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Zuiderdam Panam Review

WL56

By WL56,
in Holland America Line

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WL56

WL56

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We just returned from the 10 day partial Panama Canal crossing on the Holland America Zuiderdam. I appreciated reading all the reviews other people have written before my sail date so I thought I’d return the favor and write one of my own. This was our first HA ship and we chose it for the price and ports. We had a fantastic time but I’ll still report on the things that were great and not so great.

We sailed from October 14, 2010 to October 24, 2010. I went with my 65 year old mom, 30 year old sister and 29 year old brother in law. I’m a 43 year old mom. We booked a guarantee veranda room and were pleasantly surprised that they were able to put us in rooms next to each other.

We arrived at Port Everglades at around 10:30 and found the embarkation process very easy. By 11:30 we had taken our pictures and were welcome on board. Instead of immediately going to the Lido restaurant we went directly to the Customer Service desk on Deck 1 and signed up for one of the cooking classes. Then we were off to the spa to get my sister the hydrotherapy pool/thermal suite pass for her and her husband. I had purchased mine in advance on line. The first thing I notice was that the pass, when purchased on board, was only $120 pp for the full 10 days. I paid $199 on line. They told me that they would refund the difference and put it on my ship board account, which they did. I would advise waiting to purchase it on board as it never seemed to sell out or get crowded. Then we were off to the Lido for lunch. From this point forward I’ll just summarize different areas of the cruise.

The Ship: It is an older ship and is showing its age. Things broke down. A lot. The hydro pool almost never had all the jets working. At one time it broke down completely and a part had to be ordered and flown into the next port. At any given time there was almost always one elevator broken. The hair dryer in my stateroom and my sisters room stopped working and had to be replaced. The knobs on two cabinets in my stateroom were broken off. The sofas and chairs in the Queen’s Lounge were worn to the point where the leather was cracking. The toilet stopped flushing in our stateroom temporarily but began again after a call to maintenance. Despite that, it was still a pretty ship and I liked the jewel tone carpets and furniture even though others hated it. It was not as pretty as some of the RC ships I have been on and the crystal sea horse in the atrium is way over rated. The ship was kept impeccably clean and the staff was very friendly. The ship has a nice screening room with large, overstuffed chairs and stadium seating. The observation room on deck 10 was beautiful and had a very talented singer who performed in the evening. The shopping area was adequate and bingo was played in the beautiful Vista lounge. I won a round and was given $420 as credit on my ship board account.

Passengers: They average in the late 60’s and up. We saw only one baby, a single 4 year old and one teenager. If you are looking for a ship with alot to do for kids then go on Liberty of the Seas. The Zuiderdam was practically a retirement home. The benefits were the lack of belly flop contents, drunken passengers in the whirl pool and a more sophisticated crowd. However, everything shut down early and we would have like to use the Jacuzzi’s past 10pm. My two teenage sons would have been bored out of their minds. I peeked into the Club Hal rooms and they were very small, uninviting and didn’t look like a lot for kids to do. RC had a much better kid’s room and a water slide.

Veranda stateroom: We had a forward veranda on deck 5. The best part was that the veranda opened up between my room and my sister’s room. It made for a huge area that we spent many mornings watching the sunrise and enjoying coffee. The room size appeared standard but we felt cramped because my mom had a walker and we could only get it in and out of the room if we folded it up. Don’t overlook the storage bin under the beds. You can fit a huge suit case under there as well.The beds were wonderful and the most comfortable beds I have ever had on a cruise. The robes and flat screen TV were fantastic. One nice feature is the “Ship Flix” program. My mom liked to retreat to her room in the afternoon on some days. The Ship Flix program is like Netflix where the cruise has hundreds of movie titles on DVD. You pick out the one you want and they deliver it to your stateroom.

