Just back - Zuiderdam - 7/9-7/16!

[dhowell]

I'll get this review started, but I'm sure my fellow "Celebrators" from this board will join in! What a great cruise - off to a bit of a bumpy start due to hurricane Dennis, but smooth sailing after that! First and foremost - plan at least one get-together with your fellow cruise critics and attend! We planned our first for the Crow's Nest on the first day, but due to our delay in boarding, many of our fellow "Celebrators" did not attend. Fortunately I had collected and made a list of everyone's room numbers (only one I never got) and we decided to have another get-together at the Crow's Nest on Mon. - our first "at sea" day. That was well attended, but I found out that I should have informed the front desk so they could have had extra staff on hand to help out. One of our members, Frank made up name tags and little magnets/ornaments for each group and also decorated the Crow's Nest with big and little signs while I made up a full (magnetic) page with all of our cruise critic and real names listed on it. I thought the doors were metal and we'd be able to hang the magnets on the doors. Everyone got a copy and we used sticky hangers that Frank had for hanging up his signs. Lesson learned - magnets don't work on this vessel! But definitely get someone to make a sign to attach to the doors of fellow CC members! We added other decorations throughout the week to each others doors. At our second meeting, we invited Bobby Broughton, the cruise director, who was thrilled about coming! He's absolutely great - he's only been with Zuiderdam for 6 weeks, but what a natural - and good looking too - he was "Prince Charming" for Disney once upon a time! My family was celebrating our parents 50th anniversary (all 21 of us) and my mom made some fancy flip flops out of that fun yarn - anyway, Bobby saw us all with them on and just loved them! My mom just so happened to have an extra pair which she gave to him and he wore them the following evening at the deck party! Get to know Bobby - he's really fun!

 

Going back to embarkation - we found out when we landed that Zuiderdam had not returned to port (Hurricane Dennis) and they would be holding us at Pier 19 - a warehouse type place where we filed in, got a number, were checked in with the exception of having pictures taken and ID's handed out. Then we waited...and waited...and waited. The lines got longer and longer, so we were grateful to have at least been processed. When the ship was finally cleared (I think it was 12:30 or 1:00) we were bussed over to the ship terminal where we stood in line for our picture ID's. This didn't take long for us because we were one of the first groups through at the pier, but it quickly got packed and some people waited for a VERY long time to get through everything. Our lifeboat drill was held at 4:15 and we finally departed at 7:12 PM - a wee bit late! Everyone was pretty exhausted after a long first day!

 

Half Moon Cay - Arrived late and the first tender was at 8:55. This left some passengers a bit upset because some of the early excursions were cancelled. Many of the excursions were full, so there was nothing that really could be done to accomodate the cancelled tours. We had a cabana, which is absolutely great!! There were 2 cabana boys (Mike and Mike) between 4 cabanans, so service was okay, not outstanding. We didn't complain though - all 21 of us were able to sneak in and out without any problems. My parents and father-in-law enjoyed the shade and coolness of the cabana throughout the day (it's air conditioned!). Through our travel agent, my family received several perks, one of which was free banana boat rides, snorkel equipment, and floats. My only disappointment at HMC was the attendants at the water sports, especially the ones working the banana boats. They took forever in setting up the boat, inflating it, hosing it, etc. We (4 of us) finally did go and it was great, then 3 others of us went on the next ride. After that I think there may have been one more ride, but then it was cancelled for the remainder of the day because apparently there was a leak in the banana boat. So, most of my family didn't get to enjoy the ride. I'm just wondering if they ever fix the hole. Some of my family did the horsebackriding and truly enjoyed it, but if they keep raising the price, it might not be worth it. I did the "Aquatrax" (waverunners)along with my brother, son and husband - this is probably the most fun you can get for the money!! I think it was only $39 and only 10 people go at one time. You are lead around on waverunners - if you want to go fast, you will! If you choose to go slower, someone will hang back with you to make sure you're okay. At one point we searched for nurse sharks which we found several of! It was an exciting way to end our visit at HMC. There is a cabana boy dressed in formal attire (although with shorts) walking around in the water with a photographer taking pictures. I never actually saw a cabana boy deliver a real drink in the water which I had heard about!

