Holland America Line is a Dutch company, founded in 1873 in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Since orange is the national color of Netherlands — it’s a nod to the Dutch Royal Family, the House of Orange-Nassau — an Orange Party is held aboard every voyage operated by the cruise line.
On my Zuiderdam sailing, the big celebration was held in the ship’s Rolling Stone Lounge midway through the cruise and was a rip-roaring good time. The house band rocked and rolled, the dance floor was packed, and most guests were dressed in something orange.
New to Zuiderdam in the 2024 season, a Canadian band called Breton Thunder performed twice in the ship’s World Stage theater. The five-person group played mostly traditional Celtic songs that inspired the audience to clap and foot-stomp along with the tunes. Both shows were standing-room-only.
Other entertainment included Third Avenue West, an excellent trio (piano, bass, and guitar) that played in the Ocean Bar before and after dinner, and a piano player who performed in the Billboard Onboard lounge most nights.
Daily activities were geared to the older demographic this ship attracts. The bingo games, trivia contests, and art lessons were well attended but I would have liked a few more interesting choices, like talks about the culture or history of Eastern Canada by local experts.
Spying Pilot Boats at Sunrise
Early risers can watch the arrival of harbor pilot boats (Photo Credit: Donna Tunney)
Speaking of food, dining on multi-course meals is par for the course on cruise ships and I happily indulged. It was one reason I rose just before dawn most days and headed to the Promenade Deck, where three times around totals a mile-long walk. Several times around and, well, you can just about work off that key lime pie.
Dawn is a great time to be on the outside Promenade deck. It’s cool, quiet, the air is fresh and salty, and a brilliant sunrise is the main attraction.
On the days when my ship approached her next port during those early hours, I was able to watch the local harbor pilot being escorted to Zuiderdam, so that he could navigate the ship through the complicated currents of coastal estuaries and safely into port.
Typically it’s a small motor boat captained by the local harbormaster that chugs alongside the cruise ship so that the pilot can move from one vessel to the other. The harbor boat veers off after delivering the pilot, via an entry door to the cruise ship just above the water line, and heads back to shore.
It’s a simple exercise that happens all the time on cruise ships, but it was a highlight for me because it brings the local destination to life as a real place with real people. It also offers an insider’s peek into how cruise ships operate.
Good Times in the Game Room
Zuiderdam is an older ship. It entered service in 2001 and has none of the bells and whistles of ships owned by cruise lines like Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise Line — no water thrill rides, surf simulators, go-karts, or roller rinks, for example.
Geared to an older demographic, it does have lots of places to relax, like bars, lounges, indoor and outdoor sitting areas, and a large observation area on the top deck.
There also is a Game Room, situated alongside the observation lounge on Deck 10, and this was where many guests, mostly Boomers and older folks, who made up the majority of guests, congregated before and after dinner.
It was a quiet, friendly place where guests met to play board games, cards, backgammon, and other activities. The nearby Crow’s Nest bar was handy for getting drinks, and its waitstaff circulated through the Game Room on a regular basis.
Of all the public spaces onboard Zuiderdam, it was the Game Room that I liked best, thanks to its laid-back atmosphere, the faces of contented cruisers enjoying games like Scrabble, Chinese Checkers, or Clue, and happy people — including me — simply enjoying human interactions instead of being preoccupied with their phones, devices, and laptops.
One drawback to this space was the presence of the ship’s Excursion Desk. It had very limited hours, and when open it drew a lot of guests trying to book last-minute tours. This meant long lines and since it shared space with the Game Room it brought noise and confusion to the area.
Dining Al Fresco on the Balcony
While Zuiderdam has great dining venues and cuisine choices, all of which I enjoyed, there’s nothing quite like having a meal served in your stateroom.
In-suite dining, particularly in good weather, when guests can use the table and chairs on their balcony, is a real treat. It’s the truest form of oceanfront dining and the view can’t be beat. Meals ordered for my stateroom arrived cooked as requested, on time, and were enjoyed on the veranda.
