Rough Seas on the Zuiderdam

[kirkc]

There were five of us on this “long weekend” reposition of the Zuiderdam. We sailed form Vancouver to San Francisco with a stop in Astoria, OR.

 

We decided this would be a good way for us to try one of HAL’s larger ships to see if we liked it. My partner and I have almost 400 days on HAL. Our friends from Massachusetts have close to 300 days and the fifth in our group was on her third HAL voyage.

 

We flew to Vancouver a couple of days early and enjoyed that city in spectacular weather. On Saturday we went across the street from our hotel to Canada Place and started what had to have been one of the most poorly organized boardings of any cruise. The metal detectors were tuned so high that almost everyone was setting them off and had to be hand wanded. U.S. Immigration was a snap. When we got to the check in area a very grouchy and gruff woman was telling everyone to sit down and wait further instructions. She would tell us when we could approach the check in desks. We were also handed a health form and a disembarkation form. These needed to be completed before you could check in. The health form was a breeze. Four Yes or No questions. The other form could easily have been included in documents so it would have been ready ahead of time.

 

While we were corralled I noticed that a few check in agents were sitting with nothing to do. I then saw the sign for the Suite Check In. The previously mention dragon lady was doing her best to block the sign. When I asked if, as a suite passenger, I could check in she questioned if I was really in a suite. After one of her coworkers check the list and said that I was she grudgingly allowed us to pass to the waiting agents.

 

After an unsuccessful attempt at avoiding the photographer we boarded the Zuiderdam. I will not go into descriptions of the ship. Those have been done by others much more articulate than me. What I will address is what all of us perceived to be a substantial drop in the level of service and training on today’s HAL.

 

It started with the small thing of not being escorted to our suite. Not being familiar with the ship it would have been nice if the offer had even been made. Our next bump came at dinner. We had the 8 o’clock seating on the upper level. The Zuiderdam’s dining room is very tight with not a lot of room between tables. No introduction from our waiter. No napkins placed in laps. No water. Really! We had to ask three separate times over the space of twenty minutes before we received water. Then there was the bread basket. It arrived after the salad plates had been cleared.

 

Besides the very poor service there was the food. It was easily the worst food any of us has ever had on HAL. Frozen mussels, a “hearty steak soup” that was no more than clear broth with one piece if carrot, one pea and a single ¼ inch square of beef, salad with bitter dressing and a pepper encrusted sirloin steak that was not cooked as ordered and would never have seen pepper if I hadn’t used some form the shaker on the table. But the best item of the evening was twice baked potato. It consisted of a potato that had been cut in half. Some mashed potato had been piped onto it and it had been placed in a warming oven. When it was served the mash slipped right off of the still mostly raw potato half. We did speak to the head waiter in our section, but he said there was really nothing he could do. After an hour and 45 minutes at the table we left. If we wanted coffee or dessert it was obvious that we wouldn’t be getting it in the dining room.

 

 

So much for day 1...to be continued

[jagmanss1]

Something to be said about repo cruises i guess.... Don't take one.... They are going to change itineraries and don't care.... I have read many of the same responses about a repo cruise..... Case in point.... Not worth it!!!

[Sea King]

respectfully, can't agree with previous poster's comment in any respect

 

there are very very few acceptable reasons for poor service

 

the quality of service, however, has nothing, IMO, to do whether you're on a a repositioning cruise .. it's a scheduled itinerary just like any other

 

barring a 180 dgree turn around in SST speed, I'd begin "going up the chain of command" of the dining room, if after speaking with the steward I wasn't at all satisfied.. IMHO the "the chain" would be the area supervisor, to the asst. maitre d', then the maitre d', to the culinary food manager and if necessary to the HM himself

 

hopefully, none of that will be necessary

 

curious though: is the "below average to poor service" confined to the dining room alone or does it extend to the room steward, Lido, bars, gym, nightclub, casino and deck staff?

 

sometimes, even though it shouldn't happen, the 1st night in the dining room can be "rough"

 

think if you address problem and speak with someone, most importanly your dining room steward, the problems can be resolved

 

don't let the problem fester, however; meet it head-on now before it impacts the enjoyment of your entire cruise

 

good luck and let us know how things turn out

[Krazy Kruizers]

We have done several repositioning cruises -- never had a problem.

