Is the zuiderdam really that bad

[champion6]

We, too, were on the Zuiderdam and disembarked this morning. We had a cabin with the ac malfunctioning. As was stated in another post, there was some cool air coming out of the vent, but no where near enough to make a dent in the heat in our starboard Signature Veranda cabin, Navigation Deck (8). We were upgraded to this cabin a week before we sailed and that was most upsetting since we gave up a $250 obc by the travel agency to get the upgrade. Our cabin was wonderful except we couldn't be in it from about noon when it was heating up from the sun till about 4 in the morning when it finally was able to cool down to an acceptable room temperature for us. We had to keep the curtains closed during all daylight hours and use the least amount of lights and TV to keep the heat down as much as possible. Our next door cabin mates left the ship in Aruba as they could not handle the ac problem (we got their oscillating stand fan which was a lifesaver for us).

 

That all said, HAL was very professional and understood our situation. Unfortunately there wasn't much they could do to alleviate the problem except provide the fan. The service from our cabin steward to our MDR waiter was up to HAL's standard. The food was great and our tablemates were wonderful.

 

We had made up our minds that the ac problem was not going to ruin the cruise for us. However, the farther south we went, the hotter the room became and the longer it took to cool off. What a waste of money to have spent on a room that we really couldn't use. Trying to sleep at night was awful.

 

We are in the process of coming to what we hope is an equitable compensation for our inconvenience with HAL. As I stated, they so far have been very professional to deal with. I was told by the HAL rep we dealt with that there were 30-40 cabins with some degree of ac problems so we were not the only ones dealing with that situation. How badly you will be affected if you get a cabin with ac problems largely depends on whether your cabin is on the starboard side (if you are traveling on a Panama Canal cruise since that side gets the most sun sailing and sitting in ports) and how well you can tolerate the heat.

 

Assuming compensation is settled to our satisfaction, I would definitely sail on HAL again, but not on the Zuiderdam until it can get into dry dock and get the ac problems fixed. Our cruise was fine, but it would have been SO much more enjoyable had we had a cabin with normal ac.

[TracieABD]

Thank you for sharing your experience with us. I could see how this would be totally frustrating. I hope that HAL offers you some compensation for the loss of enjoyment.

 

In spite of a very "sticky" situation, it sounds like you have a wonderful attitude. :)

[cruznbelle]

It's been since New Year's Eve 2011 - but we found the Z-dam just fine. Staff was actually some of the best we've had - Pinnacle Restaurant was outstanding - surpassing most other choices since believe it or not. Unless you are very picky - or get that bad experience that seems to be the luck of the draw - you should have a great time - we certainly did. Not our fav ship - but that's all subjective. I'd say pick the best itinerary for you and go for it.

[sapper1]

We, too, were on the Zuiderdam and disembarked this morning. We had a cabin with the ac malfunctioning. As was stated in another post, there was some cool air coming out of the vent, but no where near enough to make a dent in the heat in our starboard Signature Veranda cabin, Navigation Deck (8). We were upgraded to this cabin a week before we sailed and that was most upsetting since we gave up a $250 obc by the travel agency to get the upgrade. Our cabin was wonderful except we couldn't be in it from about noon when it was heating up from the sun till about 4 in the morning when it finally was able to cool down to an acceptable room temperature for us. We had to keep the curtains closed during all daylight hours and use the least amount of lights and TV to keep the heat down as much as possible. Our next door cabin mates left the ship in Aruba as they could not handle the ac problem (we got their oscillating stand fan which was a lifesaver for us).

 

That all said, HAL was very professional and understood our situation. Unfortunately there wasn't much they could do to alleviate the problem except provide the fan. The service from our cabin steward to our MDR waiter was up to HAL's standard. The food was great and our tablemates were wonderful.

 

We had made up our minds that the ac problem was not going to ruin the cruise for us. However, the farther south we went, the hotter the room became and the longer it took to cool off. What a waste of money to have spent on a room that we really couldn't use. Trying to sleep at night was awful.

