SEA58

10 hours ago, FlaMariner said:

We board early...in the first boarding groups..and lately (Oosterdam in April 2024 and Westerdam in October 2023) we have not experienced the buffet first day chaos of the past.  

 

We also grab a table on the lido pool deck area...keep walking and the crowd dissipates....and found it very calm and pleasant in the first hour or so......

 

Good to know.  Thanks!

19 hours ago, rj59 said:

Get a drink, go to your room, and order room service. I've always had my room ready upon boarding

Sounds like a possibility for us and hadn't thought about trying room service that early in the cruise.  Thanks!

I'm wondering if anyone has advice on where to head immediately upon boarding Zuiderdam for a light lunch and a celebratory drink or two?  We haven't sailed HAL in many years and typically like to avoid the chaos (on any ship) of the buffet.  Looking for a calmer place to have lunch and wait for our SS to become available.

We've made a reservation with Captain Jack Amsterdam and can cancel up to one hour before, if necessary.  Thanks to all for the suggestions though.

(Cotswold Eagle, you live in a beautiful part of the world.  Have been there twice and loved it!)

The title of your message asks the average price of the deluxe beverage package.  I have paid anywhere from 52 per person, per day to 68.  I know it can go much higher than this also.  Others would probably know more, but I think it depends somewhat on the age and size of the ship.  Also, I watch for sales.  If the price drops, you can cancel and rebook at a lower cost.

Probably a question that's been asked too many times, but I'm not seeing the answer.  On a month-long cruise, how many formal nights would HAL typically have?

Decided to book with Captain Jack Amsterdam's departure from the Central Station area.  When making the online reservation, they have a feature that costs an extra 15% that lets you cancel up to one hour before the departure time.  Since their boats are open-top we decided to buy this "insurance" that would let us get a refund, on short notice, if it's a truly wet and nasty day weather-wise.  Optimistic though that August will give us a beautiful day on the canals!  Thanks again for everyone's help.

4 hours ago, FreestyleNovice said:

I think they are two separate companies, one wears orange and the other one wears pink shirts on their boats. They seem to be quite identical in what they do.

Thanks, FreestyleNovice!  The address of each seems the same.  Both get very nice reviews.  You've certainly helped us narrow down the search.  It's just about time to make an online reservation!  You've been so helpful.  It's much appreciated.

So FreestyleNovice and cyntil8ing, my little bit of research seems to tell me that Flagship Amsterdam and Captain Jack Amsterdam are basically the same group, correct?  Wondering if you could help me out on that?  Thanks so much for all of the advice.  Really looking forward to seeing a bit of the city via the canals!

FreestyleNovice, I think you are likely correct on the point of drop off.  There seems to be many companies offering small boat cruises.  Do you have a name or two that you might recommend based on personal experience?  Ideally we would prefer to wait until the day we're in Amsterdam, see how the weather is, and then find a cruise without a pre-booked reservation.  Our drop off will be on a mid-week morning. Does this seem like a reasonable plan or do you think reservations ahead of time would be essential?  Thanks for your advice.

Very helpful info offered by everyone.  Thank you so much.  Really looking forward to this trip, even though time in Amsterdam will be very limited.  It isn't the main focus of the cruise, so we feel fortunate that we will even be there.

I think we might possibly have up to 5 hours on our own, but I figure the worst case scenario is 3 or 4 if traffic should slow us down.  The art museums would be excellent, and I do appreciate art, but for a short taste of the city I have to agree that a canal cruise would be very memorable.  Beyond that, we're hoping to do some walking and have a lunch somewhere that isn't overly touristy.

We'll be in Amsterdam in August -- mid morning to mid afternoon on a weekday.  It's an "On Your Own" type of excursion and I'm guessing we'll have maybe 3 or 4 hours to explore and do what we want before meeting a bus to return to the ship in Rotterdam.  If we're dropped near the city center, what would be the top 2 or 3 things you'd recommend doing?  We're thinking a canal cruise, walk to Dam Square, walk the Jordaan District, maybe see the Red Light District, have a quick meal somewhere.  Any suggestions welcome.  Thanks!

alwaysfrantic, I sure appreciate your input.  Thanks.  We have decided to skip the CO benefits, but I like hearing your thoughts on it.  I think once we are on board and see how the dining experience is going we can make some kind of adjustment, if needed.  Glad to hear that you had a nice cruise!

13 hours ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

Here is my review of a Zuiderdam signature suite

We viewed your Signature Suite Tour, The-Inside-Cabin, and enjoyed it very much.  Thanks!  It was nice to see how you managed the space so well and I will say the video convinced us that we want that extra space.  It's a splurge, but at this point in life we like to do that now and then.

7 hours ago, cruiseaholic78 said:

We are booked for this October, to be honest for us the only real advantage is booking a guarantee and then buying C.O. to upgrade to the cabin of our choice. The price difference was not worth it for this cruise as the upgrade is the only real value for us and there are not as many (other) advantages with this ship versus the Pinnacle class ones. If you have already booked and paid it could be interesting for an upgrade otherwise all you get is OBC.

Thanks for this helpful info.  I think we will pass on C.O. as we have selected our cabin and would want to keep it.

11 hours ago, Gigi1977 said:

Love the Ocean Bar on this size ship.  It’s large with plenty of seating. 

Good to know!  Thanks.  We look forward to it.

We haven't been on a Holland America ship in a very, very long time.  It was 1990, in fact.  So I'd love to hear from recent cruisers on Zuiderdam.  We're in our 60s.  We'll be cruising this summer.  One thing we're interested in is the As You Wish dining situation.  I've seen some negative comments on it regarding wait times, food quality, etc.  We like to not be locked into a set dining time -- just go when we want, depending on the day, usually somewhere between 6 and 6:30 pm.  Any thoughts on this dining choice?

Also, we enjoy nice bar/lounge spots for views and music.  Any suggestions on what you especially like will be appreciated.

Club Orange.  Is there any real strong reason to have it on this ship?  (Maybe it's no longer available after we've booked and paid for the cruise.)

Basically, I would love to hear from those who have been on Zuiderdam in the last few weeks or months and get your impression, likes and dislikes, suggestions and ideas for this ship.  We booked a Signature Suite on deck 6, if that matters.

Thanks!