Zuiderdam Inside Passage 5/18/13 Review

[Baileybasset]

Let me start by saying we were worried about sailing on Zuiderdam after some of the reviews, but we just loved the ship and it is probably our favorite now! There is just something very special about this ship. The staff was one of the most warm and friendly we have sailed with and they called us by name often. And the artwork on board is beautiful.

 

The fire alarm went off on the second night at 1:45 AM when we were in fairly rough seas. A dishwasher had caught fire and set off the alarm. We were told the smoke detectors are super sensitive. The Captain came on the intercom and told us all to "go back to sleep". Not so easy to do! The Holland Lifeboat drill had us going to the muster station on deck outside without the jackets and yelling "here" when our names were called over the bullhorn. I felt Princess does the best job with the drill. They had us report to a specific room inside the ship with our jackets. Our room cards were scanned as we entered and we were told where to be seated. Nobody talked at all during the instruction. We were also told the correct way to enter the water if the need arose. At the end, we had to put on our jackets for staff to inspect. It was all very professional and serious and done in a short period of time.

 

We had connecting Signature Suites on Deck 8. They were beautiful and spacious with a wonderful veranda. The steward opened the connector door on the veranda and there was a connecting door just inside the cabin entrance in place of one of the closet doors. The bathroom was spacious. There was one day when one toilet stopped working, but we reported it immediately to the room steward and a maintenance person arrived right away and began working on the repair. After about an hour, all was fine and the front desk called shortly after to check that everything was working well. Our room steward was great and so friendly to us.

 

We had two Suite Amenities packages. At the time of purchase, there was only one type listed. By the time we arrived on board, they were Single or Double packages. This created confusion with the Pinnacle Grill and robes. We each had two robes, which the ship was kind enough to let us return for credit due to airline baggage restrictions. Also, the Pinnacle Grill reservation cards in each of our cabins said "dinner for two". I had prepaid three nights and was expecting credit on my account. When none appeared, we asked at the front desk and were then told we only got a "dinner for one" with each package, even though the card said "two". In the end we ended up splitting the difference on the dinners. We also could not use the Pinnacle Grill breakfast the morning of disembarkation and were given credit for that too. As far as the liquor, we were allowed to substitute wine for the hard liquor and we each ended up with four bottles of wine.

 

We ate twice at Canaletto, both times enjoying the food. We only ate once in the main dining room and the food was just OK in our opinion and service a bit slower, but we were at a table for eight.

 

The buffet was very good at breakfast and had many choices for all areas and many cooked to order items. I felt the basic coffee was drinkable, even if it may not have been the greatest.

 

We enjoyed the Sports Bar with Roy the bartender. The sports programming was limited to what was shown on ESPN in the cabins, but Roy's company was very enjoyable and we visited him daily.

 

The ports were excellent and we were fortunate to have clear skies. Glacier Bay was absolutely breathtaking and we purchased the ship's video of it. We saw many humpback whales, bald eagles, sea otters, puffins, a few Orca fins, sea lions, seals, and many types of birds. I used up two camera memory cards!

 

I have a problem with my final statement and am hoping to get it fixed tomorrow when the accounting office is open. The credit card charge was higher than my final bill. I suspect it is something to do with the mini bar. We had taken some of the items out of the fridge and placed them on the shelf above to make room for our Suite Amenities wine in the fridge. I'm guessing the inventory person did not count them in the disembarkation rush, even though we pointed them out to our cabin steward. I will be updating this thread, if any problems arise from this.

 

We loved the Zuiderdam and were very sad to leave her. A very pleasant surprise after all the negative comments previously written.:)

[PathfinderEss]

Thanks for taking the time to write and post the review of your trip on the Zuiderdam to Alaska. Sounds like you had a very enjoyable cruise.:)

[Photojunkie_I_am]

Thank you very much. We leave for our first cruise on Saturday and it will be on her as well.

