Zuiderdam review 9/11-9/18 alaska penthouse

[mrspeck]

ZUIDERDAM ALASKA INSIDE PASSAGE

 

JOURNEY TO VANCUVER

Arriving in Seattle the prior evening, we departed the Seattle Sheraton at 6:45AM (Sheraton: Hotwire: $90), taking a van to King Street Station. The 7:40 departure of the Amtrak Cascades was only partially full. I had booked months ago, not knowing if these were trips that would sell out. I had booked standard coach tickets which I found to be more than adequate. This was our first trip by rail, so I was expecting the discomfort of coach airfare...wow, this is so much better...more similar to first class airfare than coach. The scenic four hour journey was a very pleasant way to start our embarkation day. I would definitely recommend this to anyone needing to travel to and from Seattle-Vancouver. Upon arrival at Pacific Central Station, the six of us split into two taxis. One going directly to Canada Place, the other making a pit stop at a liquor store for a stock of champagne and wine to go with the few bottles we had packed with us. In using a credit card to pay for the liquor store tab the exchange rate ended up pretty much 1:1 as the actual bill was about $5.00 less translated to the US dollar, but my credit card's "foreign transaction fee" of $4.XX washed that savings away.

 

EMBARKATION -CANADA PLACE

Arriving at Canada Place around 1:00pm, we found a crowd of about 5,000 trying to get on to two ships. Many of the attendants seemed very annoyed that we all showed up at the same time and were rude in their interactions with guests. I'm sure it’s a stressful time for them, but at least there not the ones waiting in a line of 5,000. My father has early stage Parkinson's and has some balance issues, so he brought a walking stick along - "just in case". That walking stick turned out to be a saving grace at Canada Place as an attendant grabbed our group and escorted us to near the front of the line for customs clearance. This shaved at least an hour off of our wait, which was great as it would have been very difficult for my father (and me as I was carrying a case of wine the whole time.) Customs was a breeze where once through, we made our way to HAL's check in line for suite passengers. There were only a couple of parties ahead of us at this time and our wait there was minimal. We were checked in and escorted to the entrance of the ship by a not so overly friendly clerk, where we were greeted by Peter from the Neptune Lounge. Peter escorted us on to the ship and to our port side Penthouse #7046. At our room waiting for us were "Didik" and "Moose", our Cabin Stewards. They did a great job the entire week, keeping our stateroom clean and well stocked and always seemed like they were just outside our door if needed. Peter gave my parents a tour of the suite while my wife and I visited with Didik and Moose. Now, my parents didn't know that they were in the Penthouse as we had told them they had a regular veranda stateroom as last time, so this was a fun time of surprise and celebration.

 

PENTHOUSE SUITE #7046

As the eldest of the Vista class vessels, I was concerned about the condition of the Zuiderdam, mainly the stateroom which we'd be calling home for a week. There wasn't much available for photos or other documentation to this matter, as most info/photos seems to be multiple years old. (which will be fixed, as I'm submitting photos to Joanie). My worries subsided after a few minutes in the stateroom as I found most everything to be acceptable. This isn't to say that the cabin or Zuiderdam isn't showing some age though. The cabin was in excellent condition excepting a few items. One of those items being the sofa whose upholstery is really showing its age. There are areas (mostly at folds in the fabric) were the material is completely worn through along with some split seams; however, the pattern is so busy that you don't notice this unless you are inspecting it as I was. Another area showing age are the gold plated sinks in the bathrooms. They are only partially gold plated these days and are looking tired. The Shower is missing the foot massaging mechanism, which I know they are a little on the gimmicky side and probably don't last too long. One morning the shower door came off the track and was dangling awkwardly while my wife tried to shower (I was able to put this back together.) There was also a closet door that had hinges that were falling apart (maintenance took care of this issue). There were also areas that I was worried about that I found to be much better than I expected. One of those being the carpets which appeared quite new and secondly the balcony was in very good repair. The built in dinning bench was recently reupholstered, the wood paneling looked well varnished, and the teak loungers were freshly varnished and had new pads on them as well. I was a little nervous about sleeping on the murphy bed in the Penthouse’s living room, it; however was very comfortable. I would not hesitate sharing the Penthouse again (but it sure is nice to have it to yourself). All in all the room was great, the only thing that really did bother me was that the speakers on the balcony were not functioning in conjunction with the TV, which meant we couldn't listen to the rangers lectures while in the scenic areas such as glacier bay (well, at least not from our balcony).

