Live from the Zuiderdam - Panama Canal

[WeLoveCruising]

Hello,

We're live on the Zuiderdam Panama Canal Cruise and I thought I'd pop in to say hello and update everyone on what a great cruise we're having. My husband and I were frequent HAL cruisers, but for one reason or another (the biggest reason being full work schedules), we haven't sailed on HAL in almost two years. We're glad to be back!

 

Our cruise started three days ago in Fort Lauderdale. Embarkation was a breeze for us. We're in an SA suite so we really had no wait at all, however there was a line for regular embarkation. We boarded around 1pm, and our suite was ready. We have a wonderful suite not far from the Neptune Lounge. We popped in to say hello and to have our first of many lattes available there.

 

This was the first time we had to book Open Seating for dinner. For us, "As You Wish" was really not "As We Wish" since we much prefer a fixed dining time and same table each night. We thought about seeing the Dining Room Manager and requesting a change, but decided we would stick with Open Seating for the entire cruise so we could make a fair judgement on whether or not it would work for us. We decided on this for two reasons. First, the only downside we see to the fixed dining times is that the first is a little too early, and the second seating is a little too late for us. We thought dining at the time we want might compensate for having to change tables and staff. Secondly, we do plan to eat at the Pinnacle at least two nights, as well as Canaletto, so It didn't seem fair to request a fixed table that we would only use half the time. That, of course, would be assuming we could even change our seating, which I doubted. So caution to the wind (lol), we decided to stay with Open Seating and requested the concierge book us a table for two at 7:45pm. How are we liking Open Seating? Hmmm….let's all stay tuned ;)

 

We've sailed on the Zuiderdam a few times before, but not since the dry dock (2008?), so it's been a few years. The ship is a HAL ship, which to us means classic, and comfortable as an old shoe. There is definitely some wear and tear about her, but nothing that would negatively impact our vacation. A few things that stand out the most are the deck chairs at the aft pool - they are the old striped kind, which all the other HAL ships at least I have been on in the past have replaced with the newer versions. These chairs are stained and some are literally falling apart and really do need to be replaced. Another thing is the hydro-pool area is really showing some water damage and wear, and one of the steam rooms in the thermal suite is out of service. All that being said, though, the rest of this ship is in fine shape. A great deal of the carpet looks brand new, and the ship is spotlessly clean. I don't like the Exploration's Cafe moved up to the Crow's Nest, it changes the atmosphere of the space, but that is only one woman's opinion, I guess….

 

The first night we were happy to be at the Suite Cocktail Reception, where we met Captain Chris Turner who also just boarded that day. We found him to be a genuinely nice man, and very approachable. We had sailed with him on Windstar years ago and had a nice conversation about that.

 

The first night at dinner we arrived for our reservation and there were only a few people ahead of us in the reservation line. The "walk in" line was much longer and winding down the hall, so we were thankful to have made reservations. I noticed that there was a poolside buffet the first night, which I had not experienced before on the first night. I thought it was a great idea for people that were tired from a day of travel, and also perhaps could alleviate some of the crowds that always seem to back up in the MDR on the first night of a cruise. We were escorted to our table for two, which I didn't like at all, but we stuck with it. It was along the window, the type of table where one person sits on a bench seat and the other opposite them, but there are a series of tables very close together. We may have well sat with the couples on either side of us since it was impossible to talk privately, and the dining stewards addressed us all as a group, taking our orders together, etc. Now, before I upset anyone, I don't mind sharing tables when I'm in the mood to talk to others, but this night we wanted some privacy and it wasn't in the cards. Not only did I not like the table, the service was lacking as well. I had ordered the prime rib, and waited so long for the requested horseradish that I just gave up. Same thing with my hot tea at the end of the meal, which never came. Ugh. The good news is at the end of this, my husband and I talked to the dining room manager and requested a more private table for the rest of the cruise. We had to change our requested dining time a bit, but it looks like they can accommodate us.

 

The first night we turned in early, anxious to relax in our suite and catch up on some reading and DVD's we have along with us.

