10/2 Zuiderdam WC Review

[taszmom]

Review of HAL Zuiderdam 10/2/2004 - 7 night Western Caribbean

Ports of call : Key West, Cozumel, Costa Maya & Half Moon Cay

Cat BA Verandah # 5101

 

Part 1 -

CHECK-IN @ Port Everglades:

We live in West Palm Beach so we did the Park N Fly - $42 for the week as opposed to the $84 @ the parking garage. Only problem was after getting off the ship, we had to wait for 3 shuttle buses. Apparently there were a lot of other people on our ship parked here and they didn't have adequate number of buses to accommodate all getting of at the same time. Poor planning. Then they had the nerve to charge me $2 for getting back to the parking lot too late. They waived it after I angrily voiced my frustration about having to wait at the port for 1 hour on their shuttle bus.

 

Check in at pier went very smooth. Arrived around 11:30am. They had 2 lines, 1 for website online registration and another for those who have not completed the online registration. Both lines were about the same length, website line seemed to move quicker, only waited about 5-7 min anyway. There is also a separate check-in line for Deluxe Verandah Suites and higher. FYI...We were permitted to carry on 2 bottles of wine. They did ask to look at it.

 

STATEROOM:

Our verandah stateroom was located midship, lifeboats were 1 deck below us and though our horizon view was not obstructed, we could not see the water directly below us because of the lifeboat. We had a sofa bed for our 5 yr old daughter which was a nice size bed. However, when the sofa bed was open, it blocked the balcony door which made it hard for us to go out on the balcony in the evenings after she went to sleep. To avoid this, we put her to sleep in our bed and then moved her later. The sofa bed is very heavy making it hard to fold up and down. The bathroom has a nice tub which keeps the water contained when showering. Our king bed was quite large. I don't think they had replaced the mattresses on the ship yet (SOE), they were quite firm and the pillows needed some stuffing. There was plenty of storage space in the closet and above the sofa bed and we stored our 6 suitcases under the bed with no problem. The room had TV with a few stations, ESPN (Spanish), CNN, TNT, Boomerang and of course a several ship channels. Unlike the CCL Legend, they did not have the menu to pull up your onboard account from the TV. (Good thing otherwise we would have cut back on the mojitos!). We could sort of see the outside elevators from our room,however we had to lean over to see anyone in it and we couldn't see into any of the balconies when in it.

 

SERVICE:

This is where HAL shines. Best, friendliest service we've ever had. Room steward immediately introduced himself shortly after we first arrived to our stateroom and never saw him again. He magically made up the room in the morning and evening without being seen. Every staff member, and I mean every staff member especially the staff in the Lido, asked my daughter what her name was and by day 3, they all were saying "Hi Taryn!". Fantastic & attentive crew.

 

Dining room staff was friendly and nice. There was not much conversation with the guests, all business and obviously busy, but very polite. They were very fast about taking our order and the food came out promptly (almost too quick for us). Our biggest complaint was the wine service. We had pre-ordered the 6 bottle wine package. On the first night, we did not see our wine steward until just prior to getting our entree. Our wine was delivered almost after completing our entree. Each night it got a little better until finally on the 4th night she arrived promptly after our waiter took our order. It seems that on the first few nights she was running ragged so I don't fault her. It would appear that they need more staff in this area at least on the first 2 nights as things sort themselves out.

 

FOOD:

I have to say that I was a little disappointed about the food in the dining room. Yes my husband and I are probably the most critical in this area as I am a professionally trained chef and he works at a 5 star resort. The food was prepared well, however lacked imagination & flavor. If they want to appeal to a younger crowd, they need some, as Emeril would say, BAM! in the menu. For example, the surf & turf, which was cooked perfectly, was served with plain white rice. All accompaniments were as dull and vegetables were used sparingly. Presentation : a parsley leaf. The food needed some seasoning, more ingredients, and some attention to presentation. There was salt & pepper shaker on the table which confused me because at any fine restaurant, no proud chef would have it and I found myself needing to use it. Fresh ground pepper was self-service. The fish was bland - now mind you I live in Florida and we get some pretty good fresh fish so I might be a little spoiled. I could see how the simpicity of the menu and food would appeal to the older guests or people who are on restricted diets, but on this particular ship in order to satisfy the younger audience they are trying to attract, the dining room menu needs a major overhaul and quick.

