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Login 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.
Although the Zaandam would be considered a relatively small cruise ship by today's standards, it offers a wide variety of bars and lounges throughout the ship. I never had any trouble finding a comfortable place to relax and enjoy the voyage. 【Activities&Entertainment】: There were not a large number of onboard activities, but that was not an issue for my wife and me since our main goal was to enjoy the scenery. However, guests who are looking for a wide range of activities and entertainment options may find the selection somewhat limited. 【Service & Cabin】: The crew members in every department were consistently friendly, smiling, and efficient. Whether it was our room stewards, bar staff, dining room servers, or buffet staff, everyone provided excellent service throughout the cruise. Our stateroom was also serviced twice daily without fail, including regular turndown service. On Zaandam, some Ocean View cabins have been updated with shower-only bathrooms, while others retain their original bathroom layout. Our stateroom had the older-style bathroom with a bathtub. While it was clearly not one of the renovated bathrooms, it was kept impeccably clean throughout the voyage, so it did not detract from our overall experience. Storage space was one of the cabin's strengths. There was an abundance of closet and storage space, and even after unpacking all of our cold-weather clothing, we still had plenty of room left over. 【Dining】: The Main Dining Room delivered the high-quality dining experience I would expect from a premium cruise line. The food, presentation, and overall atmosphere consistently met our expectations throughout the voyage. CANALETTO, the specialty restaurant, exceeded our expectations by a considerable margin and turned out to be one of the culinary highlights of the cruise. On the other hand, while PINNACLE GRILL offered an impressive presentation and upscale ambiance, I felt that the actual food quality was not significantly better than what was already available in the Main Dining Room. That was somewhat disappointing. Fortunately, since we had a dining package, this did not feel like a poor value proposition from a financial standpoint. 【Drinks & Cocktails】: At first glance, the bar menus seemed somewhat limited, as only a relatively small selection of drinks was listed. However, I soon realized that the menus primarily highlighted signature and featured beverages rather than the full range of available options. In practice, most standard spirits and classic cocktails were readily available even if they did not appear on the menu. Popular brands such as Jack Daniel's and Maker's Mark could be ordered without issue, as could classic cocktails like Mimosas and Salty Dogs. I personally ordered Bloody Marys almost every day of the cruise, despite them not being listed on the menu, and the bartenders were always happy to make them. 【One Area for Improvement】: Zaandam generally felt uncrowded throughout the voyage, but the Lido Market buffet during peak breakfast hours was a notable exception. Long lines would often form for freshly prepared items such as made-to-order pancakes, omelets, and Eggs Benedict. These queues frequently blocked access to nearby food stations, making it difficult to move around and collect other items efficiently. Another issue was that a single crew member was often responsible for serving several different food items at the same station. As a result, passengers sometimes had to wait quite a while before reaching the front of the line, even if they only wanted one particular item. I felt the buffet experience could have been improved by allowing guests to serve themselves from a wider selection of items, which would have helped reduce congestion and shorten wait times. 【Final Thoughts】: We chose the Endicott Arm Fjord shore excursion, and it turned out to be one of the highlights of the entire trip. Lasting approximately six hours, the experience was both breathtaking and unforgettable. In addition to the spectacular glaciers, we were fortunate enough to see whales breaching and even wild bears along the shoreline. The scenery was truly awe-inspiring, and the excursion became one of those rare travel experiences that will stay with us for a lifetime. Whether in Alaska or on a different itinerary, if I ever have the opportunity to sail on Zaandam again, I would gladly do so. This cruise left such a positive impression that I would not hesitate to book the ship again.
A true pleasure to be able to enjoy the trip. No falling down drunks, long lines, loud discussions. True peace and quiet. Carnival Lines from Mobile to the Bahamas in Dec. 2025 was a complete joke. Their new "island" that is not an island, was a joke. Yes, nice beach but food, vendors, etc. certainly not worth getting off the boat for. Hollard offered excellent service in all of the dining rooms. I do not eat at the buffet as prefer freshly prepared food, room comfort beyond expectations, and the smoothest sailing I have ever encountered. The entire staff was incredible. Grace, the nail tech, was so personable and a true delight to meet. Meet great people, casino was fun and actually won. The embarkation and disembarkation in San Diego is a true marvel of organization and was totally effortless and comfortable for everyone that was boarding onto the vessel.