 

NEPTUNE LOUNGE - Awesome as always!

 

CASINO - We played quite often in the casino and walked away ahead, if you combined our entire party. Our fathers both won a couple hundred dollars while the rest of us made up for it.

 

SPA - Hit and miss - The two mothers had their nails done and both had to have them redone a day or two later for different reasons. I think it was too late in the evening and the staff was ready to close up shop. My father had two great experiences with the acupuncturist.

 

DINNING

BREAKFAST

I can only attest to the quality and timeliness of in room dinning for breakfast. All seven mornings we had breakfast in suite. The first morning's breakfast didn't arrive as ordered, but was on time, hot and very good. Each morning after, we received exactly what we ordered, from the standard omelets to our chocolate covered strawberries (they go great with an early morning mimosa!) and basket of pecan Danishes. One thing that I don't remember from prior cruises on the Eurodam and Westerdam was receiving a call from in room dinning each time, checking on our satisfaction with our in room dining service. This had me wondering if it was because we were in the penthouse and our first morning's delivery was wrong or if this was done for all cabins. I later asked the Hotel Manager about this and he said that they are "supposed" to contact all cabins.

LUNCH

I can only comment on one lunch, for we never seemed to have the desire for more than a snack from the Neptune. The only lunch that my wife and I did indulge in was the suite luncheon. This was on Friday the last day of the cruise (a sea day). This suite luncheon in the Pinnacle grill was taking place just a little later than the Mariner's brunch in the main dining room. Why the heck would they do this???...it makes no sense. Others in our group went to the Mariner's brunch and did get our tiles for us, so that was nice. Upon arrival at the Pinnacle grill for our Indonesian lunch, one must stop to pose for photos with the Captain and Hotel Manager before being seated. After the photo shoot, my wife and I were escorted by the Pinnacle manager to a window table for four where we were informed that Captain Christopher Turner would be hosting our table. Wow, that was unexpected! What a fun surprise! Ok, we were a little nervous at first, but it was a great experience. Captain Turner had along with him, his um, well we're not sure...friend, girlfriend, fiancé, wife???? Anyway, Captain Turner and "Bear" were wonderful hosts and indulged us with all of our questions and comments. They were both easy to converse with and made for very enjoyable lunch companions. Lunch itself started with mixed blanched vegetables with peanut sauce along with Madura Chicken Soup with vegetable and shredded coconut. The main course consisted of a mixed plate of Nasi Goreng (fried rice), Pisang Goreng (fried banana fritters), Sate (marinated chicken from the barbeque with peanut sauce), Udang Goreng (shrimp in butter), Ayam Goreng Ketjap (fried chicken in ketjap marination), and Beef Sumatra (beef cooked with sumatra spices). This was accompanied by Sambal Goreng Buncis (fried green beans with sambal) and Achar (Indonesian style pickled vegetables). The meal concluded with Puding Gula Jawa (rice pudding with brown sugar sauce). We thoroughly enjoyed this meal, not only because it was a nice change from what we had been eating, but due to the great company.

DINNER

Main Dining Room - We had late fixed dinning, oddly at the exact same table we had in February on the Westerdam. Our server was Kris. He did a great job, but he seemed very insecure, always apologizing for things that he didn't need to. We only ate in the main dining room three times, not because of food or service, but because we had other things we wanted to do to. I would have to say that beef entrees in the main dining room were the best of any I've experienced on the two other HAL ships I've been on. I don't recall anyone having complaints on any of the dishes in the main dining room. I am tired of the Master Chef's dinner...I don't think we'll do that again.

Pinnacle Grill - Our group did dinner at the Pinnacle on two nights of our journey. I was a little worried, as I've always been a fan, but had heard some not so good reports about the Zuiderdam's. These worries were quickly exhausted after our first night which was wonderful. The ribeyes and Lobster tails were great. The only thing that left a little to be desired was the Lobster Bisque that was just plain bland...but that sure didn't spoil the meal and we sure didn't go away hungry. On the second night at the Pinnacle, I switched gears and had the Pinnacle Burger. This also was a nice change from the other dishes I'd been eating. The ground filet was very good! I also found that I really like the chocolate mousse cake. It is not on the menu, but is used as a birthday desert and is available upon request. It was really good...I had it twice!