 

On each day at sea, everyone did his/her own thing - there was plenty to do if you so chose. Movies, bingo, art auctions, pool games, spa stuff, etc - it was pretty much up to you to figure this one out. The one thing I'd recommend is bringing sticky post it notes to leave on your door so other members travelling with you can find you. General notes - food was great and plentiful - hard to believe people complain when there is so much to choose from! They could have more servers working behind the counter - sometimes there was one person to make the eggs/omelets, make the toast, and serve the other offerings at his post, such as bacon, hash browns, sausage, cream of wheat, oatmeal - quite a bit for one person! Once I waited a good 5 minutes at the sandwich line to order the wrap of the day (chicken ceasar salad) only to find out when it was my turn to order that more chicken was being cooked downstairs but it would be a while. I suggested they put up a sign indicating that so people wouldn't be waiting for something that's not there. Burt Reynolds was busy greeting and studying faces - he did an impressive job in remembering so many names. One thing a lot of people overlooked - the main (Vista) dining room is open for breakfast and lunch everyday and it's a nice change from the Lido buffet! One other thing I highly recommend - get to know the staff as early in your voyage as possible - they're terrific! You do this by getting involved - participate in the pool games, play "skee golf" - just get your face out there! They give away many "Dam" mugs, t-shirts, etc. At Bingo, be the first person (and sitting near the caller helps) to raise your hand when they look for a volunteer to verify that all the numbers are there - free mug! Our party got 2 mugs and had 2 bingo winners during the week! And be sure to attend the deck party (the night after Tortola visit) - everyone had fun dancing near the aft pool!

 

I better stop now and continue on a new post!:)

[dhowell]

The first formal night follows the first "at sea" day - it's the night of the captain's reception. I was hesitant about going to this but glad I did! We opted not to stand in line for pics with the Captain and went into the Vista Lounge where free champagne/wine and appetizers were being served. The Captain arrived (Captain Hans van Biljouw) and gave a speech introducing his crew. It was very nice and he was terrific! From there we went directly to dinner (he has a reception for early diners and one for the later diners). You do go through the picture gallery as you approach the dining room which I know some don't like, but I thought it was a great opportunity (and reminder) to search for all those pictures they take (and, believe me, many are taken!). Our server was awesome (Yulian) as well as our bar steward - always had our drinks ready and coffee/tea without asking each night. The best, of course, is the second formal night with the Baked Alaska and all the hoopla that goes with it!

 

Our next stop after the first "at sea" day was Tortola - I could have spent the rest of my week right there! What beauty - the British Virgin Islands are gorgeous! We were fortunate enough to book "Patouche" - a recommendation I found through cruise critics. It was by far everyone's favorite day! All 21 of us went on their biggest catamaran (they had a smaller one called "Shamuri" as well) and the crew was marvelous! They told us a lot of history and fun information about the BVI's en route to Virgin Gorda. We snorkeled and climbed through the Baths with two of the crew members while the captain worked on our lunches. We ate en route to Cooper Island where we did some great snorkeling! By the time we returned from our sail, it was time to board the Zuiderdam - hated to leave Tortola!

