Zuiderdam Panama 1/8/09 Review

[riptide]

Cruise Review 10 Day Sunfarer January 8-January 18, 2009 (Sorry for the length)

 

Port of Ft. Lauderdale, FL: This was our first time departing from the Ft. Lauderdale Cruise Terminal. We drove from Delaware, visiting with relatives along the way, so we can offer no suggestions for in town diversions. That being said, we found the port well organized with parking directly across from our ship berth. The embarkation/check in process was smooth and efficient.

 

The ms Zuiderdam was our first experience with a vista class ship, having sailed four times previously with HAL on their smaller ships. That being said, we were a little confused, making our way about the ship. There did seem to be a lot of small hallways pushing you into certain areas that appeared to be a waist of space. The size of the ship made it a great deal less intimate. We seldom ran across others that we had met. We were prepared for this, but a little disappointed, nonetheless. There was a little evidence of wear about the ship, particularly noticeable in the deck chairs by the Lido pool and the Vista Lounge seating, but overall she seemed to be in a nice state.

 

Our room was much like our previous experiences, with our cabin steward Katut, always present but never obvious. We left our room and came back to it being straightened and clean every time. The pillowtop mattress was wonderful.

 

The “Screening Room” equivalent to the Wijang Theater on the smaller ships was very small and inadequate for movie showings. We saw many folks moving hard chairs into the already crammed area like they were asked not to do, still not creating room for all that wanted to utilize it. We always loved the onboard movies, but never got see one. In contrast, The Culinary Arts Center was very large. Was some of the room “stolen” from the Screening Room?

 

We had arranged a Cruise Critic “Meet and Greet” in the Piano Bar. Only three couples showed up including us: “Riptide: Charlie and Jody, Quincy: Larry and Cindy, and Sanibel: Sarah and Bob. If you are reading this and had participated in our roll call, you really missed out. We were upgraded to Champagne, Mimosas and Bloody Mary’s and nice hot hors’douvres. Johnnie Quinn, Cruise Director and Anthony, the Ship’s Purser, came by and spent a nice amount of time with us; answering a variety of questions and socializing on a personal level. It was a very nice time and they were genuinely seeking our first impressions.

 

This is the first cruise with HAL that we said, “Wow!” after the onboard shows in the Vista Lounge. They have really stepped up their onboard entertainment. The quality of the performance was outstanding. The talent, costuming, and stage production was just tremendous, a little “edgy” for HAL and appealing to all age groups.

 

There was some evidence of belt tightening. I realize things are different in our worldwide economy, necessitating some evaluation in the way businesses must do things, but we still feel it noteworthy. For instance, when we were about to disembark for Half Moon Cay, bar personnel were busy selling water hawking it as being “…much cheaper than you will get it on the island…” My interpretation- “We will rip you off less here than there, since we are the only show in town in both places.” Poor practice in my opinion. It is also noted that the “Buy three, get one free” special at the photo stand is rather deceptive when you attempt to access it. We then were directed to, “Read the small print.” when we sought clarification after our purchase cost much more than we were led to believe. Eventually we made our case and a compromise was reached. I guess the attitude was a little more like I am used to encountering away from the ship and not consistent with our previous experience. We never felt the need to “read the small print” on HAL and certainly had never been directed to do so while onboard.

 

One of our consistently less than professional experiences on all HAL cruises has been with the activity staff “organization” of the tendering process. This has never been up to snuff on previous ships and is the same with this cruise. It should be noted that we discussed this with Johnnie Quinn and he appeared to be as appalled with the process as we were. The three young ladies in charge arrived obviously disheveled and just out of bed, tying up their uncombed hair as they arrived. The brought their water, fruit and muffins with them, sitting and eating as they answered questions of passengers. They were putting small bites in their mouths, licking their fingers and handing us plastic tender passes. Disgusting! We are retired nurses, but you do not have to be a healthcare professional to know this is a poor infection control practice. At the same time, the food service staff and other ship staff were pushing the use of alcohol gel at every turn, along with messages from the Captain that good hand hygiene was serious business aboard ship. One of the girls also broke out her knitting as they lounged about in front of everyone while everyone waited a great deal longer than necessary, since they neglected to stay in touch with the tender personnel. Johnnie assured us he would be present at upcoming disembarkations and I am sure he will do all in his power to get this straight.

 

The food at the Lido was consistent with experiences, very good and with plenty of choices. Noteworthy personnel we encountered were Hunky Dory (If you ever went to the Lido, you surely have met him), and Widi. These guys always made the experience as good as you could ever hope for. Poolside beverage service supplied by long time HAL employee Marshall was tremendous.

