Review - ms Zuiderdam Mediterranean Dream Sept 4 - 15

[borasue]

What a wonderful trip we had! Grab a cup of coffee or tea, sit back and read what you have to look forward to or reminisce about the time you had traveling the same itinerary.

 

It had been many years since we had been to Europe, so we had much to relearn. Many thanks to all the CC contributors who answered questions and made recommendations. Our journey went off without a hitch and we enjoyed every hot, tiring minute of our "Voyage of the Ruins."

 

We arrived in Venice on 9/3 early in the day. We navigated our way through the airport and purchased our ATVO tickets at the kiosk near the luggage carousel. No problem in finding the Piazzale Roma bus. Once we arrived at the drop off area, with just a quick look around we spotted our hotel, the Best Western Olimpia. One bridge with a few steps and some friendly locals who helped us up the stairs with our luggage and we were at the hotel. Too early for check-in, so we sat by the canal to catch our breath. 45 minutes later, we were shown to our room… a cozy corner overlooking the canal. Imagine our delight and surprise when we opened the shutters and saw the Zuiderdam, just waiting for us!

 

 

For the record, we loved the hotel! Perfect location… near the vaporettos & the People Mover. Outstanding service. By following their FB page pre-cruise, I had made notes of interesting places to visit besides the usual sites. We ventured to Via Garibaldi, a marble lined street that used to be part of the canal, found a nice restaurant and enjoyed watching the world go by. After a much needed night's rest and a wonderful breakfast in the hotel's garden, we headed to the ship.

 

After once again traversing the single bridge, we stopped at a BankoMat (ATM) in the Square to get some Euros, then walked the short distance through Piazzale Roma to the People Mover station. Obtaining tickets was easy enough and the ride was much shorter than expected. Soon we were in the terminal, checked in and waiting. Boarding began around 11:30 and by Noon we were headed to our stateroom, a port side Signature Suite on the Navigation deck. We were very pleased with our assignment (we took an upsell from a verandah to an SS). We found it to be roomy, with plenty of storage and loved having 2 vanity cabinets! Our attendant, Sigi, stopped by shortly after we arrived to introduce himself and ask if we needed anything. As we headed out of our room up to the Lido for lunch we realized our bags were already sitting outside our door! After lunch we unpacked and got ready for the drill. Muster was well organized and room cards were scanned for attendance. It was time to say "Ciao Ciao Venezia!"

 

 

The next day was a sea day… time to attend our M&G and explore the ship. We almost immediately fell in love with the Zuiderdam! She was our 4th HAL cruise and with the exception of the Prinsendam, we've now sampled all 4 classes HAL has to offer. While the Maasdam will always be our first love, the Zuiderdam runs a very close second! Google HAL staterooms and you just might find some pics. ;)

 

Our first port was Katakalon. Based on CC recommendations, Rick Steves & TripAdvisor, we booked a semi-private tour (up to 25 people) "Olympic Experience." While we booked thru OlympicTraveller.com with Christos Dorziotis, others booked the same tour thru OlympicTours.gr with Niki Vlachou. It was a great experience, our guide Ioanna was wonderful, and the tour included a delicious lunch buffet at a local restaurant with wine, all for approx $75 per person, plus ticket costs of $10; a comparable HAL tour was $145 p/p.

 

Next up was Nafplio, a tender port. Because of this, and because we didn't find a private tour that covered what we wanted to do, we joined the HAL excursion to Mycenae & Palamidi Castle for $70 p/p. It was an enjoyable tour and our guide was extremely knowledgeable and pleasant.

 

We booked again thru OlympicTraveller.com for "Athens Guided Tour." It was a full busload headed from Piraeus to Athens but the group was split in half, with a guide for each group of approximately 20 people. The trek up to the Acropolis was crowded and hot, but something not to be missed! Our guide, Nina, provided great details for what we were viewing and the artifacts we saw in the Acropolis Museum. There was sufficient time afterwards to wander through the Plaka area and have a nice lunch (not included). Cost p/p was approx $75 plus ticket costs of $20; a comparable HAL tour was $215 p/p!

 

Surprisingly, one of the highlights of our trip was our stop in Kusadasi! Based on CC feedback and TripAdvisor, we chose a private tour for two with Ephesus Shuttle for our day in port, specifically, Tour #7 (Private Ephesus + Terrace Houses, traditional Turkish lunch buffet at Bizim Ev Hanimeli in Selcuk, and a visit to the mountain village of Sirince). Our guide, Nafia, was OUTSTANDING! We were off the ship early and she was there waiting. We beat the crowds to Ephesus, arriving before the gates even opened. Nafia deftly navigated us around the waiting bus tours so that we were the first two through the gates when the turnstiles opened. The result? Wonderful photos with no unknowns in them and we breezed through the Terrace Houses with no lines! If you visit Ephesus DO NOT miss the Terrace Houses! The architects of that time were so advanced… running water, covered pipes, mosaic floors and painted frescos. Simply amazing.

