Zuiderdam - Panama Canal 9/29 - 10/20 - Part 2

[judgejaclyn]

Here is Part 2.....

 

Entertainment

This area is often quite subjective and no two people on the same cruise will feel the same way about their experiences. I have listed the onboard staff above. There was enough diversity for us among the onboard entertainment staff; however we do not take cruises for the night life. Remembering that there are 1900+ passengers with varying tastes, I believe that there was a respectable variance in entertainment. On the sea days, we especially enjoyed the mid-day music at the Lido pool, mid-ship. On port days, the Lido pool, aft, took stage for Jenny & The Hall Cats and/or Randall on Piano for the sail- a-way parties. It was particularly enjoyable to listen to the “banter” of fog horns between the respective Captains of the Zuiderdam and the Noordam as the Z sailed away first out of the premier pier berth in Cabo San Lucas. The margaritas and laughter were overflowing as the celebration of our sojourn into Mexico began to become reality for us passengers. Our vote for the best of the best onboard entertainment was the City Quartet who played nightly at the Explorers Lounge and often graced us with tunes at formal dinners, special cocktail parties and our most special evening – the Renewal of Vows ceremony. Featured Vista Lounge entertainment was spread equally among comedians, vocalists, pianists, etc. A bit of a disappointment was the hypnotist; however a raving review is deserving of Doug Mattocks, a virtuoso on banjo! Stage shows by the Z dance troupe were enjoyable, however there were only 3 different shows (twice repeated) presented on this long itinerary. Mid-cruise, the Officers Black & White Ball was held in the Vista Lounge with Jenny & The Hall Cats accompanying. It was a sea of Black & White tuxes and ball gowns, balloons and streamers. The videographer was present and captured many a couple shaking a leg and also snuggling close on an especial evening of pageantry. The officers looked dapper and the ladies looked gorgeous.

On a day to day basis, the cruise staff led the activities which included a wide array of basketball throws, ping-pong tournaments, ring toss, golf putting, trivia contests, dance classes, etc. We earned enough “dam dollars” to redeem for a long sleeved t-shirt, a short sleeved t-shirt and a set of wine glass ID rings (with the ship theme). I had the luck to win at Bingo on one occasion and also was chosen to “win” a cute t-shirt from DelSol during one of the Port Lecturer talks. My husband was selected to enter the Zuiderdam Superstar contest and he was graced by the judges CD Jason, beautiful singer Jenny and fun-loving, boisterous Randall with the title of “Zuiderdam Superstar”, winning a bag full of HAL goodies including t-shirts, mugs, hats, water bottle, key chain, clock, umbrella, etc.. Of course there were always new feature films in the Queens Lounge daily as well as replays on 2 television channels each day. There were art auctions by Park West that were scheduled on sea days in the afternoon and often included free champagne. A Walk for the Cure was held on the last Sunday (sea day) and it garnered good participation. We found there to be more than enough to keep us busy and I am enjoying a bit of a respite now that we are home.

Dining

I would equate the dining with that of a country club. Choices were more than plentiful, and the selection and quality of sugar free desserts was abundant. The dining room staff was eager to please. We had a table for 2, early dining, top level. However, because of the way the tables were configured and due to the length of the cruise, we often chatted with the 4 top next to us as well as other nearby tables. The Lido buffet was typically our choice for breakfast and lunch with the omelet station in the a.m. being my personal favorite. Pizza and ice cream served most anytime throughout the day were among my husband’s favorites. Of special note were the sea day afternoon BBQ’s, which varied from Satay BBQ, to Salmon Bake, to Rib BBQ to Mexican Fiestas. The Chocolate extravaganza was absolutely remarkable and held on two separate evenings. We dined at the Pinnacle Grill one evening and found it to our pleasing; however the steaks and service at the dining room were equally satisfactory. I particularly enjoy starters and a number of the soups, the liver pate and escargot were among my favorites. Our favorite meal was served in the Pinnacle Grill for the suite passengers. Kudos go out to the Pinnacle Grill Manger Elvira and her staff. Hosted by Captain von Donselaar and HM Mark Pells, we were treated to a formal sit down luncheon of Indosian cuisine, with plenty of red and/or white wines to compliment the fare. The rice pudding dessert was tremendous! We were honored to be seated next to the Captain with a number of other cruise critic members at our table of eleven! Service was impeccable as was the company of our tablemates! (This was definitely a highlight of our cruise!)

