HAL Noordam - Thoughts

[Bugslyboo.com]

This was our second cruise with HAL this year. Previously we've cruised with Princess and Cunard multiple times (and once with SS Norway many years ago). This was the Aug. 26th cruise that got back yesterday morning.

 

I know that this type of post can bring out defensive reactions, but I think - for the community - it's good for us to talk openly about our experiences. These are just my experiences, which can vary widely on a ship the size of Noordam.

 

My impressions - obviously comparing to what I know (see above):

HAL transfer to the ship and embarkation was timely and smooth.

Lido food quality was good.

Coffee in the Lido is very good.

Beds are very comfortable.

The Pinnacle grill was great and we had a wonderful meal there. The staff was excellent, matching the quality of the food.

The disembarkation is excellent. The other cruise lines we know could learn a lesson here.

 

OK. From here on it gets a bit rough. But again, I'm trying to portray it as I experienced it.

 

Open seating without a reservation, if you want a table for just your group, is frustrating. Open seating with a reservation works well.

Food service is hurried. We were a group of four and one evening it was so extreme that while one of us was still eating the appetizer, the other dishes were cleared and the second course served. It is such a fast pace that it leaves you finishing off your first glass of wine while the dessert is being served.

 

The food quality (and food temperature) varied drastically in the restaurant. Some entrees were good, some very poor. I know that this is an extremely subjective thing, but this variation in quality was obvious to all of us in our group. It was really hit or miss, kind of a lottery each evening. This was a big turn off for us, along with the hurried service and self promotion on the last night of the cruise with the staff pressuring us to give them a 9.

 

Stuff happens: One evening after a very fast paced first, second and entree - we were forgotten. After waiting and waiting (and not being able to get our waiter's or his assistant's attention) we decided to leave and do a self-serve dessert in the Lido. The waiter did see us, but just as we were leaving, his face dropped and he realized what had happened and apologized. I appreciate the apology.

 

One night we were told not to order the fish as it was too fishy. Thought I didn't hear right as it was "Rudi's" dish of the day, so I asked and he repeated that it wasn't a good idea to order the fish...

 

We had an aft VA cabin and were quite happy with it. The only problem we had was limited access to the balcony on two days due to painting and the fact that the balcony floor wasn't cleaned the entire cruise (same could be said of the "smokers" side forward on deck 10. Absolutely filthy floor. The room was kept clean, but you'll notice that the Stewards never close the cabin door when they clean (look at the carpet area near the door that is covered when the door is open...).

 

The photo prices are very steep. My wife bought two and paid $79 total. I know, I know...we didn't have to buy them. Had I known the price, I would have advised against the purchase.

 

I did not appreciate the push by all the staff to get a good rating on the customer satisfaction form. "Please remember to give us a 9". Is that really necessary if everything is being done as it should? The service was OK....yes, OK: We had the bad tempered, the friendly, the over-the-top and many of the "indifferent" species. We were even scolded (when we wanted to sit at a table behind the bar at the Sports bar) that they weren't being served. We had the shoulder shrug "sorry" when the doable wasn't convenient a couple of times... But then there was Nick, Noel and Ishmael who took care of us well.

[slabeaume]

Appreciate you review. We'll be on the Noordam in Nov. ---never been on that ship before. Sounds like your cruise wasn't a total disappointment.

[northstatefarms]

Great post... thanks

 

We've been on the Noordam 3 times. And soon will be our 4th. Our experiences are similar to yours. Which we feel is fine for the price paid. A good value. And lovely ports-of-call.

 

We were also abondoned one evening in the MDR. It took over an hour from the time the entree was cleared to get a cup of coffee or desert. I'm not a big fan of the MDR for a variety of reasons.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thank you for your review.

 

We really are not impressed with HAL's food anymore -- have noticed that it has gone downhill.

 

BUT -- we do appreciate it when the dining room steward tells us not to order such-and-such an entree.

[Sea42]

Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts.

Thanks for the heads up in regards to the MDR. We'll have to see how that goes on our upcoming cruise. Luckily, on this itinerary, we can have our main meal onshore at lunch most days and enjoy the wonderful food of this region. Maybe we'll just use the ship for a light meal in the evening.

[jimmy2x]

I think you called it as you saw it, and appreciate the time taken to write your review. We have sailed on Noordam twice and enjoyed both cruises.

 

On our last cruise, four of us, fixed late seating we also had a problem initially with the service lasting too long. Unlike some others who really enjoy a lengthy dinner, a couple of us have a gimpy knee that tends to lock-up over a long dinner. A pleasant, but firm word with the head waiter that we wished to be in and out within 1-1/2 hours solved the problem.

 

I only bring this up because you are not alone with this type of "timing" issue. It has been our experience that it is usually something, that if addressed nicely, will be taken care of without drama or further discussion.

