Zuiderdam Review 12/4-12/11

[Fit Heart]

Greetings,

I wanted to share a few highlights from our recent cruise. Like many of you, I read this message board months before my cruise with some concern about the my choice of the Zuiderdam. I did make a promise to formulate my own opinion and go with an open mind. I planned many fun things on my own at each of the ports just in case the actual cruise wasn't as fun as I would hope. Well, let me tell you, this was truly a vacation to remember. My partner and I were in a S cabin, and I have to say the extra $$ was worth it. We loved the suite and the large veranda. As some have said here, no, it's not a separate bedroom, but it is PLENTY of room for two with a large bathroom and verandah. Our room steward, RIK RIK was outstanding and attentive. We loved the Neptune Lounge concierges Goldie and Marie. They took especially good care of us all week. They truly made our cabin experience more special. Our waiter and asst. waiter, Padil and Recky were wonderful. The service was quick, attentive and I never felt rushed. We were usually the last ones out. I found the food to be especially good. It is not five star restaurant quality, but for a very large dining room with mass servings, I was impressed. We sat in the back of the dining room and our food was always timely and hot. The lobster, which was on my birthday (just for me of course), was especially good...cooked to perfection. I heard many people saying this. Embarkation and disembarkation were extremely easy. There was a little glitch embarking when the wireless system went down for a bit and we waited a little longer than we would have had to. We were still on the ship within a half hour. We met some terrific people on the cruise, some of which include the staff and we will stay in touch I'm sure. We were even invited back by two staffers for their wedding in a couple of months.

Let me mention the ports in the next post. Until then!

Fit Heart (Michael)

[Fit Heart]

Half Moon Cay

It's as beautiful as everyone says it is, and we had beautiful weather. The tendering to shore went very smoothly. There was very obvious hurricane damage visible with the vegetation, but it's coming back nicely. If you miss seeing all the green on the vegetation, just look to the beautiful white sand and the crystal turquoise waters and the damaged vegetation doesn't seem so bad. If you're up for spending the money on a cabana, go for it. We had the turquoise cabana and three of the most fun cabana attendants. Thanks to John, J.R. and Jeff we had a tremendous time in the cabana. They hung out with us a good part of the day. I HIGHLY recommend the horseback riding excursion. You ride along the beach and trails to the top of the island and back down again. The trails are a bit steep and rocky at times. Some might not be into that, but I thought it was great. After the trails you put on your swimsuit, they bring out the horse without a saddle and just a pad strapped to the horses back. You ride into the water while the horse walks and runs in the water and some of the horses (mine included) got deep enough so the horse is swimming while you're struggling to stay on. You hold the reigns and squeeze your thighs tightly to stay on the horse. It was a remarkable experience, and the other folks in our group all said the same thing. The horses are retired race horses from Jamaica, in excellent shape and very well cared for there. I will have wonderful memories of Half Moon Cay for a long time. There is another thread about the food on HMC. I found it to be a great treat. A very large selection of food, plenty of it and friendly people serving it. OK, so I had a few rum punches first, so I might not be the best to critique, but seriously I thought it was a great spread and quite tasty.

OK, back on the ship to set sail for St. Thomas

[DFD1]

Great review. Fun reading. Thanks for setting us straight about the Zuiderdam. I just knew it could not be as bad as some have said.

Yours is the first detailed review I've seen about the horses on HMC. We did not take that excursion a few weeks ago when we were there. You make me wish we had. We'll be sure to take it next time. Thanks again.

[Fit Heart]

Tuesday 12/7/04 8AM to 9PM Docked at Crown Bay

Here is where I have the wonderful folks on this message board to thank for an incredible experience in St. Thomas. I have been to the island many times, but my partner had never been. I wanted him to see part of the island, but selfishly I wanted to explore some new things myself. Thanks to CCers, I booked a daysail with Kathleen on High Pockets. (www.sailhighpockets.com). I wanted to do something special for my birthday, so I booked the 42 foot boat for just the two of us. Worth every penny. I won't go into all the detail, but it was the most fun and a very special day. Kathleen is the best. Her first mate for the day, Bill was also fun and made us feel special. There were bloody marys, champagne, beer, rum swizzles, pasta with grilled chicken, fabulous salad and even more fabulous rum cakes. There was incredible snorkeling and sailing. We saw all kinds of critters of the sea, and I even got stung by a jellyfish. How special is that for your birthday. hehehe Trust me, nothing could have spoiled all the pampering from Kathleen and Bill. If you're in St. Thomas, book a trip with her. I promise you won't be disappointed. The boat can hold up to 6 passengers, but if you want to splurge and feel pampered, go with two.

