Zuiderdam Review
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We chose this cruise to see the Baltic ports we had heard so much about, but also to see the Shetland Isles and a bit more of Scotland than we've seen before. That part of the cruise was our favorite (We're not city lovers.) The Baltic ports were interesting, but this is not a cruise I would ever bother to do again...once was plenty. (Whereas I'd do the VofV or Antarctica again as well as any AK cruise again.) We were often in ugly container ports that required us to take a shuttle or HOHO to get anywhere. The HOHO buses DID pick us up at the ports, though and that was a plus.
St. Petersburg was just an endurance test over 2 days...we did a private tour (Alla) that met at 7:30 each day and didn't get us back until after 5...no time for lunch the second day, so thank goodness I had brought a few graham crackers. We were raced through cathedrals, palaces, zipped around on hydrofoils, cruised (?) on a boat, and even did a stop on the subway. A whole experience for sure, but it was so over-the-top that we didn't have much time to appreciate it. It was done right after Tallinn, which was our favorite stop and which we did on our own (no need for a tour...just wander at your own pace...and you can find plenty online to read up on it beforehand.) So, we were already tired from 15,000 steps in Tallinn!
The Vasa Museum in Stockholm was another highlight that you can do on your own...we took a cab at 8 AM when the ship docked (the equivalent of about $24 which was shared by 2 couples)and got to the Vasa at 8:15, so we were among the first in...and had the museum to ourselves pretty much for the first hour. We ran around taking photos, though we found even later, people spread out. It's one of the most fascinating museums I've been in. Take your time (We spent 3 1/2 hours there! It has a nice cafe we had a coffee and roll in.) Then we took a HOHO bus to return to the ship. (Tickets good for the 2 days we were there.) I would recommend taking a water tour in Stockholm rather than the HOHO bus. The city is best seen from the water. Our ship docked at an outer dock which did not have a HOHO boat available, but others took private boats and saw a lot and the views were lovely.
Cabin Review
Signature Superior Verandah Suite
These are about to be refurbished, but we knew, from the same cabin on the Oosterdam a few months ago what the changes will be like. The layout of this cabin is, IMO, the best we've ever had (that goes to all SS/SY on these ships). The SS are a bit more expensive due to a lower, more favorable location than the SY's that sometimes have noise from above. Having 2 sinks, and two desks is a plus, in addition to the wider verandah. When refitted in Oct. '17, they will be even better with the outstanding new lighting, large screen TV that will go over the couch, and overall design, though the layout will remain the same. This cabin, 6064, was a great location and was quiet, and had the best stewards (Komang and Rinaldy) we've ever had.