Zuiderdam Review 1/13-1/20

[BigBrust]

My family and I are just back home from the 1/13-1/20 sailing of the Zuiderdam. I was a little apprehensive about the cruise due to some of the things I had read on the boards about the Zuiderdam, including the wear and tear, the food, and the overall decor of the ship. I will tell you that there is absolutely nothing to worry about on the Zuiderdam. I have been on a few cruises, and this, by far, was my favorite. We had a family group of 17, ranging in age from 60-2. I will break down my review by subject.

 

1. Embarkation- Easy and fast! From the time they opened the doors to the time we were on the ship was less that 15 minutes. Everything went very smoothly.

 

2. Food- We ate dinner 6 of the 7 nights in the Vista dining room. One night we ate on the Lido deck whent hey had an island barbeque. Of course food is a subjective subject, but i thought the food on the cruise was fantastic. From day 1-day 7 i did not have a bad meal. I doubled up on a few appetizers when i couldn't decide what I wanted, and had 2 different dinners one night. The wait staff was great. I think it was our waiter's first cruise as a head waiter, and there were a few glitches the 1st night, but things smoothed out quickly and the service was great. My wife and I had our 3 year old daughter with us, and she was treated like a princess, given what ever food she wanted, weather it was off the kids menu or the adults menu. The Lido was great for breakfast and lunch. Never a long line, and the cooks and servers were very efficient. Indra and Fandy, the line greeters, were awesome! They too were great to my daughter. Indra would always greet us, and then run and get my daughter her 1/2 cup of coffee, light and sweet (yes, she does like coffee very much. It is my wife's fault!) The variety was also good, as there was always somethign new to try for each different meal. BTW- The pizza was awesome. After a hard night at the craps table (more about the casino later) my brother and I would go up to the Lido for pizza, which was served until 1am.

 

I will continue this on another post. Have to go take my daughter to swimming lessons.

[BigBrust]

Sorry for all the spelling mistakes in the last post, i was in a hurry. i will do better as i continue.

 

Cabin- We were in cabin #5012, forward Veranda Deck. The room was a nice size for the 3 of us. Our beds were put together as a king bed, and we had a pull out couch as well. We had a lot of stuff, travelling with a 3 year old, and we didn't feel cramped at all. The veranda was pretty spacious as well. Our bathroom had a tub/shower, which made it easier with the little one. our steward, Endang, was just tremendous! He took such good care of us. He really took to our daughter, as he has a 5 year old daughter and a 2 month old son at home and missed them terribly. the last night we wondered why we didn't get a towel animal, as we had every night before (and they were great ones too.) En waited until we got back to the room so that he could personally show our daughter how he makes a monkey. That was so nice of him, and it really made my daughters night.

 

Casino- Kind of a sore point here. Not that i lost, which I fully expected to, but the staff was just not that friendly at all. We have been on ships were the casino staff was rooting for you, and helping people who didn't know how to play a certain game. This would have been great on this cruise, because there were a lot of very bad blackjack players!! However, we made some very good friends all week at the craps table, and those dealers started to warm up as the week went on. We had a rowdy group, led by my brother, but we all had a great time rolling the dice.

 

Ports:

 

1) Grand Turk: Not much to do on Grand Turk. We looked into a few excursions, but found that we would be better off just "wasting away at margaritaville." It was a good choice. The pool there is fantastic, and it is very close to the small beach right by the ship dock. The food and drink prices were not that bad, as i had read on here. A beer was about $4-$5, and mixed drinks were a little more. If you get the huge margarita, that was expensive (not sure how much, but probably around $12.) My aunt and cousin did the power snorkeling, and said it was pretty tough, but fun. My sister's boyfriend and my uncle did the flats fishing excursion. In their words, "It sucked!" The guide didn't really guide them, and the equipment was older than the two of them. So avoid that excursion.