We returned around 4:30PM and met up with some fellow passengers and crew members at the top of the tram by Havensight at the cafe up there. We had a couple of drinks, watched the sunset and then went to a fun bar and grill downtown, the Greenhouse, for some food and more drinks. The only thing I will tell you is that we were the very LAST passengers back to the Zuiderdam that night. I think it's good that we were with some of the crew. What a special day!

Off to Tortola...

[Krazy Kruizers]

I have also been reading the good and the bad about the Zuiderdam for the last several months and don't intened to cancel our back-to-back cruises on her.

[Fit Heart]

Tortola 12/8/04 8:00AM - 5:00PM

Another day, another sailing excursion. Thanks to the CCers again, I wanted to book Patouche to do some sailing today, but they weren't going to the Baths that particular day. I wanted my partner to see the Baths and Virgin Gorda, so I searched for a daysail that would get us there. I booked White Squall II for the day, and the beauty of this trip was that the dock for White Squall II was a quick few minutes walk from the Zuiderdam. It was a rainy morning on Tortola and we weren't sure White Squall II would sail, since the captain was waiting to see if things would pass. White Squall II is an 82 foot boat and there were 11 of us on the trip...a few others from the Z. Captain Rick decided to sail along with his crew Kristen and Rudy and the 11 of us. We no sooner got out to sea, when the pelting rains came blowing in. My partner and I had thankfully brought along rain slickers, but I felt badly that no one else had them. I tried to share mine, but no one took me up on that. We changed itineraries a bit and headed to Cooper Island, since Virgin Gorda looked scary with weather. As soon as we got to Cooper Island, the sun came out and it was a beautiful day. We snorkeled for quite sometime and the reef there is INCREDIBLE with lots to explore and see. Back on the White Squall II, we had a great BBQ lunch along with unlimited soft drinks, beers and rum punches. We sailed off to the Baths where the weather was now beautiful and sunny. However you get to the Baths, get there. If you have a chance to snorkel off the Baths, do that too. Back on the White Squall II, we set sail for Tortola and the weather Gods decided to send in the wind and rain again. I have to say that we were so lucky to experience the good and the bad weather that day. It was actually kind of cool to be on the boat and experience what those who truly sail and have sailed go through. It was great that no one on board complained and just went with the weather experience. Our crew was especially impressed that nobody got seasick. White Squall II is an older feeling boat and not as fancy as some, but the crew was down to earth and very fun and quite accomodating. I would also highly recommend them. Just keep in mind it's not nearly the luxury as some.

www.whitesquall2.com

Back on the Zuiderdam to sail toward Nassau

[Fit Heart]

Just a quick note about this day at sea. Today is the actual birthday, I'm 46 now and feel young and fun on our trip. It was a beautiful day at sea filled with sleeping in, lots of time by the pool, some fun beverages and good munchies throughout the day. We had a little party for a few passengers and crew that we'd met in our cabin before dinner. It was a nice way to celebrate. As mentioned before the lobster dinner was great. I did forget to mention that on Wednesday, after Tortola excursion, we had dinner in the Pinnacle. The service was exceptional, the filet was perfect, the wine was grand and the chocolate volcano cake put me over the edge. Well worth the $20 charge in my opinion. After some drinks and dancing in the Northern Lights disco, off to bed to enjoy Nassau.

[Fit Heart]

12/10/04 Noon - 7:00PM

I had never been to the Bahamas until this trip. After HMC, I wasn't sure how I would feel about Nassau. Because the Atlantis is so well known, I wanted to take a trip out there to check out the place. I booked a room at the Comfort Suites next door, so we could take advantage of the whole Atlantis Resort. I thought it would be a bit cheesy and it was, but it was cheesy in a very good and fun way. My partner and I spent the day exploring, drinking Lagoon Surprises (yummy) and doing the water slides. I have not felt like such a kid in quite some time. We had a blast and definitely worth the trip there. The one thing I will say that is when you come off the ship into the welcome center, just keep going outside and grab a cab out there. The people greeting you in the welcome center are trying to find as many people as possible to put into the same cab. We waited longer than we needed to I think. After our extreme fun (and a few bruises thanks to all the water sliding), we hit Senor Frogs for a couple drinks to watch the sun go down before boarding the ship.

