Zuiderdam Review
Rating by category
Additional details
We just returned from the 11 night partial Panama Canal transit from February 3-14. After reading many threads about the plumbing and air conditioning issues on the Zuiderdam, I was not sure what to expect. We were in stateroom 5191, and I am happy to report that we had no issues on either front. We actually turned our air conditioning up a couple of times because it was too cold. We also had no issues with the plumbing or water temperatures in the shower or tub. One time I noticed that a public bathroom was out of order, but a plumber was working on it to get it fixed. There was a slight sulfur odor in the aft portion of the ship on deck 9 or 10 that I noticed one day, but that was all.
Embarkation
We left the hotel at about 10:30 and got to the port shortly thereafter. There was no line to get through security or to get our key cards. Security noticed my 4 bottles of wine, and directed me to the table to have them logged. Since the rules had just changed on how much you could bring on, the person checking the wine in seemed confused on the process. There was a sign on the table that said one bottle of wine per person was permitted and that additional bottles may be brought on board for a charge of $18 each. The person logging the wine said that I could only bring on the two (one of me and one for my husband), and that HAL would hold the additional two bottles until the last day of the cruise. I turned the sign that was on the table around to show him what the rule was, and he finally allowed me to pay the additional $36 to bring on the other two bottles. Hopefully they have figured out a system by now.
Cabin Review
I would say that the main part of the balcony is about 18 feet wide across the back and 13 feet deep. Along the side of the cabin, the balcony is about 5 feet wide and 22 feet long. These measurements are just stepped off, and an exact measurement was not taken. On the balcony was a dining table with four chairs, two lounge chairs and two chairs with ottomans and a small table between them.In the cabin has a king size bed or two twins, a couch, coffee table and two chairs and two nightstands. There is also a large desk with a TV on it with a large picture window behind the television. There is a wall of closets on the opposite side of the room. There are two drawers under the bed (or one under each twin bed if it is configured that way). There are also cabinets under the desk area. Around the corner from the bedroom is a dressing room with more closets and a large bathroom. The bathroom has two sinks and a full size bathtub with a shower as well as a stall shower. There certainly is not a shortage of storage space. There are three standard plugs above the desk, one in the dressing room and one in the bathroom.