Review of Zuiderdam June 11 Alaska sailing with an infant

[sjgertz]

Following is my review and opinions about our June 11th Alaska sailing on the Zuiderdam. We are well seasoned travelers in our 30’s and a cruise seemed like a manageable vacation with our daughter who tuned 11 months old while onboard. We initially booked an SS room as that gave us a free pre-cruise night in Vancouver via our TA and we thought a little more room would be useful with the pack and play. A couple of weeks before the cruise we were offered an upsell and took an aft SB cabin (8140).

Pre-Cruise I flew to Portland OR with DD to visit college friends. I then flew to Vancouver on Friday morning from Portland while my DH flew from New Jersey. It never even dawned on me that one needs a letter to travel internationally alone with a minor (I know you need one I just never thought of myself as travelling alone on this trip even though we arrived in Canada separately) . Immigration thought I was so dumb they let me through… (Itinerary was all packed so I couldn’t show it to them, I had no onward air tickets because we left Canada via ferry, husband was in-flight during this and not reachable, etc). So my first piece of advice if travelling with an infant is to get the correct paperwork.

The HAL rep met me in on the way out of the terminal and put me in a cab to the Pan Pacific, the crib was waiting in the room as well as a whole gift toiletry pack for the baby (Johnson and Johnson). DH ended up missing his connection in Calgary so the baby and I walked all over Vancouver and explored. DH eventually arrived without his luggage and was quite unhappy. The Canuks/Bruins were playing their 5th game at home and we went to a liquor store to buy wine for the boat- it was chaos in the city (the Canuks won that night) and the Baby was taught to fist bump by multiple passersby. DH returned to the hotel to call Air Canada about his bag and DD and I went to dinner at a lovely place in Gastown (no idea the name).

In the morning, as instructed, I checked in with the HAL rep in the hotel who noted how many checked bags we had - bellhops picked them up and we saw them again in our cabin. We were then given a piece of paper on which 1130 was printed as both Zuiderdam and a Princess ship were in port they were giving us times for Canada pier to reduce the wait. As an apology for having to wait to board a letter from HAL told us there was a free carry-on bag check and a free shuttle over to Granville Island. We wasted a good 30 minutes looking for the bag check (and getting blank stares from HAL reps) before realizing we could just leave our stuff with the hotel. We also never found the shuttle to Granville Island. Perhaps it was all a myth.

We got to the Pier about 12 (everything takes longer with an infant) and got waived right through a side door in customs! The advantages of travelling with a stroller. There was then no line for suite customers in the HAL line. We walked on board shortly.

Cabin 8140 an aft suite – unfortunately I don’t know how I can ever cruise in a “regular” room again! It was really lovely. Carpet was worn but that kind of stuff doesn’t bother me. I also would have liked the cooler emptied of mini-bar stuff but I kept forgetting to ask the room stewards to do it. Balcony was awesome – 2 loungers, table with four chairs, and three sitting chairs with two footstools. The fresh flowers were beautiful but quickly had to be moved as the baby also loved the glass bowl…

We went to the Mariner’s Lunch. My comment about the food the whole trip is that it was abundant and servers and waiters were very nice but it was fairly mediocre. After lunch we went and checked out Neptune’s Lounge and walked the whole ship one deck at a time to get the layout. I bought the whirlpool and heated lounger package (and used them 1 – 2 x/day!) and DH signed up for a bamboo massage. We then had muster and the boat sailed away from the dock before we could get back from muster to our balcony! We sat out and watched Vancouver disappear. Our bags had shown up sometime while we were out wondering around. Also a child’s lifejacket had been placed in our room. We went to dinner in the MDR about 8 and had a table just for the three of us. DD loved the berry soup which was essentially a smoothie. We then went to the opening night show. DH used to work for RCI in the theater so he always checks out the “competition” (even though he

worked for them a long time ago!)

At Sea - the next day I have no real specific memories except the sailing was beautiful. We got dressed for formal night and again ate in the MDR. Tonight DD loved the watermelon gazpacho. We had ordered the cold hor-d'oeuvres to our room and were not impressed. DD liked the bread wheels they came on! After dinner we had our one and only negative experience travelling with the infant- we went to the sing along at the piano bar as DD loves singing and music (as do most babies) and we thought she would have fun. We sat in the corner and sang along for about 20 minutes – it was then about 9:55 and we were planning to go to the 10pm show. So we got up to leave and DH was holding DD and showing her the piano and the piano player when the piano player asked us not to put the baby on the bar (there was no one sitting at it and DH was holding her at the bar lever hovering over the bar so she could see the piano player’s hands) he then asked my husband to

move to the foot of the piano as he was blocking the sight line to the other people in the back of the room – so we just left. There were about 10 people total in the room – it was weird and annoying (I thought it was fairly obvious we were leaving and just showing the baby and not settling in and there were very few people there!) After that we went to the stings most nights which DD loved just as much as the piano. The show was what one expects.

