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Holland America Line

MS Zuiderdam

Your Rating:
Reviewed by: Stephanie Lash
# previous cruises: 6
Date of Trip: September 10, 2005
Itinerary: Caribbean

Having read some less than enthusiastic reviews we were somewhat apprehensive about cruising on the Zuiderdam. However we were very pleasantly surprised and really have no major complaints. However! The tipping policy sucks. A $10 per person per day"gratuity"is automatically added to your shipboard account. We were made to feel very uncomfortable in opting out of this. We were told that the staff were not allowed to accept cash. We had to complete a form stating our reasons for opting out. Anyway we tipped in our waiters and cabin steward in cash which they obviously appreciated and had no qualms about accepting. Perhaps HAL should abolish tipping and increase the fares which indirectly they are doing with their existing policy.

She is very well maintained indeed. Artwork is tasteful. The atrium is small for a megaship but nonetheless well appointed. The two swimming pools are small for the size of the ship. There is a walk around promenade 1/3 mile on the lifeboat deck.

Very good indeed with an excellent choice. I had read that service was slow in the dinning room but we didn't find this to be the case. Some of the stations in the buffet area were quite congested especially when the dinning room was closed for lunch.

We had an SS cabin with large bedroom, balcony and the largest bathroom I have ever seen on a ship with full size tub and a shower stall. At $800 each it was excellent value. Refrigerator and wineglasses were provided as was a welcoming bottle of wine.

Two production shows were good. The female comedian and singer Eddie Homan were very well received with packed show.

Half Moon Cay was a beach stop. The barbecue could have been better. The facilities were spotlessly clean. We went on the Atlantis submarine which was worth the $99. We also went on one of the trips to the Mayan ruins which was interesting and worth the $50 At Key West we saved $5 each by paying for the Conch Train locally.

The Fort Lauderdale tour after our cruise was very very poor value at $51 each. After a quick tour of the area we were left for 90 mins at a riverside shopping center where half the shops were still closed as it was so early. If we had known better we would have gone to the airport checked in and taken a taxi downtown and joined a boat tour around the inland waterways and saved a few $s.

All ages but probably more older people than other lines. People with mobility difficulties seem to be well catered for. The staff seemed to be particularly helpful towards them.

There were a few miserable complainers who make it their mission in life to find fault-but you meet them at work and at home anyway.