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Designed to carry fewer guests while offering greater space, Zaandam is elegant and comfortable. Her décor is inspired by music and features musical instruments including signed guitars from Queen, Iggy Pop, Eric Clapton and the Rolling Stones and a Baroque-style pipe organ. While on-board, enjoy regional cooking demonstrations and food and wine tastings with Port to Table. Rejuvenate at the Greenhouse Spa & Salon. Indulge at any of our fine dining venues.
The excursions were all excellent, going to the Amazon was phenomenal, I did 3 jungle cruises. The food was excellent, no complaints there. Staff and crew were great. Entertainment was so so. I love dancing and The Band did not play consistent dancing music. Some nights you might sit for an entire set without dancing. One night it was so bad there was only one person sitting in the dancing portion of the Oceans bar at 9 05. I had many comments to staff about it as well as other passengers. To no avail. The Brazilian dancers were good. Comedian so so. Singers in the World Stage were ok. Fellow cruise passengers, excellent. Being on the ship so long you developed many friendships. I would highly recommend this cruise if one wants to see the Amazon. I wish one aspect about Holland is I wished that they would require posting final prices for services. You may be thinking your massage is a certain price or a acupuncture a certain price, then they add in tips and any additional things and before you know you have paid 40 60 dollars more than anticipated.
First time on Holland America, always heard there is an older crowd and not much to do. Although the older crowd part is true it wasn't a problem for me and there was just enough to do. The small ship (around 1400 passengers) was really nice. No waiting for anything and most everything is on just two decks, eliminating having to walk all over the ship looking for were everyone is. The lounge entertainment was pretty good and the production shows were first class, again with a small audience and no seating problems. The stateroom was bigger than others I have been in (Oceanview big window) and the shower enclosure looked new with a glass door. Stateroom service was old school with twice a day cleaning including turndown. The room attendant had an assistant and only 14 cabins. The food was good and again no waiting for anything including dining room access at anytime. This is an older ship ( in great shape) with just enough to keep you busy and not bored. I wouldn't recommend it for teens as it lacks amenities for young adults. Embarkation was a breeze and debarkation went very smoothly getting off the ship in about 10 min. If the itinerary fits I will book this ship again.
From cabin steward, to dining room service, to the art program; this trip was first rate. I ate in main dining every single night and never once had a bad meal. Mostly older clientele, but that was fine with me, as I was going for the destinations and did not care to party. Lectures about the area of the world we went to see were interesting and I learned a lot, in addition to just the leisure of cruising. The usual shows for entertainment are not necessarily my taste, but I have to say that 'The Showmen" were truly a first class act. Their choices of songs were perfectly matched to their voice ranges and they kept it very entertaining. Oi Brazil was giving us a taste of carnival, very beautiful with their costumes and music. Only once was there quite a back-up on getting tenders to take us ashore, all other times it went fluidly.
Knowing what we know now, would we book the 27-DAY AMAZON EXPLORER cruise again? Absolutely. It provided a good mix of ports and sea days. But before committing to the expense, it would have been nice to find online or to receive more information about the Amazon segment so we could manage our expectations. We couldn't get much detail from Holland's reps, nor could we find recent informative reviews. A simple thing we couldn't get an answer to from Holland: Would there be experts aboard to teach us about the Amazon and Brazil? The answers were vague. The answer turned out to be yes. We were well-satisfied with the informative talks, except for wishing afterward there had been a nature-type program devoted to plants and animals we probably would not see up close, and did not. Forget impressions of rainforests and jungles shaped by movies and documentaries. You will be traveling THROUGH a vast rainforest, but most of the time will see land from a considerable distance. The water was brown. The trees on the shore will look small. (See photo.) However, you won't be IN the rainforest—out there with the howler monkeys and colorful, exotic birds—unless you sign up for one of a few excursions, some of them labeled "Strenuous." ("Strenuous?" Bear in mind that the activity will occur within a few degrees of the equator and that most stairs and paths meet no standards you're used to.) On a small-boat excursion out of Manaus, we saw a monkey and a couple interesting birds high up in trees, too far away to identify. We also saw huge lily pads that were supposed to be the highlight of an earlier tour but could not be accessed. Santarem, with its high-rise buildings, and Manaus, with its extensive commercial-industrial waterfront, did not seem to us the types of towns we would just go into and wander around, so we were glad to have scheduled excursions. Two towns where the ship stops, Santarem and Alter do Chao, are close enough that Holland offered two bus excursions combining both. We took the one that started in Santarem with a fast tour of a fish and fruit market, where it was impossible to hear the guide unless you were standing next to him. The aging, un-air-conditioned bus then took us through a depressing area of Santarem along a two-lane road with speed bumps to a greener area lined with concrete-walled, tightly-secured homes and businesses. Alter do Chao would be a good place to take a short canoe ride out to a spit of land with a lovely beach, for those with an interest in swimming. The highlight for me was a stop along the road with a short, looped path into the forest. (The sign said "Syringe Trail," but a traveler who speaks Portuguese told me Syringe is an unfortunate misspelling of I-forget-what-word.) We saw the V-shape pattern on rubber trees where they had been tapped, a giant termite nest high in a tree, and a multi-step demonstration of how the toxic tubers of the cassava plant get turned into a nutritious staple of the local diet. Our favorite excursion in the Amazon was the triciclo tour of Parantins, whose downtown was the cleanest port we visited in Brazil (with the least razorwire) and second-cleanest port of the entire