This was our fourth HAL cruise and the first on the Zuiderdam. We enjoy the HAL line as we enjoy the smaller ships and the traditional, classic touches. This trip originated in Barcelona where we had an overnight on the ship and we disembarked in Rome. There were others who remained for another 11 days travel to Venice. We stayed an extra night in Barcelona at the Petit Palace just off of Las ...
I was disappointed to find no guest laundry on the ship. Was on a 32 night cruise, and ships laundry costs very expensive for that amount of time.
Loved our verandah suite stateroom. The staff mostly cheerful and attentive. The ships band was amazing. Singers and dancers pretty good as well. Some of the bought on entertainment Average, one of the comedians was embarrassing.
HAL merchandise ...
This was our first time Holland America line, and some of the reviews were a little scary. Ship was older but nice. Not run down, and modern decor.
I enjoy cruise entertainment, but the entertainment on this ship was pretty awful. There were a few nights of really good shows, but the others were really bad.
We enjoyed the food. The buffet was limited in selection, but what they had was very ...
This is an older ship and even though they did remodel , it still needs help ie attention to details. The staff made the boat. Almost all were wonderful . Great smile and attitude . The entertainment was marginal at best. Their shore excursions are pricey and uninspiring .The problem is with HAL . We booked a 22 day Mediterranean cruise only to find out when we boarded that we were on two 11 day ...
Having previously sailed on the Zuiderdam several years prior, this sailing was a disappointment. I won't be a malcontent who spews venom everywhere; I just want to let you know the kind of things that made this a less than "Signature of Excellence" experience. The Zuiderdam had undergone renovations in dry dock earlier this year, so I was expecting to see an upgrade in the cabin ...
Review HAL Zuiderdam - 12 Day Barcelona to Venice Sep 5-17 This was our fifth cruise, second with HAL, having cruised twice before with Carnival and once with Norwegian. We had a VE category balcony.
We flew to Paris and then to Barcelona. An HAL rep met us while we were waiting for our luggage in Barcelona... we got four pieces but were missing one big suitcase... MINE! which contained ...
We were a group of four that sailed from Barcelona the beginning of September for a 12 night cruise ending in Venice. It was nice to board the ship and have a full night in port, before setting sail. Therefore the boarding process was very relaxed and well organized. I think it took all of 10 minutes from arrival at the pier to being in our cabin, now that is almost unheard of.
The cabin ...
We took two twelve day back to back cruises on the Zuiderdam. We had sailed on the Oosterdam to Alaska, so we thought we had the same ship. Not quite. The Zuiderdam is older, and the rooms, as others have noted, are smaller. The ship went through an update this year, but there were areas of worn carpet, etc. in the halls. Since we got a very good package, with air from the West Coast included, ...
I just returned from a 24-night Western and Eastern Mediterranean cruise on the Zuiderdam. I had sailed several times on Statendam-class ships, the Zaandam, Rotterdam and Amsterdam, but this was my first time on a Vista-class ship. On the basis of this cruise, I would have to say that the Vista ships have dumbed down some of the features that made Holland America unique.
The space previously ...
The ship-organized bus transfer at the Barcelona airport will cost you $49. USD each but you'll have to wait for everyone to board ... get a cab outside for approx. 25€ total tip included. It's a short ride to the ship.
We paid $2,050 USD per person (taxes all in) for a deck-one ocean-view cabin with no obstruction. I thought the price was high but I was willing to pay because Holland ...