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Holland America Line

MS Zuiderdam

Your Rating:
Reviewed by: Lauren Kaitz
# previous cruises: 5
Date of Trip: December 28, 2002
Itinerary: Caribbean - Eastern

This ship is wonderful. The shows are amazing. I've never seen shows as good as the ones on this ship. The comedians are hilarious and the singers and dancers are extremely talented. However, there isn't much for teenagers under 18 to do. The food was delicious and the service was great.

I disliked the Vista Lounge. Columns throughout the room made it extremely difficult to see the stage in certain areas. The promenade is great. Glass windows at certain areas of the deck allow you to see around the ship without having to worry about leaning over a railing. The gym was wonderful. Since I'm only a teenager, I didn't get to go to the casino. The Oak Room and Crow's Nest are very comfortable.

The food was delicious. There was only one dining room, but it was wonderful. There were a couple of restaurants, but I preferred the dining room. There was a cafeteria by the pool on the Lido Deck. That was also great. On one of the nights, they had a buffet by the pool. The service was wonderful. The crew is extremely friendly and this made eating a pleasant experience.

The cabins were also great. I shared a 4-person room with two other people. We had a lot of closet space and plenty to spare. The shower was large, but not large enough for a person to sit down in. The bathroom was spacious. We also had a desk in our room with a very large mirror that contained lots of cabinets. A small couch made a nice talking area. The cabins were pretty quiet.

The shows are amazing. I went to the shows every night. The last night that the dancers performed, it was so good that I even went twice. I managed to meet a couple of the dancers. They are extremely sweet and talented. I'd say the entertainment was the best I have ever seen on a cruise ship.

We stopped at Key West in Florida, Cozumel in Mexico, Santo Tomas in Guatemala, and Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas. I didn't really enjoy Guatemala. We stayed there for 12 hours and there wasn't much to do. However, I have been told that the cruise no longer is stopping at Guatemala. There was a pool on board. It was great. There was a retractable dome that they could cover the pool with if it started raining.

The passengers were very friendly. I only met a few who were rude. I made a lot of friends that I am still in contact with.