Let me summarize by saying, that I realize that each of us has his own experience with cruising, and I have been accused of being a Pollyanna on this message board...perhaps I am. I think I would much prefer to have that reputation rather than an alternative. We had such a special time on this cruise, met some wonderful people, saw beautiful places, experienced truly magnificent things and I would struggle to find ANYTHING to complain about. It was a vacation I will remember always with the utmost fondness. My suggestion to each of you is make your trip your own. I learned so much on these boards and I am grateful for those things. However, I took what I learned and applied that to creating a trip that would be what my partner and I were looking for. Challenge yourselves, step outside of what you typically do on a trip and I'm sure you'll be rewarded with an experience that you too will remember fondly. Happy Sailing and thanks to all here for helping make my trip that much more special

Fit Heart (Michael)

[doone]

What a great review, a breath of fresh air to be honest with you. I have a cruise booked on the Zuiderdam for March and now I can't hardly wait. Sounds like you both had a wonderful cruise.

[Fit Heart]

Thanks, Doone! Yes we did have a wonderful cruise. March is a great time of year to be in the Caribbean, so I'm sure your cruise will be just as wonderful. Give some thought to checking out the High Pockets Daysail in St. Thomas, if you enjoy such things. Tell her Michael and Michael sent you. It's a special way to spend a day and see the islands around St. Thomas, and with the longer time in port, you can still enjoy St. Thomas.

[mojodani]

Let me summarize by saying, that I realize that each of us has his own experience with cruising, and I have been accused of being a Pollyanna on this message board...perhaps I am. I think I would much prefer to have that reputation rather than an alternative. We had such a special time on this cruise, met some wonderful people, saw beautiful places, experienced truly magnificent things and I would struggle to find ANYTHING to complain about. It was a vacation I will remember always with the utmost fondness. My suggestion to each of you is make your trip your own.
Fit Heart (Michael)



Michael,

Bless you for a positive review! We are doing a quickie on the Zui (4 nights) to sample HAL. We tried RCI and Princess this year and enjoyed both lines. I certainly don't expect perfection but the attitude of the cruiser is so important. Travel should be an adventure!

Glad to hear that the horses on HMC are well-cared for. We booked this excursion and DD is very excited about it.

Smooth sailing,
Joni

[Fit Heart]

Hey Joni,

Thanks for the nice words. I was raised around horses, and I was a bit skeptical about what the horseback riding excursion would be like. I spoke at length with the Jamaican caregivers of these horses and was truly impressed. These 24 horses in the stable are retired racehorses and 1 polo pony from Jamaica. They were trained to do a similar excursion while in Jamaica. The owner of the stables in Jamaica approached HAL to do this on HMC. The 24 horses were flown in on a private jet and the Jamaican and Bahamian caregivers on HMC take very good care of these horses. I was amazed at how in shape they were. Being a horse person/advocate, I would have had a hard time enjoying the excursion if I thought they were mistreated or neglected in any way. That is surely not the case. I've decided I want to be one of those 24 and live on HMC year round and meet all the interesting people traveling there on HAL....not a bad life at all. I hope DD has as much fun as we did.

Happy Trails,
Michael

[Golfgrl1911]

Michael,

Thanks for bringing back memories of our September trip! Lisa & I were supposed to take the Eastern itinerary but hurricane Jeanne had other plans for us to see the Mexican Yucatan coast. Although we enjoyed seeing Mexico I very much want to see the Eastern Caribbean, so a week after we returned we booked again on the Zuiderdam for next September. I hope I can hold out that long!!! We too found the ship and service officers to be wonderful! Great review my brother!! Chef Nancy:)

[localady]

Michael- Thanks for you lovely review !

One question, what was the cost for your day trip in Tortola ?? Went to their website and couldn't find a price. Before I talk it up to ouer group, I thought I'd check to make sure it's in our budget! I am travelling with my teens, DH and friends on the Zaandam in March.