SHIP CONDITION- The ship overall is in great shape. There is rust on some exterior areas but that is to be expected on any ocean-going vessel. The public areas of the ship are clean, and the crew was performing maintenance tasks in exterior areas every day. Most public areas appear to have been updated and modernized fairly recently with new furniture, carpeting and fixtures. In particular, the public restrooms have been redesigned with new tile, flooring and fixtures. ATMOSPHERE - The ship atmosphere felt very classic Holland America. We particularly enjoyed the wrap around promenade deck for strolling and relaxing on wooden, padded deck chairs. The median age was probably 60's-70's with only a few passengers with children. (There seemed to be fewer mobility scooters and people with walkers than we have encountered on other HA ships.) The lounges and bars were seldom crowded and unlike other cruise lines we've sailed on we encountered no loud, alcohol impaired, individuals acting out. We dislike modern cruise ships designed with a central atrium area ringed by bars and eating areas that are unpleasantly loud, with the atmosphere of a suburban shopping mall. Zaandam has a more classic design with separated lounges, bars and eating areas that create a more relaxed ambiance. CABIN- Our cabin was a Vista Class cabin located in the aft of the ship one deck below the buffet area just off the elevator bank. There were no issues with noise from the buffet or the elevators. The cabin was spacious and updated. There was a small spa/shower tub that we did not use, expect to shower. There is a shower curtain instead of a glass enclosure, which makes sense for a spa tub/shower combination. Our cabin attendants kept the cabin tidy and clean every day. The only cleanliness issue was the glass on the balcony, which was coated with sea spray and grim. I wiped it down myself so we could have a better view. The maintenance crew was cleaning all balconies on debarkation day, which was obviously not the case at the end of the prior cruise. RESTAURANTS/FOOD/BARS - We had late seating fixed time (7:30 pm) dining, which we prefer over the open seating because the waiters become more familiar with your desires, and after a couple of nights you can just walk directly to your assigned table without waiting. The food in the main dining room was good but not really innovative. It's very old school, classic cuisine. We had a delicious meal in the Pinnacle Grill, including a perfectly cooked, shared lobster tail. The pop-up Morimoto by Sea in the Pinnacle Grill was a disappointment. Some of the appetizers were good but the main dishes we had were just not special enough to warrant the cost. We did have issues with slow service in the bars/lounges. The lounges/bars are understaffed at peak hours with too few servers/bartenders to provide good service. It was obvious they were stressed and overwhelmed. This was particularly the case in the Crow's Nest Lounge during port sail aways and happy hour. ENTERTAINMENT - The individual singers/dancers were talented, but the shows and performances were lacking in innovation and showmanship. Every show and performance throughout the ship was always some type of pop song medley without much of a theme. Even the classic string ensemble played the same overdone classical material and pop songs. (I believe we heard some version of the theme to "Bridgerton" performed in every venue.) POOL/SPAS - We did not use the swimming pool. We did use the hot tubs in the pool area a couple of times. The hot tubs were a disappointment because the water was barely lukewarm. Other passengers we talked to in the hot tubs also mentioned the inadequate temperature. One woman said she was going to mention the issue to the customer service desk, but it stayed the same for the whole voyage. FINAL THOUGHTS - We liked the ship and would definitely sail on her again. We will be sailing on her sister ship Volendam in the Fall and look forward to it. We really enjoyed the more relaxed, classic, smaller ship atmosphere onboard Zaandam.
Embark and Disembark were very well executed by the port employees and the Zaandam team. The most organized we have experienced at the San Diego cruise terminal. Our room stewards, Ayu & Joko were outstanding! Always professional, hard working and smiling. The food in the main dining room and Lido marketplace was really tasty and probably the best we've had on the Zaandam. Fun dancing at the Ocean Bar and the Orange party was a lot of fun as well on the Lido pool deck. Nice entertainment at the World stage, very diverse and talented performers. The seas were a little rough leaving S.D. for the first few days and heard a lot of chatter about sea sickness affecting both crew and guests. We made some really good friends that we will keep in touch with. Overall a really nice cruise and we've already booked Zaandam for the 35-day Hawaii-Tahiti-Tuamotus-Marquesas Legendary cruise in 2026 & 2027.
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.
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.