trip. (The cleanest place we got off the ship was Road Town, which has a waterfront park-meets-shopping and dining mall where cruise ships dock.) The ship's most interesting stop was off-shore of Devil's Island, site of a French penal colony from 1852 to 1952. There had been a so-so on-board talk about the island. We were among the many who tendered over to tour the island. The island offers great views of crashing waves, towering trees, lots of uneven stairs and rocky paths, birdsongs, scant signage, no way-finding, and no services, except for the vehicle that materialized to transport a passenger who had fallen and hit her head. Bravo to HAL for having set up a first-aid station. Observations about the ship. Condition: Before we boarded, Zaandam had undergone an intensive, two-week, 30-million-dollar refurbishment in drydock. The ship looked great. Any day of the cruise, I would see staff members cleaning high, low, all over. Passengers: We met LOTS of people who have done eight, ten, or more cruises. It was fun to learn from them. I would have loved to know if the median age of guests was below or above 70 years old. Numerous passengers using walking sticks or other assistive devices got extra assistance from crew members when needed. Numerous passengers took a minimalist approach to "Dressy" nights in the dining room, especially early diners like us, and no one appeared to be judgmental. Seats in the World Stage filled up early for the 7 p.m. show; the 9 p.m. show often had a sparse crowd. Yellow fever shots: $400 apiece, and no one asked to see the certification. Great sunsets? Surprisingly, very few. In the Amazon, where it was the rainy season in February, the sun usually sank into a bank of rain clouds. Laundry package: This add-on allowed us to pack fewer items. Price of the package is perhaps calculated by multiplying a per-day cost figure. We didn't know at time of purchase that we'd be asked to conserve water during the days on the Amazon because the ship can't make water then. Take this into account when calculating the value to you of the package.
The excursions were all excellent, going to the Amazon was phenomenal, I did 3 jungle cruises. The food was excellent, no complaints there. Staff and crew were great. Entertainment was so so. I love dancing and The Band did not play consistent dancing music. Some nights you might sit for an entire set without dancing. One night it was so bad there was only one person sitting in the dancing portion of the Oceans bar at 9 05. I had many comments to staff about it as well as other passengers. To no avail. The Brazilian dancers were good. Comedian so so. Singers in the World Stage were ok. Fellow cruise passengers, excellent. Being on the ship so long you developed many friendships. I would highly recommend this cruise if one wants to see the Amazon. I wish one aspect about Holland is I wished that they would require posting final prices for services. You may be thinking your massage is a certain price or a acupuncture a certain price, then they add in tips and any additional things and before you know you have paid 40 60 dollars more than anticipated.
First time on Holland America, always heard there is an older crowd and not much to do. Although the older crowd part is true it wasn't a problem for me and there was just enough to do. The small ship (around 1400 passengers) was really nice. No waiting for anything and most everything is on just two decks, eliminating having to walk all over the ship looking for were everyone is. The lounge entertainment was pretty good and the production shows were first class, again with a small audience and no seating problems. The stateroom was bigger than others I have been in (Oceanview big window) and the shower enclosure looked new with a glass door. Stateroom service was old school with twice a day cleaning including turndown. The room attendant had an assistant and only 14 cabins. The food was good and again no waiting for anything including dining room access at anytime. This is an older ship ( in great shape) with just enough to keep you busy and not bored. I wouldn't recommend it for teens as it lacks amenities for young adults. Embarkation was a breeze and debarkation went very smoothly getting off the ship in about 10 min. If the itinerary fits I will book this ship again.
With refined amenities and Holland America Line signature Mariner’s Dream bed gracing each elegant stateroom, the ship offers five grades of staterooms. Most are ocean-facing, many featuring teak-lined verandas for dining alfresco or private sunbathing.
Holland America Line invites you to dine "As You Wish". To savour Italian cuisine one night and a perfectly grilled porterhouse steak the next. To take your place in the Dining Room at a specific seating time or be spontaneous, following your desires. Onboard, there are restaurants to suit every mood, along with the flexibility to choose the dining style you prefer.
Boasting an expansive range of enrichment facilities and opportunity, Holland America Line's ships are bound to offer something you'll want to know more about. Why not have a go at the Digital Workshop powered by Windows and learn how to enhance your holiday picture or how to easily share them.
Every day aboard a Holland America cruise ship brings a wealth of cruise activities and indulgences, along with the freedom to partake in as many-or as few- as you please. It's an opportunity to try something new that surprises you, every day.
Dabble, discover, daydream- do everything, or do nothing at all.
Whether you want to workout in the Fitness Centre, learn yoga, pamper yourself with a massage and spa treatment, or enjoy a game of basketball, there's a perfect onboard activity for everyone.
Holland America Line's youth activities program, Kids Club, offers an array of entertaining events for kids and teens ages 3-17, supervised by a full-time, professionally trained staff. They'll have an opportunity to join other kids their age for arts and crafts, sports, video game competitions, scavenger hunts, challenging team games and themed parties.
Note: Kids Club is not offered on cruises of 25-days or longer, including all Legendary and Grand Voyages. We will offer a selection of children’s activities throughout these longer voyages for any children who may be onboard.
Safety Comes First
Safety is our primary concern and strict policies are in place for effective supervision. Adult guests are not permitted to remain in Kids Club unless attending to a special-needs child.
Please note: During voyages with a high number of families onboard, we will make all efforts to accommodate interested parties. However, participation in our program cannot be guaranteed. Hours of operation may change to better serve our guests.
