Back from Zuiderdam

Well, we are back home, safe, sound and only slightly injured from a wonderful week on the Zuiderdam. The trip home was long and tedious. What is with that Interstate 95? Dont people know how to drive? :eek: Then, we had to deal the all the RV traffic from the NASCAR race going out of Charlotte. Lets just say I'm tired. Too tired to even think about writing a lucid review.

I will give a bit of a summary. The Zuiderdam is a wonderful ship with a fantastic crew. The ship was clean and tidy with only some minor wear and tear that you really had to go looking for. The food and service in the main dining room and Lido was top notch. All in all, it was an excellent cruise and we had a great time on-board. We hated to leave.

Gurkhaman, thanks for the cigar, I really enjoyed it while walking the streets of Key West. I do apologize we never got to meet. We just seemed to always be doing something. Maybe some other time.

Look for a full reiview in a day or two.

Tim

Well, we are back home, safe, sound and only slightly injured from a wonderful week on the Zuiderdam. The trip home was long and tedious. What is with that Interstate 95? Dont people know how to drive?

No, people don't know how to drive on I-95! Not in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties, anyway! :eek:

Welcome back!

Tim, Welcome Home:) I did give a toast of champagne to you at Sail Away from one cabin 5187 to another.:D

Glad you home safely looking forward to your review.

Is Hunky Dory back in the Lido yet?

Candy <-- expected him back in mid-September

We are sailing the Zuiderdam in Jan 7th 2006 and I was worried about all the bad things I have read on these boards about the ship. Thanks for ensuring me we made a good decision.This is out first cruise on HAL and we are taking my Mother and sister on their first cruise. We want all to go well, so we will have some other people who love cruising as much as we do. Looking forward to your review.

Thanks,

Bob

HAL's Zuiderdam is our favorite ship, and although you have read some negative reports, be assured that she is generally in very good shape. On our last 5 voyages we have seen the crew at work day and night, polishing, shampooing, vacuuming, painting... There is naturally some wear and tear after a half-million cruisers drag in sand and salt (and in some cases, snow)... all deferred maintenance will be addressed in the December drydock. She also will get the rest of her SOE upgrades and new flooring in the hallways. She'll be better than new by the time y'all board! Photos are in my sig below.

Candy <-- 6th Zuidy coming up in 26 days

No Hunky Dory or Burt Reynolds yet . . .

HAL's Zuiderdam is our favorite ship, and although you have read some negative reports, be assured that she is generally in very good shape. On our last 5 voyages we have seen the crew at work day and night, polishing, shampooing, vacuuming, painting... There is naturally some wear and tear after a half-million cruisers drag in sand and salt (and in some cases, snow)... all deferred maintenance will be addressed in the December drydock. She also will get the rest of her SOE upgrades and new flooring in the hallways. She'll be better than new by the time y'all board! Photos are in my sig below.

 

Candy <-- 6th Zuidy coming up in 26 days

Mr. Deering indicated there will be no major changes in the Zuiderdam, the SOE changes will be made as will all the flooring. If I understood correctly it will be the entire ship. He indicated all the carpeting had to be ripped out and the existing concrete jackhammered out and then repoured and new pads and carpets. Mr. Deering said the reason the problem occurred was that the shipyard mixed sea water with the concrete rather than fresh water during the construction. Any problems with other issues will also be addressed at drydock.

Candy, you will thoroughly enjoy 6117, we did. I have pics if you want them. Also, I don't think privacy on the verandah is a huge issue, at least we didn't find it to be.

Jaguarstyper, Where near Pgh? We live in the Wexford area.

You drove to and from FL? How long of a trip?

As for the concrete under the carpet, I am by no means a pro at construction, but even I know not to mix salt water with concrete. I am surprised it lasted this long.

Mike

I have a couple of reports where the same thing is happening on the Oosterdam with the floors.

Sea water mixed with cement??? Oh lordy!!!

From a cruiser in White Oak.

Is there something wrong with your clock?

The first part reads: 1 19 1 days. I don't understand it.

