Zuiderdam Review

Alaska on the Zuiderdam - round trip Vancouver

Review for Alaska Cruise on Zuiderdam
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LindaKE
First Time Cruiser • Age 70s

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Sail Date: Jun 2011
Cabin: Signature Superior Verandah Suite

First a little about us: We're a couple in our 60s from the deep South where we don't get much cold weather. I had to learn to dress in layers etc. for warmth then found that, for this cruise, I would have been fine with my normal winter wear because it was so warm. This was our sixth cruise, but our first cruise on HAL. This was our second cruise to Alaska, which is so beautiful that we just had to return even though we said the first Alaskan cruise was a once in a life time trip.

The ship: The Zuiderdam was in good condition in most areas with only a little wear showing that you would expect on a ship that has 2000 passengers each week. The most notable exception was the aft booths in the Lido buffet where the upholstery showed a lot of wear. We upgraded to an SY suite at the last minute which was both bad and good. The good was that we loved the extra room and the bath tub. The bad is that we got spoiled. I'm not sure we can go back to those tiny (by comparison) verandah cabins for future cruises.

The food: Had I not been expecting something extraordinary from reading HAL's praises here in CC, I would not have been disappointed. I know food is subjective, but we would rate the food as, for the most part, no better and no worse than what we've come to think of as "cruise ship food." While we were going through SEATAC on our way home, an airline attendant asked about the food and which line we had cruised on. When we told him we were disappointed with HAL's food, he replied that every cruiser to whom he had talked this season said the same thing with the exception of Celebrity cruisers. So apparently I'm not alone in my assessment. We did enjoy being able to order from the full breakfast menu and the MDR dining room menu from Room Service. This is definitely a good benefit of sailing with HAL.

Cabin Review

Signature Superior Verandah Suite

Cabin SS

Quiet room with lots of storage. We loved it!

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