Many questions about Zaandam

[insag]

Thank you so much for your time....this is long.

we are thinking about doing the 14 night Hawaii in Nov...any input for this would be great,,,ie what to see and what to do..

I have never cruised Holland before,,I have cruised Princess and Celebrity many times..
The Oasis area this is like the Sanctuary on Princess, and can it used when you are out at Sea because of the wind..
is the indoor pool warm,,,also is this a all adult area?


how much is it to use the spa's suites,, it is nice I love cruising the Connie with Celebrity because of their adult area.

One thing that I'm looking forward to is all the cooking classes,,I also read that the computer classes are FREE is this right..

one thing that we hate about Princess is the beds they are so hard,, how are the beds with Holland..

I was reading that the inside cabins do not have ref.. but you can rent them is this right..
Also in the main review it says that the liquor that you buy in the gift shop you cvan take back to your cabin and do mot have to wait until the last night,,i have never heard of this before...

anybody that would like just to tell me about Zaandam that would be great


I told you this was long..

thanks for the help need to make a decision

[echotumi]

i like the zandamm was on her in feb for a sea of cortez and a year before that for hawaii both nice trips ..the pool water is warm in the indoor pool the sea days are very restful then before you know it its 4 days now of not stop fun then 4 days or so to unwind again ,to hawaii we liked the zanndam ship over the golden but we did like goldens entertamient much better i thought the food were both great ,o the beds are wonderful on the zandamm not so much on princess . you do have to like sea days ,:rolleyes::rolleyes:

[SwissMyst]

I have never cruised Holland before,,I have cruised Princess and Celebrity many times.......

one thing that we hate about Princess is the beds they are so hard,, how are the beds with Holland..


This is a trick question, right? I almost feel like I am being set up with a lobbing slow pitch. Well here goes.

These are the very best beds on the high seas. Can't figure out why this is so, but they are heavenly. They embrace you and yet support you. Best of all on days when the sea is rocking you to sleep, they just envelope you in the more serene sense of security. Lovely beds on HAL.

I have never cruised on Princess, but it appears from other posts they are good contenders and something are better, some things not (see HAL beds above). And probably like Princess, a lot of the answer depends on the size of the ship you choose.

We like the smaller ones like the one you are looking at (we too are just taking a look at a Zaandam cruise next year). We have enjoyed the Maasdam best, Rotterdam second, but are now on our second Vista class larger ship cruise so our bottom line is if HAL sails it, we will try to get on it.

Welcome.

[insag]

This is a trick question, right? I almost feel like I am being set up with a lobbing slow pitch. Well here goes.

These are the very best beds on the high seas. Can't figure out why this is so, but they are heavenly. They embrace you and yet support you. Best of all on days when the sea is rocking you to sleep, they just envelope you in the more serene sense of security. Lovely beds on HAL.

I have never cruised on Princess, but it appears from other posts they are good contenders and something are better, some things not (see HAL beds above). And probably like Princess, a lot of the answer depends on the size of the ship you choose.

We like the smaller ones like the one you are looking at (we too are just taking a look at a Zaandam cruise next year). We have enjoyed the Maasdam best, Rotterdam second, but are now on our second Vista class larger ship cruise so our bottom line is if HAL sails it, we will try to get on it.

Welcome.
not a trick question,,just have never sailed with them before,,
We love sea days as long as there are quiet places to go,,this is one area that Princess reaaly lacks in,,we like quiet cushion chairs, good matress, good food and good nightly shows,,

I have two cruises that we can do during our time one is Holland 14 hawaii, and the other is Celebrity infinity panama canal,,leave out of san diego,,

[RMLincoln]

We did 15 day Hawaii in early December on Princess and have been on Volendam and Amsterdam, sister ships or same class as Zaandam.

The indoor pool is water is warm and that will be welcome in November because you can plan on the first couple of days out from the west coast to be cool. Saw people walking around in shorts and tank tops shivering and complaining - poor planning on their part, so bring some clothes for the cooler parts of the trip. And showers are common in Hawaii so I'd recommend an umbrella.

We rented a frig on Volendam for $2 per day. Others have said that they didn't have to pay but that is the price of the rental - maybe you'll get lucky and not get charged. It will be placed under the desk. If you do plan to rent a frig, make sure you have a 3 in 1 electrical plug, otherwise the frig will plug into your only outlet. I always bring a 3 in 1 plug anyway for charging camera batteries etc.

We had an inside room on Diamond Princess to Hawaii and it was good for us - nice to sleep in on the many sea days. Volendam inside will be larger with a couch to spread out on. Nice.

I bought a fresh flower lei in Hilo, our first port, right on the pier. I kept it in the frig and wore it to dinner every evening. It was great fun. In Hilo we did a ship's tour to the botanical gardens and they were fabulous. Many went to the volcano park but we had been there and we only had a half day in port so it wasn't worth it to us for such a short visit.

In Honolulu we went by city bus to the Arizona Memorial - took all morning but was very easy. The bus stop is jsut a couple of blocks walk from the pier and the fare was only $2, $1 for seniors. The Memorial is a national park. Lots of history, very good movie and of course the boat ride tot he memorial itself. Very moving and a beautiful location. We returned to the ship for lunch, changed our clothes and took the city bus to Wakiki for the afternoon. Very easy. Next time we will take the circle island city bus and probably go to the Polynsian Cultural Center. Some folks rented cars but the car had to be back at the pier rental place by 5 pm and we weren't leaving port until 11pm so it was difficult for some people.

We did a ship's tour whale watch in Lahina, Maui, but we found that you can get it cheaper on shore there. Next time I think we will consider taking the "ferry" from Lahina pier over to Lanai Island - about $45pp. We also did a ship's tour in Nawiliwili Kauai that took us kyaking and mild hiking to a swimming hole. It was a beautiful and perhaps the highlight of my whole cruise.

I can't comment on the Oasis. I'm thinking that may be for teens, but I may be wrong.

princess and HAL are both very nice and I wouldn't turn down a cruise on either one, but they are different. I like the food better on HAL in the main dining room but the buffets better on Princess. HAL has better Ice cream and larger rooms on the older ships, but Princess has better entertainment, IMO.

I loved the free computer classes on our last HAL cruise and learned a lot. They are very popular so arrive about 10 minutes early to get a seat. The culinary arts center is nice and I've enjoyed several demonstrations but have never paid for more personalized classes.

I hope you have a fabulous cruise and I hope I get to do it again someday. I love the long sea days. I found it hard to believe that there were people actually complaining about the number of sea days - didn't they read the itinerary? :rolleyes:

You're doing the right thing in getting information early. :D

[insag]

We did 15 day Hawaii in early December on Princess and have been on Volendam and Amsterdam, sister ships or same class as Zaandam.

The indoor pool is water is warm and that will be welcome in November because you can plan on the first couple of days out from the west coast to be cool. Saw people walking around in shorts and tank tops shivering and complaining - poor planning on their part, so bring some clothes for the cooler parts of the trip. And showers are common in Hawaii so I'd recommend an umbrella.

We rented a frig on Volendam for $2 per day. Others have said that they didn't have to pay but that is the price of the rental - maybe you'll get lucky and not get charged. It will be placed under the desk. If you do plan to rent a frig, make sure you have a 3 in 1 electrical plug, otherwise the frig will plug into your only outlet. I always bring a 3 in 1 plug anyway for charging camera batteries etc.

We had an inside room on Diamond Princess to Hawaii and it was good for us - nice to sleep in on the many sea days. Volendam inside will be larger with a couch to spread out on. Nice.

I bought a fresh flower lei in Hilo, our first port, right on the pier. I kept it in the frig and wore it to dinner every evening. It was great fun. In Hilo we did a ship's tour to the botanical gardens and they were fabulous. Many went to the volcano park but we had been there and we only had a half day in port so it wasn't worth it to us for such a short visit.

In Honolulu we went by city bus to the Arizona Memorial - took all morning but was very easy. The bus stop is jsut a couple of blocks walk from the pier and the fare was only $2, $1 for seniors. The Memorial is a national park. Lots of history, very good movie and of course the boat ride tot he memorial itself. Very moving and a beautiful location. We returned to the ship for lunch, changed our clothes and took the city bus to Wakiki for the afternoon. Very easy. Next time we will take the circle island city bus and probably go to the Polynsian Cultural Center. Some folks rented cars but the car had to be back at the pier rental place by 5 pm and we weren't leaving port until 11pm so it was difficult for some people.

We did a ship's tour whale watch in Lahina, Maui, but we found that you can get it cheaper on shore there. Next time I think we will consider taking the "ferry" from Lahina pier over to Lanai Island - about $45pp. We also did a ship's tour in Nawiliwili Kauai that took us kyaking and mild hiking to a swimming hole. It was a beautiful and perhaps the highlight of my whole cruise.

I can't comment on the Oasis. I'm thinking that may be for teens, but I may be wrong.

princess and HAL are both very nice and I wouldn't turn down a cruise on either one, but they are different. I like the food better on HAL in the main dining room but the buffets better on Princess. HAL has better Ice cream and larger rooms on the older ships, but Princess has better entertainment, IMO.

I loved the free computer classes on our last HAL cruise and learned a lot. They are very popular so arrive about 10 minutes early to get a seat. The culinary arts center is nice and I've enjoyed several demonstrations but have never paid for more personalized classes.

I hope you have a fabulous cruise and I hope I get to do it again someday. I love the long sea days. I found it hard to believe that there were people actually complaining about the number of sea days - didn't they read the itinerary? :rolleyes:
ind
You're doing the right thing in getting information early. :D

thank you for your time,,i have been on the computer now looking at reviews and trying to find daily schedules,,,they are called patters with Princess and can not find any with Holland at this point I don't even care which ship...know where I might be able to find one so i get some thought on how they spend the days....Princess is getting very boring

[Assateague Island Princes]

Beds on HAL are HEAVEN!!! Really!!! Take it from one who suffers from insomnia. Have had the BEST sleep on my HAL cruises that I've ever had in my life! About to embark on HAL's 14 day Alaskan itinerary on May 31st, and I cannot wait for that first night, sinking into that soft and comfy mattress and catching some zzzzz's. Never understood why folks would want to pay to cruise on Princess if those beds are so darn hard??? Why would you (or SHOULD you?) have to order egg crates in order to get a good night's sleep - JMHO, but I don't get it...:rolleyes: Princess - wake up and get some comfy beds for your customers! LOL!:D

[Krazy Kruizers]

The Oasis is for teens only.

You can not buy alcohol in the boutique to take back to your cabin for in-room consumption -- that was stopped quite a few years ago. You can order alcohol for your cabin by calling Ship Services at 1-800-541-1576. You can bring on as much wine, champagne, bottled water and soda as you wish. If you do bring on your own wine/champagne and decide to take it to the dining room -- there is an $18 corkage fee per bottle.

One evening in Hawaii -- do a luau.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Price list that you can either order from Ship Services (1-800-541-1576) or from room service when you get on the ship.

Note: 15% gratuity included:

Alcohol and Spirits -- the Alcohol bottles are 1 liter size.


VODKA: CHOPIN $70.15
VODKA: STOLICHNAYA $29.90
VODKA: ABSOLUT – CITRON $32.20
VODKA: SMIRNOFF $27.60
VODKA: SKYY $28.75
VODKA: ABSOLUT $32.20
VODKA: GREY GOOSE $69.00
VODKA: FINLANDIA $29.90
VODKA: BELVEDERE $70.15
VODKA: TANGUERAY STERLING $35.65


Kahlua $36.80
Vodka & Tonic Package $34.50
One bottle of Smirnoff or Stolichnaya, 3 Cans of Tonic Water

Bourbon & Coke Package $39.10
One bottle of Jim Beam, 3 Cans of Coke

Rum & Coke Package $39.10
One bottle of Bacardi, 3 cans of Coke

SHERRY: HARVEY'S MEDIUM no price found

SHERRY: TIO PEPE $57.50

TEQUILA: JOSE QUERVO GOLD $34.50

COGNAC: HENNESSY VS $93.15

COGNAC: REMY MARTIN VSOP $97.75

COGNAC: REMY MARTIN XO $225.40

WHISKEY - IRISH: JAMESON $42.55

Cutty Sark $32.20

WHISKEY: CANADIAN CLUB $32.20

WHISKEY: SEAGRAMS V.O. $29.90

WHISKEY: CROWN ROYAL $42.55

WHISKEY: SEAGRAMS 7 $29.90

Scotch & Soda Package $36.80
One bottle of Cutty Sark, 3 Cans of Soda Water

Gin & Tonic Package $36.80
One bottle Beefeaters Gin, 3 Cans of Tonic Water

6-pack Bud Light domestic beer no price found

6-pack Miller Lite domestic beer $21.85

6-pack Amstel Light imported beer $23.00

6-pack Corona imported beer $23.00

6-pack Miller Genuine Draft domestic beer $21.85

6-pack Heineken imported beers $23.00

Sherry Harvey's Med - $57.50
6pack (Domestic) Budweiser, Bud Light - $21.85
3 X soft drinks (any soda) - $4.89
All minibar Liquor Items, each - $5.69

