Week on Zuiderdam--First time HAL

[JNAL2T]

I just returned from a week cruise to the Caribbean on Zuiderdam. I enjoyed my cruise and several things about Holland America but I am not sure I will sail this line again. 

I loved:

yummy desserts, great foods, friendly service, the large size of our inside rooms

 

I was disappointed by:

The noise in our room..the walls actually shook from the sounds of BBs night club. (our fault for not researching location more but shouldn't the rooms be a bit insulated for noise?)

A strong smell of oil? cleaning materials? not sure but three different areas of the ship had fans running to dry out carpets or other spills. 

Lack of variety of foods and times of availability. I sailed with a girls group of five. We loved relaxing poolside or on the upper deck and chose to eat dinner later in the evenings. The Lido Dining room would close each evening around 8 and not reopen until 1030. We like to eat lunch late(and the Lido closed at 1) and then have a late dinner. We didn't want to eat in the dining room every night. We really would of liked an option besides the Dive In for late lunch. On port days, everyone boarding the ship wanted lunch one day and it was after regular lunch hours. The line for a burger at Dive In took 40 minutes..not my idea of relaxing. Two nights we missed dinner and waited until 1030 for the buffet to open and not fun to eat that late.

We booked the itinerary with set times to be in port and times changed. For instance, we were suppose to be on the HMC until 4 but last tender was at 3. I know times can change but we hated how the port days were shortened, I've not experienced that on other lines.

Lack of entertainment on sea days as compared to a port day. Movies were shown on the mainstage on port days but not sea days. I know you can watch movies on TV anytime but it would of been fun to see one on the big screen.

 

The boat rocked ALOT, I've cruised small ships before and not experienced as much movement. The Lido pool was dangerous to swim in several times and I was surprised it wasn't closed, especially after watching a child hit his head while dodging waves.

 

Of course we made the best of everything and had a great adventure. Not sure if our experiences were typical or not.

 

 

 

[Aquahound]

3 minutes ago, JNAL2T said:

 

Not sure if our experiences were typical or not.

 

 

Unfortunately, most of the negatives you mentioned have become a common theme on HAL so yes, it does seems to be typical.....the exceptions being the oil smell and ship movement.

[puppycanducruise]

Thanks for posting your comments.

I would suggest that room service is another good option for meals.

We are considering a cruise on the Zuiderdam.  What was your cabin number so we can avoid it, due to the noise?

 

[Krazy Kruizers]

Sorry you were disappointed by some items on HAL.

 

For the last several years, our HMC stops were always short with last tenders around 2:30 -- this is common.  HAL has been shortening times for several in nearly all ports thus the ships can go slower and save fuel.

 

Glad that you enjoyed the cruise itself.

[Roz]

Sorry your experience was less than stellar.  As far as the Lido closing at 1:00 PM for lunch, I've never experienced that.  They will close one side but not the whole thing. 

[kazu]

Thanks for your review.

 

Sorry to hear about your disappointment but like @Roz, I am perplexed by the Lido being closed at 1 pm.  We’ve never experienced that either.

[Himself]

Sorry some things disappointed you.  I have been on HAL for almost 24 years and on each cruise I was in the Lido lunch has been from 11:30 AM until 3:00 PM and sandwiches and hot dogs and ice cream and pizza are available until 5PM and on the Signature and Pinnacle Ships ,pizza is available until 11:30 PM.

[fatcat04]

I will say Neptune has made some parts of the Caribbean rather unpleasant this season. To say we hit rocky weather when on Nieuw Amsterdam at the beginning of the month would be an understatement. The Captain did his best but when Neptune  wants to rock n roll, he's the boss. 

Yeah, those lido hours seem off. I just pulled our my When and Wheres from  NA Jan 4-11, 2020 (can you say packrat? lol) and full lunch was always until at least 2pm and then select stations were open until 4:30. Dinner was 5:30 to 8:30 and night snack was 10:30-11:30. Room service is a 24/7 free option so there is that if you get peckish late night and the Dive In for lunch and dinner 11:30 to 7pm is a big go to for us several times a cruise. Too good to pass up. Even the Portobello mushroom burger is super.

 

Yeah our PCC warned us off the insides under BB Kings. There was no such venue when those ships were built so I doubt they thought they had cause to put in super industrial sound proofing, and I don't know if even that would actually sound proof it. The bass alone would probably rattle your teeth out. 

