Zuiderdam Nov. 19-26 Full Review

[wgeddings]

Nov 19-26, 2005 – Zuiderdam – Ft. Lauderdale to Eastern Caribbean

First, let me say that there were 4 of us. Me (42 yr old lawyer), Jane (my wife and a teacher), Mary (daughter age 15) and Will (son age 13). We went on a Carnival cruise 19 years ago but more recently went on a Disney cruise 2 years ago and a Carnival cruise (Inspiration out of Tampa for 7 days to Western Caribbean) a year ago. As I talk about things, I will often compare Disney and Carnival to the HAL experience. For those unused to some abbreviations, DD is Darling Daughter, DS is Darling Son and DW is Darling Wife (DH is Darling Husband but thankfully I do not have one of those!). I will refer to each day’s events at the end of the evening so some of my observations may be countered later in the review as we learn or see more. Hopefully you will read the whole thing.

Our cabin steward was Mikun. Our dining room waiters were Bagus and Sugeng. Mr. Oka was the head steward for the section we were in for the dining room.

Saturday – Nov 19

We arrived at the Park N Fly about 12:10 PM. Parking was quick and easy and there was a shuttle that was loading several people who had just arrived and were going to the port. The driver was very polite and helpful and loaded the bags as we pulled them from the car. No problems or confusion at all and we were quickly at the port with bags on the curb. Porter took them and we got in line for the check-in. I had done the on-line check-in things (filled out the forms) and there were 2 lines. One for those who had filled out the forms and one for those who had not. We were in the “forms filled out” line and it was quite long. The other line was shorter but I believe it moved much slower. 2 different HAL staff checked to be sure we had our documents before we got the front of the line. When we got to the front, it went very smoothly (other than Mary being named May on things…) By shortly after 1:00, we were on the ship and headed for our cabin to drop off our carry-ons. Reception as we entered the boat was very nice with a nice line of crew standing in the corridor pointing which way to go. Check-in and reception was better than Carnival but not quite as good as Disney.

We got to the cabin and dropped off our carry-ons, looked around the cabin and such and were about to go find lunch (so hard to find places to eat on a ship you know) when a person I think was one of the supervisors stopped us and had a fit that we had put our stuff in our cabin already. He said we were not supposed to do that until 1:30. So, we packed back up and got our stuff and as we were heading out, an announcement came over the loudspeaker that it was okay to now put stuff in your cabin. Soooo, back we go. Would have preferred the person to have been a little nicer (and a little more aware that we did not know not to put the stuff in there and that the all-clear was going to sound in less than 5 minutes) but it is a very minor thing. I dropped off invitations to the Meet and Greet at the Front Desk for James Deering, the Captain and the Cruise Director.

The cabin itself was nicer than I expected. We had an outside window cabin (no balcony). With 4 people, there was the doubles pulled together as a Queen bed and a sofa. The sofa makes into a bed and a pull down comes down from the ceiling, much like when we were on Disney. On Carnival, we had 1 single, a bunk bed and another bed on the floor which took up all the floor space. This cabin still had some room to move. Not as much as Disney but it was sufficient. Lots of storage! Carnival had the toilet and shower in separate rooms but here they were in a single reasonably sized room.

We went to the Lido buffet. It is set up with different stations such as Italian, Deli, Bistro, Sweets, etc. and that helps cut down on lines but makes it awfully hard to decide what you want to eat! The choices, the choices. In addition there was a Mexican food buffet by the Lido pool and the grill by the Lido pool was open. We all gorged on many different things. The waiters were very attentive and prompt in removing plates. The dining area in the Lido restaurant was open but did not seem like a huge cafeteria. I believe it was set up better than Disney or Carnival. The food was satisfactory but did not have a lot of flavor. It met expectations though since when cooking for a large group of people, you cannot use as much spice and flavoring as I prefer so I have to take that into consideration.

After lunch, we waddled, I mean wandered, around the ship. It is laid out very nicely and is not hard to get around once you take a bit of time to learn where a few things are. From the reviews I had read, I was expecting tattered carpets, deep ruts, peeling paint and all types of things. NONE of that was present. We all thought the ship was in excellent condition. For those who found fault, they should try the Carnival Inspiration. Comparing the Zuiderdam to the Carnival Inspiration, the Zee is in new condition. I walked some halls in barefeet to feel for ruts and I found some uneven places but I did not notice them in my shoes. I was looking for it out of curiosity. The ship is clean and any worn areas have not been apparent yet to me. Elevators have been slow but hey, I am on a cruise why would I be in a hurry. I will try to find some negatives just to be fair sometimes. To answer a question I have seen posted, yes, there are many “hand sanitizer” stations scattered around the ship.

The lifeboat drill was different than Disney and Carnival too. Rather than meet in a muster station (like one of the lounges), we met at the actual lifeboat. The life preservers were different as well and actually almost comfortable. Meeting at the boat was different but there was nowhere to sit and with all those people crowded together, it was rather hot. The boat commander used a loudspeaker to call out cabin numbers for those who did not check in with him as they arrived and of course there were the usual problems of people who do not listen when their cabin is called and the ones who just plain try to avoid the drill. Overall, it went pretty well though. One other big difference was that HAL made both of my children wear a colored bracelet (hospital type) that had the boat muster station on it and they had to wear it at all times on their wrist or ankle for the whole cruise. I guess it would help but hopefully I will never know.

After the lifeboat drill, we headed for the Crows Nest for the CC Meet and Greet. James Deering was already there and greeted us as we entered. He had the invitation I had dropped off and was marking down who he met and what cabin they were in. I saw Thunder_Road, RickSandy, Janisutx, rtluvr. Others may have shown up and not known where to go so I realized that a little sign might have been nice and made a mental note to bring one next time. Mr. Deering seemed to be a terrific guy! He is from Tokyo and is looking forward to his vacation to return home. After vacation, he will be returning to the Osterdam. He told us about several things and said there was going to be a question and answer session for CCers on Thursday so I am looking forward to that. He made me (and hopefully the other CCers) feel special and that is nice.