 

Our next day was spent in St. Thomas. I recommend planning something here! We wanted to go to St. John, but realized how busy we'd be travelling there and back, not really able to spend enough time at Trunk Bay. So we settled for Coki Beach where there was some incredible snorkeling off the beach and my son and husband did a $60 scuba dive from the beach (50 feet), which they said was great. The beach did get crowded. Lounge chairs were $5 each and the much needed umbrella cost $10. There were many servers/vendors walking up and down the beach asking if you wanted anything. They were nice, but a bit annoying - just too many of them! I'd still recommend Coki Beach for the variety of fish you can see! Taxi ride cost $8 pp each way. We took a taxi to the shopping district and our driver was nice enough to take us up to the highest overlook to take pictures of Magen's Beach. It was breathtaking. Some of my family did the Kon Tiki Party Cruise which was basically a booze cruise - and they were a bit tipsy. Apparently they serve 150 proof rum on this cruise - one of them didn't show up for dinner and one left early from dinner. It's your choice, but not my cup of tea (or rum, for that matter!). Other family members did the trip to St. John (Trunk Bay snorkeling) and enjoyed it. Still, others just shopped until they dropped. My family did shop briefly, but unless you truly know what you're talking about, it's hard to believe you got some "great" deal on jewelry. You really just have to enjoy it as feeling like you got a great deal and knowing that you got a great souvenir to always remember your visit to St. Thomas.

 

Next Day was an "at sea" day, which I've already mentioned. There was a nice disembarkation presentation that morning that I'd recommend going to - not just because Prince Charming, Bobby held it - but he was funny and informative and the whole crew got together for a little musical production. Plus, you'll get to hear the top 9 questions he gets asked throughout the week - very funny! I wonder if it's always the same nine!?

 

Our last port was Nassau - it was quite hot that day. Fortunately I booked a sail/snorkel with Barefoot Sailing which was fun and simple. Most of my family attempted to go to the straw market, but it was so hot and they quickly lost interest. Some never go off the Zuiderdam. We motored out to Rose Island for some great snorkeling, then sailed back. Since we had 6:00 dinner reservations at the Pinnacle, we had to hustle back to the ship after our trip. When you arrive at Nassau, you will be approached by many people - taxi drivers, excursion people, horse & buggy drivers, etc. It's quite congested getting through "The Festivals" where vendors are set up at an enclosed mini-mall type atmosphere. It wasn't a bad place to go to get last minute items if you needed souvenirs. Most people don't care much for Nassau which is why I'd recommend finding a tour or sail to do, just to avoid being caught shopping yet again in a crowded straw market on a hot day!

 

Other notes - We had an SS suite - plenty of room, it was great! The bed were hard, so we had egg crates added and they were fine - best sleeping I've done for a while! The shows we attended were fun - we thought the magician was funny, mostly because of the funny audience participants who volunteered. I actually was convinced the first guy was part of the act, he was just so funny! The dancing/singing show on Thurs. night was enjoyable - some singers were better than others. We also enjoyed watching the karoke contest one night and watching the Superstar finals on the last night - again very funny things happened with the judges! My family enjoyed the music played at various places - jazz music before dinner, a little classical music after dinner, and the piano bar, where anything goes. Rhonda, the singer/piano player is not the best, but you can have some good fun there! My nephew and his friend sang "Strangers In The Night" for my parents one night - many people (good and not so good) got up and sang along with Rhonda! It was a fun atmosphere! My brother played a little black jack, while my neice played the slots - no big winners there, but they enjoyed spending some time there. Our dinner at the Pinnacle Grill (one of our other free perks) was terrific! The biggest party they can handle at one time is 14, so we split our group - the 11 older adults ate at 6, and the young adults and teens ate after us - around 8:30. We did tip at each sitting. Food was great as was the service. Our server took a group picture of all of us as well.

 

One very special thing to mention - we surprised our parents by signing them up for the "Renewal of Vows" Ceremony. This was such a special evening for them - they had a great opportunity to meet the captain. He conducted a beautiful (brief) ceremony Thurs. night at 7:30. Reception, brief speech by the captain, ceremony, pictures and many toasts afterwards. The next day my parents received a lovely album with the 2 pictures that were taken and it really made their trip complete! I'd highly recommend this - my dad didn't wait in line the night of the captain's reception for his meet/pic with the captain, then complained that he never got to meet him. He didn't know our plans for this ceremony, so he was tickled to have had the opportunity to really meet Captain Hans van Biljouw up close and personal.

