Zuiderdam in general

[Candy]

I was on the ship 5/14-21 and was not in the lease affected by any of the noted problems. I can live without ice cream as long as there's bread pudding; never noticed the lack of eggs, broken windows or doors; uneven floors were still navigable, although I would hold onto the handrail if you're wearing stilettos.

 

This beautiful ship has carried two thousand passengers a week for three years, and needs a little maintenance. Believe me, unless you're looking for something to complain about (and we have all met pax who do), you won't be disappointed with all Zuidy has to offer.

 

Candy <-- looking forward to her 5th Zuiderdam

 

Have you all been reading the absolutely glowing reviews lately of the Zuiderdam? I continually am noting just how many great reviews are coming across lately (point-in-case : Candy) who was reporting live from on board. I sure as heck wouldn't let the above ruin my vacation. How can so many people have had such an amazing time?

[Oceanwench]

Well, I was among the CC'ers on the 5/14 cruise, and I would have enjoyed meeting KK at the private party [and hopefully vice versa]!!! :)

 

I met some very nice people in St. Thomas who told me thy were lurkers on our roll call. We just happened to strike up a conversation on a tour.

 

Reviews almost always stir up controversy. I remember when I was a newbie, just back from my first cruise on the Zuiderdam in 2003. I commented that I was surprised to see someone in jeans in the dining room. I got flamed by more *seasoned* posters -- one called me a liar! :eek:

 

When we had the refrigeration problems on the Zuiderdam last week -- which affected not only ice cream, but other food items, including most of the desserts -- I joked with some of the CC'ers: "If we report this on the boards, we'll probably get flamed!"

Sure enough, some posters viewed this reporting as too negative or intended to create hysteria!

 

The refrigeration problem, to me, far outweighed any other [including the decor or wear and tear] and did affect the cruise inasmuch as the desserts were not very good and we did not get to enjoy a "dessert extravaganza."

 

It did not ruin my cruise at all! :) DH spoke to Mr. Deering about it [and other matters] in his office -- not at the private cocktail party.

 

Reactions to reviews on this board vary. If someone mentions disappointment b/c a port was missed due to weather, he/she may be chastised: "Don't plan your cruise around an itinerary."

If I report that there was no ice cream, someone will say, "Don't plan your cruise around dessert."

 

Posting a review is a very dicey thing!

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Candy <-- looking forward to her 5th Zuiderdam

 

Candy, I just looked at your newest Zuirderdam pictures. I was amazed how similiar the SS Suite is to the S. We had the S on the Westerdam and were actually a little disappointed compared to the Ryndam S. I think the next time I book a Vista class ship I will just go for a SS. They look to have the same size bathroom with out the dressing area and almost the same size room. I guess one just has to estimated how much the Neptune Lounge and Suite parties are worth.

 

Although we are planning to book the Zaandam and the Veendam for 2006 when we are on the Maasdam next month and at this time we are planning to bite the bullet for S Suites. I think next year we will only take 2 cruise one 7 day and one 10 day.

[Oceanwench]

Ray

When we were on the Westerdam in January we met a couple and found that we would be on the same ship on May 14th - we had already made plans to meet for cocktails after lifeboat drill being. When we ran into Jim Deering between the Mariner's Party and Suite buffet the first week, he asked if we were going to the CC'er party and I explained to him that we had already made other plans.

 

We didn't know exactly who you all were as I didn't pay any attention to all the names on the roll call board and being as there were around 70 people at the party, We weren't going to go around and ask people if they were cruise critic members. We did that once on another ship, and the people looked at us like we were crazy.

 

KK, we were the ones *without* the red hats and purple dresses!!! :D

 

Actually, since you said you read our roll call, you probably could have picked out me & DH. He was the guy in the power wheelchair. I was the one next to him!

I have written many times about the fact that DH is disabled and uses a power chair. That's how some CC lurkers spotted us!

[Oceanwench]

Candy,

 

I just looked at your new photos of the 5/14 cruise. Interesting to compare your SS with ours, as ours was handicap-accessible.

I can see why people rave about the size of the bathroom in the regular SS cabins! Ours did not have the double sink or shelves below.

Also, it appears the toilet was no in the shower -- ours was. In other words, when you pulled the shower curtain shut, you and the toilet were both in the shower! :eek:

 

That is the reason we have switched to a VA cabin for our next cruise.