I’ll give room service on this ship a giant thumbs-up, not only for the quality of the service but for that grand feeling of royal treatment that came with it.
Unlike some competitors, Holland America does not charge a fee for room service delivery. The room service breakfast menu is a form guests fill out and hang on the outside of their cabin door by 2 a.m. for delivery the next morning. The full room service menu is available on the stateroom television, and orders are placed via the cabin phone.
Shout Out to an Outstanding Crew
A barista at the Crow’s Nest coffee and cocktail bar (Photo Credit: Donna Tunney)
Fancy dinners, dance parties, casino games, and the bubbling waters of a hot tub are routine happenings on cruise ships, and they were on this one, too, but it’s the people around you who make the real difference, and the crew of Zuiderdam did just that.
As someone who has sailed on a few dozen cruises during the last three decades, I can say that the Zuiderdam crew is top notch. They’re helpful and kind, and always have a smile for guests.
A media group tour below decks took me to areas unseen by other passengers, and was an educational highlight of the week. We walked through an enormous laundry department and the kitchen galleys, among other areas, while a senior officer explained the various processes that keep the ship operating.
Taking in the volume of tasks crew members must accomplish every day was a real eye-opener. Others I spoke to also were impressed by the attentive and courteous service provided by Zuiderdam’s excellent crew.
Exploring Old Town Quebec City
Old Town Quebec City, home to the famous Chateau Frontenac hotel, is a highlight of the Eastern Canada itinerary (Photo Credit: Donna Tunney)
Travelers to Quebec City, especially its Old Town, experience an Old World atmosphere, with cobblestone streets, narrow, winding alleys with outdoor cafes, centuries-old churches, and one of the most famous hotels in the world, the Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac.
I boarded Zuiderdam at the French Canada port and the ship overnighted there before setting off on her itinerary the next day. The overnight enabled guests to experience Old Town in the evening, when pedestrian-only zones are roped off so that restaurants can put tables onto the streets.
Musicians perform on street corners, creating a festive, European ambience at this embarkation port, which was a major highlight of the voyage for every guest I chatted with.
The Chateau Frontenac, the landmark hotel of Old Town, was built in 1893 by the Canadian Pacific Railway and looks like a giant French chateau sitting on a hill overlooking the Saint Lawrence River.
Lots of cruisers from Zuiderdam and from other ships docked on the day we visited ducked inside for a quick peek around and saw how the wealthy vacationed during the Gilded Age, and still do today.
Looking for Ghosts in Nova Scotia
Sydney, a port call on my Zuiderdam cruise, is a small, walkable destination founded in 1785 and home to some 30,000 people. It’s a quiet town on quaint Cape Breton Island and has a historic district that features homes and buildings dating back to its settlement.
The cruise line and local vendors offer “Haunted Sydney” tours, which focus on places like the Cossit House, now a museum with costumed guides but said to be a building where ghostly voices from the past are often heard.
The Black Brook Cemetery is said to be haunted by a witch buried nearby, and other locations have spooky reputations, too. The historic district had a distinctly eerie feel to it, I must admit, as I wandered around the neighborhood.
The district has one great thing going for it — views of the port and its pretty waterfront park, where a bagpiper performed throughout the day as cruisers explored the town.
Final Thoughts and Impressions
Overall, I liked Zuiderdam and its Canada/New England itinerary, and would recommend both to friends of a certain, older age. Younger folks, and certainly families with children, I believe, would experience a fair amount of boredom on this ship and in the port calls, with the exception of Quebec City.
Read Also: Cruise Myths Debunked: What You Truly Should Know
But for Boomers and older folks seeking a traditional cruise experience, Zuiderdam, and Holland America Line on the whole, are a good bet.
I would make one suggestion: Nix the self-serve utensils in the Lido buffet and switch to a policy where all food items are served by gloved crew members from behind the food stations.
It might require more staff, but it reduces the chances of illness spreading through the ship. In my opinion, cruise ships no longer should have any self-serve food stations.
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Publish date : 2024-10-14 04:04:00
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