Getting nervous about Zuiderdam

[Alaska_2012]

I've spent so much time researching the right itinerary for us and that seems to be on the Zuiderdam (Inside Passage, Glacier Bay,etc.). My TA is holding cabin VB6038 until Saturday and I am doing some final research to make sure I've made the right decision before I make the deposit.

I've just been reading some recent reviews here on CC and some are not very positive. They talk about how worn the ship is, dirty balconies, etc. How concerned should I be about this?

Our main priority is to see Alaska but we would like to have an enjoyable on ship experience as well. I could really use some insight from some of you seasoned cruisers. Thanks!

-A confused first time cruiser :confused:

[Copper10-8]

I've spent so much time researching the right itinerary for us and that seems to be on the Zuiderdam (Inside Passage, Glacier Bay,etc.). My TA is holding cabin VB6038 until Saturday and I am doing some final research to make sure I've made the right decision before I make the deposit.

I've just been reading some recent reviews here on CC and some are not very positive. They talk about how worn the ship is, dirty balconies, etc. How concerned should I be about this?

Our main priority is to see Alaska but we would like to have an enjoyable on ship experience as well. I could really use some insight from some of you seasoned cruisers. Thanks!

-A confused first time cruiser :confused:

Just relax, book that bad boy, form your own opionion and have a great time! Zuiderdam is a ten-year old cruise ship that, in those ten years, has been to drydock four times for standard maintenance & upkeep and/or upgrades. Zuiderdam can hold between 1,916 and 2,272 pax. Only a very tiny fraction of those pax show up here on CC.

Sure, not everyone is going to have the time of their lives on her. These reviews you might be reading sure didn't stop her (the ship) from sailing full and/or close to capacity week in, week out in her 2011 Alaska season with people who had a great vacation! Enjoy!

[Alaska_2012]

Wow, what a great reply. You are so right. I need to relax and stop worrying! I think I will stop reading the reviews, do as you say, and form my own opinion. You said what I needed to hear and I really appreciate it. Thank you :)

[Copper10-8]

wow, what a great reply. You are so right. I need to relax and stop worrying! I think i will stop reading the reviews, do as you say, and form my own opinion. You said what i needed to hear and i really appreciate it. Thank you :)

yw ;)

[hypercafe]

We are also booked on this ship for the Panama Canal in April. I booked it not because of the ship but rather the itinerary so there is no alternative. I also wonder why there is so much talk about this ship out of the whole fleet, it's like you love it or hate it.

[kazu]

We are one of the ship's fans.:) Keep in mind when you read reviews you have to take them with a grain of salt. More people post who were unhappy than happy. It's human nature. I have seen some people who are miserable all the time no matter what. Experience her for yourself and enjoy your cruise :D

[BearInStPete]

I'm sailing on Zuiderdam on 10/14 and I would not hesitate to pull the trigger and book. All of HAL's ships are well maintained and are understated elegance, not the biggest, not the newest, or latest bleeding edge feature - time tested service and class is what you get on HAL. There are some on the CC boards that consider the life-span of a ship as the same as their car and won't settle for anything but the latest, largest, or newest features and they likely will not be satisfied with HAL (there are lines who cater to that). All ships (even ones months old) require constant maintenance and refurbishment and you will likely see this going on during any cruise and it should not be viewed as them being tired or poorly maintained.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Sit back and relax and book that cruise.

Alaska is what you are interested in.

If you have been following Joanie's "Live" -- you will know that she loves the ship.

[Aruba]

We LOVED the Zuiderdam...although I will admit that the loud, garish colors were a little surprising. But when you're in Alaska, you'll be spellbound looking at the beautiful scenery surrounding you in every direction rather than at the color palette on-board the ship. Like others have said, go and form your own opinion! :)

[mskaufman]

Was on the ship in July and had a great time!! Don't worry about stuff and have a great time.

[innlady1]

We are also booked on this ship for the Panama Canal in April. I booked it not because of the ship but rather the itinerary so there is no alternative. I also wonder why there is so much talk about this ship out of the whole fleet, it's like you love it or hate it.

IMHO, once someone writes a bad review, others jump on the bandwagon.