The Lido buffet restaurant: The system for the first 48 hours is completely hands off. The staff has to get everything for you and you are not allowed to touch anything. The idea is to prevent the spread of infection. This is fine for the first two days but it never seemed to end for the entire cruise. The food is served cafeteria style and that makes for very long lines and a huge wait just to get a second helping of mashed potatoes. In addition, the food is covered by lids so unless everything is labeled (and it often was not) you could not tell what was being served. Very few things were serve yourself that that was frustrating when you just wanted to get in and out quickly. It was also very crowded and difficult to find a table. The design of the room is such that you have to weave in and out of alcoves and half walls to find a table. It’s not open and airy like the Windjammer on the Royal Caribbean ships. I definitely preferred the RC buffet. The views were amazing and the ice cream bar was fun. I was disappointed with the pizza because it was almost never hot. Even when they put out a new pizza it was still lukewarm. I liked the made to order pasta bar at lunch and the hot waffles in the morning.

The Vista Dining Room: We chose the 8pm seating. In the future we will probably choose the first seating or anytime dining as we were so tired after dinner we didn’t go out for very long and didn’t catch too many shows. The service was great. We enjoyed the food and thought that the fresh rolls and French onion soup were always fantastic. Lobster night was twice and we had 3 formal nights. The only thing we did not like about the Vista dining room was that the tables are rectangular and so close together that once another party was seated behind you, you were trapped if you had a table by the window. With a table in front and a chair behind, you could only get out if the person seated next to you exited the table, moved their chair and let you get out. This was the case with everyone who had a window table. I felt sorry for the people with tables for 6 as the person closest to the window was stuck until the end of the meal. We were at a 4 top with a 2 top next to us. We were so close that I could hear their conversation.

Room service: The only service that I actually was disappointed with. Despite tipping $5 every time they came to my door they still managed to do the following: Day 1 - Bring coffee cups but forget the coffee. Day 2 -Bring cheese but forget the crackers. Day 3- bring the cream cheese but forget the bagel. Day 4 – deliver the cereal but forget the milk. At that point we just stopped ordering it.

Spa and pools: This is where we spent most of our time. When you purchase a spa pass you have access to the hydro pool and thermal suite. The hydro pool is a huge Jacuzzi with a center bubbler for foot massage, two swan heads that generate enough water pressure to soothe tired shoulders and a long reclining bench for lounging as bubbles cover your back and legs. The jets over the bench only worked for half it. However, it was rarely crowded and we were often the only ones in it so that wasn’t a problem for the three of us. They also provide fruit infused ice water that was wonderful. The thermal suite was a little disappointing. On the Norwegian Jewel the Thermal Suite was huge, had a panoramic view of the front of the ship and offered hot herbal teas and juice. This one was very small with a starboard side view and not even a drinking fountain. On NCL the loungers were angled in a reclining position whereas on HA they were in a sitting up position. Not too comfy. There were two steam rooms in the thermal suite. One was supped to be an “aromatherapy” steam room. It smelled like something for a few days then lost its scent. It didn’t smell like anything recognizable, just sort of musty. I loved the lockers and huge fluffy robes. Bring your own flip flops as the ones they provide are hard plastic and less than comfortable. The spa treatments were great. Spa discounts and specials are always being offered for better prices than what is on the menu. The best treatment was a 60 minute deep tissue, hot stone massage for $99. My sister got the 120 minute seaweed wrap/massage. It was expensive and they didn’t offer discounts on this treatment but she said she enjoyed it. Of course there was a lot of pressure to book a second service later in the week and buy products. Be prepared to just say “no” as this pressure to sign you up for additional activities (for a price) was continuous throughout the cruise. Most of the discounts for spa treatments are on port days but don’t be put off by that because we were always back on board by 3pm.

The pool areas were great. They offered floating noodles and we spent a lot of time there. On the first sea day it was impossible to find a seat or lounger in the shade. I think the novelty wore off after a few days because we didn’t have a problem after that.

Activities: There were always fun activities to do during the day and this was a highlight for my mom. We did the cooking class with Chef Stephen. He was funny, helpful and patient with my lack of cooking skills. Book this as soon as you board as it is only open to 12 people and is offered just 3 times. My mom enjoyed the other cooking demonstrations, a fruit carving class and other enrichment activities. My BIL went to the boot camp and enjoyed being tortured by the fitness instructor. I used the fitness center a few times. It was never crowded and the view is amazing. Bring an ipod as the TV’s on the equipment do not have sound or anywhere to plug in a headset.