 

The earlier reports from the winter had me very worried as well. The last few reports have helped put me at ease. Thank you for taking the time to post your experience.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thank you for your review.

Were you given any reason why you could not have breakfast in the Pinnacle Grill since it was part of the package you bought? I would ask HAL about that.

Do let us know how you final bill is resolved.

[AZNative2000]

Thank you very much. We leave for our first cruise on Saturday and it will be on her as well.

Thanks for your review, Baileybasset. It is nice to read about this cruise as, like Photojunkie, it was our first as well (in 2010). Seems like yesterday.

 

Glad you had a great time. Hope your photos turn out as well as ours.

 

Cheers!

[Candy]

Thanks for your review... she's [one of my] favorite ship !

 

 

[SUSANAMOLINOS]

Our Balcony Guarantee on Zuiderdam 8 June just came through as immediately below Aft Pool. Any danger of night noise from staff moving furniture? And for Alaska is a high or low deck better?

[KirkNC]

Yikes, that would be scary in the middle of the night.

[erewhon]

Thank you for your review.

Good luck obtaining the correct charge on your final bill.

[portofrome]

Thanks for your review.

[dan1618]

Our Balcony Guarantee on Zuiderdam 8 June just came through as immediately below Aft Pool. Any danger of night noise from staff moving furniture? And for Alaska is a high or low deck better?

 

On a previous cruise, we were in the corner aft suite on 8, just below the Aft Pool and Deck. We never had any issues from noise of staff moving furniture.

[SUSANAMOLINOS]

Thanks Dan1618. I read on other threads that Signature Suites on 8 get a lot of noise from Lido buffet but in Alaska maybe there are not many sun loungers to rearrange at the end of the day!

But does anyone recommend balcony near to water or near to sky for an Alaska cruise?

Many thanks - Susana Molinos

[Keith1010]

Enjoyed your review and I am glad you enjoyed the cruise.

 

Keith

[dan1618]

Thanks Dan1618. I read on other threads that Signature Suites on 8 get a lot of noise from Lido buffet but in Alaska maybe there are not many sun loungers to rearrange at the end of the day!

But does anyone recommend balcony near to water or near to sky for an Alaska cruise?

Many thanks - Susana Molinos

 

I've done Alaska from Deck 8 and from Deck 5. I don't think from a scenic standpoint that there is a difference either way. Depending on where you are on Deck 5, the balcony may be completely covered, or close to it, so there is a little more protection from the elements (but not much -- with any breeze at all rain is going to blow into the shallow verandahs). We did not have noise issues in either location and didn't enjoy the scenery more or less from either (it was fabulous from both). On 8, you are one quick run up the stairs to the Lido Restaurant for breakfast, lunch, snacks, etc, and a one flight run to the Aft Pool Deck if you want 360 degree views (nice if you want to enjoy the glaciers in Glacier Bay from your deck and be able to run up to the Deck to catch them when he rotates the ship for the other side to see), but you can also snag an elevator most times -- stairs can be quicker though.) From a scenery standpoint, I didn't sense a difference.

 

One other practical difference: on 8, most times, there will be no one right above you because in Alaska, people don't hang out at the rail on 9 a whole lot except during Glacier Bay at the Glaciers -- so you might have less noise from above you -- but again, we didn't have an issue with that in either location.

 

If you are already on 8, I wouldn't see any reason to do the work to change it. Hope this helps.

[Baileybasset]

HAL just e-mailed back to say they will be posting a credit to my account. The excess charge was from the mini bar. We had put some of the bottles up on the TV shelf to make more room in the cooler and in the rush to leave did not return them to the cooler. We had told our steward, but unfortunately, the inventory person charged us.

 

Also, our stateroom was on Deck 8 mid ship under the Lido Cafe. We did not experience any noise from the buffet area. In fact, it was a lot more quiet than some of the other cruises we have taken with verandahs above us.

[IRL_Joanie]

Yikes, that would be scary in the middle of the night.

