Thoughts on Recent Zuiderdam Cruise

[ZAMOST]

My quick summary:

1) Spent extra day and a half in Vancouver after the cruise, and was well worth it. Weather was fantastic, and city was easy to explore with walking
2) We were family of six, four adult children in their 20s.
3) Chose HAL solely for the itinerary and the general impression from message boards that this cruise line and this specific itinerary was the among the best for Alaska.
4) Typical large cruise issues for us. Food was average; we didn't go to too many of the entertainment shows. Boat was okay, nothing fantastic. Crew was very friendly, especially in the dining room.
5) Enjoyed our balcony and would do it again, but to save money, doesn't seem to be a necessity at all.
6) Wine card was a good deal.
7) We had free style dining, but the system that allows reservations for certain times, and not for others made little sense.
8) Even after a week, I still found eating on the Lido deck for breakfast and lunch confusing and crowded.
9) All three excursions arranged privately and not thru the cruise line. Far and away, the best was our Juneau trek to Mendenhall glacier, and hiking on the glacier with crampons through Beyond Alaska. Good physical condition required to hike there, but the highlight of our trip. Skagway was a 90" tour into the Yukon, culminating in a horseback ride of an hour or so...fun, but not overwhelming. And in Ketchikan, we kayaked...a vigorous, but invigorating experience, especially when we were out in open waters for a bit.

Would I do HAL again? Probably not, unless there was an itinerary that could only be reached with that cruise line. Or, if we travelled with our children again, and were trying to cut costs. This isn't really a specific criticism of HAL, just perhaps any large ship of comparable cruise lines. Otherwise, I suspect that my wife and I would travel on a much smaller vessel, with perhaps more costs included in the upfront payments.

We did have a good time. Alaska was beautiful.

Happy to answer any questions.

[Ms VT]

How strenuous was the glacier trek?

[sportsmum]

We did the trek with Beyond Alaska last year. 2,not so fit, adults and 2 teenage boys. We adults are not couch potatoes, but not fitness buffs either. It was great. We went at our pace and although we were tired afterwards we were not exhausted or in pain! We felt we had earned our dinner that night.

The pace was set by us. He said we were doing fine timewise and we were done with plenty of time to spare. Our guide did say that he had done a tour where someone who did not want to complete the hike was escorted back by another guide.

My footwear was the wrong kind and he made a quick detour and found me a proper pair of boots for the crampons. Very accommodating to us and great fun for the boys. I had also watched a video of the tour on the internet. Can't remember where but you could google it.

[queen_kathy1]

Our family was on the June 20th Zuiderdam sailing. I'll add my thoughts to your list.

Things we liked:
* Vancouver - Lynn Valley suspension bridge (free and fantastic!) and Stanley Park. Stayed at the Hyatt for $80 using Priceline. Great hotel in a great location.
* Embarkation was pretty good - about 20min. We boarded at 1pm and was directed to go to the Lido with everyone else. Announcement came at 1:30pm that people could go to their staterooms.
* Our luggage was on piled in the elevator landing of our deck with everyone else's shortly in the early afternoon. We wheeled it to our cabin ourselves. Never got our luggage so quickly before! We were unpacked long before sail-away.
* Balcony cabin. This was our 8th cruise, first time with a balcony. It cost a lot more money than we're used to spending, but was worth it for Alaska. We were port side and had great views of the glaciers from the comfort of our room instead of jockeying for position up on deck with the other passengers. Plus it's so nice to be able to easily step inside our cabin to warm up or grab something - can't beat that convenience.
* Our bed and linens were so comfortable. A++ to HAL. And we loved our towel animals!
* Pizza. We thought HAL's was much better than RCCL and Princess.
* Fresh flowers everywhere on the boat - thought these were just gorgeous. Every table in the Lido had a beautiful flowering orchid on it.
* Shows - loved the illusionist and comedian.
* Food - gets a passing grade in the dining room. Lido was hit/miss. Not the most memorable but definitely satisfactory.
* Galley tour - a chef making marzipan animals let us walk away with a few of them.
* Weather - we were rained out in Juneau but had cloudy/sunny skies for the rest of our trip which was ok with us. The forecast had been pure rain for our entire cruise so we went with very low expectations and ended up pleasantly surprised.
* Alaska was beautiful. Loved sailing the inside passage and to Tracy Arm and Glacier Bay.
* Skagway - we rented a car and drove to Carcross and Emerald Lake. Very easy to do, beautiful views, avoided the crowds and saved us a lot of money for our group of 4. We were able to stamp our passports in Carcross with 2 Yukon passport stamps and the US border guard gave us a Skagway passport stamp when we re-entered the US. That was neat.
* 2 days post-cruise - we went to Whistler and enjoyed the scenic drive (road work mostly complete, hardly any delay) and saw several Olympic venues. We also drove down to Washington state and took the Boeing tour in Everett and went on to Seattle.

