Room service surprise !!

[Travelbug 2]

While on board the Noordam recently we decided to host a pre dinner get to gether in our cabin for our table mates who were just a great group. We bought wine from the wine desk and enough glasses were provided. I seem to remember reading on this forum that hot o/d's could be ordered from room service so I called and asked for enough for 8 people. The first person I spoke to could not understand at all what I was asking for!! The second person informed me that " hot o/d's are not available for room service" so then I asked for a dessert cheese platter for 8, the reply was " only 2 are free, then it will be $10 per person after that" Needless to say we had a very small cheese plate!!

Has anyone any comment, maybe this is the way it is, I don't know, I am newish to cruising but I was a little taken aback at the attitude of the room service staff.

By the way the cruise was fantastic, the food was excellent and the ship was in really good shape, lots of TLC by the crew, they really love that ship.

I would not hesitate to sail on her again but as we all know that will not be possible due to her retiremnt from HAL. Can anyone tell me which other ship in the fleet is closest to Noordam, she is a very classic regal cruise ship.
We hope to do a Baltic cruise in the not to distant future, any suggestions?

Thanks, this is a great forum for information etc.

Happy cruising. (Bert)

[bepsf]

How annoying to be told that something that is free in the lounges before dinner is going to be charged if delivered to your stateroom...


The HAL ship closest in style and itinerary to Noordam is the Prinsendam.

[Krazy Kruizers]

HAL began charging for the extra appetizers that are delivered to the cabins a couple of months ago. The only possible reason I can think of is too many people were hosting parties in their cabins and ordering far too much food. I know last May that a couple a few doors up the hall from us (in a suite) hosted a cocktail party and there was a lot of leftover food. And that food ended up being thrown out.

[Krazy Kruizers]

There are no more ships in HAL's fleet like the Noordam. Her sister ship, Neiuw Amsterdam, was sold several years ago.

Baltic - maybe the Rotterdam will be doing Baltic cruises next year?? Is so, a great ship.

[Vic The Parrot]

You can still sail on the 'old' Noordam, but you have to book thru Thomson Holidays. I hear alot of nice things about that company, and would not hesitate to see how the Noordam looks under her new ownership.

[Aussie Gal]

Travelbug,

We sailed on the lovely Noordam last year and this October we were on the Prinsendam. They are not the same ships in design but they were both built in the 80's so they are similar in some ways. The Prinsendam is more upmarket and has verandahs but the old Noordam has the two tier show lounge which I love and I like the lay out of the ship better.

If you loved the Noordam, why not try the Prinsendam otherwise the Maasdam, Statendam, Ryndam and Volendam were built to a similar design only with lots of verandah cabins and bigger rooms. They are also bigger in tonnage and carry around 1300-1400 passengers whereas the Prinsendam only carries around 750 passengers and is the same tonnage as the Noordam, which means a lot more space per passenger.

Jennie

[ekerr19]

You can still sail on the 'old' Noordam, but you have to book thru Thomson Holidays. I hear alot of nice things about that company, and would not hesitate to see how the Noordam looks under her new ownership.
Vic- look for my review in the next few days... we met a few of the Thomson reps while on board the final voyage. They detailed some of the proposed changes taking place on the Nordam. I plan to share that info in my review. :)

[guardhouse]

A quick note on snacks in the rooms.

When we were on Princess earlier this year, we asked our steward one evening for some snacks for 4 of us in our room prior to heading up for pre-dinner cocktails.

What was brought, for free, was one HUGE tray of cheeses, crackers, nuts and other snacks. It was so large that we couldn't eat it, so we took it to a lounge with us and shared it with friends we didn't know before that moment.

One other note, I make it a habit to tip my room steward extra when we first meet them, just for occassions like this!

[Pudgesmom]

Travelbug-
We experienced the same situation on the Oosterdam last week. I was really unable to order anything we could eat as a group. The shrimp cocktail even came with the sauce already on it.

My theory about this is that if cruisers come to the lounges before dinner, they will purchase cocktails. If they stay in their cabins, no income is derived for the ship, thus the hors d'oerves only available in the lounges.

Beth

[dakrewser]

A quick note on snacks in the rooms.
One other note, I make it a habit to tip my room steward extra when we first meet them, just for occassions like this!
I don't know about Princess, but on any other line I've sailed the cabin steward has absolutely nothing to do with the kitchen, so tipping the cabin steward for something the room service steward does strikes me as very counter productive!

And, of course, I find the act of bribing (what some eupemistically call "pre-tipping") the staff to be crass.

-dave

[Tinknock50]

I don't know about Princess, but on any other line I've sailed the cabin steward has absolutely nothing to do with the kitchen, so tipping the cabin steward for something the room service steward does strikes me as very counter productive!

And, of course, I find the act of bribing (what some eupemistically call "pre-tipping") the staff to be crass.

-dave
I completely agree with the bribing, very crass. And I believe ineffectual. The Steward may just assume thats all the tip he will get from you for the cruise. I doubt he will give you any better treatment than the cabin next door.