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Volendam vs. Zuiderdam


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We had to make the same decision. Both itineraries are identical. Here are the pros and cons we found.

 

The Volendam sails on Wednesdays. That means fewer cruise ships when you embark and at each port, so crowds are, hopefully, smaller. But since it's middle of the week, it may be harder to schedule time away from work depending on your circumstances. The Zuiderdam sails on Saturdays when more ships sail, so possibility of bigger crowds, but better schedules with regard to time off work.

 

The Volendam is smaller, so again fewer people to get around, but it is not designed with balcony lovers in mind. The balconies go for a premium. The Z has more reasonably priced balcony cabins, but more passengers. (We loved our balcony in Alaska.)

 

The tie breaker for us was the lay out of the ship. Knowing what we like to do when aboard, the Z will more often be easier for me to negotiate. I have mobility issues, so the nearer the venues we'll be using are to each other, the better for me. But for most people, that isn't an issue. In fact, since the Volendam is smaller, most prople with mobiity issues would find her preferable. This is a quirk for us.

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We made this same choice last year and went with the Zuiderdam. The verandah advantage LindaKE brings up was key for us. We were able to get a verandah we could afford on the Zuiderdam. This was our first verandah and we found it well worth it. If you don't want a verandah the choice comes down to Wed. vs Sat. departure.

 

The Zuiderdam isn't that big compared to some of the newer ships on other lines. It still is very comfortable to get around. The decor colors are rather strange but otherwise the ship is very nice.

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Thanks LindaKE and jmps!

We were also wondering about flying in the same day as the ship departs. Did either of you do that?

I need to check airfare... Wednesday vs. Saturday... one day might be cheaper than the other.

 

On these boards are many suggestions to NOT fly in same day you leave. I agree with them all. All it takes is one little glitch in your day to miss the sailaway and they will not wait for you. Why leave it to chance when you can eliminate the stress, get a relaxing night's sleep, awake refreshed and start your adventure by coming in one day early. PLUS:) there will be time in port to shop for wine and anything you forgot.

 

Have a great cruise!

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We just did this cruise in July. We went with the Volendam mainly because of the Wed sailing. We were the only large ship in Juneau and Skagway. No crowds at all, and docked in perfect spots for getting on and off the ship.

We loved the Volendam. Whole crew was very friendly, always smiling.

We were in Cat C, lower promenade which is an outside view on the walking deck. And, no, we had no problem with anyone trying to look in the window.:)

We liked being able to quickly walk out to either side of the ship to see things, and it was easy to go back to the room to get a jacket, etc. We had beautiful weather so I'm sure a balcony would have been nice, but we felt if we had bad weather we did not want to spend the extra money. But, as other ones have said, the Zuiderdam does have more balconys and so they are cheaper than Volendam.

No matter which ship you will love this cruise.:)

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You could also book one of the "secret" cabins on the aft of the Navigation deck of the Volendam (I think its 7086???). We had a similar cabin on the sister ship Amsterdam for our 14 day sailing to Alaska on May 31st. It was perfect - best of both worlds! And this from a die hard balcony-in-Alaska fan!! I was convinced we'd be unhappy - wrong! Now I think I'd prefer sailing the smaller ships and getting one of the secret cabins - for less money than a balcony, but all the benefits of having one! So-called secret because it is an oceanview on the aft of the Navigation deck, with your window overlooking a little used and little known public deck. Just steps out our cabin door (4 to be exact!) to this wonderfully private deck. No one was ever out there, but us. Big fans of wake views, and we sure did have 'em here! A staircase goes up to the aft Lido deck for easy access to food, snacks, or adult beverages. The deck beneath us was even more private - no cabins with windows facing the deck, but still accessible thru the aft hallway and door to the deck. Something to consider!

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The food in the main dining room of the Zuiderdam was some of the best we have had on a HAL ship. I first thought the Z color scheme was the worst of the bunch from the HAL website photos, but somehow the dark rich purples and burgundies worked to make it feel very elegant after all. So we thought the Z was a very good Vista ship, but our hearts to stick with the smaller HAL ships.