In Room Dinning - On the evening of our visit to Skagway, we ordered course by course service in suite. Iwan, our server, arrived an hour or so before our scheduled time to set up and prepare. He delivered and served, course by course, for a very special, relaxing private dinner for the six of us in our dining room. The food was hot, and served and presented just as if we had been in Rembrandt Dining Room. I would definitely recommend this to anyone, especially if you have a nice outdoor dining table or are in the penthouse. It really is a nice service.

OTHER

We had hot and cold appetizers delivered to our cabin a couple of time during the trip. This is always a fun thing to do, especially when skipping lunch and eating a late dinner. On one busy port day, we also ordered lobster tails and escargot delivered as our appetizers. That was fun indulgence!

 

DESSERT EXTAVAGANZA

This was this first time I'd taken note of this. I always seemed to miss this on previous sailings. It was fun to look at all the deserts and creations. We didn't; however, partake in eating any of the offerings as dinner was still with us!

 

ENTERTAINMENT

I never saw a single show...we were just too busy! Sorry I can't comment on this aspect!

 

PORTS

We enjoyed are time in every port. I; however, will not go into detail, since this cruise is over for the year.

 

SHIP TOUR

My father-in-law and I went on the ship tour on the last sea day. This three or so hour tour is definitely worth the $150 per person! Hosted by the guest relations rep, a group of no more than twelve gets to tour and learn about nearly every area that you could be interested in seeing. Starting from the Pinnacle Grill, we entered the kitchen where the ship's chef gave a lecture and tour, then to bakery, meat locker, coolers, freezers, liquor storage, dry storage, recycling (did you know that they are allowed to dump glass into the sea? HAL doesn't.), laundry, engine control room, staff’s common areas, the stage, dressing rooms, and the bridge! (I'm sure I left some out too.) Each area included an education from the person in charge of that area and was very informative and enjoyable. It didn't include a lot of stairs, so be wary if you have trouble with walking or climbing stairs. The tour ended in the Ocean Bar where a cocktail, hors devours, and a gift bag was presented. The gift bag included one of the Signature of Excellence cookbooks, the towel animal book, a complete set of the week’s menus (signed by the chef), a set of six HAL shot glasses among other goodies. I really hope this pilot program gets expanded to the entire fleet. I'd definitely do it again.

 

OVERALL

The Zuiderdam, staff, and itinerary were great! Making this even better was that fact that our weather was so unseasonal. Leaving Vancouver on September 11, we never saw a drop of rain or hardly a cloud in the sky until our return to Vancouver on the 18th. Our days in port and in Glacier Bay were absolutely cloudless and on average in the mid 70s. We could not have asked for better conditions than we experienced! We'll definitely to Alaska again and definitely do it on HAL!

[Sailkeywest]

Loved your review, very descriptive! Thank you for including such in-depth details about the the state of the PH, those are the sorts of details that you just can't find on the websites. I very much enjoyed reading your review. :)

 

P.S. Do you have any photos that you can share? :D TY!

[mrspeck]

I'm sending photos for Joanie to post in her collection, so that others can see recent images of Zuiderdam's condition!

[LindaKE]

Thanks for the review. We're looking forward to the Z in June. I'm glad to read that you enjoyed the Pinnacle Grill. I've read so many complaints that I was debating whether to try it. Now I feel comfortable making reervations there.

[portofrome]

Thank you for the review.

[Typhoon1]

Great review. It's always nice hearing from someone who has actually sailed in the PS. We've only visited it, for parties.

[IRL_Joanie]

OMG!! This was an amazing review and extremely descriptive!!!

 

I especially enjoyed the details about the In Room Dining and the Ship Tour!! We are NOW going to be doing both.

 

Will get the photos and descriptions up as soon as I get them:)

 

Love, absolutely loved this review!!!! Since we are going from 10-24 September 2011, this tells us what to expect:)

 

 

Joanie

[mrspeck]

I mistakingly said that there were not a lot of stairs in the ship tour. That was an error. There were a lot of stairs and some slippery surfaces for that matter.

 

Joanie,

You should have my photos by now! Thanks for your help!

