Zuiderdam

[jlw1952]

We took the same cruise this winter and just had a great time! I also think many cruisers don't realize how destructive the salt from the ocean is. . .

 

We have a condo in Hawaii 30' from the ocean--almost as soon as the windows are washed they need to be cleaned again! Rust is a continuous issue. . .the hinges on my stove, cabinets, etc are rusted! The fabrics just a little not up to par, etc. I've got one lamp now that is completely corroded. . . Oh, but the view is sublime. . .

 

But on the Zuiderdam last month, we always saw the crew painting, varnishing, cleaning at least trying to keep the damage from the ocean spray at bay. It is a battle!

 

And I guess also since we always book the cheapest cabin that is available--we always get tremendous value for our "cruise $". . .It's not a "give away" but close to it.

 

Perhaps if I had "opened my pocket book" for a suite, I would look at things differently.

 

Also, I try to remember that every refurbishment costs millions. The money has to come from somewhere. I would rather have a few frayed cushions than the price of my ticket going up. BUT we all can have our opinions, can't we?

 

BUT I do appreciate all comments and observations--the good and the bad. I really enjoy all of your thoughtful comments.

[boccismom]

C'estsibon,

My DH and I are going to be with you on the cruise. We, too, have been on many cruises and aren't swayed by a little wear and tear on the ship. We've almost always had a wonderful time and fully expect to again.

 

See you in April.

[schoolinmy3]

And I guess also since we always book the cheapest cabin that is available--we always get tremendous value for our "cruise $". . .It's not a "give away" but close to it.

 

Perhaps if I had "opened my pocket book" for a suite, I would look look at things differently.

 

I was thinking the same thing. I am sailing on the Noordam in the Mediterranean in the cheapest guarantee room I could find. My son is traveling with me and did not care at all about the room. As a matter of fact the week after we booked the room the cheapest fare went up and is now $200 pp more than what we paid. I have no doubt we will have a fantastic cruise. But if I was paying $1K more per person for a suite I would guess my expectations would be higher and consequently my chances of having a cruise that did not meet my expectations would be higher. I heard a quote that went something like this (Michael J Fox) "My happiness grows in direct proportion to my acceptance, and in inverse proportion to my expectations. Acceptance is the key to everything." Or as my husband says: Keep your expectations low and you will be seldom disappointed.

Diane

[Cygneagile]

C'estsibon,

My DH and I are going to be with you on the cruise. We, too, have been on many cruises and aren't swayed by a little wear and tear on the ship. We've almost always had a wonderful time and fully expect to again.

 

See you in April.

 

Did you join the Role call. We are meeting for a get together. Check it out.

Julie

[CanuckCruizer]

Never said I gave more credence to the negative reviews - if I did I would have cancelled my booking by now. I'm just willing to consider all sides. Yes there have been some positive reviews, thankfully. However, this particular board is bad for shooting down people who dare to state a negative opinion. I like to hear it all and make up my own mind.

 

Hi Startwin - I have nearly cancelled my booking a couple of times already - lol. I completely agree with you - this board is THE WORST for shooting down ANY negative reviews, which is absolutely ridiculous. The world is not perfect but so many "claim" that a HAL cruise is....

 

Hey Canuck, one thing I can tell you for sure is that my friends who took RCCL (they have no allegiance to any line) will NEVER sail on them again. They lost weight on their cruise the food was so awful. HAL's food is the best in their opinion. They have cruised a lot and on all the lines (not luxury lines, though). Zuidie food was great when we were on her.

 

hopefully you will enjoy your cruise. I do find that some people can be very picky on cruises. you can't go on a 4.5* or 5* line and expect 6* food and service (even though some people do). It'll be interesting to hear about your experience when you get back and what you thought. One thing we all have to keep in mind - reviews are subjective. Opinions vary (as we have seen on this thread) by people on the same cruise even.

 

We truly enjoyed our cruise on her. :)

 

Kazu - glad to hear again that HAL has better food than RCCL - that is something we are looking forward to. We are trying the Oosterdam first and have the Zuiderdam for next year.

 

We have never been on a "luxury" line but have been on RCCL, Celebrity, Princess, NCL, Carnival and a Russian ship in Australia (can't remember the name). DH has been on HAL twice, but it was many years ago. This will be my 1st time on HAL. While the above lines I listed are not luxury - we certainly have not seen any furniture in disrepair, any carpets that were worn/frayed, any buckets to catch leaks etc. etc. We have had excellent "gourmet" food on a lot of cruiseships in the 80's and 90's (before everything changed - cutbacks etc.) Most recently we have had first class fine dining gourmet food (however you want to describe it - DELICIOUS:D)on RCCL's Radiance (2002), RCCL's Mariner (2009), Celebrity's Constellation (2007) and the Coral Princess (2005). Those are the only ones that stand out in our minds. The best food we have ever had is on our land based vacations in Puerto Vallarta - a foodie's dream....:) So, my point is....lol...that I have been on "mainstream" lines where we had the best food, entertainment, great service and beautiful decor. But, like you said, opinions are subjective.:D

 

We are going to try HAL as we are tired of eating the "not up to par" food on RCCL and Princess. We are, however, nervous, about the lack of nightly entertainment (as in interfering with late seating - shows too early) and the older clientele. We do not have anything against the elderly but just want to be on a ship with a "bit of action" as in it doesn't shut down at 10 or 11pm at night and we are the only ones walking around (this has happened to us on Princess and Carnival).

