I’ve had crème brûlée more times than I can count. My favorite dessert, I have ordered it from numerous menus over many decades.

But the crème brûlée I had on my Holland America Zuiderdam cruise was the best I’ve ever enjoyed.

Might be a small thing to mention about a cruise ship or the starting point for a cruise review but, to me, it shows the attention to detail that Holland American Zuiderdam maintains to please passengers.

Served in the Zuiderdam’s lovely dining room, the crème brûlée was sweetened just right with a crispy caramelized sugar topping. An extra piece of that topping was placed on one end of the dish covered with dabs of whipped cream and fruit slices. I’ve never seen it served that way. And I ate it all.

                                         Zuiderdam Offers Plentiful Sea Views

As for the ship review, the Zuiderdam was launched in 2002. Zuiderdam is considered a mid-size ship with a maximum of 1,916 guests and a crew of 798. First in the Vista class of Holland America ships, Zuiderdam reminded me of the old ocean liners with grand interiors and great works of art.

The Zuiderdam reflects all the glamour and romance of the sea, along with modern technology. Luxury abounds, service is great, dining is delicious and you always know that you are on a ship because of the many wonderful views.

After all, that is why most guests are here – for an ocean cruise where the mighty sea is the main star of the show.

I chose a seven-day Canada and New England Circle cruise, starting and ending in Boston. Port stops included Rockland, Maine; Saint John, New Brunswick; Halifax and Sydney, Nova Scotia; a day at sea (Atlantic Ocean); Portland, Maine; and then on to Boston where we headed home.

                                               Stateroom and Daily Newsletter

My stateroom featured classic décor, a colorful painting, mini-fridge, desk, sofa, coffee table, comfy bed, bedside tables, large screen TV and bigger-than-expected bathroom with both a shower and a tub.

The stateroom had plenty of storage space and plug-in spots. But what I loved most was the private verandah. If I never did anything but sat on that verandah and watched the ocean on my cruise for entertainment, I would have been happy.

That is one of the grand things about Holland America Line. Each day brings a long list of possible activities on the six-page Daily newsletter delivered to my cabin. Passengers could keep busy from before sunup to long after sundown. Or they could choose to do nothing. I did a little bit of both.

On this particular day, I counted 83 choices on the daily schedule of what cruisers could do. And that didn’t include all the shore excursions and programs. Shuffleboard, ping pong, pickleball, watercoloring, cornhole, flower arranging, trivia games, ballroom dancing, bridge, mahjong, origami class, golf putting and so much more were offered.

The ship also has pools, hot tubs, fitness center, casino, shops, beauty salon, library, cafes and bars, movies on the World Stage, church services and more.

                                              Dining on Zuiderdam

Boasting five dining venues, the Zuiderdam offers choices that should please every taste. The Lido Market buffet on Deck 9 features casual dining from early morning to late night. To keep waste down and prevent the spread of illness, servers dished up most of the items for passengers. I appreciated that.

Also on Deck 9 was the Dive-In with burgers, hot dogs, fries and other fast food. Menus in dining spots noted whether a dish was vegetarian, non-dairy, gluten-free or no-sugar added.

The two-deck main Dining Room had lengthy menus with choices such as escargot, French onion soup and shrimp cocktail for starters; seared haddock, vegan curried vegetable cutlet, chicken Kiev, New York strip steak and pork medallions for entrée; and lemon torte, artisan cheese selections, mango blueberry crisp, sticky toffee pudding or ice cream for dessert.

Zuiderdam has two extra-charge restaurants – Canaletto ($25) and Pinnacle Grill ($52). Canaletto pasta is made from scratch every day and is a popular choice on the menu. Entrees include spaghetti with shrimp and clams or lobster tails, ossobuco, chianti-braised beef short rib, seared Mediterranean sea bass and herb-c rusted chicken breast.

In Pinnacle Grill, appetizer offerings include Clothesline Candied Bacon by David Burke, lobster bisque and crab cakes. Specialty entrees list beef tenderloin with lobster dumplings, grilled lamb chops, Alaskan King Salmon, Korobuta pork chop and vegetarian heirloom tomato and eggplant tarte tatin. For dessert, Key Lime Pie, chocolate soufflé, tres leches cake and an assortment of international cheeses.