Meanwhile, wife and kids were enthralled with the Crows Nest lounge. So was I when I walked over to the windows. Huge windows looking out the front of the ship with very nice comfy office chair/recliners that felt like you were Capt. Kirk on the Enterprise. What a beautiful view! We stayed there to watch the ship get under way and if you are on the Zuiderdam, you have to visit the Crows Nest.

Back to the cabin and our cabin steward stopped by and was very nice and pleasant. I asked for extra pillows and he brought them promptly. Perhaps most impressive was that as we was later preparing the cabin for night, he noticed I had a CPAP machine (for snoring) and without being asked brought an extension cord. I had brought one too but I really appreciated his recognizing a need without being asked and taking action. That is a good sign I believe.

We had late dinner seating as we prefer and so we ordered some room service snacks. Good and delivered pretty quick considering it was early dinner seating. Our dinner went well but the other 4 people for our table did not show up. As the cruise started, the water was VERY rough and the ship was rocking a lot. DW and DS started getting seasick but got some Seabands and some medication and rallied pretty quick. I noticed several empty tables so whether people ate so much for lunch and snacking that they could not make it to dinner or were seasick, I don’t know. Dinner was satisfactory, not the best but certainly far from the worst. We all had prime rib and Will ordered the Mahi Mahi to try it in addition to his prime rib. Wait staff handled the special requests promptly and without problem. The dining room is very nice, especially compared with Inspiration. I would rate the food taste as comparable on Disney, HAL and Carnival but it is early.

After dinner, we went to the show which had the Zuiderdam dancers then a performance by a comedian. The dancers were pretty bad but the comedian had a few good bits. On comparison with Disney and Carnival, HAL is way behind right now on entertainment quality but it is early.

I am writing this before I go to bed as I hope to do each night (I mean write, I intend to go bed too of course). Overall for the first day, I am impressed with HAL. It met my expectations from reading the board in terms of boarding and food and such. It exceeded my expectations in terms of the condition of the ship itself. The show was well below my expectations. The thing that stands out to me about today was that the ship is well designed/laid out. The hallways curve back and forth to prevent that long corridor feeling. The bars and lounges seem to be everywhere but also seem to be like little nooks. Although the ship is full, it does not feel crowded and the crowd flow seems very good, probably in no small part due to the layout. BEST MOVE – deciding to do Park N Fly since it is about half the price of port parking. Though I probably should not have tipped both the driver and the porter.

Sunday – November 20, 2005 – Half Moon Cay

After a night of good sleep to the rocking of the boat, we arrived at Half Moon Cay. We had ordered room service and it arrived promptly and correct. Once again, the food was satisfactory. After we got ready to go ashore, we headed to the Lido buffet to get the rest of breakfast and it was going well there too. Beautiful day with a clear blue sky, temperature of 82 degrees and water temp of 86 degrees according to the display on the ship. The tender to shore was fine and organized.

When we arrived, we wanted to make arrangements for my daughter to parasail. There was some confusion with no one being at the shore excursion desk on shore and then a local at the information booth lady acting as if it was our fault the desk was unmanned but it got sorted out and reservation made. We went snorkeling to try our new equipment and get some practice before St. Thomas and Virgin Gorda. Although there were no unusual fish to see, there were some fish and the bottom and surrounding were exactly what we wanted – a chance to practice snorkeling and get used to it. It went well and we were all much more confident. We then caught the shuttle to the “island BBQ” for BBQ chicken, BBQ pork ribs, hamburgers and hot dogs. The food was better than I expected it to be. Drink cards are not valid for sodas on Half Moon Cay.

My son then went kayaking and my daughter got ready for her parasail. She was the only one going to be on the boat so they agreed to let me ride and cheer her on. I wanted to do it too but the weight limit, according to the excursion list, was 275 and I tip the scales at 290 so I did not go. However, the reason I mention it is that the guys on the boat told me that they could have accommodated me since the rig is rated for more than 400 pounds. I had to wear a life preserver while on the boat anyway so I know they have equipment more than big enough. So if you want to do it and are worried about weight restrictions, don’t give up on it. Anyway, DD had a blast and truly loved it. DS enjoyed the kayaking and we all came back to the ship quite exhausted. I saw, from a distance, the cabanas and heard others who used them enjoyed them.

Overall, Half Moon Cay was very much like Disney’s Castaway Cay. It is a nice place to stop for some excursion activities or to just play on the beach but if you want to shop or experience local culture, you should not have expected to find those on a private island anyway. I also noted that the employees there (who told me that they are mostly HAL employees who live on neighboring islands and come in when a ship arrives) were not very nice and almost rude. For example, my DW and DD went up to a shore excursion booth later in the day. There were no less than 5 staff people in it and no customer there. The 5 in the booth were laughing and joking as each read my DD’s shirt so I know they saw DW and DD. Finally, after standing there for awhile, my wife “ahemed” and asked if they could get some help. With a heavy sigh, the people argued among themselves over who would have to “take it” and then finally one stepped up and asked what they wanted. This type of conduct is not acceptable in my opinion and is not indicative of how the crew on the ship behaved. I hope HAL will seriously look into the conduct of their employees on HMC and encourage some improvement. There is a lot of room for it!

Sometimes the accidental encounters can provide a good bit of information so I will share this. I had to go back to the ship because of a minor problem on our part. When I got to the ship, I realized I had taken my son’s card and left mine back on shore. The crew was extremely understanding (probably something they have encountered before but surely a cruisers normal concern) and worked things out to let me back on (then off later). While on the ship, I happened to surprise the magical cabin elf (okay, our very competent but normally invisible cabin steward) and spoke with him. I thanked him for his thoughtfulness and initiative in bringing me an extension cord when he saw the CPAP machine and he just smiled and said that was one of the things they have been taught about. Still, outstanding service and much appreciated.

