Background: Nov 2021 we went on our second HAL1 week Mexican Rivera cruise on the Koningsdam from San Diego. Fun, high energy good cruise. Would repeat.
In June 2015 we were on our first Holland America cruise on the Zuiderdam for 33 days: 29 ports, 13 countries from Barcelona to Rome. Inside cabin. We had a wonderful time with the ports, fellow cruisers, food, music etc. we would ...
Holland America Zuiderdam 27th February 2022
Reviews are tricky at the moment as the Covid story still affects everything and some criticisms are because of this but I have ignored all Covid excuses in the write up. The cruise was from San Diego to Hawaii then on to French Polynesia then San Diego; 35 days with about half at sea.
Being met at airport; getting into hotel; transfer to ship; ...
This is the time to cruise while prices and capacity are low-it won't last! On day two of our cruise the mask mandate was lifted for all areas except the casino, theater and health center-YAY!!! With low capacity there was never an issue finding a lounger by the pool, a seat in a lounge or a table in the Lido Market. The menus in the Dining Room were great-lots of options every meal, food was all ...
We had a bit of a problem dealing with the 48 hour COVID Test required to board ship. We followed the HAL recommendation and ordered tests online 20 days prion to cruise. On Saturday before leaving home we went online and took the test via zoom with eMeD company, who immediately sent a e-mail to each of us, which we printed out and hand carried to the ship to expedite boarding. The EMED process ...
After several cruises on other lines and a long time with no cruises at all, we were so happy to be back on a 'dam ship again. Just as we remembered, Holland America Line is the best. We had a wonderful cruise, in large part due to the excellent staff on board. We were pampered at every step and treated like long lost friends. The food has always been good on HAL and this cruise it was better than ...
This was a chartered cruise. We went for the entertainers. I believe there were 1600 passengers and 850 crew. No one got sick. Ship was spotless.staff was excellent. The food which is usually sumptuous was not that great. It was OK but not up to HAL standards. Embarking and getting off was smooth for us. We were docked at pier 26. Nice terminal and very well organized. Still don't approve of ...
First of all, if you are cruising during this time you need to be flexible. Itineraries and protocols change regularly. We are experienced cruisers (10+) in our early 40s with a 6 year old. This was our first time on HA but one of our best cruises yet. We picked HAL because of its fairly strict Covid measures (almost no vax exemptions, masking, testing etc). We originally booked a balcony on ...
We recieved the best service ever on a cruise. Everyone gave 100%. The food and entertainment was great also. We also enjoyed the complimentary robes in each cabins.
We had a slight issue with the heat in our cabin but that was rectified by moving us to another cabin. The shower faucets were different and a challenge to get the right temperature of water.
There was continuing cleaning ...
Wonderful cruise with full COVID protocols. The customer service was extraordinary. I believe there was one crew member for every passenger. The crew was so happy to have us on board, they went out of their way to meet our every need. Never waited in line or struggled to find a table in the Lido or a chair on the pool deck.
Testing in the terminal prior to embarkation went smoothly. We ...
This was my retirement cruise, 14 day Panama Canal full transit Fort Lauderdale to San Diego, my 4th cruise on Holland America and 9th overall.
The crew were fantastic, constant cleaning going on, wait staff very friendly and attentive. Ship was in good shape, having retired from a engineering position, where I was involved with some equipment reviews I noticed a couple of items that needed ...