 

Can't wait to read some more!!!

[thomasale]

We have done several repositioning cruises -- never had a problem.

 

Can't wait to read some more!!!

 

"People love it when you lose give us dirty water"

Why do we LOVE to read the negative

[hammybee]

I sail most mass marketed cruise lines. From time to time, for whatever reason, dining room service is occasionally off. When this happens, I proceed to help myself to water and coffee. This has never failed to get the attention of the wait staff. No words. No emotion. Problem solved.

[kakalina]

We have done several repositioning cruises and the service has always been impeccable. Of course they have always been on R or S class ships. Do you think it is because it is a Vista class?

 

Please let us know if things improve.

[jhannah]

We, too, have done coastal cruises. No complaints regarding service. You obviously had a problem with your waiters. As suggested, I would make this known to HAL. Hopefully you did that on your comment card.

 

The white glove escort to your cabin doesn't generally begin until around 1:00 when all the cabins are ready. Up until then, the stewards are very busy cleaning the ship and staterooms. Being a repositioning cruise doesn't make any difference.

[kirkc]

Rough Seas…continued

 

We awoke on Sunday morning as we cruised up the Columbia River on our way to Astoria, OR. The ship’s horn blasted on a regular basis as we pushed through the fog while being flanked by two Coast Guard boats. The sun broke through the mist as we docked at an industrial area of Astoria just prior to the bridge. This was the Zuiderdam’s first call in Astoria and the ships crew had said that the town was going to make quite a fuss over the event. We had been told that we would be docking at the facility that was in downtown Astoria. Guess the ship either couldn’t make it under the bridge or was too large for that dock because a bus ride was required to get to town. It wasn’t until disembarkation was underway that the announcement was made that the fare to ride a school bus to town was $5. And none of the local festivities including the appearance at the sail away of the “World Famous Astoria High School Marching Band” came to fruition.

 

We decided to go to the Pinnacle for breakfast. This is HAL’s replacement for the Kings/Queens Room. We verified restaurant opening times with the attendants when the Neptune Lounge. When we arrived for breakfast we were told that the room was in fact closed and that breakfast was over. At 9 a.m.? Closing was posted as 9:30. We stood our ground and after about 10 minutes we were seated. To say that we were made to feel unwelcome would be an understatement. Service was slow and food was room temperature. The waitstaff made no effort to hide their displeasure with our being there and made several comments about it when they were away from our table, but still within earshot. At this point I’d had enough. I excused myself and went to the front desk to see the Food & Beverage Manager.

 

She met with us almost at once and we had a long chat while seated in the Windjammer Café. We went over the events of the previous day. She took a lot of notes and apologized many times. She agreed that there were problems and that they would be looked into. We left the meeting feeling that we had done our best to alert the staff to our concerns.

 

We chose to stay aboard the ship for the day and just relax. The weather had cooperated and the warm sunshine was pouring through the open dome at the Lido Pool. I must say that we all agreed that the Lido Restaurant was the shining star of the ship. There are several different food genres to choose from. Italian (great pizza), Bistro (wonderful carved meats and rotisserie chicken), Asian (excellent stir fry and sushi) and a deli with Panini sandwiches. Ice cream was also available, however by Sunday afternoon they were out of waffle cones.

 

The one thing that was really apparent on this trip was the hustling of drinks from the waitstaff. Granted that with a 15% tip built into the check they are working in their own best interests. This was apparent anytime we were in a public area where drinks are served. You could be standing on the open deck with a drink in your hand and you would be approached by another waiter asking if you would like a drink. On Monday we were seated near the Lido Pool having lunch. We had beers on the table in front of us. In the space of 15 minutes we were asked 9 times by different waiters if we would like drinks. It was nothing short of a strong arm approach and even a polite “No” would not stem the flow of bar staff. The exception was the Explorers Lounge where one had to seek out the attendant in order to get after dinner drinks.