Thanks again!:cool:

[mjmagee]

Michael, thanks for the great review. I also would like to know what the daysails cost. So good to hear a positive review on the Zuiderdam but your are surely correct that a cruise is what you make it. Marilyn

[Cruising Jake]

Michael, it was good to read your positive review. We were on the Zuiderdam the week before you. I posted a three part review that was positive except for our dining room experience (part 2). There were 20 responses total to all three reviews. Yet when someone posts a generally negative review it gets 64 responses and a subsequent thread gets 53 responses. It amazes me how we seem to respond to negativity more than positives or is it that we like to debate issues? I don't know.


Anyway I am glad you enjoyed your cruise. We did ours as well. I only wish now that I had done the horses on HMC.

[Fit Heart]

Hi Jake,

I appreciated your review as well...nicely done. As I mentioned in mine, I believe we each have our own cruising experience. I realize that so many things went right with my trip, and others might not be so fortunate as many things can alter the outcome of a cruise. I firmly believe that we need to read the negatives on here along with the positives without formulating too much of an idea of how those personal reviews could affect our trips. I learned from both the positive and negative comments here prior to leaving, and I used both to prepare more effectively for what was an amazing vacation. Constructive criticism is a great way to improve a situation. I do like HAL's approach on their final evals on the ship. They use a 1-9 scale to rate experiences onboard realizing that nothing is perfect (hence the no #10).

Michael

[Fit Heart]

Hey Chef Nancy,

I just wanted to say the Eastern Caribbean will be worth the wait. I followed your experiences on board this Fall, and I know it had to be frustrating, but it sounds like you had a great trip nonetheless. I guess you're at 10 months and counting...let the countdown begin.

[doone]

Fitheart, will do, we're looking for something to do in St. Thomas other than shopping, but you know with 5 girls, that's a priority right there. That High Pockets Day Sail sounds wonderful. I'll mention it to the group and see what they think. Thanks so much, can't wait for this wonderful cruise.

Mike, we were thinking of doing the Baths in Tortola, any opinion on this from others onboard with you???

[Fit Heart]

Sorry I forgot to include prices for the daysail. The prices I'm quoting were what I paid before the high season in the Caribbean really begins. I'm not sure if they go up or not, so contacting the folks would still be the best bet.

High Pockets Daysail www.sailhighpockets.com
9:30 AM - 4:30 PM $100.00 per person up to 6 people $600 for 2 persons
included open bar all day, incredible lunch and snacks,
snorkeling equipment and some great sailing.

White Squall II www.whitesquall2.com
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM $95.00 per person up to 18 people (I think)
included unlimited beer, wine, soft drinks, BBQ lunch, snorkeling equipment
and some great sailing

I hope this helps. I know it can be a lot of money. I felt it was worth the splurge to really see the area. It's not often we get to the Caribbean, and I wanted to make the most of our experience. The wonderful memories (and photos) will sustain me until I can get back there.

Michael

[doone]

Those prices aren't bad for what it includes, thanks so much for posting.

[Fit Heart]

Doone,

5 girls...wow...maybe they can go shopping while you hit the daysail for a little R & R. hehehe Definitely hit the Baths...everyone on board raved about the experience. It is a must see in most people's opinions. The Zuiderdam has an excursion to there, but it's a lot of people going at once. Other options would include the ferries to Virgin Gorda - Speedy's and Smith's - they are a short walk from the ship. Speedy's has an all inclusive price of $35.00 which is the roundtrip ferry ride, taxi to and from the baths and lunch...not a bad deal at all. You have to be more aware of your time, since the ferries only run at certain times...a little more restrictive. Whitesquall II took us right to the baths where we snorkeled and explored...very fun. Another daysail, Patouche, www.patouche.com got rave reviews from fellow passengers, and they do go to the baths, but when we were there on Wednesday, the baths wasn't their destination on that day. They are worth checking out in case their itinerary changes, and I think they are the same price as white squall - $95.00/person.

One caution on St. Thomas...most shops in downtown close at 5PM, at least when we were there, so a full daysail might limit shopping options for the girls. You might check into a half daysail or a little shorter trip with High Pockets, so there is still some shopping time. Have fun

[doone]

Fitheart, great information, will definately check it out. Thanks so much, I really appreciate your expertise on this.