 

The Lido Buffet was excellent. Of course they had everything as usual for breakfast & lunch : omelette station, ice cream bar (11:30a-1a), pizza & pasta bar (11:30a-1a), taco bar, grill station (lido pool), deli & salad bar (11:30a-5p), Wok station (Stir-fry, sushi(/mushi) rolls), bistro lunch & dinner theme of the day. Midnight buffet @ Lido (11:15p-12:30a). I found the variety and quality of the Lido Buffet to be very satisfying. I still think Carnival has the best pizza @ sea.

 

Pinnacle Grill @ Odyssey Restaurant - Hours : 6pm-9:30pm - Unfortunately we did not make it here. Club HAL did not have activites between 5p-8p making it difficult for us to find a reservation time. NOT family friendly!

 

ENTERTAINMENT:

All I can say is WOW! This made the cruise. There was a great female comedienne Julie Barr....hysterical. She had a regular show and an Adult-only show in the Queen's Lounge and it was standing room only. Joel Mason : a FANTASTIC Elton John Impersonator. Looked and sounded just like him and could play the heck out of the piano and even had the famous Elton feather costume on. He received a standing ovation. Edge - juggler, comedian- very good, very different, very entertaining. James Cielen - Amazing magician. We didn't see the broadway shows - not our thing. They had Karoake which we usually don't do either, but on the last night they had a Superstar Final and so we happen to be in the Queen's Lounge and saw it...WOW! We had some very talented passengers on this sailing - great singers. Two sisters that had to be professional singers. If they weren't, they should be.

 

BINGO:

Ok I never play Bingo, but I decided to give it a whirl while my daughter napped and my husband smoked his cigar out on the verandah. The 2nd game was the B and O columns and son of a gun I got it! So I stood up and said "I got B O"! and won $275.00 to which I immediately went down to the front desk and applied towards my hefty onboard account. We order a lot of doubles.

 

POOLS:

There are 2 pools on the Zuiderdam, aft and mid-ship. The mid-ship has the retractable dome. It can be quite humid and warm when it's closed which they do when it rains or the winds are strong. The pools are freshwater, not sea water and were quite chilly. No kids allowed in aft pool between 3pm-5pm.

 

CLUB HAL:

Due to the time of year, there were not alot of children on this sailing. My daughter was eager to go each and every day and that's where she was when not in port or in the pool. At any given time there were about a dozen kids in the Kids Zone - Waverunner. They did have some activites during port days, but not the whole time. On this sailing they had separated the kids by age groups 5-12 & 13-17. On sea days, the program operated from 9am-12n, 2p-5p, 8p-10p. Paid baby sitting services were available after 10pm. There are soda packages available on the ship. Sort of along this topic, there are disinfection stations everywhere on the ship, including the bathrooms, the Lido Grill and in the Kidz Zone. Push the button and out squirts hand sanitizer. All kids are required to sanitize upon entering the Kids Zone. No sickness that I know of on this ship. Good job HAL!

 

OCEAN SPA & FITNESS CENTER:

Didn't spend as much time here as I should have, but I did get there a few times. We didn't do any of the spa services this time. The fitness center is adequate. They had fee based classes like yoga, pilates, cycling, etc. We had trouble finding the fitness center as it is not indicated on any of the maps and they make you walk through the spa to get to it.

 

KEY WEST:

For those who have not been to Key West lately, they have re-done the whole pier area which is very nice. Everything is within walking distance, including the famous Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville and Sloppy Joe's. Ate some great conch fritters at a little stand in Mallory Square. This is also where the Aquarium & Glass Bottom Boat Ride is located. There are a few restaurants in the pier area with outside dining.

[taszmom]

Review - Part 2 -

 

COZUMEL:

We had been to Cozumel several times. For this cruise we decided to do the Chac Tun Caverns & Maya Beach excursions over on the mainland. A NOTE ABOUT THE FERRY : This was a rough one! The waters are quite rough and it's about a 1 hour ferry crossing over to Playa del Carmen. I took my ginger capsules as they had warned us and I had to lay down during the trip to avoid getting sea sick. The ferry itself is nice, well air-conditioned, bathrooms, drinks, TV, comfortable cushioned seats. The crew had plenty of bags in hand ready for anyone who needed it....and some did.

