I referred to Cruise Critic A LOT when planning my cruise so I want to return the favor and post my review of our cruise on the Zuiderdam. To give some background- myself and my husband went on this cruise. I am 44 and he is 42. This was our first HAL cruise and our 5th cruise total (other cruises were with RCI and Carnival).

The ship overall- This ship got a partial refurb last year and I think it shows. It looks great overall! It doesn’t have that wide-eyed WOW factor that you first get/feel when stepping onto other bigger ships we have been on but it is beautiful! It has a classy/refined look overall. There is a lot of art...pictures and sculptures throughout the ship. I loved this and would encourage you to pay attention to all of the fabulous art. The colors of the ship are more neutral..not loud/bright. I preferred the neutral tones. The ship is not glaringly loud. There is music playing in different areas but it isn’t super loud...another thing I really liked. The ship seemed way less packed than other ships...I didn’t feel claustrophobic in public areas! It definitely did not have that spring break/party hard type of feel to it...another plus in my book.

The room- We were in a Signature Suite, Room 8059. It was AMAZING! We have always had balcony rooms but this one definitely topped them all. The extra room you got with the Suite and the biogger bathroom was amazing! The balcony was plenty big and had two loungers with a side table and a bistro table with two chairs (we ate room service breakfast out here a lot). The bathroom was so roomy!! I definitely feel spoiled now! Read more