After we left about 4:00 PM, the water became rougher and the ship began to move quite a bit. I asked several crew and they said that the weather this time of year (cooling) normally causes much rougher seas and this is normal for this time of year. Never having had any sea experience to speak of, especially in November, I will take their word for it. The shifting and rolling is starting to have it toll on several passengers though. Seasickness pills are being passed out like candy and there are many empty seats at dinner. If you plan to cruise this time of year, be sure you either are not very susceptible to motion sickness or that you have made some preparations probably.

Dinner was very good with DW and I having the black pepper encrusted steak, DD having the seafood paella and DS having the Cornish Game Hen. Each said their meal was very good. DS, being 13 years old, slightly under 200 lbs and 6’1”, enjoyed not only his game hen but then proceeded to order the steak. Ate it all and still ate the Chocolate Avalanche cake with ice cream. I think even the waiters were surprised. Our wine steward/bar man, Antonio, was also very nice and said that the soda cards were still good in the dining room. He got sodas for my son and I kept them coming while being in a VERY cheerful mood. That was highly unusual since on Disney and Carnival, you would have thought I was asking to molest their dog when I asked for a soda at dinner. Anyway, he was very nice, attentive and promised to have sodas waiting for us in the future.

The show tonight was Joel Mason, the Elton John tribute artist. He does put on a good show but I had 2 problems. The lights kept shining in my eyes and I had someone right behind me who enjoyed screaming very laugh and laughing very loud. Probably had enjoyed a little liquid lubrication and since it was the late show, I’m not complaining, just thinking I might have enjoyed the show more with a better seat. I prefer a show that you watch and this one had a little too much audience participation for my tastes but I am sure other people are the opposite about being asked to clap, sing or do things. Joel Mason was as good as others have said he was though.

Tonight we were warned to set our clocks ahead an hour as we cross a timeline. So if you are on a cruise going to St. Thomas or other Virgin Islands, that will hopefully help answer your question about whether or not they are on the same time. It is about midnight (or 1:00 AM I guess) and I am sitting in the ship’s library writing this. The Eramus Library is very nice. There is little noise and I believe most people have gone to bed. Judging by the creaking and the squeak of the glass panes as the boat rocks, I do not believe this is how the ship normally behaves on cruises other times of the year. Glad I do not get motion sick. Since I will lose an hour, I have to go to bed!

Monday – November 21, 2005 – 1st full Day at Sea

Today the seas were much calmer and we were all looking forward to the first formal night. There were many activities we had each selected and planned on attending but between being tired from the prior day, the hour time change and, of course, just being on vacation, we slept through many of them. They should plan more for the 2:00 PM riser crowd. <G> DS and I saw a movie in the Queens Lounge (“The Island”) and then DW and DD watched a movie later in the same lounge (“The Perfect Man”). The Lounge was nice but there were 2 things I noticed. First, there was not much rise so if you were not in the front row, it was difficult to see the screen (and the lounge was crowded for both movies). Second, although there is a bar in the lounge, no one manned it so there was no easy or quick way to get something (alcoholic or non-alcoholic) to drink. The bar area is lit so I do not know why they do not have someone staffing it. I wanted to be able to watch a movie though (other than on my TV) and I did so I am content.

I also saw another issue about the ship. There are 2 arcades (video game type). One small one on the 10th deck near the Club HAL place and the other main arcade is on the 1st deck. The main arcade however is behind the doors for the Vista Lounge. Most of the time when shows were not going on, the doors were shut and had a sign saying “Do not Enter, Rehearsals in progress”. So the arcade appeared to be off limits most of the time. I mentioned it to an officer and he said that it was okay to go to the arcade even if the sign said do not enter but if it is okay, HAL needs to post a sign or find a different door for the “do not enter” sign.

The ship was moving much less today and tonight. Everyone seemed to be having a good time and despite everyone being about on the boat, again it did not feel congested or cramped. Surprisingly however, our cabin was not serviced by the time we left for dinner at 8:30 PM. My wife saw Mikun about mid-afternoon and he was about to go on a break. The lack of servicing could have been due to our sleeping late or being in and out of the cabin all day or it could have been that it appears that HAL has each cabin steward take care of more cabins than other lines (I saw Mikun working in several other cabins today and yesterday so I do not know how many each steward handles). Either way, it surprised me so was worth mentioning and it did not cause any problem.

Dinner tonight was wonderful. First, a comment on attire. Every male I saw had on a coat at least but I saw many people without ties. Some in tuxedoes, some in suits but it was a broad mix. Whatever you think other people should wear, that is fine but if someone is wondering what he should wear, I wanted to point out that there is a broad spectrum so wear a tux or just wear a jacket and you will be fine. Also tonight, the other people who were supposed to be at our table finally appeared. Tried to talk to them but they were not interested in making friends or meeting people so we left them alone. There were a lot fewer empty chairs in the dining room so I guess most people are getting beyond their seasickness. (This was also the only time on the whole cruise that our tablemates appeared.)

Antonio was as good as his word and had a soda waiting on my son and I. Our waiters also remembered we like a lot of water so had extra water glasses. Very attentive. DD had the pasta dish and it was very good with a lot of flavor. DW and I had the Beef Wellington and it had a great deal more flavor than I was expecting and was quite tender. DS (or the “remorseless eating machine”) had entrée’s starting with King Crab Legs then wanted to try the Sweet and Sour Duck. Liked the Sweet and Sour Duck enough that he ate another entrée of that (yep, 3 entrees total for him tonight). We all had dessert and my wife was excited that they finally had cheesecake on the dessert menu. She was disappointed in it however and overall we all agreed that the sweets and desserts thus far (in the dining room and in the Lido Buffet) have left a lot to be desired. Small selection most of the time and most things had little flavor. We were stuffed from the main meal but if you are not going to splurge on sweets on a cruise, well, you will probably not have as much extra weight to lose I guess.

