Ship coming out of dry dock day before we sail?

[kcscrapper]

I've seen that the ms Zuiderdam is coming out of dry dock in the Bahamas on December 9. We are scheduled to sail out of Ft. Lauderdale on December 10 for the 11-day Panama Canal Sunfarer cruise.

 

I know I can't control it. I do NOT intend to obsess about something I can't control.

 

BUT -- we are still well outside the final payment date ... but the sail date of December 10 is the best for our plans. We probably **could** change but don't really want to ... especially if there are "no worries"

 

Do any of you experienced sailors have experience with this close a schedule -- dry dock to sailing?

[innlady1]

If major things are being done during drydock, such as when HAL made the mahvelous decision to replace the Sea View pool with staterooms and the Retreat, the 1st cruise post-drydock was not pleasant.

Having said that, if it's just a routine drydock, which I believe the Zuiderdam is undergoing, then you should be fine...and be able to enjoy all the refurbishments. I'm assuming they're replacing soft goods, etc.

[PathfinderEss]

The Zuiderdam will be going thru a normal dry dock. You should find everything nicely freshened up for your cruise. Have a wonderful time.

[sail7seas]

At worst, you might find some workmen still aboard finishing up the tail end of things that didn't get quite finished but it shouldn't impact you in any meaningful way. It's a routine dry dock and not a major refit.

 

You know everything will be fresh and clean and all new stores loaded. :)

 

[kcscrapper]

Thank you! You've both made it sound as if we should all be looking for a "first out of dry dock" cruise!:)

[SwissMyst]

We are on a cruise that ends the day before it goes into drydock - an entirely different perspective. Could be interesting.:p

[iancal]

We never book any ship, HAL or any other cruise line, on it's first one or two trips after drydock. Nor would we ever book an inaugural cruise.

[metairiegal]

Considering booking the December 21 cruise, so we'll be close.

[0bnxshs]

I've seen that the ms Zuiderdam is coming out of dry dock in the Bahamas on December 9. We are scheduled to sail out of Ft. Lauderdale on December 10 for the 11-day Panama Canal Sunfarer cruise.

 

I know I can't control it. I do NOT intend to obsess about something I can't control.

 

BUT -- we are still well outside the final payment date ... but the sail date of December 10 is the best for our plans. We probably **could** change but don't really want to ... especially if there are "no worries"

 

Do any of you experienced sailors have experience with this close a schedule -- dry dock to sailing?

 

We had a terrible experience on the Celebrity Infinity that had just come out of drydock in the Bahamas on our Panama Canal FLL to Santiago cruise. Workers were all over the ship, several services did not function properly for us and several acquaintances during to throughout the cruise (telephones, TV, Wifi, ships clocks). The plumbers stayed aboard to continue their work not finished (with the attendant mess), the children's area was under construction the entire time, the men's locker room was unfinished and the sauna didn't work for the first half of the cruise, workers were beating and banging late into the night above the buffet adding a new set of cabins there. This was a rather extensive drydock so keep that in mind (Infinity was "Solticized"), but I won't jeopardize a cruise with a right-from-drydock ship again given that experience.

[erewhon]

We will be on the Oosterdam immediately after her December dry dock, hoping for a trouble free cruise.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I wouldn't worry about getting on a ship right after a normal dry dock. Nothing major will be going on like Obnxshs mentioned.

[kcscrapper]

I wouldn't worry about getting on a ship right after a normal dry dock. Nothing major will be going on like Obnxshs mentioned.

 

Thank you, that was a "horror story"!!

[MR NW GUY]

Does anyone know of a HAL reference source regarding the specific plans for the Zuiderdam dry dock? I have checked thier Blog, website and annual report and can not find any details. Looking for facts... :-)

[Typhoon1]

Lucky you. It should be like a brand new ship. Everything will be shiny.

[kelleherdl]

We had the Westerdam for a Canal Transit right out of dry-dock last April. Overall, very nice to be right after dry-dock. The only thing that was distracting was the 5 (or more) days of new carpet fuzz in the Lido.... :(

 

That was more trouble for the crew members who were constantly vacuuming..

 

Otherwise nothing at all to complain about.:)

 

Dennis