"The history and discussion the cruise director did really brought the history of the canal to life.We have been in the canal before but never end to end...."Read More
RetiredFLRN
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1-10 of 70 Holland America Line Zaandam Cruise Reviews for Senior to the Mexican Riviera
The only thing that saved this cruise was the eclipse. This was my third cruise with HAL in three years 2 were on the Eurodam and then this one. I loved my other 2 cruises but this one really soured me on cruising.
Confusing info: We received an email about boarding times which had people instructed to board at 3pm which was all aboard time. It was revised to 2:30. I’m sure this contributed to ...
HAL does the Panama Canal very well. The day before the transit, there were presentations on the history and the building of canals in general, and the Panama Canal specifically. The day of transit, all ship schedules were adjusted for the transit. All deck areas were opened for people to view the locks, special foods (Panama Rolls, etc) were made and served on deck areas. The cruise ...
Weakest link in our cruise has been the excursions, not as described, bus broke down in Costa Rica w a 2 hr delay. Tour Cartagena Columbia listed as 3.5 hrs lasted over 4.5 hours w no food or cafe stops available. Onboard bars running out of my favorite beer and 12oz waters is disappointing. Despite purchasing Have It All package my account has been charged incorrectly for drinks several times. ...
I have wanted to see the Panama Canal for longer than I want to talk about! Had an offer which made the two week cruise reasonable enough to pull the trigger, and had a great time!
I saw a previous review that said this was the worst ship ever, I just don't see that. Is it older? Yes. But it is aging pretty well. The carpets, furniture, and other fittings have clearly been kept up. The ...
We started in San Diego and ended up in our home state, which made this a fun trip! We had several family tragedies the months leading up to the trip and it was nice to get away, just the two of us.
We have been in the canal before but never end to end. The history and discussion the cruise director did really brought the history of the canal to life.
The stop in Guatemala we so ...
I took this trip with three girlfriends and had a great time. While the ship is older and our bathroom had orange and pink tiles, the rest of the ship was fine.
We enjoyed the trivia each night! The lido pool was packed with folks who reserved chairs and left…..oh and kids doing cannonballs in the pool. Meals were wonderful and the spa was excellent. We were able to get two massages and a ...
I went on Oosterdam 2019 and had a fun trip but unfortunately the Zaandam did not come close. The ship was full of walkers and disabled vehicles, the ship was dirty and food mediocre. The ocean deck pool was empty and closed for the first 3 days, entertainment was awful and the ship VERY boring. I opted for an ocean view that was stuffy and very dated and had not been updated since ship was made. ...
This was a 14 day Panama Canal journey from San Diego to Fort Lauderdale. Zaandam is a smaller ship and doesn't have a lot of "bells and whistles" but has a lot to offer. Passengers were on the older side and only 14 or so children on board. Staff and crew were excellent. Never a long wait for a drink or to get something from the Lido buffet.
Pools and hot tubs were never really very ...
Chose this ship for the itinerary. Big mistake. Dated in all ways.So lacking in accessible features I can't believe it's ADA compliant. They are carrying wheelchair guests off the ship by hand. In the tiny casino you may earn enough points to qualify for free drinks while playing. But....
Good luck finding a server. Few activities on seadays. You are expected to amuse yourself.
Entertainment ...
This is long overdue! We’ve been on 3 cruises in 12 months and have used cruise critic for so much information. I decided it was time to jump in and give back! The three ships we’ve sailed on in the past year were Holland Americas Zaandam, Seaborne Oddessy, and Oceania Vista.
We sailed on the Zaandam with a group of 8 people, family and friends. We wanted the iconic experience of going through ...