The cabin had been serviced after dinner and we had a note that everyone had to be ready to appear in person about 7:45 AM for St. Thomas immigration. More on that in tomorrow’s note. We went to the show which was “Under the Boardwalk” by the Zuiderdam dancers/singers. It was not very good. Well below either Disney or Carnival staff shows and several dancers appeared to forget their choreography. Thus far I have to say that although HALs ships appear great, the entertainment (in the form of shows) leaves much room for improvement.

Tuesday – November 22, 2005 – St. Thomas

This was a day of surprises. I was expecting problems with the immigration when I found out we would have to get up at 7:45 to personally present ourselves in the Queens Lounge. It was surprising that the actual event went extremely smooth and the crew handled it very well. They had stressed that it was not a HAL issue but they still were apologetic and going out of their way to be helpful. We even saw Mr. Deering helping keep the lines moving. A note had been left that due to the early rising, many room service orders would be placed so they asked for patience if there was a problem with room service. We went to the Lido buffet to eat and I was stunned to see the huge crowd. I thought this would be a fiasco and filled with lots of waiting. Surprise, it went very well and quickly. We got ready for shore and left the ship.

We planned to go Snuba and had made reservations through Coral World rather than through the ship. Since the fare to Coral World was about $9 per person each way (and there were 4 of us), I had decided to just rent a car so we would have more flexibility. I rented through Budget since they had an office at the Havensight port and we would not have to travel. Well, surprise. The ship docked at Crown Bay Marina rather than Havensight as I thought it would. So I had to catch a taxi to go get the vehicle (a Jeep Wrangler) and then come back and get the family (no need to pay per person taxi fare I thought). The taxi was basically a pick up truck with the bed replaced with benches and then stuffed with lots of passengers. I figured I was about to go who knows where and just hoped it would work out. Well, surprise, the driver dropped me off first and right across the road from the Budget rental office. I was quite happy until I got another surprise. Turns out Budget has the Havensight office, the airport office and this other office in between Havensight and Crown Bay. Yep, I was at the wrong office. However, before I could worry, the nice lady behind the counter told me that Henry (who worked for Budget) would be glad to give me a ride to the Havensight location and they had already called ahead to confirm that my reservation was still fine. Henry, who was extremely nice and from Grenada although he has lived in St. Thomas for the last 15 years and is now a US Citizen, offered to swing back by the port and pick up my family so we could all just leave from Havensight. He could not have been nicer nor could Budget have been better to deal with so we thought things were looking up as we got into our Jeep and prepared to motor about. Driving on the left side of the road was quite exciting.

We were quickly surprised that St. Thomas had KFCs, McDonalds, Wendys, OfficeMax and even several K-Marts. Even more surprising was how dirty most things were. The island is beautiful as you see it from the ship or from afar but from the road, as you travel through those areas that seems so pretty, you see burned out cars, abandoned boats, jet skis, and other trash just all lying about. There were a lot of homes that I am ashamed to think are in America (since St. Thomas is after all part of the US). We have been to other islands, such as Grand Caymans, and to Belize as well as parts of Mexico but this was by far the worst we had seen. In the other places, the main road may be a dirt highway but the people seemed to care. Here in St. Thomas, it just seemed that they did not care by and large.

We got to Coral World and I should mention that parking at Coral World is not plentiful. We ended up parking on the side of the road since it began to appear that people just parked whenever and wherever the urge hit them. When in Rome, shoot Roman candles I guess. Anyway, we got to Coral World and found out that we were an hour late for our reservation. The guide, Tammy, was understanding though and worked with us. We had to wait a few minutes for a later group and while we waited, we walked around Coral World. I was expecting a Sea World like aquarium/water park. It was not like that at all. Most zoos I have visited have far better marine exhibits.

Very shortly, Tammy came and took us through the orientation. She taught us a number of important skills like how to clear the mask, how to equalize the pressure in our ears, the hand signals and such. We all felt very confident when she finished and took us into waist deep water for some final checks and to be sure we understood what to do. In Snuba, you have a breathing regulator just like in Scuba but your regulator is attached to a tank that floats on the surface. We had only snorkeled before so were a little worried but Tammy did a wonderful job of teaching us and reassuring us. We had no problems and put to use all of the things she had shown us. Snuba was fantastic and I recommend it highly. Tammy, through Coral World, was also great so if you get to go and see her, please tell her we said hello. The tours from the ship (and the 5 or 6 other ships in dock at the time) were also doing Snuba but in larger groups so I encourage you to book through Coral World since it just a group of 4 and you get much more attention at a lower cost. The only disappointment was that there was not a great deal to see (meaning not a lot of really colorful fish or interesting coral). It was a lot of fun and is definitely something I want to try again in an area with more active sea life. After the Snuba session, we changed in the showers and bathrooms at Coral World and planned to go shopping back in town and at the flea market.

Another thing to mention about St. Thomas is that traffic is incredible. Although there are stop signs and traffic laws, the basic rules seems to be “blow and go”. You would often seem vehicles just toot their horn and then charge into the street or an intersection. In addition, vehicles (private and taxi) would just stop whenever the urge hit and either take on or let off passengers. It certainly kept you on your toes. We passed through many other really bad and depressing sections as we took the main coastal road back around the island. One minute we would have a great vista of a harbor with yachts or cruise ships and the next we pass a few junk cars and a burned out mobile home or boat. And the smell was also interesting. We checked out the Havensight Mall area but were not impressed with the stores or prices. We went to the flea market but everyone had pretty much the same thing at the same prices. Then we were surprised to learn that at 5:00 PM, most of the businesses and the flea market all shut down. Our ship was not set to depart until 9:00 so we had planned to spend more time in the town. Apparently that was also the key time for what seemed like every person in St. Thomas to begin trying to drive about (see above reference to “blow and go”). We drove by St. Thomas University (which was very pretty) and then decided we better head back to the ship.

