "good morning Dan, good morning Sandy, good morning Dean, good morning Charlotte."  How did he manage that with maybe a couple thousand other people on the ship a the same time.  Then the little cake with a candle and a song at our table to wish my wife and me Happy Anniversary one evening. 

The food and food service was outstanding.  The balcony cabin was great as well.  Like I said before, little details of the room may not come to memory right now but enough do to say that it was very comfortable and accommodating.  As to other amenities on the ship, I can't remember all of them so each person will have to judge for themselves.

One thing we have found unique to Holland America ships which at least so far we have not on any other cruise line is the open bow deck.  On other ships there are many good spots for views of the surrounding scenery, the bow presented a nice place to view and photography head on the sights we would encounter.  It's not a big thing but a nice one anyhow.

As with our other cruises we enjoyed a number of shore excursions on or various port visits.  I don't remember just how we made arrangements for booking those but we had no complaints regarding any of them.

In June in Alaska it is still a bit on the coolish to cold state.  A jacket is a must for spending any time at all out on deck.  For my wife, a heavier jacket was the choice.  Constantly available and good hot chocolate in a cup to take out on deck really hit the spot.

Oh yes, I should add.  This was Alaska, after all, and the availability of good, local salmon let those of us who enjoy seafood, enjoy our fill.

Though we have enjoyed every cruise we have experienced, most, we would probably not elect to repeat.  Simply for the reason that there are others yet to be experienced.  The Alaska cruise might be the exception.  I think that should we do it again, we might consider instead of the round trip version, do the added land excursion part.  Seeing Denali Park is something which would make it worth doing the cruise again.

Clean, excellent staff, good food, beds are wonderful

My wife and I took this ship as it had a stopover in Tortola, which by all accounts didn't disappoint. It is a friendly, relatively unspoiled island...wife and I had the beach entirely to ourselves, in season no less. Cruise was great with a very helpful and courteous staff that bent over backwards at every turn. On one of the formal nights, the ship's chief engineer sat at our table. Turned out he was the one who had also supervised the ship's overhaul. Great stories and a fascinating insight into the workings of the boat.

The Zuiderdam is beautifully constructed and decorated. The brass was shiny and polished; the wood was spotless; the carpets were lovely; everything was clean and well-stocked. We enjoyed the antique decor and the artwork, both of which were abundant. Everything necessary for the passengers' pleasure (dining, shopping, entertainment, etc.) was easily located and accessible. We were glad that we chose Holland America and the Zuiderdam when we discovered that this line has more docking rights and access to areas (inside Glacier Bay, for example) than some of the other lines. The itinerary was wonderful; we so appreciated the "hold our position" that the ship did during the cruise of Glacier Bay-it allowed us to snap the pictures of a lifetime when the glacier was calving.

Our first time cruse started out great with early boarding and a very relaxed ambience. Right away though the Spa crew started with there sales pitch, then the Diamond guy "Ritchie" and then the Art guy took a swing with supposedly severly discounted prices. Getting through that, we really enjoyed the ships look and layout. The crew was very friendly and attentive. The food was wonderfull. We definately would go on the Zuiderdam again now that we know what to expect.

Ship itself lovely however shockingly lacking in many expected amenities.

We departed for a seven day cruise on the Zuiderdam June 25, 2005. This was our second cruise. Our first cruise was a family reunion cruise on a different line, but we wanted to try Holland America this time. We were in a group with two other couples. For the most part, HAL lived up to its reputation for great service, but the one thing we missed was there was no calypso, reggea, or soca music. We were sailing in the Caribbean afterall!. We are planning another family reunion cruise next year and are specifically looking at the entertainment each line offers.

From MeetOnCruise iPhone App: Didn't like the atmosphere. It seemed like the ship was more for HIGH CLASS people or old people. During our cruise some ports of calls were cancelled because of a hurricane. We spent 3-5 days on the water. No compensation was provided. Even had to pay for extra parking.

I was on one of the first ever cruises on this ship and then again recently. It has stood the test of time well and the staff is impeccable! I would definitely cruise on this ship again!

