Having previously sailed on the Zuiderdam several years prior, this sailing was a disappointment. I won't be a malcontent who spews venom everywhere; I just want to let you know the kind of things that made this a less than "Signature of Excellence" experience. The Zuiderdam had undergone renovations in dry dock earlier this year, so I was expecting to see an upgrade in the cabin appointments. This was not the case. Other than a new flat screen TV, the cabins were exactly as they had been two years ago, only with two more years wear and tear. The leather chairs had noticeable grease stains. The beds were comfortable and there is a nice selection of pillows. A clock in the room would have been appreciated. Our room steward did a good job; he worked with us regarding a persistent odor of grease in our cabin. The problem was never resolved, the smell came in through the ventilation system. For future reference, I would not recommend room 8048 unless you consider French fries an acceptable perfume. Food in the main dining room was average to good. Service was painfully slow. We had a table of six, we showed up on time, and we asked for no special or extra food. Every night of this 12 day cruise the "chime man" came around announcing it was time to leave the dining room, usually before we had received our desserts. On Baked Alaska night we had not even received our main course by the time everyone else was enjoying the show and the dessert. I also missed the personal service that I have become accustomed to on other cruises and cruise lines. I felt like if someone completely different had shown up at our table the waiter would never have known the difference. He had no idea who was sitting at his table, he didn't care, and it showed. Food in the Lido was good for buffet style dining. Because the ship suffered an outbreak of GI virus, the self-serve drink option was removed and diners were not allowed to touch any of the food or serving utensils. I do know that this made it more difficult for the staff, and I appreciate this. However, hearing "One more day" repeated by several of the Lido staff (and well within earshot of the customers) didn't do much to make me feel welcome there. Because this was a very port-intensive cruise, not much time was spent on the ship, and this was probably a good thing. The outbreak of the GI virus rendered our purchase of the Hydrotherapy Pool and Thermal Spa package worthless. For health reasons, I understand why this was done. What I don't understand is why there wasn't better communication about what was happening. Instead of telling us that things would re-open when and if the Code Red was lifted, every day it was "Maybe tomorrow". At no point did the spa staff make any attempt to notify us about what was going on. If, as advertised, only 40 memberships to these amenities were sold, contacting 40 people should not have been a difficult undertaking. This could have been easily accomplished by sending a note to our cabins or leaving a message on the phone. It should not have been up to the customer to try to figure out what was going on at every turn. On the flip side of the communication issue, I did not appreciate being told by the cruise director what to put into my cruise evaluation. Instead of "Signature of Excellence", I felt this cruise was more "Signature of Mediocrity, but tell my boss I did an Excellent Job". Knowing that this was the final cruise for many of the staff members likely made a difference in the kind of service that was provided. Whether it was the added stress of the Code Red status, the final tour of duty, the pre-determined tipping, or a combination of the three that caused the decline in service I don't know. I only know that things have changed on Holland America, and not for the better.