I dropped the family off at the dock and, since it was after 5:00, took the Jeep to the airport to return it as I had been instructed. The return went okay but when I tried to get a cab from the airport to Crown Bay (a ride of about 3 minutes), the person in charge of cabs had to ask the assembled group of cabbies at least 3 times for someone to give me a ride. Finally, one guy decided he would take me and another person who was going to the opposite side of the island. The government mandated fare from the airport to Crown Bay was $5.00 for a single or $4.00 for more than 1 person. To my surprise, the driver stopped at the entrance to the docks and told me he could not enter the dock area since he had someone in the taxi who was not on a cruise ship. He dropped me off there and charged $5.00. I was too aggravated and tired to even argue but I sure did not tip him. I walked several hundred yards down the dock to the ship, mentally shaking the dust of St. Thomas off my shoes. This is not a place I ever want to return to despite the fun of Snuba and the hospitality of Tammy and Henry. Apparently they are the exception. My whole family was really surprised and disappointed about St. Thomas because we had all heard so many good things about it and had been looking so forward to visiting here. I do not believe it was a bad experience that has soured us since most of the experiences were quite good (Tammy and Henry and the Snuba). However, the general condition of St. Thomas, the smell and the other factors just make it a place I have no desire to visit again.

We all got our showers and got ready for dinner. Tonight there was a BBQ on the Lido deck around the pool so the Lido Buffets were closed. Many people opted for the BBQ rather than the dining room but we decided we would rather eat in air conditioning and with Bagus, Sugeng and Antonio (as well as Mr. Oka). The choices on the menu were not as tempting tonight however but they were surprisingly good. I had a soup called “Three Berry Minestrone”. It was cold and like 3 different kinds of ice cream had melted. Not bad but not what I would have thought it would be. The Island Chicken Gumbo however was delicious. DW enjoyed the pork tenderloin and DD had cheese manicotti which she said was wonderful. I ordered the alternate sirloin steak and found it to be very tender and with very good flavor. I remembered some comments other wrote about dining room steaks being tough but so far every steak I have had has had a lot of flavor and been very tender. Dinner was capped off for me with some great pecan pie and vanilla ice cream, a personal favorite of mine that was proof that HAL does have some good desserts contrary to my thoughts yesterday. DS, the “remorseless eating machine”, disappointed our waiters by only ordering normal tonight. He did have an evil grin about tomorrow night though so I am anxious to see what is on the menu. Once again, Antonio had sodas waiting for us and kept them topped off. Mr. Oka came by and talked with us about our experiences with room service and said they were anxious to get feedback about it. We said it had been fine so far and everything was delivered correctly, pretty quick and we liked it.

Show tonight is not much so we will make it an early night. The crew was putting on a Filipino show at 11:30 and I don’t think we can hold out that long. Tomorrow is Tortula and we plan to snorkel at the Baths at Virgin Gorda.

Wednesday, November 23, 2005 – Tortula and the Baths at Virgin Gorda

Since the ship was going to be at Tortula a relatively short time (about 8:00 to 4:30 and considering the ferry schedule and ride time to Virgin Gorda, it seemed like a short time), we wanted to get an early start. Unfortunately, room service arrived right on time so we had to actually wake up when we planned. A snooze button sure would have been nice. While getting dressed and eating, we all decided that we were snorkeled out and no one wanted to carry all that equipment so we agreed we would not snorkel but would still visit the Baths.

I am happy to say that from the moment we disembarked, things were very different at Tortula from St. Thomas. The people were nicer, things were cleaner and there was no odd smell. Everyone was washing things, picking up garbage, etc. and we did not go into any shop that the clerk did not say hello and welcome us. To me, that makes a big difference and I was impressed with Tortula. We walked the short distance to the ferry terminal, stopping at shops and taking our time, and looked over the schedule for the ferries. The people at Speedy’s had a good deal. It was $35 which included roundtrip ferry fare, cab ride to and from the Baths and lunch at the Bath and Turtle restaurant. Just a ferry ride was $25 roundtrip or $15 each way. A taxi ride from the Virgin Gorda landing to the Baths would have been $5 so we figured the package was a good deal. Turns out that was a good call.

The ferry ride is about 30 minutes and the ferry was air-conditioned. There was also a top deck which was open and many people opted to feel the breeze and get fresh air going over. We ended up sleeping for much of it. When we arrived, there were taxis (more trucks with the beds replaced by bench seats) ready to take us all to the Baths. It is a few miles to the Baths, much of it uphill, so I strongly recommend you take a taxi. The taxi driver (it was a Speedy’s Taxi) made a point to find out when we wanted him to pick us up and asked all passengers the same question. He returned for us at the requested time so I appreciated their service.

Now, about the Baths. I somehow had a big misconception about the Baths. I knew that it was a beach and that there was a lot of boulders you could crawl around on or through. I knew there was a hilly path. Somehow, I just did not connect all of that so please let me describe it as detailed as I can and hope that others get a better understanding. At the top, you have to pay another admission fee ($3 for adults, $2 for kids under 18). You can then take the Devil’s Bay path or another path. The Devil’s path is the hard one and I admire anyone who completes it. The easier path is a dirt and rock path which gets very narrow at points and involves climbing on rocks at points. If you are mobility impaired, I do not believe it is possible to get to the beach or Baths. This “easy” path is much easier than the alternative but it is still about a 350 yard hike on slippery (due to dirt and sand) ground through jungle like growth that is hot and humid. Pretty, but be aware of what it is. At the bottom, you arrive at a beach area. There is a Bar (Poor Man’s Bar) and some restrooms with lockers. Then the very loose beach sand starts. You WILL get very sandy just walking. The rock formations start immediately to the left.