 

I can see this will be a hard choice. But if you can get a larger "superior" SZ, SY suites on the Zuiderdam, this could tip it in its favor for Alaska because the outdoor viewing can get cold and this trip is one where having a really nice large balcony and extra cabin windows can make a difference to view a lot of it from inside your snug and warm cabin.

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Both ships are HAL (Volendam more than Zuiderdam) so the choice could come down to which itinerary you prefer.

My first and last Vista class cruise was on Zuiderdam. I don't "hate" Vista, but they're more Carnival than HAL in design. These a few of my review comments at the time, Sept 2003:

The décor is appropriate to the itinerary. Zuiderdam was built and designed for year round Caribbean cruising and the interior motifs reflect this concept. Some areas offer a challenge to navigate; especially the central lounges adjoining the casino on deck two. There are nooks, crannies and small corridors to deal with, somewhat similar to what is occasionally found in the lounge areas of some land resort hotels. Maybe this is what the designers had in mind? The central atrium is smaller than on the S and R Class ships. This provides more space for the lounges and other public areas, but I miss the larger atrium which I often use as a reference point for navigation.

The ship is impeccably clean and shows little signs of wear, a credit to the maintenance crew, her Hotel Manager Nick Burger, and Captain Johannes van Biljouw. Zuiderdam’s condition and appearance is extraordinary considering that 1800 people tramp through her every week.

Unlike the S and R Class ships, Zuiderdam does not have a passenger use laundry. Twice we used the $12 per ‘full bag’ laundry service. Both times delivery was next day.

The Lounges:

The Best:

Crow’s Nest. Great viewing lounge with huge wraparound window located forward on deck ten. Cocktail piano, also theme night music such as 50s & 60s tunes by CD. Explorer’s Lounge. Classical music by The Rosario Strings. This is also the venue for afternoon tea. Excellent snacks and a good selection of teas (save room for the scones!).

The Worst: Queen’s Lounge. So poorly designed that it’s useless for any function. That’s too bad because The HAL Cats, a truly good band fronted by a first-rate vocal quartet, plays danceable music here most nights.

Ocean Bar - Once again, poor design. This lounge is totally open to the atrium losing any identity as a lounge, and the dance floor is too small. For some incomprehensible reason, a divider is installed across the center of the seating area, disconnecting the rear of the lounge from the front. Music is by Meir & Rae Ann on drums and a piano. How eclectic is that? Music is mostly traditional dance: fox trot, waltz, tango, etc.

No Opinion: Northern Lights Late night activity usually starting at 10PM, mostly disco and light rock. A DJ spinning CDs supplies music. Booth seating surrounds a largish dance floor. Design by Gateway.

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Just returned from the Alaska cruise on the Volendam on the Wed itinerary and it was wonderful. No experience with the Zdam. The Wed itenerary was great because there were no other ships in port in Juneau and Skagway. In Ketchikan there were 2 ships there when we arrived but they left much earlier than the Volendam. We didn't have to deal with any crowds, which made sightseeing, shopping, excursions much more relaxing.

 

I read that the Volendam is scheduled for dry dock in April 2011, so it will have some upgrades prior to your cruise. Not sure what they will be, possibly some of the SOE (Signature of Excellence?) upgrades that other ships have had done. For one I expect the make shift Canaletto in the Lido that we had on our cruise last week will become a dedicated specialty restaurant.

 

If you go to Expedia or Travelocity you can look at the various dates and cabin prices/availability. Whether you book threw them or a travel agent is up to you, but it can give you an idea of pricing for different room classifications and dates. It helped me to narrow down which week we would go, since we had the flexibility I chose the week with lower cost for the cabin we wanted.

