Zuiderdam Review-6/10/06

[mildavis]

A couple other movies I can remember they played were Munich and Last Holiday... there also was one with Samuel Jackson which I hadn't seen.. can't remember the name.

 

 

There was also one about basketball that was real good. Can't remember the name of that one either. I'm bad about remembering titles of movies. Did you have fun on the cruise? Did we not have the best weather?

[KidNurse]

My 13 yr. old daughter and I are taking our 1st cruise on the ms.Ryndam on 7-9. Assuming the Club Hals all run basically the same way...one question. Is the safety and security good. She's my one and only and some people at work are telling me I'm crazy thinking about letting her run around with a bunch of other kids! I'm sure that is not the case and we are taking walkie talkies but I do want her to have some "freedom" (I just don't want to worry! I so appreciate everyones input especially because I really have no idea what to expect. One of my biggest concerns is the boarding process but we have all forms already filled out (including the notorized form from dad saying it's "ok" for her to be traveling without him!!!!:rolleyes:

[lkmamom]

My 13 yr. old daughter and I are taking our 1st cruise on the ms.Ryndam on 7-9. Assuming the Club Hals all run basically the same way...one question. Is the safety and security good. She's my one and only and some people at work are telling me I'm crazy thinking about letting her run around with a bunch of other kids! I'm sure that is not the case and we are taking walkie talkies but I do want her to have some "freedom" (I just don't want to worry! I so appreciate everyones input especially because I really have no idea what to expect. One of my biggest concerns is the boarding process but we have all forms already filled out (including the notorized form from dad saying it's "ok" for her to be traveling without him!!!!:rolleyes:

 

Ahhh, another (Mom and Nurse!) just like me:) I was always worried about my "one and only" too and our first cruise, I was a nervous wreckwith the thought of not always knowing where he was during the day. We made a deal that he would always meet us for meals and that he would leave us notes as to where we could find him if we needed to.It worked out just fine. Our son participated in some of the activities but mainly wanted to check out the ship the first time.He was definately not gone all day or night. That was seven yrs ago and now at 16, he still just checks things out but really, and I know that you won't believe it, but enjoys doing things with his Dad and I. We are a very close family. I think that if you establish from the start the importance of communicating with eachother you will have no problems and hopefully not worry as much:)

Linda

[mildavis]

My 13 yr. old daughter and I are taking our 1st cruise on the ms.Ryndam on 7-9. Assuming the Club Hals all run basically the same way...one question. Is the safety and security good. She's my one and only and some people at work are telling me I'm crazy thinking about letting her run around with a bunch of other kids! I'm sure that is not the case and we are taking walkie talkies but I do want her to have some "freedom" (I just don't want to worry! I so appreciate everyones input especially because I really have no idea what to expect. One of my biggest concerns is the boarding process but we have all forms already filled out (including the notorized form from dad saying it's "ok" for her to be traveling without him!!!!:rolleyes:

 

 

I'm not real sure how her age group works with HAL, but on the age 8-12 group we let our 10 (almost 11) and 12 year old sign themselves out of the HAL club when they wanted because they told us they could not do the scavenger hunt activity if I had to sign them out. I'm pretty paranoid about something happening to my kids what with all the crazy things going on in the world and I was determined that my children would not have the run of the ship. BUT, I felt very safe on the Zuiderdam. Our kids had the radios and they had them with them at the HAL club and everything was fine. I NEVER worried and I'm a worrier. And just like another poster said, they usually came right back to us when they got out of the club because they wanted to go swimming and we were usually by the pool playing ping pong or talking or watching the scenery, etc. I say just go with your instincts and you will be fine. And bring those radios and charge them every night! Have fun!

[mildavis]

Oh one more thing. I thought the people running programs for the kids were great. Now that was on our ship but I'm sure they have to be that way on all ships. Also, when our kids signed out they had to sign out saying where they were going. That way, if we went to get them and they weren't there we had a place to go look for them. But this never happened because we had the radios and the kids loved using them!

[NJcabanas]

we had the radios and the kids loved using them!

 

This is very useful thread. I have also been wondering about taking walkie talkies to keep track of my kid. Did your group experience any problems with "dead zones" on the ship? Were you using standard walkie talkies or the push-to-talk/walkie talkie function on cell phones? Thanks to any of you that can shed light on this question.:D

[mildavis]

This is very useful thread. I have also been wondering about taking walkie talkies to keep track of my kid. Did your group experience any problems with "dead zones" on the ship? Were you using standard walkie talkies or the push-to-talk/walkie talkie function on cell phones? Thanks to any of you that can shed light on this question.:D

 

 

We used Motorola Talkabouts. We had 5 mile range and another family had 8 mile range ones. We all would put them on the same channel and on we would go. We would get a little static if we were in the hull of the ship say in the vista show lounge where the shows were shown (no we didn't try to carry on conversations during shows). But usually they worked great no problems. We just charged them up every night. Don't forget to bring the charger! We would never take a trip or cruise without those babies.

[NJcabanas]

Thanks for the detailed info, Mildavis. I will add my Motorola Talkabouts to the packing list. - NJcabanas

[hanahbean]

:) lordy lordy -- thank you so very, very, very much for all the details of your cruise -- what a wonderful way to get acquainted with all that will be happening and what to do and what not to do -- your "reviews" were perfect -- how did you have the energy to write it all after the cruise -- thank you again -- hanahbean

[hanahbean]

thanks for the very detailed reply to all our questions -- wonderful -- you took so much time to do this -- thank you thank you thank you -- hanahbean

[mildavis]

:) lordy lordy -- thank you so very, very, very much for all the details of your cruise -- what a wonderful way to get acquainted with all that will be happening and what to do and what not to do -- your "reviews" were perfect -- how did you have the energy to write it all after the cruise -- thank you again -- hanahbean

 

 

I really didn't. I just knew I better write before I forgot the details. It really was a trip to remember though. I can't believe anyone could have written a bad review about this trip or this ship. You would have to be looking for a bad time and even then, I don't know how you would have found it. There is something there for everyone.