[cruisun]

ZUIDERDAM ALASKA INSIDE PASSAGE

 

JOURNEY TO VANCUVER

Arriving in Seattle the prior evening, we departed the Seattle Sheraton at 6:45AM (Sheraton: Hotwire: $90), taking a van to King Street Station. The 7:40 departure of the Amtrak Cascades was only partially full. I had booked months ago, not knowing if these were trips that would sell out. I had booked standard coach tickets which I found to be more than adequate. This was our first trip by rail, so I was expecting the discomfort of coach airfare...wow, this is so much better...more similar to first class airfare than coach. The scenic four hour journey was a very pleasant way to start our embarkation day. I would definitely recommend this to anyone needing to travel to and from Seattle-Vancouver. Upon arrival at Pacific Central Station, the six of us split into two taxis. One going directly to Canada Place, the other making a pit stop at a liquor store for a stock of champagne and wine to go with the few bottles we had packed with us. In using a credit card to pay for the liquor store tab the exchange rate ended up pretty much 1:1 as the actual bill was about $5.00 less translated to the US dollar, but my credit card's "foreign transaction fee" of $4.XX washed that savings away.

 

EMBARKATION -CANADA PLACE

Arriving at Canada Place around 1:00pm, we found a crowd of about 5,000 trying to get on to two ships. Many of the attendants seemed very annoyed that we all showed up at the same time and were rude in their interactions with guests. I'm sure it’s a stressful time for them, but at least there not the ones waiting in a line of 5,000. My father has early stage Parkinson's and has some balance issues, so he brought a walking stick along - "just in case". That walking stick turned out to be a saving grace at Canada Place as an attendant grabbed our group and escorted us to near the front of the line for customs clearance. This shaved at least an hour off of our wait, which was great as it would have been very difficult for my father (and me as I was carrying a case of wine the whole time.) Customs was a breeze where once through, we made our way to HAL's check in line for suite passengers. There were only a couple of parties ahead of us at this time and our wait there was minimal. We were checked in and escorted to the entrance of the ship by a not so overly friendly clerk, where we were greeted by Peter from the Neptune Lounge. Peter escorted us on to the ship and to our port side Penthouse #7046. At our room waiting for us were "Didik" and "Moose", our Cabin Stewards. They did a great job the entire week, keeping our stateroom clean and well stocked and always seemed like they were just outside our door if needed. Peter gave my parents a tour of the suite while my wife and I visited with Didik and Moose. Now, my parents didn't know that they were in the Penthouse as we had told them they had a regular veranda stateroom as last time, so this was a fun time of surprise and celebration.

 

PENTHOUSE SUITE #7046

As the eldest of the Vista class vessels, I was concerned about the condition of the Zuiderdam, mainly the stateroom which we'd be calling home for a week. There wasn't much available for photos or other documentation to this matter, as most info/photos seems to be multiple years old. (which will be fixed, as I'm submitting photos to Joanie). My worries subsided after a few minutes in the stateroom as I found most everything to be acceptable. This isn't to say that the cabin or Zuiderdam isn't showing some age though. The cabin was in excellent condition excepting a few items. One of those items being the sofa whose upholstery is really showing its age. There are areas (mostly at folds in the fabric) were the material is completely worn through along with some split seams; however, the pattern is so busy that you don't notice this unless you are inspecting it as I was. Another area showing age are the gold plated sinks in the bathrooms. They are only partially gold plated these days and are looking tired. The Shower is missing the foot massaging mechanism, which I know they are a little on the gimmicky side and probably don't last too long. One morning the shower door came off the track and was dangling awkwardly while my wife tried to shower (I was able to put this back together.) There was also a closet door that had hinges that were falling apart (maintenance took care of this issue). There were also areas that I was worried about that I found to be much better than I expected. One of those being the carpets which appeared quite new and secondly the balcony was in very good repair. The built in dinning bench was recently reupholstered, the wood paneling looked well varnished, and the teak loungers were freshly varnished and had new pads on them as well. I was a little nervous about sleeping on the murphy bed in the Penthouse’s living room, it; however was very comfortable. I would not hesitate sharing the Penthouse again (but it sure is nice to have it to yourself). All in all the room was great, the only thing that really did bother me was that the speakers on the balcony were not functioning in conjunction with the TV, which meant we couldn't listen to the rangers lectures while in the scenic areas such as glacier bay (well, at least not from our balcony).