I have just returned from a 7 day sailing onboard the Zuiderdam. It was my 15th cruise but first with Holland America. The other cruises were mostly Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Princess, Costa, Cunard, Norwegian and Carnival. We have been very happy on RCI and Celebrity, but from now, on I'll be checking Holland America first. The service, food, friendliness of everyone, with one exception, was impeccable. We were in a Category S Suite which consisted of a 374-sq-ft room and a verandah (that was supposed to be 189 but was actually more like 120-sq-ft but very good nontheless). After having read some of these reviews I was a bit concerned - mostly seeing more and more pictures of the ship as it has a modern or contemporary look that I am not at all interested in. It was not a problem, however, as the service and attentiveness of the staff and crew more than made up for it.I am not a big art lover, so I could not appreciate that part, although others, I'm sure will. I prefer elegance but do not feel that this ship did not provide it in a different way. I would cruise on-board this ship again and again. The only drawback was the check-in. As I said, this was my 15th cruise and I have never had such a long check-in on any other lines. Hopefully, they will correct this, but the check-out more than made up for it as we did not have to go to any common areas to wait to disembark. We stayed on our Verandah and being in a S category, we were in the first group off the ship. Amenities I did know we were getting were binoculars, umbrellas, travel bags, Champagne upon arrival, invitations to all kinds of things, a brunch with the Captain complete with white-gloved servers who served caviar (which I'm not crazy about) and enormous shrimp, letterhead with our names on it, priority tender tickets, a Concierge who got us DVD's and CD's. Oh, the list goes on and on.Our trip was to the Eastern Caribbean (Nassau, St Kitt's (which is in the beginning phases of being built up), St. Thomas (jewelry, jewelry and jewelry, which I love), and Half Moon Cay which again is the best private island of all of the cruise lines combined!It would stand to figure that a cruise line that puts so much attention on detail and 5 star ratings would have the best private island going. I had heard that the age of the passengers was an older crowd, an although the majority was, that still left the other 45% or so under that. Didn't see many children, which I liked, but enough to keep it not too stale. The food was, by far, the best I'd had on any other. The no-tipping policy was great. Of course tipping is always optional, so we did tip our room steward. I loved this policy. No bar-waiters trying their darndest to sell you the drink of the day. If you wanted it, you just asked. I am now a Holland America Line lover. I am convinced that this is the only way to go.

We had a veranda, which we enjoyed. The service was good. The Lido food was good,but always crowded. This was the seventh cruise we have taken. Our waiter was very sweet and funny, but not as good as we have had. The ship reminds me to much of Carnival Cruise Lines.We are in our 60's, and our son andhis wife went with us they were in their 30's. They were a little disappointed also. All in all, it was a nice cruise.

The Zuiderdam is a departure from the traditional HAL ships. Decor is more colorful than the traditional ships. It is a nice change. Embarkation and disembarkation were well managed. Even though the cruise ticket indicated boarding at 3:00 PM, actual boarding began at about 1:00 PM. We had lots of time to go to our stateroom and then to the Lido restaurant, which was serving wonderful food. Food service was excellent with fine choices of well-prepared food in the main dining room, a fine selection in the Lido, the Odessey alternative restaurant and the Grill near the pool. Dining room tables were extremely small and crowded. Service was excellent, however. Our veranda stateroom was smaller than we had expected, but once we got our act together, we were comfortable moving around in the room. The verandah was private and enjoyable. Our room steward did an excellent job of cleaning and responding to our needs. Entertainment was a variety, some of which we did not enjoy, such as the singers and dancers....too much sound volume which hurt our ears and too glitzy a show with lights shining into the audience which hurt our eyes. The mandatory lifeboat drill was a joke. We were told to remain quiet while the role of cabins was called. Everyone talked, laughed and carried on so that the cabin numbers could not be heard. The leader of our boat drill could not be heard and he made no effort to tell our group to "shut up." This was our 14 cruise, the fifth on HAL. Overall, we still like HAL the best and will return for another cruise.

Our room on the Upper Verandah deck was smaller than expected. Staff was excellent. Meals were plentiful. Floral arrangements outstanding. Highly recommended by my wife and myself who are celebrating sixty years of marriage.

Cruise was fine, as good as most,however all cabin rooms to my knowledge are smoking optional. So as you enter your cabin you can smell stale smoke. The odor finally diminishedabout the third day after I used the last of my spray cologne. If the dutch want to smoke that'sfine but I don't and will not be back.Entertainment was top notch and our balcony was very large compared to other ships. Debarkation was unbelievable, very slow andovercrowded, avoid FLL Port Everglades.