 

2) Tortola- We decided, again, to just spend the day at the beach. we chose Cane Garden Bay, as we had read good things about it. The drive over was very hilly, so if you have a weak stomach, beware. the beach itself was pretty nice, not as nice as i thought it would be. You can rent floating mats, snorkel gear, waveboards, etc. from a stand right on the beach. Not many watersports though. They couldn't get a hold of the waverunner guy, who was sleeping apparently. My mother, my aunt and cousin did the dolphin swim. they could not stop talking about it. My mom said it was worth every penny. they got to spend about 45 minutes in the water with the dolphin, and they had a great time. We went back to the ship about sunset, around 6pm, and enjoyed the barbeque on deck.

 

3) St. Thomas- The best stop on our cruise. I know it is touristy, but we went to a very nice, kind of quiet beach, and had a great time. We chose Morningstar beach, because we had been to Magen's Bay before, and found that to be overcrowded and overrated. Morningstar was awesome! Clear water, great views of the ships coming into charlotte amelie, and a beachfront restaurant and snack bar. We didn't see many people from our ship there, but we did see the cruise director and a few staff, so we knew we made a good choice. I took my daughter on a waverunner tour around the port and part of the island. Warning: if you like to ride waverunners by yourself, you can't do that here. You must ride as part of a tour, and they do not let you go very fast. This was kind of disappointing, but it did allow me to take my daughter, and she had a great time.

 

4) Half Moon Cay- We got a tender ticket very early, and got off the ship about 8am. When we got to the beach, i was really disappointed. There was a lot of sea foam in the water, and it made it look kind of dirty. As the day went on and the sun came out, the foam disappeared and the water was a fantastic shade of blue. The snorkeling is not great, but you can see a lot of angel fish swim right by your feet. There is a great kids area, with 2 waterslides and a lot of water toys. My uncle and cousin did the horse back riding excursion and they had a great time. the horses go over land first, but then take you in the water. They said they would do that again in a heartbeat. The ship provided a barbeque on the island, and it was very nice. Burgers, chicken, hot dogs, ribs, mahi mahi, corn on the cob, salads, etc.

 

Overall experience- Great! We weren't sure how much my daughter would enjoy the cruise, and when you travel with a large group, someone is bound to have complaints about something. The only thing we could find to complain about was the not so friendly casino staff, and that wasn't such a big deal. Everyone had a great time. My daughter was so pampered that i am not sure how to tame the monster that was created! Just kidding, but the staff was awesome with her, and made her feel special everyday. Can't wait for our next cruise. And yes, you can make a $100 deposit on a future cruise using the onboard ship consultant.

[Old As Dirt Mom]

Big Brust:

 

Thanks for taking the time to write a comprehensive review!:) Very nice job! You indicated that the condition of the Zuiderdam is good; would you care to elaborate regarding decor, layout, design, etc.? Thanks very much! Did your 3-year-old daughter participate in Club HAL?

 

Karin

[Old As Dirt Mom]

My post "hung" due to ongoing CC database problems. Bumping it up.

 

K.

[Old As Dirt Mom]

Sorry, going to try to bump up my post, yet again. It's not an ego thing, I swear......:cool:

 

Karin

[pcs15]

Thanks for the review! We're boarding the "Z" on Feb. 3rd so it's great to see such a positive review. We're not gamblers so I don't think we'll have any complaints. Glad you enjoyed yourselves so much!

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thanks for posting your review.

[twinkletoes4445]

Thanks for the review!

 

We'll be on the Zuiderdam on 2/3!

[twinkletoes4445]

Sorry...double post.

[BigBrust]

I will elaborate as best i can-

 

The layout of the ship was not bad. It is a long ship, so going from our cabin forward to the lido restaurant and lido pool was a bit of a walk. But, I did work off all the food I ate, so it wasn't so bad. The decor is not as subtle as it was on the Veendam, but certainly not as bad as people have written about. It isn't something you would get on and say "Oh man, that is ugly." There are pictures of all the old HAL ships in the hallways, so it was interesting to see the evolution of the cruise ship over the years.