 

We ate dinner in the Pinnacle one night. The food was not as good as we had previously experienced, and the service was lackluster. This is one meal we always looked forward to, but were very disappointed this time. We repeatedly heard the same from other cruisers.

 

At all other dinnertimes, we had early fixed seating in the Vista Dining Room. Our waiters, Pater and Andi were tremendous. Our wine steward Glenn and our waiters were always willing to take time to give personalized attention, sharing stories of home while also showing genuine interest in us. I think that the combination of fixed and as you wish dining sometimes stressed the timing of meals, but we still enjoyed the quality of the food and the experience. Waiting for the entrée for over 45 minutes was experienced by many, but we usually came in at one and quarter hours from start to finish. The selection of entrees did appear to be a little limited, not providing much in the way of seafood. This was the only cruise we have been on with no lobster tail. POOR DECISION, HAL. Listen to your customers.

 

On the seventh day, we received a notice under our door regarding an outbreak consistent with the Norovirus and the tightening of sanitary practices that would be instituted. Many such infection control procedures became evident immediately; resulting in slower service and a minor inconvenience to all passengers, and I am sure a huge inconvenience to the already hardworking staff. We were glad to see the virus immediately addressed, and the quick attention seemed to quickly curtail the spread of the virus to others. Amazingly, we were told none of the food service staff got sick. Kudos to HAL’s staff hygiene practices. We have been onboard when similar outbreaks have occurred and never saw preventative measures taken to this degree. Quite possibly, it was due to the canceling of a cruise aboard this very ship three cruises ago for the same issue. Being a floating, closed city, one needs to do what has to be done. Some of the staff were reassigned due to the time constraints from changing food serving procedures, for example; disallowing passengers to touch-serve themselves anything, including tea bags, sugar, salt, pepper, etc., Some of the staff pulled out of their element to assist with the additional service pressures (spa staff, musicians) did not appear too enthusiastic about their new assignment. There was no “Chocolate Extravaganza” this cruise. We heard it was due to the increased sanitation measures.

 

We attended the Mariners Brunch. We enjoyed it much more than the previous Mariner events. We do not know if HAL has elected to eliminate the pins for length of voyage, we did not see any pins or medals being awarded to passengers. We did receive one of the beautiful delft ship tiles, but we were disappointed that it was not ship-specific like the HAL tiles we have collected in the past.

 

Ports and shore excursions:

 

Half Moon Cay, Bahamas- This being our second time there provided no real surprises. It is a very clean beach and a nice happy environment. Charlie did a fishing excursion while Jody enjoyed the sun. We only landed one fish. I did the very same excursion on our previous trip, landing a very large Barracuda. There were only three fishermen on board and Capt. Morgan (that’s right, you read it correctly) was his usual jovial self. The Eurodam was in port at the same time, tightening the beaches quite a bit. Get your chairs early! This remains a nice stop and is the only one where tendering is necessary on this cruise.

 

Orangestad, Aruba- Never having traveled to Aruba and it having one of the more recognizable names, we were disappointed with this stop. Realizing many travelers love ports with shopping and resorts, it is just not our cup of tea. Aruba is a desert, again, not what we expected. We visited on a Sunday. Many of the stores with a local flair are closed on Sunday. It felt very safe, and reportedly has a very high employment rate and a very low crime rate. We did the “Colors of Aruba” tour. Once you are out of the shopping/hotel area of the island, there is little to see. We were taken to an ostrich farm where were greeted with a bunch of non-indigenous birds, placed there “…for the tourists…” We were then taken to the area where the Natural Bridge created by ocean currents, USED TO BE. “What the Lord giveth, He taketh away”, we were told. We then were treated to views of the U.S. theme haunts, such as Hooters and Hard Rock Café on our return to our ship. For us, this was not a satisfying stop or someplace we would choose to revisit for a tour, however, the beaches were breathtakingly beautiful, so we recommend making this a beach stop.

 

Willemstad, Curacao- We truly enjoyed the flavor of this lush island. We took the “Sea and See” tour, feeling very satisfied with our overview and experience. It consisted of a bus tour with an informative guide and a “Submarine” trip to see coral reefs and fish. The “submarine” was more like a deep “V” hulled boat with glass hull sides. The passengers sat in the bottom and the viewing was great. There were many fish, turtles etc. to be seen. After a tour of the ocean floor, our guide donned scuba gear and fed the fish. It was comfortable and fun. There was some razor wire around businesses and some houses, one usually associates with the islands, but the overall feeling was one of safety. Eclectic housing and scenery abounds. Everyone we encountered was very friendly. We also stopped at the distillery, allowing us to purchase some of the islands namesake liquor.

