First time cruisers going on Zuiderdam May 28th

[cubfan49]

Any advice on cruising from anyone? Any helpful tips? Departing on the Zuiderdam for a 7 day Eastern Carribean cruise on May 28th.

 

Joe and Misty Stanley

[Giorgi-one]

Any advice on cruising from anyone? Any helpful tips? Departing on the Zuiderdam for a 7 day Eastern Carribean cruise on May 28th.

 

Joe and Misty Stanley

 

Bad time to travel over the holidays. Stay home and send me your tickets.

[cubfan49]

yeah Giorgi maybe that's what I need to do...what's your address??...not!

[Scrumpy]

We'll already be onboard, so it'd be really handy to do back to back - just in case you change your mind ;)

 

Seriously, do you have specific questions? The first thing I did last time (although I didn't necessarily remember everything) was to read the Know Before You Go handbook that was sent with our docs. I also called HAL several times to ask questions. I did not know about Cruise Critic before that cruise. Having said that, comfortable shoes are a must. Jeans probably aren't necessary - certainly not more than one pair. Don't be afraid to order a second serving of anything you like in the dining room. Don't be afraid to send back anything you do not like. Don't be afraid to use room service. The menu is somewhat limited, but we liked what we ordered. Tips are appreciated for room service. There are specials in the spa when you are in port, so if you aren't crazy about the excursions, this is a great time to use those services.

 

Others are much more knowledgeable than me. I hope they will chime in.

Have a great trip!

 

yeah Giorgi maybe that's what I need to do...what's your address??...not!

[upsndowns]

cubfan...we will be getting on the ship when you are getting off.

 

Spend some time reading these threads. There are tons of tips and advice available. I have been lurking for three months now and most things that I didn't think about asking were answered. The reviews are particularly interesting.

 

Have a great time!

[cubfan49]

Thanks Scrumpy, I just keep my eye on this thread to see what kind of advice we get. We've never been on a cruise and are completely new to the experience, both me and my wife are probably, at best, apprehensive at the moment about going. But, excited, just don't know what to expect. We're flying in on the 27th to FLL and right now plan to get to the boat around noon on the 28th.:confused:

[cubfan49]

Thanks ups

[Tarkus]

hey, cubfan, myself and about thirty others are in my group for that same sailing (while i'm looking forward to renewing old friendships with a few as well as meeting new friends, i'm mainly using the trip as an excuse to scuba dive each port of call).

 

i agree with the advice that almost anything you want to know can be gleaned from reading (or searching - use the search function liberally) for whatever topic interests you. this will be my ninth cruise - although first time on hal - but feel free to drop me an email if i can answer anything specific for you (tarkus@scubadiving.com).

 

and, if you'd like to get together at some point to say "hi" and maybe tip back a celebratory drink, that'd work for me as well - normally those kinds of things are posted down in the "Roll Calls - Holland America" forum, but our sailing seems to be one of the quieter / less-posted threads in there.

 

regardless, you'll enjoy it. even if you show-up with no prior knowledge or experience you'll have the hang of things within a day!

[Scrumpy]

You're welcome. I forgot to mention that my favorite part of the ship (besides the spa or perhaps it's a tie) on Maasdam was the Crow's Nest. I hope - and believe - that this will also be a favorite on Zuiderdam. Also, the piano lounge was nice and quiet; I can't remember what all the bars are called. There was another lounge where you can dance or watch others dance - not disco dancing, touch dancing. I especially love to watch other people dancing. Some are expert and most are at least competent. All seem very comfortable.

 

I think cruises are fun. They wouldn't take the place of a land vacation, but I love being on or near the water (although I don't much like to be IN it). The best part for me is not having to make a lot of decisions. We choose a few excursions and must-do's in advance and then the hardest choices onboard are actually not that tough. I don't find that there is much rushing around and I like the limited amount of structure that dining times and port calls provide. I need a little structure, but resent a lot of it. I think there's a great balance onboard a ship.

 

If you want to go to the bow of the ship, I believe I read that the way to get there is through Deck 4. If I'm wrong hopefully someone will correct me.

 

There are varying opinions about when to arrive at port. We are aiming for 11-ish. We'll either be among the first or we will stand in line with a lot of other people. The latest we'd get there is 12-ish because of hotel check-out and the fact that we're arriving late the night before and won't have a car. I don't know if we will make it to the computer while onboard, but if we do, I'll try to post when we arrived and how it went.

Thanks Scrumpy, I just keep my eye on this thread to see what kind of advice we get. We've never been on a cruise and are completely new to the experience, both me and my wife are probably, at best, apprehensive at the moment about going. But, excited, just don't know what to expect. We're flying in on the 27th to FLL and right now plan to get to the boat around noon on the 28th.:confused:

[dakrewser]

Any advice on cruising from anyone? Any helpful tips?

 

Read the HAL Secrets thread, then come back with any questions it doesn't answer.

 

Have a great cruise!

[doone]

Your really going to enjoy the Zuiderdam. Don't miss the escargot on the last formal night in the dining room. If you enjoy bread pudding, don't miss it each afternoon in the Lido dining area. Don't miss parasailing on Half Moon Cay. Sit back, relax and enjoy your cruise.

