please reassure me about upcoming cruise on Zuiderdam

[jenp123]

Hi everyone,

 

I have cruised many times on princess and have an Alaskan cruise booked on the Zuiderdam in September. I have been doing a lot of reading and have seen quite a few negative reviews of the ship. I am a week out from final payement and could do a cruise on the oosterdam but would miss out on the Tracy arm stop where I am planning on doing the small boat excursion from the ship. If anyone has any helpful information, I would appreciate it.

[sail7seas]

What are the things that concern you?

[jenp123]

Condition of ship, AC and plumbing issues....

 

I am pretty sure crew will be great and food will be good. I know those types of complaints are pretty subjective. I have booked a ve cabin on the 7th deck...

[Krazy Kruizers]

I would not be concerned about the ship.

But I would be concerned about the weather in Alaska in September. We had some bad weather one year -- lots of rain and cold.

Joanie -- another poster - they had some really bad storms the one year they did the Zuiderdam in September.

[Linda&Vern]

OP - Usually the posted comments are from "unhappy" cruisers. Sometimes they have had very valid complaints about the ship. Try to remember that happy cruisers usually don't post much about a ship. If the ship is in tip-top shape and their toilets work, posters don't usually mention it.

 

I can tell you that I was on the Zuiderdam in February/March for 11 days. She was extra clean, the staff was extra friendly, our bathroom worked appropriately, and the food was good. We had another great HAL cruise on the Zuiderdam. I would book a cruise on her again in a heartbeat.

Edited June 24, 2014 by Linda&Vern

[kjw869]

We were on the ship last month and had the same great service, food and crew that we've experienced on three previous cruises on the Zuiderdam. The condition of the ship was wonderful and we experienced no plumbing problems, nor did we here of any.

 

Tracy Arm is not be missed!

[IRL_Joanie]

I would not be concerned about the ship.

 

But I would be concerned about the weather in Alaska in September. We had some bad weather one year -- lots of rain and cold.

 

Joanie -- another poster - they had some really bad storms the one year they did the Zuiderdam in September.

 

 

As KK says we had bad weather, and I do mean BAD!!! But it was only 1 week and not all of the 7 days in that week. We were lucky enough to have had the most beautiful cruise weather the week before.

 

Look at the weather in your area. Can you say for sure what the weather will be with 100% accuracy? Nope, none of us can. Weather is up to Mother Nature, and all we can do is to go with the flow and keep a positive attitude:)

 

I loved every single cruise to Alaska we have been on, May, September and in 10 day July!! I can say that as of this moment, my favorite time to go to Alaska is the 2nd cruise week of May. I will know more when I get back near the end of July and let everyone know.

 

From all reports in the last few months, there are no reported problems with Zuiderdam and I hope we continue to read the positive reports of her.

 

Instead of worrying over the cruise (I know we all do it in the beginning) and what could possibly go wrong, look at it as an opportunity to go and be treated like the Rockefellers or ...

 

Joanie

[CowPrincess]

Hi everyone,

 

I have cruised many times on princess and have an Alaskan cruise booked on the Zuiderdam in September. I have been doing a lot of reading and have seen quite a few negative reviews of the ship. I am a week out from final payement and could do a cruise on the oosterdam but would miss out on the Tracy arm stop where I am planning on doing the small boat excursion from the ship. If anyone has any helpful information, I would appreciate it.

 

bolding mine

 

You do not want to miss that. (I haven't sailed on the Zuiderdam, but you do NOT want to miss Tracy Arm :) )

[AZNative2000]

Having done both those itineraries (Zuiderdam and Oosterdam), what you do NOT want to miss are the days spent in the Inland Waterway in each direction.

 

As the Oosterdam leaves from Seattle, you miss the wonderful scenery you'll see from the Zuiderdam. The inland route also features much calmer seas.

 

The thumbnails below are from our Zuiderdam cruise out of Vancouver. The last one is the entry to Tracy Arm.

 

Cheers!

[sapper1]

I just spent 29 consecutive days on the Zuiderdam in April and May. We had no issues with the condition of the ship. The plumbing and AC seemed to work. I only heard one report of a cabin with an AC problem.

 

The food was good and the crew seemed happy. All in all it was a good cruise from Fort Lauderdale to Alaska and back to Vancouver.

 

There was some extreme balcony maintenance taking place on the starboard side which caused a number of cabins a lot of grief. A special crew was aboard to do it and there was a lot of grinding, dust and paint chips. The noise made it difficult for our friends to use their balcony and their cabin was dirty from all the tracking through by workers.

 

Now I was also on the Zuiderdam when she seemed to be having all her issues two years ago and I must say this last cruise was a pleasant surprise because I wasn't expecting much. Things are humming along nicely right now.

[frankc98376]

We were on Zuiderdam in May for 11 nights and the ship was in great shape. I heard no one mention anything about A/C or plumbing. I know she had some issues in the past but appears all has been corrected.