 

Disembarkation went well. You need to eat breakfast by 8:30, then you can relax in your rooms until your color and number are called. Packed, tagged bags needed to be in the hallway by 1 AM the night before. We were told we needed 2 stubs from the luggage tags pp, but were never asked for them up disembarking from the ship. We were the last group called, around 9:50. By 10:30, we had our bags (my family of 5 and 2 parents) and were en route to the airport. The only downer was that my sister left her video camera in her taxi and my son lost his wallet at the airport.

 

Well, that's enough from me - please ask any questions you have - we had a great week and I wouldn't hesitate to sail on the Zuiderdam again! - Denise

[drdaddy]

Denise, (How did I just KNOW that you were a Denise and not a Dennis by the way you described the CD!)

 

Great review. Not just because it is so upbeat and such but that is so important. Less negative and more positive is so refreshing.

 

With Patouche, did you stop at the baths and one other island or two other islands? I read on another thread that you swim into the beach at the baths. Then did you walk along the beach to another snorkeling beach? If so, how was the walk through the boulders? Especially without shoes? I am healthy and snorkle easily but am rather large and worry about that walk. Was Patouche worth the extra dough?

 

Do you have a website for Barefoot Sailing? I was planning on doing the snorkle thing with the cruise line that goes to see the sharks and snorkle with them. I emailed Stuart's Cove who runs that trip but they won't book independents from HAL. I gues because of the time frame.

 

Thanks for the review.

[cruznon]

dhowell,

Thanks for the review. I have a couple of questions:

Who was the hotel manager?

How did egg crate pads added to beds? Did your steward offer or did you ask?

we have an SS. What was you cabin number /where were you lacted?

 

Thanks, Peggy

[dhowell]

Rob - We snorkeled as a group from the boat to the Baths, although my husband chose to snorkel on his own - he wasn't too interested in climbing through the boulders. There are definitely some tight spots as you walk through. You can always try and if you decide it's not for you (climbing, crawling, squeezing), you can simply return to snorkel from one beach, in front of the boulders, over to the other beach where everyone comes out. Patouche was definitely worth the extra dough - it's $90 for the day if you book on line. They give you muffins for breakfast (you'll have eaten on the ship already), then for lunch they had quiche, cole slaw and a pasta salad - very good. They also served soda, juice, water, beer and rum punch. My parents never got off the boat and felt it was worth it just learning about BVI from the crew. My father-in-law was at the helm for a bit!http://www.bahamasvacationguide.com/bsc.html - this is the website for barefoot sailing. There is another recommended sail/snorkel for Flying Cloud Sailing at http://www.majesticholidays.com/tours/flying_cloud/flying_cloud.htm Barefoot Sailing picked us up at 12:30 ( a 5 minute walk from the cruise ship) and we returned around 4:50. By booking on line, it cost $49.50 pp but they don't take credit cards, so you might want to check out that second one if that's a problem. I've heard many mixed reviews about Stuarts Cove and believe me, there are a ton of buses for that company. I think they pack the passengers in pretty tight. We only had 14 on our boat and it wasn't crowded at all at Rose Island.

 

Peggy - The hotel manager was Diderik Van Regemorter - that's all I can tell you - not really sure what he looks like. We called a number (can't remember what it was) to request the egg crates, but some of my family simply asked the room steward and others left him a note. We had to have some beds separated as well - this was no problem. Our room number was SS 6077, but we had many rooms (9 altogether) in that hallway.

[spcl4cs_gal]

Denise,

 

Thanks for a great review! Regarding these nurse sharks you hunted down...were these in the lagoon while you were on the waverunners? Just how dangerous are these things anyway??

[drdaddy]

That's terrific info, Denise.

 

Which cabana did you have on HMC? We have an option on either the taupe or the pink. I know they are widely apart but I can't decide.

