Zuiderdam questions and info please

[drcandon]

Hi Folks...

 

We found what looks to be a very interesting cruise on the Zuiderdam for 2013 ( yes we plan ahead). It is the one that goes down to Aruba and Curacao, then over to Panama for a Gatun lake in and out. So I would like to start a thread to get info on two things..

 

First - info on the Zuiderdam please - we have been on the sister ships Westerdam and Noordam and would like to know what everyone thinks of the Zuiderdam good and yes even not so good..comparisons would be nice. Thanks...

 

And secondly - I don't remember seeing this cruise before...is this a new one? Has anyone done this one before - or similar...

 

Again thanks in advance for the info

[tcook052]

And secondly - I don't remember seeing this cruise before...is this a new one?

 

No, not new as the 10 day Panama Canal Sunfarer has been around for a while as I recall and is being offered this year and next as well on Zuiderdam. It's an itinerary I've been looking at with some interest for either next year or 2013 as I'd like to try a longer sailing than the 7 day variety.

 

Note there is both a 10 and 11 day with the only difference being the longer itinerary has an extra stop at Curacao.

 

I have sailed on Zuiderdam to Alaska in '09 and really enjoyed the ship, though not having been on others Vista class ships can't offer a direct comparison.

 

Good luck with your plans. :)

[Cruisinetta]

If you like the other ships you have been on, you will love the Zuiderdam. Up until my last cruise on this ship in November, it was my favorite of the Vista Ships. It had nothing to do with the ship itself. The crew was not up to par. I was sooooo bored on this cruise. They offered very few of the usual fun activities. If you liked cooking and tech stuff, it was a great cruise. I like the silly little things like golf chipping and putting and shuffleboard etc. Very few were offered. That's how I meet folks through those silly type activites. So I was bored. I think a great cruise depends on the crew and this crew was lacking. As for this iten....I have been on this one many time and enjoy it. In fact I will be on this same iten in April on the Zuiderdam. I am crossing my fingers that there will be a different crew. Hope this helped.

[78232]

We took this trip a year ago and liked it very much. Since it is 10 days we felt more relaxed and didn't feel pressured to run around and do everything. The floral arrangements were just awesome and the crew was always nice 100%. My only regret is that I could have made better choices regarding shore excursions. We would like to repeat this trip some time in the future.

Marcia

[VermeulT]

I did this cruise just over a year ago. I really enjoyed it.

 

TCook - I believe you mean the extra day includes a stop in Bonaire - that the 10 day does not.

 

Being a 10 day cruise - the average age was a bit higher than other 7 day cruises we've taken with HAL.

 

I think the itinerary is great... chances to rest in between some of the busier port days.

[JJPacer]

We took this trip a year ago and liked it very much. Since it is 10 days we felt more relaxed and didn't feel pressured to run around and do everything. The floral arrangements were just awesome and the crew was always nice 100%. My only regret is that I could have made better choices regarding shore excursions. We would like to repeat this trip some time in the future.

Marcia

 

The 10 day itenerary stops in Aruba & Curacao, the 11 day adds Bonaire. The 3/4/11 cruise goes to Aruba & Bonaire. That's why we choose it. We LOVE Bonaire! We'll go there every chance we get.

 

I'm curious what excursions you would choose if you had it to do over. We're planning our excursions now, and would appreciate your sharing your experiences. This is our first Panaman Canal cruise. Can't wait. :rolleyes:

[NH Cruisers]

We will be on the 3/22/2011 cruise. I usually publish some sort of review on these boards.

 

Jon

[Krazy Kruizers]

No -- this is not a new itinerary.

We also did this cruise in 2009.

[VermeulT]

I'm curious what excursions you would choose if you had it to do over. We're planning our excursions now, and would appreciate your sharing your experiences.

 

We did Aruba and Curacao on our own.

Panama - we did the Eco Cruise on Gutan Lake. We went to the Observation Center of the Locks. It was neat watching the operation from ground level after just having gone through. We lucked out an saw the Zuiderdam begin it's return trip before we had to leave. We then did the boat ride. We got to see sloths, spider monkeys, iguana, all sorts of birds... When the boat returned - right in a tree by the dock was a momma sloth with baby - Very cool.