Things we didn't like:
* Muster drill took a long time - longer than any of our other sailings. They shouted out passenger names to take attendance and we all had to wait while security went to look for people who chose not to show up. We saw security escort some people to the drill. It felt like an eternity standing there like sardines on the promenade deck in our life vests.
* Our dining room servers were so slow - we had the 7:45pm seating and we missed the 9:30pm shows the first two nights. Service did not improve much after we pointed this out to the head waiter.
* Cabin cleaning came late for us each day - after 12pm. We have been used to having our cabin cleaned by the time we returned from breakfast around 9:30/10am. We were greeted by another passenger's hair in our bathtub when we first moved in to our cabin and noticed ours stuck around throughout the sailing.
* Balconies are just hosed down after every sailing. Glass was so grimy - I wish I had brought Windex with me. A little bit of extra effort by HAL to keep balcony glass and ship windows cleaner for Alaska viewing would go a long way.
* Some areas of the ship are very tired - the lounge chairs are so beat up, many had ripped cushions with stuffing coming out.
* HAL shut down the pools at 9pm and the hot tubs at 10pm. Hot tubs were often closed. After dinner swims were not an option on this boat which was very disappointing to us.
* Polar bear swim was a joke - the MC just tossed some (Lido) ice cubes "from Glacier Bay" into the deck 9 aft pool - what a waste of time.
* TV channel options were very few. Never watched so much of CNN in my life.
* No country of origin is identified on the ID badges of the ship staff. We loved seeing where people were from on our past sailings without feeling like we were intruding by having to ask.
* Got a $50 parking ticket outside Canada Place after stopping for just a minute to take a picture of the ship after we disembarked. My parents and husband remained in the car while I quickly popped out. We saw some cars mixed in with the tour buses so we thought it would be ok for just a minute to stop there. I thought the worst case scenario would be that they would be told to move the car. Instead, all of the cars were ticketed in quick order with no discussion or warning from the dismissive ticket writer. Tickets can only be disputed in person and I'm not from Vancouver. Ugly cash grab from the city of Vancouver.


We did enjoy our cruise to spectacular Alaska, but while acknowledging that we chose to splurge for balcony cabins, we spent far more on this sailing than any of our other cruises so we also expected more. We are truly not fussy people but we felt the service, cleanliness and condition of this ship was not even close to what we have experienced on RCCL, Celebrity and Princess. Sure we can overlook imperfections, but there were too many on this sailing so we also will likely not sail with HAL again. We also chose this sailing due to the itinerary and we're glad we did because we saw other ships sailing in open water while we were in the inside passage, and we saw no other major cruise line while we were in Tracy Arm and in Glacier Bay. This really made the cruise for us.

[Krazy Kruizers]

My quick summary:

1) Spent extra day and a half in Vancouver after the cruise, and was well worth it. Weather was fantastic, and city was easy to explore with walking
2) We were family of six, four adult children in their 20s.
3) Chose HAL solely for the itinerary and the general impression from message boards that this cruise line and this specific itinerary was the among the best for Alaska.
4) Typical large cruise issues for us. Food was average; we didn't go to too many of the entertainment shows. Boat was okay, nothing fantastic. Crew was very friendly, especially in the dining room.
5) Enjoyed our balcony and would do it again, but to save money, doesn't seem to be a necessity at all.
6) Wine card was a good deal.
7) We had free style dining, but the system that allows reservations for certain times, and not for others made little sense.
8) Even after a week, I still found eating on the Lido deck for breakfast and lunch confusing and crowded.
9) All three excursions arranged privately and not thru the cruise line. Far and away, the best was our Juneau trek to Mendenhall glacier, and hiking on the glacier with crampons through Beyond Alaska. Good physical condition required to hike there, but the highlight of our trip. Skagway was a 90" tour into the Yukon, culminating in a horseback ride of an hour or so...fun, but not overwhelming. And in Ketchikan, we kayaked...a vigorous, but invigorating experience, especially when we were out in open waters for a bit.

Would I do HAL again? Probably not, unless there was an itinerary that could only be reached with that cruise line. Or, if we travelled with our children again, and were trying to cut costs. This isn't really a specific criticism of HAL, just perhaps any large ship of comparable cruise lines. Otherwise, I suspect that my wife and I would travel on a much smaller vessel, with perhaps more costs included in the upfront payments.

We did have a good time. Alaska was beautiful.

Happy to answer any questions.

Thanks for your report.

Sorry you didn't like HAL.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Our family was on the June 20th Zuiderdam sailing. I'll add my thoughts to your list.