 

I am sure Stuart's Cove is a crowded company. I just assumed that since they will not let you book directly with them if you are with HAL, you would have no choice because the ship doesn't get to Nassau until 1/2 hour after their regular tour leaves. So I thought they would have a boat just for HAL passengers. I did not think too many people opted for that tour. Maybe we will have someone report back on that one. Gee, I was afraid they would cancel something like that for lack of interest! Do you remember where you read reviews for Stuart's Cove?

 

Thanks for the sites. I will check them out.

[arzz]

We did a Patouche charter also a few weeks ago when we were in Tortola. They certainly do a wonderful job and they really sail the catamaran, not just raise a sail and continue to motor. To me that is very special and important. Clive and Pierce, our guides were fantastic and saw to all of our needs. I would definitetly recommend this trip. We motored to the Baths in Virgin Gorda and then snorkeled out to the beach and rock formations. After that it was a sail to Cooper Island, and an incredible snorke there, and then a sail back to Tortola. Of course snacks, lunch and beverages were included. My only objection was that for me (I get an allergic reaction to the sun) there really was not enough shade and I did have to deal some with my bumps and itches for the next several days.

 

I highly recommend Patouche.

[lishka]

Great review, Denise....wish I was on that ship with all of you!

Would love to go to that area....(sigh) maybe next time...

 

PS..any luck with the "Dam Ships" hat?

 

Leah

[dhowell]

Leah - Yes, I have your "Dam" hat! I will get it in the mail today if I can sneak out - my new kitchen cabinets have arrived and are being installed. But I should be able to get out this afternoon.:)

 

Rob - We had the turquoise cabana. You really can't go wrong with any of them. The island didn't feel crowded until lunch time. The cabana boys said they can't bring lunch food to the cabanas, which I've read about on these boards. I don't know where the taupe cabana is - the pink one is the 3rd from last away from everything. We liked the more central location since my parents have a hard time walking long distances in the sand. We also had some clamshells but never used them. Apparently some passengers didn't realize that clamshells were paid for and they moved into ours! We decided not to make a big deal of it though - better to have someone use them!:cool:

 

I believe I saw the reviews (some positive, others very negative) about Stuart's Cove in this forum - under "Ports of Call" then "Bahamas." Just do a search in that forum and you will find the reviews.

 

A - Nurse sharks are totally harmless - they're bottem feeders. They are in the lagoon and were really neat to look at. The waverunners don't tip over easily - I doubt if anyone falls off very often unless they're being daredevils! The key to waverunners (as we were told and they were right) is the faster you go, the easier it is to control. Just do it - it was so much fun!!:)

[spcl4cs_gal]

A - Nurse sharks are totally harmless - they're bottem feeders. They are in the lagoon and were really neat to look at. The waverunners don't tip over easily - I doubt if anyone falls off very often unless they're being daredevils! The key to waverunners (as we were told and they were right) is the faster you go, the easier it is to control. Just do it - it was so much fun!!:)

 

Ok now this puts my mind at ease. Had these visions of Jaws sneaking up and taking a bite out of the waverunner. :D When I was on them in March I never gave sharks a thought...strange considering the lagoon opens into the ocean at one end huh? Did the guide actually take you out into the ocean a bit or were you pretty much confined to the lagoon?

[Cameron-by-the-Sea]

Thanks Denise for a great review. You covered everything so well so I thought I would add just a few more comments.

 

This was our second cruise on the Zuiderdam--the first cruise we celebrated our 25th anniversary with friends and this time my husband was particpating in Dental Seminars. We took our three "young adult" children and our father in law. The ship had a wide range of cruisers with many families. There was lots of energy on the ship and so much to do. Our cruise a year and a half ago in February was more sedate--I was surprised how different times of the year can impact a cruise. We enjoyed both immensely, but I just wanted to mention how different "same ship, same itinerary" can vary depending when one cruises.

