Thought on Zaandam 22 day Anarctic Cruise

Contemplating the 22 day Antarctic cruise on the Zaandam in December. Any thoughts on this cruise? Thinking of an oceanview. Would that be a mistake vs the Vista Suite? Appreciate any input.

We were on the Zaandam Antarctic Holiday cruise in 2013-14. We consider it at the top of our all time favorite cruises! We have sailed on the Zaandam 3 times and she is a fantastic ship with a great crew. This is an amazing itinerary....we took an upsell to a Vista suite and were glad we did. Having the verandah is worth the money if you can book it. We took over 1800 pictures and were in awe of the surreal beauty of Antarctica. Our stateroom was at the front of the verandah deck and over the showroom. There was some noise but it was not a problem. We could clearly see the overhang of the bridge and sense the excitement and wonder of the officers as we sailed through Antarctica! We saw so much from our verandah and would definitely recommend it AND this fantastic itinerary.

Because it was the holiday cruise, there was a huge international presence and a lot of children on board...but seeing their amazement at what they were seeing was very rewarding and added to the excitement of the cruise. The children were never a problem.

Again, I would say book this cruise, it is a once in a lifetime experience no matter what category you are in. The Zaandam has ample deck space and opened up the bow of the ship while sailing through Antarctica. Top pick shore excursions: I don't know what they offer now, but in the Falklands we did a North Pond longer excursion where we saw a Gentoo Penguin rookery with thousands of them (including juveniles) and even some King Penguins. In Punta Arenas Chile we went to Magdalena Island, home to 5000 Magelenic Penguins...unbelievable...it was Sea World on Steroids!

I wrote a review as did a number of other CC members on our Roll Call, don't know if it is still listed.

Hope this helps...just GO, you won't regret it!

Karen

While I have never done Antarctica on the Zaandam I was on her in March-April from Buenos Aires to San Diego and think this will be a great cruise.

Do understand that ships over 500 PAX cannot do landings in Antarctica so if that's on your bucket list you will need to do Seabourn or smaller. I did do Antarctica on the Crystal Symphony with the same conditions and can highly recommend the itinerary. There will be plenty to be seen from the ship and you should be able to bring staff from Palmer Station aboard for presentations. There will be PLENTY to see and you will get a good feel for Antarctica.

Weather can be either cold or pleasant and you always have the Lido pool or Crows nest as great viewing areas.

I am not a fan of verandas in general and would not recommend it here. You will want to be mobile to be able to go the area where the view is. Some good viewing spots that also offer at least limited wind breaks are the front of deck 7 (door is on the post side) and the aft areas on decks 7 and 8.

Our location guide was Ryan and I understand he will be aboard for the Antarctic season next year. Do not miss his presentations.

Roy

The above posts are excellent and informative.

I would add only that this is truly magical cruise. At Christmas it is just over-the-top wonderful. A bit of snow doesn't hurt, either.

We were outside on the decks a lot, to take in the enormity of the area, to get good views of any wildlife and to be up close and personal with it all.

We enjoy the ports, as well, especially those on the west coast.

Another vote for GO!

While a veranda is nice, it isn't a necessity because for the best viewing you will want to be on an outside deck and be able to change sides or go from front to back. When I was there on the Veendam they opened the bow and let us go there for some spectacular viewing. The aft deck was a great place as well as the promenade. There was also viewing from just outside the Crow's Nest and above the Crow's Nest. That is handy for making a quick warm up trip inside.

Antarctica is absolutely spectacular. This cruise ranks as my all time favorite.

We did the 19 day version of this cruise on the Zaandam in February 2015. I would definitely opt for the Vista. Having the Balcony while cruising down the Beagle Channel made it wonderful. Also considering its now 22 days instead of 19, having a little more space can't hurt too much either. By the end of our cruise, you could barely get on the couch because of all the stuff we had piled on it.

Another piece of advice is to pack lots of layering clothes. We went from Short and T's at the beginning/end to have to really bundle up on the Antarctica portion. We even got a couple of woolen ski masks that only leave your eyes uncovered for those 6 hours stints on the deck during the Antarctica cruising. Also pick up a dozen or so of the chemical hand warmers. You know the kind that are about the size of a deck of cards. We would put those between the pairs of gloves we wore while standing out on the deck. We used a tight cotton glove as an inner and a ski type glove as the outer. Those and some in the jacket pockets help keep the hands nibble for camera and binocular work. It was really cold in February, what with the wind and exposed positions out on the bow. That helped a bunch in being able to stay outside for hours at a time.