Things we liked:
* Vancouver - Lynn Valley suspension bridge (free and fantastic!) and Stanley Park. Stayed at the Hyatt for $80 using Priceline. Great hotel in a great location.
* Embarkation was pretty good - about 20min. We boarded at 1pm and was directed to go to the Lido with everyone else. Announcement came at 1:30pm that people could go to their staterooms.
* Our luggage was on piled in the elevator landing of our deck with everyone else's shortly in the early afternoon. We wheeled it to our cabin ourselves. Never got our luggage so quickly before! We were unpacked long before sail-away.
* Balcony cabin. This was our 8th cruise, first time with a balcony. It cost a lot more money than we're used to spending, but was worth it for Alaska. We were port side and had great views of the glaciers from the comfort of our room instead of jockeying for position up on deck with the other passengers. Plus it's so nice to be able to easily step inside our cabin to warm up or grab something - can't beat that convenience.
* Our bed and linens were so comfortable. A++ to HAL. And we loved our towel animals!
* Pizza. We thought HAL's was much better than RCCL and Princess.
* Fresh flowers everywhere on the boat - thought these were just gorgeous. Every table in the Lido had a beautiful flowering orchid on it.
* Shows - loved the illusionist and comedian.
* Food - gets a passing grade in the dining room. Lido was hit/miss. Not the most memorable but definitely satisfactory.
* Galley tour - a chef making marzipan animals let us walk away with a few of them.
* Weather - we were rained out in Juneau but had cloudy/sunny skies for the rest of our trip which was ok with us. The forecast had been pure rain for our entire cruise so we went with very low expectations and ended up pleasantly surprised.
* Alaska was beautiful. Loved sailing the inside passage and to Tracy Arm and Glacier Bay.
* Skagway - we rented a car and drove to Carcross and Emerald Lake. Very easy to do, beautiful views, avoided the crowds and saved us a lot of money for our group of 4. We were able to stamp our passports in Carcross with 2 Yukon passport stamps and the US border guard gave us a Skagway passport stamp when we re-entered the US. That was neat.
* 2 days post-cruise - we went to Whistler and enjoyed the scenic drive (road work mostly complete, hardly any delay) and saw several Olympic venues. We also drove down to Washington state and took the Boeing tour in Everett and went on to Seattle.

Things we didn't like:
* Muster drill took a long time - longer than any of our other sailings. They shouted out passenger names to take attendance and we all had to wait while security went to look for people who chose not to show up. We saw security escort some people to the drill. It felt like an eternity standing there like sardines on the promenade deck in our life vests.
* Our dining room servers were so slow - we had the 7:45pm seating and we missed the 9:30pm shows the first two nights. Service did not improve much after we pointed this out to the head waiter.
* Cabin cleaning came late for us each day - after 12pm. We have been used to having our cabin cleaned by the time we returned from breakfast around 9:30/10am. We were greeted by another passenger's hair in our bathtub when we first moved in to our cabin and noticed ours stuck around throughout the sailing.
* Balconies are just hosed down after every sailing. Glass was so grimy - I wish I had brought Windex with me. A little bit of extra effort by HAL to keep balcony glass and ship windows cleaner for Alaska viewing would go a long way.
* Some areas of the ship are very tired - the lounge chairs are so beat up, many had ripped cushions with stuffing coming out.
* HAL shut down the pools at 9pm and the hot tubs at 10pm. Hot tubs were often closed. After dinner swims were not an option on this boat which was very disappointing to us.
* Polar bear swim was a joke - the MC just tossed some (Lido) ice cubes "from Glacier Bay" into the deck 9 aft pool - what a waste of time.
* TV channel options were very few. Never watched so much of CNN in my life.
* No country of origin is identified on the ID badges of the ship staff. We loved seeing where people were from on our past sailings without feeling like we were intruding by having to ask.
* Got a $50 parking ticket outside Canada Place after stopping for just a minute to take a picture of the ship after we disembarked. My parents and husband remained in the car while I quickly popped out. We saw some cars mixed in with the tour buses so we thought it would be ok for just a minute to stop there. I thought the worst case scenario would be that they would be told to move the car. Instead, all of the cars were ticketed in quick order with no discussion or warning from the dismissive ticket writer. Tickets can only be disputed in person and I'm not from Vancouver. Ugly cash grab from the city of Vancouver.


We did enjoy our cruise to spectacular Alaska, but while acknowledging that we chose to splurge for balcony cabins, we spent far more on this sailing than any of our other cruises so we also expected more. We are truly not fussy people but we felt the service, cleanliness and condition of this ship was not even close to what we have experienced on RCCL, Celebrity and Princess. Sure we can overlook imperfections, but there were too many on this sailing so we also will likely not sail with HAL again. We also chose this sailing due to the itinerary and we're glad we did because we saw other ships sailing in open water while we were in the inside passage, and we saw no other major cruise line while we were in Tracy Arm and in Glacier Bay. This really made the cruise for us.