 

The only bad part about our trip was that we had to leave the ship at the end

 

We were on Zuiderdam's first Alaska cruise so the Tracy Arm excursion hadn't started yet. IMHO this is the best of Alaska- you can do Tracy Arm in a small boat and get much closer to everything then experience Glacier Bay on Zuiderdam.

 

We sailed Oosterdam out of Seattle last year in May and couldn't get into Tracy Arm due to ice. We'll keep trying and will get there :)

 

BTW- we've booked Zuiderdam next year for 15 night Fort Lauderdale to Rome

Edited June 24, 2014 by frankc98376

[Typhoon1]

We have sailed her twice and never had any problems. I'd sail her tomorrow without any hesitation if the opportunity presented itself.

[jenp123]

Thank you for all of the replies. I think I was reading a few too many reviews and posts. I will be making final payment next week and booking my Tracy arm excursion

[Typhoon1]

Thank you for all of the replies. I think I was reading a few too many reviews and posts. I will be making final payment next week and booking my Tracy arm excursion

 

Take the reviews with a grain of salt. Don't believe everything you read.

[Sam.Seattle]

Hi everyone,

 

I have cruised many times on princess and have an Alaskan cruise booked on the Zuiderdam in September. I have been doing a lot of reading and have seen quite a few negative reviews of the ship. I am a week out from final payement and could do a cruise on the oosterdam but would miss out on the Tracy arm stop where I am planning on doing the small boat excursion from the ship. If anyone has any helpful information, I would appreciate it.

You will love the small boat excursion! We have been to AK many times and the small boat takes you right up to glacier which is simply amazing! We also saw bears along the shore and stopped to see several waterfalls.

 

Don't miss it!

[Susie51]

The scenery is so much better leaving from Vancouver, and Tracey Arm is a "Must See." I think you have made the right choice.

[aswamper]

We have sailed the Zuiderdam four times as recently as January. Wonderful Crew! Ship was in fine shape. I read a negative review of one of our cruises one time. Most of the complaints were downright lies or trivial. Just go and enjoy. If you want to find things wrong you can but you will ruin your cruise!

[Lizzie68]

We have sailed the Zuiderdam four times as recently as January. Wonderful Crew! Ship was in fine shape. I read a negative review of one of our cruises one time. Most of the complaints were downright lies or trivial. Just go and enjoy. If you want to find things wrong you can but you will ruin your cruise!

 

Dumb question - how do you know the complaints were downright lies?

[Lizzie68]

To the OP - I now have first-hand knowledge that Tracy Arm is fabulous and not to be missed. Do it!!:)

[RuthC]

Dumb question - how do you know the complaints were downright lies?

 

Not a dumb question at all. Just because someone doesn't personally experience a problem' date=' doesn't mean the problem didn't exist.

 

I sailed on the Zuiderdam during one of the periods when she was having severe plumbing problems. No doubt about it, there was a serious problem, and it took a long time to be fixed.

But it was also a fabulous cruise, and I would not hesitate to sail on this ship again.[/color']

[aswamper]

Dumb question - how do you know the complaints were downright lies?

 

1 He complained that there were no real flowers on the ship! Every table has fresh flowers.

 

2. He complained that the menu in the Vista Dining Room only had seafood on the menu. The offer a New York Strip Steak every night as an alternative. The other two I don't remember but I do remember them being false accusations about that particular cruise.

 

One of his complaints was that the carpet near one of the elevators was separating at the seam

[aswamper]

Ruth: I have had plumbing problems and that is a legitimate complaint, but to say there were not any fresh flowers on the ship or that the Vista Menu only had seafood is a downright lie!

[Langoustine]

Usually the posted comments are from "unhappy" cruisers. Sometimes they have had very valid complaints about the ship. Try to remember that happy cruisers usually don't post much about a ship. If the ship is in tip-top shape and their toilets work, posters don't usually mention it.

 

Very true. I have seen several posts from people unhappy about the Veendam in 2011, but my wife and I had absolutely no complaints about her when we were on her that year. We had nothing to post.

[Lizzie68]

1 He complained that there were no real flowers on the ship! Every table has fresh flowers.

 

2. He complained that the menu in the Vista Dining Room only had seafood on the menu. The offer a New York Strip Steak every night as an alternative. The other two I don't remember but I do remember them being false accusations about that particular cruise.

 

One of his complaints was that the carpet near one of the elevators was separating at the seam

 

Ah, I see - it was one particular complainer you were referring to. I didn't understand that from your post. My bad, I guess. But I wonder what his motive was in "lying" about the ship. Just to add, I have seen some fairly threadbare carpet in some areas on a ship, but they seem to replace pieces fairly regularly.

Edited June 26, 2014 by Marco's Tia

[CowPrincess]

1 He complained that there were no real flowers on the ship! Every table has fresh flowers.

 

2. He complained that the menu in the Vista Dining Room only had seafood on the menu. The offer a New York Strip Steak every night as an alternative. The other two I don't remember but I do remember them being false accusations about that particular cruise.

 

One of his complaints was that the carpet near one of the elevators was separating at the seam

 

I'd love to read that review ;) Do you have a link to it, or an approximate date?