Tell me about Zuiderdam please

[SEA58]

We haven't been on a Holland America ship in a very, very long time.  It was 1990, in fact.  So I'd love to hear from recent cruisers on Zuiderdam.  We're in our 60s.  We'll be cruising this summer.  One thing we're interested in is the As You Wish dining situation.  I've seen some negative comments on it regarding wait times, food quality, etc.  We like to not be locked into a set dining time -- just go when we want, depending on the day, usually somewhere between 6 and 6:30 pm.  Any thoughts on this dining choice?

 

Also, we enjoy nice bar/lounge spots for views and music.  Any suggestions on what you especially like will be appreciated.

 

Club Orange.  Is there any real strong reason to have it on this ship?  (Maybe it's no longer available after we've booked and paid for the cruise.)

 

Basically, I would love to hear from those who have been on Zuiderdam in the last few weeks or months and get your impression, likes and dislikes, suggestions and ideas for this ship.  We booked a Signature Suite on deck 6, if that matters.

 

Thanks!

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

It is a great ship . Very clean we are on it today.

[Gigi1977]

Love the Ocean Bar on this size ship.  It’s large with plenty of seating. 

[mawvkysc]

I’m interested too! I’ll be on the spring TA. 
 

How is the MDR temperature? I’m trying to plan my packing. I’m cold natured. 

[oakridger]

The Zuiderdam is on the World Cruise at the moment!  Read the "Live From" posts to learn about the ship, activities and menus.

 

4 hours ago, SEA58 said:

Also, we enjoy nice bar/lounge spots for views and music.  Any suggestions on what you especially like will be appreciated.

 

Ocean Bar for background music in the evenings.  Views from Crow's Nest and Seaview pool area.   I love the Signature Suites!!!

 

 

 

 

 

[The-Inside-Cabin]

The Zuiderdam is a great ship.  

[cruiseaholic78]

5 hours ago, SEA58 said:

Club Orange.  Is there any real strong reason to have it on this ship?  (Maybe it's no longer available after we've booked and paid for the cruise.)

We are booked for this October, to be honest for us the only real advantage is booking a guarantee and then buying C.O. to upgrade to the cabin of our choice. The price difference was not worth it for this cruise as the upgrade is the only real value for us and there are not as many (other) advantages with this ship versus the Pinnacle class ones. If you have already booked and paid it could be interesting for an upgrade otherwise all you get is OBC.

https://www.hollandamerica.com/content/dam/hal/inventory-assets/activity-types/dining/club-orange/Club_Orange_Benefits.pdf

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Google "Zuiderdam reviews". You will find dozens of videos, reviews and more.    

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Here is my review of a Zuiderdam signature suite

 

 

[ellieanne]

Of the Vista class, the Zuiderdam is my favorite. I love the art theme, and like remembering the floors based on the Commedia del Arte statues in the elevator lobbies.
But really, it's a great ship otherwise. My favorite places are either the Lido (when my who travelling party are together -- the large tables make it so easy for groups of 6-8 to gather together -- or the Ocean Bar for drinks & reading during the day. My husband really liked how easy it was on our cruise to find a lounger, especially since he preferred the ones well away from the edge of the pool, and he really enjoyed the music venues. I liked the "secret" path to my Deck 1 stateroom through the Main Show Lounge...so much easier to run up and down through those stairs than wait on an elevator. It was a great ship.
Temperature is subjective, and really dependent on location cruising. We loved our Canada/New England cruise on the Zuiderdam, but it was a bit overcast and chilly, so the dome roof was almost never opened. But on the Panama Canal cruise we had on the Zuiderdam, the roof was always open and it was quite warm. Even the temperature in the Main Dining Room was dependent on the weather outside, probably due to all the windows in the room. If you are chilly a lot of the time, I would suggest dressing in light layers so you can stay comfortable no matter the weather/temperature.

[Sea42]

6 hours ago, oakridger said:

The Zuiderdam is on the World Cruise at the moment!  Read the "Live From" posts to learn about the ship, activities and menus.

The activities and menus will be very different on the world cruise vs. other cruises, so best not to compare and have unrealistic expectations.

[mawvkysc]

4 hours ago, ellieanne said:

. My husband really liked how easy it was on our cruise to find a lounger, especially since he preferred the ones well away from the edge of the pool, and he really enjoyed the music venues

Thanks. This is good to hear as on the ship tours that I’ve watched there seems to be a plethora of tables and chairs near the covered pool and less loungers. Other Vista class ship tours don’t look to have that many tables.   

[SEA58]

11 hours ago, Gigi1977 said:

Love the Ocean Bar on this size ship.  It’s large with plenty of seating. 

Good to know!  Thanks.  We look forward to it.

[SEA58]

7 hours ago, cruiseaholic78 said:

We are booked for this October, to be honest for us the only real advantage is booking a guarantee and then buying C.O. to upgrade to the cabin of our choice. The price difference was not worth it for this cruise as the upgrade is the only real value for us and there are not as many (other) advantages with this ship versus the Pinnacle class ones. If you have already booked and paid it could be interesting for an upgrade otherwise all you get is OBC.

Thanks for this helpful info.  I think we will pass on C.O. as we have selected our cabin and would want to keep it.

[SEA58]

13 hours ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

Here is my review of a Zuiderdam signature suite

We viewed your Signature Suite Tour, The-Inside-Cabin, and enjoyed it very much.  Thanks!  It was nice to see how you managed the space so well and I will say the video convinced us that we want that extra space.  It's a splurge, but at this point in life we like to do that now and then.

[alwaysfrantic]

I sailed on her last fall.  We had a nice cruise.  The food was good.  We did, for the first time on a cruise, the open dining and we liked it.  Chose it for next trip as well.  We were in a Neptune so we had the club orange benefits.  There is a separate line to enter the dining room and you are seated right away.  I'm not sure how long the wait was in the other line but there were usually quite a few people.  I had to ask for the Club Orange menu.  It was never brought to me without asking.  

[SEA58]

alwaysfrantic, I sure appreciate your input.  Thanks.  We have decided to skip the CO benefits, but I like hearing your thoughts on it.  I think once we are on board and see how the dining experience is going we can make some kind of adjustment, if needed.  Glad to hear that you had a nice cruise!