                                                   Entertainment

The three-deck World Stage with its two-story LED screen was an entertainment delight with a variety of programs. One night, the show was magician Jason Bird. Another evening, it was Breton Thunder. My favorite was the Song & Dance show with very talented performers.

Then there was live music in the Rolling Stone Lounge, Billboard Onboard, Ocean Bar and Explorer’s Lounge.

Entertainers in those venues were quite varied – from young pianist/vocalist Jeff who drew a big audience every evening in Billboard Onboard to Celtic drummer Matt in the Ocean Bar who was fascinating to watch and to hear him explain what he was doing.

                                                    Shore Excursions

Every port day offered diverse choices for shore excursions. One of my favorites was the Halifax Citadel National Historic Site.

Towering over downtown Halifax, the Citadel recalls the city’s military past. Four forts have occupied this hilltop since 1749. The fort that stands today dates back to 1856.

Every hour, the sentry at the main gate is changed in a formal ceremony. Cameras and cellphones are always ready for this. Quite photogenic and the kilted reenactors of the 78^th Highland Regiment are very gracious about posing for photos and sharing what it was like to be a soldier at the Citadel.

Halifax was involved in major wars, such as the American Revolution, the American Civil War, World War I and World War II. An on-site Army Museum does a great job of offering a closer look at the Citadel’s history.

                                                English Afternoon Tea

For Margaret Thompson of Maine, the English Afternoon Tea on Zuiderdam was where she and friends planned to be every day at 3 p.m. Held in the Deck 3 Dining Room, the complementary tea is a relaxing break between lunch and dinner, Margaret said.

The tea was served along with small sandwiches, cakes and other pastries. “It’s just enough to take the edge of my hunger until dinner,” Margaret said.

Legend has it that tea was discovered in 2737 B.C. by Chinese Emperor Shenong. The emperor liked to boil his drinking water and one day while he was relaxing in his garden, a few leaves from a nearby tea bush blew into the emperor’s boiling water.

The water gave off such a rich alluring aroma that the emperor decided to take a taste. Not only did Shenong like what he drank but he also discovered that this new concoction was refreshing and energizing.

Thereupon, the emperor commanded that tea bushes be planted in the gardens of his palace. The custom of drinking tea quickly caught on in China and spread to other cultures. When I went to the Zuiderdam tea, most of the tables were filled with happy tea drinkers.

                                         Cruise Time Passes Quickly

A fun touch on our cruise was the carpet on the floor of the Zuiderdam’s glass elevators, giving a hint of how relaxing a cruise could be. The rug was imprinted with the current day of the week.

“That’s so you’ll always know what day it is,” a fellow passenger behind me joked. “Cruises have a way of making you forget what day it is and even what month.”

How right he was.

Before I knew it, the cruise was ending and we were exiting the Zuiderdam. But I heard many passengers talking about the next cruise they would be taking. Something to look forward to, indeed.

 

Photos by Jackie Sheckler Finch

_____________________________________________________________________________

Editor’s Notes:

Please contact us for assistance booking any cruise vacation or any vacation.

Toll free: 877-283-1114 or +1-609-945-9801
Email us: support@crowncruisevacations.com

Open 7 Days a Week: 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Mon-Fri, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat-Sun

Crown Cruise Vacations 120 Village Boulevard, Princeton, NJ 08540

About Crown Cruise Vacations:

Founded in 2008, Crown Cruise Vacations has been steadfast in its mission to deliver exceptional service and value in vacation travel. We’re based in Princeton, New Jersey, and as a proud member of the Ensemble Travel Group, we combine the resources of a large agency with a warm, family-like atmosphere.

At Crown Cruise Vacations, we leverage our deep industry connections and seasoned travel expertise to bring you and your family the most compelling travel deals and experiences. Our team, rich in knowledge, is dedicated to guiding you through every step of your journey, ensuring that every vacation exceeds your expectations.

.