This was my first cruise on Holland America and also my first solo trip. Overall, I would say I am very pleased.
I found 98% of the staff very knowledgeable and friendly. Hamem is a great cabin steward. I was in cabin 5184. I was assigned table 50 in the MDR. It was a table for 8 but I was the only one there. I felt I was getting the royal treatment every time I ate there. Ohde and Bangkit were ...
Let me start with the good points - we had a great holiday - the ports were very good (some exceptions) and the weather was fabulous.
The Zuiderdam itself is showing age and the entertainment was pitiful - really poor with the exception of the fabulous BB King band however there is a limit to how often you can listen to the one band. Jason and the HAL cats had a great band and a simply awful ...
A quick taxi from the airport was a snap as usual, and we were pleasantly surprised to walk into an empty terminal. We had our documents ready, so in less than 20 minutes we were on board. We went immediately to inquire about changes to MDR seating, and then went to our cabin to drop off carry on backpacks before heading for something to eat. Two of our three bags were already in the room, and we ...
This ship is mid size so about 2,000 guests on board. The cruise catered age group of 60 and up.
An older ship but renovated in 2011 and done in a retro style. Didn't think much about the art they displayed but that is a personal thing.
Traveled with 3 other ladies and we got upgraded to the Neptune suite. We had so many free perks with this suite, we were delighted.
An all Indonesian crew we ...
Our November 18, 2013, 11-day Panama Canal Sunfarer was going to be a great bucket-list check-off for my wife and I. We reserved a suite cabin, but at the last minute we upgraded to a Neptune Lounge SA cabin which, by ship standards, was spacious and lovely. The Neptune Lounge concierge team had memorized our faces and names before we came on board. Our suite designation also entitled us to free ...
I would describe this as a happy ship with a contented crew, many of whom have been either on this ship or on other HAL ships for a number of years. The cruise director, Hamish Davis, did a great job and the entertainment was generally of a high standard. There are many obstructed views in the Vista Lounge (theatre) due to badly positioned pillars and so people were arriving extra early in order ...
FLL to Port Everglades: This was no problem at all. We decided not to pay the expensive Holland America transfer and got a taxi at the airport. For three people, our fair was $15 total and it took us only a few minutes to get there.
Ship: I found the Zuiderdam to be in ok condition. It is starting to show some wear on the interior, but is mostly in good condition. Some tables have some wear and ...
This Nov 29 to Dec 9, 2013 review of the ms Zuiderdam 10-day Panama Canal Sunfarer cruise is written as my impressions which may or may not conflict with the impressions of others.
Pre-cruise hotel was at the Sleep Inn, Dania Beach for four nights prior to the cruise. There is a small strip mall across the street where we found three restaurants (Mexican, Italian, and Chinese) and a Publix ...
We just returned on November 8th from a Panama Canal cruise on MS Zuiderdam. We were in Suite 7065, right across from the Neptune Lounge and had minimal air conditioning the entire cruise. What should've been an awesome cruise was diminished quite a bit by the discomfort we experienced. The concierge ladies were quite sympathetic but said that the engineers had told them that there was nothing ...