It might be called a Southern Caribbean cruise but you get
the bonus of the Panama Canal. It might be from $45.25 per person per night but
it’s nearly half price. You have to act fast to take advantage of this amazing
cruise, but it’ll be more than worth it.
The Cruise
Holland America Line is under the same corporate umbrella as
Carnival Cruises and Costa Cruises but it is certainly a step above when it
comes to quality and luxury. That’s why an 11 night Southern Caribbean cruise
onboard the ms Zuiderdam from just $497.77 per person is such an amazing deal.
Eleven nights of luxury cruising, topped off by six exotic ports of call and a
transit of half the Panama Canal – truly the cruise of a lifetime.
However, this ship leaves Ft. Lauderdale’s Port Everglades
on Monday, December 9, 2013 at 4pm. So, hopefully you can ditch work on short
notice and grab a Westjet flight down to FLL.
The first port call is on Tuesday, December 10 at Half Moon
Cay in the Bahamas. Half Moon Cay is otherwise known as Little San Salvador
Island and is owned by Carnival group, functioning as the company’s ‘private
island’.
After a day at sea, Zuiderdam then moves way down south,
stopping first at Oranjestad, Aruba. She then makes her way west, stopping at
Willemstad, Curacao on Friday the thirteenth and Cartegena, Colombia on Sunday,
December 15.
On Monday, December 16, it’s time for the piece de
resistance. Zuiderdam travels up the Panama Canal until the halfway point at
Gatun Lake. She then spins around and heads back down, stopping at Colon,
Panama for a visit before getting back out on the Caribbean.
Finally, Zuiderdam makes one more stop but equally exciting
as the previous. A full nine and half hours at Puerto Limon, Costa Rica should
be enough to enjoy this tropical rainforest environment. After two full days at
sea, the ship reaches Ft. Lauderdale at 7am on Friday, December 20, 2013.
The Pricing
Holland America currently has flash special pricing on this
cruise. This is similar to Carnival’s Super Saver rates, in that the stateroom
is non-refundable, must be paid in full at time of booking and rooms are not
assigned until the time of check-in at the ship.
For $497.77 per person, an interior stateroom can be had,
based on double occupancy. This equates to $45.25 per night per person. Of course,
with the slightest mention of the Panama Canal, government taxes and fees
triple in price. Added to the per person rate is another $329.49 for The Man.
For a couple taking advantage of this sale, the interior stateroom can be had
for $1,654.52 with all taxes included. This is still cheaper than two weeks at
a three star All-Inclusive in Cuba.
The Ship
One of four Vista Class ships in the Holland America Line
fleet, ms Zuiderdam made her maiden voyage on December 14, 2002. She is the
oldest of the four nearly identical ships that were built between 2002 and
2006. All were built by Fincantieri on the northern Adriatic coast of Italy,
the same company that builds most ships for Carnival, Princess and Costa, among
others. The other three ships are the ms Oosterdam (2003), ms Westerdam (2004)
and ms Noordam (2006). Each name represents the four main compass points (east,
west, north and south) in Dutch.
Zuiderdam is a medium to large ship with a gross tonnage of
82,305. She is 936 feet or 285 metres in length and has 15 decks, eleven
accessible to passengers. Guest capacity on the ms Zuiderdam is 1,916 with 817
crew members on board to make the cruise run smooth.
The Small Print
·Because of the nature of last minute deals, the pricing printed here is fleeting and could change at any time.
·Prices are in Canadian dollars.
·Most meals are included in a typical cruise price but DRINKS ARE NOT!
·Also not included are gratuities.
·Cruise pricing does not include air fare, ground transfers and hotel accommodations before and after the cruise.
