Why Do You Love the Noordam

[Willcar]

We love the Noordam for all the same reasons people list here (though rather than Suite 7046 that Brian noted, we love its starboard equivalent, Suite 7045). And we'll add that the Ocean Bar is a great place before (and after) dinner. Its layout is much better than on the Westerdam and Zuiderdam. Our third Noordam cruise is coming up in three weeks and we can't wait. And speaking of Brian, what's this about a ghost on 8??

[EDLOS]

The Lido " cafeteria " was enough to turn me off. The main dining room, if open at all, on my just completed Noordam cruise was open between 12 :00 and 1:00 PM and if you went on a morning shore tour we got back only once before 1:00 PM. Meaning you walked into the Lido with the first wave of people leaving messy tables the crew could not keep up with and to walk all the way around to see what they were serving. Next, you picked your choices served on dessert size plates ( two pieces of pizza were stacked on top of each other ) as one example and then you seached for a clean spot to eat which often took many minutes, then you got back up and stood in line behind ten other people to get a drink. Sorry, I don't go to "All you can eat buffets" at home.

 

Next, Breakfast Room Service.....four days in a row I was awakened anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes ahead of the time I requested, 5th day I sent it back. The steward looked at me like I had two heads when I asked why they were early and had no reply.

 

Early dining was a unpleasent sprint. Sat down, menu shoved under nose and literally asked if I was ready to order, no water, no asking if I wanted a cocktail or glass of wine Had to tell the waiter to "back off" the first night.

 

I went on a privately organized shore tour with 8 people on the last day and asked for a show of hands, if any of them went to "All you can eat buffets at home" Not one hand went up and they were obviously chagrined that is really all that the Lido "cafeteria" is, a cheap way to feed a lot of people.

[johnmik1]

I love Noordam because it will be our first HAL cruise on 1/2.We were aboard last Jan.,for lunch as guests, when the ship was in St Thomas and were very impressed.Because of that we booked her for Jan..

[Windsailer]

On our recent Med cruise our experience with the Lida was excellent. It typically was open from 11:30 to 2 or 2:30 for lunch. We usually arrived around 11:30 if we were not on a tour had no problem getting food and seats very quickly. And the food was very good with lots of variety. But I didn't try the pizza! The one time we ate around 2pm it was a bit busier, but didn't have much trouble finding a table. Unlike the Oosterdam I found staff to be very efficient in cleaning off the tables. On the Oosterdam most of the time we had to clean the tables off ourselves!

[dot73]

EDLOS - the title of this thread is Why Do You Love the Noordam not why you hate it. If it was that bad, start your own thread "Why do I hate the Noordam".

 

BTW, was there any little tiny bit of the Noordam that you did like?

[jtl513]

* Oak Room for Smokers - with sliding glass doors to the open Observation Deck.

Is cigar smoking still allowed there? I think I read just recently on this board that the room is now being used for Digital Workshop classes. It seems a little too small for that IMO.

[RuthC]

I don't remember reading that, but it would be a shame if true. The Oak Room is one of the best features of that ship. It should have remained on the other Vista ships, been incorporated on the Signature ships, and added to the others.

It might help the smoking controversy if there were a dedicated room for smoking inside the ship. You want to smoke? Go there.

John, my memory is that the digital workshop on the Noordam is in the room outside the dining room that had originally been an aft smoking room. Has that changed?

[EDLOS]

EDLOS - the title of this thread is Why Do You Love the Noordam not why you hate it. If it was that bad, start your own thread "Why do I hate the Noordam".

 

BTW, was there any little tiny bit of the Noordam that you did like?

 

Sorry, I could not help reading the gushing praises of The Noordam. Was the ship clean, Yes, Was the cabin satisfactory , Yes, Crew pleasant and helpfull, Yes. But I reiterate that the food, lack of sitdown dining hours, food service, and the Lido layout poorly designed and executed.

If I want go down a buffet line for a salad, and a sandwich or entree and a beverage I should not have to go to three (3) different stations, no trays and only 2 hands. Help me understand how that scenario works for you???

[Windsailer]

Actually I liked the way the Lido was set up. I could get a salad and then go sit down. Typically a crew member would come by asking if I wanted ice tea, water or lemonade (that never happened on the Oosterdam). After finishing the salad, I would then go to get my entree. The process worked for me.

 

What would not work for me would be one station where you got salad, drinks and the entree. That line would be way too long.

 

And I can't really comment on the Noordam MDR, as we only went on embarkation day. We had such bad experiences for both breakfast and dinner on the Oosterdam we had no interest in trying the MDR on the Noordam. Besides, for us the ship is not the experience, it's only a floating hotel and restaurant - allowing us to get to see a lot of places in a short period of time - so we can see where we want to go back to for a longer visit.

[Beyondthe7Seas]

I love everything about the Noordam! By far the best ship, IMO :)

[scopewest]

I just got off the Oosterdam. I enjoyed the ship and yes, someone did clear off the tables in the Lido and someone did stop by to ask if we wanted coffee, etc. when we had lunch there. This was our fourth and probably last cruise on the O simply because the ship is moving to Australia, and I have no plans to sail there in the foreseeable future.

 

But I love the Noordam more because they put everything in its place when they were building the ship, and not after the fact. I just love the Vista ships anyway.