 

I will continue to read reviews on both ships that we are booked on and form my own opinions. We are very much looking forward to our upcoming HAL cruise as it will be new to us - new menus, new entertainment and new ways of doing things.

 

Happy cruising to all!

 

Canuck

[mabert]

I seldom go to the 'shows'. Instead, I sit to hear the pianists and the adagio strings (a real treat to sit in a small area and have them play for you) and danced to the bands in the ocean bar. I highly recommend these.

[LittleMissSqueaker]

We sailed on zuiderdam on 22 Jan and loved it. Food was amazing, staff just wonderful and just a damn good time really. Yes, an older crowd but we are 34 and 40 and took our baby and found everyone to be lovely, even though they were generally older. Age really doesn't matter to me.

 

The brighter decor is different and maybe not what I might choose for home, but it's far from offensive! The color of the carpet really isn't a big deal for us. I still thought she was an impressive unit all through.

 

Given the chance, I'd be back on zuiderdam tomorrow...sigh!!!

 

You will love the cruise...and if something isnt perfect, remember the worst day on a cruise is typically a lot better than being at work!!!

[Krazy Kruizers]

thank you for your review -- we also noticed when we sailed on the zuiderdam in 2009 that she was looking a little tired

[1teach53]

Hi JLW1952

 

Very well said !! After many Hal cruises & a few on other lines, you are right, for the cost, the product is great!!!  The staff & crew are the big reason we keep coming back.

We did 2 Regent cruises, a lot more $$$$ & I might say they were very "full" of themselves, BUT......the service, staff & even food could not compare with Hal!!!

Thanks for everyones input.

Karen

[anxioustoleave]

Just to clarify, we had a great cruise. The food and the entertainment were great and we loved all of the places we visited. We were just so surprised that the ship was in need of some updating and, apparently, there was less crew than we've seen on other ships. We are not virgin cruisers and we are not overly picky people. I'm sure you will have a great time.

A few tips: We ate at the Canneleto and would much rather have been in the dining room. Same for the Pinnacle grill. The main dining room was excellent. Also, in ARuba go tothe beaches. It's a desert island and there's not much else to see. And, the best port for souveniers was Costa Rica. That was a surprise. I bought some lovely Costa Rican hardwood cutting boards and Costa Rican coffee. If you're adventurous, the zipline tour in Costa Rica was fabulous! Enjoy!

[mcduck]

We must have been on a different Zuiderdam on the Feb 01 - 11 Panama cruise as the ship is in geat shape. A number of the teak chairs from the promenade deck are in sad shape, but they were busy sanding and restaining them during our cruise. Did not notice any other maintenance isses. I thought that the carpet and soft goods in our suite might have been replaced recently as they hardly looked worn, but they shampooed the carpet a few days into the cruise (it looked the same after they were done).

 

I plan to post a review soon (damn clients getting in the way), but the short review is great ship, great crew, excellent food and average entertainment, with calm seas and blue skies. In otherwords a typical HAL cruise.

[Cygneagile]

Just a quick question. On another thread we have been informed that the Lido Buffet no longer has trays. Can anyone confirm this?

[1teach53]

Just a quick question. On another thread we have been informed that the Lido Buffet no longer has trays. Can anyone confirm this?

 

Yes, this is correct, been this way on our last few cruises on Hal. There is staff to help anyone needing help carrying plates.

The change seems to be working well & I'm sure saves a lot of $$$$ on food waste.

Karen ;)

[startwin]

Yes, this is correct, been this way on our last few cruises on Hal. There is staff to help anyone needing help carrying plates.

The change seems to be working well & I'm sure saves a lot of $$$$ on food waste.

Karen ;)

 

For the first time ever on a HAL cruise there was no assistance in carrying plates for my disabled DH last September. I found it very frustrating trying to carry his and my meals and drinks and the constant going back and forth. On all previous cruises - even with trays - there was someone to assist.

 

We definitely do not waste food, and I'm not convinced that's the reason for no longer providing trays. In future I am taking my own tray.

[SwissMyst]

......

A few tips: We ate at the Canneleto and would much rather have been in the dining room. Same for the Pinnacle grill. The main dining room was excellent. .........

 

Had similar reactions on our June 2010 Zuiderdam Alaska cruise -- MDR was excellent and preferable to other dining venues. We ended up being sorry we went to the PG instead of the MDR for the last night silliness. Never again -- when the MDR is as good as it was on the Zuiderdam, we will stick with it even through the napkin parades and salad bowl tosses. (Yech:p)

[Cygneagile]

[quote name='1teach53']Yes, this is correct, been this way on our last few cruises on Hal. There is staff to help anyone needing help carrying plates.
The change seems to be working well & I'm sure saves a lot of $$$$ on food waste.
Karen ;)[/quote]

We always make 2 trips anyway. We prefer eating our salad or what not first then going back for main meal. I am happy to hear that the plates are just a bit bigger allowing for a coffee or glass of water.
Life is good when you are cruising.