Is Tatka on the Zui?

[ekerr19]

I think Tatka is on the Zuiderdam as I post this... but I can't remember..

I hope she is having/or had a great time. :)

My question to her - I thought she mentioned in one of her posts that she was doing the Celebrity California Coastal... the same dates we've booked my Mom & Dad... my DH thinks I should go along with them - just so they are OK getting around....

Tatka - are you back from the Zui yet? I hope you can help me... :)

[spcl4cs_gal]

Tatka was on the Z last week with me. :)

[Tatka]

We had a great time!

Despite all not so great reviews our experience with Zui was great.

Couple of minor problems that didn't spoil our cruise a bit... Little bit slow service (our room was made after 12 pm couple of times, and our safe box didn't work for 2 days but we received tons of appologies and strawberries in chocolate!!!)

I found ship in great and very clean condition... Many great paintings and other art. I spend lots of time videotaping them.

Our inside room was BIG for inside cabin...( I- 6067) and location was very convinient. Midship, closer to the front. I think as a part of implementation of "Signature of exellence" we received bath robes and fresh fruit basket (every day).

I found food quality very good... Buffets IMHO were better than on Celebrity , dinners little bit less but still great and we always found many dishes to our likeing. Service in DR little bit slow but wasn't a problem for us as we had great table mates to talk to.

Now...about our table mates. As you probably know by now we are 32
+ 32 + 12... Our tablemates were 80+ couple + their daughter in her 50 ties... I don't know how HAL matches ages but in our case we had a blast.:D They were past immigrants from Cuba. (got here just before Castro regime) Both're retired doctors and unbelievable smart and interesting people. They have 60+ cruises under their belts so you can imagine how many great stories they were able to tell us. Plus I think guy read more Russian literature than I did (and I am Russian!!!). My husband is into politics and history so they had alot to talk about.... ( well I still think my DH could speak better in English but..oh well, it wasn't a problem).

We were lucky to have very good weather except two big rains in the afternoon in Grand Caymans and HMC, but were returning to the ship anyway.

We attended only two shows (on both formal nights) and they were wonderful, specially second one. Great music, costumes and effects. If you are not planning to attend shows, please make sure you at least see the second one.

Had a great time meeting all nice people from CC...don't want to list names as I am afraid to forget somebody.:)

Well...I am kind of tired from my fligh and can't describe everything right now so if you have any questions please ask...

Natasha

P.S. spcl4cs_gal, we were looking forward to meet you!

[HeatherInFlorida]

Natasha, welcome home! I am so happy that you had such a wonderful time. I always love when people return home with such great stories to tell. Hopefully you will post more when you have recovered. Good to have you back.:)

[Lois R]

Hi there:) and glad you are home safe and sound and so pleased to read that you enjoyed the cruise!
Glad you had wonderful tablemates too:D .........hopefully I will have some as well!

So...how do you compare Century to Zuiderdam? I know we both LOVE Century!

[spcl4cs_gal]

P.S. spcl4cs_gal, we were looking forward to meet you!

Yes I know...(red face here)...was taking my afternoon nap at sea and woke up late. :( I am sure there will be other cruises though, right? :)

[divinggirl]

Sorry Natasha, I think I used the name you HATE!! :o Hope you didn't get poured on at HMC, I was under water when it happened, and they dropped me off directly at the ship after the second dive!! It ws great meeting you, and I hope your next cruise is as great as this one.

Nikki

[sail7seas]

Welcome Back, Natasha..........So happy you had such a great time. Your great comments make me more eager to return to Zuiderdam in October.

I hope you'll post some more comments after you get settled back home.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Welcome Back Natasha, SOunds like you had a great time. We don't have that many cruises under our belt but we have always been lucky to have some really nice Table Mate. I think a lot has to do with ones own personal attitude.:)
Looking forward to hearing more of how it went for you once you get back to your normal routine.

[Vicar]

Natasha,

Glad that you had a safe trip and such a great time.

Welcome home :)

[Tatka]

Sorry Natasha, I think I used the name you HATE!! :o Hope you didn't get poured on at HMC, I was under water when it happened, and they dropped me off directly at the ship after the second dive!! It ws great meeting you, and I hope your next cruise is as great as this one.