 

BTW we had the aforementioned secret inside room that actually has a window, cabin 7086. It was great having a window with a nice view and easy access to the lightly used aft deck, for the cost of an inside cabin. All the other cabins on those two levels have their own private balconies, so not many people use the aft deck. There is no bathtub only a shower in that room, I think there is one less wardrobe closet, (3 instead of 4) but it was enough for all our clothes, and a funky little alcove that doesn't seem to be of much use but we found it very useful for the luggage and backpack and other things that we could put back there and not have cluttering up our space. However, I've read that the cabin may be upgraded to an outside cabin classification soon.

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  • 3 months later...

We did the Volendam to Alaska in September and the Zuiderdam to the Panama Canal last week. I much prefer the Volendam, as the Zuiderdam seemed to be one of the most "chopped up" ship designs I have been on. There is a very small atrium, which seems to be the focus of "people watching" on most ships. It seemed to me that you had to almost seek out entertainment venues. On the Zuiderdam, the library, normally a place for quiet reading, opens full wall into the Crow's Nest bar. We thought this was very strange. I think a smaller ship is better for Alaska. And definitely go a few days early, if you can, to enjoy Vancouver, which we found to be a beautiful city. I wrote up a review on my Alaska Volendam and will soon write one on the Zuiderdam. Based on my experiences, I would recommend the Volendam.

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This is a cruise where the Captain makes all the difference in the world. some captains are much more vocal than others and go out of their way to point out interesting wildlife and fauna. Some don't say a word. I have done the Alaska cruise at least 15 times and there are huge differences in the quality of the experience. I agree that the Zuiderdam has a more cut up feeling than the Volendam. The Volendam is easy to navigate and getting out on the front deck is very special. Enjoy!

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We did the Volendam to Alaska in September and the Zuiderdam to the Panama Canal last week. I much prefer the Volendam, as the Zuiderdam seemed to be one of the most "chopped up" ship designs I have been on. There is a very small atrium, which seems to be the focus of "people watching" on most ships. It seemed to me that you had to almost seek out entertainment venues. On the Zuiderdam, the library, normally a place for quiet reading, opens full wall into the Crow's Nest bar. We thought this was very strange. I think a smaller ship is better for Alaska. And definitely go a few days early, if you can, to enjoy Vancouver, which we found to be a beautiful city. I wrote up a review on my Alaska Volendam and will soon write one on the Zuiderdam. Based on my experiences, I would recommend the Volendam.

 

My thoughts, exactly. My first, and last, Vista Class cruise was on Zuiderdam in Y2003. This is excerpted from my review:

 

Some areas offer a challenge to navigate; especially the central lounges adjoining the casino on deck two. There are nooks, crannies and small corridors to deal with, somewhat similar to what is occasionally found in the lounge areas of some land resort hotels. Maybe this is what the designers had in mind? The central atrium is smaller than on the S Class ships. This provides more space for the lounges and other public areas, but I miss the larger atrium which I often use as a reference point for navigation.

The ship is impeccably clean and shows little signs of wear, a credit to the maintenance crew, her Hotel Manager Nick Burger, and Captain Johannes van Biljouw. Zuiderdam’s condition and appearance is extraordinary considering that 1800 people tramp through her every week.

Unlike the S Class ships, Zuiderdam does not have a passenger use laundry. Twice we used the $12 per ‘full bag’ laundry service. Both times delivery was next day.

The Lounges:

The Best:

Crow’s Nest. Great viewing lounge with huge wraparound window located forward on deck ten. Cocktail piano, also theme night music such as 50s & 60s tunes by CD. Explorer’s Lounge. Classical music by The Rosario Strings. This is also the venue for afternoon tea. Excellent snacks and a good selection of teas (save room for the scones!).

The Worst: Queen’s Lounge. So poorly designed that it’s useless for any function.

Ocean Bar - Once again, poor design. This lounge is totally open to the atrium losing any identity as a lounge, and the dance floor is too small. For some incomprehensible reason, a divider is installed across the center of the seating area, disconnecting the rear of the lounge from the front.

