Review of Christmas on the Zaandam

[LHC]

Members,

 

This was a fabulous cruise with lots of pluses and just a few negatives.

 

First in the spa area: Lesa from Australia gave a wonderful Christmas massage and Lorna, from Jamaica does a great hand therapy/manicure. Take advantage of the sensational thermal suite. It has the greatest hot tub (actually hot), along with heated, tile lounge recliners, and aromatic shower along with fountains of cold water to rinse your face and to drink from as you are heated. The massage cost 99.00, manicure/hand treatment 40. To use the suite for a day was 20. but they have special for two people using it everyday for the entire cruise which I think would be worth it.

 

In the casino area: lots of people were winning with the quarter slots seeming to get the most used and the most giving....

 

As for Bingo, I love to play but at 20.00 for three games, that is a little steep for my wallet...but the one time I played I enjoyed it, (it lasted about an hour).

 

My favorite food was the Dover Sole and the chocolate covered strawberries. Breakfast was fabulous (normally my favorite meal) and all the made to order specialties were excellent. My favorite helper was the young man who gave you your tray and fruit dish at breakfast on the left side of the Lido restaurant.

 

We ate at table 46 upstairs and met a wonderful couple from Pennsylvania and a delightful family, wife/husband/mother-in-law from Montreal who spoke French and English. My daughter and I enjoyed their company every night except the first when I took advantage of the cost reduction and ate in the Pinnacle, which was a wonderful quiet meal. We were well attended to at each and every meal. We enjoyed each eating experience throughout our cruise.

 

As for the excursions:

The dolphin encounter at Paradise Island was fun but the actual touch and time with the dolphins was not up to the cost....once you got there you could upgrade for almost another 150.00 and get to be pushed through the water by the dolphins. The best fun I had was just watching the dolphins interact with each other and the people on the walkways.

 

The country safari tour on the Dominican Republic was my favorite, as it took you in the off country of the island. We toured the sugar cane fields where the Haitians are used as slave labor by the natives to do the work. It is like stepping back into time, we then went to a cigar factory plant where they were rolled by hand and wrapped using the most primitive tools I have seen....I did get to give Life Savers to two beautiful children..We went to where they have cock fights (we just had a reenactment of how the cocks are trained). Since I am from Tennessee, it is not foreign to me, but as an animal lover not something I would ever attend..We then went to a lovely straw market for some local shopping, then returned to the dock. My daughter was terrified by the experience at times but I enjoy actually interacting and experiencing the true cultures of a town.

 

Both of Us enjoyed the trip to Cane Bay and ride through the rainforest and cities of St. Croix more than anything. We experienced it on Christmas which was 84 degrees and the waterful was clear and clean. Our guide was good and gave an excellent tour and talk of the Island. It was obvious they were glad to have the cruise business again back to the Island.

 

On Half Moon Cay, we did the Stingray adventure which I would not recommend at all. The guides were terrible, not really taking the time to talk about the animals, not getting them back from the steps but petrifying everyone by yelling keep your feet up off the floor as they will sting if stepped on.....not worth the time or the monies spent. The rest of Half Moon Cay was good, it was hot and great for sunbathing but chairs and shades were not plentiful. The food served by the staff on the island was very good.

 

The outside entertainers especially Harry, the pianist from England and Annie the singer were very good. The comedian was good when all three of them took the stage briefly the last night. Harry and his wife road in the tender with my daughter and myself to Half Moon Cay, both of them have the most delightful accents, so the trip went smoothly and was a highlight of our time.

 

I want to grow old and be as agile and involved as many of the seniors on this cruise. There was a mix of young families and older couples. Not many singles in the late twenties as my daughter, but the two of us had such a great time it really did not matter....

 

I loved the trip, it was my first and my daughter and I are planning on doing a 10 day cruise at Christmas in 2006!

Thanks cruise critic for all your help in helping make this trip the best Christmas in my 52 years!

[FlorenceItaly]

Thanks so much for sharing your cruise with us. I really enjoyed reading your review :).

 

Marie

[Cruise or Lose!]

Glad you enjoyed it as much as we did. Sorry we did not get the chance to meet. As you'll recall from our previous conversation, I was the 34 year old travelling with my 28 year old sister and our mother and aunt.

 

All the ports of call were wonderful and the temperature was perfect (at least for us) much of the time. Half Moon Cay was just magnificent. Bingo and the casino treated me well as I, the unlucky gambler, won 3 times.

 

You can read my detailed review in another thread :)

[formercruisestaff]

LHC

 

You have just made my day! I worked with Lorna aboard the Rotterdam and just loved her! She looked out for me like a mother. I can't believe I'm going to see her again!!!

[BM64]

It sounds like aside from enjoying the ship, the best part of your trip was the time you shared with your daughter and the memories you will have forever. I think that is awesome!!!

[Krazy Kruizers]

Sounds as though you enjoyed your cruise.

 

Dove Sole is back on the menu???

[LHC]

And the parmesan chicken was excellent, as was the lobster and steak although our whole table asked for second lobsters, as they were small...the second ones were hotter and better than the first!

Linda