Ports:

Halfmoon Cay was so great! We purchased the clamshell sunshade. We quickly learned that we overpaid as we purchased these in advance online. One person with a $15 ticket is good for two people. The online booking implied that you needed to pay $15 pp. Not a problem, we went to Shore Excursions on board and they refunded the extra charge. In retrospect we probably didn’t need the sunshade as we didn’t spent much time just sitting. We had a 9:30 excursion to the stingrays. This was a highlight for my sister and mom. It was a small enclosed beach with about a dozen stingrays that were small and friendly. I have been to Stingray City in Grand Cayman twice so nothing can even come close to that. I had more fun watching my mom and sister panic every time a stingray swam up to them. The cruise line does a great job of helping older folks get around. They have a tram that takes you to the stingray encounter. To walk would have taken a very long time because it was on the other side of the island. Then we were off to the BBQ. I wished then we had brought bug spray as the mosquitoes on this island were pretty thick. Then we went to the beach to enjoy the wonderfully clear water. We were back on board around 2pm at which point the heavens opened up and it started to rain.

Aruba: We arrived on a Sunday when everything was closed. We booked a Town & Countryside bus tour. I wish we had stayed on board. This tour was simply awful. There isn’t much to see on the island. The tour went like this: “And on your right is a hotel, on your left a timeshare, coming up a burger king”. This went on for about an hour until we arrive at some lighthouse, a rock formation then the remains of an arch that fell in 2005. Boring. I wish we had gone on the De Palm Island tour.

Caracao: We did the Country Drive. It was fun and we really enjoyed the Tula Museum. The photo stops were exactly that, short and quick. Online the description stated that you would have time at the beach but the tours stops were very short.

Gatun Lake:

The Panama Canal crossing did not disappoint. We didn’t want to fight for a space on the 3rd deck forward, so opted to see the crossing from our veranda. It was awesome because we lucked out. Our ship took the lock to the left and that allowed us to view the lock on the right from our veranda. We not only watched our own ship go through the locks but viewed the ship next to us as well. Many people were up before dawn to secure a space in the Observation lounge. We considered viewing the crossing from there then quickly realized that the sea air created dirty windows and with the morning dew it was less clear than watching it from our veranda. Don’t worry about seeing every little thing at the first crossing. At noon you go back through. The best place to view the second crossing is on Deck 2 in the Vista dining room at lunch. We got to the dining room as they opened and were able to view the second crossing from the perspective of being at the level of the locks. If you get there early enough, ask to sit at the back window of the dining room. You watch the lock doors close right next to your window. We didn’t do any excursions in Panama as they were expensive and there wasn’t much time. We docked in Colon for 2 hours after exiting the locks. We got off the ship but there was nothing to see except some shops.

Costa Rica: Absolutely gorgeous. We chose the Caribbean Train, Eco Cruise & Countryside. It was very, very good. Our tour guide was amazing and we saw monkeys, sloths, lizards and an alligator. We toured a banana plantation and the tour guide made it a lot of fun. I didn’t like the train ride so much because the exhaust was a little strong. I wished I had brought my ginger because I began to feel a little motion sick. The best place to sit on the train is on the left (facing the engine) because you go past beautiful, pristine beaches on that side.

Disembarcation: We opted for the early, self carry. Get there at 7:00 am or earlier to avoid a huge line. We arrived on deck 3 mid ship at 6:45am and there were already 30 people in front of us. The problem with carrying your bags off is that once you exit the ship you are required to take the elevator to get to customs. They will only allow you to take the escalator if you have one bag and a free hand. You can imagine the back up as the officials strictly enforce this and do not allow people with more than one suitcase to take the escalator. I had a rolling suit case and a duffle bag and they wouldn’t let me take the escalator. When only 4 people with luggage can get on the elevator at a time you can imagine the back up as we wait for the one elevator to return after each group.