 

Costa Rica - we did Caribbean Train, Eco Cruise and Countryside. The boat ride here was very similar to Panama (tho we did also see other wildlife). We did this tour mostly due to the Train as DH and I are train enthusiasts. We went through a lush tropical area and when the train had to reverse - we got off and stepped onto a remote beach that was beautiful. The 3rd part of the trip was a banana plantation. Despite what some others have said - I found it to be very interesting to see how bananas are grown & harvested.

 

 

While I can't say either trip was a waste - I wouldn't suggest doing both in the same trip... because it was a little bit redundant.

[euro cruiser]

We took this cruise last month on the Zuiderdam. I enjoyed it, but I will say that this was the oldest crowd I have ever vacationed with on land or sea (average age well north of 65). Lots of wheelchairs, scooters, walkers and canes (and my family accounted for two of them, so we fit right in). I believe that the higher average age is a function of the itinerary, the time of year (January), and the cruise line.

 

I found the ship to be a bit worn - nothing huge wrong, but lots of little things. Broken parts on the fold out beds in both cabins, dirty curtains, worn leather covering on the chairs, etc. Nothing that would ruin our vacation, but we noticed.

 

I found the staff to be very accommodating, regardless of the situation or request.

[dpm321]

I'm curious what excursions you would choose if you had it to do over. We're planning our excursions now, and would appreciate your sharing your experiences. This is our first Panaman Canal cruise. Can't wait. :rolleyes:

 

We did this trip in 2009 and again this past December. We love it because of the mix of sea days and shore days. We find that blend very relaxing. The ship is getting tired, but I believe it is scheduled to go into refurbishment this year so that will obviously work well for you. I also agree that this itinerary seems to have the highest average age of any other we have sailed. That of course has ups and downs. It makes it much easier to get right into the dining room for dinner after 7 and also makes it easier to get a chaise by the pool.

 

On excursions....In Panama, the Embera Indian village tour is the best ship's excursion we have ever been on. It lets you see some of the old panama, get a little local culture and avoid the usual tourist stuff. It is a very unique experience. In Costa Rica we took the ship's tour to the Hacienda which was also very interesting, but is quite a lengthy trip by bus. This past December we hired a private guide (JJ Tours) and enjoyed a trip to the Jaguar Rescue Center. This is another unique experience where you can meet a couple from Spain who have established an animal rescue center. While there we were shown around by the founder and we saw a number of varieties of snakes, sloths, ocelot, birds and a number of monkeys which you can play with. This was another great trip. JJ also included a stop for a local lunch, a nature walk along the beach in a State Park and shopping at a local supermarket for very low priced coffee. We enjoyed it very much.

 

In Aruba, be sure to try dinner at the restaurant Barefoot. Fantastic spot, great dinner.:)

[kazu]

We took this exact same cruise in April last year. (and, yes, we plan ahead too)

 

I did find my couch worn, only after I happened to run my fingers over it one night and noticed a couple of bumps (threads) So, it's all a matter of opinion.

 

It's a great cruise and definitely catch the Panama rolls when you arrive at the locks.

 

We did the Embera Village tour and it was really nice. DBA raved about it and based on his blog and other reviews we chose this. It wasn't a mistake.

 

For Costa Rica, we had a private tour which was astronomical.

 

As to the Zuiderdam, when we were on, she was fine. The crew was wonderful. We enjoyed our waiters in the MDR, our wine steward.

 

Service was wonderful, ship was wonderful. I took two couples who were HAl newbies and they were very happy (thank heavens).

 

A great cruise - highly recommended at least. by us

[WeLoveCruising]

We're doing this cruise in April. I've been on the Zuiderdam many times. If you liked the Westerdam and the Noordam you should also like the Zuiderdam. In comparison, I prefer the decor a bit more on the Noordam, but that's not a major concern for me.

 

A longer cruise, especially one like this with more sea days and less beachy type ports, will attract an older crowd. DH and I are still in our 40's, but this doesnt matter to us. We like to cruise to relax, and enjoy the ship as well as the company of others. The company of an older generation suits us just fine.