Edited January 26, 2020 by fatcat04

[JNAL2T]

2 hours ago, Roz said:

Sorry your experience was less than stellar.  As far as the Lido closing at 1:00 PM for lunch, I've never experienced that.  They will close one side but not the whole thing. 

yes I guess I should of said they close many things but not all..our group is just so use to variety on cruises at any time that the pizza/salad/dive in option got real old quickly.

[3rdGenCunarder]

I tend to eat on an earlier schedule than OP's group did, so the hours of food service generally work for me. Perhaps, the Lido appeared to be closed early because one side will close before "closing time," while the other side does stay open. If you walk through the wrong side, you'd think there was no food available.

 

That said, I agree that the hours should be longer. Not necessarily for full meal service, but for a snack. For me, it's that 8:30 to 10:30 time in the evening that bothers me. If I'm making it an early night, I'd like a cookie or two and a cup of tea. The tea is always available, but I have to remember to keep a cookie stash in my room if I want a bedtime snack. I know there's room service, but all I want is one or two cookies, and I have to go to the Lido anyway for tea (don't get me started on room service tea!), so it would be easy to pick up "a little something."

 

And to address the issue of a change in timing for HMC, it wasn't really a change. It's because of the way they list the schedule for a tender port. The schedule says when the ship will sail. If you're docked, you can arrive at the ship a few minutes before that time and be OK (although I recommend more than "a few minutes"). But because of the time it takes for people to tender, they have to put an earlier time on "last tender." 

 

[Homosassa]

Much of what you experienced are conditions that might be found at some point in time on any cruise on any line in any region of the world.

 

Carpets being cleaned and fans blowing them to dry them out: "Ship" happens and routine maintenance or needed repairs can and will occur .  Be prepared as you cruise in the future to experience such things as fresh varnish or paint being applied in areas of the ship, new wiring being run through the ceilings, or plumbing repairs with the attendant odors

 

Limited food and hours: Unless something drastically changed, the Lido buffet would never completely close at 1 PM. At some point, (usually around 2-3 PM, one side would be closed but the other would still be open). 

 

Yes, it would be closed for a brief period in the mid - late afternoon while the buffet was set up for dinner. Dinner is usually served in the Lido with hours overlapping dinner service in the Main Dining Room (about 5:30 - 9 PM in the Lido).

 

If one could not adjust to the brief periods of time that food may not be available on the Lido, there is a room service menu.

 

And yes, breaks in meal service in buffets (and dining rooms or other food locales) on any ship on any line will occur.

 

Shorten port times: Any tender port on any cruise line will provide the times that the ship is expected to arrive and depart at that port. 

 

Tendering will add a layer of travel time from the ship to shore that will fall into that schedule. As a result, one will not set foot on shore until some time after the scheduled arrival time and one will always have to take a take a tender back to the ship that allows for all crew and passengers to be back on the ship for the scheduled departure time.

 

For ports where the ship is still tied up, there will still be "shortened" shore time.  There may be delays in allowing passengers ashore due to problems in ship clearance and returning back to the ship will be requested a half hour before the scheduled departure time.

 

Side note: Any scheduled ports and times in port that are provided  at any point in the planning, booking or actual cruise can be changed depending on conditions that exist at the time of the cruise or the day of the port call.

 

Lack of entertainment on port days versus sea days: again, not unusual for any cruise on any line.

 

Ship rocking: Ships sail on water; rough seas occur.  If this was a new experience, then you have been fortunate and if you continue to cruise, it will happen again.

 

Noise in the cabin : Yeah, this is unfortunate and could have been  avoided by studying the deck plans to determine what is below, above and next to the various cabins before booking.

 

The "J" inside cabins on the Vista class on the Main decks were prime cabins for those of us who like inside cabins.  Before the changing of the foot print of the lower promenade deck, one always had to be careful of the cabin chosen because the night club was located above the forward "J" cabins on the port side . Cabins under the "Queen's Lounge" were safe because of the nature of the venue and the hours of activities in the lounge.

 

After the change, the Northern Lights Night Club was changed into the Gallery Bar. (One can still see the remnants of the Club if, when taking the back hall from center ship to the bar, one peers behind the curtains lining the passage. The glow in the dark stars are still on the wall or were when I last cruised the Zuiderdam).