 

 

Without question, the ruins of Ephesus & the Terrace Houses were the best of all we saw. Lunch in Selcuk was absolutely delicious, and Nafia joined us at our table. It was like having lunch with a good friend. The drive up to Sirince was spectacular and the village was quite charming. While it is customary to visit a rug, ceramic or leather shop when visiting Turkey, it was totally optional. There was no expectation for us to go, nor was there any pressure for us to buy. In fact, we requested a stop at a rug co-op. We were guests and treated royally at Yuksel Carpet. They showed us every step, from getting the silk from the cocoons, the dyeing process and the weaving. Very informative and no hard sell! All in all we loved our day in Kusadasi. Cost p/p was $109, including tickets & lunch (excluding drinks); comparable HAL tour was $170 p/p.

 

No tour for us in Mykonos. We enjoyed just strolling the streets, lunch on the waterfront and taking many, many photos. It's a magical place!

 

From the time I first read about and saw photos of The Acropolis of Lindos, I knew I wanted to go. We selected a private 4 hour tour, "Best of Rhodes," with RhodesPrivateTours.com. Nicholas was our email contact and he had advised if we were off the ship in time we could include a bit of the Palace of the Grand Masters by car, as it is closed to vehicles at 9 a.m. We were in port early so we were off the ship by 8:15. Nicholas was there with his team of drivers and told us we would be with Andrew for the day. We set off thru the Palace with plenty of time for photo stops along the way. A drive up the coastline provided stunning vistas and sites and then there it was… the Village of Lindos with the Acropolis high above and St Paul's Bay. While I could have ridden the "Lindos Taxi" half way up before ascending the 292 steps, I decided to make the trek. Each stop to catch my breath actually took it away, as there was a different perspective and view from every level.

 

 

After a little over an hour in Lindos we headed to Argos on Haraki Beach for lunch. I'm running out of superlatives to describe all our experiences. Lunch was beyond expectations. We were met by Nicholas who was there to ensure we were enjoying our day. We assured him we were being well taken care of by Andrew and were loving every second of it. The restaurant setting was unbeatable… the deck was perched out over the rocks, overlooking the beach, with the ruins of one of the first castles of the Crusaders high above. The food was absolutely fresh and delicious, and the service was superb! After enjoying a very relaxed meal we even had time to dip our toes in the crystal blue water of the beach. RhodesPrivateTours set us up with a very memorable day! Cost was for the car… $202 for the 4 hour tour + $45 per additional hour for lunch, plus the cost of lunch. We could have shared this tour with up to 4 people to cut the costs, but we opted to keep it to ourselves. A comparable HAL tour (8 hours) was $175 p/p.

 

Santorini was a tough one for us to decide upon. Our first instinct was to just make our way to Oia, but shortly before the cruise we decided to book a 5 hour tour which included Oia, Akrotiri, a photo op at Red Sand Beach & a visit to a winery. Once again we booked with Christos Dorziotos at OlympicTraveller.com for a semi-private tour (up to 18 people). We made our way off the ship and up the tram by 9 a.m. That gave us about an hour to peruse in Fira before joining our tour. We found the small bus to be a bit tight, especially since there were 4 of us in those last seats at the very back of the bus. Not particularly comfortable. Oia was one of the most picturesque places I've ever seen, but also very crowded… and that was with only one other ship in port! I can't imagine what it must be like during peak season with more than 2! We had about an hour there then made our way to the other end of the island to the ruins of Akrotiri. Very impressive, and thankfully, the site was covered, offering us a little respite from the heat. We could have skipped the tour of the winery, but found the wines pleasant and the views very nice. We returned to Fira just after 3 p.m. (last tender was scheduled for 4:30). Lines for the tram weren't bad at all… we only waited about 20 minutes to get down. We heard from our shipmates that just a little earlier, between 1 p.m. & 2 p.m., it was almost chaos in trying to get down and the lines were very, very long. Since we had booked 2 other tours with Olympic Traveller, there was a 30% discount on this third booking. Cost p/p was approx $56. A comparable 6 hr HAL tour was $155 p/p.

 

Next up was another much needed sea day. At last, time to sleep in, relax and do a little preliminary packing. We did manage to attend the Mariner's Lunch and to join in the festivities of Gala Night. There was some excitement as we sailed toward Naples, though. The Captain announced there was a report of a potential craft in peril and he was turning around to check it out. 4 nautical miles later we saw 2 other ships slowly approaching the area, too. Then we saw it in the distance… something orange floating in the water! The Captain said he would close in slowly to check it out, and we did. Thankfully, it turned out to be nothing more than a floating raft like you would see at a beach! He turned our vessel around and made up for the time lost. As we cruised between Sicily and The Boot around 9 p.m., with Sicily on our port side, we were treated to an unexpected and quite long fireworks display! Nice way to end the evening.