 

Loved your pix -- especially Hunky Dory!

[kruzkeen]

When the Zuiderdam goes into dry dock in December the Library will be turned into an Exploration's Cafe - like that on the Ryndam.

And the Windstar Cafe will become a wine bar.

Talking about the Windstar Cafe - there are no free pastries there anymore. Instead they now sell "Dam" buns (gooey, cinnamon buns with icing) that are huge and cost $1.75 each.

KK:

I always look forward to your reviews and impressions. I think that you have sailed on many more HAL cruises than most of us have. If the Zuiderdam needs some work done on it after just three years, that is just what you reported. I do not see it being a case of being negative or positive.

 

I am interested in the item of the Windstar Cafe and have opened another thread. Thanks again for telling it as you see it. Ken.

[Gregg20]

I think the only way to avoid being flamed is to generalize the negatives. This way it forces people to inquire about your negative views and if anyone doesn't like what they hear you can come back with..."oh well you asked"!

[Shallow Hal]

:) I had a great time on my trip. The zuiderdam was beautiful. I felt the service and the crew were very nice. I was not impressed with Nassau Bahamas and don't ever plan on going back there.

[kryos]

We sail on June 4th and I am now getting a sick-to-my-stomach feeling. I hate we have spent all of that money on a crappy ship. I feel terrible :(

You didn't spend money on a "crappy" ship. The poster is pointing out in her review mostly items that will impact your cruise not one iota. What do you care if a door has a cracked pane of glass? You don't have to worry about fixing it.

 

A ship that gets as many passengers weekly as the Zuiderdam is gonna show signs of wear and tear ... and rather quickly too. A popular hotel will too. You don't have thousands of people a week using facilities without those facilities getting worn down a bit. But, as long as the items mentioned (unlike the refrigeration problem) are not ones that affect the quality of the cruise experience or the ammenities provided onboard, those things don't have to concern you. Enjoy your cruise and don't worry about them. Let HAL's maintenance staff worry about getting them fixed.

 

Now, the refrigeration problem ... that's something that could definitely affect the quality of a cruise, and I hope the people on that particular sailing got some sort of compensation for that particular glitch. Of course, it will be fixed and I am sure that by the time you sail on her, items like ice cream will be readily available. They'll "patch" the problem ... which is a perfectly acceptable short-term solution, and then make the permanent repairs when she goes in dry dock.

 

So, enjoy your cruise ... and don't let the items mentioned in the original poster's review affect your experience one iota. Most of them are not that important.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[Oceanwench]

You didn't spend money on a "crappy" ship. The poster is pointing out in her review mostly items that will impact your cruise not one iota. What do you care if a door has a cracked pane of glass? You don't have to worry about fixing it.

 

A ship that gets as many passengers weekly as the Zuiderdam is gonna show signs of wear and tear ... and rather quickly too. A popular hotel will too. You don't have thousands of people a week using facilities without those facilities getting worn down a bit. But, as long as the items mentioned (unlike the refrigeration problem) are not ones that affect the quality of the cruise experience or the ammenities provided onboard, those things don't have to concern you. Enjoy your cruise and don't worry about them. Let HAL's maintenance staff worry about getting them fixed.

 

Now, the refrigeration problem ... that's something that could definitely affect the quality of a cruise, and I hope the people on that particular sailing got some sort of compensation for that particular glitch. Of course, it will be fixed and I am sure that by the time you sail on her, items like ice cream will be readily available. They'll "patch" the problem ... which is a perfectly acceptable short-term solution, and then make the permanent repairs when she goes in dry dock.

 

So, enjoy your cruise ... and don't let the items mentioned in the original poster's review affect your experience one iota. Most of them are not that important.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

 

 

I don't know of anyone who received compensation on the 5/14 cruise.

I didn't expect any. ;)

[Candy]

VA does not have the double sink on Vista ships. Only SS, S and PS have the cool bathrooms. Cat S also has a dressing room with mirrored console and three more mirrored closets! We had 6167 HCP Cat S and it's creepy and poorly lighted (lit?).

 

Candy <-- books SS now

 

Candy,

 

I just looked at your new photos of the 5/14 cruise. Interesting to compare your SS with ours, as ours was handicap-accessible.

I can see why people rave about the size of the bathroom in the regular SS cabins! Ours did not have the double sink or shelves below.