[watchdiva]

Dear Michael: Thanks for such a thorough review of the Zuiderdam. We're sailing her on 4/16/05 and had some concerns after seeing some of the earlier reviews. I'm feeling so excited now! We've also booked with Kathleen for the day in St. Thomas and have read many wonderful things about her. Now, if Patouche will change their day for Virgin Gorda to Wednesday I'll be happy!:)

Glad you enjoyed your birthday and had such a wonderful time.

Lin

[Fit Heart]

Thanks for the nice words, Lin...

You'll have to tell Captain Kathleen that Michael and Michael from Ohio say hello. We can't say enough nice things about her and our day on High Pockets. Have a great trip on the Zuiderdam. Think about the horseback riding on HMC too. It was remarkable.

Michael

[watchdiva]

We also have the turquoise cabana booked and hope that we have as much fun as you! Did you find that it enhanced your HMC experience?

[Fit Heart]

Lin,

We LOVED having the Turquoise Cabana. It very much enhanced our HMC experience. The weather was beautiful, but not that hot, so we didn't need the AC or the misters. However having the refrigerator with veggies, fruit, chips/salsa and a cooler filled with soft drinks and water was great. On board or on HMC, you can purchase the unlimited drink package which allows unlimited beers, rum punches and soft drinks and that is $19.95/person. That was a nice touch if you enjoy beer or rum. It's nice to have the cabana boys too. They were a lot of fun and ran for drinks and food as needed...very accomodating, so we tipped them extra of course. The turquoise cabana is nice because it's close to the bathrooms and the food (both important to me). To us the cabana was worth the money, and it was like having your own little home on HMC...hey, I can dream anyway. You'll love it!

[obriendan]

On our Zuiderdam b-t-b in May of 2003 we als spent the day sailing with Sharon and her assistant on the Winefred. I learned about this day sail on Cruisecritic and made reservations about eight weeks ahead at Sailwinifred.com. We sailed with four other guests on the Winifred, a 46 ft wooden sailboat captained by Sharon Allen. We sailed for about 6 hours from Red Hook (over the hill from Charlotte Amalie) to St. John and back. We anchored in Caneal Bay for a few hours for snorkeling and lunch (salad, chicken and rice, dessert, and rum punch). Similar to the previous posts about sailhighpockets.com, the maximum number of guests is six and the fee is $100/pp. We thoroughly enjoyed tis daysail and would highly recommend the Winifred and Sharon.

[mythreehearts]

Hi Michael,

We are booked on the April 23 cruise and I am even more excited now that I have read your review. We booked the sky blue cabana, how would you say it was located? We were told in was central to everything...but would like to hear it form another crusier.

Thanks!

[Dawnie]

I just wanted to let you know that because of your post, I am booking the horseback riding excursion. :)

I had always wanted to ride horses along the beach, and thought I would be able to fufill this fantasy in Cabo a few years ago....WELL, they were NOT horses, they were NAGS. And yes we rode them along the beach...and then the wild dogs showed up and CHASED us up into the contstruction site! It just wasn't what I had in mind.

What you described sounds like what I had been wanting.

[OrthoRN]

Thanks for the review.. I haven't posted in a while because I was getting discouraged by all the negativity.. We sail this same itinerary in November and I can't wait :)

[Fit Heart]

Have finally returned from Christmas travel, and I wanted to take a moment to respond to a couple of posts on this thread.

Mythreehearts, the sky blue cabana is in a great location and although you have to walk a bit to get there, you will be close to restrooms and food. The big bonus is that the cabana boys are fun and very helpful in getting you whatever you need, so that you don't have to stray to far from the cabana...you'll love it.

Dawnie, like you, I had always wanted to ride along the beach on the back of a horse. I have had other opportunities, but wasn't impressed with the situations I had come across. It was a chance of a lifetime experience on Half Moon Cay in my opinion. Not only do you ride along the beach and along some trails, but the experience riding these beautiful, well-cared for horses in the water is magnificent. The bonus is that these horses really do seem to enjoy the experience on Half Moon Cay as well.