 

Our two dinners in the Pinnacle were OK. While the steaks were of a good quality I didn’t see the justification for the new $30 charge. There were no specials. Side dishes were presented at room temp on both evenings and had to be returned. Even after a ride in the microwave the scalloped potato was still not cooked. We had learned our lesson on the first night of Pinnacle dining with regard to the wine list. They push the lighter wines of the Pacific Northwest. Being from Zinfandel country we found we were happier pre-ordering something more to our liking from the regular dining room list and having it sent to the Pinnacle.

 

In re-reading my comments I realize that I may come across as a complainer about a lot of little things. I guess that the Z class is just not the ship for us. Too many people! But, I think there has been a change in the service model at HAL and I base this on my own experiences over the number of days that I have been fortunate enough to spend on those dam ships in the last 16 years the days of genuine service extended in friendship appear to be gone. They have been replaced by the dash for the tip. Staff has been reduced and a large number of activities that, in the past, were open to all at no charge now have a “nominal fee” attached to them

 

On the positive side we enjoyed the Neptune Lounge. The girls there did a wonderful job. Our cabin steward was excellent and prompt. And while the suite and balcony was most definitely smaller then on the S or R class ships the room was comfortable and the new beds are great.

 

In summary I have enjoyed my time with Holland America. But many things in the world changes and we must adjust to those changes or move on to something else. I believe that it is time for us to move on from HAL. We have a cruise booked for next October on the Statendam from Auckland to Sydney. I’m afraid that we will be cancelling that. I don’t want to take the $16K risk of two weeks of mediocre food and indifferent service.

[kirkc]

We, too, have done coastal cruises. No complaints regarding service. You obviously had a problem with your waiters. As suggested, I would make this known to HAL. Hopefully you did that on your comment card.

 

The white glove escort to your cabin doesn't generally begin until around 1:00 when all the cabins are ready. Up until then, the stewards are very busy cleaning the ship and staterooms. Being a repositioning cruise doesn't make any difference.

 

 

We boarded at about 1:45. All cabins were ready...just no ecsorts! And there were no comment cards provided to anyone. Have already spoken to Seattle as well.

[hammybee]

I am sorry your most recent HAL experience was a disappointment to you, especially after so many cumulative days on HAL.

 

Maybe this cruise was a one off or maybe you have outgrown HAL.

 

Thank you for taking the time to share your perception with us.

[DD]

"People love it when you lose give us dirty water"

Why do we LOVE to read the negative

 

 

Ok, you got my curiousity going. What does this mean? Is it a quote from Don Henley's song Dirty Laundry (was it Don Henley??? The 80s were a long time ago) because that is almost word-for-word from the song other than water would be laundry. If it's not that, what is the reference?

[Copper10-8]

Ok, you got my curiousity going. What does this mean? Is it a quote from Don Henley's song Dirty Laundry (was it Don Henley??? The 80s were a long time ago) because that is almost word-for-word from the song other than water would be laundry. If it's not that, what is the reference?

 

Pretty darn close! Good beat to that song!

I make my living off the evening news

Just give me something, something I can use

People love it when you lose, they love dirty laundry

Well, I could've been an actor, but I wound up here

I just have to look good, I don't have to be clear

Come and whisper in my ear, give us dirty laundry

 

Kick 'em when they're up, kick 'em when they're down

Kick 'em when they're up, kick 'em when they're down

Kick 'em when they're up, kick 'em when they're down

Kick 'em when they're up, kick 'em all around

 

We got the bubbleheaded bleach-blonde, comes on at 5

She can tell you about the plane crash with a gleam in her eye

It's interesting when people die, give us dirty laundry

 

Can we film the operation? Is the head dead yet?

You know the boys in the newsroom got a running bet

Get the widow on the set, we need dirty laundry

 

You don't really need to find out what's going on

You don't really want to know just how far it's gone

Just leave well enough alone, keep your dirty laundry

 

Kick 'em when they're up, kick 'em when they're down

Kick 'em when they're up, kick 'em when they're down

Kick 'em when they're up, kick 'em when they're down

Kick 'em when they're stiff, kick 'em all around

 

Dirty little secrets, dirty little lies

We got our dirty little fingers in everybody's pie

Love to cut you down to size, we love dirty laundry

 

We can do the innuendo, we can dance and sing

When it's said and done, we haven't told you a thing

We all know that crap is king, give us dirty laundry

[AAAAmerican]

Yes the adage of if you want something done the best way that you like it done..you have to do it yourself..