 

Gatun Lake, Panama Canal- This was, of course the jewel of the trip and what set it apart from other Caribbean cruises. We got up at 4:30am, assuring a seat in the bow of the ship for viewing our entrance into the canal. Who would have thought that rain happens fast and in large amounts without warning in a rain forest? We hung in there and wrung ourselves out for the entrance. It was a very unique experience that words can’t describe. Once we made our way into Gantun Lake, we got some breakfast and took a hot shower and nap preparing for our return through the locks. We opted to not do a shore excursion in Panama and do not regret it. What we heard from some other passengers did not make us think we should have done otherwise. Those not signed up for an organized shore excursion were not allowed to disembark here, protecting them from wandering into danger. The “Jewel of the Seas” traveled with us during most of the cruise and also through the locks. Being the largest ship capable of making it through, it made for very interesting observation. We were allowed to and did get off in the terminal when we stopped for shopping and to pick up those who had taken excursions. The market was large, fun and full of noise, sounds and stimuli. There were unique items for sale. Be ready to round a corner and be faced with a “National Geographic moment” with Embera Indians selling their wares. Their items were unique and worthy of a second glance.

 

Puerto Limon, Costa Rica- We took the Ecotour on bus, boat and train while there. More lush vegetation with frequent wildlife sightings (sloth’s were commonplace) occurring throughout the trip. The train was a forward and backward trip on a track once used in banana production. Alone, this section of the trip would have been a bit disappointing, but in combination with the other legs of the trip, it was very fun. Our guide was personable and knowledgeable. We were bussed through the countryside, to a canal that was made to transport bananas. The boat ride was a blast. We were treated to fruit and a beer before getting on the boat. There were many great photo ops. We eventually made our way into a working banana plantation before going back to the ship. Overall, this excursion gets an “A”.

 

Overall assessment: Even though there were some disappointments on this cruise, we still can’t force ourselves to move to another cruise line. Being in our 50’s places us among the younger of travelers aboard HAL and that suits us just fine. We enjoy dressing for dinner and other “classic cruising” features. While the cutting back was evident, we are sure it is occurring with every other line out there. We hope they reconsider some of the profit measures they have taken, but assuming once they have been cut, they are gone forever. We still love HAL and enjoyed our cruise immensely. We hope our account will be helpful to anyone considering this cruise.

[CTBob]

Riptide, thanks for a great read. I didn't plan on getting off the ship in Panama and you have strengthened that thought. Some people in my group of twelve were considering the Colors of Aruba tour, I'll tell them to read your review. I planned on snorkeling in Aruba and taking the walking tour of Willemstad, Curacao. Were the canals you mentioned the Totugero (sp?) canals. Some of my group had considered doing that tour. Tendering does seem to be a zoo on all cruise lines, I'm glad that only happens once on this cruise. I've heard plusses and minuses on getting up at 4:30AM for the canal, I guess you give it a plus! After reading many reviews I think we'll skip the Pinnacle Grill and may even try dinner in the Lido for something different. Unfortunately we booked too late to get fixed dining, I can't believe that HAL doesn't get the fact that most of its cruisers prefer fixed to AYW dining. If it was truly as I wished, it would be fixed! Did you attend any lectures on Panama and do you recommend them? Thanks again.

 

Bob

[49holding]

nice review...we were on the cruise after yours and experienced 5 days of the code red noro virus prevention and i guess it worked... We too were not impressed with Aruba......

CT BOb if you are reading this the lectures were excellent, if given by Richard in Panama( of cruise critic ) ..he is not on all sailings tho.. very imformative, and if you miss one of his lectures and ( and there were many...aruba/curacao, panama, costa rica, coffee, piracy, etc) they are rebroadcast on the tv..

[riptide]

Thanks for the kudos! We opted to catch the lectures on their broadcast and were also enthusiastic about the info. that Richard presented.

[CTBob]

nice review...we were on the cruise after yours and experienced 5 days of the code red noro virus prevention and i guess it worked... We too were not impressed with Aruba......

CT BOb if you are reading this the lectures were excellent, if given by Richard in Panama( of cruise critic ) ..he is not on all sailings tho.. very imformative, and if you miss one of his lectures and ( and there were many...aruba/curacao, panama, costa rica, coffee, piracy, etc) they are rebroadcast on the tv..

Thanks, Richard has written in on our Roll Call and is coming to our Meet and Greet. I think he may be home this week, but will be back for our cruise. Glad you had a good time in spite of the Code red.