 

The sedate Queen's Lounge was changed into the raucous BB King's venue which rendered the cabins below unlivable.

 

However, once again, choosing a cabin that is below, above or next to a public or service area will be noisy. (Be careful of the gallery areas below any cabin, one could end up over the pot dishwasher.) 

[RuthC]

4 hours ago, puppycanducruise said:

We are considering a cruise on the Zuiderdam.  What was your cabin number so we can avoid it, due to the noise?

On the Vista and Signature classes, the place to avoid is the J-category cabins on Main Deck, port side, slightly forward of the mid-ship elevators. 
The first 2-3 cabins closest to that elevator are all right (can't remember exactly), then the next 3-4 cabins are directly under the bandstand---those are the ones to stay away from! Forward of that, they are quiet again. Starboard side is safe from noise. 

[JNAL2T]

7 hours ago, puppycanducruise said:

Thanks for posting your comments.

I would suggest that room service is another good option for meals.

We are considering a cruise on the Zuiderdam.  What was your cabin number so we can avoid it, due to the noise?

 

we had cabins 1060 and 1054, for several cruises now I have chosen inside cabins instead of our typical balconies, I tend to sleep much better inside and we never go to the room until late anyways. These cabins are great size wise!! take earplugs

 

[Homosassa]

2 hours ago, RuthC said:

On the Vista and Signature classes, the place to avoid is the J-category cabins on Main Deck, port side, slightly forward of the mid-ship elevators. 
The first 2-3 cabins closest to that elevator are all right (can't remember exactly), then the next 3-4 cabins are directly under the bandstand---those are the ones to stay away from! Forward of that, they are quiet again. Starboard side is safe from noise. 

When my husband and I reconnoitered the starboard side hall outside the cabins during a lively performance in BB Kings, we could hear the noise in the hall starting from about the second cabin in from the mid ship elevators, past the cabins directly underneath the venue, and what we thought were several cabins past the overhead lounge.

 

It was very disappointing as those J cabins used to be our favorite insides.

[RuthC]

3 hours ago, Homosassa said:

When my husband and I reconnoitered the starboard side hall outside the cabins during a lively performance in BB Kings, we could hear the noise in the hall starting from about the second cabin in from the mid ship elevators, past the cabins directly underneath the venue, and what we thought were several cabins past the overhead lounge.

I've slept in many (if not most) of those cabins on one ship or another, and never heard a thing inside. 
My cabins have been all along the starboard side starting one or two up from the mid-ship elevators, and ending at the fire door. 
On one of those cruises friends were in a cabin on port side, slightly aft of where I was that cruise, and could hear every single thump. 

[Crew News]

The Zuiderdam Taco Bar is open until dinner time and is a good place for nachos and tacos when the Lido Market is closed..

[puppycanducruise]

Thanks to the OP and Ruth for the information on the cabins.

[vicd1969]

Your balanced review serves as a good indication of why HAL's prices on 7-day Caribbean itineraries are lower than Princess and Celebrity. HAL isn't as competitive in this sector, since it can't really take advantage of superior itineraries and doesn't offer the breadth or depth of shipboard activities as the other cruise lines. HAL also doesn't work well for most passengers who are on a later hour schedule. This is not a problem when you are exhausted after or have to get up early for a long shore excursion in a fascinating port, but that's not usually the case for most Caribbean destinations.

Edited January 27, 2020 by vicd1969

[fatcat04]

35 minutes ago, vicd1969 said:

Your balanced review serves as a good indication of why HAL's prices on 7-day Caribbean itineraries are lower than Princess and Celebrity. HAL isn't as competitive in this sector, since it can't really take advantage of superior itineraries and doesn't offer the breadth or depth of shipboard activities as the other cruise lines. HAL also doesn't work well for most passengers who are on a later hour schedule. This is not a problem when you are exhausted after or have to get up early for a long shore excursion in a fascinating port, but that's not usually the case for most Caribbean destinations.

What are the shipboard activities that warrant higher prices? Having not been on Princess or Celebrity, I am curious. 

[vicd1969]

3 minutes ago, fatcat04 said:

What are the shipboard activities that warrant higher prices? Having not been on Princess or Celebrity, I am curious. 