Background: Married, late 30s-early 40s, been on 8 cruises (Carnival, Cunard, RCI). First family cruise with 2 children, ages 6 and 14 and first time on HAL.Embarkation: Very organized, arrived port by taxi (had made independent arrangements and arrived 2 days prior). Arrived 11:30am, went through security-customs, signed document saying that we were not in contact with or have symptoms of SARS virus, checked-in, had photo ID taken, waited in comfortable waiting room for an hour,in our cabin by 1:15pm. Compared to other cruise lines - this was more organized and actually not a bad wait - even with kids (had books, crayons, Gameboy to entertain kids and snacks). Room: Crew gave warm welcome, directed us to our cabin. Our steward, Hasan, was there to greet us. I requested a few extra items and they were in our cabin by suppertime! We booked a Verendah Suite Category A quad. It was much bigger and better than expected. My previous rooms were all inside staterooms, only once in a suite on a Carnival ship in 1985 and don't have any other comparisons. The balcony was twice the size expected. Plenty of room for 4 people to sit out there and have breakfast. The bed was king size, the overhead bunk bed was very comfortable, according to my 14-year-old son (who is 5'9" tall), so it definitely fits an average size adult). The couch had a pull-out single bed which was perfect for my 6-year-old daughter. I didn't need to worry about using a bed guard (she tends to fall out of bed). There was enough armrest on either side of the couch with a couple pillows tucked to keep her from rolling off the bed. The room, in general, had enough space for storage, a little cramped if the pull-out couch was down - but while 2 people were getting ready - the other 2 would be on the balcony enjoying the view, so I never felt claustrophobic at all. The bathroom was decent sized and had a nice small tub in it. The shower head was portable-moveable and had excellent water pressure (same for sink faucet)-best I have seen on any cruise ship. Noises: Our room was cabin 4169 (back of the ship or aft - about 4 rooms away from the extreme back of the ship). We heard the usual muffled engine noises that I have heard on every other ship and slept soundly each night. However, there were people that we met in the halls who were unfortunately in the last 2 rooms in the back (which I guess have really nice large balconies). They complained about really loud engine noises and vibration and were very upset about it. They said they were unable to get a good night's rest. These were folks in our same age group with families. I felt really bad for them. However, we did not experience this at all in our cabin.As far as smells, we did get a wiff of a bathroom odor in a couple of areas - but to be honest - from hearing about it in some reviews, I was looking for it. I really don't think I would have thought about it much. The ship, overall, smelled wonderful with coffee, fresh baked goods and pizza, and the aroma of garlic near the kitchen door - for some examples.Overall - I rate this an 8 out of a perfect 10.

Continued:Food Service: We were in the lower Vista dining room in the very back right at the window. It was a GREAT location for the view (there was some engine vibration in this location - more than on other ships - but it was not very loud and did not interrupt our dinner in any way.) The waiters were pleasant, efficient, organized, and sincere. Very accommodating to any special requests.Entertainment: Shows were VERY good. Disco and other clubs were okay. Only bustling with people after 11-11:30pm - more of a mellow older crowd or with families. Very relaxing.Kids Program - great folks, very organized, and my daughter LOVED it. Made many friends. Only area of improvement is to add more activities while in ports - so adults could particpate in excursions that exclude children. Private babysitters VERY limited - I was able to get only for 1 of my 3 requested.Western Caribbean itinerary is okay - prefer Eastern Caribbean. Most breathtaking place was Half Moon Cay - HAL's private island - beach.Overall, rating is 8 out of perfect 10.Still love Royal Caribbean International, but will definitely take another cruise with HAL.

