HAL Bridges Gap between Large & Small Ships
By Bobbie Green
The taxi pulled up to the Fort Lauderdale pier and I received my first glimpse of the 82,000 ton Holland America’s Line (HAL) cruise ship, Zuiderdam. I became a little apprehensive, being a small ship enthusiast; I felt I would have to “work” at finding the attributes of a ship that held 1900 guests. Oh how wrong I was. Sporting all the amenities a larger ship has to offer, HAL has introduced a perfect way for small ship aficionado to enjoy cruising on a larger ship.
By adding perks for the Deluxe Verandah and Penthouse Suites HAL has bridged the gap between the large and small ship atmosphere. Their main perk is the Neptune Lounge exclusively for use by the Suite guests. It features a personal concierge service. Coffee, Espresso, tea, juices and hors d’oeuvres are always on tap. The lounge is equipped with TV, games and sofa’s, a natural small ships intimate setting for guest to mingle. Kind of like the Cheer’s bar everyone knows your name and you are pleasantly greeted each time you enter. Other perks include complimentary laundry service, bathrobes, premium bedding, exclusive daily breakfast service in the beautiful un-crowded Pinnacle Grill and priority ship and tender boarding. Of course the suites themselves are wonderful. Large rooms, large bathrooms with whirlpool tubs, large verandahs and no one will run out of closet space. 24-hour in room food service and free DVD’s from the Neptune Lounge, one can hibernate as much as they wish.
All guests aboard HAL cruises enjoy a well organized ship with stately and artful public rooms. Hal is known for their ships being adorned with fresh flower bouquets everywhere. The Zuiderdam has an excellent internet café conveniently located in the scenic crow’s nest area along with the library and coffee bar. The Culinary Classes are a guest favorite. Fun and informative they are conducted by the on board chef and the staff party planner. The new on-board digital workshops by Microsoft appear to be a hit also.
One of the amenities of the larger ships is the nightlife. Nightly entertainment features dancers, comedians, and specialty acts. Although HAL ships are not known as party ships lively entertainment can be found late night in the Northern lights lounge. The casino is always busy and guest game shows are hosted by the ships lively staff.
HAL has introduced a new staff position on their ships, a travel guide. This person is knowledgeable in the area of your sailing. They are not part of the shore excursion desk designed to book the excursions. The travel guide will tell guest all about the area and has been on the excursions offered and tells you what to expect from the tour, thus helping you to decide which one is best for you or if none are for you. I think this is a great addition for HAL. Having been a travel consultant, I firmly believe unhappy tourist were people who were not informed on what to expect before choosing their trip. Our travel guide Dr. Richard Detrich presented all his lectures in a very humorous manner. He is an American presently living in Panama. He owns a small coffee plantation run by his wife, who promises it will break even soon, meanwhile he travels and lectures on board the HAL ships. He says he has the best job in the world.
Our Cruise director Shane Michaels is a young man of 29 years hailing from the Midwest. He spent one summer while in college aboard a ship and knew that was the life for him. He pursued that goal from then on. He said HE has the best job and wants to continue to do it. He has great fun mixing with the guests.
The specialty restaurant the Pinnacle Grill has a $20.00 reservation fee. It features Sterling Silver Beef from Colorado. The steaks are superb, outstanding by any comparison and prepared just right. One visit is not enough.
The Lido Buffet was the only place on the ship I felt crowded. Of course everyone likes to eat lunch there or poolside. We did find if we ate late we could avoid most of the crowd. Of course the waiters in the Lido were very
friendly and labeled with memorable names like Okie Dokie and Hunky Dory. Their claim to fame is how they can learn and remember the guest names. The original Hunky Dory works on the Zuiderdam.. He will learn at least 1000 names each sailing and remember you if you return 3 years later. He will know your name and ask about the person you last traveled with. Other Lido servers try to compete with him. However he was blessed with a photographic memory that allows him to outdo the others who were not.
While talking of restaurants I will mention my pet peeve is any restaurant on ship or shore that clangs and rattles dishes in the dinning room where the guest are eating. Nowhere on the Zuiderdam did I encounter noisy handling of the dishes, which is a big plus in my book.
We actually had a wonderful time on this LARGE ship, upgrading to a deluxe verandah suite or penthouse on an HAL cruise is definitely the way to cruise on a larger ship and get value for money paid. At the end of our ten-day cruise to Panama and Gatun Locks we could have continued on for another 10 days and that is very unusual for us.
HAL has opened the door to new itineraries for me to enjoy with their exclusive suite service perhaps for you too.