They have more activities staff, hosting more events. They have full shows in the main theater with live music and the production costs associated with them. Events such as the silent disco require equipment, just not labor. Also contests/game shows where ship officers are involved. Other cruisers can elaborate, this is just a quick list. 

[Tom O.]

I can understand the OP's complaints. However none of the issues listed would affect me.

We always get a room with a balcony, and because of that, we spend most of our time in our room.

We always get a room at or near the back of the ship, and have never been disturbed by noises. Hal should really do something about the noise from BB Kings. They should close those rooms that are affected and use that space for something else.

We never eat in the Lido. We eat in the MDR, Pinnacle Grill, or we have dinner from the MDR delivered to our room.

Also, we never attend any shows or activities.

So it depends on your cruising style.

Edited January 27, 2020 by Tom O.

[fatcat04]

1 minute ago, vicd1969 said:

They have more activities staff, hosting more events. They have full shows in the main theater with live music and the production costs associated with them. Events such as the silent disco require equipment, just not labor. Also contests/game shows where ship officers are involved. Other cruisers can elaborate, this is just a quick list. 

Oh okay. That helps. We saw some of that on Carnival and Costa years ago.

 

Yeah, none of that stuff appeals to us ( and we are 40 somethings) so I guess HAL really is a good fit for us. If all the main stage entertainment disappeared from HAL ships tomorrow, we wouldn't even notice but I know others really like lavish main stage entertainment and I get that. I can understand their frustration. I know some other cruise lines really go all out for their productions.

 

Now, we love live music and HAL has been really delivering on that though we'd really like a return to the classic piano bar and adding back the jazz trio too. 

[Boatdrill]

I was on the same cruise as the OP with a group of 20. 

From what she described, I believe my room was on the same deck as hers. 

 

Yes, there was an occasional varnish-like smell. Other people in our group, who were on different decks also noticed it.

Yes, there was a carpet dryer working nearly non-stop outside one of the rooms at the end of the hallway. 

 

Hours for HMC were standard: we arrived at 8:00 am and before 9:00, the tenders were operating and many were going ashore.  The ship was to depart the island at 4:00pm and the last tender back left at 3:00pm. We sailed around 4:00pm . The OP may recall that in other ports, the ship sailed slightly earlier than the posted departure time, which is common on HAL.

If all crew and pax are aboard, it's time to go. 

 

Our group had no trouble finding food to eat, whether by room service, dining room, Canaletto,  Pinnacle Grill, Lido Market, or Dive-In self help bar (tortilla chips, fresh guacamole, and a variety of salsas). We would meet nearly every afternoon at 5pm for wine on the back deck by the pool, and always found ample snacks...cheese, crackers, pre made Mediterranean appetizers, pizza, flavored breads, cookies, etc.available in Lido.  I understand that's not dinner, but food was available.  No one ventured to order at the Dive In during the cruise, as we find the midships pool area to be crowded and loud. 

 

The first night out from Ft Lauderdale was windy and there was noticeable ship movement.  Towards the end of the week,  now heading north, the  sea day between St Maarten and HMC also had wind and oncoming swells. The ship rode it well but yes, there was movement. Late that night, it seemed we went through a squall with heavy rain, and heavier seas, but by early morning, all was calm and we had a beautiful warm day on HMC with light rain and rainbows in the morning. It was a nice way to end the cruise before returning to Ft Lauderdale the next morning.  

 

I can't speak to sea day activities because we were in private seminars on those days. 

However, there were a few first time cruisers with us, and they had great time. 

 

  

 

Edited January 27, 2020 by Boatdrill

[JNAL2T]

On 1/26/2020 at 11:40 PM, Crew News said:

The Zuiderdam Taco Bar is open until dinner time and is a good place for nachos and tacos when the Lido Market is closed..

the first time I saw the Taco Bar I thought it looked good and grabbed a plate. Unfortunately I saw someone cough into their hand and proceed to pick up chips with their hands, I couldn't try it the rest of the week even though it looked good.

[FlorenceItaly]

53 minutes ago, JNAL2T said:

the first time I saw the Taco Bar I thought it looked good and grabbed a plate. Unfortunately I saw someone cough into their hand and proceed to pick up chips with their hands, I couldn't try it the rest of the week even though it looked good.

This is so unfortunate(and irritating).  I would have felt the same way you did!