I suppose I envisioned the rocks as being in a meadow or something equally silly. Since I originally planned to snorkel and I knew it was a beach, you would have thought I would have known it would involve SAND and BEACH but, well I guess I learned that I can make some colossal incorrect assumptions. The rest of the family said it was what they had expected but I had not worn water shoes or been prepared to get very sandy. Going through the rocks involves wading in knee length or lower water and involves having to climb over, under and through some awesome rock formations. It is very hot inside there and was rather crowded at points where some would be coming up or others coming down. Everyone was very cooperative and helped one another and the BVI people have constructed ladders and ropes at different places to help. I was woefully unprepared for the heat, sand (in case I have not mentioned that <g>) and wading so but I have to admit it was very interesting. The rest of the family loved it but we were all glad we had decided not to bring the snorkel gear since lugging it up, down and through all of that would have been a nightmare. We were exhausted when we got back out of the rocks and drenched in sweat. But we liked the experience.

After climbing back up to the easy path, we waited in the air conditioned shops at the top while we waited for our taxi. He arrived promptly and took us back to Spanish Town for lunch at the Bath and Turtle. The restaurant is not at the Baths, it is back in town. The restaurant was a sitdown open air restaurant where the occasional chicken or dog might wander through. The free rum punch was good and the restaurant very clean (livestock notwithstanding). The waiter was very nice and friendly and the way the meal ticket worked was that you basically got a $12 credit toward your meal. If you ordered more than $12 worth of food, you paid the difference. If you ordered less, there was no refund. Since there were 4 of us, we basically got $48 off of our meal. Cheeseburgers were $8, Pizza was $12-15 and they had many other sandwiches or dishes. I had Ginger Chicken with pasta bowl and it was $10.50 and quite good. We had nachos, lots of fries, etc. and even with 4 sodas ($3.50 each), our total bill was only $55.75. So we only had to pay $7.75 more. It was a very short walk back to the ferry terminal where we waited for the ferry home. A quick nap on the way back and it was time to get back on the ship, shower and nap before dinner. In short, we all much preferred Tortula to St. Thomas and would not mind returning here some time. Even Virgin Gorda was much cleaner and nicer than St. Thomas. We discussed how hard it would be living on a island where everything, from cars to candy bars, had to be shipped in. We are fortunate to live on the continental US.

Since tomorrow is Thanksgiving, the dinner was rearranged. Although tonight was an informal night, we had the meal normally served on formal night (tomorrow night). That included Surf and Turf and many other great things to be followed by Baked Alaska. DS, the eating machine, was not feeling well and not enthralled by anything on the menu so opted to take room service back in the cabin. DW and I had the Surf and Turf and agreed that both the lobster tail and the filet mignon was very good. DD had a Venison medallion and said it was very good.

Entertainment tonight was Mr. James Cieland, an award winning magician. It was horrible to the extent that since I have no clue how he did the amazing illusions, I will now be frustrated for quite a while. He is a wonderful magician and his illusions were equally incredible. I can see why he won the awards and just wish he would have held a seminar to explain how he made birds appear, change color, etc. I love watching a magician and being fooled by them and so do my children. We all enjoyed it very much and I am pretty sure that a large portion of it was real magic and not just illusion.

Thursday – Thanksgiving – November 24, 2005 – 2nd day at Sea

Today was a pretty good day. The seas are much calmer than our ride out and I enjoyed sleeping very late. I always like Sea Days. I was excited when I read on the Daily Happenings that there was to be a Cruise Critic meeting for Q&A with Mr. Deering and was looking forward to that. Unfortunately, DW had already decided I would attend the Ballroom Dance class with her and I, being no fool, knew where I had to be. Immediately after the class, I rushed to where the meeting was to be held but I thought I would be too late since it was already 45 minutes past the time for the meeting.

Mr. Deering was still in the Piano Bar with a few Cruise Critic members discussing things. I was surprised to learn that on HAL ships, the Captain is in charge of navigation and propulsion but about everything else (including rooms, dining, entertainment and the cruise director) falls under the control of the Hotel Director. What a daunting job! Mr. Deering answered questions patiently and told us a lot about the cruise industry and policies. I was amazed that he took so long with us and was in no hurry to get back to his job. It was obvious that he is excited about cruises and so enjoys talking about them. He has worked for many of the cruise lines and has over 25 years of experience.

Here is some of the information I learned. Typical pay for a waiter or cabin steward is $1 a day plus tips (so tip generously) and that is what it has been for almost 25 years. The automated tipping has helped level out the tips and helped cruise lines retain the best workers. On HAL ships, a cabin steward has about 14 cabins and in many of the other cruise lines, each steward is responsible for 16-18. The Caribbean is not a profitable area for cruise lines since cruises are so cheap. HAL does not plan to have ships full time in the Caribbean shortly since their prior profit was about $50 per passenger and now, with higher fuel costs, that has dropped to almost $0. Cruise lines are also cutting back on the maintenance crew in order to save money (as well as not stocking so many spare parts on board) so it is harder and harder to maintain a ship. Low prices are forcing many cruise lines to lose some of their individuality in the drive to deliver a product at a cheaper price. The experience on a cruise is very dependent on the type of other passengers. The cruise ship staff adjust the events for the week to each cruise’s passengers as they see it develop early in the week so if you have a great cruise or a bad cruise, there is no reason to be sure that the next one would be the same.