 

We are in the process of coming to what we hope is an equitable compensation for our inconvenience with HAL. As I stated, they so far have been very professional to deal with. I was told by the HAL rep we dealt with that there were 30-40 cabins with some degree of ac problems so we were not the only ones dealing with that situation. How badly you will be affected if you get a cabin with ac problems largely depends on whether your cabin is on the starboard side (if you are traveling on a Panama Canal cruise since that side gets the most sun sailing and sitting in ports) and how well you can tolerate the heat.

 

Assuming compensation is settled to our satisfaction, I would definitely sail on HAL again, but not on the Zuiderdam until it can get into dry dock and get the ac problems fixed. Our cruise was fine, but it would have been SO much more enjoyable had we had a cabin with normal ac.

I am so sorry to hear about your AC problems. Panama is not a place one wants to be without a cool cabin.

I hope you are properly compensated but that does not make up for the vacation time that you can't get back. It must be quite disheartening in spite of your positive attitude.

[mtebor]

I had an alaskan cruise back in July and there was some wear and tear (especially in the spa and thermal suite area) but other than that everything was fine.

 

I would go on her again

[hypercafe]

I guess my problem with this AC/Plumbing stuff is if HAL knows which cabins have these problems they shouldn't sell them until the problem is fixed.

[startwin]

I guess my problem with this AC/Plumbing stuff is if HAL knows which cabins have these problems they shouldn't sell them until the problem is fixed.

 

I've sent an email to Guest Relations regarding the cabin I have booked for April and asking to ensure that I am not in a cabin that is known to have little or no air conditioning, otherwise they will have to find me another one. Likewise toilet problems, having gone through that debacle last year.

Edited November 30, 2013 by startwin

[Crew News]

Boarded 11/29/13 aft cabin 6166. Excellent A/C and no toilet issues in this cabin or heard from neighbors. PG staff good service and Steak Diane was perfect.

 

I did notice a small scratch on the bathtub facing but will tough it out for the next 9 days.

[Typhoon1]

If we were to believe every negative review, none of us would be sailing.

 

Go with an open mind, and have a good time.

[cruisemom42]

We, too, were on the Zuiderdam and disembarked this morning. We had a cabin with the ac malfunctioning. As was stated in another post, there was some cool air coming out of the vent, but no where near enough to make a dent in the heat in our starboard Signature Veranda cabin, Navigation Deck (8). We were upgraded to this cabin a week before we sailed and that was most upsetting since we gave up a $250 obc by the travel agency to get the upgrade. Our cabin was wonderful except we couldn't be in it from about noon when it was heating up from the sun till about 4 in the morning when it finally was able to cool down to an acceptable room temperature for us. We had to keep the curtains closed during all daylight hours and use the least amount of lights and TV to keep the heat down as much as possible. Our next door cabin mates left the ship in Aruba as they could not handle the ac problem (we got their oscillating stand fan which was a lifesaver for us).

 

That all said, HAL was very professional and understood our situation. Unfortunately there wasn't much they could do to alleviate the problem except provide the fan. The service from our cabin steward to our MDR waiter was up to HAL's standard. The food was great and our tablemates were wonderful.

 

We had made up our minds that the ac problem was not going to ruin the cruise for us. However, the farther south we went, the hotter the room became and the longer it took to cool off. What a waste of money to have spent on a room that we really couldn't use. Trying to sleep at night was awful.

 

We are in the process of coming to what we hope is an equitable compensation for our inconvenience with HAL. As I stated, they so far have been very professional to deal with. I was told by the HAL rep we dealt with that there were 30-40 cabins with some degree of ac problems so we were not the only ones dealing with that situation. How badly you will be affected if you get a cabin with ac problems largely depends on whether your cabin is on the starboard side (if you are traveling on a Panama Canal cruise since that side gets the most sun sailing and sitting in ports) and how well you can tolerate the heat.

 

Assuming compensation is settled to our satisfaction, I would definitely sail on HAL again, but not on the Zuiderdam until it can get into dry dock and get the ac problems fixed. Our cruise was fine, but it would have been SO much more enjoyable had we had a cabin with normal ac.

 

I commend you on your positive attitude. I don't know that I could be as positive in that situation. :o

 

On a cruise many years ago that was our honeymoon, we were in a stateroom with non-functioning AC. Temperatures during the day inside the OV cabin were in excess of 90 degrees. (I always take an alarm clock that shows the temperature in the room.) The only assistance we got from the staff onboard was a "We're sorry" and a 6" fan that did nothing to help.

