Cruise Critic Review - Noordam - 02.07.07-02.17.07

[innlady1]

Here's a link to my Noordam review. Longer than I wanted, but I had a lot to say! :eek:

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=25904

Sheila
"innlady1"

[waiting2retire]

Fabulous report Sheila, thanks so much! I will be doing the 11 day itinerary in November, and I am particularly interested in reviews of activities in ports, so this was great! Glad you had a wonderful time; it really shows :)

Bonnie

[lynn8811]

Thank you so much for your review. I'm on the March 10th sailing and getting very excited!!

Lynn in New Jersey


Doric
Norway
Brilliance of the Seas (Meditteranean)
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Zenith (Bermuda)

[Capital Cruiser]

Innlady, Thank you for your review. I was particularly interested in your comments on the San Juan City Tour since I have also booked that tour for my March 18 Veendam cruise. I selected that tour because I will be travelling with my 85-year-old mother who, while not mobility impaired, does not do well walking long distances. I thought from the tour description that it would be mostly a bus tour which would give us a flavour of San Juan without too much walking. I see by your comments that I am wrong (and was not the only one misled by the description). Do you think the tour would be suitable for an 85-year-old? Any other suggestions for something sedentary to do in San Juan?

[Sea King]

wonderful review IMO:)

Noordam sounds like a truly magnificent ship; I can't remember any post recently that didn't praise the crew and describe the ship as anything less than magnificent

your review was direct and very objective

congratulations

look forward to seeing another review from you in hopefully the near future

[mamaofami]

Sheila, that was a great review. it sounds like you had a wonderful cruise. glad I was there.:D

[innlady1]

Innlady, Thank you for your review. I was particularly interested in your comments on the San Juan City Tour since I have also booked that tour for my March 18 Veendam cruise. I selected that tour because I will be travelling with my 85-year-old mother who, while not mobility impaired, does not do well walking long distances. I thought from the tour description that it would be mostly a bus tour which would give us a flavour of San Juan without too much walking. I see by your comments that I am wrong (and was not the only one misled by the description). Do you think the tour would be suitable for an 85-year-old? Any other suggestions for something sedentary to do in San Juan?

Check with the Shore Excursions people online or on the Veendam when you arrive on the ship. In talking with other pax, the tour that we took was not the tour HAL booked. The tour company switched it on them....at least that's what others on the tour said they learned. There was a woman who was very upset as she had her 85 year old mother with her, and the bus left us off at the bottom of the hill to the Fort. The daughter told me the sign said "No Wheelchairs Allowed" and there was no way the woman could have walked up the steep incline. The tour we had was basically a bust.

[innlady1]

Sheila, that was a great review. it sounds like you had a wonderful cruise. glad I was there.:D


LOL, Carol! :D

I'm glad you were there, too!

Initially I gave everything a 5+ rating, but thought that was unrealistic. I figured people would think I hadn't thought it out. In my mind, the things that are important (to us anyway) well deserved a 5+.

Sheila

[Love Cruises]

Sheila ... thanks so much for your review of your msNOORDAM cruise. It was very informative and greatly appreciated. We will be boarding her on March 10th - we can't wait.

[debsjc]

Thanks very much for your well written and informative review. We will be on the Noordam in 2 weeks time, so it was really useful. :)

[sab490]

Sheila -

Thank you for the review....very nicely done! I am sure there are those who would say that the CC Noordam reviews (mine included) are candy coated and that the ship really can't be that good. That's what I thought after reading reviews leading up to our cruise last December. I find it amazing that this ship really is that good and it is consistant....cruise after cruise. Can't wait to board again 12/1!

[innlady1]

Sheila -
Thank you for the review....very nicely done! I am sure there are those who would say that the CC Noordam reviews (mine included) are candy coated and that the ship really can't be that good. That's what I thought after reading reviews leading up to our cruise last December. I find it amazing that this ship really is that good and it is consistant....cruise after cruise. Can't wait to board again 12/1!



sab490,

The Noordam is that good!

I didn't "candy coat" anything...it is that good! I'm in the hospitality industry (as my name suggests). We own a bed and breakfast inn on Nantucket Island. We're held to high standards because of our destination. And I was truly very, very impressed with everything on the Noordam: Service, dining, entertainment, decor, beauty of the ship....everything! :D We would sail again on the Noordam in a heartbeat!

Sheila
"innlady"

[foto]

http://www.cruisecritic.com/countdown/countdown.pl?name=&date=11-21-2007&image=Beach-2&text=&ship=Noordam


I was on the Noordam the day you returned from your cruise. I was with my Cruise Consultant taking a tour of the ship! I was so jealous looking at all the happy (cold) faces returning to Icy cold New York from there trip. I could have very well seen you happy face as well ( we got to the port at 10:00am) we toured the ship and fell in love. We booked for Thanksgiving week next November. It will be the Eastern Caribbean for 10 days. reading your review has helped so much in planning our days and nights. I will be traveling with my husband and my parents. my parents are approaching 70 years old so I was trying to plan out the best way for them to see stuff and not make a project out of it. It is also there 1st cruise ever (our 4th) so I am trying to make this easy for them.
I had just spent an hour looking up reviews on PR and was toying with doing the tour with the cruise line - well you have changed my mind on that! I was thinking Old SJ was walking distance, just was not too sure on that.
Now I believe a cab ride if Nec. will do just fine.
I wish HAL would stay a few more hours in PR. but we all have to deal with what it is.