[Minoushka]

Contrayry to you our dinners took for-ev-er .WE missed all the shows because of this We were always the last group out of the MDR OUr waiters disappeared I do not even think we ever chit chatted together they were so busy nor do I recall their names

Once or twice the maitre D helped out I think they were understaffed

I found NOORDAM not a very clean ship ///our balcony was filthy most days with dirty water thrown on it regularly ...unfortunately not impressed with that

I dropped 2 pills in my cabin ....3 days later still on the floor ...no one vacuumed !!!!

IMO NOORDAM was he dirtiest ship I have ever been on ...sorry HAL but I must tell it like it is ...certain areas on certain days REEKED of sewage or cess[pool ..YUCK

[AZNative2000]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Noordam is next for us.

[Cruizer Bill]

Thanks for your review, that is what we are here for.

We cruised on the Noordam in March 2010 and loved it. Sorry about your food experiences.

[portofrome]

Thanks for your review.

[debijaynes]

We were on the Noordam last spring and will be again this Holiday season. The MDR is a NO for us-- we will do the other restaurants or room service. Why? NOISE, children running about with no supervision, poor service and barely adequate food. We certainly don't cruise for the food! Anyone who does is bound to be disappointed. Cruise food and airline food are very similar. Mass produced and flung at you!

We found our suite to be kept very clean and had no complaints in that quarter. The excursions had some major problems-- we complained- they listened.

We alternate between Regent and HAL simply for convenience sake as we live in SW FLorida and would rather not fly!

Debi

[kazu]

Thanks for your review. Sorry to hear about your experience in the MDR. I do ask the steward before ordering - they know what is good (or usually do) and what is not.;) Such a shame as we really enjoyed the Noordam when we were on.

[Minoushka]

Don.t get me wrong I loved the itinerary

n our cabin other than the water problem was fine service was good and I found the food fine some better than fine

I did not care for the meat in pinnacle but the service was fabulous like before in mdr very attentive

I loved the BBQ on pool deck

There are still lots of good things on HAL

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Thanks for the info ..

[SuwaneeCard]

Thanks to the OP for your review. It gives me a chance to post a few thoughts of my own from our Aug 6-26 (actually 25th) sailing that I have been considering for a couple of weeks.

 

While we appreciate good food and wine, we understand the difficulties involved in banquet-style service and accept many of its pitfalls in terms of timing, temperature, doneness and inconsistent quality. All were present at various times at late seating in the MDR and in the Pinnacle. MDR issues were not fatal, but like the OP, we did leave one evening before dessert. Pinnacle was another set of issues altogether making for the end of a less than stellar birthday for my DW.

 

DW & I are 3 Star Mariners with this being our 4th HAL cruise in a calendar year. We were on the Noordam in 2011 from Aug 26-Sept 16 and had a great time. We brought our DD along this time as a graduation gift to her since the itinerary was interesting and it fit (barely) into her schedule. We pre-arranged to disembark on our 19th day in Naples. This change in ending date apparently was to blame for another issue for both us and another poster here who had arranged to disembark on day 18 - both of us were omitted from the invite list for the Mariner's brunch. Apparently the Front Desk pulled the list of Mariner/Collector cruisers ending on the 26th and neglected to cross-check against all Mariners on board. It's a brunch, just more food we already paid for, but the principle of why we were omitted goes to the core of my issues with HAL in general.

 

My bottom line for this cruise as well as our cruises on the NA and Statendam is that HAL's training and management standards are slipping. They expect less staff to do more without really showing them how and managing the processes.

 

I cannot tell you how many times I saw the Exec Chef stand in the Lido and watch one line work for 20 minutes at a time while the line on the opposite side of the ship was absolutely in the weeds because of lack of supervision. (Whatever station the Chef was watching, the Sous Chefs were making sure everything worked - to the detriment of their other stations). Move around. Taste. Listen. Move. Observe. Coach.

 

I had such a laundry list of items large and small that all pointed to a lack of management follow-up that I took 30 minutes of the HotMan's time to vent. In fairness, he did follow-up with every department included in our meeting and most of them did contact me directly to apologize and ask for further details (AKA I have to report back, please tell me how I should have done my job in the first place). Still waiting for Security to apologize for a HUGE lack of tact.

 

It's not my job to manage HAL's operation while I'm on vacation but it was obvious that they have decided to slide into the "good enough" standard while trying to earn their "9's". How the housekeeping and MDR staff can generally keep smiling through it all is a miracle. We're taking a cruising break for the next year or so to do some in-depth touring. HAL will remain on our list of options when we return to the sea. I just think that training and systems are either not present at all or in need significant revamp both aboard ship and at corporate. After all, how many times have we heard answers from corporate that we knew were wrong? Has anyone there heard of a Knowledge Data Base with all of the actual correct answers??? C'mon HAL you can do better even with less!