 

NEPTUNE LOUNGE - Awesome as always!

 

CASINO - We played quite often in the casino and walked away ahead, if you combined our entire party. Our fathers both won a couple hundred dollars while the rest of us made up for it.

 

SPA - Hit and miss - The two mothers had their nails done and both had to have them redone a day or two later for different reasons. I think it was too late in the evening and the staff was ready to close up shop. My father had two great experiences with the acupuncturist.

 

DINNING

BREAKFAST

I can only attest to the quality and timeliness of in room dinning for breakfast. All seven mornings we had breakfast in suite. The first morning's breakfast didn't arrive as ordered, but was on time, hot and very good. Each morning after, we received exactly what we ordered, from the standard omelets to our chocolate covered strawberries (they go great with an early morning mimosa!) and basket of pecan Danishes. One thing that I don't remember from prior cruises on the Eurodam and Westerdam was receiving a call from in room dinning each time, checking on our satisfaction with our in room dining service. This had me wondering if it was because we were in the penthouse and our first morning's delivery was wrong or if this was done for all cabins. I later asked the Hotel Manager about this and he said that they are "supposed" to contact all cabins.

LUNCH

I can only comment on one lunch, for we never seemed to have the desire for more than a snack from the Neptune. The only lunch that my wife and I did indulge in was the suite luncheon. This was on Friday the last day of the cruise (a sea day). This suite luncheon in the Pinnacle grill was taking place just a little later than the Mariner's brunch in the main dining room. Why the heck would they do this???...it makes no sense. Others in our group went to the Mariner's brunch and did get our tiles for us, so that was nice. Upon arrival at the Pinnacle grill for our Indonesian lunch, one must stop to pose for photos with the Captain and Hotel Manager before being seated. After the photo shoot, my wife and I were escorted by the Pinnacle manager to a window table for four where we were informed that Captain Christopher Turner would be hosting our table. Wow, that was unexpected! What a fun surprise! Ok, we were a little nervous at first, but it was a great experience. Captain Turner had along with him, his um, well we're not sure...friend, girlfriend, fiancé, wife???? Anyway, Captain Turner and "Bear" were wonderful hosts and indulged us with all of our questions and comments. They were both easy to converse with and made for very enjoyable lunch companions. Lunch itself started with mixed blanched vegetables with peanut sauce along with Madura Chicken Soup with vegetable and shredded coconut. The main course consisted of a mixed plate of Nasi Goreng (fried rice), Pisang Goreng (fried banana fritters), Sate (marinated chicken from the barbeque with peanut sauce), Udang Goreng (shrimp in butter), Ayam Goreng Ketjap (fried chicken in ketjap marination), and Beef Sumatra (beef cooked with sumatra spices). This was accompanied by Sambal Goreng Buncis (fried green beans with sambal) and Achar (Indonesian style pickled vegetables). The meal concluded with Puding Gula Jawa (rice pudding with brown sugar sauce). We thoroughly enjoyed this meal, not only because it was a nice change from what we had been eating, but due to the great company.

DINNER

Main Dining Room - We had late fixed dinning, oddly at the exact same table we had in February on the Westerdam. Our server was Kris. He did a great job, but he seemed very insecure, always apologizing for things that he didn't need to. We only ate in the main dining room three times, not because of food or service, but because we had other things we wanted to do to. I would have to say that beef entrees in the main dining room were the best of any I've experienced on the two other HAL ships I've been on. I don't recall anyone having complaints on any of the dishes in the main dining room. I am tired of the Master Chef's dinner...I don't think we'll do that again.

Pinnacle Grill - Our group did dinner at the Pinnacle on two nights of our journey. I was a little worried, as I've always been a fan, but had heard some not so good reports about the Zuiderdam's. These worries were quickly exhausted after our first night which was wonderful. The ribeyes and Lobster tails were great. The only thing that left a little to be desired was the Lobster Bisque that was just plain bland...but that sure didn't spoil the meal and we sure didn't go away hungry. On the second night at the Pinnacle, I switched gears and had the Pinnacle Burger. This also was a nice change from the other dishes I'd been eating. The ground filet was very good! I also found that I really like the chocolate mousse cake. It is not on the menu, but is used as a birthday desert and is available upon request. It was really good...I had it twice!