 

We also got NO reimbursement or future cruise credit. This was "back in the day" before something like this was routinely done.

 

Between the cabin and a couple of other major problems on the cruise, I vowed to never sail with them again....and I haven't. It wasn't just the individual problem but the overall attitude of the line and how problems were dealt with (or not) that put me off.

 

Sometimes I fear HAL is headed in the same direction....

[cruisin'girl]

Boarded 11/29/13 aft cabin 6166. Excellent A/C and no toilet issues in this cabin or heard from neighbors. PG staff good service and Steak Diane was perfect.

 

I did notice a small scratch on the bathtub facing but will tough it out for the next 9 days.

Maybe the officers are having all the cold air directed to your suite knowing an "official AC report" to CC will be made.

Edited November 30, 2013 by cruisin'girl

[eddieg07410]

I've sent an email to Guest Relations regarding the cabin I have booked for April and asking to ensure that I am not in a cabin that is known to have little or no air conditioning, otherwise they will have to find me another one. Likewise toilet problems, having gone through that debacle last year.

 

We purposely booked a VH cabin so we would maximize our chances of being upgraded. Now I am afraid I know what they will upgr5ade us to. Does anyone have a list of which are the troublesome cabins? Anyway, we put in final payment yesterday so I guess we are going.

[hypercafe]

If we were to believe every negative review, none of us would be sailing.

 

Go with an open mind, and have a good time.

 

I really do not think it is a case of a negative review or having a open mind, this ship has had these problems for years. It's not like you had a bad dinner or a over cooked steak. If you get one of the bad cabins your trip is ruined. In my opinion HAL should fix the issue or stop selling the cabins.

[eddieg07410]

I've sent an email to Guest Relations regarding the cabin I have booked for April and asking to ensure that I am not in a cabin that is known to have little or no air conditioning, otherwise they will have to find me another one. Likewise toilet problems, having gone through that debacle last year.

 

I just did the same thing. As I have a guarranteed VH, my room has not been assigned. So I told them exactly what I don't want and if there are problems this could be my last HA cruise.

[startwin]

We purposely booked a VH cabin so we would maximize our chances of being upgraded. Now I am afraid I know what they will upgr5ade us to. Does anyone have a list of which are the troublesome cabins? Anyway, we put in final payment yesterday so I guess we are going.

 

 

Most recent reports cited the aft cabins as having a/c issues. On my Panama cruise last year with the toilet problems, we were in 4166 (VD cabin), towards the aft. Next door 4168 had the same problems, but others on the aft did not. And I did not hear any complaints in our area of a/c issues - just plumbing.

 

Just go with a positive outlook, more than likely your cabin will be fine, and if not - make sure the front office is very quickly made aware.

[startwin]

Maybe the officers are having all the cold air directed to your suite knowing an "official AC report" to CC will be made.

 

 

This definitely deserves a "Like" button.:D

[OlsSalt]

Interesting large public service announcement in a SF Bay area paper warning residents not to flush baby-wipes, etc or anything other than human waste and toilet paper down the toilets.

 

They spelled it out very clearly, several times in this newspaper announcement. So even land-based sewers are now getting overwhelmed with improper disposal, so you can imagine what happens to ship's much more vulnerable systems.

 

I think HAL needs to go well beyond the simple sign on the commode and make sure every single passenger understands up front what they can and cannot do once on board, and make sure this is understood in every language found on the ship.

[MermaidWatcher]

If we were to believe every negative review, none of us would be sailing.

Go with an open mind, and have a good time.

 

Are you kidding ? This is not someone's negative, subjective opinion about not likening the food, or entertainment, or the age of the other passengers, this is a clear statement of fact, that passengers were in rooms on a tropical cruise with non working and insufficiently working ac. One does not have to look very far to see that this was not a surprise mechanical failure issue, and that HAL knowingly keeps reselling these rooms cruise after cruise. THAT is what makes this such a grievous issue to me.

As I said numerous times in posting on this issue, we were not in an affected cabin on the 11/8/13 sailing, so our cruise was excellent, but we had numerous table mates and met others at different venues on the ship, who were in these rooms, and I promise you that they were not in any mood to hear that they should have an open mind and be having a good time.

