"In all the dining venues, when something goes empty, that’s it, gone, we observed no fresh refills whether it was the taco bar or main buffet.5 hours w no food or cafe stops available...."Read More
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1-10 of 59 Holland America Line Zaandam Cruise Reviews for Fitness to the Panama Canal & Central America
Weakest link in our cruise has been the excursions, not as described, bus broke down in Costa Rica w a 2 hr delay. Tour Cartagena Columbia listed as 3.5 hrs lasted over 4.5 hours w no food or cafe stops available. Onboard bars running out of my favorite beer and 12oz waters is disappointing. Despite purchasing Have It All package my account has been charged incorrectly for drinks several times. ...
HAL does the Panama Canal very well. The day before the transit, there were presentations on the history and the building of canals in general, and the Panama Canal specifically. The day of transit, all ship schedules were adjusted for the transit. All deck areas were opened for people to view the locks, special foods (Panama Rolls, etc) were made and served on deck areas. The cruise ...
I have wanted to see the Panama Canal for longer than I want to talk about! Had an offer which made the two week cruise reasonable enough to pull the trigger, and had a great time!
I saw a previous review that said this was the worst ship ever, I just don't see that. Is it older? Yes. But it is aging pretty well. The carpets, furniture, and other fittings have clearly been kept up. The ...
We started in San Diego and ended up in our home state, which made this a fun trip! We had several family tragedies the months leading up to the trip and it was nice to get away, just the two of us.
We have been in the canal before but never end to end. The history and discussion the cruise director did really brought the history of the canal to life.
The stop in Guatemala we so ...
This was a 14 day Panama Canal journey from San Diego to Fort Lauderdale. Zaandam is a smaller ship and doesn't have a lot of "bells and whistles" but has a lot to offer. Passengers were on the older side and only 14 or so children on board. Staff and crew were excellent. Never a long wait for a drink or to get something from the Lido buffet.
Pools and hot tubs were never really very ...
Chose this ship for the itinerary. Big mistake. Dated in all ways.So lacking in accessible features I can't believe it's ADA compliant. They are carrying wheelchair guests off the ship by hand. In the tiny casino you may earn enough points to qualify for free drinks while playing. But....
Good luck finding a server. Few activities on seadays. You are expected to amuse yourself.
Entertainment ...
This is long overdue! We’ve been on 3 cruises in 12 months and have used cruise critic for so much information. I decided it was time to jump in and give back! The three ships we’ve sailed on in the past year were Holland Americas Zaandam, Seaborne Oddessy, and Oceania Vista.
We sailed on the Zaandam with a group of 8 people, family and friends. We wanted the iconic experience of going through ...
I chose this cruise as an option. I was offered by Holland America . The employees on the ship were doing the best that they could although I think most of them were brand new. The main reason for my review is the “orange package”. It was not what it appeared to be. Getting on and off the ship it worked wonderfully, but on the ship not so much. There was not a dedicated line for shore excursions ...
We were on the ill-fated cruise which we boarded in Buenos Aires on March 7th, before the Coronavirus pandemic really began, but because we knew of its existence, extra care was taken to ensure our safety. Unfortunately, unknown to us all the coronavirus was aboard and spreading amongst us. When the cruise was terminated on March 15th, every effort was made to get us home safely. Our Captain: Ane ...
Having been on the Zaandam in January 2018 and been very impressed with the ship and its amenities, I chose this cruise for the chance to be on her again and to transit the Panama Canal again with stops in South America.
Embarkation/debarkation: As always, HAL did these impeccably for a mass market cruise line. Both were a breeze and I was onboard for a nice lunch in the MDR in minutes. The ...