Renewal of Vows Ceremony

Without exception this was the number one most memorable event of our cruise. Near the end of the cruise we stated our vows to each other before the Captain in a moving ceremony. There were 5 couples and many witnesses to such a joyous ceremony held in the Oak Room. The City Quartet provided a lovely musical background to the magically decorated room. Champagne and hor d’ourves were served and many a tissue was used to dry the tears of those in attendance! For those considering it, the ceremony as performed by this Captain was sincere and not the least bit chintzy or hokey. Each couple was called individually before the Captain to recite their vows and to pledge their love. A beautiful photo album/memento book was sent to our cabin the next day with photographs, certificate signed by Captain and a recitation of the vows. You may invite witnesses/guests for a nominal fee to share in your special evening. We invited three couples to experience with us this special declaration of love and all the staff was accommodating in taking group photos for us. Also included in the package is a bottle of wine, corsages for the ceremony, a bouquet of flowers for your stateroom and dinner for two at the Pinnacle Grill.

Cruise Critic Meet & Mingle

A nicer group of hooligans you will not find!!!! These people know how to have a good time! Through the leadership of Cool Chile (and her husband) and CP 556(and her husband), we had not one but two meet & mingle gatherings. We had the first of the two on our first sea day out of Vancouver (day 3 of cruise). It was held in the afternoon in the Oak Room and was attended by the HM Mark Pells and the Beverage Manager Murat Kaya. The HM spent a considerable amount of time sitting in a round chair discussion format telling us about HAL and its workings. He clued us in to some special entertainment planned for the cruise and gave us some insider tips. The second meet & mingle was the morning after L.A. We were 20+ strong and had numerous door prizes awarded. (Thank you again to our fearless leaders Cool Chile and Rob for their efforts) We had mimosas, coffee and cookies, mimosas, jokes and jabs, mimosas and with all of that champagne flowing through our veins – FUN! Attended by HM Mark Pells (does that guy ever rest) and CD Jason, everyone walked away with something to remember the cruise critic gang. We were a bit like children in the lunchroom trading our stash for another’s. As the days of the cruise came and went, we found that a number of us gravitated toward each other and lunches, walks, talks, shore excursions, coffees and cocktails and more gatherings developed. A lovely penthouse suite cocktail party was hosted by two of our gang on the third of our formal evenings and a Panama Canal lunchtime soiree was hosted by two others in their aft wrap around suite. The cruise critic gang knows how to turn up the temperature and have a grand time. Thank you to one and all!

Suite Amenities

WOW for “Way Over Wonderful” describes our feelings as we reflect on the suite experience. We have stayed in suites on Princess, Celebrity and of course all staterooms are suites on Radisson and Crystal. However, this was unparallel. The location of our stateroom near the Neptune Lounge undoubtedly had a great deal to do with our experience. We enjoyed ducking in throughout the day for juice or a cappuccino. My husband forgot (okay I forgot) to pack his cummerbund and the concierge took care of it. His tux shoe started to fall apart and the concierge took care of it. We had a minor issue with our key cards not working and the concierge took care of it. Invitations needed for our Renewal of Vows – concierge. RSVP to various invitations we received – concierge. Discrepancy on bill – concierge. Need something pressed ASAP – concierge. Phone Card – concierge. We had no need to go to the front desk the entire cruise since Carlo and Faye were so readily available. Also, special welcome cocktail parties held in the Neptune Lounge the evenings of Vancouver, Seattle, and the last evening of cruise were lovely and well attended by suite passengers and upper management both. Corsages for formal nights were lovely. VIP cocktail party in the Oak Room with the string quartet was special. The luncheon in the Pinnacle Grill being one of the highlights already mentioned, it was overall just the feeling of being known by your name makes you feel special. While it is true that many of the staff and crew know your name when you sail as a passenger on HAL in a non-deluxe suite, the extra money spent, in our opinion, to have the Neptune Lounge and its services was well worth it.

Captain von Donselaar/Mariners party/Captains Toast

Our Captain was quite visible on this cruise. Prior to daily comments of CD Jason, the Captain gave his address from the bridge every day at 1 pm. Near the end of the cruise, on the final formal evening, there was a lovely cocktail party served between the two fixed dining times for Mariners with less than 100 days. (A second more elaborate luncheon was served for those medallion holders on a separate day.) It was held in the Crow’s Nest and attended by the Captain, HM, Onboard Cruise Consultants Arky & Shirley, as well as some other upper level staff. Wines, champagne and soft drinks were served. The Captain’s Welcome Toast was in the Vista Lounge on the evening of the first formal night and was as described by others to be a glass of champagne with the Captain von Donselaar’s opening comments and a toast. The Captain and Chief Engineer Eric van der Wal also held a Q & A during one of the sea days. For over one hour, many passengers had well thought out questions that were answered in simple lay terms. As we transited the Panama Canal you could see the Captain on the bridge, as with many of the port days as he skillfully glided us into narrow as well as shallow ports. Near the end of our cruise we had a fire alarm sound off during our dining hour. The Captain was on the PA in minutes with a calm and soothing voice informing us that there was smoke on deck 7, starboard, midship which sounded the alarm. (Our cabin was deck 7,starboard, midship) No less than 5 minutes later he once again came on to inform us that it was merely an A/C issue and no damage or concern. Whew!!!! It was handled professionally and at no time did we have any concern for our safety.