Conclusion:

We had a ton of fun and a very relaxing cruise. We would not go on this particular ship again. It had too many maintenance issues and looked tired and old. However, I would go on a Holland America cruise because the crew was so friendly and the activities during the day were fun for my mom. I would not recommend this cruise for children. There simply isn’t much to do.

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canadarocks

canadarocks

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Thanks for the review. While we're going on a different cruise and ship, you or someone in your group did two of the shore excursions that we will be doing! :cool:

 

Good to hear that you enjoyed them (Stingrays at Half Moon Cay and the Country Drive in Curacao)! Thanks again.

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iriemon

iriemon

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Thanks for your in-depth review. We are going on this cruise in December and can't wait. The heads up about seeing the crossing through the Panama Canal from your room was good to hear. My wife is handicapped and I was dreading fighting the crowds in the front of the ship.

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mcduck

mcduck

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Thank-you for the detailed review. The comments on the port excursions were much appeciated as we are on the same cruise Feb01/11 and it can be difficult to figure out which ones to select (or avoid).

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buffy13600

buffy13600

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We were also on the 10/14-10/24 “Z” cruise. I always find it interesting to read other peoples thoughts on their cruises and find it very interesting when opinions vary so much on the same cruise [which happens a lot on here and other boards as well]. We had a fantastic time on this, our 8th HAL cruise. We love the Z and have nothing negative to say. Please know I am not saying Wendy did not see the issues she stated but that we had no issues of those mentioned. We had an amazing time and love this 10 cruise itinerary.

 

Just a few thoughts about our experience, and so you know we had 5 people traveling together... 2 OV rooms, one SY suite and two of our people are handicapped [walkers and canes... plus we are all under 50 ]

 

Ship- We found none of the problems talked about; in fact the ship was looking great. It had new carpeting in places and new furnishings, new brass and railing… looking very spiffy... and we for one love the bright colors! We never saw a problem with the elevators at any time except for when they were being used by staff for luggage and shore excursions. Of course at various times you had to wait… excursions, returns and show times etc. A little patience went a long way and we never waited more than a few minutes at any time. Of course it didn’t help that someone would hit the elevator button on one elevator and if the other one in another area came up they would leave the first one… then it would just cause an empty elevator to stop etc. People are funny like that I’ve found.

 

Lido and Dining room- Our group of 5 NEVER had a problem finding a table in the Lido area at any time of the morning or afternoon… no matter what time it was. There also were always people there to help my husband and sister to the table with their choice... which were always good. I like that you can always find something you like..as we all dont care for the same things! They did have the “no hands on” the first 2 days but after that it was lifted and you were free to get anything that was accessible... the entrees were served of course as always. But a few minutes in line was all it took... never more than 5 minutes before sitting again. It did appear to us that some people were incredibly inpatient and demanding; wanting everything their way and immediately... pushing in front of others and being downright rude-shouting and demanding things. I really felt for the staff sometimes when some were being incredibly rude. I found myself more than once apologizing for another passenger’s obnoxious behavior. I just don’t understand how some people can be such jerks sometimes

 

The dining room is as great as ever as far as we saw-we always do late seating,as we like the same table and waiters etc. We have not ever had any problems with tables having to get up to let others out... or a problem with close tables. There are also many round tables thru the whole dining room if you feel the need for that type . Servers and food- great as usual.

 

The ages on HAL ships are changing over time, the CD told us that they get a breakdown of every group of passengers’ .On this cruise 29 percent of all passengers were under 50 and 52 percent of all passengers were 60 or under. I think that is a pretty good breakdown on a HAL ship. There was plenty to do on board or nothing if all you wanted to do was relax... having it your way is my favorite thing!

 

As for the ports...HMC is always a favorite for just relaxing... not one of the better days there... some sun, some clouds and some rain at the end... but still got a nice start on the tan. I find it interesting about the mosquitoes... we were there all day and saw not a one... maybe they are only at certain place.