 

Once in Playa del Carmen, we took a motorcoach bus to the Caverns only about a 15-20 minute ride. It wasn't far, but it was on an unpaved bumpy road. Our tour guide handed out a few flashlights and everyone had to wear a helmet. We walked on a path and stepped down into the first cavern. There was an opening so there was plenty of light and it was large open area. We walked into a second set of caverns and explored as much as possible. There is an underground lake that you can swim in, however no one in our group did, the water was quite chilly. Some of the areas were submerged in water due to Ivan. The caverns are adequately lighted and had walkways. There was only 1 area with a very low ceiling where everyone, except my daughter, had to walk hunched over to avoid banging their heads. After the caverns we were given a drink of Pepsi or Sol (preferred beer by locals - they export Corona). Then we took about a 25 min bus ride on a highway south to Xpu-Ha Beach, a beach club called La Playa where we had a mexican buffet lunch. Chairs & umbrellas were available and the beach was lovely. Bathroom facilities were barely adequate. Of course we took the bus back to Playa del Carmen and waited for the ferry ride from hell back to Cozumel. Fortunately it was not as rough as the ride over and I was able to sit upright. Back at the pier in Cozumel, we had a FANTASTIC dinner at Pancho's Backyard, an upscale Mexican Restaurant. Fat Tuesdays was crowded and the music was blasting...looked like a fun place for the younger crowd.

 

COSTA MAYA:

This port was substituted for Grand Cayman and it was a new one for me. The port, Puerta Costa Maya, is brand new. They had trams that met you as you disembarked the ship and took you to shopping area. The walk was not far, however we used it on the way back to the ship because it was raining heavily. At the port there were dozens of shops, restaurants, bars and a pool with a swim-up pool bar (my husband loved this one!). We headed for the taxi stand and took a short 10 min taxi ride for $3pp to Mahahual (also spelled Majahual, Mahawal), the fishing village. It was a quaint little village with hutted roof structures, no fancy stuff here and don't expect too much in the way of bathroom facilities. Locals were selling everything you could think of. On the beach there were umbrellas & lounge chairs set up for your use by each of the restaurants. There is no fee but they do ask that you buy food and drink with them. They do have waiter service on the beach and there are tables, chairs & umbrellas so you can eat right there on the beach. We had some chips, salsa & some very good ceviche. There were also locals that had set up massage tables on the beach if you wish to partake. One offered us a 15 min massage for each of us for a total of $30. Unfortunately before we had a chance, it started raining, so we headed back to the pier. The return taxi was $2pp.

 

HALF MOON CAY:

I NOW know why it's rated the Best Private Island - absolute paradise. Looked fantastic to me so whatever was damaged from the hurricanes, they've restored it. The facilities are fabulous here. Saw some area roped off that was either in repair or perhaps under construction for the new Aqua Park. No one wanted to leave. We all talked about staying on the island and maybe if there was enough of us who protested, the ship wouldn't leave... but like good passengers, we sadly caught the very last tender back savoring every moment of this beautiful pristine beach.

 

DISEMBARKATION:

No problems. Breakfast buffet 7am-9am, off the ship @ 10am (earlier for those with flights). They ask that everyone completes a disembarkation form by Thursday in order to plan accordingly. Along with your color coded baggage tags, you get a card with a number. You get off when they call your number.

 

NOTE : You are only permitted to take off 1 liter of alcohol per person and so we did jus tthat. Fortunately they didn't catch my well-packed $40 bottle of Don Julio Tequila and my husband's bottle of Crown Royal in our checked luggage.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

taszmom, Thank you for the excellent review. Sounds like you really had a great time with the exception of that boat ride to Playa del Carmen. I have been on one of those kind of boat rides and know how terrible it can be. I had a terrible experience in Kauai Hawaii and even my Bonine did not work. I think when we do the Western Caribbean this next March I may stay in Cozumel. I agree with you that the HAL staff extremely friendly.

 

Thanks again for your report.

[KSCnCA]

WOW! Thanks so much for the thorough review! Sounds like you had a good time. It's good to hear that HMC is still "the place to be!" Sorry to hear that the dining room food is bland. I prefer my food with plenty of BAM! Sure hope we get to enjoy "Elton" and the rest of the wonderful sounding entertainers! Some questions:

 

What are mojitos? :D

 

Did they really limit your wine to 2 bottles? Or 2 per person? I didn't know they limit the wine and champagne one can carry on.

 

Your contributions to this board are appreciated!

[taszmom]

Mojitos is a rum drink with club soda, mint & simple syrup and/or sour mix...light & refreshing.

 

You could probably bring more wine on, we just brought 2 bottles because we had pre-ordered the 6 bottle wine package. My point was we had no problems carrying it on, no need to conceal.

