Have you been on the Zuiderdam recently?

[wags]

I have a deposit on a cabin for a holiday cruise and have been reading some member reviews that are not encouraging. They mention worn and dirty areas, plumbing problems, unappetizing food and over-worked staff. However, these are rather old reviews and I was hoping for more recent experiences. If you can offer some input I would be very grateful. My final payment is due in a few days and I want to be sure of the ship's condition. This will be my 21st cruise so I'm not a novice and don't expect things to be perfect just in acceptable condition. Please help if you can. Thanks.

[RJ2002]

I have a deposit on a cabin for a holiday cruise and have been reading some member reviews that are not encouraging. They mention worn and dirty areas, plumbing problems, unappetizing food and over-worked staff. However, these are rather old reviews and I was hoping for more recent experiences. If you can offer some input I would be very grateful. My final payment is due in a few days and I want to be sure of the ship's condition. This will be my 21st cruise so I'm not a novice and don't expect things to be perfect just in acceptable condition. Please help if you can. Thanks.

 

I have a cruise coming up on the Zuiderdam in April, and I too have read some of the recent reviews. It's interesting that, if you follow threads posted here vs. the reviews, you don't always get the same message. Most recent comments on the Zuiderman posted in threads have been generallly favorable.

[canadianbear]

There were two recent threads on the Zuiderdam from the Alaska August 31st cruise by Charlie'sPet and Startwin....I don't know how to attach the file but just search maybe their names and you should easily find them.

 

We are leaving on the Z on Saturday but that won't help you soon enough.

[kjw869]

We were on the Zuiderdam on B2B cruises in May. The food was great, the ship was not dirty and the plumbing worked fine.

 

If this is your 21st cruise, I'm sure you read negative things about other ships that you didn't experience on those cruises.

 

The Zuiderdam is a wonderful ship with a wonderful crew. Enjoy your cruise.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Links to recent reviews:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1912200

 

 

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1907116

[zookiebird]

We were on the Zuiderdam 3 months ago. I'd be hard pressed to come up with any complaints. We found here to be a beautiful ship. The staff, food, staterooms and amenities were all outstanding. I'd have no hesitation whatsoever in sailing on her again. You're going to have a great time. Enjoy!!

[aggie1r]

My mom, sister and I cruised to Alaska on the Z'dam from Aug. 10-17 this year. We loved the ship and found nothing to complain about! I, too, had read those bad reviews so I was looking to see what these other cruisers reported-- and didn't find anything. The food was fantastic, everything looked very clean, and we never had a problem w/the toilet or any other plumbing. I think you'll have a fabulous time!

 

aggie

[wags]

Thank you all for making my decision easier. I can smell the sea air already!

[startwin]

I was on the Zuiderdam in April/May 2012, for 22 days of non-working toilets and poor a/c, as well as many other problems. However, I could not fault the crew, the food in the MDR or the general enjoyment of the cruise. We had a blast.

 

I just got off the Zuiderdam last Saturday - keeping in mind that I was in a Neptune suite so the overall experience was not the same:rolleyes: - but I can happily report that the ship is in generally good shape, and most of the issues from last year seem to have been resolved. Again, we had a great time.

 

Make your final payment and go ready to enjoy yourself. You won't be disappointed. Don't despair if you find some public toilets not functioning - it's nowhere near as bad as last year:eek: The a/c is spotty in places too. But overall, the ship is fine, the crew is wonderful, and the MDR food is still superior. (Apart from the desserts - they look lovely but taste bland, just as on most of the HAL ships!)

[fm6175]

We sailed the Z Jan 2014 . No problems to report . Enjoyed the vibe of the ship . Great crew . Would not hesitate to sail on her again .

 

 

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[MermaidWatcher]

My wife and I just sailed the Aug 31 inside passage on Zuiderdam and had a very positive experience. We were very hesitant also, because of the large number of negatives seen about this ship, but the problems seem to have been addressed.

The ship is well maintained and clean, staff very helpful without making a nuisance of themselves, and the entertainment was excellent.

On a couple of occasions, I did not care for many of the Lido dining selections, but that is just my personal food tastes, and I was still able to find something tasty to eat within the offerings.

We thought the MDR was above average in it's selections, and everything we had was very tasty.

We did discover a couple of the areas on deck that confirmed the complaints about some sewer smells, but these were in very out of the way, pretty non public areas of the lower decks, that we found just wandering around. No problems in the main public areas, halls, or stateroom.

I would not hesitate to recommend this ship.

[texasnana]

We cruised Aug 3 and never had a problem with the ship. Loved it and loved our room, staff and shows. WE had a great time.

[Crew News]

We were on a b2b on the Zuiderdam in May 2013 and during that time I posted a daily blog (semi-daily report) if you are interested. After meeting the Hotel Director at our M&G, he stopped by our room to check on us. He even stopped to chat while waiting in the pizza line with me.

 

The food was great but the personal service from the crew was the highlight.

 

We will be back on the "Z" for a 10-day Sunfarer to the Panama Canal in Nov 2013 and I will do a daily report on the ship a bit closer to your cruise date.

[gerryl12]

We were on the Zuiderdam in May 2013 and thought everything was great.

[Coopysmom]

I just got off the zuiderdam yesterday. I'm going to write a full review in the next couple of days.

 

I would travel again on the zuiderdam, I didn't find any repair issues (at least major). Towards the front of the ship there was a sewage smell, we were toward the back of the ship and didn't notice the smell back there.

 

A lot of the crew are finishing their contracts soon, I'm sure that's why some seem a little over worked. We met a couple crew members that left the ship when we did.

 

Food was the best I've had on a dam ship. No complaints here!

 

Compared to the westerdam, I would prefer the zuiderdam.