 

Hey all, I'm back, but only came on for a moment to say HEY ALL!!!

 

Not up to anything yet as it will take me a few days to recuperate from yesterday's drive from Vancoiuver to Seattle (easy part) and the 2 flights home from Seattle. Started the day at 4 am and ended it at 12:30 this morning........Super tired......

 

As I sad in my tiotle, "The Scariest Part was"......... we did not even hear that fire alarm!!! It came about 12 pm or there abouts and was, as BaileyBassert reported was in a Dishwasher (located in the Officer's Bar. I take sleeping pills and we also have a Sleep mate (White noise machine) running at night and only hear about the alarm the next morning from other passengers..............SCAREY to hear we did not hear it!!!

 

OK, am out of hear for today and will write my review of MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE HAL SHIP!!! She is awesome and anyone worried over what they read in the past can forget their fears!!

 

Joanie

[SUSANAMOLINOS]

Thanks again DAN1618. Good points about runnng up the stairs for 360 degree viewing. My TA has just come through with a $39 upgrade offer to Signature Suite so now I have to weigh that up too.

[ScruffyBC]

Hello! I was also on this cruise! It's nice to hear reviews from others who were on the same! :) (I'm too lazy myself to write a proper review, but do take lots of pictures to help me remember it)

 

About the fire alarm... I had JUST fallen asleep when I was woken up by this loud unidentifiable sound. I say unidentifiable because I was in such a sleepy, tired, incoherent daze. A few minutes later, the captain came on and described the incident, but I could barely make out his message (due to my incoherent state) that I continued to freak out. I then heard his last message saying that it was due to a dishwasher and that it's been taken care of and we could go back to sleep. I was still freaked out afterwards, because I had all of these terrible thoughts running through my head about "what if it had been worse". But thankfully I eventually fell back asleep.

 

Other than that, I LOVED the cruise :D

[srpilo]

Solid review

 

 

 

 

We enjoyed the Zuiderdam also, thanks for sharing

Srpilo

[visagrunt]

We were on the same cruise and will offer the following thoughts:

 

Our guest surveys contained a long list of 9's.

 

Embarkation was a breeze. With three ships at Canada Place, the line for security was long--but moved very steadily. That served to space out people so that there were no delays for US Customs and Immigration, nor for check-in. The Mariner's luncheon in the dining room was very quiet, and set a nice tone for the week.

 

Our Cabin was a Neptune Suite (7067) directly across from the Lounge. We could not have been more pleased with it. Spacious and bright during the day, but with effective blackout curtains not only on the windows, but also between the cabin and the dressing area (very useful when one of you is an early riser and the other is not!). Our cabin stewards, Bayu and Sodiq, attended to us promptly and well. The laundry stewards took care of our clothes speedily and well.

 

For dining, we opted for fixed seating--as is our wont--and received extraordinary service from Wayan and Heri (our waiter and assistant waiter) and Arnold (our wine steward). I had availed myself of the opportunity to bring half a case of wine on board, and took four bottles down on the first night. Arnold managed them faultlessly.

 

The quality of the food in the Dining Room was absolutely first rate. I persuaded our table companions that one never goes wrong ordering the chilled soups on HAL, and they all confirmed that my advice on the subject was sound! Not one disappointment in all of the meals taken in the main dining room.

 

The Lido was less successful. While food options were many, and plentiful, most of the choices were uninspired. The sushi at the Asian station was downright insipid. The best options on the Lido seemed to be the Deli for very good sandwiches, and the Salad bar. Ultimately, the number of people, and general atmosphere makes the Lido my least favourite place to eat. (However, the cinnamon ice cream on Day 3 was a very yummy treat!)

 

The Pinnacle was impeccable, but service at breakfast tended to being somewhat stiff. So much so that the last two mornings we opted to breakfast in the Main Dining Room instead, and enjoyed it more, given that we had table mates, rather than breakfasting at a table for two).

