Back from 4/11 Noordam... review and pics!

[dividedsky319]

Our first cruise together and we had a great time...

One big hiccup though: Friday night after dinner I wasn't feeling well... the usual food poisoning symptoms... so, we called the infirmary to see if anyone else got sick from dinner that night... well, that was a mistake since they quarantined me for 48 hours :mad:

Certainly not a fun part of the trip... we missed Grand Turk and Tortola, which means we missed our excursion to the Baths... really put a damper on the trip.

But, once I was able to actually leave the room, we had a good time... in St Martin we went to Orient Beach which was beautiful, St Thomas we went on the Champagne Catamaran Cruise which was great, and we just walked around San Juan and shopped and went to El Morro which was really cool...

The ship was beautiful... couldn't really have asked for anything more. The food was amazing, the crew was top notch (our waiter was Cassydi who was amazing), the room was very nice (although after that 48 hours I couldn't wait to get out of there!), and Jason the cruise director and Jazzy were great... we got 48 dam dollars, woohoo! :D Enough to get a sweatshirt.

Overall, like I said, it was a great trip... it's just too bad we missed 2 of the 5 "in port" days becuase that's what we were really looking forward to. Oh well, it won't keep us from cruising again, just from calling the infirmary ;)

Oh, and to those who were on the cruise: Sorry I didn't make it to the meet and greet, my wife didn't want to miss the culinary demonstration and I wanted to take the lesson to play craps... but I did meet some of you around the ship which was nice!

Here's our pics if you're interested! (http://picasaweb.google.com/mveino/Honeymoon)

[jmk22574]

Thanks so much for posting all those cruise pictures! We're going on our (belated) honeymoon cruise this September to Alaska on the Noordam. May I ask which type of cabin (or even specifically which cabin) you were in? It looks like it could be the same category we booked. The room service food looks wonderful! What exactly was that "Jeopardy-type" game? Was it one of the activities anyone could participate in? As a first-time cruiser, I'm curious if there was any one thing that sticks out to you that you were simply unaware of or not prepared for (besides the illness issue of course)? Just trying to rack up the helpful hints - thanks again! :rolleyes:

[RuthC]

"The usual food poisoning symptoms"? You mean the ones that are the same as norovirus symptoms? And you call reporting it a "mistake"?
If it were norovirus you surely wouldn't want to be out where you could spread it to others.

I'm sorry you didn't get two of the ports, but you can go back someday. Reporting the possibility of virus was the honorable thing to do.

[dividedsky319]

If it were norovirus you surely wouldn't want to be out where you could spread it to others.

I'm fine with a "quarantine" ... but after being with me for 24 hours, my wife didn't get sick. I had an appetizer which included raw salmon and caviar for dinner. I think there should be judgment calls.

Some symptoms: "General lethargy, weakness, muscle aches, headache, and low-grade fever may occur."

I had no weakness, muscle aches, headache, and they never even took my temperature... just "oh, you had diarrhea after dinner? and a stomach ache? 48 hour quarantine!"

[middle-aged mom]

Matt:

Thanks for the great pics! Isn't that Noordam a beauty! Sorry you were sick and had to be quarantined for two days, but you did the right thing by going to the infirmary. Welcome home to you and Melissa:)

[dividedsky319]

May I ask which type of cabin (or even specifically which cabin) you were in?

We booked a VF Guarantee, but got upgraded to a VB... it was a great room, the only "bad" part was that it was almost all the way towards the back of the ship so during some of the sea days you could really feel the movement.

The room service food looks wonderful! What exactly was that "Jeopardy-type" game? Was it one of the activities anyone
could participate in?

I forget what they called it, but it was the type of game where you could volunteer to play at the beginning of the game... they had quite a few games like this, including a "newlywed, not so newlywed game" which was really funny (we didn't get picked as one of the couples though)


As a first-time cruiser, I'm curious if there was any one thing that sticks out to you that you were simply unaware of or not prepared for (besides the illness issue of course)?

Hmm, good question... I'll get back to you once we get a chance to settle in and really think about it!

[dividedsky319]

but you did the right thing by going to the infirmary.

I know it was, and I agree that it would be bad to not report something like this... forgive me, I'm just upset that I had to spend two days looking at the Caribbean from my room ;)

[InTheWASide]

Agreed


"The usual food poisoning symptoms"? You mean the ones that are the same as norovirus symptoms? And you call reporting it a "mistake"?
If it were norovirus you surely wouldn't want to be out where you could spread it to others.

I'm sorry you didn't get two of the ports, but you can go back someday. Reporting the possibility of virus was the honorable thing to do.

[middle-aged mom]

I know it was, and I agree that it would be bad to not report something like this... forgive me, I'm just upset that I had to spend two days looking at the Caribbean from my room ;)

I do understand; I would have been disappointed too, and I think you deserve a "good boyscout" award for reporting your illness, whatever it may have been. Norovirus is a real concern in a contained environment like a cruise ship, and it was better to keep you quarantined just in case than to chance that you may have had norovirus and would spread it.

Looks like you had pretty good weather:)

[tomc]

One big hiccup though: Friday night after dinner I wasn't feeling well... the usual food poisoning symptoms... so, we called the infirmary to see if anyone else got sick from dinner that night... well, that was a mistake since they quarantined me for 48 hours. Funny you should say that. So did I.

I am never sick, ever; no matter what is going around. Don't even get colds. Not on Friday night. Sicker than I have been in memory, not necessary to be described here. Lasted about ten minutes of hard-driving, award-winning, world-class barfing. Then it was all over.

If I thought I had the NLV (and I was absolutely certain I did not), I would have gone to the infirmary, but I did not have all the symtoms. It was obvious I had something that disagreed with me (the Caesar salad, twice that day, possibly onions in it which I am violently allergic to) and thought nothing more of it.

[RustaRoo]

Here's our pics if you're interested! (http://picasaweb.google.com/mveino/Honeymoon)
Thank you so much, I enjoyed seeing your pics. I'll be on the Noordam in 4 more sleeps!!

[CruiseBumm]

I'm thirsty now. Glad you had agreat time and we enjoyed the pics. We will be on the Noordam inAugust. OOh. its my 27th aniversery gift to my wife. She has always wanted to see Alaska.

[Seago2]

I know it was, and I agree that it would be bad to not report something like this... forgive me, I'm just upset that I had to spend two days looking at the Caribbean from my room ;)

At least you will always remember this cruise and have a cool story to tell!

[SakeDad]

Thank you so much, I enjoyed seeing your pics. I'll be on the Noordam in 4 more sleeps!!

How can you SLEEP???:eek: You're gonna be on the NOORDAM in 4 days!!:D

[SakeDad]

Great pics!:) Do you have more of the ship interior? Sorry you were quarantined:(

[Krazy Kruizers]

Great pictures -- sorry that you took ill and missed 2 ports.

[Krazy Kruizers]

tomc

We won't eat the caesar salad any more. We have noticed on our last several cruises that they are making it far in advance and the dressing is WARM. I, too, am very alergic to onions.

[2boyzmom]

Great photos. I see you're a Magic Hat fan. So are we :)