Also, it appears the toilet was no in the shower -- ours was. In other words, when you pulled the shower curtain shut, you and the toilet were both in the shower! :eek:

 

That is the reason we have switched to a VA cabin for our next cruise.

 

Loved your pix -- especially Hunky Dory!

[heartofamerica]

Candy,

 

I just looked at your new photos of the 5/14 cruise. Interesting to compare your SS with ours, as ours was handicap-accessible.

I can see why people rave about the size of the bathroom in the regular SS cabins! Ours did not have the double sink or shelves below.

Also, it appears the toilet was no in the shower -- ours was. In other words, when you pulled the shower curtain shut, you and the toilet were both in the shower! :eek:

 

That is the reason we have switched to a VA cabin for our next cruise.

 

Loved your pix -- especially Hunky Dory!

 

That must have been some change for Handicap accessible cabins (don't know why though) - I had a category K inside cabin last year on the Zuiderdam, and the bathroom was rather roomy, but the toilet was not in the shower. I can't imagine even larger staterooms having that kind of setup.

[lovinsea]

Krazy Kruizers.....We are booked on the 12/03 sailing of the Zui, and did

not realize when we booked many months ago that it would be the last

sailing before drydock, which I am not happy about. Also, we are booked

in stateroom 7063, which is in the corridor that you said they had the

uneven floors. Did you happen to notice if this was the same on the

port side? (we are on the starboard side) Also what if we move to the

other side of the elevators, toward the aft side? I would cancel and rebook

on another ship, but since we already have our airfare, we would have to

pay additional to have them reissued. Any help would be appreciated, this

is stressing me out. I REALLY appreciate your review.

Thanks, Ann

[Ray-Barbara]

Lovinsea:

 

I wouldn't worry about the floors. There is just a little cement breaking up under the carpet in various locations, but nothing to get stressed out about. Everyone on our cruise last week made it through okay without breaking a leg. Sure, you notice it, but it isn't worth changing a cruise over. Have an enjoyable time. I wish I were cruising next December, on any ship!

 

Ray

[n2chocola8]

I have tried to find the link to these pictures that KK took. Could someone please tell me how to find that link?

Thank you,

[Krazy Kruizers]

The deck floor on the port side on the Rotterdam deck was very nice - no problems there.

I never said that I posted any pictures - never took any.

I do appreciate all the extra negatives that others have mentioned that now have been added to my list - i.e. - for example: I never mentioned anything about stains on rugs - but now that negative has been added to my "dozens and dozens" of negatives.

[Oceanwench]

VA does not have the double sink on Vista ships. Only SS, S and PS have the cool bathrooms. Cat S also has a dressing room with mirrored console and three more mirrored closets! We had 6167 HCP Cat S and it's creepy and poorly lighted (lit?).

 

Candy <-- books SS now

 

 

Candy,

 

I know that VA has a single sink -- that is what we have had in the past.

However, VA cabins that are accessible have a roll-in shower [no bath tub] that is user-friendly.

 

Last week aboard the Zuiderdam we had an SS cabin that was accessible. My point was that in the SS cabin, the toilet is part of the roll-in shower. In other words, when you pull the shower curtain shut, you and the toilet are inside the shower! Thus the toilet and floor around it gets soaked with the shower.

 

That is why we are going back to a VA cabin next cruise. DH needs a better layout in the bathroom.

[Oceanwench]

The deck floor on the port side on the Rotterdam deck was very nice - no problems there.

I never said that I posted any pictures - never took any.

I do appreciate all the extra negatives that others have mentioned that now have been added to my list - i.e. - for example: I never mentioned anything about stains on rugs - but now that negative has been added to my "dozens and dozens" of negatives.

 

 

And no one has mentioned the grammatical errors in the Daily Programs!!! :D

[Krazy Kruizers]

I was going to mention them - there were a lot more errors the first week - but hey - that would be just another negative that some of you would be certain to point out to others that I had written about.

I also read somewhere that mentioned mentioned about the library not having updated books - that person wasn't flamed not was it pointed out that they had posted a negative comment, but when I mentioned that we felt the library wasn't as good as on other ships - hey - another negative comment for me.

[Candy]

Here's my photo of the Cat S accessible shower (6167)

 

You can see the toilet on the right. If you close the shower curtain for privacy, it's so dark you can't see anything.

