From the first day of this cruise, it was clear that the Zuiderdam was not ready to accommodate a ship full of passengers. We were told that it had been in dry dock for a couple of weeks undergoing renovations and upgrades, but it quickly became apparent that the repairs were still a work in progress. The plumbing on several decks was not functioning, and many passengers were obliged to go for several days with no flushing toilets and no showers. In addition, at least half of the public restrooms were completely out of order. The common areas as well as many of the staterooms had a persistent unpleasant odor, which did not improve during our three weeks aboard.

Customer service was completely lacking. Passenger complaints were met with disregard, and efforts to resolve problems by talking with managers were in vain, as we were only able to talk with front desk receptionists, none of whom had any authority to make improvements and many of whom were less than fluent in English. The servers in the Pinnacle Grill and Vista Dining Room seemed inexperienced and unable to get the orders straight. Also, the food in both restaurants was lackluster and so heavily salted that we were unable to eat it. The self-service Lido restaurant was the best food option, both in quality and staff courtesy.

The good news is that the itinerary of the cruise was so marvelous that we still consider this a wonderful experience. But the sloppy environment, plumbing issues, indifference of the staff, and mediocre dining, coupled with Management's refusal to address the ongoing problems with customers, led us to vow that we would never again take a Holland America cruise. We frequently felt more like captives than guests while on the ship and were relieved to disembark in all the fantastic ports we visited.