ms Zaandam deck 9 plan (Sports-Kids-Teens)

Crow’s Nest (220 seats) is a fore-located observation lounge with panoramic windows, its own bar and a large dance floor. The lounge is also used for pre-scheduled events by the Holland America Line's enrichment program, which includes daily dance classes, trivia games, card playing, karaoke, HAL Cats (8-piece party band) performances, live grand piano performances (in the afternoons and evenings). Crow’s Nest becomes a disco (dance club) at night, with live DJ music and dance contests.

During the cruise ship's drydock 2016 refurbishment, the Crow’s Nest bar lounge was renamed "Explorations Central" and its interior was redesigned. The new venue's programming additionally features multimedia series of interactive videos and guides related to the visited destinations part of MS Zaandam's itinerary program. The new Explorations Central (abbrev EXC) provides digital media (videos, ebooks, maps) which passengers can access via Wi-Fi during the current cruise, but also online (before and after the voyage). Explorations Central also has paperback books and paper maps for all the visited destinations and ports of call.

Sliding Dome Cover (retractable glass roof over the Zaandam ship’s Lido Pool area)

The ship has a full-size Tennis Court and Basketball Court, plus a Shuffleboard/deck games area. Since 2023, all HAL ships have pickleball courts (installed on the top deck) operated via an exclusive partnership with PPA-Professional Pickleball Association. HAL also offers complimentary beginner lessons (led by onboard instructors), sells branded pickleball starter kits (at the ship's retail shops) and Play Pickleball tutorial videos are included in the cabin TV programming.

Club HAL (kids lounge area with 2 separate rooms for children 3-7 yo and 8-12 yo, complimentary youth program, supervised activities; open between 9 am-11 pm with some pauses, depending on the Zaandam ship location/at port or at sea; bookings required)

The Loft (teens-only lounge area, complimentary supervised youth program for teenagers 13-17 yo; open between 10 am-12 pm/breaks between 12-2 pm and 6-8 pm; has Video Games Arcade, PlayStations, computers, TVs; karaoke, teen disco, movies, sports competitions, themed parties; with staircase access to The Oasis/teens pool area on Sky deck 10).

Along with the lounges for teens and observation, and all outdoor sports activities, the Sports Deck also provides some of the ship’s best vantage points to make photos and enjoy the port- and sea views along the cruise route.