Zuiderdam Review
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* This review represents only our own personal opinions of our cruise. *
Background: This was the fifth 7-night Caribbean cruise for my husband and I within the past four years on a variety of ships: NCL Sky (2000), Celebrity Galaxy (2001), NCL S/S Norway (2003), HAL Maasdam (2003), and HAL Zuiderdam (2004). We are ages 30/32 and traveled alone. This was our second cruise on HAL, with both of our HAL cruises being Thanksgiving week. Passenger count: 2,072 according to the Cruise Log provided by HAL at the end of our cruise. Club HAL staff shared with us they had 350 for Club HAL. Booking was made almost six months in advance via an online agency for this Thanksgiving week cruise out of Fort Lauderdale.
Overall Thoughts: As one person in our Cruise Critic group put it, "It's like my Nissan Altima. Nothing really wrong with it but nothing really special about it either." I think she hit the nail on the head. Compared to our HAL Maasdam cruise the previous Thanksgiving, this was not the same "wow" experience we experienced on Maasdam. Crazy colors, not as many fresh flowers everywhere, steward not as friendly or giving 110% like previously, no more Java Cafe for yummy hot chocolate, saw more jeans in the dining room for dinner as well as bellybutton rings (at least cover your belly for dinner!), more announcements that you can hear just fine while napping in your stateroom, etc. It was a good cruise and we loved our ports of call, but the ship layout/colors, steward, and multiple itinerary changes created by HAL just didn't have us walking away this time with that "wow, what a great cruise" feeling. However, this was the most friendly Captain we have ever had- Captain John Scott. We certainly enjoyed our conversations with him. Also, our dinner waiter, Nana, was the best ever! Every meal was fantastic, he always had a smile, greeted us by name, and was just awesome. And again, it was still a GOOD cruise, just not a "WOW" cruise like HAL Maasdam the previous Thanksgiving (before automatic tipping was instituted).