SailNC

We were on the October 28 - November 8th Panama Canal on the Zuiderdam and had very limited a/c in Suite 7065. They gave us an oscillating fan which moved the air around but that was about it. Concierge staff took readings 3 times daily, each time showing that the temps were NOT in HAL's "acceptable" range for cooling. We were told that the engineers said the a/c was operating at full capacity. Interesting in that there was barely a whisper of air coming out of either vent.

UPDATE:

We're delighted to report that we received a wonderful letter via email from HAL in which our concerns were addressed and nice compensation for our trouble was given to us. It's great to see that HAL does, indeed, live up to its reputation for commitment to passenger comfort. The rapidity of the response was also a very pleasant surprise. We look forward to sailing again on HAL.:D

We were passengers on the October 18th cruise to the Panama Canal abroad the Zuiderdam. We did not have air conditioning in our aft-facing cabin for the entire trip. In fact, according to the front desk supervisor, all the aft facing cabins on deck 6, 7 & 8 had air conditioning issues. In reading the forums I’ve noticed this seems to be a recurring problem. Holland America’s response to the problem was pathetic while on board and non-existent since we’ve been home.

 

They pretty much brushed it off while on board saying the engineers were working on it, then after several days, stating that it was as good as it gets. I don’t believe cruising the Caribbean without AC (with a cabin temperature ranging from 84-89 degrees) is acceptable considering the prices we paid for the privilege to cruise on their ship.

 

I believe Holland America is taking advantage of the fact that each individual passenger thinks it’s a unique problem and that the passenger was just unlucky enough to choose a cabin with an AC problem. The majority of us don’t wish to spend our vacation arguing and complaining at the front desk over something that is beyond their control and trust that we are dealing with a reputable company. If in fact they are aware of an ongoing problem it is inexcusable that Holland America continue to ruin our vacations. Our expectation is that we are dealing with a reputable company who will provide us with the luxury vacation we paid for, not camping in the tropics!

 

My point: I’d like to know your specific experiences. We were in cabin 7145 for the October 18, 2013 Panama Canal cruise. Please share your information. Maybe if we gather enough specific information we can at the very least make future cruisers aware of areas to avoid on the ship. And maybe Holland America will pay attention that as cruisers and Cruise Critic members there is a forum through which they will be held accountable.

We were on the October 28 - November 8th Panama Canal on the Zuiderdam and had very limited a/c in Suite 7065. They gave us an oscillating fan which moved the air around but that was about it. Concierge staff took readings 3 times daily, each time showing that the temps were NOT in HAL's "acceptable" range for cooling. We were told that the engineers said the a/c was operating at full capacity. Interesting in that there was barely a whisper of air coming out of either vent.

We just returned on November 8th from a Panama Canal cruise on MS Zuiderdam. We were in Suite 7065, right across from the Neptune Lounge and had minimal air conditioning the entire cruise. What should've been an awesome cruise was diminished quite a bit by the discomfort we experienced. The concierge ladies were quite sympathetic but said that the engineers had told them that there was nothing that could be done, that the a/c was operating at full capacity. Since there was barely a whisper of air coming out of either of the vents, we found that awfully hard to believe. Tests were performed three times daily that indicated that our room was two degrees less than the "Acceptable Range". The solution was to give us an oscillating fan which effectively did nothing except keep the air moving. When we showered, the cabin was almost unbearably warm and we started perspiring as soon as we got out of the shower. And this was showering with cool water!!

We were interested to learn that many others were experiencing a/c problems; DH saw the concierge's list and it seemed as though there were at least 10 suites having problems and were being checked several times each day. Since this was not a new problem to the ship, why has it not been taken care of?? How can HAL allow this sort of situation to continue, especially in light of what we and others paid to go on this cruise?

Additionally, we too were underwhelmed by the Pinnacle Grill service. The food was delicious but the service was incredibly slow. Near the end of our meal (with friends), all of us had nearly empty water glasses. When we asked for more water, the server filled one of the four glasses and walked away! We had to call him back to specifically ask him to fill the rest of the glasses! What is that about? And when we went to leave, not one staff member spoke to us; in fact, there wasn't really anyone around that seemed to care whether we enjoyed our meal or wished us an enjoyable evening. Not at all what we've come to expect from Holland America.

Needless to say, we'll be contacting the home office about this. In the meantime, we hope that those of you cruising now and in the future on MS Zuiderdam have a more positive experience than we did.

I just completed a trip on the Crown Princess and became a platinum member. I do know the benefits outlined by Princess. I remember browsing through the critic boards and someone writing that they have a daily cocktail hour 5-7 at the Skywalkers lounge with hors d'ouevres for the Platinum and elite members .Also mentioned that it wasn't an advertised perk. I can't find the thread and the board and was wondering if anyone else has knowledge of this practice.

Thanks, Sali

Sali, we just returned on the Grand from a 14-day Caribbean Collection Cruise. They did offer the hors d'ouevres in Skywalkers for Platinum and Elite members just about every day. The food was free, the drinks were not. Unfortunately we did not attend any of them nor do we know anyone that did. I believe it was mentioned in the Patter which was the only way we found out about it. Hope that helps!

-Sue and Sandy-