This was our third HAL cruise and second on a Vista class ship. We loved the Westerdam when we sailed her two years ago so were excited to be in 'familiar surroundings' for this cruise.

The Panama Canal is a bucket list item for me and while we were not able to book the longer full-transit, this partial was still a thrill for me. It was also our second 10-night cruise; we always lamented how terribly short 7 nights seemed as you just seem to get comfortable and its time to pack. Those three extra nights are just heavenly! All the other ports (Aruba, Curacao and Puerto Limon Costa Rica) were new to us; Half Moon Cay was also on the itinerary but we'd been there before...I honestly could go there EVERY cruise as it is a simply fabulous piece of beach to enjoy.

Our stateroom was a Neptune Suite on deck 7 (7062) just across from the Neptune Lounge. We were offered a very reasonable upsell from the Signature Suite we'd booked almost a year ago and were incredibly spoiled with the space and service. The Zuiderdam does not yet have the suite upgrades (I believe she is getting them while in drydock this fall) but for us, the space was still special and wonderful. We didn't find anything amiss in the room; it was clean and comfortable and everything seemed in good repair. Closet space was much more than adequate and there were plenty of drawers...much of it remained empty as we packed pretty efficiently, intending to take full advantage of the free laundry and dry cleaning. Read more