 

Since we booked a cabana for Half Moon Cay, our first port, we ordered room service breakfast so we could have an early start. We didn't want to miss any time on the island. Sad to say, even though I had our card out on the door at 10pm, it wasn't picked up so we had no breakfast delivered. We grabbed a few things from the Neptune Lounge and were (almost as) happy. Once we were able to go ashore, we made our way down to the tenders. I was more than a little displeased that we were not permitted to take more than one towel each when leaving the ship. I requested a second and was told no - it reminded me a bit of Carnival and a "towel card" mentality. I have to say between the breakfast misstep and that I was doing some grumbling about paying $300 for a cabana and not being able to have a second towel…

 

All was well though, when we got to the gorgeous beach and our cabana. The attendant bought us towels (without me asking), and our ice, beverages, and refreshments for the day. Half Moon Cay is as fantastic as ever - but I'm not a fan of the pirate ship. We were in the pink cabana and could definitely hear the music. It wasn't horrible, just not my cup of tea. We had a wonderful day, relaxing, reading, and swimming. The service on the island was friendly and attentive, and we stayed until the last tender back to the ship.

 

Formal night was not this night, as I had expected, but moved to the next day which was a sea day. We were back on the ship around 3pm and spent a few hours relaxing in the thermal suite.

 

Dinner worked out well for us! (Yay, things are looking up!). We loved our new table and stewards. Tea arrived. Smiles were seen. Life is good!

 

The entertainer was Jeff Trachta, who played for many years on the soap opera The Bold and The Beautiful. He put on a nice show, doing impersonations of everyone from TV characters to singers to politicians. He incorporated music, screen clips, and singing - a very entertaining show that you should see if you have the opportunity.

 

A few laps around the Promenade deck as well like to do each evening, and we called it a night.

 

I"ll try to write more as time and Internet service allow……

 

And - please take any less than perfect observations on my part as what they are, honest commentary. Trust me, nothing is getting in our way of having a good time and by and large the staff is wonderful onboard, the food tasty and well prepared, and the ship spotless. We are happy!

[erewhon]

Thank you for your report.

So pleased that your dining room experience improved the second night.

[JoeMGiants]

Thank you so much for your review - we look forward to hearing from you on the remainder of your cruise. Hope it's terrific from now on!

Did the music seem too loud from the pink cabana? Was it the HAL Cats ?

Thanks,

Mary & Joe

[Krazy Kruizers]

am enjoying your 'live' thread

 

know what you mean -- we don't like the idea that the explorations cafe has been added to the crow's nest

[WeLoveCruising]

Thank you so much for your review - we look forward to hearing from you on the remainder of your cruise. Hope it's terrific from now on!

Did the music seem too loud from the pink cabana? Was it the HAL Cats ?

Thanks,

Mary & Joe

 

It was the HAL Cats, and no, it really wasnt too loud. We could hear it, but it wasn't invasive. In fact I had to listen closely to even figure out what song it was, what we could really hear was the drum beat of the music, the rest was faint in the background.

[WeLoveCruising]

am enjoying your 'live' thread

 

know what you mean -- we don't like the idea that the explorations cafe has been added to the crow's nest

 

KK, for us, it took away the atmosphere of the club we like most at night. The Crow's Nest has an acoustic guitar player / singer in there now, and the more lively music is in Northern Lights. Northern Lights is too closed in and smoky for us, and the music turns more "modern" as the night goes on. We're in our 40's, so not the oldest generation on the ship, but I really dont like the contemporary music. The range played in the old Crow's Nest, combined with the openess of the area was just right for us. Not so much now.

[almare]

Enjoying your well written report. I can picture myself standing right beside you.

 

Ron

[bmartin71]

Hi WeLoveCruising, Nice to read you LIVE review.

 

We will be sailling the Zuiderdam in Feb. 2012 on the 11 day Panama Canal Sunfarer...looking forward to read all your impressions of this cruise.

 

Bon Voyage !

[searaider]

Thanks for the update. We sale on the Zuiderdam in just over two weeks, so am very interested in your comments. Keep them coming.

[kazu]

Nice to see your live review. Glad you were proactive and got your dining room situation improved to better service. might be one of the advantages on open/anytime/no fixed/ whatever we want to call it dining.

 

I know you will enjoy your cruise and I appreciate your honest report.

 

Looking forward to more when you have the time and the internet connection.

[sansterre]

We just got off the Zuiderdam on Saturday. Sure wish we were still cruising. Will be interesting to read more. Thanks for posting!

[WeLoveCruising]

Day 3 - Aruba

The Zuiderdam arrives in Aruba at 1pm and stays until 11pm. We woke up at 8:30am, which is blissfully late for us. At home we are usually awake and scrambling around by 6am. We ate breakfast at the Pinnacle Grill, which is a real treat for suite passengers. I noticed they have a breakfast parfait which the menu said included Greek yogurt. I do enjoy Greek yogurt, and have it almost every day at home. I was happy to see that it was the real thing. Sometimes cruise menu descriptions don't exactly match what I expect to get, so I was thrilled. DH had the Eggs Benedict, with the muffin toasted dark as requested. After breakfast, we headed up to the Thermal Suite for our morning ritual of relaxing and reading. I noticed that one of the steam rooms has been converted to a sauna, this was new to me from other HAL ships I had sailed, and it I liked it. We enjoy relaxing, and going back and forth between the steam, rain showers, and thermal loungers….followed by some time in the hydro pool. On sea days the Thermal Suite can get a bit crowded, but not so on port days.