OrthoRN, I'm glad that you decided to post again. Early on, I was also discouraged by the negative comments, but then I realized that they were important to learn from as well. Also, every now and then a really positive post comes along and reminds you exactly why you've booked your cruise. Have fun with the anticipation and planning of your cruise. I hope you have an incredible time.

Michael

[Kelfly]

Michael:
We are considering the Zuiderdam for next December, same itinerary.
How much does it cost to rent a cabana on HMC? Is the rental use for the entire day?
We are debating between a category S and SS. We've sailed in suites on Princess, RCL, and Celebrity. How does the S suite compare to the other two lines, and what exactly are the ammenities that the S recieves over an SS? Does the Neptune lounge offer free alcoholic drinks, etc. like on RCL? I'd think the large balcony would be the nicest benefit!
Thank you for posting your review.

[Fit Heart]

Hi Kelfly,

The cost that I paid for a cabana was $219 and that is for the entire day. The cabana was stocked with waters, soft drinks, veggies/dip and fruit. On board we purchased the additional unlimited drink package for $19.95/pp which covered beers, rum punch and additional soft drinks. From my understanding the $219 price has increased over time, so I can't say what the price might be by next December. They do immediately charge your CC when you book the cabana. We found having the cabana worth the money, as it was like having our own place on HMC. We had the Turquoise one which is a great location - close to restrooms and food. I also recommend the horseback riding on HMC if you enjoy horses. $69/pp and well worth it.

We had an S suite, and I'm very glad I spent the extra money for the space and the amenities. We used the Neptune Lounge often for snacks, coffees/cappucinos, etc and the concierge service was great to help plan our week. I have only sailed on RCI and had a suite on that ship as well. There is no free alcohol served in the Neptune Lounge. The other amenity in an S cabin that we used to the fullest is the free laundry/dry cleaning. It was nice to come home with clean clothes. The S Cabin has a bigger sitting area than the SS and the SS does not have the amenities. If you're able to afford the S, I say go for it. It appears that HAL has a better deal on their full suites than other lines. I loved spending time in the cabin for some downtime, breakfast on the verandah, having folks over before dinner, etc. The extra space and storage was worth it.

Have fun with the planning of your special trip. The anticipation was a great part of the trip. I miss not having the trip to look forward to and to plan. I guess I'll just have to start planning a new one.

[sabaka]

Fit heart, Thank you so very much for this well written and informative thread! We have booked an S Suite in March before reading anything on this board. After reading some of the posts here I was starting to worry alittle. We have cruised Celebrity, Carnival, Princess, Disney and The Yachts of Seabourn but this will be our first Holland American. You have us really excited about HAL! About the Cabanas, what all comes with the basic Cabana rental? after looking at HAL's site my impression is Snorkel gear and mats for 4, chips and veggies and some soda and water. Is this correct? Are the Cabana boys the same as the additional Butler service ? ant addtional Cabana info would be appreciated!

[Fit Heart]

Hi Sabaka,

Thanks for the reply. I think that you will have a great time in an S Cabin on the Zuiderdam. I loved our cabin, and we were very well taken care of by the Neptune Lounge Concierges Goldie and Marie. We even got a personal Christmas card from Goldie. If they are still there, tell them Michael and Michael said hello. I try not to get too caught up in comparing cruise lines before a cruise, because each is its own unique experience. I'm sure you will find HAL different from others, but that is not a bad thing.

Yes, the cabana is up to four people and you get snorkel gear and mats for each. They actually contact you the day before docking at HMC to see how many of each you will need and sizes of gear. They also ask what soft drinks you would like for the day. Our cabana had the chips, salsa and guacamole, fruit and veggies. There is a great picnic on the island and the cabana boys will bring the food for you. The cabana boys are different from the butler service. There are cabana boys assigned to make sure that the cabanas have what they need and they deliver all of that. They take care of several other cabanas, but our service was great. The butler service is an additional $270 and that butler is your own private attendant. He helps you carry all of your belongings to the cabana, takes your food order the day before and brings a full meal from the ship (different from the picnic) to you at the cabana. I'm not sure I think that is worth the extra money, when there is already good food on the island. The cabana, however, was definitely worth the money.

I hope that you have a great trip on HAL. Enjoy these last couple months of planning and anticipating.