[OlsSalt]

Are you kidding ? This is not someone's negative, subjective opinion about not likening the food, or entertainment, or the age of the other passengers, this is a clear statement of fact, that passengers were in rooms on a tropical cruise with non working and insufficiently working ac. One does not have to look very far to see that this was not a surprise mechanical failure issue, and that HAL knowingly keeps reselling these rooms cruise after cruise. THAT is what makes this such a grievous issue to me.

As I said numerous times in posting on this issue, we were not in an affected cabin on the 11/8/13 sailing, so our cruise was excellent, but we had numerous table mates and met others at different venues on the ship, who were in these rooms, and I promise you that they were not in any mood to hear that they should have an open mind and be having a good time.

 

Was this the same cruise where it was reported that ship personnel measured the temperature in those allegedly affected cabins three times a day and found them to be within what HAL determined to be their acceptable ranges for cabin temperature? Hard to keep track of what happened on what cruise and what in fact were the cabin's temperatures as independently recorded.

[peaches from georgia]

Was this the same cruise where it was reported that ship personnel measured the temperature in those allegedly affected cabins three times a day and found them to be within what HAL determined to be their acceptable ranges for cabin temperature? Hard to keep track of what happened on what cruise and what in fact were the cabin's temperatures as independently recorded.

You continue to say the same thing. If HAL's "acceptable range" for A/C is for a temp as high as 90 are pax supposed to agree to that? You seem to think that whatever HAL says is acceptable should be acceptable to the pax no matter how hot. HAL is hardly an independent or unbiased judge of what is acceptable when it comes to their own operating systems.

[sapper1]

Was this the same cruise where it was reported that ship personnel measured the temperature in those allegedly affected cabins three times a day and found them to be within what HAL determined to be their acceptable ranges for cabin temperature? Hard to keep track of what happened on what cruise and what in fact were the cabin's temperatures as independently recorded.

 

Do you know exactly what HAL' s self determined acceptable range is? For all we know, what they determine as "acceptable" because it is all their defective system can provide, is not within anyone's normal comfort range. They may tell me that 85 degrees is acceptable to them. That doesn't make it liveable.

Edited November 30, 2013 by sapper1

[OlsSalt]

You continue to say the same thing. If HAL's "acceptable range" for A/C is for a temp as high as 90 are pax supposed to agree to that? You seem to think that whatever HAL says is acceptable should be acceptable to the pax no matter how hot. HAL is hardly an independent or unbiased judge of what is acceptable when it comes to their own operating systems.

 

There is a report on member reviews for the Zuiderdam that says this testing found the affected cabins to be in the acceptable range for HAL operating procedures, that is all. Good to know ahead of time what HAL calls their acceptable comfort range because this is probably what you will get, and that may not be acceptable to any given passenger at any given time. It is not a question many ask before they book, but it looks like one should.

[sapper1]

Peaches, we were posting at the same time with much the same sentiments to express.

[OlsSalt]

Do you know exactly what HAL' s self determined acceptable range is? For all we know, what they determine as "acceptable" because it is all their defective system can provide, is not within anyone's normal comfort range. They may tell me that 85 degrees is acceptable to them. That doesn't make it liveable.

 

Again, I am merely repeating what a member review posted - best to read this report first hand so there is no further confusion about this report of "acceptable range" of cabin temperatures that HAL has established. Beyond that, HAL will be the best resource for this information so one knows ahead of time if this is agreeable or not before one books a cruise.

[Mr. Dog]

Again, I am merely repeating what a member review posted - best to read this report first hand so there is no further confusion about this report of "acceptable range" of cabin temperatures that HAL has established. Beyond that, HAL will be the best resource for this information so one knows ahead of time if this is agreeable or not before one books a cruise.

 

but how many times do u have to repeat this??

 

This 'fact' gets a bit tiresome. I am nervous to post but..

 

testing the temp with no valid statement of how hot is acceptable doesn't make me feel better.

 

I put faith in the posters here who have shared their experiences - happy if all is good for u but I don't want one of those affected to be me.

 

I hope u aren't one of them in the future. sometimes things you say can come back to bite you.