NikkiWe actually did get poured on!!! We were having "Glass Bottom tour" :D ...reached the reef and saw couple of nice big and pretty fishes...and then horrible rain started and they had to return us to the tender dock, but they've returned full amount.

This rain kind of added to our cold...Oh, I forgot to write that probably because we had too strong A/C in our room...during the first night (I thought it wasn't supposed to work ;) ) my husband was sick by the second day, and I by the third... Strangely enough we still managed to have a good time! I would advise you to check if your A/C works before turning it to the coolest position....

Lois, I seriously didn't find any flaws in my Zui experience comparing to the Century...( except little bit slower service, which somehow didn't really upset me) Ship is beatuiful. Design is more complicated than Century's... "Atrium" IMHO is on the smaller side comparing to the size of this ship but really nice.
I loved outside elevators. (One of the pluses for me was variety of fresh juices available during the day, also it's nice to be able to spend time in your cabin untill your # is called when disembarking).

I think average age of PAX was around 35-45...many families with the kids. There is very good basketball/volleyball court (completely net covered) on the highest deck were my 12 old spent 70% of the cruise. On my question about club HAL he said that on X activities were better but he didn't participate anyway, just found friends to play with.

There were some sport activities by the pool, team competitions etc. My DH participated in the ping-pong tournament...and 3 tables were avalable during the day. My advice...bring your own ping-pong set, ones that they have are overused.

If you decide to participate in Black Jack tournament I'd recommend to wait until later rounds , so you will know how much $$ you will need to accumulate to get into the final round. 7 people with highest score get in... for $20 they give you $1000 and you have to get as much as possible during the 7 games.
We got $3200 and were in untill the last 1/2 hour. Last people who got in had $3600.

One thing I would suggest for HAL to change is to put some kind of fans or A/C in the LIDO pool area (middle pool) it was very hot and humid there.

I have to give HAL an A+ for well orginized tendering process. In Grand Caymans there were 3 huge ships besides us (Caribbean Princess, Navigator of the Seas and Carnival Triumph)...there were big lines to their tenders while I've never seen lines for Zui, and I went back and forth 3 times during the day.

Another minor disappointment was super crowded Lido buffet during the first lunch... I am not sure what can be done about 1900 people wanting to eat at the same time at the same place but it was kind of tireing after the flight and boarding process.

Again...None of these problems didn't turn me or my family off of sailing with HAL in the future. :) Very classy line.

[Sue's Mom]

Welcome home. Sounds like you had a really great time. Thanks for all the info, it made interesting reading.

[divinggirl]

I had the same experience with the A/C...I loved it, but I think the thermostat MAY have been broken, it was hard to tell but I can say for sure that the warmest setting still had my mom and sister complaining they were freezing. We called and our power went out for a while, so we assumed it was being fixed. The room warmed up after that, but I think it was just because there had been no A/C while the power was off.

My overall impression of the Z is really great. I loved the layout and erven though the decor was a bit crazy in spots, the glass elevators were a wonderful touch. I recommend taking the stairs when you can, though, those elevators take FOREVER sometimes.

The service was second to none. I have never met so many friendly and accomodating people in my life, and they took so much crap from people and still managed to remain friendly. I witnessed some incidents that made me embarassed for all pax, people are so rude sometimes it's unbelievable. Hunky-Dory (Imam) got my name wrong every day, but he tried and by Friday he followed me around the Lido saying, Hi Nikki, how are you Nikki, can I get you anything Nikki...etc. He is so cute and sweet, and made my breakfast each morning even if he couldn't remember my name!! :D

I spent alot of time in the Sports Bar with Eduardo and Eugene, and learned that they have to work one year and then get two months off. They are the hardest workers, and always with a smile.

I did not notice when our room was made up, but can tell you that Sigit, our room steward, did a fantastic job, as three people in one room can get a little messy!

The CC meeting Monday was nice, and I kept bumping into people as the week went on, especially LouDBMW and his lovely wife, who were on almost every tender I was! Natasha, Shannon, and I had chairs and clamshells right next to each other at HMC.

Slots were very tight, although my mom, who spent LOTS of time at the 3 card poker table, made several friends who finally won at the end of the week, one winning $800 on a $5 machine!

Didn't go to many shows, not really my thing and I had trouble staying up really late after doing 2 dives in one day.

I found that the channel on the TV that has the port and disembarkation talks were very helpful, and it was nice to have in case you missed the live talk.