 

While Pompeii has been on my bucket list for many, many years, I was concerned we may be "ruined out" by the time we got to Naples. I didn't want to diminish nor short change my experience there, so instead we chose to tour Sorrento & Positano on a private tour with Naples Tour Service. We'll save Pompeii for another time. Franco was our driver and it was like spending the day with your favorite Italian uncle. He was personable, knowledgeable and so much fun… not to mention a very talented driver! Sorrento was our first stop and we loved it! Franco advised us where the best restrooms could be found and cautioned us which shops charged a premium. We had plenty of time to stroll and sample lots of Limoncello. Then we were off to Positano. Unlike the bus tours, Franco was able to drive us down close to the base. We had about an hour to walk to the beach and marina, and of course to do a little shopping. We lunched at La Tagliata Restaurant in Positano, so that meant navigating the very narrow, winding mountain road on the way up… an adventure in itself! The meal was delicious and the location was unbelievable. All of Positano was below us! I can't say enough good things about this day… Naples Tour Service, especially Franco, made this port an everlasting memory. We're already planning our return trip! Cost for the car was $300, up to 4 people; comparable HAL tour was $155 p/p.

 

Disembarkation on 9/15 in Civitavecchia went very smoothly. We were Pink Group 2, off the ship and had collected our luggage by 8:30. We had arranged a private transfer and tour of Rome through Naples Tour Service. Our 8 hour day with our driver, Aldo, would include transportation to Rome and a tour of Rome highlights (based on our pre-decided requests). Aldo was there waiting for us when we stepped out with our bags. On the drive to Rome he spoke of the sites we would visit and chatted with us about our cruise. He, too, was very knowledgeable and eager to show us his hometown of Rome. There were several stops for photo opportunities and then, finally, drop off at the Smeraldo Hotel. After our long trip and tiring days, we were ready to say "arrivederci" to Aldo at the end of the afternoon. One thing I'll say about Rome, after spending the day driving around, I'm quite convinced my home of Boston has no room to complain about traffic and parking! :eek: We ended our evening classically, enjoying a gelato in Piazza Navonna. Cost for our transfer & tour was $450 per car; comparable full day transfer & touring with HAL was $650 per car.

 

We chose Hotel Smeraldo because of its location and recommendations by other CC members. While newly renovated, we probably wouldn't stay there again, nor would we recommend it. There was no avoiding stairs… there were even 6-8 to climb before you reached the tiny elevator. We also found our corner room to be incredibly small and cramped. While there may be other rooms that aren't quite so tight, with so many other options near by I don't think we'll stay there in the future. The hotel arranged for a car to get us to the airport the following morning. The driver was there by 6 a.m. and we were on our way home.

 

As for food onboard the Zuiderdam…. no complaints! It met our expectations. Our attendant, Sigi, was wonderful. He greeted us by name and had fresh ice awaiting us each day when we returned to the ship. We estimate we saved roughly 40% by booking private tours vs HAL tours. No way to put a value on the experience of private and semi-private tours vs busloads.

 

Footnote - If you haven't signed up for the Global Entry program, it's totally worth the $100 for 5 years! I'm not sure we would have made our connection at JFK if we had had to contend with the lines to get thru Customs!

 

All in all, another Dam Good Cruise. Can't wait for January's Southern Caribbean Seafarer trip! A much less port intensive itinerary… beach sand and drinks in hand. That's what we're looking forward to!

[cabinluvn]

Thanks for the great review. We sail on her in January.

 

 

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[portofrome]

Thank you for the review.

[Queen of DaNile]

Great review and photos. Glad you had a wonderful cruise. Thanks for posting.

[suznjune]

What a great review. I felt like I had made the voyage with you. Oh right, I did! I second the love for Zuiderdam. We'd sail her again anytime and with both of you!

[borasue]

What a great review. I felt like I had made the voyage with you. Oh right, I did! I second the love for Zuiderdam. We'd sail her again anytime and with both of you!

 

LOL! Cute. :p Hope you & Momma made it home okay and enjoyed your last couple of days in Roma! :D

[kftw]

Thank you for your wonderful & informative review.

[erewhon]

Thank you for your interesting review.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thank you for taking the time to write your review.

[kazu]

Great review!

 

enjoyable read and great pics. Thanks so much for taking the time to share with us.

[0bnxshs]

What a great review. I love the detail you include about the details of your independent tours. Happy you had such a memorable trip. :)

[Typhoon1]

Thanks for taking us along on your voyage.

[Nuretiree]

Loved your informative review and the names of the private tours. Will consider those choices as we are headed that way on the Maasdam for the 50 Day Med Adventure at the end of October.

 

 

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[Watson's aunt]

Hi

 

Thanks for a wonderful review. Makes me want to sail there. I also from Boston area. I am also sailing on her in January

 

 

Mary

[FloridaTourist]

Thanks for sharing. Doing many of the same ports in April on the Oosterdam

[bjarrett7]

Thanks for sharing your review. Made me want to try out the Zuiderdam. [emoji41]