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This was mine and DH's first cruise on Holland America. Prior to this we did a 10 day on the Radiance and decided to hop on this repositioning cruise to make our way back home to Seattle. We have cruised many times (19 for DH and 17 for me) and our favorite line is Royal Caribbean, with Celebrity being our second favorite. I expected the service on HA to be top notch and about what Celebrity offers but overall I didn't get that at all. So, I'll start off with some of the good things I found while onboard this ship: 
- Great Captain. He was very friendly with all of the guests and took part in many activities, the cruise director was also a lot of fun. I found a few of the bar staff to be friendly which was nice since everyone else on the ship lacked that! 
- The Culinary Arts program was a lot of fun. Cat with the Explorations Team was a lot of fun and did some great classes. I was able to partake in a cooking demonstration with the Pinnacle Grill chef. It was a great experience and afterwards we were able to take our food that we made to the Pinnacle Grill and enjoy a glass of wine. Well worth the $29! 
- The Superior Veranda Suite was very nice and roomy. I will say that the colors of the room are outdated though, too much gold for me and not modern enough but then again, that is the theme of the ship. Loved having the jetted tub and separate shower and lots of storage space. I think the bed was one of the most comfortable I've ever slept on onboard a cruise ship. 
- I thought the food was really good and they had a lot of selection. I highly recommend the Pinnacle Grill - it's also one of the only places we received good dining room service, too bad we had to pay a surcharge to experience that type of service. DH had a huge porterhouse steak and I had the filet with two huge prawns. The lobster bisque was probably the best I've had so that was a huge plus! 
The CONS- 
- Mid and early 30's couple here. I think that HA attracts a much older crowd, like 70+ and unfortunately some aren't very friendly. Just so you know I get along with people of all ages, have made friends with a variety of age groups on all of our cruises but sadly most of the people on this ship were not friendly and if you like to have fun at night and like dancing to some upbeat music, we didn't find it at least on this cruise. We also have a good sense of humor and I wasn't sensing that from the guests on this ship. I also noticed this cruise had a few families on it with younger kids since it was a repositioning cruise and I heard a lot of people (without children) complaining about that. Also from what I saw they do not do much in the way of kids programs so if you are going to cruise with your younger children I definitely do not recommend HA. We have a 10 year old DD who loves to cruise and I'm so glad we did not bring her with us. 
- The dining room service was horrible and I was not expecting this at all. This is something very important to DH and I when cruising. Our waiter never introduced himself to us and we had him two nights in a row. (We finally stopped going after that) and our plates once we were done eating would sit on the table for what felt like forever! Nobody ever asked us how our food was, nor did our wait staff recommend anything. We were even sitting with an older couple who had been on the cruise for the previous 2 weeks, so it's not just because we were new to the table and younger than most on the ship. We also had to ask for things more than once. In my experience with cruising that should not happen. I am used to the waiter and assistant always introducing themselves and always being on top of when we are done eating and clearing our plates quickly. They didn't even offer more bread which isn't a big deal but once again, what I am used to. Also, the dining room felt very crowded with the chairs being very close together and not enough room the for the waiters to serve food. 
- Trying to get food in the Lido during lunch was chaos, long lines and having to go to different stations so by the time you were done waiting in one, your food was cold. I did feel that the servers in the Lido were a lot more friendlier though, aside from the manager in there. 
- The ship was on code red the first two days we were on there due to a lot of GI issues during the previous cruise. That made it very difficult since you couldn't touch anything at all. From what I have read this seems to be typical of HA. I think it's great they took precaution but I've cruised 17 times now and this is my first time experiencing this. Thankfully we stayed healthy and they did have hand sanitizer everywhere. 
- The layout of the ship was so confusing and didn't flow well. The ship also had some odd smells in the elevator and halls. I don't know how to explain them but they just seemed musty to me. 
- The decor of this ship is hideous in my opinion. I understand that HAL goes for the more traditional look but the carpet in the hallway to my room was just tacky and didn't match. I just don't see how this ship was built 8 years ago. Granted it's my first cruise on HAL so this is probably how they decorate all of their ships. 
- The Daily Program was lacking in my opinion. Not a whole lot to do on this ship when at sea. We spent a lot of time relaxing in our room, which was still nice. I will say that the entertainment they did have was good. 
- I have never been on a cruise where you see so much staff eating and partying in public areas and that was just weird to us. 
Yes, it was only four days, thank goodness but my husband and I do not plan on sailing HA again. It does not meet our expectations and what we look for in our cruise vacation. We will continue to stick with RCI, Celebrity or Princess. However, if this is your first cruise vacation or you aren't a cruise snob such as myself you will probably enjoy Holland America. I just know what I want from my cruise vacation and I just didn't get that from HA. 