On the Zuiderdam, talking about maintenance issues, Mr. Deering said that the fans in the elevators have not worked in more than a year. One elevator has been broken for more than a year because the Italian shipyard does not have the part needed to fix it. A funny story he told is that this week, the company flew in some engineers from Italy to fix the elevator fans. Unfortunately, the engineers fixed the fans so that they blow into, rather than out of, the elevator cars. That means they are blowing all the dust and dirt and other things onto the passengers. He asked the engineers to reverse the fans and they began to explain to him about the voltage adjustment and the wiring changes and the stopped them and said, “Can you just mount them upside down?”. The engineer smiled and said they would do that. Although he was looking forward to getting back to the Osterdam, he seemed to have enjoyed his time on the Zuiderdam. Apparently Zuiderdam is consistently the highest rated ship in HAL and generates the 2nd most gross profit. Sadly, it is not very profitable but since it is always full, and always has good ratings, it is a popular ship. Kind of the “Bad News Bears” of the HAL fleet.

We asked about Cruise Critic and he said that many high level people for all of the cruise lines regularly read things to get feedback and they have found it to be a very good source of useful but free information. He explained that due to legal reasons, HAL and other cruise lines cannot advertise parties or anything for Cruise Critic members (apparently there is something with Royal Caribbean and NCL that allows them to do it although everyone was surprised to learn that since neither line appears to exert any influence over Cruise Critic). We asked if other Hotel Directors had meetings like the one he held and he explained that every HD has a different style. He enjoys mingling and talking directly with crew and passengers but other HDs prefer to work behind closed doors. We all agreed that we liked his style the best. I cannot really remember all of the information and do not want to mention anything that is inappropriate to post here but I can assure you that all of us who attended really loved learning more about Zuiderdam and the cruise industry and Mr. Deering’s honest and neutral approach (he never bad mouthed another company and always tried to give positives and negatives) was greatly appreciated.

While I was in that meeting, DW managed to win a Bingo Jackpot of about $272 so she was quite happy when we went to dinner. Dinner was formal and there was the traditional Thanksgiving fare as well as a few extras. The food was good and the service, as well as the well wishes from crew, was great as usual. Sugeng regaled us with tales of the crew quarters which, though they do not have windows, still sounds like they have a pretty good time down there. He said they have a church, synagogue and mosque as well as a morgue, jail and of course crew areas with plenty of big screen TVs and Playstations. Good, they deserve some fun too.

The show tonight was a salute to the Silver Screen. It started over 20 minutes late and I have no idea why it was late but the crowd was a bit restless and my wife was nursing her sore feet (see Dance Class above…). As Cruise Director Eric came out to tell us about things tomorrow, he also mentioned something that I believe is important for me to mention, especially in light of my review of the Cast’s first show. The Cast just came on board in Ft. Lauderdale and this is their first cruise together as performers. Knowing that, I can certainly excuse a few missed steps and such as they work out the bugs. Tonight’s performance however was much better overall. It was a very good show and we all enjoyed it. Incidentally, Mikun kept the cabin very clean today so obviously the delay last time was due to my desire to sleep away the day. Ooops.

Friday - November 25, 2005 – Nassau, Bahamas

Nassau has changed a lot in a short time. We were in Nassau in Feb of 2003 and then again today. There is a whole new area near the docks, a new “mall” type area and nicer facility at the pier. Overall, a lot of improvements. Of course there are still tons of people trying to sell you hairbraiding, taxis, cigars, etc. so that has not changed. But it is in nicer surroundings. The bargaining with locals is almost funny most of the time and all were very nice about it and turned each purchase into a kind of a game. I enjoyed listening to others play it too to see one person paying more than another person at the same booth for the same item.

The ship did not reach Nassau until about 1:00 PM and was scheduled to leave at 6:30 PM. Since we had to set our clocks ahead on the way out, last night we were advised to set our clocks back an hour. Yep, Holland America gives us all an extra hour of vacation at no extra charge. Most interesting thing about the last day is that the internet center runs a special where you can get 30 minutes of time for $12.00. Sounds like a pretty good deal for those who need to confirm travel arrangements for the trip home and do not want to get off the ship and use the cyber café’s in Nassau.

We enjoyed our time in Nassau and did a lot of shopping and bartering with the straw market merchants. Other than shopping and bartering, we did nothing else and returned to the ship since the late seating dinner show was going to be held at 6:30 PM to better enable the late diners to pack. The show was a mini-version of the shows earlier in the week of James Cieland and Joel Mason. I was a little disappointed the Zuiderdam singers and dancers did not appear again but Cieland and Mason put on a spectacular show. Cieland’s magic amazed everyone but I think he was a little disappointed that the crowd did not respond or applaud too much. Mason was talented and funny as always and his piano rendition of “The Devil Went Down to Zuiderdam” was a good showcase of his talent.

Dinner was okay but not outstanding. The service was excellent as usual however. DW and DS ordered the alternate item, steak. DD had a pot pie and I had a veal dish that tasted a lot like pot roast. Dessert was a cheesecake sampler plate so DD and DW were quite happy. Then we had to go back and keep packing so we are all tired and sad that the cruise is coming to an end. I lost the “Win a Cruise” bingo this morning but hopefully will win the “Cruise Lottery” for a free cruise. I will report on disembarkation and such tomorrow. (Obviously the “Cruise Lottery” is also fixed since I did not win that either!)

Saturday – November 26, 2005 – Disembarkation in Ft. Lauderdale

Disembarkation went reasonably well. Our room service was right on time but they forgot part of the order. I did notice that the crew was a lot less friendly, probably since they were trying to turn the ship around for the on-coming passengers. Sugeng, who had been so talkative and friendly previously, saw me several times in the Lido but never spoke.

