We went on the 7 day Caribbean cruise from Fort Lauderdale on March 12 of this year and had an unforgettable time. Both my girlfriend and I were first time cruisers, and apparently right in the age range of HAL's new target audience with this vessel. That being said, we were extremely grateful that the passenger population was evenly spread across ages from about 25 to 85, with very few children. The Zuiderdam has some public areas that I found a bit gaudy or dated (the aqua colored Lido deck and its cafe...), but there were plenty of spots that had a nice sense of the modern era about them (the Crow's Nest, The Piano Bar, The Ocean Bar, etc.).

We were very impressed with the service from the warm and friendly Indonesian crew. Most of the crew members were very friendly without being smarmy or ingratiating, the exceptions being the rude front desk, casino, and infirmary staff. The cruise director's staff seemed very helpful, but the Aussie cruise director's voice didn't really need to be piped into our stateroom so much. The ports were wonderful with the exception of dirty Nassau. Shopping was plentiful in Charlotte Amalie on St. Thomas, so HAL should really consider skipping Nassau in the future. Tortola was exceptionally beautiful, and snorkeling from a catamaran at Norman Island was an amazing way to spend an afternoon.

Speaking of shopping, I do have to make the suggestion that anyone interested in doing something in the ports of call other than just shopping should really research the islands before they go. The port information provided each evening was weighted very heavily towards the interests of cruisers who were only in the Caribbean to buy jewelry and cheap liquor. If you want to find out a bit more about the history, or do something a little off the beaten path, or make sure you get to a beach that's not overcrowded, do your research in advance at Frommer's or something. Read more