 

Aruba... not my favorite island, we have been there several times before. I have done the tour Wendy did and while I would not say it was boring... there was not a lot to it because there is only so much to see on the island. I have also done the De Palma Island on a past cruise. It was also ok... crowded and not exactly the scale that I had thought the island would be. They had to make a beach up...strange. We snorkeled there and saw some nice sea life, but not as much as they seemed to say we would. We now generally get a taxi to the beach and snorkel on our own... no crowds...nice. Then on this trip, we came back, freshened up and went to the new casino built in the new hotel next to the cruise pier- very nice. I would also say go to the BBQ on deck if they have one on your future cruise. We had sail away at 11pm... and the crew did a great BBQ on the outside deck overlooking the island.

 

Curacao –We love it there... We usually do the Beach Express excursion to snorkel and then walk the town

 

Panama- It is a sight not to be missed. I would not worry about going to the front deck... you don’t have to go there to see everything. You can always look from your balcony but you can also see it from all other areas of the ship. I would suggest visiting different areas so you can get different perspectives... the sides… the Crow’s nest... the Promenade deck all had great viewing areas. Our groups got up at 5am and were out on the back Lido deck. There were several others out there within a half an hour... and I recommend this place to watch it. We pulled a table up to the side and spent the next 4 hours there, while occasionally walking the ship for other angles. Be careful though, it was very hot-be prepared. You can easily get there no matter what... walker, wheelchair or cane. There is plenty of room for everyone at the railing. Do remember to try the Panama buns, either you will love them or not care for them [i am the not care for them person!] But they are only out that morning. The crew will have coffee and buns outside by 5AM; an hour before breakfast starts inside. I agree the excursions were a bit expensive but were worth it. We did go on a tour of the locks that tendered off at 10 o’clock and then a pontoon boat thru the jungle from a resort around 40 minutes from the ship. Pretty nice... but the best animal sighting we saw was on our way back to the ship about 2 minutes from downtown... about 6 monkeys playing on the low bushes throwing things at us.. cute. Be prepared however... Panama is what it is. The first thing that strikes you is the incredible poverty and filth... then the soldiers on street corners in full riot gear including bullet proof vests, Plexiglas protection and machine guns in their hands in some areas. It is a scary place and one you would not want to be alone in. When our tour got back and they let us out at the end of the pier and outside the fence, one of the army soldiers escorted us in to the walk thru area... definitely a first

 

Costa Rica- Loved it and happened to do the same tour as Wendy. Next time though, we will visit one of the beaches. Matt [the CD] told us they are black sand and phenomenal. The country is also very poor in places but not as bad as Panama.

 

We always do the opposite than Wendy and stay on the ship until last...we never plan a flight early. For us it is a more relaxing way to end our trip. I know they are strict about the escalator... but I imagine they have to be. No matter how careful you are, if you are trying to use it and carry a few pieces of baggage[or a walker as my husband tries to do but they won’t let him], it would be very easy to lose your balance and possibly hurt not only yourself but the others on the escalator along with you. I am sure it is a liability issue in this day of “suing”.

 

All, in all I would give the cruise a 9.5 [a few days with clouds and sun brought it down...lol]. We enjoy every cruise we are ever on [though the cruises on other lines not as much as HAL], and for us we overlook most things. I feel even in a 5 star resort you can find issues if you look hard enough. To us even a bad cruise [if we ever had one] is better than a few weeks at home on no cruise!

 

So, that was our cruise, sorry if it’s a little long. If you have a question I’ll try to answer if I can.

 

Take care all, and remember to book another cruise on the ship for the future cruise credits promotion. Even if you don’t pick a specific cruise you can still get the credit to use over the next 4 years. We booked Hawaii for Spring of 2012!

 

Buffy136

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kjw869

kjw869

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We were also on the 10/14-10/24 “Z” cruise. I always find it interesting to read other peoples thoughts on their cruises and find it very interesting when opinions vary so much on the same cruise [which happens a lot on here and other boards as well]. We had a fantastic time on this, our 8th HAL cruise. We love the Z and have nothing negative to say. Please know I am not saying Wendy did not see the issues she stated but that we had no issues of those mentioned. We had an amazing time and love this 10 cruise itinerary.