Thanks for adding your thoughts.

[Teton cowgirl]

We sail the Zuiderdam in 18 days, so your postings are appreciated.

[Mr. Oregon]

Would I do HAL again? Probably not, unless there was an itinerary that could only be reached with that cruise line. Or, if we travelled with our children again, and were trying to cut costs. This isn't really a specific criticism of HAL, just perhaps any large ship of comparable cruise lines. Otherwise, I suspect that my wife and I would travel on a much smaller vessel, with perhaps more costs included in the upfront payments.


Curious what other cruise lines you have been on, and how you would compare them to HAL - differences in cabins, food, available shipboard activities etc. We love HAL, but are interested in expanding our cruise experiences as well.

[amster65]

Whatever you do, dont pay that parking ticket, unless you live in Vancouver. I have gotten parking tickets in NY and Cleveland, never payed them. They only come after you for moving violations.

[Jenbo57]

ZAMOST and queen_kathy1 --

I'm with you when you say you most likely won't sail with HAL again! We got back from our Alaska trip on the Westerdam on Sunday, and I must say, I was underwhelmed! My husband and I have been scratching our heads since we returned, trying to figure out exactly what it was we didn't like, but we can't put our finger on any one thing! For lack of a better description, I guess we just didn't like the "feel" of the whole experience. (I probably spent so much time on the HAL boards, reading all of the glowing comments of the HAL loyalists, that I was expecting some sort of mystical experience that never really transpired. ;) )

All in all, I came away feeling that HAL's just another mainstream cruise line that may be trying a little too hard to be anything but that. My thoughts, anyway...

[lauramiddl]

We live in Seattle and travel to vancouver regularly. We got a parking ticket several years ago that we ignored. A few months later, we got letters from a US based collection agency so we paid up, including a penalty. If we get one in the future we will just pay it.

[jeniferlyn]

I recently booked our first HAL cruise to Alaska for next June aboard the Zuiderdam. I am getting a little nervous after reading a few negative reviews. We have cruised several times before on RCCL and Carnival. I guess all cruises will have some positive and negative reviews.

[queen_kathy1]

Whatever you do, dont pay that parking ticket, unless you live in Vancouver. I have gotten parking tickets in NY and Cleveland, never payed them. They only come after you for moving violations.

I wish I could ignore the parking ticket - but we had an Avis rental car. The city will certainly send the bill to Avis if I don't pay it, and I'm sure Avis will include a hefty administrative fee when charging my credit card to pay the fine.

[queen_kathy1]

I recently booked our first HAL cruise to Alaska for next June aboard the Zuiderdam. I am getting a little nervous after reading a few negative reviews. We have cruised several times before on RCCL and Carnival. I guess all cruises will have some positive and negative reviews.

I wouldn't worry about it - as I said before, the HAL itinerary made this sailing worthwhile. Since we had never been to Alaska before, we wanted to have the best itinerary possible and we desired the round-trip itinerary to simplify our flights from Toronto.

There was nothing significant that happened that made our sailing a "bad" cruise. It was just "fine."

A further comment I would add is that one thing I read from other posters before I left is that you go to Alaska for the destination, not the ship. So I really kept that in mind on this sailing. The problem is that when it's raining or dark outside, there isn't much to do inside the ship because there aren't as many amenities as on a larger ship. Something like the indoor pool that they did have, they closed early. Really, why do that? Does it cost them a lot of extra money to keep the pool and hot tubs open?

[queen_kathy1]

ZAMOST and queen_kathy1 --

I'm with you when you say you most likely won't sail with HAL again! We got back from our Alaska trip on the Westerdam on Sunday, and I must say, I was underwhelmed! My husband and I have been scratching our heads since we returned, trying to figure out exactly what it was we didn't like, but we can't put our finger on any one thing! For lack of a better description, I guess we just didn't like the "feel" of the whole experience. (I probably spent so much time on the HAL boards, reading all of the glowing comments of the HAL loyalists, that I was expecting some sort of mystical experience that never really transpired. ;) )

All in all, I came away feeling that HAL's just another mainstream cruise line that may be trying a little too hard to be anything but that. My thoughts, anyway...

My impression is that HAL did not try too hard. Additional comments on the service include:

When I asked why the hot tubs couldn't be opened before 10am, since we went for a 9am swim one morning, I was told by the HAL deck staff that "the captain would be mad."

They decided to close half of the deck area by the inside pool to clean the floor at 3pm in the afternoon (no specific reason that I could see, like a major spill), asking dozens of people to move to the other side of the pool and making a huge obstacle course of deck chairs/tables that one had to cross to get to the other side. We were just finishing a late lunch at the time. This was inconvenient for the passengers and as far as I could tell, illogical.