 

Hammybee is right as if you do get your own water.... they do notice that and most will get your water quicker next time...

 

 

Your expectations in all things are sometimes not as you desire .. so on this past cruise write it off as an anomaly...

 

 

Also write CCL:NYSE about PAID VOYAGE, your time and address it to the Chairman of the Board. When you start at the top there is knowhere else to go but down where they send it..

 

Customer feedback is so vital in any retail operation. Thats why they do the comment cards where on yopur voyage were not available to you or your party..

 

Why didnt they have those even Xeroxed in the Neptune?:eek:

 

PS: also try the ms Noordam now this VISTA Class Ship is wonderful.

 

 

 

I sail most mass marketed cruise lines. From time to time, for whatever reason, dining room service is occasionally off. When this happens, I proceed to help myself to water and coffee. This has never failed to get the attention of the wait staff. No words. No emotion. Problem solved.

[Copper10-8]

Just a quickie; what is a short three or four day repositioning cruise to some pax is also a much longer Panama Canal cruise for others. While some folks get off the ship in LA and/or San Diego, the majority will stay on to Ft. Lauderdale and/or Tampa (except for ships like Oosterdam and Zaandam) Not sure that HAL wants to have the image of "Oh, it's just a short repo cruise so we can let the level of service slack off and/or the quality of the food go down the drain" on their Spring and Fall Panama Canal cruises.

 

Kirk C., thanks for taking the time to post an honest review. Sorry to see that, as a past HAL customer, this cruise is forcing you to cancel your Statendam cruise. I'm willing to bet you that HAL is not happy to lose you as a customer and not give them a chance to redeem themselves after what you describe as an obvious subpar experience on Zuiderdam

[kryos]

Something to be said about repo cruises i guess.... Don't take one.... They are going to change itineraries and don't care.... I have read many of the same responses about a repo cruise..... Case in point.... Not worth it!!!

I don't know if it's a matter of they don't care more than one of they are too short-handed to care. I would imagine that right before a repo cruise is when a lot of the staff's contracts expire. Many probably fly home before that repo cruise leaves ... and perhaps their replacements are not being picked up until the repo cruise gets to its new home port. That could very easily account for the poorer level of service.

 

I am taking a cruise on the 17th of this month that is basically a 10-day Panama Canal Sunfarer cruise r/t Fort Lauderdale. However, we are boarding in New York, so for us it is a 13-day itinerary. I can't wait to see how the service will be from New York to Fort Lauderdale, because honestly I never thought of this when I booked the cruise. I'm wondering if we will experience similar things as the OP reports here. Hopefully not.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[Chorts]

Something to be said about repo cruises i guess.... Don't take one.... They are going to change itineraries and don't care.... I have read many of the same responses about a repo cruise..... Case in point.... Not worth it!!!

 

I beg to differ. We did the repo cruise on Mercury from Mexico to Alaska and it was wonderful. The food, the service, everything was great. We had a wonderful time. I don't what changing itineraries possibly has to do with staff attitude. Either the staff is good or it's not. I wouldn't hesitate to do another.

[Sprocket]

Just curious.......which activities that used to be open to all now have a "nominal fee" attached to them? Did not notice any on our Oosterdam repo cruise last year, and would like to know before my Westerdam cruise in 2 weeks.

 

 

Bev

[kirkc]

Many classes in the spa/gym that used to be a daily occurance now have a fee attached to them. Guess that's because it is now known as a spa and there is little if any reference to a gym.

 

Also coffee in the Windjammer. Used to be free. And the internet charges have gone from high to way over the top.

[thomasale]

Ok, you got my curiousity going. What does this mean? Is it a quote from Don Henley's song Dirty Laundry (was it Don Henley??? The 80s were a long time ago) because that is almost word-for-word from the song other than water would be laundry. If it's not that, what is the reference?