I was so happy to read a review that did reflect the people that we saw leave the ship that day --Happy and satisfied! thanks for the input!

[innlady1]

http://www.cruisecritic.com/countdown/countdown.pl?name=&date=11-21-2007&image=Beach-2&text=&ship=Noordam


I was on the Noordam the day you returned from your cruise. I was with my Cruise Consultant taking a tour of the ship! I was so jealous looking at all the happy (cold) faces returning to Icy cold New York from there trip. I could have very well seen you happy face as well ( we got to the port at 10:00am) we toured the ship and fell in love. We booked for Thanksgiving week next November. It will be the Eastern Caribbean for 10 days. reading your review has helped so much in planning our days and nights. I will be traveling with my husband and my parents. my parents are approaching 70 years old so I was trying to plan out the best way for them to see stuff and not make a project out of it. It is also there 1st cruise ever (our 4th) so I am trying to make this easy for them.
I had just spent an hour looking up reviews on PR and was toying with doing the tour with the cruise line - well you have changed my mind on that! I was thinking Old SJ was walking distance, just was not too sure on that.

Now I believe a cab ride if Nec. will do just fine.
I wish HAL would stay a few more hours in PR. but we all have to deal with what it is.

I was so happy to read a review that did reflect the people that we saw leave the ship that day --Happy and satisfied! thanks for the input!

foto,

Glad my review was helpful. Yes, I think we were a happy bunch!

IMO, there's no need to take the ship Shore Excursions. I don't think I'm the only one who felt that way on our cruise as none seemed to be "sold out." I think people have learned they can do the ports on their own for much less, cost-wise. We did two: Grand Turk and San Juan, our first and last port days. And they were not worth the $$$. Much better to go it on your own.

For example, in the other ports, Tortola, St. Maarten & St. Thomas, we did taxi tours for $16, $25, and $25 (I believe that was the amount). Dollar for dollar, the HAL excursions were much more....for, what I believe, to be the same thing. The only time it seems worth it to do a HAL Shore Excursion is if you're going to another island from the port at which you have docked. i.e., St. Thomas to St. John. Or, St. Maarten to St. Barth's. Then, yes, I would do a shore excursion.

Old San Juan seems a very easy walk from the dock! Not to worry!

Hope this helps!

[Birdiegk1]

Sheila, thanks for a wonderful review, sounds like you really enjoyed your experience sailing with HAL, we have only sailed once with them, that was 11 years ago on the old Westerdam (our first cruise) which was very enjoyable!
We shall be sailing on the Noordam next week 28th and hope to have as much fun as you guys did :D I have just one question, you mentioned that you had room service for breakfast most days, did you tip every time? I'm not sure what the protocol is?

Thanks again,
Gillian

[Birdiegk1]

Sheila, thanks for a wonderful review, sounds like you really enjoyed your experience sailing with HAL, we have only sailed once with them, that was 11 years ago on the old Westerdam (our first cruise) which was very enjoyable!
We shall be sailing on the Noordam next week 28th and hope to have as much fun as you guys did :D I have just one question, you mentioned that you had room service for breakfast most days, did you tip every time? I'm not sure what the protocol is?

Thanks again,
Gillian

[Funny Daddy]

Here's a link to my Noordam review. Longer than I wanted, but I had a lot to say! :eek:

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=25904

Sheila
"innlady1"

Welcome to the HAL, we have done 16 cruises (250days) on these ships so far, leaving Rio on April 5th for Europe, AND WE LOVE IT, hope you will return!!:cool: Rgds, PD Napa Valley, Ca.

[innlady1]

Sheila, thanks for a wonderful review, sounds like you really enjoyed your experience sailing with HAL, we have only sailed once with them, that was 11 years ago on the old Westerdam (our first cruise) which was very enjoyable!
We shall be sailing on the Noordam next week 28th and hope to have as much fun as you guys did :D I have just one question, you mentioned that you had room service for breakfast most days, did you tip every time? I'm not sure what the protocol is?

Thanks again,
Gillian

Yes, Gillian. We brought a lot of $1 bills with us for that purpose!
Sheila

[iliv2cruz]

Thank you Sheila for your very informative review. I am not surprised when I see 5+ ratings, most of the cruises I have been on have left me with 5+ ratings too. This will be our first HAL cruise and I'm confident we won't be disappointed. Can hardly wait for this heavenly sail! Thank you again!