Tracey Arm – was absolutely beautiful. Then we sailed on to Juneau. We took the mendenhall glacier followed by evening whale watching trip. We saw orca’s, seals, bald eagles and then had a humpback that decided to play with the bow of our boat –it was the highlight of our trip. The whale hung out and fooled around for a good 20 minutes – it was magical. We then opted to be dropped off in Juneau to look around – by this point it was about 830pm and nothing was really open. We walked quite a ways farther than we realized because the ship was socked at the AJ dock and looked really close but wasn’t…We got back on the boat about 930 and by the time we dried off (it was drizzling) and changed the baby we had missed all the meal options. The anytime room service menu is really quite limited. It was weird to be on a cruise ship –just back from our excursion and find no dinner available (Filipino late night snack didn’t start until 11 and we weren’t going to make it!).

Skagway was a town of jewelry stores. We got off the ship and wondered around. Then boarded the ship again for a late lunch. We then took the evening train trip up white pass –beautiful views and three bears. And a fairly uncrowded train car at that hour.

Glacier Bay was my favorite part of the cruise. Absolutely gorgeous. I had the podcasts from the bay and we also had the TV on with the volume up so we could hear the naturalist on our balcony. In front of Majorie Glacier for an hour just amazing. That evening was the second formal night and the seas were a little rough – I am very prone to motion sickness so we did not get dressed for dinner and DH and DD ate in the Lido.

Ketchikan we purposely didn’t book any excursions as nothing really appealed that was manageable with an infant. We got off the ship and walked all around. Went to the fish ladder –the Salmon aren’t running yet. Went on tour of Dolly’s house (definitely fun) then wandered to the totem pole museum and hatchery so went into both of those. Got back to the ship for naps! Had a lovely sailaway on the balcony with some snacks and wine!

Last Day at Sea – we woke up in the morning to “moderate seas” so I lay low again. We played some trivia (we won several times but no such luck today) and when the seas had calmed and we were in the narrow areas went up to the Crow’s nest for lovely views – saw some dolphins. Went to the suite invited Indonesian Lunch at pinnacle grill which was probably the best food the whole cruise and a lot of fun. (it helped that the waitstaff at pinnacle grill knew and adored my daughter).

Disembarkation was no trouble. We had to wait for some time to get through customs and then sat and waited at Canada Pier for the bus to the Victoria Ferry.

Post Cruise we went to Victoria for two days and I loved the city and Buchert Gardens. Took an excellent Ghost walking tour one evening. We stayed at the Magnolia Inn which was very nice with a huge breakfast. We then took the Victoria Clipper to Seattle and stayed in Seattle for two days at the Westin – we took a really interesting food tour in Seattle. The rib at the Westin was a bit scary with a huge gap between the matress and the frame which we stuffed with towels.

Notes on travelling with the baby – thank you all for the advice I got from you prior to leaving I thought I would share what I did to potentially help you. I bought diapers in Vancouver then checked them on board so I only needed enough diapers for my first couple of days in Portland. I have travelled a lot with my daughter alone and have it worked out to a science - I have a rolling suitcase that I pack all our stuff in – with the handle extended the car seat fits over top and I can drag it behind me. I then push the stroller with one hand (we have the city-mini) and keep the ergo carrier in the pocket under the stroller. I then have the diaper bag over my shoulder or on the back of my stroller and for this trip I had a very small “purse” (actually a traveler’s bag) with our passports, camera, phone wallet and book that goes across my chest. I check the suitcase and the car seat, then check the stroller at the gate and carry the baby on board in the ergo. For various trips around the boat and in the towns we used the stroller or the ergo depending upon what we were doing and what seemed more practical. We took no cars/vans so did not need the car seat on board but needed it in Portland and Seattle and for the taxi from the airport in Vancouver to the hotel. I jut now realized in writing this that my husband never once wore the ergo the whole trip! Luckily the suite we were in came with free laundry - we took advantage. Otherwise I had been planning to send out a bag or two towards the end of the cruise (dependant upon how messy the baby had been). DD is still breast feeding but I have been trying to wean her and only letting her breastfeed in the AM and PM so we had one can of formula powder which lasted fine – we took two bottles but only really needed one. I did not take dish soap –I just rinsed it thoroughly in the sink. We had the baby toiletries from the Pan Pacific and they lasted the whole trip (otherwise I was just going to use the ship’s stuff). I took her vitamins and infant Tylenol which we luckily never needed to use. We also had sunblock and bug spray – only needed the sunblock in Seattle at the end Alaska was fairly cool and overcast drizzly so no sun and no mosquitoes. There was one small toy attached to her stroller – DD can make toys out of anything there was no reason to carry extra. Napkins tied easily around her neck so no need for the disposable bibs or bib clip I brought. HAL has bathtubs in all but some handicap rooms so I did not bring an inflatable tub. We had applesauce packs (from costco- the squeeze kind) and crackers for snacks at odd times or when we were running around doing stuff. I cannot say enough good things about how well all the staff treated DD. She had her own personal ice cream servant in the Lido (he brought her a bowl of ice cream every time he saw her - even if I said she needed to eat something else first!) There was a cleaning woman who would turn off her vacuum every time we came near and play with DD. There