One of the best parts of the cruise was the Expedition Team we had. They were all ex-NSF folks who spent a lot of time in Antarctica. One of the members was retired and his post for the last decade or so in the NSF was a Director of Antarctica Operations. It was the the most educational cruise I had ever been on.

The other highlight (unplanned) occurred after we had spent all morning (starting at about 4am) out on deck. We were back in our cabin getting cleaned up and when I looked out over the balcony we had a pack of orcas swirling around about 500 yards from the ship. Turned out the pack had made a kill and they were feeding. The ship spent the next 30-45 minutes in that spot so we got some great shots of all the action.

Nothing beat being able to sit out on the balcony at times and watch the penguins and occasional sea lion leap out of the sea onto a passing iceberg.

Do it, you will really enjoy it.

Agree with others - GO!

Here is a link to a through log/review of our holiday cruise 2015/2016: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2302990&highlight=antarctica

My cabin choice comment is that we LOVED being in an outside on the Promenade deck. Just steps to being outdoors and our cabin was right next to the naturalists. We could get to the bow in moments if we wanted to. Honestly, we spent little time actually IN the cabin.

Completely agree with other comments about this being magical. Planning to do it again for the holidays in 2019/2020.

Arie

We are doing this cruise in January. We booked an oceanview on the Main deck. The significant extra cost for a balcony just wouldn't be worth it for us. I will be on the open decks whenever there is something to take photos of. Being on the main deck means that I will only have to go up one deck to the promenade. There is no way my wife could go on an expedition cruise, so this should be an awesome experience for us. We can't wait.

We did this cruise this past Xmas New Years period I won't go into to much detail except to say it was the best vacation experience I and my dw have experienced

I'm booked on the Zaandam's 12/15/17 cruise in an oceanview stateroom on the bottom deck. This is one cruise where I don't want an upsell/upgrade offer to a Vista or Neptune Suite. Given the seas in which we will be sailing and King Neptune's unpredictable disposition at that time, I recall the cliche about those upper deck suites: The More You Pay, The More You Sway.

I have enjoyed holiday cruises on Holland America Line ships and will be happy to ring in another New Year during this cruise!

Looking forward to the cruise and many thanks for the previous posters' encouraging remarks!

Thanks so much for all of your comments. Just happened to see this cruise, and decided to research it. Trying to decide between OV and Vista Suite. Could always do OV and wait to see if we get upsells to a VS. Decisions, decsions!!!

I wish that I had booked the cruise earlier, the price for our C oceanview has increased by $700 pp in the 2 months since we booked it. If you want to go, I would book ASAP. There isn't a great cabin selection anymore either.

This is the sort of "once in a lifetime" cruise that you will want to do more than once---I've done it three times.

Not only do I agree that an outside cabin is sufficient (I had insides on all my trips there) over a balcony cabin due to the possibility of a rough crossing, but you can put the savings toward an upgraded seat on your flights; they are very, very long.

A balcony can end up on the frigid wind side of the ship, so you won't use it where you want it most. There are places on Lower Promenade where you can see what's going on, yet hide behind some of the superstructure. It helps!

You will never breathe air so clean, nor hear silence so deafening, again in your life. Antarctica is ethereal.

And the rest of the itinerary isn't bad, either. ;)

RuthC,

"...silence so deafening": I experienced that in Alaska's Misty Fjord when my float plane landed on a lake and we were allowed to leave the plane and stand on the plane's floats for a few minutes.

I am looking forward to that kind of event again this Winter!

This is the sort of "once in a lifetime" cruise that you will want to do more than once---I've done it three times.

 

Not only do I agree that an outside cabin is sufficient (I had insides on all my trips there) over a balcony cabin due to the possibility of a rough crossing, but you can put the savings toward an upgraded seat on your flights; they are very, very long.

A balcony can end up on the frigid wind side of the ship, so you won't use it where you want it most. There are places on Lower Promenade where you can see what's going on, yet hide behind some of the superstructure. It helps!

 

You will never breathe air so clean, nor hear silence so deafening, again in your life. Antarctica is ethereal.

And the rest of the itinerary isn't bad, either. ;)

My goodness Ruth, three times! You must have liked it. I can't wait to see that amazing part of the world

Whenever you are someplace where the scenery is the "thing"...you must ROAM the ship...don't stay on a balcony or veranda...or peering out a window... get out there and move about!