 

It's typical for us to stay in the thermal suite up until lunch time. Since the ship docked in Aruba at 1pm, we predicted a huge mass of people wanting to eat before then, so we waited until it was announced that the ship had cleared with the Aruba authorities and then made our way to the Lido for some lunch. I had a delicious Thai chicken and basil curry from the Asian station, while DH had a cheeseburger from the grill. I think some of the best meals at the Lido come from the Asian station, and love to get them for lunch each day.

 

We visited with some people we had met on board for a bit, and then headed to our cabin to watch some movies and nap. We've been to Aruba many times and had nothing scheduled, our idea of vacation is total relaxation and we're getting plenty of it.

 

Tonight was a Tale of Two Dinners. We kept our standing reservation in the MDR, even though the menu didn't trill us. We've become fond of our dining team over the past few nights and wanted to eat there. The dinner was OK, nothing great, nothing horrible. I had fruit cocktail followed by an Asian chicken Pho' soup (now, that was excellent), and the London Broil. DH had salmon sashimi appetizer, followed by the same soup as me, and the sweet and sour shrimp. He didn't care for the shrimp, but many kudos to our excellent waiter who had a plate of duck waiting because he thought DH might like it. I called this a Tale of Two Dinners because tonight there was also a deck party and BBQ poolisde. We decided to pass on dessert and see what was available at the BBQ. The Zuiderdam did an OUTSTANDING job at the deck party. I've been to several on HAL and this was one of the more elaborate ones I've seen. They had many stations of salads and appetizers, grill stations of steak, chicken, ribs, corn on the cob, etc, as well as a carved roast sucking pig. They were also preparing bananas flambe to order. I wished we had eaten there. DH is not a bananas fan, so we continued our quest for something sweet. We made our way up to the Explorations cafe for some iced coffee, and because we love their brownies and cookies. We got two iced coffees, but there were no pastries left. Darn! But we did have a great time taking our coffees to go and drinking them while making several laps around the Promenade deck. It was very peaceful and romantic as one side of the ship is looking out on the ocean, and the other the lights of Aruba.

 

We're back in our stateroom now while DH contemplates if his waist line can handle the room service chocolate cake. He's still on a dessert quest ;).

 

Thanks for reading along, hope to have more tomorrow from Curacao!

[Krazy Kruizers]

when we were on the zuiderdam in 2009 -- the guitarist was poor -- he tried to sign -- had no voice -- wish i could remember his name

 

when we have stayed late in aruba -- we loved sitting out on our verandah with a liquor and watching the town

[canehdn]

Thoroughly enjoying reading your personal thoughts on the Zuiderdam and your Panama Canal itinerary. We are looking forward to boarding her next Tuesday when you return, so your thoughts are of special interest. Thanks again for taking the time to share with your fellow CC'ers.

 

"canehdn in KC"

[kazu]

really enjoying your report. thank you so much for letting us 'tag' along.

really well done:)

[aliaschief]

Enjoying your review but unfortunately we have to wait until November to have the same cruise experience on our booked MS Zuiderdam cruise. :( So as we anxiously wait thanks for sharing.

[Cruizer Bill]

Thank you for your reports! We love honest feedback.

[JessWright]

I am scheduled for the April 12 departure on the Zuiderdam. It will be my 3rd time on that ship and 2nd time on that route. Except, our route is in reverse. We head straight for Costa Rica, then the Canal, etc. I enjoyed the trip before and am looking forward to next week's cruise. My cabin is in the Neptune Lounge area, so I hope to use the Lounge. Thanks for your updates and the reminder of the poolside buffet the first night. That was done on a few HAL cruises that I took last fall, which worked out well. This will be my 14th cruise with HAL, which should be fun.