 

My daughter did not participate in Club HAL, as she is like her mommy and likes to lay by the pool and go swimming all day. However, my nephews, ages 8 and 5, did particpate in Club HAL, and enjoyed it very much. My brother also hired a babysitter through the ship on 2 occassions after Club HAL closed so he and his wife could go out and enjoy themselves. The price of the babysitter was $8 per child per hour.

[Old As Dirt Mom]

Thank you, BigBrust, you have answered my questions very nicely. Which ship do you like better, the Veendam or the Zuiderdam? Thanks, and sorry to ask you yet another question.

 

Karin

[BigBrust]

I would give the edge to the Zuiderdam Karin. Also, we did the Culinary Arts cooking class. Well worth the $29, but you have to sign up when you first get on the ship. Those spots fill up fast. Chef Kumar from the Pinnacle Grill conducted our class, and it was all hands on participation. Then, after we sampled our work, we were taken to the Pinnacle Grill and fed the same meal prepared by the Pinnacle Grill chef's. It was outstanding.

[mikaula]

Thanks for the great review!

[CrazyforCruisin]

Thanks for the great review. We are on the 2/17 cruise and cannot wait!

[DisneyJen]

Thanks for the review BigBrust!

 

One question (okay it will probably turn into a few more:rolleyes:) ...

 

Were you able to sit together in the Vista Dining Room? We are a group of 9 ... and when I booked our November cruise they told me that the largest table was 8 but that I could request a table for 9 through group dining. Just wondering about your experience.

[BigBrust]

Hey Jen-

 

We actually had 3 tables right next to each other. My brother's family of 5 at one table, my mother, aunt, and uncle at the next, and me, my wife, my daughter, my brother, my sister, her boyfriend, and my cousin at the other. We had a table for 6, but squeezed an extra chair in to make 7 with no problem. There was a table of 8 ladies right behind us, and I think you could have easily fit another chair at that table. Hope that helps.

[HapiFeet]

Thanks for the review! We're boarding the "Z" on Feb. 3rd so it's great to see such a positive review. We're not gamblers so I don't think we'll have any complaints. Glad you enjoyed yourselves so much!

 

Hi pcs15 -

 

We've got a roll call going for the 2/3 cruise with details for meeting fellow CC cruisers. If you'd like to join us, we'll be meeting at the aft pool bar after the fire drill and sailaway (once we figure out when that is). We'll be wearing Mardi Gras beads and I will have extras. Twinkletoes also has extras. Hope to see you there!

 

Can't wait!

[Atomica]

Thanks for the great review!

 

We still have 8 months to go until we're on the Zuiderdam, but we're excited already! :)

[HapiFeet]

Thanks for the great review! We're looking forward to our Feb 3 cruise...coming up soon!:)

[DisneyJen]

Hey Jen-

 

We actually had 3 tables right next to each other. My brother's family of 5 at one table, my mother, aunt, and uncle at the next, and me, my wife, my daughter, my brother, my sister, her boyfriend, and my cousin at the other. We had a table for 6, but squeezed an extra chair in to make 7 with no problem. There was a table of 8 ladies right behind us, and I think you could have easily fit another chair at that table. Hope that helps.

 

Thanks BigBrust!

 

I was wondering if we could squeeze another person in at the table for 8. Sounds like a good plan.

[seaisme]

Sorry for all the spelling mistakes in the last post, i was in a hurry. i will do better as i continue.

 

Cabin- We were in cabin #5012, forward Veranda Deck. The room was a nice size for the 3 of us. Our beds were put together as a king bed, and we had a pull out couch as well. We had a lot of stuff, travelling with a 3 year old, and we didn't feel cramped at all. The veranda was pretty spacious as well. Our bathroom had a tub/shower, which made it easier with the little one. our steward, Endang, was just tremendous! He took such good care of us. He really took to our daughter, as he has a 5 year old daughter and a 2 month old son at home and missed them terribly. the last night we wondered why we didn't get a towel animal, as we had every night before (and they were great ones too.) En waited until we got back to the room so that he could personally show our daughter how he makes a monkey. That was so nice of him, and it really made my daughters night.