[peaches from georgia]

We took this Sunfarer itinerary in 2003 on the Rotterdam, so it is hardly new. One of our favorites- a great selection of ports. Just a terrific cruise.

[Himself]

I have done this Sunfarer Cruise on the Rotterdam, Volendam and Zuiderdam and would consider doing it again in a couple of years. I like the Itinery very much.

 

As for the Zuiderdam she is the oldest of the four Vista Ships and is quite nice. I would do this intinery again on the Zuiderdam

[tcook052]

TCook - I believe you mean the extra day includes a stop in Bonaire - that the 10 day does not.

 

Sorry and you are correct. Apparently I don't know my ABC's. :D

[DutchByAssociation]

Hi Folks...

 

We found what looks to be a very interesting cruise on the Zuiderdam for 2013 ( yes we plan ahead). It is the one that goes down to Aruba and Curacao, then over to Panama for a Gatun lake in and out. So I would like to start a thread to get info on two things..

 

First - info on the Zuiderdam please - we have been on the sister ships Westerdam and Noordam and would like to know what everyone thinks of the Zuiderdam good and yes even not so good..comparisons would be nice. Thanks...

 

And secondly - I don't remember seeing this cruise before...is this a new one? Has anyone done this one before - or similar...

 

Again thanks in advance for the info

 

Zuiderdam will be similar to Westerdam and Noordam but with a couple key differences. The shop area, Explorations Cafe, Pinnacle Bar areas will loook quite a bit different between the three ships, and any over themes in colors will vary. Also, as Zuiderdam was first in the series of ships (Westerdam 3rd, Noordam 4th) there may be some more subtle variations in some public rooms where they realized something would work better if ____ or flow better if _____. That would have been incorporated into the newer ship's designs and Zuiderdam may not have been adjusted. These of course would be very minor differences.

 

Since you're clearly happy with the Vista Class, you will definitely love Zuiderdam. Now you just have to figure out a time to get on Oosterdam and complete the series :)

[drcandon]

Thanks everyone - very helpful...DW has digested all this and she started looking for the 2013 cruise last night - thankfully for my bank account they are not up yet...

 

We are going on the Noordam - march 2012, so I am hoping to book on the ship for the $100.00 deposit deal for this cruise...hope they still offer it..

[theduffys]

We just did this cruise on Jan.2-12. We frequently cruise the first 2 weeks of Jan. cause DH is a univ. prof and school is closed. We always find these cruises loaded with university faculty and staff and therefore the age median is more in the 50's.

[78232]

In Panama we took the shaping of Panama tour and I think the Embers Indian or Canal Experience would be better. In Costa Rica we took the Train eco cruise and countryside tour. It was too many hours of jungles and sloths for me. Next time we will do the Tauutic Hacienda tour.

Marcia

[JJPacer]

We're looking forward to it. Hopefully the several inches of ice will be melted by the time we return. Calm seas and soft breezes to all. ;)

[Lifewise]

We are considering booking this cruise for November - Do you know if there are scuba diving excursions available in any of the ports?

 

Thank you so much!

[Flob1954]

I. Have not yet but will be going on this cruise on the October 14th . I believe this is the first cruise like this for the season not sure about past seasons. Almost positive she comes Alaska cruises and starts the new itinerary.

[Frankie Sue]

I really do not get all this obsession with some folks not wanting to cruise with older citizens. Is 65 that old??? Statistics would tell us that today 65 is the new 55........... Get over it.......... older folks have more to talk about and are more comfortable in their lives and just remember that you will get to be 65 or older only if you are very, very LUCKY................. Get over it and enjoy people for who they are, not what age they are!!! Geez.......

[NelleS]

We are considering booking this cruise for November - Do you know if there are scuba diving excursions available in any of the ports?

 

Thank you so much!

 

We will be on thie cruise in November. There is a "Discover Scuba Diving" excursion in Aruba, & the "Marine Park Certified Scuba" in Bonaire.

 

HTH,

Ellen