A similar event then happened to us in the Lido. We were in the middle of a long conversation after a late lunch in the Lido when one of the servers asked us to move to the other side of the restaurant because they had to prepare our table for the dinner service. Let's see, this would involve throwing on a table cloth and placing the salt/pepper shakers and those pre-wrapped napkins/utensils on the table. This takes what, 2-3 minutes. But yet this was so important that we had our conversation interrupted, had to gather all of our belongings and move elsewhere - for HAL's convenience, not ours.

It's one thing if they need to close down their food service stations, but to start asking us to vacate tables both on deck and in the Lido to me was not acceptable.

Finally, my MIL tried to get a dessert just as they were closing the dessert station she went to. The Lido server apologized and said the station was closed and turned off the lights and started to remove the remaining desserts. My MIL replied and said, I'm the customer and I want a dessert - so your answer is unacceptable - and she proceeded to take what she wanted. My MIL said that she was told the same line, the captain apparently was going to be mad if they served her a dessert one minute past the station close time.

Let me add that HAL staff were never rude to us on this trip. They were indifferent and did not positively add to our cruising experience. We have sailed on other ships where we have truly glowed about how wonderful the crew members were. Not this time.

[jmps]

I recently booked our first HAL cruise to Alaska for next June aboard the Zuiderdam. I am getting a little nervous after reading a few negative reviews. We have cruised several times before on RCCL and Carnival. I guess all cruises will have some positive and negative reviews.

You have booked a wonderful Inside Passage intinerary. I think the best available right now. We were on the Zuiderdam earlier this June for our first HAL cruise and had a wonderful time.

As you say, there will be both positive and negative reviews. For instance, for us the Zuiderdam is the biggest ship we would sail on. We like the feel of being on a ship rather than a resort. For others it is too small and limiting. Same ship, different viewpoint.

Have a great cruise.

[ZAMOST]

Responses to responses in no particular order:

1) The glacier hike in Juneau is strenuous, but reasonably so. There are areas of moderately steep climbing, and a few places where you might purposely slide on your butt a few feet, but people in reasonably good shape with good hiking shoes should have no problem. If your group signs up with the expectation that this isn't some routine nature hike, would strongly recommend this. Again, was the highlight of our trip. Hopefully the glaciers don't keep receding, as this makes the hike longer, and time on the glacier smaller. Compared to a helicopter flight, it's cheaper, more personal sense of accomplishment, and there are some who don't like the idea of helicopters. Would definitely use Above and Beyond Alaska.
2) Have travelled Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Carnival (decades ago), Celebrity, Radisson (now Regent), and this was my first HAL cruise. Picked HAL mostly because of message boards implying HAL had the best itinerary, and that was my primary focus. Overall, the Zuiderdam was okay, nothing special, and for us, a typical average large cruise ship. Food was fair, entertainment was only briefly sampled and seemed at best average. Since was traveling with family, tried to save money, but never could quite figure out if we tried a more upscale line on a smaller ship, with all the discounts being offered, whether this would have been close to what we spent on this trip. Still a challenge to figure out free flights, two for 1, wine at dinner included, excursions free, shipboard credits, tips included, and paying more per person upfront.
3) At some point, my wife and I will go to Alaska again, probably add the week to Denali, and almost certainly would not use HAL again, but wouldn't use any large ship of any cruise line.
4) We took a tour van out from Skagway into the Yukon and ended with a horseback ride for an hour or so. If had to do it again, would rent a car and drive out thru the Yukon myself. Would be a lot cheaper and I suppose I can horseback ride anywhere.
5) Kayaking tour out of Ketchikan was very enjoyable, and would do that again. We went through Southeast Kayaking.

[Susie51]

Thank you for reporting your thoughts and experiences about your Alaskan cruise.

[off2ctheworld]

We were on the same cruise on the Zuiderdam. As is often reported here everyone comes away with different thoughts and feelings about a cruise. The itinerary was also GREAT for us. We had As you wish dining-it worked out very well. Did not use the Lido thanks to these boards on embarkation day and no crowd in dining room. We used room service for breakfast-sitting on your own verandah or sofa watching the scenery go by is an amazing way to start the day. We didn't use the Lido for lunch or dinner-prefer the early dining room, shows afterward. The illusionist and comedian were excellent and the Hal singers/dancers put on wonderful shows with beautiful costumes.

We enjoyed the cruise-lots of activities and not enough time to do them all. Plan on sailing HAL again and put down a cruise deposit. Take the White Pass Railroad excursion if possible-amazing scenery!

Hope those who didn't enjoy the cruise will find other ships, but appreciate hearing their thoughts. Personally for those who have booked this ship and cruise, my thoughts are you will have an amazing and marvelous cruise.