 

Casino- Kind of a sore point here. Not that i lost, which I fully expected to, but the staff was just not that friendly at all. We have been on ships were the casino staff was rooting for you, and helping people who didn't know how to play a certain game. This would have been great on this cruise, because there were a lot of very bad blackjack players!! However, we made some very good friends all week at the craps table, and those dealers started to warm up as the week went on. We had a rowdy group, led by my brother, but we all had a great time rolling the dice.

 

Ports:

 

1) Grand Turk: Not much to do on Grand Turk. We looked into a few excursions, but found that we would be better off just "wasting away at margaritaville." It was a good choice. The pool there is fantastic, and it is very close to the small beach right by the ship dock. The food and drink prices were not that bad, as i had read on here. A beer was about $4-$5, and mixed drinks were a little more. If you get the huge margarita, that was expensive (not sure how much, but probably around $12.) My aunt and cousin did the power snorkeling, and said it was pretty tough, but fun. My sister's boyfriend and my uncle did the flats fishing excursion. In their words, "It sucked!" The guide didn't really guide them, and the equipment was older than the two of them. So avoid that excursion.

 

2) Tortola- We decided, again, to just spend the day at the beach. we chose Cane Garden Bay, as we had read good things about it. The drive over was very hilly, so if you have a weak stomach, beware. the beach itself was pretty nice, not as nice as i thought it would be. You can rent floating mats, snorkel gear, waveboards, etc. from a stand right on the beach. Not many watersports though. They couldn't get a hold of the waverunner guy, who was sleeping apparently. My mother, my aunt and cousin did the dolphin swim. they could not stop talking about it. My mom said it was worth every penny. they got to spend about 45 minutes in the water with the dolphin, and they had a great time. We went back to the ship about sunset, around 6pm, and enjoyed the barbeque on deck.

 

3) St. Thomas- The best stop on our cruise. I know it is touristy, but we went to a very nice, kind of quiet beach, and had a great time. We chose Morningstar beach, because we had been to Magen's Bay before, and found that to be overcrowded and overrated. Morningstar was awesome! Clear water, great views of the ships coming into charlotte amelie, and a beachfront restaurant and snack bar. We didn't see many people from our ship there, but we did see the cruise director and a few staff, so we knew we made a good choice. I took my daughter on a waverunner tour around the port and part of the island. Warning: if you like to ride waverunners by yourself, you can't do that here. You must ride as part of a tour, and they do not let you go very fast. This was kind of disappointing, but it did allow me to take my daughter, and she had a great time.

 

4) Half Moon Cay- We got a tender ticket very early, and got off the ship about 8am. When we got to the beach, i was really disappointed. There was a lot of sea foam in the water, and it made it look kind of dirty. As the day went on and the sun came out, the foam disappeared and the water was a fantastic shade of blue. The snorkeling is not great, but you can see a lot of angel fish swim right by your feet. There is a great kids area, with 2 waterslides and a lot of water toys. My uncle and cousin did the horse back riding excursion and they had a great time. the horses go over land first, but then take you in the water. They said they would do that again in a heartbeat. The ship provided a barbeque on the island, and it was very nice. Burgers, chicken, hot dogs, ribs, mahi mahi, corn on the cob, salads, etc.

 

Overall experience- Great! We weren't sure how much my daughter would enjoy the cruise, and when you travel with a large group, someone is bound to have complaints about something. The only thing we could find to complain about was the not so friendly casino staff, and that wasn't such a big deal. Everyone had a great time. My daughter was so pampered that i am not sure how to tame the monster that was created! Just kidding, but the staff was awesome with her, and made her feel special everyday. Can't wait for our next cruise. And yes, you can make a $100 deposit on a future cruise using the onboard ship consultant.

thanks for the review! we're on the "Z" April 7th...our second time on her and really looking forward to our cruise.

so glad you had a positive experience!