 

...snip...Last week aboard the Zuiderdam we had an SS cabin that was accessible. My point was that in the SS cabin, the toilet is part of the roll-in shower. In other words, when you pull the shower curtain shut, you and the toilet are inside the shower! Thus the toilet and floor around it gets soaked with the shower.

 

That is why we are going back to a VA cabin next cruise. DH needs a better layout in the bathroom.

[Oceanwench]

Candy,

 

That is the exact same layout as we had in our SS.

Just doesn't work.

Thanks for posting.

[ORDPLATAA]

I have been lurking on this thread with great interest as I will be leaving (along with 5 other members of my family) on the 6/18 sailing of the Zuiderdam. I am the "planner" of the family and have probably worried the most about this trip (we booked it last October). Having worked in the hotel industry for the past 15 years, it really is amazing how similar some of the issues that have been brought up in this thread are between a cruise ship and a hotel. Having worked for Hyatt, Westin and Sheraton hotels (would be on par with HAL), I can tell you wear and tear in popular resorts/hotels; staffing issues, design issues and even HVAC/refrigeration issues happen on property all the time.

 

I guess my point is, in reality, there is no way that we could have afforded a land based vacation at this quality level for six of us (including one that uses a wheelchair). While the OP has listed her impressions/opinions (and isn't that what this board is for?) I am taking them in perspective. Different groups of people on the same sailing have had different experiences - it doesn't make anyone right or wrong. What I am doing with this information is really looking at why I am on this cruise in the first place (to celebrate a family milestone) and focus on that. Period. Vacations (and travel in general) are emotional experiences and you just have to know what your goal is for that trip. For me, it is to spend time with my family that I haven't seen in 6 months, catch a few rays, have a few goofy tropical cocktails and NOT respond to my blackberry every 5 seconds. If I can accomplish this, and have a decent bed to sleep in, a few good meals (and who hasn't had at least one bad dinner on a vacation!) and a few laughs along the way; I will consider this trip a success.

 

PS - thanks for the great comments on HC accommodations. We have my mom and sister booked in a VA (8032) and it sounds like the VA's have a great HC configuration (especially in the bathroom). We have another of my sisters in #8034 and my partner and I are in #8038 (okay, caught us - we splurged on the SS cabin but, hey, I did all the work, right?!?!?).;)

[finest14]

I've only been on this board a few months, and we'll be sailing on the Zuiderdam July 16. Whether a review is positive, negative or in between has never mattered to me. It's like a movie review, it's just someone's opinion. I'm still taking my cruise, and I'm still going to see a movie I think I'll like, no matter what a critic might say.

 

What this board is for me is a fantastic place to gather information. Thanks to you who are experienced HAL cruisers, I got the orange cabana on Half Moon Cay before they all sold out, I got a great tux on eBay for the formal nights (for myself and two sons), I knew about soda cards and how to order them in advance, I'll make sure to fill out my imagration form online, I'll show up for embarcation a little later to avoid the crowds and much more.

 

Thanks again for all your help, reviews, and information. My family and I are looking forward to our first HAL cruise, and we'll let you know our opinions when we get back!

[Candy]

Hey, finest14... You're all set for a great cruise! I do a lot of research too, and I've come to understand that certain cruisers become protective of their favorite cruise line or ship (for me it's the Zuiderdam) and become somewhat hostile when a negative opinion is posted. Read each review with an understanding that it's only one person's opinion. You're not going to be looking for loose threads or fingerprints, so ignore them.

 

Candy <-- working on Zuidy V

 

I've only been on this board a few months, and we'll be sailing on the Zuiderdam July 16. Whether a review is positive, negative or in between has never mattered to me. It's like a movie review, it's just someone's opinion. I'm still taking my cruise, and I'm still going to see a movie I think I'll like, no matter what a critic might say.

 

What this board is for me is a fantastic place to gather information. Thanks to you who are experienced HAL cruisers, I got the orange cabana on Half Moon Cay before they all sold out, I got a great tux on eBay for the formal nights (for myself and two sons), I knew about soda cards and how to order them in advance, I'll make sure to fill out my imagration form online, I'll show up for embarcation a little later to avoid the crowds and much more.

 

Thanks again for all your help, reviews, and information. My family and I are looking forward to our first HAL cruise, and we'll let you know our opinions when we get back!

[HAL92]

I think that the Oosterdam and the Westerdam are much cleaner and less "abused" than the Zuiderdam from personal experience.