My biggest surprise of the morning was going to the Lido Buffet and getting in line for breakfast. The person passing out trays was Hunky Dory. He was saying goodbye to many people, calling each by name, and he looked at me and said “Hello, we have not met.” I shook his hand and was surprised that he knew we had not met. Then it got weirder. He said that he saw me Thursday while he was talking to someone else so regretted he was unable to speak to me. How did he remember that? My picture was not anywhere with my profile at the time and this review had not been posted. I was extremely impressed with his memory. So, if you get a chance, definitely speak to Hunky Dory.

We had requested a later time for departure, thinking it would let us get ready more leisurely. Between the announcements and our desire to get moving, it just resulted in us having to wait around more than we should have. We asked for the later time so it is only our fault but I will remember and request an earlier time next time. Finally got off the ship, found all 9 of our bags and had a porter help us to the street. Unfortunately, there was a mob of people waiting to get on the Park N Fly shuttles. According to a deputy we talked with, there were 6 major ships unloading about the same time so Park N Fly was quite overwhelmed. Many of my fellow passengers were getting very grumpy and snappy with the Park N Fly shuttle drivers but they were doing their best. We realized that rather than try to get the 4 of us on a shuttle, along with all of our luggage, it would be quicker and easier to just have DW go to Park N Fly and get the vehicle and bring it to us. So we did that. If you are in a similar situation, with lots of people, I encourage you to do the same but have the porter take your bags to the private pickup area rather than the one for catching for the shuttle to make it easier to load the bags on your vehicle when the driver brings it.

I was hesitant about Park N Fly and I am still not completely sure about it. They originally said they were going to charge the AAA rate but when my wife went to pay, they told her that they do not do that and would have to charge the regular rate. It came out to $45 for the week so it was about the same as the AAA rate and much less than the port would have been so I will think about it some more.

After getting the car, stuffing all of our things in it, we began our 600 mile trek home. Thus endeth the journal.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

I am extremely impressed with Holland America and with Mr. James Deering. I enjoyed the Zuiderdam and would gladly sail on it again. Any slight blemishes did not make any difference in my enjoyment and the things that counted were all just fine. The rest of the family felt the same way. I wish DD and DS would have tried out the Loft and Club HAL but, though it might be hard to believe, sometimes teenagers can be difficult about such things. We all enjoyed the food very much and I cannot think of a single negative to really say about the cruise portion. Lots of little nitpicks if I was just looking for a reason to complain but nothing that will stick out in a few days/weeks/years. If you want a good cruise, on a good ship and a good line, go with HAL and Zuiderdam. I recommend it whole-heartedly.

As for the destinations, I have no desire to go the Eastern Caribbean again. I especially never want to see St. Thomas again. Perhaps once the staff on Half Moon Cay improves, it will live up to its beautiful potential. Tortula and Virgin Gorda were nice to visit but we had more fun at Western Caribbean stops. As for Nassau, well it is the same Nassau, though cleaner and prettier, and probably always will be.

[CINCY40]

It was very thorough. We've sailed twice on the Zuiderdam and look forward to sailing on her sister, Oosterdam in two weeks.

 

We do enjoy going to the Caribbean. If you should ever go back to St Thomas, take the ferry over to St John and swim at Trunk Bay. It is a different world from St Thomas. So beautiful. I am certain you would love it.

 

Thanks for the review...

 

Nancy

[Cruisin Kay D]

We were on WEsterdam for 2 cruises (11/6 & 11/13) so I can relate to your experiences -- W also stops at Nassau, Half Moon Cay & Tortola but goes to St. Martin instead of St. Thomas. Based on a friend's recommendation, we rented a car at Tortola instead of taking a taxi -- it was an awful mistake -- terrible car, terrible roads, no chance to enjoy the gorgeous views due to watching out for traffic & switchbacks, so now we have a poor opinion of that island.

 

We have much experience using rental cars at Grand Cayman, ST. Martin & St. Thomas, but in all cases that was when we were staying on each island for a whole week and had time to adjust to island driving habits & study maps. Both your family and we would have enjoyed our day on the island more if we had not chosen to rent a car for the day only!!! The rental car experience does "color" your opinion of the island....

 

By the way there are definitely alot of great snorkeling vendors and spots at St. Thomas you could enjoy in the future!! It is a nice place to visit!! The area around the Crown Bay Marina is not the best after dark -- in fact we never ventured out after dark when we were there for the week!!!

[wgeddings]

I can see why a rental car at Tortola may not be a great idea. Actually though, at St. Thomas, the rental car experience was one of the high points (note my references to the service from Budget and from Henry).

[stanford's girl]

What a great review!!:D I love how you took us along on your cruise.

I'll be going to these ports next year so your info will be valuable to me. Thanks for taking the time to write it.

[shipcafe]

Thank you so so much for your detailed review. It was wonderful to relive the insight and information that Mr. James Deerings provides during a cruise. It is hard to replicate anywhere else, really.

[arzz]

Thank you so much for taking your time to share all the details of your cruise with us. I really enjoyed the reading. It helps me to read vicariously as I not so patiently wait for my next cruise experience.

[thunder road]

Tommy: It was a real pleasure to meet you on the cruise. Thank you for organizing the cc get together and thanks for writing such a great and thorough review. I hope to see you again on another cruise when we can once again talk about the USC of the west and USC of the east. Thanks again, Kevin

[wgeddings]

Tommy: It was a real pleasure to meet you on the cruise. Thank you for organizing the cc get together and thanks for writing such a great and thorough review. I hope to see you again on another cruise when we can once again talk about the USC of the west and USC of the east. Thanks again, Kevin

 

Thanks, it was great to meet you and the others with you as well (even if y'all did whip us at TV Tune Trivia). :) And big congrats on USC West being in the game for the national championship. Hopefully you'll come back to the Right Coast some time or perhaps we will cruise out of the left.

 

Once again, great to get to meet you and I have to say that any time I saw you or the others with you, there was a always a huge smile on your face so I think you must have had a good time!