Photography Staff/Greenhouse Spa

We found the photography staff to be pleasant and courteous at all times. If we chose not to be photographed, a simple no thank you sufficed. We purchased the end of cruise “Cruise Chronicle” DVD and find it to be fantastic. It puts into motion those memories of the cruise, the activities we participated in and many of the people we had the pleasure of spending time with on the cruise. It is under-promoted and is a gem! As for the fitness center and spa, the work-out equipment was more than adequate and we never had any difficulty getting the machines that we desired to use. The hydrotherapy pool and thermal chairs were a welcome treat near the end of the cruise when I needed a bit of R & R after constantly being on the go. There was never a hard sell by any of the salon/spa girls and I understand that appointments were usually available.

Disembarkation

We arrived before dawn into FLL. We had been issued tag Red-1 and were called to disembark first. We pre-arranged for a rental SUV from Thrifty, waited in line less than 10 minutes to get off the ship, disembarked scanning our keycard one last time, located our 4 bags all in the same row, hailed a porter and were through customs and on the Thrifty van within 5 minutes. A quick ride to the rental location and the reality of being back on land set in. The 3 ½ hour drive back to Longboat Key was a bit somber as we realized our vacation was at its end.

I realize that this was quite detailed; however if there could possible be anything I did not address, please feel freee to ask.

J.

[ekerr19]

WOW! thanks so much! Great review, I so enjoyed it. :)

 

HAL does a great job hosting the "CC" gatherings don't they? Glad Mark took good care of you!

[waiting2retire]

Wonderful review, thanks very much! My sister and brother and their spouses will be on the Nov 24 sailing of the Zuiderdam, and I will be printing off your review (both parts) to show them. None of them have cruised on HAL, and for my brother and his wife, it is their first cruise. They chose HAL at least partially because I raved about my Zaandam cruise to Hawaii.

 

Oh, and by the way, that would have been my DD who "chose" you to win the Del Sol t-shirt :D

 

Sounds like you made some fabulous memories!

 

Bonnie

[sungoddess]

Great review! Just one thing; Eric van der Wal is Chief Officer, not CE. I sailed with him and Jeroen on the VO and loved them!

[earl_m]

thank for for a very good review and well done, glad you enjoy everything and congrats on the renewal of you vows.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thanks for writing the rest of your wonderful review.

[NHBob]

Thanks for comprehensive review. I was particularly interested as I'm booked on Zuiderdam FLL-Rome crossing next March. My first cruise on Zuiderdam, and only second Vista Class.

 

Glad to learn that they held Black & White Ball in Vista Lounge. Last year on Noordam they attempted to hold it in Crow's Nest - bad idea, you could hardly move!

 

General Suggestion: Just a personal preference, but if reviewers would like to have their reviews seen by more than regular visitors to these boards, I suggest posting on the CC Member Review Pages, with a link on the boards. A comprehensive review like this one probably would have been selected as a "review of the week."

[RustaRoo]

What an enjoyable time I had reading your reviews; I particularly enjoyed the comprehensive and compelling nature of your comments. Well done!

[diveoz]

Wonderful Reviews... Thank you for taking the time to write them!

 

We are leaving on Zuiderdam three weeks from today and your review has my mouth watering for the entire experience!

 

TY!!!

[Lynne Myrna]

judgejacklyn.....outstanding review, I throughly enjoyed your comments. We are thinking of booking the Zuiderdam for 12/08....great read...thanks:)

 

Lynne:)

[OVgirl]

Thank you for taking the time to put together this review. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. We will be sailing on Zuiderdam in March and are looking forward to a wonderful cruise. Thanks again.

[alonzo14]

Thanks for posting your review. Although we will not be sailing on the Zuridam, we will be sailing on the W'dam in December and have a suite and also renweing our vows. This was very insightful. I got very excited reading your review!!!!

[judgejaclyn]

Thanks to all for your kind words about my review. It now being only 10 days since we disembarked and all laundry has been done and put away, we are ready to start our planning for another :)

 

regards, Jaclyn