 

Just a few comments to add to Denise's review:

 

Rooms: We had two verandah rooms side by side. We asked the room steward to open the divider so we could move freely from each balcony. As for the beds, I had the room steward add an egg crate to my half of the bed. My husband loved the hard beds, so the room steward put a single size crate on my side. The kids had plenty of room in their triple. If you plan on putting more than two in a room be sure to get a "triple" sized room for the extra storage. Our father in law had an inside room which he said suited him perfectly. Our room stewards were excellent--we rarely saw them yet they always had our wine bucket filled with ice, fresh fruit, spotless room...They were amazing!

 

Food: We had late seating (8:30), which was not our first choice. We were waitlisted for 8:00 p.m. but never got switched. Overall the food was very good in the dining room. All the seafood entrees were yummy with the exception of the seafood paella. We particularly enjoyed the soups. Several nights my pickiest eater ordered a sirloin steak and baked potato. There was plenty of variety on the menus with labels to identify spicy foods or vegetarian dishes etc... Unfortunatey the service was a little slow and dinner took a minimum of two hours. We loved our dinner companions so we got to know them quite well during the lengthy dinners.:) Another drawback with late dinner--they ran out of Osso Bucca on our last night, which over half of our table had ordered. I wish HAL would go back to two dinner seatings because it was difficult getting from dinner to the shows etc...

 

As many people have mentioned previously, the Lido was excellent with soooo many choices. My husband, who is a bit of a "foodie" tried so many unique dishes at lunch. At least by the 8:30 seating we were hungry again. :p There was sushi available in the Wok Buffet, which some of our group enjoyed. We also enjoyed the bread pudding in the Sweets Buffet, but never knew exactly when it would be available. Be sure to have at least one breakfast/lunch in the dining room. What a relaxing way to enjoy a meal. Also, run to the Pinnacle and make a reservation for dinner. I do not know when we enjoyed a meal so much.

 

Entertainment: Not much to add here from what Denise has written. My children enjoyed the casino and won $200 on the slot machines. The boys wanted to particpate in the Texas Hold'em game, but we got out of dinner too late. I believe it started at 9:00 pm. My husband and I enjoyed dancing into the wee hours at the Crows Nest one night, but we found Northern Lights not as much to our liking. One night was heralded as Motown night, but it only lasted about 1/2 hour til the DJ switched music venues. One comment I do have about entertainment: Northern Lights was supposed to be off limits for kids under 21, yet there was no where for them to go if not Northern Lights. We told our kids to go on and enjoy Northern Lights despite being too young (18, 20). They were too old for the teen disco, so what was their option? I felt like the college age kids could have benefitted from some activities just for them. The Piano Bar was fun and Rhonda was very agreeable to letting others sing--almost a karaoke bar. We always had fun at night between the shows, casino, and Crow's Nest! This cruise was very lively and people were out and about til all hours.

 

Shore Excursions: We only participated in one ship sponsored excursion: the Aquatrax at HMC. It was a fabulous time, although I was a little spastic with the jet skis at first. My kids and husband took off, while I spurted along. Once I got the hang of it it was easy. Warning--take off your hat before boarding. My favorite pink ball cap got blown off and I never saw it again. We booked this activity for 2:30 in the afternoon. Because we were the last group, it seemed like we may have gotten a little extra time. Be sure to book early because it fills up quickly and the cost will rise to $59 (we paid $39). Other days, we snorkled on our own. Be sure to do your homework with ferries. I left that info at home and the front office on the ship did not help a bit with ferry schedules. We did the Baths and St. John on our own. We did miss a ferry here and there, and the schedule would have been very helpful, so be sure to bring that info with you if you plan on venturing out on your own. Be sure to have refreshments at the top of the Baths. The restaurant is so pretty and the view is breathtaking. St. John's turned out to be our favorite stop. The snorkle park was interesting and the beach at Trunk Bay was exquisite. Go early or most of the fish may be scared away since the snorkel park was quite popular.

