An escape from 65 straight days of 90 degree weather in Florida made this cruise to New England and Canada seem like a good idea. And it certainly was in that respect; we had two days of rainy/foggy/cold weather, but both were at-sea days, so that didn't bother us at all. And the rest of the weather was mainly very pleasant, which was a nice surprise, since Tropical Storm Hermine had just been in the area.

General thoughts: We sailed on the Zuiderdam last year, and found some improvements this time around. The food in the Lido has definitely improved in taste, presentation, and variety. Plenty of MDR options were available there every night (we prefer to Lido to the MDR). We also noticed that the films shown in the screening room were much more current and whoever is programming them is providing a "something for everyone" selection. We didn't go to much of the entertainment, but what we did see was excellent, particularly the show with the two sisters from Nova Scotia who were delightful performers and excellent musicians. On one of our at-sea days, the Captain gave a talk (which was basically a resume of his career -impressive- and then he opened it up for questions). Very interesting, and it's great to see someone in his position be so open to guests. This ship was looking a bit run-down; the captain said it was due for drydock in about a year. Our cabin on deck 5 was fine with the exception of several maintenance issues (the phone stopped working, the A/C didn't function correctly) which were quickly fixed. Our cabin stewards were terrific; we had a few special requests which they promptly attended to, and they were always pleasant and helpful.

Embarkation: Fast and easy in the Manhattan cruise terminal. We got there about 1:00 and I think we were on board in less than 15 minutes. It is a thrill sailing past the Statue of Liberty, and I'm very glad that the weather cooperated so that all of us standing on deck could enjoy it. Read more