Live from Zuiderdam 7/7

[Candy]

When I saw your post I was hoping you were coming to the rescue!

 

DH and I sail her in October - I promise to post them if nobody else does, unless you get to cruise her before I do, in which case we all know we can count on you to get the job done!

 

Until then, I will just keep logging in and searching for Zuiderdam pictures....I think I am going to need therapy soon...:eek:

 

HaHa! I was thinking of starting a Zuiderdam 12-step group, but...

1. There isn't a meeting room big enough, and
   
2. I don't wanna quit!

We don't sail until the 11/10 partial canal, and you can bet I'll have lotsa photos to share.

 

Candy Brock (prolly no relation)

[Maryandi]

Thanks for all the details of your cruise.

 

I know what you mean about the back ache, I had to take a pillow off the bed to be more comfy in the chair.

 

MaryAnn

[barbels]

Thanks so much for your quick reply. Have a wonderful rest of your cruise.

[jtl513]

There has been an argument floating around on various threads since March as to whether or not a screening room was to be added during the April dry docking. Hotel Manager on final cruise before dry docking informed a group of us CCers that Queen's lounge would no longer be used for movies, as a screening room would be added.

 

On the other hand, several posters (who were not on that cruise) disputed this rather vehemently since no screening room is shown on the post- dry dock deck plans. So:

• Was a screening room added?
  
• If so, where is it?

Thanks in advance for helping lay this matter to rest once and for all.

 

Bob

 

PS: Apologies if this has already been answered elsewhere and I have missed it.

 

Yes, post drydock there is a S/R. The screening room only has about 32 or so seats, so get there early if you plan to watch a movie as it always seemed to fill up fast.

harry

Bob - I was one one of the people who questioned you on this, but deny that I did so "rather vehemently". I merely asked if you were sure about it. Since then, InTheWASide has posted a picture of it, and I could clearly count 30 seats in it. (6 rows of 4,6,6,6,5, and 3 seats front to back) They appear to be quite wide and comfortable, and IIRC they have drink holders attached. It is where the Internet center used to be, as you stated previously ... where the current deck plans show a Merabella Luxury shop.

 

A recent cruiser on the Zuiderdam has said that movies were shown in both the Screening Room and the Queen's Lounge on her cruise.

 

Rebeccalouise and/or Harry1954: please shed some light on another Zuiderdam controversy that is ongoing. Sir PMP has stated on several threads that he received a "note" or "letter" or "paper" in his cabin on the Zuiderdam stating that it is now permissible to bring your own beer on board. Did you receive any such notice, or did you hear it announced anywhere? Thank you.

[rebeccalouise]

Hi there- I do think the aft cabins are mostly covered but when I get off the ship today-i'll look into this more.

 

We are sailing into Istanbut and we have another sunny day. So far weather had been outstanding.

 

They had a lovely fish bar-b-que by the lido pool for sailaway last night. My son ate some of that. I tried a bit of his fish- was delicious! Then I went to the Pinnacle Grill for dinner (to use the gift certificate my parents gave me) and it was fantastic! I will definitely dine there again. It was a bit weird eating by myself and I may ask if another single passenger would be interested in having a tablemate. I understand there were two single passengers there last night- so this may work out. I had the seasonal salad, mushroom ravioli in a light pesto sauce, scallopped potatos and creme brulee. They also bring you a little sampler with shrimp brusetta, mushroom and salmon. Was very nice. Definitely worth the $30 surcharge.

 

We are off to the Grand Bazaar tonight. Looking forward to the sail in to Istanbul.

 

Ciao for now.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Istanbul - one of our favorite ports.

[jtl513]

Definitely worth the $30 surcharge.

The surcharge should now be $20 for dinner and $10 for lunch. All the more reason to go back!! :)

[hulamoon]

I was likely the one who said the movies are shown in both the Culinary arts/ Queens Lounge and the screening room. Sorry if I confused anyone.

 

Not all movies, only the most popular was shown in the Queens Lounge. The screening room is great, but you do have to get there early, once we arrived a half hour early and on that day only 10 people showed up, so you never really know. But often, it was packed and people left without finding a seat.