 

Ship activities: So much to do, so little time! We love to read and spent many hours lounging around the pool or up at the front of the ship on the 10th level. It was very peaceful and never crowded up there. We went to the gym, library, and bought internet minutes. My husband had to spend 12 hours in seminars, so on his time off he really enjoyed just relaxing. We missed several events because we were just too lazy to get out of our bathing suits. The boys stayed busy playing basketball when they had some free time. I refused to keep up with the time, so many fun activities came and went before we realized we missed them. We were in such a laid back mode, which is exactly what our family needed! I promise you that nobody will be bored on this cruise.

 

The crew: Friendly, warm, and gracious is how I would describe the crew. They treated us royally and we were amazed with how busy they all were. I think we need to remember that they work non-stop to make our cruise special. Despite seeing thousands of passengers a year, they managed to make us feel as if we were their only passengers. WOW!

 

Overall impressions: We had a great cruise. We especially enjoyed meeting all our Cruise Critic buddies. If you are not participating in a roll call, check and see if one is started for your cruise.

 

The ship was beautiful and looked to be in excellent condition. It was immaculate and well kept. I loved the fresh flowers and every table in the Lido had fresh orchids! Despite hurricanes Dennis and Emily looming about, this sailing was the smoothest out of 4 cruises we have been on. We wish all of the future Zuiderdam cruisers the best cruise ever. Enjoy and feel free to ask any questions you may have.

 

Phyllis (Cameron-by-the-Sea)

[CruisinChris]

Dhowell -

 

I am confused by part of your last post regarding cabanas. You made the comment that the cabana boys told you that they can't bring lunch food to the cabanas? My understanding has been that that is one of the chief things they do. Can you elaborate? Appreciate it.

[dhowell]

Re: cabanas - If you read the description for the cabanas, there is no mention of lunch being delivered - that is only for the butler package. What is provided is priority tender, snacks (fruit, chips and salsa) and beverages - sodas and water. The cabana boys will get you mixed/alcoholic drinks and additional items if you need them. We had to go up to get our barbeque.

 

 

Re: Aquatrax - we stayed in the lagoon - it's very large and plenty of room for us to play around!:D

 

Hi Phyllis! I have a great pic of you on your waverunner - well, it's not that great, but it's proof that you did it! Send me your address and e-mail at denisehowell@comcast.net. My father-in-law just loved his lengthy discussions with Numa - too bad they don't live closer together. "Hype" has some buddies, but many don't share his level of activity!;)

[pklopp]

Thanks, ladies, for the reviews - it is always enjoyable to read good things about an up and coming cruise. One question about evening dress (I know it has been discussed numerous times) my husband is a little concerned that his suit will not be appropriate for formal night and I will not be in a "formal" formal - how did folks dress on various nites? Thanks for the help.

Peggy

[CruisinChris]

Dhowell,

 

Actually with Butler service they come to your room the night before and consult iwth you over your menu choices. You get special choices for lunch which include lobster and filet mignon.

 

All of the reviews I have read of Zuiderman which included cabanas also described lunch being brought from the BBQ. I have also seen pictures of the BBQ being brought. I don't question what you were told but wonder if this is new? A reduction in service perhaps? Disappointing and strange.

[drdaddy]

For Arzz & Denise,

 

How much time is actually spent on the boat itself? Is the shade issue a potential problem? Since it is a catamaran, I should have realized shade might be a premium. When we did Stingray City in Cayman, it was a regular boat with cover. But the Catamaran sounds so cool.

 

The cabana boy thing with the barbeque is disappointing. How to figure when they will go for you or not.

[Cameron-by-the-Sea]

Pklopp--All four of "my men" opted for dark suits--I saw some tuxes, but believe there were more dark suits worn. Either seemed to be fine and I would pack whatever you have. My husband also took a black blazer for informal night. I wish I was more observant but I was enjoying our family and dinner table companions so much I really did not look around to to see what others were wearing.:D As for me, I went with a short black halter dress the first night, and a glitter top and silk pants the second formal night. There was a lot of variety among the women, from "church" attire to cocktail and formal dresses. It can be a little unnerving trying to honor the dress code, but there really was a great deal of variety in attire.