[Dande1]

We used room service for breakfast-sitting on your own verandah or sofa watching the scenery go by is an amazing way to start the day.

Take the White Pass Railroad excursion if possible-amazing scenery!

Personally for those who have booked this ship and cruise, my thoughts are you will have an amazing and marvelous cruise.

I have booked a corner aft balcony so that we may also enjoy room service breakfasts. This Sept 5th cruise is a surprise birthday present for my wife. I suspect that I will eventually have to warn her to pack enough clothes for a week - so far she only knows that she is flying to Vancouver for her birthday dinner!

The major surprise (hopefully) will be for her when she finds our two daughters sharing the aft verandah next to us!

We have "done" Alaska many years ago and took the White Pass excursion at that time. With the number of ships in port when you were there, did you find that you had to book your tickets ahead through HAL?

BTW, your comments did not mention the "meet and mingle" that I think was mentioned on your roll call board. How did that go?

And finally - was the ship crowded? All the Alaska Zuiderdam roll calls show very little participation but I am assuming that these wonderful Inside Passage itineraries really still sell out.

Thanks for sharing your comments.

Dave

[LVSue]

Wow, Dave, what a surprise for your wife, with the icing on the cake of surprise daughters! Maybe you should pack a bag for her with warm clothes, rain gear, tennies, etc.; get your daughters to help (if they don't live near, they could come up with a packing list). Otherwise, give her a couple of days' notice at least!

We are taking the same cruise Sept. 19. It will be our first Vista ship in Alaska, and I'll be interested to see the difference between the Zuidy and the Amsterdam/Volendam. I'll miss Sitka, but am excited to see the inside passage again.

[lakeboji]

Dave:

We were on the Zuiderdam, June 20-27. Had a great time. We also had the corner aft suite which was delightful. We were able to use the balcony and stay out of the wind.

We had breakfast every morning in the Pinnacle Grill, which is one of the amenities for the deluxe suites. No need to make reservations, just go. They will ask for your room number the first day, and will call you by name from then on! If you need coffee first thing in the AM, the Neptune Lounge has great coffee.

We also had lunch in the dining room on embarkation day...the dining room is open from 12-1 that day. It was not crowded al all!
Be sure and head for the Neptune Lounge as soon as you board the ship...you can drop your carry on luggage there while you have lunch.

I am sure you will all enjoy your time on the Zuiderdam.

[Ya Ya Cruiser]

We were on the Zuiderdam in May and had a VA balcony cabin. I posted a review on the review boards, but suffice to say I agree the destination is fabulous - the Zuiderdam itself not so much. However we have booked another HAL cruise, basically because of the itinerary - no one else seems to offer it. Hopefully the Rotterdam will be a better ship experience.

It will be interesting to see what pricing for next year will be like. With RCCL pulling out of Vancouver along with one of the HAL and Princess ships there won't be alot of competition for R/T Inside Passage itineraries. I tend to prefer Princess to HAL, but that's a personal preference. Alaska is all about the destination so happy sails to all of you planning to enjoy this trip - just don't expect alot from the shipboard experience:)

Cheers,
yaya

[Dande1]

Alaska is all about the destination so happy sails to all of you planning to enjoy this trip -
yaya

Many thanks for your review. It has been most helpful.

Did you book your excursions with the private tour operators in advance or where you able to arrange them when you arrived in port and could know the local weather?

Dave

[SandyMc]

Hi, Dave!

Will you use this cruise to determine whether or not you will book the Zuiderdam January 12 cruise to the Panama Canal? Have not heard a word from you since you started the roll call for that cruise. :rolleyes:

Either way - have a fabulous time on this Alaska cruise!
Sandy

[Himself]

I think if you had done this cruise with a different ship--like the Volendam--your post would have been a bit different.

[Dande1]

Hi, Dave!

Will you use this cruise to determine whether or not you will book the Zuiderdam January 12 cruise to the Panama Canal? Have not heard a word from you since you started the roll call for that cruise. :rolleyes:

Either way - have a fabulous time on this Alaska cruise!
Sandy

o OH! i'VE BEEN CAUGHT!!

Sandy - We have no qualms about the Zuiderdam at all - we think she is a fine ship and would be happy to cruise her anytime!

But you are correct when you have figured out that the outcome of the September 5th cruise will determine if we also book January 12th.

It will all have to do with how my wife feels how our cat responds to us being away in September. She is always reluctant to leave her - and so far my wife doesn't know anything about this September cruise.:o

Mind you, neither does the cat!:D

Dave

[markf]

Okey Dokey was on our Z cruise in Feb to Panama Canal-and made the cruise extremly enjpyable--simply --or not that simple--he knew most passengers name and gave ot plates and trays at the buffet. He had the ability to remember almost everyone-He is no longer on the Z??