[WeLoveCruising]

Day 4 - Curacao

If you are staying in a Deluxe Verandah Suite or PH, you are entitled to have breakfast in the Pinnacle Grill. The menu is essentially the same as in the dining room, but it is a private, more relaxed experience with great service. The times aren't listed in the Daily Program and we assumed it was open until 9:30AM since that is what we were told a few days before when we asked. We arrived at 9am, but they were closing. Lesson learned - the Pinnacle Grill breakfast hours are the same as the MDR, which vary depending on if the ship is at port or a sea day. We made our way to the Lido and each had an omelet made to order. After breakfast we made our usual trek to the Thermal Suite (seeing a theme?) for a relaxing morning of alternating between the sauna, showers, steam room, and thermal chairs. We're a bit spoiled, having been to the Caribbean islands many times over, so our preference is to stay on the ship most days. As my DH says, it's all the same sun.

 

Around lunchtime we found a nice table in the shade by the Lido pool and made a few taco salads from the taco bar. It was nice to sit there and relax and we talked to a few other couples. I really wanted to catch a movie onboard so that I could sit in the Screening Room, but so far nothing has thrilled me. We took the opportunity to do the iPod art tour. I had downloaded the tour on to our iPods before leaving. It starts off a little confusing because the tour is supposed to walk you from one space to the next, but it starts in the old library and Internet center, which were moved up top to the Crows Nest (3 years ago?). The tour could use some updating. If you try it (and I highly recommend it), just start at Chapter 3 to avoid any confusion. I always appreciate the art tours, and have done them on other HAL ships. It gives me such an appreciation for the art, how it was selected, and the care HAL puts into designing ships. For example, the Explorer's Lounge area has a Venetian theme. There is a large oil paining of Venice, a whimsical display of Venetian carnival costumes, as well as floor medallions depicting looking at Venice from the water. I've walked over those medallions dozens of times and never realized that! Another example is the aft staircase, each landing area has a replication of a Dutch windmill, making a vertical art gallery of them. Lots of interesting little tidbits and a very enjoyable way to spend an hour or so.

 

Being a little tired, and honestly my DH not being too impressed with the dining room the night before, we decided to just have a quick dinner in the Lido. The Lido serves essentially the same menu as the dining room, but they also have the pizza and pasta station available. The bolognese sauce is very good! I also noticed they had gluten free pasta available. My DH had some pasta and I opted for just a cup of soup and some fruit.

 

The highlight of our day was the Island Magic show in the main show lounge. Island Magic is a four person Steel Drum band from Trinidad - but they are unlike any steel drum band I've ever seen. They played a variety of music, from Broadway to Classical to Spiritual to Modern. They are extremely talented, but what adds to the experience is the obvious passion they bring when they play. The crowd roared for them and deservedly so. It is by far the best show we have ever seen on a cruise.

 

After the show, we did a few laps around the Promenade and called it a night.

 

Day 5 - At Sea

 

We started this morning with our breakfast in the Pinnacle, and then made our way to the Queens Lounge for a "coffee chat" with Island Magic. The CD hosted an "coffee chat" earlier this week with the Captain, which we missed, but we were glad to have caught this one. It is an informal grouping, where you could do some Q&A. I learned that Island Magic plays over 400 songs by ear, and not one of them can read music. They are a very humble and polite group, and stayed late to talk to anyone one on one, and to take pictures with their instruments. They will do a matinee performance on our last sea day and I will be sure to be there.

 

After the chat, we wanted to take advantage of the sun so we made our way to the aft pool and grabbed a few deck chairs. At the risk of starting a smoking thread, I have to say that the person next to us lit up quite a few times and drove us away. The area is way too close to others to allow smoking, and yeah, I was not happy about it. We found chairs inside the Lido pool area and were almost as happy, and stayed there for a few more hours. Screamer and the HAL Cats performed, but I have to say, this ensemble is one of the better ones. We did enjoy the music and had a great day sitting out there. It's now about 4pm and I came back to the cabin for a break from the sun and a quick nap. Tonight is formal night, I'll write more as I'm able.

 

Again, thanks for following....

[scopewest]

Thanks for letting us cruise along with you, glad you're having a great time!

[WeLoveCruising]

Hello from the Panama Canal, as we make our way to Gatun Lake. The good spots on the bow, Deck 4, go early so get there by 6am I would say if you want a prime spot. The crew did a great job serving coffee, tea, and Panama Rolls, and we have a travel narrator taking us through the history and process as we make our way through the canal.

 

More later!

[Krazy Kruizers]

Loving your thread

 

we enjoyed the group - island magic -- as well

[iriemon]

Thanks for sharing your experience, you are keeping the excitement going. We were on the Zuidy last Dec and will be on it this Dec also - this one being an 11 day that includes Bonnair. My SIL and BIL were getting off as you were getting on. Can't wait for our turn again. Aren't those Panama rolls great? Wish they served them more often.