We did this cruise in February 2017. It was amazing. We had an inside cabin. As cb at sea said, you want to be out and about and around the ship. We spent most of our time on the Lido deck, out at the pool. We could quickly cross from side to side to look for wildlife. There was some shelter from the wind, and we could make a quick trip in to the Lido for coffee or hot chocolate. We layered our clothing, with long underwear and pants, and 2 or 3 layers on the top. We bought HAL fleece lined jackets, and they were perfect. The temperature was around 0C. GO and ENJOY.

We took the Zaandam from Valparaiso to Buenos Aires. Over four days we saw a magnificent 24-hour show (because it was light around the clock) of extraordinary sights that may be endangered in the future. Do it. And at least take an OV. We had 7083, a slightly obstructed end cabin overlooking the wake. Just a few steps away was a ship-wide covered terrace with loungers. Steps went upstairs -- to Lido, pool and eats. Perfect.

If you spring for a suite, I would take one near the aft because you could then easily combine the view from your own balcony and the 180-degree panorama sweep from the terrace.

The way we got to see Antarctica was that I asked some questions on CC about the ordinary Valparaiso-BA run. Some poster strongly commanded me to include the Antarctica sail-by. Said it was once-in-a-lifetime thing. Thank you; you know who you are.

Our cruise was done over Christmas/NYE holidays, and it sure was an unforgettable way to get into the spirit.

We did an Antarctica cruise on Princess a few years ago in a balcony cabin. While I would certainly agree with those who stress the need to roam the various outside locations and spend the majority of your time there, I would also say that having the balcony enabled us to really make the most of a lifetime opportunity that will be over much too soon. There are periods during the day when you just don't have time or desire to change decks, but you want to get a quick look anyway. A few steps to the rail can reward with you with sights like a penguin taking a nap on a desk-sized berg, a whole flock of penguins porpoising through the water either toward or away from the ship, whales of every size and species, or a huge albatross effortlessly soaring along next to your cabin. Even if there is a resident naturalist who uses the loudspeaker, many of those sights might not be enough for him to mention if he is even on duty at that time.

Also, don't forget the many hours of daylight you will have. Many of my best sightings took place during one of those interruptions in a night's sleep that have become a standard part of aging. Finally, I must mention my favorite memory of Antarctica. Because the weather was relatively warm (Antarctic summer, after all), I had left the sliding door partly open to enjoy the fresh air. The next morning I was awakened by the sound of nearby whales spouting. You don't get that in an OV. You won't get to Antarctica many more times or maybe at all. Spend a little more and make the most of it.

Because the weather was relatively warm (Antarctic summer, after all), I had left the sliding door partly open to enjoy the fresh air.

I don't know about Princess ships, but were you to do that on a HAL ship it would mean some people in inside cabins would have no air flow whatsoever while you were enjoying. :mad:

Our first HAL cruise isn't until next year, but I will certainly keep that in mind. Thanks.

One more recommendation: One of HAL perks for everyone is a very modest price for unlimited daily laundry. It was something like $7 a day! That is a God-send on long itineraries.

One more recommendation: One of HAL perks for everyone is a very modest price for unlimited daily laundry. It was something like $7 a day! That is a God-send on long itineraries.

Is that $7 per person or per cabin?

Forgive me for being a bit contrarian. The idea of cruising to Antarctica is fantastic. But the thought of seeing parts of Antarctica from a distance (while looking from a cruise ship deck) just hits me the wrong way. If we are going to fly and cruise all the way to that continent....we want to walk on the continent. And unfortunately, you can not do that on a HAL cruise. But it can be done on some other lines such as Hurtigruten., Ponent, etc.

Hank

Forgive me for being a bit contrarian. The idea of cruising to Antarctica is fantastic. But the thought of seeing parts of Antarctica from a distance (while looking from a cruise ship deck) just hits me the wrong way. If we are going to fly and cruise all the way to that continent....we want to walk on the continent. And unfortunately, you can not do that on a HAL cruise. But it can be done on some other lines such as Hurtigruten., Ponent, etc.

 

Hank

I do not disagree with your premise. But, unfortunately, one ages. One becomes less mobile. One cannot always sail such an itinerary as an Antarctica cruise in one's more youthful years. For me, at this stage of my life--and probably others as well--zodiac landings on the Continent would be highly desirable. But, attempting to do so would be highly unwise.

This is a cruise that I ought to have done 10 years or so ago. But, for a variety of reasons, I did not want to do so nor did it then appeal as much as other cruises I chose to book.

I am thankful that I have finally decided to book this Zaandam cruise and am hopeful that, God willing, I will be able to enjoy the experiences that I hope to have.