[queen_kathy1]

Okey Dokey was on our Z cruise in Feb to Panama Canal-and made the cruise extremly enjpyable--simply --or not that simple--he knew most passengers name and gave ot plates and trays at the buffet. He had the ability to remember almost everyone-He is no longer on the Z??

Okey Dokey was on our June 20th sailing - I saw him almost every day in the Lido. He was very friendly and he continues to really make the effort to remember passenger names.
I give the prize to HAL for having crew members with such memorable names. The other favorite name I spotted in the dining room was a server named "DWI."

[Candy]

Okey Dokey was on our Z cruise in Feb to Panama Canal-and made the cruise extremly enjpyable--simply --or not that simple--he knew most passengers name and gave ot plates and trays at the buffet. He had the ability to remember almost everyone-He is no longer on the Z??
Okey Dokey (or Shy, Burt Reynolds, et al) fills in for Hunky Dory (http://home.g-net.net/%7Ecbrock/HunkyDory.html) when he's on leave from Zuidy or Oosterdam. These guys are all amazing. Hunky tells us he can remember 800 names per week, then wipes them off and starts over. It's a wonderful way to make you feel "at home".

[off2ctheworld]

Dave, have a wonderful surprise cruise with your wife and family! Yes, we attended the meet n greet. Very well done-cookies and coffee in the Crows Nest on Sunday and a chance to finally put names with faces from this terrific forum. So nice to see the people throughout the cruise from that point on.

We used the As you wish dining, BUT, reserved same table every night so had same server. It worked out very well. Reserve your table as soon as you board-go to the dining room level 2 and the dining steward will be outside the door taking reservations. Reservation is only for 2 nights at a time.

We booked the excursions through HAL. Took the Ultimate Yukon/White Pass Railroad. You ride a bus one way and the train back. Other two stops we took least priced excursions-city highlights for just a quick taste of the towns. We booked all about 2-3 weeks ahead of the cruise. With 4-6 cruise ships at each port-towns get crowded-we didn't want to miss the train.

Have fun!

[Cruise Junky]

Food was average; Boat was okay, nothing fantastic. Crew was very friendly,

Wine card was a good deal.

Even after a week, I still found eating on the Lido deck for breakfast and lunch confusing and crowded.

Would I do HAL again? Probably not

Completely agree with this. We were on the Zuiderdam in May and while we loved Alaska and the Itinerary was perfect, we wouldn't go back to HAL. My review is also in the Member Review Section

[suse]

I'm still not getting what is missing here.:confused: The poster who was looking for a more "mystical" experience? It's not like you are on tour with Van Morrison or anything. And the Lido thing? I've yet to see a Lido that isn't confusing and crowded. It kind of goes with the territory of one ship and thousands of passengers. If you are disatisfied, you can always charter your own yacht for a week. Those are very nice.:) You'll spend a whole lot of money, too.

[Cruise Junky]

I'm still not getting what is missing here.:confused: The poster who was looking for a more "mystical" experience? It's not like you are on tour with Van Morrison or anything. And the Lido thing? I've yet to see a Lido that isn't confusing and crowded. It kind of goes with the territory of one ship and thousands of passengers. If you are disatisfied, you can always charter your own yacht for a week. Those are very nice.:) You'll spend a whole lot of money, too.

In all my ships, I've never seen one worse than the Zuiderdam's buffet, so I don't think we quite have to go to Mystical extremes to get it right

[Tweedy]

In all my ships, I've never seen one worse than the Zuiderdam's buffet, so I don't think we quite have to go to Mystical extremes to get it right

I didn't find the Zuiderdam's buffet bad. It was busy, but not bad.

The worst experience I have had was on the NCL Sun. I would never sail that ship again. It was half the size of the Zuiderdam for the same amount of people. It was awful. However, having the experience on the Sun would not prevent me from trying another NCL ship. So I don't think having one bad experience on the Zuiderdam should close off all the ships in the fleet for you.

My coworker and her husband sailed on the Statendam to Alaska last year and was on the Zuiderdam at the end of May this year. They liked the ship but both said the food on the Statendam was much better. It just goes to show you, different ships from the same line will provide you with different experiences.

[Cruise Junky]

My coworker and her husband sailed on the Statendam to Alaska last year and was on the Zuiderdam at the end of May this year. They liked the ship but both said the food on the Statendam was much better. It just goes to show you, different ships from the same line will provide you with different experiences.

Interesting! we have friends that are diehard HAL cruisers and were on the Statendam for the 33 day South America cruise last year and said it was the worst ship they'd been on.

[Ya Ya Cruiser]

Did you book your excursions with the private tour operators in advance or where you able to arrange them when you arrived in port and could know the local weather?

Dave

Sorry about the bolding, but I still don't know how to do the box thing:rolleyes:.