First Cruise on Holland - Will be our Last!

I have been on 86 cruises in 35 years (I am not 50 yet - I started young!). My very first cruise was on the old Rotterdam with my grandparents. I've spent a total of 38 days onboard Holland America. To say it isn't how I remember it would be a major understatement. 
I talked my partner and and also my best friend from high school into trying Holland America. I went on and on about how nice it was, great service, lots of art, flowers, and despite the perception of being boring and a senior cruise - it would be a cruise to remember. I was so wrong and so right at the same time (I was right - it was a cruise to remember). Don't worry about no movies under the stars - they have all the other activities. Wrong again. Seriously nothing to do for hours on end. 
SAN DIEGO ARRIVAL AND EMBARKATION: Off to a great start with the $2.25 per person city bus right from baggage claim to the cruise terminal. Fantastic. Not a great facility and one gate open to let 2 ship loads of people in and out. Dropped off our bags and did the 15 minute walk down the fantastic waterfront to Seaport Village. Killed some time, walked back to the ship and was onboard about 10 minutes after entering the terminal. Credibility intact. 
STATEROOM: Booked a Verandah Suite for the three of us. Lots of room, double vanity, tub with whirlpool jets, standalone shower stall, etc. Five days before sailing, upgraded to Deluxe Verandah. No opportunity to accept or decline. Just changed. So I thought I would get all of the above plus the extra perks of Neptune Lounge and the sofa was bigger and promised to make into a double bed. Well, they gave us cabin 6175. Handicap access - we are not handicaped. Lots of room - yes. Double vanity - no. Tub with jets - no. Shower stall - no (in fact worse - do not use unless you want a pool in your bathroom). Extra large sofa - no (made into twin size springy bed). Again, no chance to say yes or no. Just done. Neptune Lounge? Nice but don't see what the fuss is about. Bed was comfy but the room never seemed to cool down. Wall mounted lamps were sagging off the wall. Lamp shade on one bedside lamp was taped in place. Access to private DVD libray - never had the movies we wanted (how someone else wanted to watch the 1969 version of Pink Panter seems odd to me). Embarassment starts. 
SHIP: Here is where the "I told you so part" comes into play. MANY reviewers have talked about the decor. I thought, how garish and ugly could it be? After all, I am Platinum/Concierge level on Carnival and some call those ships garish. Well, nothing can really prepare you for the ugliness of this ship. Beautiful artwork - didn't see it. Flowers - sparse and boring. The new parts of the ship really stand out and have promise. But the rest. It is hard to put into words. Flea market looking faded prints in the cabin hallways can't dampen the screaming loud blue or red pattern (nausea inducing) carpets. If the colors weren't screaming and glaring it was so dark you could hardly see. The furniture looks worn and tattered - everywhere you look. The lido? Yellow carpet in one section suddenly changes to blue, to red, to something else. The main dining room is red. And more red. And then some more red. And the heaviest and most impossible to move chairs at sea. OK Holland America, do something about this ship. By far the ugliest ship I have ever sailed on and that says a lot. Embarassment compunded. Signature of Excellence - not. 
SERVICE: Embarassed part compounds here and in a huge way. Now we all have heard about Noro and "code red" situations onboard ships. Without explanation, we boarded a ship apparently in code red mode. Saran wrap wrapped all the food stations - barrier ropes to keep you away from drinks, salad bars, etc. You had to be served everything by a staff that seemed indifferent and tired. Once you got them to understand what you wanted you were so annoyed the appetite was gone. Main dining room was "dine as you wish". OMG what a mess. Got seated quickly but that was the highlight. Ignored for an eternity, finally got order placed, ignored again, allowed one piece of bread, ignored, then food came and was tasty but lukewarm. Salad came after dessert. Not good. In the lido and dining room - you weren't allowed salt and pepper shakers, ketchup, or to touch anything. It felt like we were viewed as disease carrying toxic pains in the butt. Once the code red was lifted (again no explanation) 36 hours into the cruise, things got so much better. But unfortunately, the damage was done. Embarrassment complete. Good thing - cabin steward was very friendly in the old Holland America style. 
Would I go on Holland America again - probably not. Would I ever ask my partner to go again - NO. I feel I spent 4 days in a cabin I didn't want being treated like a pain as opposed as a valued customer (and I will add I am a stockholder of Carnival Corporation). It is back to Princess as our first choice. Even a Fantasy class Carnival ship would be a welcome step up from Zuiderdam. 
To my partner and our friend, I can only say I am SO sorry. To Holland America - come on guys you need to get it together. To Cruise Critic contributors - you told me so. To folks considering Zuiderdam - I suggest you look elsewhere. 


Embarrassed - Shoulda listened

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