The ports were varied. I think Key West is just like any Caribbean port, except everything is OVER-taxed instead of being duty free. My opinion is any souveniers or knick knacks you want to buy there can be found anywhere else but dutyfree instead of the 12% plus tax they put on in KW. That is, unless it is important that what you buy says Key West on it.

Didn't really get to see too much of Coz, dives took up most of the day. But cabs are ubiquitous and it was nice that there was only 1 other ship there with us.

Grand Cayman, the diving was absolutely spectacular, for anyone who is interested. Shopping, IMHO, is no better than retail for most of the fancy stuff, and deals are hard to come by except liquor and cigarettes, which are too cheap to be believed. It's nice that Tortuga Duty free sends your purchases directly to the ship, keeps you from having to carries lots of bottles on the tender.

The tender services were great, although I was always on the first tender and back on the last. No real wait that I experienced, although some have said otherwise.

HMC is, as we all know, perfect. Love the sand there, and the water is so warm and clear. They ran out of floats before 10 AM, so maybe bringing your own foldable and inflatable one if you can fit it wouldn't be a bad idea. Rain came in the late afternoon, as Natasha said, but most people were probably fried by then anyway.

I met a guy who was living on HMC for a month as he studied marine biodiversity for his PhD at Stanford. He was on my second dive at HMC and I told him how lucky he was. The divemasters on HMC are so great, and everything HAL uses there is first class all the way.

The one area that I thought needed improvement was the food. The formal nights were good, the second better than the first, and the brie, and escargots and lobster were fantastic. Dutch night either needs to go or something, that was not a good dinner. I hesitate to go into more specifics because I know opinions about cuisine are so subjective, but generally their fish dishes were too fishy and their sauces were not very flavorful. I heard the same opinions from some, and our tablemates loved some of the fish dishes. Dennis, I am interested in your opinions on the food, we didn't get to chat about that too much. (BTW, your son, who was there when I picked up my towel at your clamshell, is gonna be a heartbreaker... :rolleyes: )

Lido was nice-- breakfast was awesome every morning, lunch was good, the asian dishes were usually reliable and the sushi rolls were good. Everything was always stocked and the bistro sandwiches were so very delicious! Never had dinner there.

I was initially surprised when we ordered room service and our shrimp cocktail came with itty bitty shrimp, but then I thought about the costs involved in having that much large shrimp. I don't know if it would be feasible, but the small shrimp were flavorless and we didn't get it again the rest of the week, which is unfortunate because I LOVE shrimp cocktail and was really looking forward to it. The triple decker club from room service is the best thing on the menu, IMHO. Breakfast was always delivered on time and exactly as we ordered, even if it was written in.

I'll write more later, but this pretty much covers all my thoughts. Overall, a great vacation that was blessed by (almost) perfect weather, great company and fantastic service. Woudl go back in a heartbeat, although I would like to try the smaller ships next time to compare.

[divinggirl]

BTW, we sat at table 26 for the 8 PM upper level seating, and could feel a vibration, stronger when seas were choppy, but I personally loved it, very soothing and purring. Also, I mentioned this briefly in another thread, but there was a sewage odor, in our cabin the first few days that eventually disappeared, and it seems to be the strongest and longest lingering in the hall leading to Northern Lights, the Sports Bar and the Casino. It was less at the end of the week, but never disappeared completely. As long as you didn't linger in the hall near the lounge, it was just a brief stroll through it, and wasn't that bad. But it was still there until about Thurs or Fri.

Nikki

[Tatka]

We didn't smell any sewage odor...:) Interesting...

By the way...I created several photo albums already ..although many pictures are far from perfect.

http://community.webshots.com/user/tatka1971

[HeatherInFlorida]

Natasha and Nikki, thank you both for these awesome reviews! I can't tell you how much I enjoyed all of it and I'm so happy you both had such a fantastic time!

[Cruising Jake]

Thanks to both of you for your reviews. Natasha, I really enjoyed looking at your pictures.

[doone]

Tatka, thanks so much for posting your pictures, I loved looking at them. Now I can't wait til March when I sail the Zuiderdam.

[Tatka]

Thank you guys/girls! If you have any questions please ask me. :)

I am sure you will enjoy your future Zui cruises as well.