 

Just a few thoughts about our experience, and so you know we had 5 people traveling together... 2 OV rooms, one SY suite and two of our people are handicapped [walkers and canes... plus we are all under 50 ]

 

Ship- We found none of the problems talked about; in fact the ship was looking great. It had new carpeting in places and new furnishings, new brass and railing… looking very spiffy... and we for one love the bright colors! We never saw a problem with the elevators at any time except for when they were being used by staff for luggage and shore excursions. Of course at various times you had to wait… excursions, returns and show times etc. A little patience went a long way and we never waited more than a few minutes at any time. Of course it didn’t help that someone would hit the elevator button on one elevator and if the other one in another area came up they would leave the first one… then it would just cause an empty elevator to stop etc. People are funny like that I’ve found.

 

Lido and Dining room- Our group of 5 NEVER had a problem finding a table in the Lido area at any time of the morning or afternoon… no matter what time it was. There also were always people there to help my husband and sister to the table with their choice... which were always good. I like that you can always find something you like..as we all dont care for the same things! They did have the “no hands on” the first 2 days but after that it was lifted and you were free to get anything that was accessible... the entrees were served of course as always. But a few minutes in line was all it took... never more than 5 minutes before sitting again. It did appear to us that some people were incredibly inpatient and demanding; wanting everything their way and immediately... pushing in front of others and being downright rude-shouting and demanding things. I really felt for the staff sometimes when some were being incredibly rude. I found myself more than once apologizing for another passenger’s obnoxious behavior. I just don’t understand how some people can be such jerks sometimes

 

The dining room is as great as ever as far as we saw-we always do late seating,as we like the same table and waiters etc. We have not ever had any problems with tables having to get up to let others out... or a problem with close tables. There are also many round tables thru the whole dining room if you feel the need for that type . Servers and food- great as usual.

 

The ages on HAL ships are changing over time, the CD told us that they get a breakdown of every group of passengers’ .On this cruise 29 percent of all passengers were under 50 and 52 percent of all passengers were 60 or under. I think that is a pretty good breakdown on a HAL ship. There was plenty to do on board or nothing if all you wanted to do was relax... having it your way is my favorite thing!

 

As for the ports...HMC is always a favorite for just relaxing... not one of the better days there... some sun, some clouds and some rain at the end... but still got a nice start on the tan. I find it interesting about the mosquitoes... we were there all day and saw not a one... maybe they are only at certain place.

 

Aruba... not my favorite island, we have been there several times before. I have done the tour Wendy did and while I would not say it was boring... there was not a lot to it because there is only so much to see on the island. I have also done the De Palma Island on a past cruise. It was also ok... crowded and not exactly the scale that I had thought the island would be. They had to make a beach up...strange. We snorkeled there and saw some nice sea life, but not as much as they seemed to say we would. We now generally get a taxi to the beach and snorkel on our own... no crowds...nice. Then on this trip, we came back, freshened up and went to the new casino built in the new hotel next to the cruise pier- very nice. I would also say go to the BBQ on deck if they have one on your future cruise. We had sail away at 11pm... and the crew did a great BBQ on the outside deck overlooking the island.

 

Curacao –We love it there... We usually do the Beach Express excursion to snorkel and then walk the town

 

Panama- It is a sight not to be missed. I would not worry about going to the front deck... you don’t have to go there to see everything. You can always look from your balcony but you can also see it from all other areas of the ship. I would suggest visiting different areas so you can get different perspectives... the sides… the Crow’s nest... the Promenade deck all had great viewing areas. Our groups got up at 5am and were out on the back Lido deck. There were several others out there within a half an hour... and I recommend this place to watch it. We pulled a table up to the side and spent the next 4 hours there, while occasionally walking the ship for other angles. Be careful though, it was very hot-be prepared. You can easily get there no matter what... walker, wheelchair or cane. There is plenty of room for everyone at the railing. Do remember to try the Panama buns, either you will love them or not care for them [i am the not care for them person!] But they are only out that morning. The crew will have coffee and buns outside by 5AM; an hour before breakfast starts inside. I agree the excursions were a bit expensive but were worth it. We did go on a tour of the locks that tendered off at 10 o’clock and then a pontoon boat thru the jungle from a resort around 40 minutes from the ship. Pretty nice... but the best animal sighting we saw was on our way back to the ship about 2 minutes from downtown... about 6 monkeys playing on the low bushes throwing things at us.. cute. Be prepared however... Panama is what it is. The first thing that strikes you is the incredible poverty and filth... then the soldiers on street corners in full riot gear including bullet proof vests, Plexiglas protection and machine guns in their hands in some areas. It is a scary place and one you would not want to be alone in. When our tour got back and they let us out at the end of the pier and outside the fence, one of the army soldiers escorted us in to the walk thru area... definitely a first