I read a lot of negative things about the Maasdam before we cruised her last winter, how tired she was, etc., etc. We found the Maasdam to be a wonderful ship, and from our standpoint, just as lovely as the newer Noordam on which we've done many cruises.

[3rdGenCunarder]

We LOVED the Zuiderdam...although I will admit that the loud, garish colors were a little surprising. But when you're in Alaska, you'll be spellbound looking at the beautiful scenery surrounding you in every direction rather than at the color palette on-board the ship. Like others have said, go and form your own opinion! :)

Yes, the hallway carpets are a very bright "busy" pattern. But as you said, I wasn't there to critique the decor. We enjoyed our Zuiderdam cruise to Alaska and would definitely recommend the ship.

I am tired of hearing about a ship being "old" at ten years. Is it a show-off thing? Do people brag to their friends, "I was just on the NEWEST [choose a line] ship!"

The Norway (formerly France) and QE2 sailed until they were about 40 years old. Saga Ruby is almost 40. As the saying goes, they don't build 'em like they ysed to. But even so, if a ship is maintained well, 10 years is not "old."

[slp123]

I have cruised on ships in their maiden year and on ships that are 35 years old. In fact I crossed the Atlantic on the QE2 in 1969 (a crossing is NOT a cruise) and again in 2001. She had been beautifully maintained, some parts of her were not even recognizable she had been so re-configured but the most wonderful thing was the crew and staff who loved her and lover caring for her passengers. Some made a career of it. I also was on the Prisendam two years ago when she was 22 years old. Again same thing, a crew that loved that ship and those who sailed on her. Sure if you looked hard you could see things that needed replacing but you could also see that HAL spends a fortune maintaining her ships. And HAL's mid-size ships, by today's standards, are really perfect for getting the best mix of personal attention with enough features and alternatives never to be bored.

[shrimpboat123]

Someone once told me, "Believe none of what you hear or read and only half of what you see".

I think there is a lot of truth to it.

[SwissMyst]

I've spent so much time researching the right itinerary for us and that seems to be on the Zuiderdam (Inside Passage, Glacier Bay,etc.). My TA is holding cabin VB6038 until Saturday and I am doing some final research to make sure I've made the right decision before I make the deposit.

I've just been reading some recent reviews here on CC and some are not very positive. They talk about how worn the ship is, dirty balconies, etc. How concerned should I be about this?

Our main priority is to see Alaska but we would like to have an enjoyable on ship experience as well. I could really use some insight from some of you seasoned cruisers. Thanks!

-A confused first time cruiser :confused:

Seasoned enough to have taken this exact ship on this exact itinerary and also read similar detail complaints about every HAL ship we have ever taken. We expect 80% of our experience to be good enough and the other 20% appears in someone's or another's complaint post about the same ship.

We are moving into HAL four star mariner status which has been our own our response to these constant 20% HAL complaint ratios. Yes, you will find 20% to complain about on any ship and on any cruise and on any cruise line.

A seasoned cruiser will appreciate the 80% instead. A new cruiser may be put off by the 20% which did not go according to expectations. No one is right or wrong. This is just a personal choice.

The more you pay, the smaller the negative ratio becomes but it is never eliminated even on the priciest cruises. Just the details of the complaints change - What tinned caviar on Crystal? :eek: Zut alors!

[Alaska_2012]

I'm so thankful for all of the replies. I'm going ahead with the booking and cannot wait to board the ms Zuiderdam and see the splendor of Alaska! :)

[lollytw]

Great comments on this thread already. But I think I can also help assure you, as my DH and I just disembarked the Zuiderdam yesterday. We both thought the ship was beautiful! I personally really liked the bright colors and carpeting. Then again, my first cruise was on Carnival . . . Our stateroom was spotless (superior verandah) and everything we could have asked for. The balcony furniture was in perfect order, except for the one table that showed signs of weather with the varnish. We SO didn't care! Throughout the ship were beautiful works of art and fresh flowers, and the staff were wonderful. I didn't note anything that should cause a person to feel they were on an "old" ship. I intend to do a detailed review soon, but all I can add is that we would sail this ship again in a heartbeat. :D

[dfish]

My first cruise was on the Zuiderdam to Alaska. I read the reviews before hand and was a little nervous. I expected to get on a rust bucket with torn, tattered furniture in all the public rooms. Not so. My family and I had a wonderful time and loved the Zuiderdam.