 

I stand corrected but glad you got the line I was trying to quote and the message I was trying to deliver...and then the next post with alll the words (somebody has wayyyyy too much time on his hands :) )

 

When I read the complaints, and I can't help reading them, the word "Cranky" keeps coming to mind. Now to set the record straight I am NOT calling the OP cranky. She is relating her experiences and shortfalls from her cruise, but, the word just keeps popping into my mind.

 

I hope that her next cruise experience delivers what she expects and then some!!!She deserves it.

[MortgageChick]

In june 03 we took our first HAL cruise on Rotterdam and we thought we had found our cruise line for life. The service was impeccable and although we had a inside guarantee only, we were escorted to our stateroom as if we were Royalty.

 

In 2004 we took 2 HAL cruises- Oosterdam and Westerdam. The Oosterdam was the least memorable of 16 cruises we have taken. The Westerdam was an incredible itinerary(17 nights crossing) in a VA aft stateroom that was awesome The food was acceptable and the service was a stretch, as they were short staffed. It took me days to get the manager of the Pinnacle to tell me the "truth" about how my reservation made prior to getting on t he ship, that I had in writing..... how it got cancelled. No escort to stateroom on either Vista class ship even in 2004.

 

In 2005 we did 3 Celebrity cruises(one repo) and by the time we got to # 3 we had come to the conclusion that no cruiseline seems to be able to offer a consistent product on an ongoing basis.

 

In 23 days we will be aboard the Jewel of the Seas(repo) and Have Navigator of the Seas Booked.11/-7(repo) Not sure how we will feel after these 2 cruises

 

I do think that there is a difference in service level on a repo cruise, and it is probably due to the newly added staff trying to learn to work together. The food quality I have not found to be an issue on repos.

 

As a final statement that may shock you , the best service and overall repositioning cruise experience and value was on my 2002 Carnival Legend 15 night Transatlantic crossing/repo. Carnival's first venture into Europe, and although some people had some issues with excursions in Paris, I have to say that Carnival did everything top drawer on that cruise. (However, our 5 day jaunt on the Victory this summer left us shellshocked-LOL)

 

One day we will find the cruise line for us......but in the interim it sure is fun looking for it :)

[Charliesmom]

MortgageChick,

 

I agree with you about the Carnival Victory. We sailed on her several years ago. The service was friendly, but the food was so awful that my husband, a gourmand, lost 3 pounds on a 3 day trip from Boston to Nova Scotia and back. The only good food they had was the pizza and the French fries, which were excellent.

 

We were pleasantly surprised on the Carnival Miracle. The food was excellent, except very limited in the Lido restaurant. However, front desk staff was surly, and if your needs did not fit in with their schedule (in every department) you were out of luck.

 

I contrast that to my two experiences on HAL, both on the Westerdam, where the service was the best I have ever had on a cruise ship (and that also includes Celebrity and Princess). The food was good, too.

 

Roberta

[happy cruzer]

Hi, I'm curious about when the last cruise on HAL was for Kirkc. The classes added a charge many years ago. I stopped doing exercise classes many years ago because it is something I can do at home for much less. I feel that same way about the spa. In general if I can get the same service at home for less, I do and spend my time and money doing the things on the ship that are not available where I live like the shows, live music, and dancing. I don't even do the casino because the ones near me are better.

 

But I would suspect that anyone who has not been on HAL for awhile say 5 years or so took a cruise now, there would be too many little changes and it would be a very noticeable difference. But that probably would be across all cruiselines. the competition has gotten tough, the ships bigger, and the customers have gotten more diverse - so things did change. It's still a great experience but it has changed.

[kirkc]

Our last trip on HAL was about 18 months ago. We've been pretty busy with the building of a new home.

 

The five of us are currently looking at Windstar as they still seem to have the old HAL values and levels of service. Of course that could change as well. Then I guess we will just keep moving up the food chain.

[Atomica]

Sorry to hear you didn't have a pleasant trip on the Zuiderdam. We were on the week before on the ship's last trip to Alaska, and our experience was nothing but positive.

 

Although yes, there are many extra-charge items, this isn't unique to HAL. For a truly all-inclusive cruise, lines like Crystal, Silversea or Regent might fit the bill more. The fact of the matter is, nothing stays the same, though I do understand your disappointment.