Is Hunky Dory back in the Lido yet?

 

Candy <-- expected him back in mid-September

When we inquired about Hunky Dory we received conflicting answers...one person said he thought he went to another ship, the other person said he would be back on the Zuiderdam in November, that he was home making a baby.

No straight answer from anyone really.

I have a couple of reports where the same thing is happening on the Oosterdam with the floors.

 

Sea water mixed with cement??? Oh lordy!!!

 

From a cruiser in White Oak.

According to Diderik Van Regemorter, the HM on Zuiderdam during our Oct. 1st cruise, the same mistake was made on the Oosterdam during her construction but was rectified by the time Westerdam was in construction. He also said that there would be other cosmetic changes made to Zuiderdam during drydock, such has replacing the glass doors that were vandalized during an earlier summer cruise.

Richard

Jaguarstyper, Where near Pgh? We live in the Wexford area.

 

You drove to and from FL? How long of a trip?

 

As for the concrete under the carpet, I am by no means a pro at construction, but even I know not to mix salt water with concrete. I am surprised it lasted this long.

 

Mike

Mike, we are from the Uniontown area, which is about 45 miles Southeast of Pittsburgh. My wife is scared to death of flying, so we drive places whenever possible. The trip down was uneventful and we made it in about 17 hours over 2 days. The trip back was much more time consuming. I pretty much lost track of how long it took. The trip odometer read 2357 miles when we pulled into the driveway.

I love to drive and dont really mind it at all. Actually we kind of enjoy making roadtrips. I spent 15 years travelling, almost daily, on the airlines for my job. I pretty much learned to hate flying. Now, if I could just figure out a way to have the road all to myself...:D

Tim

We did notice some depressions in a few of the hallway floors. But, it was no way as bad as some on these boards have made it sound. It didnt tarnish our cruise one little bit.

Saltwater to make concrete? Sounds fishy to me.

Oh Candy, I saw no sign of Hunky Dory.

Tim

Welcome back. Glad you had a good cruise. We have enjoyed five cruises on Zuiderdam and would cruise her again any time....happily. :)

...snip... Candy, you will thoroughly enjoy 6117, we did. I have pics if you want them. Also, I don't think privacy on the verandah is a huge issue, at least we didn't find it to be.

Candy <-- hopes to be skinny enough to squeeze in next to the croupier by 11/12

I would love to drive it myself, but a bad back makes anything over 4 hours sheer hell.

Our friends drive to Disney 3 or so times a year. He makes it to Orlando in about 11 hours (with good weather and his passengers asleep).

We leave in 4 days, glad to hear the hallway problem is over blown.

And I thought Penndot were the only one's who didn't know how to mix concrete.:eek:

Mr. Deering indicated there will be no major changes in the Zuiderdam, the SOE changes will be made as will all the flooring. If I understood correctly it will be the entire ship. He indicated all the carpeting had to be ripped out and the existing concrete jackhammered out and then repoured and new pads and carpets. Mr. Deering said the reason the problem occurred was that the shipyard mixed sea water with the concrete rather than fresh water during the construction. Any problems with other issues will also be addressed at drydock.

 

I would walk on gravel to get to cruise!

Hi!

Wondering if you had a CC gathering. If you did, when, where, & did everyone show up?

Thanks in advance!

rocks

Hi!

Wondering if you had a CC gathering. If you did, when, where, & did everyone show up?

Thanks in advance!

rocks

On our recent Zuiderdam cruise we did have a CC gathering and we had nine couples participate. We held the first one in the Crow's Nest at 9:30pm on Sat. evening for after dinner drinks. The second one was in the Ocean Bar the next evening at 5:30pm for before dinner drinks. Also, everyone got together in the Crow's Nest on the last night for a farewell drink. I made sure that the front desk knew about our get-togethers and the HM showed up for our first gathering along with two crew members from the Activity Dept. and furnished drinks.

Richard

I know there were a few get togethers planned, but we didnt make any of them. We were cruising with family and pretty much spent all of our time together as a family. It was a little weird, but enjoyable :rolleyes:

Tim