Before my Maasdam cruise there were a couple of posters who complained about her upkeep. I found her to be a wonderful ship with a great crew and I had an equally wonderful time.

There has been much criticism of the Veendam, but before boarding her I had decided not to form any opinion except my own. HAL delivered a wonderful experience to me as I cruised South America and Antarctica.

I've learned to take reveiws with a grain of salt. The perceptions of others are always influenced by their experiences, background and beliefs. Yours and mine might be totally opposite.

[Alaska_2012]

I wanted to thank everyone for their thoughts. We are very excited about taking the Zuiderdam to Alaska. Everyone's replies have really calmed my fears. I am pleased with my decision and so glad that part is over. Now, on to the excursions! :D

[Backstage Traveler]

There are negative reviews about every ship. I wonder if people are more likely to post their complaints rather than when everything is ok. We were on the Zuiderdam in July and I was a little worried due to the negative reviews I read here. However, we had a wonderful cruise, and the ship itself was just fine. Yes, it is an older ship, but very well maintained, and it was certainly far from falling apart, which is the impression you get if you read too many of those complaining reviews. You are going to have a great cruise, good luck with choosing the excursions!

[Diving Rabbit]

I wanted to thank everyone for their thoughts. We are very excited about taking the Zuiderdam to Alaska. Everyone's replies have really calmed my fears. I am pleased with my decision and so glad that part is over. Now, on to the excursions! :D
We're doing the 11 Day Panama Canal in late October and I will do my best to post a review as soon as I can afterward.

[bradpole]

I've spent so much time researching the right itinerary for us and that seems to be on the Zuiderdam (Inside Passage, Glacier Bay,etc.). My TA is holding cabin VB6038 until Saturday and I am doing some final research to make sure I've made the right decision before I make the deposit.

I've just been reading some recent reviews here on CC and some are not very positive. They talk about how worn the ship is, dirty balconies, etc. How concerned should I be about this?

Our main priority is to see Alaska but we would like to have an enjoyable on ship experience as well. I could really use some insight from some of you seasoned cruisers. Thanks!

-A confused first time cruiser :confused:

Haven't been on the Zuiderdam [yet] but you really have to take what some people complain about with a grain of salt (so to speak). We were on N. Amsterdam this past Feb, she was literally only 6 or 7 months in service. If you looked hard (which some passengers did) sure you could tell that she'd been cursing for 6 months a nick there, a dent there, but conversely you tell she was 'brand new!' This past May we took the Celebrity Summit to Bermuda, an "old" ship by today's standards. If you read the Celebrity Boards some people complain about her condition (including a poster on the same voyage as mine), the worn carpets, the worn this, the worn that, etc.. If we looked hard, yes we could see signs of wear of tear, but her crew kept her in tip top condition. I'm not saying she is fresh from the shipyard, but in no way is the ship showing old and worn out. Personally the people who nit pick the condition of a ship go onboard LOOKING for issues. I have never boarded a ship looking for her age, if I did I would only sail maiden voyages.

Also, when people mention rust keep in mind the ship is surrounded by salt water 24/7, one of most corrosive environments on earth! No matter how many people, and how much money is spent, there will be some evidence of rust on a ship!

Holland America is truly a first rate cruise line and the crew onboard their ships take pride in ensuring everything is maintained. NOTHING, no ship, no hotel, can look brand new unless you are the first person to board!

One other thing to keep in mind, no matter how much the crew and the cruise line wants to fix or take care of things, some ports prohibit the crew from doing any work while docked! Just take a quick read of Captain Albert's blog and he'll talk about ports for one reason or another forbid crew onboard doing any work, whereas some ports don't care. There is a chance the ports Zuiderdam is visiting in Alaska for environmental reasons could prohibit paint scraping or painting with marine finishes, they could even have polices in place that forbid washing the ship!

Enjoy your cruise!

[catl331]

Does anyone every ask how old the airplanes are that they are flying on?:eek: