Holland America Zuiderdam Cruise Review - Caribbean Ports of Call
Cruise Line: Holland America Line
Cruise Ship: M/S Zuiderdam II
Cruise Date: April 30, 2005
Cruise Destination: Caribbean
Guest Contributor: Calgon
Calgon1@yahoo.com
See part 1 of Calgon's cruise review of the Zuiderdam to learn all about this Holland America cruise ship.
The Zuiderdam Embarkation Port
Fort Lauderdale
Although not technically a ?port-of-call?, Fort Lauderdale was our embarkation and debarkation port.
I?m a firm believer in arriving (at least) one day early, just in case something goes wrong (delayed/cancelled flight, lost luggage, etc.). So, we booked a single overnight at the Holiday Inn Express on SE 17 Causeway. We got a non-smoking king room for $124.00. This place isn?t real fancy, but it is clean, neat, safe and affiliated with a major national chain. Besides, they offered free airport and cruise terminal shuttle service. Works for me! We called from the baggage claim area and the shuttle arrived within 15 minutes. Although check-in isn?t until 3:00 pm, they had our room ready and we had our shoes kicked off by noon. They advertised ?continental breakfast?, and I was expecting the usual bagels, OJ and coffee. They actually put out a pretty good spread. 4 cereals, coffee, assorted teas, OJ (of course), milk (1/2 %, 1% and 2%), bagels, English muffins, waffles, white, whole wheat, raisin and rye breads, hard boiled eggs, cinnamon rolls, mini-muffins, and fresh fruit. Of course, I had to try everything.
Very nice. And I do recommend them. For more information, check out: http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/ex/1/en/hd/fllcc You can call them directly at: 954-728-2577, (Fax) 954-728-2591 (E-Mail) hiex@bellsouth.net.
Since we got in so early, we had plenty of time to wander the area. Across the street from the motel was a strip mall. Feeling a few hunger pangs (hey, the airlines don?t feed you anymore), we went in search of some local flavor. There was a really nice place called The Yacht Club, or something like that. I asked if it was a private club. The valet laughed and said, ?No, it?s just another restaurant with a fancied-up name.? So, went in and were told it would be just a minute or two for a table. Great. Gave us a chance to look over the menu ($14-28/entrées) and check out the boats docked alongside. After 20 minutes of looking at other folks extravagances and being generally ignored by the hostess (who, oh my gosh, had, like, a cell phone, you know, growing, totally, out of her head), we walked.
Across the street was a nice little sandwich and coffee bistro. Sorry, but I can?t, for the life of me, remember the name. You can?t miss it though. As I said, it?s next door to the snooty yacht club restaurant, and adjacent to a good sized yacht docking garage. Good prices, good food and free wi-fi connection.
After a light lunch, it was time to explore a little. We walked over the 17th Causeway, to see if we could get a view of any ships and a general idea of whether or not we (I) wanted to walk to the ship the following morning. The way I figured, if it was easy enough, we could walk to the terminal around 8:00 or 9:00 am, sit back, read our books and be the first on board. It?s not as though I was excited or anything. Thankfully, a calmer head prevailed, as SunFlower shot down my plan! Just as well, as we found out the next morning that the Zuiderdam was at the far end of Port Everglades and it would have been about a one mile drag of the luggage!
Saturday was the end of McDonald?s Fleet Week in Fort Lauderdale, and the USAF Thunderbirds treated us to a rehearsal of an air show. They were swooping, diving, looping, and buzzing all over the area, but kept circling over the causeway and the cruise liners. I did have my digital handy and got a few shots. Nothing as spectacular as seeing it in person, but that was the fault of the camera operator.
There was a Walgreens (drugstore) a block from the motel, so picking up the last few things for the Calgon Bag was not a problem. We went back to the motel for a bit of a siesta and took in a movie: ?Master and Commander, Far Side of the World?. Very fitting before a cruise! Around 6:00pm I was beginning to feel hunger pangs and started sniveling about being abused, beaten and starved. SunFlower just shook her head and we headed out to dinner.
Just down the road (about a block), in the north-west corner of the Southport Shopping Center, is a little hole-in-the-wall restaurant named Kelly?s Landing. I found it on the Internet before leaving for the cruise, and they sounded good, so thought we?d give it a try. Not anything fancy, but good, solid, New England seafood; Boston style. You have to go here. The clam chowder is to die for and the onion rings are delicious. We enjoyed it so much that we stopped there after the cruise for a final lunch before heading back north to Michigan. Reservations are suggested for groups of five or more. They don?t have a web site, but you can reach them at: (954) 760-7009.
Page 2 > > Zuiderdam Caribbean Ports of Call > >
Cruise Ship: M/S Zuiderdam II
Cruise Date: April 30, 2005
Cruise Destination: Caribbean
Guest Contributor: Calgon
Calgon1@yahoo.com
See part 1 of Calgon's cruise review of the Zuiderdam to learn all about this Holland America cruise ship.
The Zuiderdam Embarkation Port
Fort Lauderdale
Although not technically a ?port-of-call?, Fort Lauderdale was our embarkation and debarkation port.
I?m a firm believer in arriving (at least) one day early, just in case something goes wrong (delayed/cancelled flight, lost luggage, etc.). So, we booked a single overnight at the Holiday Inn Express on SE 17 Causeway. We got a non-smoking king room for $124.00. This place isn?t real fancy, but it is clean, neat, safe and affiliated with a major national chain. Besides, they offered free airport and cruise terminal shuttle service. Works for me! We called from the baggage claim area and the shuttle arrived within 15 minutes. Although check-in isn?t until 3:00 pm, they had our room ready and we had our shoes kicked off by noon. They advertised ?continental breakfast?, and I was expecting the usual bagels, OJ and coffee. They actually put out a pretty good spread. 4 cereals, coffee, assorted teas, OJ (of course), milk (1/2 %, 1% and 2%), bagels, English muffins, waffles, white, whole wheat, raisin and rye breads, hard boiled eggs, cinnamon rolls, mini-muffins, and fresh fruit. Of course, I had to try everything.
Very nice. And I do recommend them. For more information, check out: http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/ex/1/en/hd/fllcc You can call them directly at: 954-728-2577, (Fax) 954-728-2591 (E-Mail) hiex@bellsouth.net.
Since we got in so early, we had plenty of time to wander the area. Across the street from the motel was a strip mall. Feeling a few hunger pangs (hey, the airlines don?t feed you anymore), we went in search of some local flavor. There was a really nice place called The Yacht Club, or something like that. I asked if it was a private club. The valet laughed and said, ?No, it?s just another restaurant with a fancied-up name.? So, went in and were told it would be just a minute or two for a table. Great. Gave us a chance to look over the menu ($14-28/entrées) and check out the boats docked alongside. After 20 minutes of looking at other folks extravagances and being generally ignored by the hostess (who, oh my gosh, had, like, a cell phone, you know, growing, totally, out of her head), we walked.
Across the street was a nice little sandwich and coffee bistro. Sorry, but I can?t, for the life of me, remember the name. You can?t miss it though. As I said, it?s next door to the snooty yacht club restaurant, and adjacent to a good sized yacht docking garage. Good prices, good food and free wi-fi connection.
After a light lunch, it was time to explore a little. We walked over the 17th Causeway, to see if we could get a view of any ships and a general idea of whether or not we (I) wanted to walk to the ship the following morning. The way I figured, if it was easy enough, we could walk to the terminal around 8:00 or 9:00 am, sit back, read our books and be the first on board. It?s not as though I was excited or anything. Thankfully, a calmer head prevailed, as SunFlower shot down my plan! Just as well, as we found out the next morning that the Zuiderdam was at the far end of Port Everglades and it would have been about a one mile drag of the luggage!
Saturday was the end of McDonald?s Fleet Week in Fort Lauderdale, and the USAF Thunderbirds treated us to a rehearsal of an air show. They were swooping, diving, looping, and buzzing all over the area, but kept circling over the causeway and the cruise liners. I did have my digital handy and got a few shots. Nothing as spectacular as seeing it in person, but that was the fault of the camera operator.
There was a Walgreens (drugstore) a block from the motel, so picking up the last few things for the Calgon Bag was not a problem. We went back to the motel for a bit of a siesta and took in a movie: ?Master and Commander, Far Side of the World?. Very fitting before a cruise! Around 6:00pm I was beginning to feel hunger pangs and started sniveling about being abused, beaten and starved. SunFlower just shook her head and we headed out to dinner.
Just down the road (about a block), in the north-west corner of the Southport Shopping Center, is a little hole-in-the-wall restaurant named Kelly?s Landing. I found it on the Internet before leaving for the cruise, and they sounded good, so thought we?d give it a try. Not anything fancy, but good, solid, New England seafood; Boston style. You have to go here. The clam chowder is to die for and the onion rings are delicious. We enjoyed it so much that we stopped there after the cruise for a final lunch before heading back north to Michigan. Reservations are suggested for groups of five or more. They don?t have a web site, but you can reach them at: (954) 760-7009.
Page 2 > > Zuiderdam Caribbean Ports of Call > >
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