 

but it was comfortable, very large and there was popcorn. On our cruise they posted a note to not bring in extra chairs.

[rebeccalouise]

I talked with a woman last night who has one of the aft balconies and really likes it. All of them are partially shaded with one lounge chair and one table and chair.

 

Wow- All I can is Istanbul is everything I imagined and more. The sail in is just as fantastic as sailing into Venice. It is a huge city with 15 million people but not depressing like Venezula or Bombay.

 

I felt very safe in Istanbul and the people are lovely- of course they try to sell you stuff. You'll hear "Lady" over and over again around the Grand Bazaar. They are humorous though and you can joke back with them. Its a show!

 

The best thing for me besides the sail in and sail away was sleeping in port. Our cabin (port side) faced a mosque that was dimly lit all night. We kept the curtains open and it was so magical having the mosque as my night light. Got the best night's sleep here and had pleasant dreams.

 

I have to count Istanbul among my favorite European cities now. It is a lost Empire but one that still dazzles. I loved every waking moment. The sunset last night was awesome.

 

I finally used up my free wine card. Now that I am paying with the room card- I see a noticable change in the staff. They are much more "into" me. It just goes to show that the pre-puchased cards put them off. Skip them if possible and just pony up as you go- that way they get their guaranteed 15% gratuity. Means alot when that is you income, no? I have been tipping extra to make up for the lack of tips with the cards. I would never have purchased these- they were a gift from my travel agent.

 

Well, must sign off.

Ciao for now!

[jtl513]

I finally used up my free wine card. Now that I am paying with the room card- I see a noticable change in the staff. They are much more "into" me. It just goes to show that the pre-puchased cards put them off. Skip them if possible and just pony up as you go- that way they get their guaranteed 15% gratuity. Means alot when that is you income, no? I have been tipping extra to make up for the lack of tips with the cards. I would never have purchased these- they were a gift from my travel agent.

Relax - on the Zuiderdam all beverage service charges (coffee and sodas too) are pooled and divided among the bar staff. It doesn't matter if the 15% was paid to Seattle, or in the terminal waiting room, or on board. However, you are now paying more per glass of wine, so the service charge may be 25 or 30 cents more per glass going into the pool.

[rich_cathybrock]

We sailed out of Istanbul after a two-night pre-cruise stay in the Conrad - I agree with you that it is one of the most stunningly beautiful cities in the world, and the history from the old City to the Bosphorus would fill volumes.

 

What a wonder to sleep with the curtains open.

 

Keep your posts coming -it is a pleasure to share your journey with you.

 

Please try to get a picture or two of the new Zuidy for us all which you can upload for us all when you are back home.

 

Until then, fair winds and following seas....

[luxurysailer]

Thanks for the posts. I agree with you that Istanbul is one of my favorite ports. The view from the Bosphorous is stunning. I was also very impressed with the friendliness of the people. School children at Topkapi Palace really wanted to talk to us. A really great feeling.

 

When we were on the Zui for the first cruise after renovation, the Queen's Lounge was frequently poorly used at night, i.e. no activities after 6PM one night and after 7 or 8PM on a few other nights. Dancing in the QL only four nights out of twelve. Would you mind telling me whether the situation has changed? Thanks.

[Sir PMP]

Bruce Kleinberg plays up in the Crow's nest and he is lousy, but in the piano bar next to the casino, you'll find Tony Paine from Vegas and he is great!

[asailingnowwego]

I'm glad you're having a nice cruise. I can't express my joy when I saw the Zuiderdam sail into Venice last week. It was like seeing an old friend. I could see her from my hotel room at the Hilton for a couple of days before she sailed away with you on board. I'll post pictures soon.

 

Hope the weather remains good for you for the duration!:)

[rebeccalouise]

Had a wonderful day today in Ephesus. It was quite hot here. It didn't bother us, since we came prepared with light clothes, water and an umbrella. After last years visit to Pompeii, we knew to expect to get warm - standing and walking in the heat for several hours.

 

The Terrace Houses were the best part and not to be missed.