 

Bob

[ndavis7515]

Thanks for the review. It was very good. We will be leaving on our cruise on Saturday 2/7. Richard is also going to be on our cruise.

 

CTBob: I am surprised you said that most want fixed dining. We are very happy that HAL is offering AYW. We have been on NCL, Princess, & Azamara and they offer anytime dining and it has always worked well.

[maxsmamma]

Thanks for the review. It was very good. We will be leaving on our cruise on Saturday 2/7. Richard is also going to be on our cruise.

 

CTBob: I am surprised you said that most want fixed dining. We are very happy that HAL is offering AYW. We have been on NCL, Princess, & Azamara and they offer anytime dining and it has always worked well.

 

Please post a review too! They get me so excited. I love hearing about everyone's exucurstion/ port choices!

[ger_77]

I enjoyed reading your review; the Zuiderdam was the first HAL ship we sailed on. Can you tell me what the "buy three, get one free" photo deal was all about? What does the fine print say? We usually purchase a number of photos onboard, so I'd like to go in prepared. Thanks for your help!

 

Smooth Sailing! :):):)

[ndavis7515]

Please post a review too! They get me so excited. I love hearing about everyone's exucurstion/ port choices!

I will be glad to post a review.

[patrickc]

Thanks for the review, helpful as we plan for March/ same itinerary. Can you please tell me what nights are formal? (I can't believe no lobster?!) Thank You.

[SweetpeaOne]

Thanks for sharing your review. Someday we would really like to do the Panama Canal cruise...

[DaisyL]

Riptide, thanks for your review. Since we just booked our first HAL cruise for next year, I'm trying to read up as much as possible. I think we made a great choice. We are 3 couples also in our 50's but are all empty nesters and probably close to retirement. We're trying to travel as much as we can while we're still working.:rolleyes:

 

OK, I'll be looking for reviews from CTBob (love your webpages!), 49holding, ndavis, and patrickc.

Thanks ....

[debnjoe1438]

Hi, I was on the Zuiderdam 1/28/09 and I just have to throw in my 2 cents worth. At Panama, my husband and I went on the Shore excursion to the Embra Indian Village. That was the best shore excursion I have ever been on. IMHO well worth the money. (Yep, could have come straight from the pages of National Geographic)

 

At the Lido, along with Honky Dory, is Okie Dokie. Okie Dokie takes longer to remember names, however, he's still a memorble guy. (Very eager to please once he found out I was filling out a coment card-goo comments of course)

 

This was my first Holland Cruise and there was more good than bad. I'd do it again.:D

[Love the beach]

I'm chiming in, too. We were also on the 1/28th sailing and I have written a review but posted it on the main page reviews (waiting for it to be approved by the moderators before it is posted.)

Feeling that this was a 'once in a lifetime adventure" we did the Canal Experience" ferry thru the locks to the Pacific. It was fantastic! I initially thought it would be very tiring, but it really wasn't. The bus ride was 1 & 1/2 hrs each way as we did not have a lot of traffic, and the ferry ride itself was great-- you really get the full experience of going thru the locks!

Along with Hunk Dory,& Okie Dokie --Buddy was another on Lido deck who remembered our names each time & made our trip enjoyable! At our Mariner's Brunch they did give out pins & medals--and the Captain sat with those who had the longest days aboard.

We also prefer fixed dining but were assigned to As You Wish. We had a problem on the 2nd night, but otherwise it worked out fine. Time-wise it usually took 1& 1/4 to 1& 1/2 hrs from start to finish but for us this is perfect-- we don't like to be rushed thru dinner!

A wonderful cruise and we now have two future cruise deposits with HAL--can't wait to book the next cruise!

[riptide]

We now really feel left out. We were ushered to table for two and never saw one pin or metal that someone did not wear in. We were due a red pin and never saw one. Did the pins/metals come to the room prior to the event? Oh well, no big deal but other than feeling a little shunned, we still really enjoyed it.

[Love the beach]

We now really feel left out. We were ushered to table for two and never saw one pin or metal that someone did not wear in. We were due a red pin and never saw one. Did the pins/metals come to the room prior to the event? Oh well, no big deal but other than feeling a little shunned, we still really enjoyed it.

 

I don't know when the pins & medals were given out, but people were already wearing them when the luncheon started. We were supposed to receive our 25 day pins and I remembered reading on the boards that if you did not receive the pin to go to the front desk and ask for it. We waited a few days to see if it would be placed in our cabin and then went to the front desk. They looked it up and then gave them to us right there. If you didn't receive yours-- contact the Mariner society-- I'm sure they will send them to you.