 

Costa Rica- Loved it and happened to do the same tour as Wendy. Next time though, we will visit one of the beaches. Matt [the CD] told us they are black sand and phenomenal. The country is also very poor in places but not as bad as Panama.

 

We always do the opposite than Wendy and stay on the ship until last...we never plan a flight early. For us it is a more relaxing way to end our trip. I know they are strict about the escalator... but I imagine they have to be. No matter how careful you are, if you are trying to use it and carry a few pieces of baggage[or a walker as my husband tries to do but they won’t let him], it would be very easy to lose your balance and possibly hurt not only yourself but the others on the escalator along with you. I am sure it is a liability issue in this day of “suing”.

 

All, in all I would give the cruise a 9.5 [a few days with clouds and sun brought it down...lol]. We enjoy every cruise we are ever on [though the cruises on other lines not as much as HAL], and for us we overlook most things. I feel even in a 5 star resort you can find issues if you look hard enough. To us even a bad cruise [if we ever had one] is better than a few weeks at home on no cruise!

 

So, that was our cruise, sorry if it’s a little long. If you have a question I’ll try to answer if I can.

 

Take care all, and remember to book another cruise on the ship for the future cruise credits promotion. Even if you don’t pick a specific cruise you can still get the credit to use over the next 4 years. We booked Hawaii for Spring of 2012!

 

Buffy136

 

Thanks for your review! I feel a little better now after reading your review as we will be on that cruise on January 22, 2011.

 

I find it hard to find anything wrong with any cruise including the ship, the food, the staff or the port stops. Maybe it's because it's better than staying at home.

 

Thanks again!

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buffy13600

buffy13600

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I enjoyed reliving the last few days writing my review. I am just sitting here on the computer thinking I went back to work yesterday and it was as if I never left..sigh.... Oh well, now I am going to spend some time looking at our cruise to Hawaii we booked for March 2012. Seems like a long time away.. but I know it is not that far:p

 

Buffy

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MACPC

MACPC

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Buffy,

 

Your review adds a nice balance to Wendy's review. I'm certain that even though my three cruises on HAL all all been positive, there were others on the same ship at the same time having a no-so-positive experience for many different reasons.

 

Thanks also for the service your children give in the military to our country [from your bio info]. I come from a family of Marines and Sailors who have served in war and peacetime around the world continuously since 1941.

 

My best,

MaryAnn

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janna1

janna1

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Thanks Wendy and Buffy for the review. We will go on the same ship in Dec. Those are very helpful information. I am bringing my parents (in their early 70s, but they are very active.) and my kids (7&9) to the trip. We have been RC and Carnival before. Both my parents and my kids had very positive experience there. I am little worry HAL will be too boring for them specially the kids.

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buffy13600

buffy13600

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Hi,

 

Thank you MACPC. I never really had any doubt that the military would be in at least one of our kids' future.. but 3 out of 4 does give me bad moments. My husband and his dad and his grandfather all were career military. My husband was in for 21 years before being badly hurt . He is 100 percent disabled and retired now from the Army.. but he does pretty well. Since they told us he would never make these last 5 years we have had.. we look at every day as a blessing:rolleyes:.

My 22 year old son is on his second tour of Afghanistan and our 18 year old twin daughters are both on their way.. one in the Army and the other in the Marines. So..remember a prayer for all of those here and over there!

 

Take care,

 

Buffy136

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