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Have never been on the Zuiderdam but have been on the similar Oosterdam and while it was OK we much prefer the smaller R and S class ships. In fact, our favorite ship of the HAL fleet is the Volendam, an R class, with the Ryndam, an S class, a close second. While we have no interest in Alaska itineraries we'd picked the Volendam over just about any ship, certainly over any of the Vista class like the Zuiderdam.

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You are all making me sad! I was so looking forward to our June 25 cruise on the Zuiderdam. My husband and I are in our early 50's. We tested out HAL last spring on the Ryndam western Caribbean. We had a great time but the demographic was on the older side compared to our Celebrity cruise the previous spring. Thinking that HAL does Alaska really well and that the Zuiderdam might have a little younger median age we went with the Inside Passage out of Vancouver for our first Alaska experience. Does anyone have anything good to say about it?

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Thanks LindaKE and jmps!

We were also wondering about flying in the same day as the ship departs. Did either of you do that?

I need to check airfare... Wednesday vs. Saturday... one day might be cheaper than the other.

 

You'll probably find that air fares are cheaper Mon to Thu then Fri to Sun.

If you live in the states have you considered flying into Seattle and taking a shuttle to Vancouver the day before the cruise . The savings could pay for a nice hotel right at the Canada Place Cruise Port in Vancouver.

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You are all making me sad! I was so looking forward to our June 25 cruise on the Zuiderdam. My husband and I are in our early 50's. We tested out HAL last spring on the Ryndam western Caribbean. We had a great time but the demographic was on the older side compared to our Celebrity cruise the previous spring. Thinking that HAL does Alaska really well and that the Zuiderdam might have a little younger median age we went with the Inside Passage out of Vancouver for our first Alaska experience. Does anyone have anything good to say about it?

 

 

I have the same sinking feeling! I've cruised the Volendam - loved it - and have booked the Zuiderdam for our Panama & repositioning cruise.

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You are all making me sad! I was so looking forward to our June 25 cruise on the Zuiderdam. My husband and I are in our early 50's. We tested out HAL last spring on the Ryndam western Caribbean. We had a great time but the demographic was on the older side compared to our Celebrity cruise the previous spring. Thinking that HAL does Alaska really well and that the Zuiderdam might have a little younger median age we went with the Inside Passage out of Vancouver for our first Alaska experience. Does anyone have anything good to say about it?

 

We did this cruise on the Zuiderdam the summer before last for the exact reasons you state. It was wonderful! Previously we sailed mostly on Celebrity. The Vista class ships on HAL are very nice. NO reason to be sad. A lot of comments here are written by people that like the smaller HAL ships. Does that matter to you? To some that is a real disadvantage.

 

The Zuiderdam is a medium sized ship and has some real advantages because of that (e.g. more verandah rooms usually at a lower price). The only thing we would improve on the Zuiderdam is to to use less reds in the decor...not a big deal. The biggest deal on an Alaskan cruise is Alaskan scenery.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

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You are all making me sad! I was so looking forward to our June 25 cruise on the Zuiderdam. My husband and I are in our early 50's. We tested out HAL last spring on the Ryndam western Caribbean. We had a great time but the demographic was on the older side compared to our Celebrity cruise the previous spring. Thinking that HAL does Alaska really well and that the Zuiderdam might have a little younger median age we went with the Inside Passage out of Vancouver for our first Alaska experience. Does anyone have anything good to say about it?

 

Oh gosh....didn't mean to make you sad. :o We started on the Ryndam many, many years ago well before the relatively bigger ships and she became our baseline for comparison for all subsequent cruises. I've offered wondered if we'd started on the Oosterdam if we'd preferred the larger Vista and Signature class ships. Our Oosterdam cruise wasn't bad and probably suffered in comparison because it was our first cruise back on HAL after a five year break from cruising and it was only a 7-day cruise. We prefer the Volendam partly because it reminds us of the smaller S class ships and it was one of those cruises where everything came together perfectly from our cabin to the service to the food to the itinerary to the weather. That same cruise on the Oosterdam, or any of the larger ships, might have us thinking the same way about her instead of the Volendam.

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