was the pea soup man who got her to crawl over and play when we were hanging around the pool area one day. Men from behind the buffet lines all knew her name and as we walked through the Lido a lot to get places we would walk to people calling to her and talking to her. The Assistant Dining Room Manager handed her plastic peppers from the Master Dinner salad toss and she thought those were the best thing ever. And as for fellow cruisers none of the negative things people have discussed on these boards – yes people touched her but just a few people and I’m not so bothered by that. Lots of people stopped and talked to her but that was lovely. People remembered when she was awake at 10pm shows and watching and when she was asleep (some nights she was up for the show and some nights she was asleep in the stroller) and no one made comments about having our baby up or out. When I would walk through the ship alone tons of people both staff and guest would ask

me where the baby was! I was definitely known as the baby mama. And she loved every minute of it. The only downside was she did not want to sleep in the pack and play in the room. She doesn’t go to bed easily at home but there we can shut the door and ignore her. I apologize to the pople next to us - we would put her in the pack and play and try to “hide” in the room where she couldn’t see us and she would scream for a long time before finally going to sleep. Then she would often wake up at inappropriate times (anywhere from 2-5am) and I would bring her into bed, feed her and she would fall asleep between us and sleep until 8 or 9am (my husband hates when she sleeps in bed with us he is quite paranoid about rolling on her).

So all in all – we had a lovely time. I get seasick and boats really aren’t my thing but I love to travel and DH loves boats so it is a good compromise. DD didn’t really make anything too different – DH and I have always liked to hang out just the two of us (eg we always do dining at our own table and bring our own wine to drink on our balcony etc) and adding our daughter did not change any of that. This was DH first HAL cruise ever and my last one was when I was 11 (and I hated the kids club and was bored :)). The library (and librarian) and the explorations café tables with the crosswords were a lot of fun. We loved being able to bring our wine on board (as we did with Princess), the itinerary was fabulous and the way my daughter was treated simply outstanding. The food was serviceable, live music fun for all, and I would like my personal ceramic lounger at home. We would likely sail HAL again – all itinerary and price dependant – although it may be awhile before I get on a boat again.

[erewhon]

Thank you for the review of your cruise.

From your cabin and balcony, did you hear much noise from the deck above you?

[sjgertz]

Couldn't hear anything inside on the room. On the Balcony we could hear people on the Lido deck if they were leaning out aft and chatting. It was cold enough that people didn't tend to spend long leaning out! (we hudded under wonderful wool deck blankets). I could aso hear the conversation of people on the balcony next to us but figured that was fair as they had to listen to my child scream at night;)

[erewhon]

Thank you for your reply.

You mentioned that the HAL rep, met you at Vancouver Airport and put you in a cab to the Pan Pacific.

Did HAL give you the night at the Pan Pacific? ( we were given a night last year.)

[kazu]

Thanks very much for your review. Your info on the travelling with an infant will be very helpful to others who are in the same situation:)

[portofrome]

Thanks for your review.

[LindaKE]

We sailed the Z the week before you and had very similar experience with food which was, as you said, mediocre. We had the same experience, as well, with seas leaving Glacier Bay. We also had mediocre service, but the rest of the cruise made up for it. The scenery was spectacular! This was our first suite, and now I, too, don't know if we can return to a "regular cabin" next time.

 

My review is posted at: http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=84542.