[JessWright]

As mentioned before, I am scheduled for the April 12 departure on the Zuiderdam. I was especially glad to hear that the Island Magic group was on the ship. I saw them on the Zuiderdam several years ago, and agree that they are just excellent. Hope they will remain on the ship for the next voyage.

[WeLoveCruising]

Day 6 - Panama Canal

 

Today, even through the wind and cool rain, was a highlight of the cruise. We scheduled a wake up call at 5:15am in order to take our place on the bow to see the Zuiderdam make her entrance to the canal. The Captain had told us the day before that it's common to spot crocodiles and other wildlife near shore before the entrance, and we were able to see plenty with our binoculars. The bow of the ship is accessible from Deck 4, and was buzzing with people very early this morning. HAL set up a station with hot coffee, tea, and Panama rolls, and we had a travel narrator giving us some history and walking us through the transit process. Unfortunately by around 7am the bow became very crowded, so we made our way up to Deck 9, because we knew whtere was an accessible deck outside the spa. It was great viewing, but the tradeoff was we couldn't hear the narration.

 

After the partial transit we dropped anchor in Gatun Lake to let guests off for shore excursions. I'd say about 80% took excursions, but we were in the other 20% that stayed onboard. I was on the fence about doing an excursion because this trip was ALL about relaxing for us, and most of them included hours of bus / boat transport. The heavy rain today tipped the scales for me to stay onboard. We had a nice morning in the Thermal Suite, followed by a peaceful lunch in the Lido. It rained hard most of the day, so we just relaxed in the Neptune Lounge and watched some movies in our room.

 

The Zuiderdam stopped in Colon, which is more of a service stop to pick up passengers from their shore excursions. We got off the ship so that we could say "been there, done that, stepped foot in Panama" kind of thing. The ship warns you not to do Panama on your own, and I think with good reason. There is not much to see in port, save a few small shops selling the usual T-shirt and shot glass kind of souvenirs. It's not a friendly port, there are armed police and beggars, and not a safe feeling place. We did our cursory walk through of a few shops. Been there, done that accomplished and we made our way back to the Zuiderdam.

 

We had dinner tonight at Le Cirque, located in the Pinnacle Grill. I had read mixed reviews about it, but our verdict is it's a real winner. That being said, our experience was not perfect, but still very good. The only thing different about Le Cirque night that I noticed is the table setting and the menu. It is still the same staff, no additional decor, etc. I knew the meal started with a foie gras amuse bouche, since we don't eat foie gras I told them not to bring it. I wasn't expecting anything else, but they did serve us a nice tomato / mozzarella / balsamic amuse bouche, which was thoughtful. The first course is the lobster salad. I was quite impressed and would have been happy to have it as an entree. The plate consisted of a nice size Maine lobster tail, some poached sliced potatoes, asparagus, avocado, and grapefruit sections all placed atop bibb lettuce and dressed with a light crisp dressing. I had read that some people were concerned about the grapefruit and/or avocado - no need to be - the salad is "deconstructed", not mixed together, so you can easily eat what you like and avoid the rest.

 

The next course was the corn soup, served with a corn fritter and mushrooms with the hot soup poured in tableside. The soup tastes of summer corn, very fresh. For the main course both my DH and I chose the halibut. It's served over a creamy leek compote with a red wine sauce. The flavors worked together beautifully, however both of our halibut servings were very undercooked in the middle - cold and raw. They were very large, thick pieces, so we had eaten a good deal through before we hit the raw part. We were actually satisfied and done, but the head waiter insisted we try the beef. He brought us a piece to share - oh my Goodness it was fantastic. The beef is carved talbleside and is extremely tender and well marbled. For what it's worth, on the Zuiderdam you can order it for one, I have read conflicting info about that.

 

Dessert was creme brulee for me, and chocolate souffle for DH. We thoroughly enjoyed our meal and are looking forward to returning to the Pinnacle for their standard menu on the last night of the cruise, which also happens fo be my birthday (!)

 

It's hard to believe our cruise is more than half way over now. I hate it when I come to that realization during the cruise! We've really settled in here and are enjoying ourselves very much. Is everything perfect? No. We've noticed a decline unfortunately in the quality of the ingredients in the food. I think they do a good job of what they have to work with, but it is different than it was a few years back. There is still plenty to eat that we enjoy, but it is different. On a positive note, I think the entertainment is much better that we have had in the past.

 

The entertainment tonight is a magician who works with his dog. I have heard good things about him, but we're tired from being up since 5am so are turning in. Good Night!