We booked in advance because the tours fill up quickly. With respect to the Fishing trip - they won't go out if the weather is bad. Same with Island Wings - travel is weather dependent - but they make the call. I check weather.net before I go and see what it's supposed to be like - it's usually pretty close. Hope that helps :).

Cheers,
Debbie

[RuthC]

Sorry about the bolding, but I still don't know how to do the box thing:rolleyes:.
In the lower right hand corner of a post there are three icons. The left hand icon is an oval with a note and pen pictured, and the word "quote". Click on that and you get a reply box with the entire post in it. Delete the unnecessary parts of the quote, and then enter your reply after the last [/quote] characters.

[LVSue]

In the lower right hand corner of a post there are three icons. The left hand icon is an oval with a note and pen pictured, and the word "quote". Click on that and you get a reply box with the entire post in it. Delete the unnecessary parts of the quote, and then enter your reply after the last characters.

Testing, one two three.....

[middle-aged mom]

Testing, one two three.....

And where's that soggy plain? In Spain, in Spain!!
I think she's got it, by George she's got it!:)

[RuthC]

You beat me to it by seconds, Karin. I was going to post the exact same thing! :D Word for word. I swear!

[middle-aged mom]

You beat me to it by seconds, Karin. I was going to post the exact same thing! :D Word for word. I swear!

Heh heh heh, or hee hee hee, or LOL or whatever the terminology for laughing is around here:D

I think it's the sea air we imbibe, you on your coast and me on mine:)

Forgive me that I am a ham
Please resume with Zuiderdam;)

[Dande1]

We booked in advance because the tours fill up quickly. With respect to the Fishing trip - they won't go out if the weather is bad. Same with Island Wings - travel is weather dependent - but they make the call.
Debbie

Thanks again Debbie. Appreciate the advice.

We hope you have a great New England / Maritime Canada cruise next month.:)

Dave

[Dande1]

Dave:

We were on the Zuiderdam, June 20-27. Had a great time. We also had the corner aft suite which was delightful. We were able to use the balcony and stay out of the wind.

We had breakfast every morning in the Pinnacle Grill, which is one of the amenities for the deluxe suites. No need to make reservations, just go. They will ask for your room number the first day, and will call you by name from then on! If you need coffee first thing in the AM, the Neptune Lounge has great coffee.

We also had lunch in the dining room on embarkation day...the dining room is open from 12-1 that day. It was not crowded al all!
Be sure and head for the Neptune Lounge as soon as you board the ship...you can drop your carry on luggage there while you have lunch.

I am sure you will all enjoy your time on the Zuiderdam.

Thanks for all the tips! I did not know about the availability of the dining room on embarkation day. That should be a great improvement over the usual "first day hassle" at the Lido.

Breakfast in the Pinnacle is also a great amenity. For us, (well, for me and my daughters so far, since my wife doesn't know yet) we are really looking forward to room service breakfasts served on the balcony. I rather suspect one of us will have to get dressed in something other than a bath robe however in order to get an early morning coffee from the Lounge.:D

Thanks again for the advice.

Dave

[suse]

In the lower right hand corner of a post there are three icons. The left hand icon is an oval with a note and pen pictured, and the word "quote". Click on that and you get a reply box with the entire post in it. Delete the unnecessary parts of the quote, and then enter your reply after the last characters. [/quote]
Thanks Ruth!!!!

[archie401]

I have booked a corner aft balcony so that we may also enjoy room service breakfasts. This Sept 5th cruise is a surprise birthday present for my wife. I suspect that I will eventually have to warn her to pack enough clothes for a week - so far she only knows that she is flying to Vancouver for her birthday dinner!

The major surprise (hopefully) will be for her when she finds our two daughters sharing the aft verandah next to us!

We have "done" Alaska many years ago and took the White Pass excursion at that time. With the number of ships in port when you were there, did you find that you had to book your tickets ahead through HAL?

BTW, your comments did not mention the "meet and mingle" that I think was mentioned on your roll call board. How did that go?

And finally - was the ship crowded? All the Alaska Zuiderdam roll calls show very little participation but I am assuming that these wonderful Inside Passage itineraries really still sell out.

Thanks for sharing your comments.

Dave
Hi, Dave.

How was the aft corner suite? I am booking a cruise soon on the Zuiderdam--Panama Canal.

Thank you!
Doug

[Dande1]

Hi, Dave.

How was the aft corner suite? I am booking a cruise soon on the Zuiderdam--Panama Canal.

Thank you!
Doug

I will try to remember to post something back on this thread when we get home in mid-September.

Like you, we are also considering a Zuiderdam partial Panama Canal next January or February and I'm told that these aft corner suites are superb for watching from the side part of the balcony while the ship tries to squeeze in to the locks, then from the rear as the gates close and the water level rises (or drops)

Dave