Missed Whiskey/Scotch:
Jim Beam - $34.50
J&B Rare, Johnnie Walker Red - $36.80
Ballentine's - $40.25
Dewars - $48.30
Jack Daniels - $55.20
Chivas Regal (12yrs) - $66.70
Johnnie Walker Black - $77.05
GIN:
Beefeater - $32.20
Tanqueray - $41.40
Bombay Sapphire - $42.55
LIQUEURS:
Kahlua, Southern Comfort - $36.80
Bailey's Irish Cream - $46.00
Sambuca (Opal Nera Black) - $47.15
Tia Maria - $49.45
Amaretto - $51.75
Cointreau - $55.20
Drambuie - $58.65
Grand Marnier - $74.75
RUM:
Myers - $32.20
Bacardi Gold - $34.50
Bacardi White - $35.65

[Crusing Bob]

insag, you say you are thinking about Nov on the Zaandam. If you do, we have a Roll Call going for the 11/7 sailing this November-come over and join us.

Bob

[insag]

Price list that you can either order from Ship Services (1-800-541-1576) or from room service when you get on the ship.

Note: 15% gratuity included:

Alcohol and Spirits -- the Alcohol bottles are 1 liter size.


VODKA: CHOPIN $70.15
VODKA: STOLICHNAYA $29.90
VODKA: ABSOLUT – CITRON $32.20
VODKA: SMIRNOFF $27.60
VODKA: SKYY $28.75
VODKA: ABSOLUT $32.20
VODKA: GREY GOOSE $69.00
VODKA: FINLANDIA $29.90
VODKA: BELVEDERE $70.15
VODKA: TANGUERAY STERLING $35.65


Kahlua $36.80
Vodka & Tonic Package $34.50
One bottle of Smirnoff or Stolichnaya, 3 Cans of Tonic Water

Bourbon & Coke Package $39.10
One bottle of Jim Beam, 3 Cans of Coke

Rum & Coke Package $39.10
One bottle of Bacardi, 3 cans of Coke

SHERRY: HARVEY'S MEDIUM no price found

SHERRY: TIO PEPE $57.50

TEQUILA: JOSE QUERVO GOLD $34.50

COGNAC: HENNESSY VS $93.15

COGNAC: REMY MARTIN VSOP $97.75

COGNAC: REMY MARTIN XO $225.40

WHISKEY - IRISH: JAMESON $42.55

Cutty Sark $32.20

WHISKEY: CANADIAN CLUB $32.20

WHISKEY: SEAGRAMS V.O. $29.90

WHISKEY: CROWN ROYAL $42.55

WHISKEY: SEAGRAMS 7 $29.90

Scotch & Soda Package $36.80
One bottle of Cutty Sark, 3 Cans of Soda Water

Gin & Tonic Package $36.80
One bottle Beefeaters Gin, 3 Cans of Tonic Water

6-pack Bud Light domestic beer no price found

6-pack Miller Lite domestic beer $21.85

6-pack Amstel Light imported beer $23.00

6-pack Corona imported beer $23.00

6-pack Miller Genuine Draft domestic beer $21.85

6-pack Heineken imported beers $23.00

Sherry Harvey's Med - $57.50
6pack (Domestic) Budweiser, Bud Light - $21.85
3 X soft drinks (any soda) - $4.89
All minibar Liquor Items, each - $5.69