 

We only ordered Room Service twice--once for breakfast on the first full day (when the Pinnacle was not yet open for breakfast), and once for hot and cold canapes before the first formal night). The breakfast order was missing an entire breakfast (mine), but fortunately I was able to pop across to the Pinnacle for a perfect substitute. The canapes were delivered absolutely on the dot, with the hot ones hot, and the cold ones cold, and were well received by us and our guests.

 

The dinner at Le Cirque in the Pinnacle was flawless--but excruciatingly slow. Given that these items must be made to order, the service can never match the speed of the Dining Room, but it was still remarkable for the length of time between courses.

 

We booked two shore excursions but alas, the first had to be cancelled since the seas in Auke Bay were too rough for the whale watching. The Mushers Camp and Sled Dog Encounter in Skagway was so good that it rivals Glacier Bay for the high point of our cruise. (Confound them for counting the puppies before letting us handle them! ;) )

 

I booked a pass for the Thermal Suites and was not disappointed. Only once did I find the thermal suite full, and then, no longer then it took me to start in the steam room. The hydro pool never had more than four people. Very much my own space when I used it. The Fitness Centre was well equipped, and I never had to wait for a treadmill, even on sea days.

 

Entertainment in the bars was very good, particularly fine was the duo Allegro (violin and piano) who played nightly in the Explorer's Lounge.

 

However, there were some aspects which did not get a 9:

 

Entertainment in the Vista Lounge was more of a mixed bag. The first night was nothing less than dreadful. The musicians weren't even playing, it was patently obvious that it was prerecorded track, and the staging was very poor. The first night is a tough object--trying to put all of the ship's musicians, plus the singing and dancing cast on stage is a staging and technical nightmare--but you have to do it well, because this is the first impression that passengers will have. It needs a serious rethink.

 

The two production shows fared much better--but still suffered because some of the lighting instruments were improperly focussed (or had settled in their yokes) meaning that there were big holes in the lighting design. Sound balance was pretty awful, too. The guest artists were all very entertaining.

 

By far the most unpleasant element of the cruise was the incessant push on retail sale of jewellery. I am not so foolish as to misunderstand how important the retail real estate is to HAL's bottom line. But I cannot count the number of "promotions" and "invitations" that turned up in our mailbox to jewellery sales and events. And when we did go through the shops (which was unavoidable when in transit from late seating dinner to the show lounge), there was hardly anything else for sale. Not one camera, no camera accessories. No electronics. One tiny corner of duty free, and an even smaller corner of convenience items, a small perfumerie, and the rest was wall-to-wall jewellery and watches. (And just to demonstrate the fantasy that is shipboard pricing, one of our table companions was admiring a ring with a sticker price of $9,000 and was immediately told, "But for you, $3,000.")

 

The Vista class ships are not our favourites--we remain firm fans of the R-class ships. Placing the public decks between the decks of accommodation means shorter travel time to and from whatever activities one wants to get up to. It maximizes the number of balconies, to be sure, but makes the vessel less of a ship and more of a floating hotel.

 

But what does it matter whether or not one loves the ships when you receive service like this! And for all my complaints about jewellery sales, and poor lighting design in the show lounge, I would return to the Zuiderdam with nary a second thought!

[Ms. Alpha]

We are doing this cruise later this summer and will be celebrating our anniversary on board. We planned to dine in the Pinnacle on our special day and wondered if it would be that night or another. I think we are in Skagway the day of our anniversary.

[Typhoon1]

Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts.

[visagrunt]

We are doing this cruise later this summer and will be celebrating our anniversary on board. We planned to dine in the Pinnacle on our special day and wondered if it would be that night or another. I think we are in Skagway the day of our anniversary.

 

The Le Cirque night was the second formal night (the night after scenic cruising in Glacier Bay).

 

If you look up your reservation on HAL's website, the Le Cirque night will be available for prepurchase (as will the Pinnacle Grill), and the night will be identified when you buy it.