In Room Dinning - On the evening of our visit to Skagway, we ordered course by course service in suite. Iwan, our server, arrived an hour or so before our scheduled time to set up and prepare. He delivered and served, course by course, for a very special, relaxing private dinner for the six of us in our dining room. The food was hot, and served and presented just as if we had been in Rembrandt Dining Room. I would definitely recommend this to anyone, especially if you have a nice outdoor dining table or are in the penthouse. It really is a nice service.

OTHER

We had hot and cold appetizers delivered to our cabin a couple of time during the trip. This is always a fun thing to do, especially when skipping lunch and eating a late dinner. On one busy port day, we also ordered lobster tails and escargot delivered as our appetizers. That was fun indulgence!

 

DESSERT EXTAVAGANZA

This was this first time I'd taken note of this. I always seemed to miss this on previous sailings. It was fun to look at all the deserts and creations. We didn't; however, partake in eating any of the offerings as dinner was still with us!

 

ENTERTAINMENT

I never saw a single show...we were just too busy! Sorry I can't comment on this aspect!

 

PORTS

We enjoyed are time in every port. I; however, will not go into detail, since this cruise is over for the year.

 

SHIP TOUR

My father-in-law and I went on the ship tour on the last sea day. This three or so hour tour is definitely worth the $150 per person! Hosted by the guest relations rep, a group of no more than twelve gets to tour and learn about nearly every area that you could be interested in seeing. Starting from the Pinnacle Grill, we entered the kitchen where the ship's chef gave a lecture and tour, then to bakery, meat locker, coolers, freezers, liquor storage, dry storage, recycling (did you know that they are allowed to dump glass into the sea? HAL doesn't.), laundry, engine control room, staff’s common areas, the stage, dressing rooms, and the bridge! (I'm sure I left some out too.) Each area included an education from the person in charge of that area and was very informative and enjoyable. It didn't include a lot of stairs, so be wary if you have trouble with walking or climbing stairs. The tour ended in the Ocean Bar where a cocktail, hors devours, and a gift bag was presented. The gift bag included one of the Signature of Excellence cookbooks, the towel animal book, a complete set of the week’s menus (signed by the chef), a set of six HAL shot glasses among other goodies. I really hope this pilot program gets expanded to the entire fleet. I'd definitely do it again.

 

OVERALL

The Zuiderdam, staff, and itinerary were great! Making this even better was that fact that our weather was so unseasonal. Leaving Vancouver on September 11, we never saw a drop of rain or hardly a cloud in the sky until our return to Vancouver on the 18th. Our days in port and in Glacier Bay were absolutely cloudless and on average in the mid 70s. We could not have asked for better conditions than we experienced! We'll definitely to Alaska again and definitely do it on HAL!

 

Thanks for the outstanding review!

[IRL_Joanie]

I'm sending photos for Joanie to post in her collection, so that others can see recent images of Zuiderdam's condition!

 

Thank you so very much for the photos!! Not only do I have all of the Stateroom Photos for Zuiderdam up and running, but got you listed on Eurodam's PS:)

 

Photos are here: http://joanjett2000.topcities.com/HAL/Zuiderdam/index.html

 

 

Joanie

[Bubski]

Mr Speck thanks very much for the great description of the penthouse.

 

We too are sharing the Penthouse so your comments are very calming.

 

Can anyone tell us if there is a privacy screen at all for the Murphy Bed area.

 

Thanks

 

Barb

[Krazy Kruizers]

Mr Speck thanks very much for the great description of the penthouse.

 

We too are sharing the Penthouse so your comments are very calming.

 

Can anyone tell us if there is a privacy screen at all for the Murphy Bed area.

 

Thanks

 

Barb

 

The pull out bed is in the living room section of the PS -- then there is the dining room area -- then there is the main bedroom -- there are doors to close here.

One thing -- everyone has to use the same closets located off the main bedroom.

[mrspeck]

With the doors to the bedroom closed, the living area with Murphy bed is fairly private. As mentioned, u will have to share closet space (there is plenty) and shower and tub. The washroom off the entry works is great for everything else as u won't have to wake anyone in the master if u need the restroom in the night. U will enjoy! Can't wait to be writing a review of the Westerdam Penthouse when we return to Alaska in September!