 

As for tours- I would strongly recommend just getting a taxi (its 30 minutes one way). I suspect this would be much cheaper than the ships tour- which you have to be up and atom at 7:30. Our guide, Layla, was nice but she stopped every ten feet and talked in a heavily accented voice that sort of grated on me (no offense, Layla). We just wandered on ahead, armed with our Ephesus guide book, which we purchased for three Euros at the entrance. If you do go it alone, make sure that they drop you off at the upper entrance. You exit out of the lower entrance. So you walk down into the ruins and then you don't have to walk all the way back up. You need about two hours to do Ephesus and the Terrace Houses. We were quite happy going it alone (after we ditched the guide). We joined back up with her at the Terrace Houses, since she had our tickets and then met up with the group at the bus.

 

Having never been to Turkey before, I took the safe route and did the ship tours but you can do it alone with taxis and save some money and come and go as you please. In Istanbul the major sites are all at one drop off location.

 

Plus, the tour companies insist on you doing the Carpet Weaving "demonstration"- which you know is just a ruse for you to purchase a heavy Turkish carpet- which no one seemed interested in doing on either of my tours.

[Williebill]

This is my first Holland America cruise since about 1981. The Zuiderdam is in great shape and I really like the size of the ship. It is easy to navigate. From what I have seen thus far- the crew is constantly cleaning and the pool area and public rooms are all spotless. The decor is sort of art deco without being too "Carnival" like. It isn't exactly my cup of tea but certainly not anything disturbing. I understand why people coming from larger, newer ships might be disappointed because the atrium is rather small and blah. In fact, the ship is a bit utilitarian but attractive enough. Frankly, after sailed the QM2 the last three cruises- the size of the ship is really a relief! Running back to the cabin isn't a 1/4 mile walk like on the larger ships. I like this ship just fine and it has a nice feel to it.We are berthed in Venice with a fantastic view of the Venice Island. Just lovely. This is my sixth trip to Venice and I must say that the view from the ship is better than the view from any of the hotels I have stayed in in Venice.Weather is great- much better than hot, humid Baltimore (where I live).So far, we have only dined in the lido buffet and I really enjoyed the pizza, made to order pasta and coconut flan. No complaints with the food. Tomorrow we will try the main diningroom (fixed early seating) and my parents gave me a gift certificate to the Pinnacle Grill- so I will make a reservation and let you know how it goes. Our SS suite # 8054 is lovely. This is the nicest cabin I have ever stayed in. Spacious marble bathroom- huge. Great balcony with two chairs and ottomans and a table for two. Nice and wide- good size. Only minor complaint is the placement of the tv- on the desk, parallel to the beds. Awkward for viewing from the beds- but as I say, very minor complaint.As for the vibe of the ship. It doesn't feel crowded, nor is it a floating retirement home. The average age is probably about 50, with plenty of kids onboard. Pools and hot tubs close at 9PM- much to our disappointment but now we know to get there earlier.For people with kids- the youth program seems fine so far. They don't have a list of organized activities yet- so I don't know how structured it will be. My 7 year old is a seasoned cruiser- I'll give you more feedback on this later. So far, so good. They expect cash for babysitting after 10. $ 5 per hour paid at the time of services rendered. You can not charge it to your room card, which is a first for me. Doubt he will be there after 10 anyway with our excursions in the AM. The video arcade requires coins or tokens- again you can not charge videogames to your room card. Just an observation.The internet is very slow. I purchased a package 250 minutes for $ 100. I am sure I'll use all my minutes over the course of the next 11 days.Tomorrow we are doing the vaporetto to St. mark's Square. It is 6 Euros one way and the vaporetto leaves from the port- right by the ships. So I don't think it is necessary to use the shuttle offered by Holland America but I will let you know how this shuttles works. Ciao for now.

 

I'm looking so forward to being aboard on 12/9/2008!!!!

[rich_cathybrock]

... and the HotMan and Captain?

 

Oh, and WE NEED PHOTOS, PLEEZE!

 

We sail on October 9th - I will get you those photos! Promise!

[rich_cathybrock]

... and the HotMan and Captain?

 

Oh, and WE NEED PHOTOS, PLEEZE!

 

We sail on October 9th - I will get you those photos! Promise!

[Love the beach]

I'm looking so forward to being aboard on 12/9/2008!!!!

 

I am too-- on January 28, 2009!