[Lois R]

Tatka.....thank you soooo much for all those photos:D .......wow.......now, all I have to do is HOPE there are no storms the weekend of 9-11.......sigghhh....
I know I feel bad for everyone going this coming weekend too......hope it works out FOR ALL OF US:)

[spcl4cs_gal]

We didn't smell any sewage odor...:) Interesting...

By the way...I created several photo albums already ..although many pictures are far from perfect.

http://community.webshots.com/user/tatka1971

Thanks for sharing your pictures with us, Tatka. :D They are great!

[chefajax]

Hi to All.....
Tatka....my wife and I saw you going on that glass bottom boat when we were justing leaving HMC. Then THAT rain hit, we were worried for you, but we are happy to hear that you are alright and with your money back.

Nikki....
Thanks about my son. Did I tell you that he got busted at some girl's cabin when the parents went to check on her, found him there alone with her at 2 am? As to the food, it was very nice, excellant at times, and I agree that Dutch night needs help (remember I'm Dutch). Desserts were good, but I need more Almond paste or Marzipan to make me happy. The wine choices were very good and they kept the prices reasonable. The Quady Essensia that we drank was $16, but sells here for $12.99 in the supermarket. Say hello to your Dad (my alumni brother) and give him my best :)...Dennis

[divinggirl]

Dennis,
I agree about the wine, we were most pleasantly surprised!! I don't really eat desserts but my mom and sister loved them all, as did our tablemates. I'd rather eat two entrees then have dessert, and I did that twice!

Natasha, thanks for the photos, your picture is the only one we have from the trip, as my mom's camera was stolen! :(
Wish it was a bit more flattering... :rolleyes: ;) But you captured the decor and the ports very well!!!

Nikki

[Tatka]

Dennis,
I agree about the wine, we were most pleasantly surprised!! I don't really eat desserts but my mom and sister loved them all, as did our tablemates. I'd rather eat two entrees then have dessert, and I did that twice!

Natasha, thanks for the photos, your picture is the only one we have from the trip, as my mom's camera was stolen! :(
Wish it was a bit more flattering... :rolleyes: ;) But you captured the decor and the ports very well!!!

NikkiI am so sorry to hear about your mom's camera! :( When did this happen? I

I was going to take picture of you in the water ...I don't know why I didn't ...By the way I think Nani made a picture of three of us, do you have her e-mail? Maybe she can help you.
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Btw I saw your table...;) I think I saw a little blong girl about 8 yo next to your sister.

[Tatka]

By the way.. this is a picture of our tablemates!

http://community.webshots.com/photo/181624894/181633095AOqnmm

[divinggirl]

I am so sorry to hear about your mom's camera! :( When did this happen? I

I was going to take picture of you in the water ...I don't know why I didn't ...By the way I think Nani made a picture of three of us, do you have her e-mail? Maybe she can help you.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Btw I saw your table...;) I think I saw a little blong girl about 8 yo next to your sister.

Unbeknownst to me, she put her carryon bag with her digital in her luggage after we retrieved our luggage at the HAL terminal. We checked our luggage at FLL 4 hrs early, so it happened between then and when we got it off the carousel at BWI. Oh well...you're right, Shannon does have a picture of all of us, and no I don't have her email but she promised she'll be back on these boards...SHANNON where are you? I am concerned because Frances is heading right towards East/Central FL, where I went to college and have lots of friends, and she lives in Pompano Beach so she may be busy preparing...

And yes, there was a little blond girl at our table, her name was Shelby too, just like my sister! Not a very common name so it was quite a coincidence.

Go away Frances!! :mad:

[Tatka]

Unbeknownst to me, she put her carryon bag with her digital in her luggage after we retrieved our luggage at the HAL terminal. We checked our luggage at FLL 4 hrs early, so it happened between then and when we got it off the carousel at BWI. Oh well...you're right, Shannon does have a picture of all of us, and no I don't have her email but she promised she'll be back on these boards...SHANNON where are you? I am concerned because Frances is heading right towards East/Central FL, where I went to college and have lots of friends, and she lives in Pompano Beach so she may be busy preparing...

And yes, there was a little blond girl at our table, her name was Shelby too, just like my sister! Not a very common name so it was quite a coincidence.

Go away Frances!! :mad:
If she won't post soon e-mail me at menakern@yahoo.com and I'll send you her e-mail, although she said something about her getting a new one soon.