zuiderdam

[nineteen2]

Has anyone recently sailed on the Zuiderdam? I was going to book a Panama Canal cruise and after reading the reviews , having second thoughts. Cruisers had such negative comments regarding condition of ship, plumbing problems, etc. any help would be appreciated.

[Crew News]

Has anyone recently sailed on the Zuiderdam? I was going to book a Panama Canal cruise and after reading the reviews , having second thoughts. Cruisers had such negative comments regarding condition of ship, plumbing problems, etc. any help would be appreciated.

We did the Panama Canal in December 2013 and posted a glowing review of how much we appreciated the Zuiderdam. Since all reviews are subjective, you will have to decide how much weight to give each review.

[RJ2002]

Scan the first few pages here on the HAL forum. There have been some recent reports that have not been so critical. No mention of A/C problems; however, that is not to say that the issues might still be present in some areas.

 

We are sailing on the Zuiderdam in April, and are looking forward to it very much. We are hoping there won't be any issues. :)

[CORealtor]

We just got off the Zuiderdam on February 14, and I am happy to report that we had NO issues with either A/C or plumbing. I don't know if there were issues in other cabins, but I heard of none. I recommend you go on the cruise, as it is an awesome one!

[zelker]

We just got off the ZDAM two days ago and there were no AC or plumbing issues that I was aware of. We saw ongoing maintenance from the time we boarded in FLL throughout the cruise (carpet being replaced in some of the central elevator corridors, promenade deck life preserver cabinets and benches being varnished as well as railings on various decks, things like that). If one looks hard, there are definitely things that could stand to be refreshed or replaced, but it was a fabulous 10 days on a beautiful ship with a great crew and I wouldn't hesitate to sail on her again and can heartily recommend her ... and the Panama Canal Sunfarer cruise is a fabulous itinerary!!

[Grimsby]

Has anyone recently sailed on the Zuiderdam? I was going to book a Panama Canal cruise and after reading the reviews , having second thoughts. Cruisers had such negative comments regarding condition of ship, plumbing problems, etc. any help would be appreciated.

Here's part of my review, which should appear in full, within the next few days in the ships' review section of Cruise Critic.

We found a most accommodating staff and crew who were always courteous and eager to help. Even chance encounters in the corridors were always greeted with a; “good day - how are you to-day?”

 

We ate all but one dinner in the dining room and were again especially pleased with the level of service. The quality of the food was pretty well standard cruise line fare. About on par with a mid-priced restaurant in Canada or the U.S. Our one venture into a H.A.L. specialty dining venue was to the Caneletto Italian themed restaurant. The meal was O.K. and we would probably go back if we sail with H.A.L. again, but it was nothing spectacular. Usually breakfast and lunch were eaten in the Lido Buffet. Again, a typical cruise line buffet, with a wide selection and decent quality. I tried several items from the poolside grill, (hot dogs, hamburgs, fries, etc.), but something about the flavor put me off, although many people seemed to be enjoying the various items offered.

 

The entertainment in the main theatre varied from excellent, to adequate. The comedian and the illusionist were excellent and their shows played to a full house. The B.B, King Blues Band’s talent and enthusiastic performance had many of us dancing in the aisles. The H.A.L. resident singers and dancers were O.K. However, these entertainers just did not seem able “connect” with me. I don’t know if it was the selection of musical numbers, or the presentation, but I wouldn’t pay to see these shows ashore.

 

Despite the comments by other reviewers, the A/C and the toilet in our stateroom functioned well. HOWEVER, we had three days of COLD showers before someone repaired the water mixing valve in our shower. Following the repairs(?), one had to be extremely precise when making any adjustments. It took very little movement of the temperature control valve handle to go from “ice cubes” to “steam”. Hopefully when we docked in Port Everglades, someone went to the local ACE Hardware for the correct parts, (L.O.L.). The other disappointment was the broken desk chair in our stateroom. It was promptly removed, but we went without a chair for four days.

 

The public areas were all well maintained, with very little sign of wear and tear. My only complaint would be the temperature maintained in some of these public rooms. For example, the Crows Nest on deck 10, with it’s panoramic view would have been a great place to spend an afternoon reading, or an evening enjoying a drink with friends. However, the temperature was set so low that I had to leave after 15 - 20 minutes.