Zaandam Cabin and Ship Questions

We will be on the Zaandam in July. I have a lot of questions about the vista suite staterooms and the ship. I have not found updated answers using the search.

How many outlets, what kind and where are they located?

Do the vista suites have refrigerators or do you have to rent one and if so, how much? If not, and it is a minibar set up, can you or your room steward take everything out to put your own drinks/meds in?

Where does the third person sleep? Is the sofa/couch a full bed that pulls out and then takes up a lot of walking space? Or is it a convertible couch that folds/flips into a twin bed like they have on Disney? Or is there a drop down bed from the ceiling? Does anyone have a picture of it as a bed?

Do the vista suites get individual shampoos, conditioners, soap, etc? Or are they on the wall in the pump bottles?

What type of bottled water does the ship carry? Is there a package deal just for waters?

Do they have activities/ meet and greets for 18-21 year olds?

I read that the library area is getting scarce with books and games. Is that true? What board games are available to play?

Do they have adult scavenger hunts, interactive game shows, or any other activities besides the basic traditional bingo, trivia, music, dancing and casino?

Who will be the cruise director for July 2018? Is there an ongoing/updated list here on Cruise Critic?

What are the package prices for formal/informal pictures taken by the ship's photographers?

Thank you for any help answering these questions. It's been ten years since we've sailed with Holland and I am sure things have changed since then.

Haven't been on the Zaandam recently but I can answer a few basic questions.

The shampoo, conditioner and shower gel are in pump dispensers over the bath tub. They are Elemis products. There is a bar of soap on the sink and there is a small bottle of lotion.

There is no organization for getting 18 - 21 year old meetings.

Yes, you will have a mini refrigerator -- which is really a cooler. It does not keep items as cold as your refrigerator at home. Ask your cabin steward to remove all the items from the mini cooler so that you are not charged for them.

Bottled water -- I have encounter 3 different brands on the same ship. So check to see what brand is in your cabin, then check at the various bars.

Activities have been cut way back the last couple of years. I haven't seen an adult scavenger hunt in many, many years.

There isn't any list for the captains, cruise directors, etc. for HAL ships.

There is a bottled water package available for a reduced price over the single bottles. The name brand waters are sold by individual bottles, mainly San Pellegrino and Perrier. The package bottled water is not a internationally recognized brand but very good. One can also bring on their own bottled water, either when you embark or what you might want to pick up during a port stop - no limits.

The cruise director might be able to arrange a special meet and greet for those ages 18-21 or a special dining table, as there are often special group meetings for solos, military, etc. Be sure to ask once you get on board or see if you can contact guest relations ahead of time. Good topic for your Roll Call group for this cruise to see what you can set up on your own.

Don't know if the Zaandam has been refurbished by typically there were two outlets - one 110 and one 220 at the cabin desk area. Power strips have been available on the ship, as well as USB connections for more plug-in access. Or you can have one you brought checked out for safety by the staff before using it on your own. Cabin refurbishments have added multiple new outlets and locations.

There are lots of board games, as well as chess, checkers, cribbage and parcheesi boards - sorry I don't know the names as the inventory is probably different on each ship. The older ship libraries like the Zaandam are still quite extensive. Our favorite spot on the ship - and I always find many interesting book titles, even now after this activity has been de-emphasized.

The photo department is also undergoing major changes so it is hard to know what is now available on the Zaandam. I think I read where one formal (gala) night professional photo was about $29, but don't know about the packages.

We really liked the Zaandam from a cruise several years ago - around South America - one of our favorites, The small size was perfect for us as well as the low-key nature of the ship where the destinations are the star attraction of this special cruise. We were very impressed with both the ship and the itinerary, and will be happy to be soon back on her again for two weeks in Alaska.

As far as organized adult activities, this is a good Roll Call suggestion to see what others might be interested in setting up for themselves - cabin crawls or pub crawl are often arranged by these Roll Call groups. I often describe HAL cruising is best for those who are "self-contained" which may be a very different cruising experience compared to ships better known for having a higher level of organized activities onboard.

Here is a link for the CC posts about the Zaandam which may offer more specific help than what some of us can offer you here right now: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/holland-america/zaandam

And the link for Zaandam Roll Calls to find your own cruise sailing date: https://www.cruisecritic.com/rollcalls/?cruise_line_id=21&ship_id=128

Zaandam is being refurbished next month, just before leaving for Alaska.

Most have included USB power plugs by bedside.

I recall only one 120V and one 220V outlet. However, by using a European plug adapter, you can convert the 220V to a second American outlet. The so called vista suite is really just a veranda cabin in which you pay a heavy premium; however, we considered it a necessity for our Antarctica cruise and well worth the extra costs. Don't know if it would be worth it for a more typical cruise. Our sofa converted to the third bed. Cabin attendants were outstanding as were the entire crew in general. Was not particularly impressed with the cruise director but never thought cruise directors or captains impact my cruise enjoyment one way or another. Considered the food in the MDR a step above other HAL ships excepting Amsterdam. It didn't appear to me that the ship was due for overhaul as it has been very well maintained.