[KSCnCA]

OOHH, Okay, thanks! Sounds like we need to try the mojitos! :D

[Ziggy7]

Wow thanks for the great review, last Aug the second week we had cabin 5102, so we were re - living your comments about the tenders being right below those verandahs, the first week we had cabin 4135 and loved the verandah! But reading most of your review brought great memories for us, so thanks for sharing :) and Welcome Home!:)

[ekerr19]

taszmom-

 

Thanks for posting your review! Glad you had a great time, glad to hear HMC has weathered the storm... any news on the cabanas?

[dakrewser]

Lovely, complete, review - thanks!

 

About the 1 liter of liquor disembarking - while it's true you only get one liter each duty-free, you can bring in as much as you want should you declare it and pay the duty. As there were three of you, you had no duty due on the 3 liters.

 

-dave

[Debi_D]

Thanks for the great review and it was good to here HMC was still in good shape. One question where the Cabana's still up, we have one booked for our next trip and we were really looking forward to it. I want my Cabana boy:D :D

 

Deb

[taszmom]

Most of the cabanas were in tact. There were maybe 2 or 3 that were completely gone, nothing but the floor left (no walls or roof).

 

dakrewser - Yeah of course we know we can bring it, just would have to pay taxes on the other bottles. But who wants that whole hassle of being delayed and processed and have everything scrutinized. I may be wrong but I don't think our 5 yr old daughter is permitted to bring alcohol home LOL!

[pennstategal]

Excellent review. We are foodies also and are sailing next weekend. Sorry to hear about the food..

Pennstategal

[DFD1]

Thanks for sharing your trip with us. Great reading and learned much. The ferry ride from Cozumel to the mainland is infamous. We did it once....once is enough! Thanks again.

[HeatherInFlorida]

Wonderful review! So well written and thought out ... I'm so happy you had such a good time despite a couple of little pitfalls. Sorry to hear about the food! We'll be looking down at the lifeboats, too, on the Oosterdam in 5086, but I figure if there's any trouble I can just jump.;)

 

Did you notice if the turquoise cabana was still up? Were people using them? We were told there was no electricity last week so they couldn't use them. Wondered if you noticed.

 

Also interested in Park n Fly although I think we'll just park at the pier. For the 40 some $$$ difference it would be nice to get off the ship and just leave:) .

 

Thanks again, Nancy ... really appreciate your taking the time to write this.

[Jean&Gene]

As there were three of you, you had no duty due on the 3 liters.

No booze for the 5YO - but the duty is only 10% of the cost.

 

We were also on this cruise, sorry we never met up, but we tried.

 

Excellent review - I ditto everything! We agree with you on the fish - not great at all. My snapper was tough. but it didn't stop us from eating.

 

We were on the last tender from HMC - didn't want to leave!

[taszmom]

Jean & Gene,

 

I'm sorry we didn't get a chance to meet up. My DH told me you had called...I think that was when I won the $275 playing Bingo and was so excited I forgot plus we're always running here and there bringing our daughter to Club HAL. We probably saw each other or perhaps even talked and didn't even know it!

 

It WAS a great cruise. I too had the snapper because it's one of my favorite. How about that plain old white rice? At least they could have done a rice pilaf or something. Well I did my duty and filled out my comment card about their menu needing some BAM!, so hopefully they will take a look at how they can spruce up those accompaniments a bit.

 

Heather - The park n fly was ok in spite of the problem after. I learned that next time not to dilly dally getting off the ship, I'll get off sooner, plus the porter didn't know where the shuttle bus stopped so we were standing in the wrong spot - live and learn. Next time we'll do better. They did the p/u where the rental car shuttle buses did their p/u's. What's nice is you can make a reservation online on their website ahead of time so you just print a copy and show it to them when you are leaving. It was very convenient and they helped with the luggage. It's VERY close to the pier literally 3 min ride.

 

I think I saw the turquoise cabana...I honestly can't say I saw anybody using them. I was too busy looking at the beautiful beach in front of me, not the cabanas in back of me. Take a look at sail7seas post in regards to HMC...much detail about the post-hurricane status...things I wasn't even aware of.

[Robin7]

How about that plain old white rice? At least they could have done a rice pilaf or something. Well I did my duty and filled out my comment card about their menu needing some BAM!, so hopefully they will take a look at how they can spruce up those accompaniments a bit.

