Well, back on land after an incredible journey on Holland America Line’s ms Zuiderdam!
Several people have already asked me, “how was your cruise?” The answer was, “it was the best one yet.”
A couple of reasons for that. First, the ship was not full. The Zuiderdam holds less than 2,000 people so you never feel too crowded on a ship that size anyway, but we were several hundred under that number so it felt even roomier. Second, the itinerary. As I mentioned in a previous entry, the Panama Canal was on my list of places I wanted to see, so for me, this was the highlight of the trip. Third, the staff. The Filipino and Indonesian crew members on Holland America’s ships know their job is to make you happy, and no request is too small or too large. And for some reason, they are ALWAYS smiling!
When I was feeling under the weather yesterday, one of the crew members, who was used to seeing me out and about, stopped by my room to see if I was OK. Well, he really wanted to know if he should hold my seat at the bar any longer…
So the final sea day saw me battling whatever it was I picked up in Panama. While I would have preferred something other than sickness as a memento, I spent the day resting. Before heading off to dinner, there was one final meet-up of the 6:30 pre-dinner cocktail gang where we had one last chance to run up our bar bill before saying good bye, exchanging contact info, and seeing who can tie a knot in a cherry stem with their tongue.
I can do it, by the way.
It’s one of my many hidden talents.
After dinner, all my laundry was laid out in neat little bundles that fit nicely into my suitcases, which is a huge bonus. I’m still trying to figure out why I needed four suitcases full of clothes plus two small carry-on bags.
My final thoughts as this adventure wraps up.
The Ship: The Zuiderdam was the first of Holland America Line’s Vista-class ships and was launched in 2002. By ship years, she’s old. But she’s very well maintained although the décor is a tad dated. The photos of the ship’s accommodations online show the old décor, thankfully my suite was redone with toned-down colors. Yes, some of the common areas are showing wear and tear, and the carpet could be replaced, but none of that took away from my experience. While I didn’t have trouble with air conditioning and toilet flushing, several other passengers did. One day, air conditioning was shut off to my portion of the ship so maintenance could be performed and it was stifling inside, so to be one of the passengers with air conditioning issues would make me a not-so-happy cruiser.
The Suite: I had a Neptune Suite which was 500 sq feet and had a large balcony. Perks of the room included access to the Neptune Lounge, free laundry and pressing, a concierge, and other amenities. The room featured a king-size bed, a sitting area with a couch, a table and two chairs, and a work area for my laptop. The bathroom, did show signs of wear and featured a shower and a separate whirlpool tub/shower. No complaints about the room at all, except the one drawer that, with each roll of the ship, would open and close and hit me below the belt especially in the middle of the night when I was up to let out some of the beer from the 6:30 cocktail hour. I quickly learned to keep a light on and feel to see if it was open or not before passing.
The Food: I had breakfast in my suite each morning which was always delivered on time, hot, and included everything I ordered. I skipped lunch each day. I had dinner for ten nights in the ship’s Pinnacle Grill, which is a pay-to-eat steakhouse. I made my way through the classic steakhouse menu and never had a bad meal. The one night I ventured from the Pinnacle, I ate at Canaletto, the ship’s pay-to-eat Italian restaurant, and was disappointed, and did not return. A previous entry explains my disappointment. I did not eat at the Lido or the ship’s main dining room at all.
Complaints: As usual, the shower head. The lack of bar staff lurking around the Promenade Deck to see if those of us camped out in a lounger wanted a drink. The fact that even though it was sunny, the retractable dome was closed over the main pool making that whole area smell like chlorine. The guy in the cabin next to me smoked on his balcony and passed plenty of second-hand smoke in my direction. The pitifully slow and painfully expensive poor excuse for an Internet connection – the absolute worst Internet I’ve ever experienced on a ship.
High Points: The Panama Canal experience. The Behind the Scenes Ship Tour. The staff. Being charged $6.95 for a martini rather than the Boca rate of $15.95. No over-selling of merchandise and services. Breakfast in bed. The 5pm shrimp.
Now here’s the bitch of the moment. As a single traveler, I’m a cruise line’s wet dream. Hear me out. Now, because I’m traveling myself, I have to pay as if I’m traveling with someone. In order words, I pay double, or in cruise industry terminology – the “single supplement.” Granted, there are some lines who discount the single supplement to 190% instead of 200% or, offer a 150% single supplement on select sailings for cruises nobody wants to go on anyway, but for the most part, I pay for an invisible friend each time I cruise – and that friend doesn’t come with benefits!
Yeah, it sucks. Almost as bad as formal nights. But the cruise lines continue to penalize solo travelers this way. They all do it, and the practice isn’t going away as the lines base their revenue on a minimum of two people occupying a cabin. When they have an occupancy rate over 100% on a sailing, due to 3 or 4 people in a cabin, that’s like a rum and Viagra cocktail for them!
The worst part of ending a cruise is debarkation day when you’re herded off the ship and led to a warehouse to find your bags and get out of Dodge. Today was no exception, although Customs and Immigration were more like an interrogation session with the officer asking me questions like, “Why are you traveling alone?” “Why did you go on a cruise?” “You have marked down here you spent nothing during your vacation, is that true?” “Is that watch you’re wearing something you bought while you were on the cruise?” “Who do you work for?” “Have you ever been on a cruise before?”
Those were actual questions I was asked this morning!
It took every fiber of my being not to be a total smart-ass and give the broad with a badge the answers I really wanted to give her, but by the looks of her, she could beat the living crap out of me in about two seconds, so I was polite.
The porter who was lugging the four suitcases and two carry-ons looked at me as we cleared customs and said, “man she’s rough.”
Cruising may not be for everyone, but for me, it’s the only way to vacation. Thanks to everyone who followed along the past 11 days, emailed and texted me comments about how they enjoyed the reports and took up a collection for my $1,300 bar bill which I didn’t quite expect.
Yeah, it was that much. And I only gained two pounds – which I need to work off quickly!
Over the next few days, I’ll be sorting through the 800+ photos I took and will add them to the posts from this journey as well as put them up on my Facebook page.
Thanks for traveling along!
Personal Day-By-Day Zuiderdam Cruise Review:
Photo Tour of the Zuiderdam:
Capturing memories through photography is an integral part of any vacation, and my voyage aboard the Holland America Zuiderdam was no different. Throughout my journey, I snapped countless photos, highlighting various aspects of the ship such as the stunning interior design, the inviting swimming pools, and my own cozy cabin. If you’re interested in viewing these snapshots, you can check out the Zuiderdam Photo Tour or browse the daily cruise review, both accessible through the links provided above.