Noordam in June?

[pintail1]

I have read and reread Crews News wonderful feedback on his May cruise on the Noordam. It appears he was well satisfied with his time on-board, which was very encouraging to me since I have persuaded 8 first time cruisers to join my wife and I on the July 25 cruise. Other than Crews News reports, little has been said about any subsequent cruises except for 2 very negative

reports from June cruises. Have things changed that much in one month?

[sail7seas]

Welcome to CC/HAL. Happy you found us.

 

After reading a while, you will discover that guests can sail on the same ship, the same sailing and have a very different experience. Some is in the 'eyes of the beholder', some is personal tastes and preferences, some is unrealistic expectations and some is just plain,,,,,,,, a very different experience.

 

If all mechanicals work fine in my cabin (toilet, a/c etc); I like my dining steward and he provides wonderful service; my cabin steward is efficient, pleasant, competent; the menu has many offerings much to my personal taste and the food is served the way I like it; I love the comfort of my cabin and I meet the nicest folks....... I'm having a wonderful cruise.

 

If some of those things don't happen for someone else, they may be having a less than wonderful cruise.

 

Both are truthful and accurate. A broken toilet for half a day can be enough to send some people over the top. Seems they must live in a house/apartment where nothing every breaks. :D

 

[Crew News]

I have read and reread Crews News wonderful feedback on his May cruise on the Noordam. It appears he was well satisfied with his time on-board, which was very encouraging to me since I have persuaded 8 first time cruisers to join my wife and I on the July 25 cruise. Other than Crews News reports, little has been said about any subsequent cruises except for 2 very negative

reports from June cruises. Have things changed that much in one month?

 

Welcome to CC and to HAL.

 

I'm glad somebody got some valuable information from my "News from the Noordam..." thread and I am sure that you will have a great time on your cruise.

 

I was fortunate to take lots of photographs and videos in incredibly fine weather, ride a dogsled in the snowy peaks around Skagway, have a crab feast in Ketchikan (four half crabs in 50 minutes), fly to Taku Lodge for a king salmon bake, see lots of whales in Juneau, create a photo tour of the Noordam, scan all of the dining and Specialty Restaurant menus, and scan all of the On Locations, in addition to having some great desserts. IMHO we had a very enjoyable cruise.

 

Not many post their reviews on the HAL Forum to avoid controversy with those of differing opinion so whatever you read here may not be representative of the other 2000 passengers on board the Noordam

 

On any cruise, everything will not be perfect. Be tolerant of deficiencies and relish the clean Alaskan air, snow in July, dynamic glaciers, and admire the barely-touched scenery. You will definitely return to Alaska. We do every year.

 

Make sure you join your Noordam Roll Call.

[pintail1]

I thank you both for welcoming me to CC and for your encouraging comments. We have 10 cruisers ranging from 11 to 70 years of age. The two kids are wired, even though my granddaughter is too cool to admit it. I've shared your website, Crews News, with all of them- you should be charging for those photos you've posted. It was very generous of you to share them with the rest of us. My wife and I did cruise the Inside Passage 12 years ago on the Zandaam and enjoyed it big time- with the group we have and the great folks we'll meet on board I'm sure we'll all have a wonderful cruise. I'll be sure to post after we return.

[vino100]

I also enjoyed Crew News photos and trip report. I was on the first week of his Alaska cruise and very much enjoyed meeting him and his wife Joanie.

While I had a wonderful cruise , the HAL experience was not up to par with my previous cruises.

Prior to this cruise, my favorite ship from any cruiseline was the Noordam. This cruise I still loved the ship and service,but the food, entertainment and activites were all lacking.

Even with that being said, I really enjoyed the cruise and of course the beauty of Alaska.