[oceanlov1]

i was on the 7/2-9 zui cruise and of course loved it........was julie barr, the comedian on your cruise? neither one of you mentioned her. her lounge show was very funny and her adults only show was so hilarious. it is not to be missed.

[dhowell]

Cabanas - I think they may be cutting back - our cabana boy said they weren't allowed to bring the food down, although I had also read that was one of the things they did. Maybe if we offered them money to do so they would have. I didn't push it because I felt the walk up the steps to the barbeque was needed after sitting around! Also, with so many of us using the cabana (which is really only for 4 unless you pay extra), perhaps this also factored into why they didn't bring the food. I should have checked with the other CCers that had cabanas - if I hear anything about their service, I'll let you know!

 

Patouche - Since our party was so big (21), we were put in a larger catamaran which offered plenty of shade. Their usual catamaran, "Shamwari" fits fewer passengers and I'm not sure of the available shade. If you e-mail Patouche, they will gladly answer any questions you have. Believe me, they're the best!

 

Formal nights - Most of the guys in our group wore suits except my brother-in-law in a tux. It really doesn't matter - my father-in-law actually wore a blazer with dark pants. It's all about presenting a formal atmosphere - there truly was a variety. Women wore a wide variety as well - I stuck with cocktail type dresses, while some in our party wore gowns. Stick with what you own unless you truly need to invest more money in the cruise. You only need wear the formal attire through dinner anyway - many choose to change before hitting the show and nightclubs. One other note - apparently many people interpret "informal" as totally casual - Informal simply means no tux, but I saw many people dressed as though they were attending a barbeque! Personally, I wish they did have a Caribbean barbeque night where the proper attire was shorts and flip flops! They did offer that off the aft deck early one night, but not in the dining rooms. Anyway, don't put too much thought into what to wear - you'll see it all and the food will taste the same no matter what you're wearing!

[drdaddy]

It just dawned on me when I went to Patouche's website. Did y'all go to Tortola on Tues or Wed? Our itinerary for Oct 22 says Tortola on Wed. According to their website, they don't do the baths on Wed!

[mrsred]

Thank you so much for posting the reviews!

 

We're sailing on the Zui in just under 2 weeks, and reading ya'lls posts has gotten me even more excited!

 

Glad to hear the Pinnacle was a great experience. I just made reservations today, and FDH is really looking forward to it.

 

Thank again, and welcome home!

 

~e

[Cameron-by-the-Sea]

i was on the 7/2-9 zui cruise and of course loved it........was julie barr, the comedian on your cruise? neither one of you mentioned her. her lounge show was very funny and her adults only show was so hilarious. it is not to be missed.

 

You're right, she was funny and very spontaneous. I don't know how I forgot to mention her--we had a great time at her late nite show.

[dhowell]

It just dawned on me when I went to Patouche's website. Did y'all go to Tortola on Tues or Wed? Our itinerary for Oct 22 says Tortola on Wed. According to their website, they don't do the baths on Wed!

 

Yes, we did go on Tues. and they don't schedule The Baths on Wed. Keep an eye on your itinerary, though - we were orginally scheduled to go to Tortola on a Wed. when I booked the cruise, then they switched the itinerary. If you can get enough people together, you might be able to request that Patouche take you on their Tues. course - they gave us the option since it was just our family. We did choose The Baths, but to be honest, I think going to the other islands would be equally fun with them! If you're set on doing The Baths, talk to Patouche - if they won't take you, they'll probably be able to recommend someone. The catamaran trip is definitely the way to enjoy the British Virgin Islands! Good luck - Denise

 

PS - oceanlov1 - we missed Julie Barr's show, but she was one of the judges for the Superstar final on Fri. night and she was hysterical!

[familycruizer]

Denise,

I have a few questions about the waverunners. Apx. how long is the rental time, age requirement and can you have two people on one waverunner for the same price? I have two boys 13 & 16 who would like to try it. Thanks, Dennis