Zuiderdam Review

Thoroughly unimpressed

Review for the Southern Caribbean Cruise on Zuiderdam
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PolarisKale
2-5 Cruises • Age 50s

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Sail Date: Oct 2010
Cabin: Interior Stateroom

Our two previous cruises were both with Royal Caribbean. A friend told me that going from that to the Zuiderdam would be "like going from a Yugo to a Mercedes" (I swear she must have gotten those reversed) because the staff would be pure class, going overboard to please us. Admittedly, our expectations were pretty high after so many glowing reviews.

We flew into FLL & took a cab to the seaport, leaving the airport right at 11:00 so as to be among the first to check-in. We cleared the security & check-in at noon, then proceeded on board. At the top of the ramp we were hastily informed "Your staterooms aren't ready, we're sending you to the Lido for lunch" while being hurried into an elevator with a restaurant worker who made sure we went directly to the Lido and not to our rooms. The restaurant was crowded and incredibly hot & humid. I guess they were preparing us for the rain forest - which incidentally was more comfortable.

After getting tired of the holding cell, we started exploring the common areas of the ship. We found the decor of the ship to be as expected - dated & somewhat worn. While walking through one floor I saw a man holding his wife's head, so I approached & offered assistance. Shortly thereafter, a guest relations person arrived with a defibrillator. Although I believed the woman to have been overcome by the heat, she was somewhat symptomatic of a heart attack and her pulse was very weak. I calmly asked the GR rep to notify medical staff to expedite their response. A good 20 minutes or more went by before anyone arrived. I transferred patient care to him and we continued walking. Given what was known and (at least should have been) communicated to the medical officer, the delay in care was completely inexcusable. The GR person asked for my cabin number, presumably to send some sort of thank-you, but we never got anything.

Cabin Review

Interior Stateroom

Cabin J

This cabin is rated as an upgrade, with a 4-person maximum capacity. If this was a 4-person room, I want to know where the bunk beds were stored. You MIGHT be able to fit 4 members of the Lollipop Guild in this room, but it would be tight. I will give them kudos for one thing, however: storage! There were pull-out drawers under the bed, 2 closets with optional shelves that could be locked upright for hanging clothes (even full-length dresses if necessary), and a separate shelving unit. Unfortunately this room is also directly under the Sea View pool & bar area. Any music played in these areas (live or recorded) comes through to this cabin as ambient noise at best, an strong annoyance at worst.

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