Missed Whiskey/Scotch:
Jim Beam - $34.50
J&B Rare, Johnnie Walker Red - $36.80
Ballentine's - $40.25
Dewars - $48.30
Jack Daniels - $55.20
Chivas Regal (12yrs) - $66.70
Johnnie Walker Black - $77.05
GIN:
Beefeater - $32.20
Tanqueray - $41.40
Bombay Sapphire - $42.55
LIQUEURS:
Kahlua, Southern Comfort - $36.80
Bailey's Irish Cream - $46.00
Sambuca (Opal Nera Black) - $47.15
Tia Maria - $49.45
Amaretto - $51.75
Cointreau - $55.20
Drambuie - $58.65
Grand Marnier - $74.75
RUM:
Myers - $32.20
Bacardi Gold - $34.50
Bacardi White - $35.65
good to know thanks,,,great prices...Princess only does 375 bottles

[insag]

insag, you say you are thinking about Nov on the Zaandam. If you do, we have a Roll Call going for the 11/7 sailing this November-come over and join us.

Bob
thanks we are loking at the next one on the Nov 21,,,and wish I was looking at 11/7....I can not find a roll call for the Nov 21 sailing..

[Crusing Bob]

insag, we are so sorry that you won't join our voyage date.

Bob

[SwissMyst]

not a trick question,,just have never sailed with them before,,
We love sea days as long as there are quiet places to go,,this is one area that Princess reaaly lacks in,,we like quiet cushion chairs, good matress, good food and good nightly shows,,

I have two cruises that we can do during our time one is Holland 14 hawaii, and the other is Celebrity infinity panama canal,,leave out of san diego,,

I'm sorry. I meant to put a big "wink" sign on my snarky intro simply because this is one of our favorite features about HAL and once on board you too will soon find this question about HAL beds keeps coming up as one of the most favored features. I can appreciate you got caught in my badly executed inside joke about the beds. Please accept my apologies for my poor welcome to you.

[pizzadog]

Thank you so much for your time....this is long.

we are thinking about doing the 14 night Hawaii in Nov...any input for this would be great,,,ie what to see and what to do..

I have never cruised Holland before,,I have cruised Princess and Celebrity many times..
The Oasis area this is like the Sanctuary on Princess, and can it used when you are out at Sea because of the wind..
is the indoor pool warm,,,also is this a all adult area?


how much is it to use the spa's suites,, it is nice I love cruising the Connie with Celebrity because of their adult area.

One thing that I'm looking forward to is all the cooking classes,,I also read that the computer classes are FREE is this right..

one thing that we hate about Princess is the beds they are so hard,, how are the beds with Holland..

I was reading that the inside cabins do not have ref.. but you can rent them is this right..
Also in the main review it says that the liquor that you buy in the gift shop you cvan take back to your cabin and do mot have to wait until the last night,,i have never heard of this before...

anybody that would like just to tell me about Zaandam that would be great


I told you this was long..

thanks for the help need to make a decision

We did the Hawaii cruise on the Zaandam out of Vancouver - 19 days. I took one of the "hands on" cooking classes - only 9 students present so it was very informative and lots of fun. We cooked an appetizer, salad and main course which I have since done at home - very good recipes. After the cooking was done we were escorted to the Pinnacle Grill dining room to enjoy our meal. Wine was served and a good time was had by all. For the price ($28.00 I believe) it was well worth it - a wonderful experience that I would certainly take part in again.:)

[insag]

I'm sorry. I meant to put a big "wink" sign on my snarky intro simply because this is one of our favorite features about HAL and once on board you too will soon find this question about HAL beds keeps coming up as one of the most favored features. I can appreciate you got caught in my badly executed inside joke about the beds. Please accept my apologies for my poor welcome to you.
Big "wink" back to you,,, we never knew that there was a cruise ship with comfy beds,,that we might like,,,we cruised Carnival once and DH almost got off at the first port,,but the bed was comfy so we stayed

[insag]

We did the Hawaii cruise on the Zaandam out of Vancouver - 19 days. I took one of the "hands on" cooking classes - only 9 students present so it was very informative and lots of fun. We cooked an appetizer, salad and main course which I have since done at home - very good recipes. After the cooking was done we were escorted to the Pinnacle Grill dining room to enjoy our meal. Wine was served and a good time was had by all. For the price ($28.00 I believe) it was well worth it - a wonderful experience that I would certainly take part in again.:)think I thank you between this and comfy beds I'm ready to book,,

[apollobeach]

Please see thread entitled: "I am totally put off with Holland-America"

Here is the link....


http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1198534