I couldn't agree more about the food! (We were also on this same cruise.) We first cruised with HAL in 1991. The food was AMAZING! Even a few years ago on the Veendam to Alaska the food was still great. On this cruise? Not so much. The beef was especially disappointing--fatty and tasteless. I had the surf and turf and my filet mignon was TERRIBLE!!! I'm sure it has to do with cost. We paid half of what we paid in 1991 for this same cruise. (No HMC then, of course.) So I guess they have to cut back somewhere.

 

Otherwise the cruise was wonderful! This was our first time to HMC. We loved it!!!! I've never seen water so clear and sand so powdery and white. I'll cruise HAL again just so I can go back there!

 

I'll have a more detailed review later. I guess after such a relaxing week, my life since we got home just seems so chaotic and out of control!!!:eek:

 

Robin

[Roboat]

Great review! We leave Saturday on the same trip, so it was very helpful to get a recent review.

 

A question on the wine, if I may: we have also ordered the 6-pack and I wonder what you thought of the selection. Are the wines already selected for you based on what's available? Do you select your wine from those? Or do you have a longer list from which you may select any six during the week?

 

Also, I've heard mixed reviews about the "Beach Party" at Costa Maya, booked through a local place. They offer unlimited drinks and a beach chair for about $25, with an optional lobster lunch for another $15. i realize you didn't do this, but I wonder if you heard any comments from those who did?

 

Thanks!

[taszmom]

roboat -

 

The wine package gave you about 9 wines to select from...let me see how my memory serves me :

Cabernet - Arianna from Chile (we liked this one, ordered twice)

Cabernet - Nathanson Creek (we didn't like this one)

Merlot - Walnut Crest (house wine- it was OK)

Merlot - Tarpacca (spelling? - didn't try)

Cotes Du Rhone (we know and like this one)

Pinot Grigio

Chardonnay

Sauvignon Blanc - (We ordered and enjoyed but my DH and I can't remember the name...too many pina coladas earlier in the day!)

Reisling

White Zinfandel

 

The Navigator Package which was $175 had a much better selection. My DH remembers Caymus, Robert Mondavi Reserve on that list.

 

In regards to the Beach Party, I think that is the one that goes to Uvero Beach which is north of the port. Try the Costa Maya board...I remember reading something about that excursion there.

[sail7seas]

Roboat....

 

We had rain at Costa Maya that started late morning and then lasted a part of the afternoon. Anyone who had gone to a 'beach party' would have been drenched and I doubt they would have enjoyed eating in that rain if there was no place to seek cover. I only spoke with one person who had gone to the 'native village' and they were somewhat disappointed.

[taszmom]

Oh I can't believe I forgot to mention this in my review....I met Hunky Dory!! He's a riot! ;) I told him he was famous and that his name comes up all the time here on the boards.

[Ziggy7]

Oh I can't believe I forgot to mention this in my review....I met Hunky Dory!! He's a riot! ;) I told him he was famous and that his name comes up all the time here on the boards.

Have a Hunk Dory Day! I just loved him :)

[Ziggy7]

I couldn't agree more about the food! (We were also on this same cruise.) We first cruised with HAL in 1991. The food was AMAZING! Even a few years ago on the Veendam to Alaska the food was still great. On this cruise? Not so much. The beef was especially disappointing--fatty and tasteless. I had the surf and turf and my filet mignon was TERRIBLE!!! I'm sure it has to do with cost. We paid half of what we paid in 1991 for this same cruise. (No HMC then, of course.) So I guess they have to cut back somewhere.

 

Otherwise the cruise was wonderful! This was our first time to HMC. We loved it!!!! I've never seen water so clear and sand so powdery and white. I'll cruise HAL again just so I can go back there!

 

I'll have a more detailed review later. I guess after such a relaxing week, my life since we got home just seems so chaotic and out of control!!!:eek:

 

Robin

Thanks Robin, cant wait for your review :)

Welcome home! :)

[sail7seas]

Hunky Dory's area at dinner was next to the section we were seated in and we watched him each evening. He is a real character. We also met him in Lido at lunch. My DH was teasing with him when he asked his name. DH told him he would have to guess it.....so Hunky Dory started calling him "the secret man". :) He certainly is a friendly sort and lots of pax have alot of fun playing 'the name game' with him.

[Roboat]

tazsmom Nancy - Thanks for the very detailed wine info. If we get the same selection, we'll be happy with it.

S7S - Thanks for info on Costa Maya. Yes, we have read mixed reviews about the beach party. I think we'll pass on it.