This was our 18th cruise, travelling with a group of 8 between the ages of 35-45. The ship itself was lovely but subdued - it felt like you had to whisper all the time so that you would not disturb the other passengers. The average age of the other passengers was 70+, and many activities was suited to that age group.We booked a deluxe veranda suite, and although smaller than expected, the amenities were great. Champagne, priority boarding, tender tickets, etc.was nice. The room steward was excellent - maybethe best that we have ever had.The dining room was a disaster. Our meals were constantly wrong, we waited up to 20 minutes to get any kind of drink, and half of party would be done with their main course before the other half would even get theirs. We finally registered a complaint and things got better the final two nights of the trip. But it was unacceptable.The shore excursions desk needs help. Most of the time it was chaos getting the group together and getting off the ship. Other people I spoke to had there excursions cut short because it was so disorganized getting to the destination.We took the ATV tour in St. Kitts and it wasWILD. Definitely not for the faint of heart.However, the other group that took the tourhad a guide that only took them to half ofwhat we saw, so I guess it was just luck.The St. John Trunk Bay tour was nice, but weran late due to disorganization getting intothe tenders, which then went to St. Thomas where we had to board the ferry to St. John. We had a 9 am tour and finally got to the beach at 11:15.The Lido restaurant was great - best varietyof food that I ever seen on a ship.Don't miss the Thai band that plays in theCrows' Nest each evening. Their rendition ofQueen's Bohemian Rhapsody is a scream.They force you out of your room by 7am on thelast day - ridiculous - and we finally justgot off the ship at 9:30 before our number was even called. It was very slow.I expected more from this cruise - I think myparents would have enjoyed it more than we did.I understand that it is a new ship and we didexpect some kinks in the service, but not asmuch as we endured.Having cruised NCL, RCI, Celebrity, etc., Iwould stick to them if you are under 55 yearsold. We will probably not do HAL again until we are retired.

This was our seventh cruise in nine years. This was our third HAL cruise in three years. We previously sailed this same cruise in 2000 on the Maasdam. We cruised on the Veendam to Alaska last year. Embarkation for HAL was as usual, efficient, prompt, and courteous. Food on the Zuiderdam was good, but not the quality as on the Maasdam or the Veendam. The first two nights took an hour to get our appetizers. Our waiter said that there was no power for the grills in the kitchen. We had no grilled foods for appetizers the first two nights. We always get late seating for dinner, we were late for the show in the Vista Lounge both nights about twenty minutes. They actually held the shows about fifteen minutes because people were still in the dining room. Our waiter and his assistant and his supervisor were very concerned about the service, they knew it was very slow. They tried very hard to get the food out to us quicker, but they seemed to be over worked. They never had any time to talk to us. We are used to getting to know our servers. The supervisor even took orders for dessert, etc. These guys usually don't fill glasses, they watch and talk. Our section must have been short one or two waiters. We really were disappointed that our waiters had no time to talk to us. The service got quicker as the week went on. Entertainment on the Zuiderdam was the best that we have seen on HAL. We went to the Vista Lounge every night. The entertainment in the other lounges was also very good. Our children are too old for the kids' programs. There was a ten year old girl at our table that seemed to like the club HAL program. Another major problem for the Zuiderdam is the size of the inside cabins. We cruise almost every year and don't stay in the cabin very much. We usually book inside cabins for this reason. We were shocked when we saw the size of our cabins. We booked three cabins this trip. They must be 40-50% smaller than the cabins on the Maasdam or the Veendam. This ship has about 75-80% veranda cabins. They appear to be larger, but the people that I talked to that had been on HAL's other ships complained about storage space in the veranda cabins on the Zuiderdam. Overall, the Zuiderdam has about 50% more passengers than her sister ships with the about the same size pools, hot tubs, lido restaurant, photo area, shops, casino, etc. The lines are much longer, the crouds much more impatient, the staff much more overworked. The Zuiderdam has a lot of problems. I hope that HAL can fix most of these problems because they are building three more "Vista Class" ships. My suggestion is to avoid these ships until you hear more favorable reviews on these ships.

This was our first cruise with HAL. 5 previous with Carnival. Not what we expected at all. While the ship was beautiful, she seemed a little aged for only its 26th voyage. The smell of sewage was apparent and usually around the level of the lower Vista dining room. Being smokers there were few lounges which allowed it. We didn't get to experience Half Moon Cay due to bad weather, which was unfortunate, as we'd heard it was beautiful. Two weeks prior to departure the itinerary was changed from St. Kitts to St. Maarten without any reason given -- although we loved St. Maarten. Definitely the place for bargained everything! All service aboard was excellent, however the older crowd was very demanding. Can't say we'll sail HAL again.