[cubfan49]

Thanks everyone for your input. We are looking forward to it. Where do you get the cruise counter that counts down the days until your cruise? just wondering.

[grannynurse]

Our first cruise was in the mid 80's but we remember it vividly. It was on the ols NCL Starward in an outside cabin no bigger than a postage stamp where we had to crawl over the bed to get anywhere else in the cabin. It had 2 portholes and a window ledge where I sat to put on make-up....But we were hooked! Sometimes the surprises are very enjoyable. It's so neat to hear someone is so excited on the eve of a new adventure.

 

Now we've found a home on HAL and have gone on several long (34 day) transatlantics, and we're still hooked on cruising. Our second NE/Canada is this June, which makes 3 cruises this year, and we're still excited as we were 20 some years ago.

 

Just remember, there is no absolutely perfect cruise. We can find problems anywhere and magnify them beyond proportion. I think this impacts some peoples perception of their cruise experience. We could have griped about the fog in the north Atlantic, or the rain in Iceland that cancelled our whale watching tour, or the missed port in England, or the elevator outage on the Rotterdam.... BUT how many people get to see the fjords in Greenland and in Norway, or sail 400 miles north of the Arctic circle in the midnight sun. Consider your cruise as a blessing and you will be blessed.

Have a marvelous first cruise, I'm excited for you.

GN

[cubfan49]

Thank you most kindly Grannynurse. I have been really amazed at the amount of negative reviews and comments you see by cruisers on the internet. Actually, I've seen a bunch regarding the Zuiderdam which really makes me apprehensive. But, it seems to me that many of the complaints you see are pretty petty in nature and the people seem to be expecting perfection from the cruise lines. I don't tink anything that has human involvement is going to be perfect, I'm more a realist, I just want to have a good time.

[Gregg20]

I don't tink anything that has human involvement is going to be perfect, I'm more a realist, I just want to have a good time.

 

Exactly! I've been on the Zui twice and loved it each time. Everything was not 100% perfect but couple of the best vacations I've had.

[cubfan49]

Couldn't agree more. Looking forward to it!!!

[richcrow]

Thanks everyone for your input. We are looking forward to it. Where do you get the cruise counter that counts down the days until your cruise? just wondering.

 

Cubfan,

 

The web address for the cruise counter is www.geocities.com/quietman01970/maker1.htm

 

Richard

[stefhef]

We have been on ZUI twice and you will love it. Forget the negative reviews on this board. There have been quite a lot of positive ones and I think they are on the money. The crew is excellent and the facilities are great. Be sure to relax on the tile heated beds in the thermal suite (in the gym/spa area).

[cubfan49]

It's getting close, still excited, how about you other Zuiderdam cruisers who are going May 28th????:confused:

[CCCM]

Hey Cubfan,

Very excited about the trip. Desperately need a vacation. I have forgotten what the sun is and how it feels. Drove 3 hours up to Freeport,ME today to get clothes......now just need shoes.........and a couple odds and ends. You will recognize me on the ship, I will have the Midori Colada in hand.:D

[stormyc]

For starters...

 

Be certain to complete your Immigration form online at the HAL website, and then print off a copy of the completed form to take with you to the ship.

Also, when you get your cruise documents (did you receive them yet?), there will be a Credit Card form inside, which you can complete in advance and take with you as well. (Necessary if you intend to put your onboard charges for the week on a credit card, instead of paying cash at the end of the cruise.)

 

Be sure you have the proper Identification documents with you (passport or driver's license & birth certificate) as required.

 

Having these documents handy will help you move efficiently through the queue on embarkation day.

 

(Tags for your luggage will also be included in your doc package, so you can fill them out and attach them to your luggage before heading to the ship. These will enable the bags to be delivered to your cabin later in the day.)

 

YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE SOOOO MUCH FUN!!! :p

[cubfan49]

Yep, less than 3 weeks now, still a bit apprehensive, especially about formal nights.

[Tarkus]

PLEASE don't be antsy about the formal nights... they're nowhere near as rigid as you might think from all the clothing ****s posting on this site... except for the dress of most of the patrons and the food tending more towards upscale continental those meals are really no different than on the other nights... and after dinner the only clue it's formal night is the dress of the folks wandering to-and-fro.

 

think of it this way - hopefully, at some point, you've stayed in a really nice resort hotel? the zuiderdam is a really nice hotel that just happens to move from location-to-location. hopefully, hotel events don't make you apprehensive; similarly, neither should events happening on the zuiderdam!

 

see you there!

 

*goes back to daydreaming about working on a tan three weeks from now*

[Time2sail]

As a Cubs' fan, I know you have eternal optimism, great patience and will not let anything lessen your having a great time on your first cruise. Maybe the Cubs will improve their record before you sail--see, we are forever hopeful!:)

 

Enjoy.

[Tarkus]

...from all the clothing ****s posting on this site...

lol... so "nahtsies" (having to type it phonetically so it'll clear) is a verboten (and automatically-expunged) word here?

 

*files it away for future information*

 

:rolleyes: